Midnight Hour by Benjamin Read

Author:Benjamin Read
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Chicken House
Published: 2019-03-12T16:00:00+00:00

‘Once again, I must apologize. It’s been a difficult time.’

Emily had perched on a corner of the workbench, while a shamefaced Cornelius paced in front of her. Tarquin had his pad and pen poised, every inch the detective. Cornelius had sent the little men off on a ‘Brownie Break’ but they still peered out from in between the piles of arcane scrap all around the workshop.

‘I’m ashamed. I truly am. It’s just with the full moon being permanent now, I’m in wolf-shape all the time. It’s dreadful. I haven’t had a cup of tea without hair in it for over a century. My temper’s gone to pot.’

He sighed, and his ears drooped. Emily had to restrain a strong urge to scratch his head.

‘Well, I’ll let you off if you can help us with the clock.’

Cornelius’s ears pricked up.

‘Yes, yes. My specialist area, of course. I charmed the bells, did I mention?’

He had mentioned several times already, but Emily smiled and nodded. Who’s a good boy then? Yes, you are.

‘How is the Great Working involved, and why does the Nocturne want you? A conundrum.’ Cornelius stroked his chin fur in thought.

Tarquin smacked his hand on the bench, causing a chorus of ‘Ois’ from the miniature workforce smoking pipes beneath it. ‘We know she wants to escape from the Midnight Hour. It must be to do with that!’

Emily made a face at him. ‘But she can get out! That flippin’ Bear already has. It chased me up the street with its stupid magic brolly!’

Cornelius’s ears flicked again.

‘A Night Shade! Necessary for any magic outside.’

Emily’s brow wrinkled.

‘So . . . why doesn’t she just use the Night Shade then?’

‘Ah ha! Because she’s a . . .’ He clicked his claws, and bared a significant row of teeth, stuck for a word. ‘You know, great big things, endless amount of them in the sea – use them for lamp oil and women’s support doodahs.’ He gestured at his sides.

‘Whales?’ said Emily with horror as she recalled an old history lesson.

‘That’s the ones!’ said Cornelius, his tail wagging.

‘She’s a whale?’

‘No, but would you keep one in a teacup?’ said Cornelius.

‘What?’ said Emily. She was going to have a good sit-down somewhere quiet after this conversation was over.

‘She’s huge, huge!’ Cornelius stretched his arms out, a fisherman showing the size of the biggest thing he’d ever caught. ‘Magically, at least. She’s quite petite, in the flesh, as I remember. Yes, indeed.’

He stared off into the distance, until Emily coughed.

‘Ah yes. She needs an ocean of magic to keep her going and that’s all inside here. Some brolly made with a teacup-full of midnight charm just isn’t going to cut it.’

Cornelius started to stride back and forth as he explained.

‘Without the magic contained within the Midnight Hour, an Older Power such as the Nocturne would turn to dust on the wind in an instant. She cannot leave, for it would be her doom.’

‘Then what is she planning? The Library said she thought the clock was at the heart of it,’ said Tarquin.

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