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“And the ninepin brigade, and the vivisectionist’s garden, and even this Darwin fellow if you say he is a good man and wise,” said Emily

“I should like to go with you to the Island of Dreaht shaft of joy that had flared up and gone suddenly out in her little heart at the thought that their lory as these four s to be orderly and well”

The children clapped upon this ih Crashey and Bravey declined bashfully, feeling it was their private affair But in the end no fiber of thereat elephant was called, for this was a common conveyance in Glass Town, for those who could afford it As the negotiations were h into her kerchief, and Charlotte saw in the silken square a spray of rubies fall like blood The corners of Elittering scarlet light escaped before the skin ain

“We o quickly and with as little sound as we may,” admonished Crashey Branas disappointed in him They rode upon an elephant—not only an elephant but one whose skin was diamond, yet soft, with tiny silver hairs upon it and iron bones visible down deep beneath the o quietly? Why should they? They would fight, if the ninepins came for them! Yet secretly Branwell hoped they would, for surely Buonaparte, his chief a Men at home, would come with them, and they would be fast friends

“What is it that Waiting Boy brought from our country?” said Emily as the sun went down over a broad sea that foareen cliff on which their road ran It spooled out a hot, rosy light along the horizon like calligraphy

Bravey blushed; the birch wood of his face went the color of cedar “To ask us to reveal these things is like asking us to discuss the details of our wedding night,” he said miserably

“I command you to tell us!” cried Branwell

Crashey relass, stoppered and filled with a thick black liquid

“Ink?” said Anne, reaching out to touch it The sunset leant the glass a molten, volcanic splendor

“In your country it is ink,” Crashey agreed “Here it is a philtre which compels the truth from whomever would use it”

Branas possessed by a powerful urge to snatch it away He would make Charlotte taste it Then she could not lie to him when he asked the questions buttoned up into his chest Do you still loveto interest us? When you go away to school again, ill beco Men which you requireso fast, I cannot keep up with you Why will you not wait for me?

For her part, Charlotte also wished to talk to her brother away from the others, but she did not think she needed a philtre He would tell her the truth because he was Branwell, and if he did not she would know I do not think the Genii really look like us, she wanted to tell hi us like ed, like Buonaparte with his ram-face, which you know, I had only just conceived of when all this began, but now it is true! I would not have put it in the chronicles, as it is too fanciful even for our purposes But if it is real it cannot be fanciful! Did you see the skin of the Genii when it cracked? Beneath I saw the swirling spangled lights of the heavens, like a furnace full of stars It is not safe, the Young Men’s country We are not safe

In the late evening they came upon a house in a quiet section of quite another town, a stately place with black ht within They disreeted by three of themen the children had ever seen They sees of men than men, and Charlotte was certain she could see brushstrokes upon their hands and faces, though this made them no less lovely

Crashey and Bravey greeted thehter and claps upon the back, and the brothers invited the

m all in for brandy and the business at hand