Vega Jane and the Rebels' Revolt by David Baldacci

Author:David Baldacci
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pan Macmillan UK

25

DELPH’S IDEA

I was so shocked that I nearly dropped the bottle. Then I gripped the glass so tightly that I was afraid I was going to crush it in my hand.

Finally, I set it down on the table and closed my eyes.

When I opened them the bottle was still there. Part of me was hoping we had all just imagined its existence.

‘They’ve . . . they’ve got your grandfather,’ said Delph. ‘They’ve got Virgil.’

I looked down at my hands in my lap, lost for words. The mark of the hooks on the back of my hand was burning brightly.

‘What is it, Vega Jane?’ asked Delph, who was watching me closely.

‘I don’t know. My mark feels really odd. And it looks stronger than before, don’t you think?’

He looked at it carefully. ‘Maybe it does.’

Petra interjected, ‘So what do we do? If they can beat your grandfather, a bleedin’ Excalibur, what chance do we have?’

‘It’s not clear that they have beaten him,’ I said defensively.

Petra gave me a look. ‘Really? So what, he just gave up his magic all on his own?’

‘All I’m saying is that we don’t know for certain.’

‘Well, it seems certain to me that he don’t have no more magic,’ she retorted. ‘It’s all in that bottle.’

As much as I didn’t want to agree with her, I had to.

Delph said quietly, ‘Do you think your grandfather is one of them slaves, maybe in Greater True?’

I picked up the bottle holding my grandfather’s magic.

‘I don’t think so,’ I said slowly. ‘This bottle is larger than the others. That’s a lot of magic. An Excalibur level of magic, I reckon.’

‘So?’ said Petra.

‘So, I don’t think they would treat him like all the others because he’s not like all the others. They would give him extra-special treatment, and not in a good way. I mean punishment. Terrible punishment.’

Delph said, ‘I’m not sure I know what you mean, Vega Jane.’

I took a deep breath. Even I was not totally sure what I meant, or I didn’t want to be. ‘I think my grandfather was the faceless creature in the Tower Room.’

I held up my arm.

‘It touched me here and it burned like mad. But my mark also became more pronounced. And why else would it have let me go when Harry Two licked his arm?’

Petra did not look convinced. ‘Why would they keep him alive? Why not kill him like they did Daphne?’

‘I don’t know. Maybe they want to keep him alive for some other reason.’

‘Like what?’

I slowly lowered my arm. ‘I don’t know!’ I felt my face flush. ‘You always have lots of questions, but never any answers!’

She gazed steadily at me. ‘I came to this whole thing a lot later than you. I don’t know anything about your grandfather, or Wormwood, or the Maladons or even magic really. I . . . don’t like not knowing things. Maybe that’s why I ask so many questions. But I guess it’s not fair to always expect you to have all the answers.’

I thought that was as close as I’d ever likely get to an apology from Petra Sonnet.

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