The City of Lizards Read online

  But where was the City of the Ravagers?

  After a while, Thomasina’s Ocean stretched out so much that it was impossible to say where it ended. A bluish mist hung over the surface and made it impossible to see farther than three feet from the shore.

  The kids grew uneasy again: the adventure had begun to lose its appeal.

  “Did you guys notice that we haven’t found the XI mark for a while?” Ravi said.

  “It might be a good sign,” Minerva replied. “Maybe we are getting close to the City.”

  “Or maybe we’re lost,” Ravi grunted.

  “You have to have a little faith when you’re on an adventure,” Thomasina said with confidence. “Sometimes you have to get lost, in order to find the right way.”

  That said, she stepped into what looked like a puddle of mud, but which, in fact, swallowed her up.

  “Thomasina!” Ravi screamed. Nothing, however, was left of his crush. Not one single blond curl.

  The boy clenched his jaw. It was peculiar, but whenever Thomasina was in danger, he immediately got rid of the fear that usually paralyzed him. On the contrary, he felt more like one of the knights from King Arthur’s Round Table.

  “Don’t go any closer! It’s quicksand!” he yelled at Minerva. He glanced around, looking for something that might have been helpful, but he didn’t know what he was looking for. He turned around and looked at Minerva who, for once, looked helpless. So he lay on his stomach and leaned over the puddle. “Hold me by my feet,” he told his friend.

  She nodded and grasped his ankles firmly.

  Ravi took a deep breath and slid into the puddle until only his calves stuck out.

  Minerva looked at Pendragon, who was desperately barking next to her. “Don’t worry,” she said. “He’s gonna make it. You’ll see.”

  A moment later, she realized that Ravi was twitching, so she pulled with all her strength. The momentum sent her sprawling, pulling both Ravi and Thomasina with her.

  Her friend seemed totally unaffected by the recent accident. She ran her hands through her hair to wipe off the mud and said, “Well, you see, sometimes you really have to get into trouble to realize that you are living a true adventure.”

  Ravi, who lay breathless next to her, sat up all of a sudden. “If you so much as say one more single word about adventures …” he scolded her.

  She looked at him with her amazing blue Bambi eyes. “Okay, whatever you say, my hero …” She sighed and gave him a loud kiss on the cheek.

  Red as a tomato, Ravi shot to his feet. “Come on. We’ve got to get out of here before we all drown in quicksand!”

  Since there were no more marks carved in stones to show them the way, they decided to walk along the shore of the inland sea in order to keep their sense of direction. The world around them had suddenly grown more bleak and threatening: the number of shiny crystals decreased, and the unusual plants that surrounded them were now wild and thorny.

  Ravi froze. “I have a feeling someone’s following us,” he whispered.

  Minerva stopped next to him and frowned. “I know. I’ve been having that feeling for a while,” she admitted.

  They looked around, but all seemed eerily still and silent.

  Suddenly there was a loud SMACK followed by a series of gurgling sounds.

  “What was that?” Thomasina cried out.

  They pressed against each other: was the threat coming from the sea or was it coming from the land?

  A moment later, Pendragon started barking furiously at the water. The three friends whirled around at once, just in time to catch a glimpse of a set of circles rippling the surface of the water.

  “Wh-what was that?” Ravi stammered.

  “Something big …” Minerva said sternly.

  The circles disappeared, but the mysterious sound came from the mist once again, and then the water filled with bubbles, like a pot on a stove.

  Ravi’s throat knotted. “That’s not the Terror of the Seas down there, is it? Maybe this is his house …”

  While our heroes were in the thick of their underground adventure, life in the world above went on as if nothing had happened. Or nearly.

  Mrs. Flopps, unaware of the latest developments at Lizard Manor, was gloating because she had managed to sell all her delicious strawberry jams at Truro’s farmers’ market. She could finally have the holes in the roof fixed!

  At Crowley Hall, Thomasina’s enormous house, the orchestra was tuning up on the perfectly mowed lawn lined with roses, while trays of delicious finger foods were carefully placed on pressed, starched linen tablecloths.

  On Pembrose wharf, a lonely fisherman was scanning the ocean with worry. Once night falls, he wondered, will the Terror of the Seas be coming back?

  Things were not much better at Lizard Manor: first-class social worker Amelia Broomstick was looking for the three fugitives under the rhododendron bushes in the garden. Fourteen snowy owls roosting on the roof were spying on her every move. They knew what had happened, but they couldn’t tell anybody about it.

  * * *

  Meanwhile, in the underground world, the members of the Order of the Owls had calmed down a little. They had stood still, closely watching the water for a very long time, but nothing else had happened.

  “Let’s keep going!” Minerva made up her mind eventually. “It’s getting late.”

  Warily, they kept walking along the shore of the inland sea until they came to a small wharf. And there, tied to a cleat, was a rowboat. It was in perfect condition, and it seemed like it was just there waiting for them.

  A gust of wind that smelled like flowers tousled Minerva’s hair. She felt as if the breeze was pushing her toward the boat. Without giving it a second thought, she jumped into it.

  Ravi looked at her horrified. “You’re not seriously thinking of going out into the water?” he exclaimed.

  Minerva had already picked up the oars. “Well, this boat is here for a reason, isn’t it?”

  In the meantime, the boy had leaned down to examine the boat. “Hey, there’s something written here … a name. Oh, man! The boat’s name is Althea!”

  Minerva opened her eyes wide. Althea, the only woman among the Ravagers of the Sea. She was a charmer who had first mesmerized evil Black Bart and then cursed him to an existence of unending sorrow that would haunt him even in the afterlife!

  “It’s decided then; we’ll continue in this boat,” she stated, putting the oars into place.

  “Wh-why?” Ravi asked.

  “Because it’s a sign,” Minerva replied. “And my instincts tell me that we have to go over there.” She pointed to the mist that hung over the sea.

  “But … what about the Terror of the Seas?” Ravi reminded her.

  “Come on, my hero!” Thomasina urged him, pushing him onto the boat. “If the Terror messes with us, we’ll show him what we’re capable of!” She untied the lines, and after picking up Pendragon, she jumped in and joined the others, causing the little boat to rock dangerously.

  Ravi held on to Minerva to avoid falling into the water. “I’d like to remind you that I can’t swim,” he said in a voice that was nothing more than a weak whisper.

  Minerva handed him the oars. “That’s great. You can row then. That way you won’t spend all your time worrying about falling overboard.”

  They traded places, and Thomasina sat next to Minerva, with Pendragon at her side. “Full steam ahead!” she encouraged Ravi.

  The boy decided that there was no point in telling those two that he had never operated a pair of oars in his entire life. He let them slide into the water, hoping not to drop them, and the boat leapt forward like a crazy frog.

  “That’s perfect,” Minerva encouraged him. “Keep it up!”

  Ravi repeated the action with great effort. This time the oars hit the water surface with t
heir flat side, whipping up sprays of water so high that they all wound up soaked to the bones.

  “Oops! I’m sorry …” the boy mumbled, trying to reposition the oars.

  Pendragon shook off, but he was so dirty that he splashed the three kids with a mixture of mud and water.

  “Perfect,” Thomasina said with a sigh. “Just what I needed.”

  As they continued, the water sprayed, and the boat jumped and jerked. Ravi never took his eyes off the water, for fear of being attacked by the Terror of the Seas. Finally they reached a point where they were completely surrounded by the mist.

  “Which way do I go now?” the boy asked. “Any suggestions from your sixth sense?” he sneered at Minerva. But at that precise moment, the boat hit a wooden pole and Ravi fell back, the oars still in his hands.

  “I’d say we’ve arrived,” Minerva answered, pleased with herself.

  A gentle gust of wind that smelled of wild flowers and the moor began to blow above the water surface. It scattered the mist enough to reveal … the City of the Ravagers!

  “Wow, I can’t believe it!” Thomasina exclaimed. “We found it!” Overcome with joy, she flung herself at Ravi — who was too busy holding the oars to realize what she was doing — and hugged him. “You’re the perfect captain!”

  Ravi turned red. Wow, two compliments in one single day! Could he finally be close to conquering her heart?

  Unfortunately, that was not the right time to get sentimental. They had reached their destination. Or so it seemed.

  They were right in the middle of a group of stilt houses. The houses were encrusted with seashells with mother-of-pearl reflections, while the wood stilts were covered in long strands of seaweed.

  As quickly as it had come, the strange breeze died down and the mist started thickening again.

  Minerva looked around. A big lizard was carved into every door … every door but one. “Let’s go there,” she said, pointing to the lizard-less door.

  The boy swallowed. “But … how do you know no one’s still living there?” he whispered. “A descendant of the Ravagers of the Sea for instance.”

  “That’s a good point,” Minerva admitted. She dug her slingshot from her pocket. Luckily, she had a good amount of acorns. They were now completely surrounded by the mist, but she could still make out the targets. She took aim, pulled the band and hit all the doors, one by one.

  The shots echoed like eleven bell tolls, then silence fell.

  They stood still and waited for a reaction, but none came and nothing happened. No one showed up on the wharf.

  “Not a single soul in sight,” Thomasina declared. “Let’s go!”

  They tied up the boat and and carefully got off. Minerva studied the door. “Hey, there was a lizard here too,” she whispered. “It’s been rubbed out … but you can still make out the outline.”

  “You’re right,” Thomasina said. “Very strange. Do you think the treasure is still here?”

  They all stared at the door, uncertain of how to go on. Then Pendragon pushed the door open with his muzzle and walked inside.

  They followed him and found themselves in a room that smelled like salt. Everything was blue and turquoise: the walls, the hammock that hung from the ceiling, and the large rug that looked as if it were made of seawater. Curtains made from delicate, tiny seashells hung from the windows. Where could the treasure be?

  A little writing desk caught Minerva’s attention. A curved blade knife was stuck into the wooden table. Its handle had nine beautiful diamond inlays that spelled the letter M. The girl moved closer and saw that someone had carved the word GOODBYE on the desk. The blade was stuck exactly in the middle of the letter O. A scroll lay next to it.

  Puzzled, the three kids stood staring at the writing desk. Ravi was a bit scared of the knife, while Thomasina pointed at the scroll. “Maybe it contains instructions on how to find the treasure,” she whispered.

  That wasn’t the case, though: it was a letter. It was dotted with small smears, as if someone had been crying while reading it. Or maybe they were just time stains, because it sure looked pretty old.

  Minerva’s eyes jumped to the bottom of the page. “It’s signed Althea!” she cried.

  Next to the signature, there was a blue wax seal with an owl stamped in its center and the words Domina Noctuae written around it.

  Minerva picked up the scroll and started reading: “January 15, 1732, last day of freedom …”

  The moment her voice echoed through the blue house, a breeze very much like the one that had scattered the mist, rustled the shells that hung from the windows.

  Minerva continued, “My dear Merrival —”

  “Merrival!” Thomasina interrupted her. “Your ancestor … the man in the portrait behind which we found the golden key!”

  Minerva nodded and started again: “My dear Merrival, while you were on your way to Scotland, Black Bart reported me to the Crown Authorities. Therefore, by the time you read these words of mine, they will have already taken me to the Tower of London to carry out my death sentence.” The girl stopped and raised her eyes to look at her friends. They were staring at her, wide-eyed. They were listening to the story of the legendary, enchanting witch.

  Minerva lowered her eyes and concentrated on the scroll. “It is ironic, think you not?” she resumed. “I have the power to control the ocean and unleash storms so violent that seafarers aboard their ships shall scream in terror. I have the power to blow the gales that scourge the moor, and I am the wayfarers’ nightmare. I can throw huge waves against our coasts and hunt the fish away from the fisherman’s nets. The owls obey me and serve as my messengers. I can foretell both luck and misfortune. All these arts I have learned on my own and with great sacrifice. However, I was helpless against Black Bart and his wicked nature!

  I now understand what a terrible mistake it was to join the Ravagers of the Sea: they have forever slain whatever little good was in me. From then on, my destiny was decided and my punishment inevitable.

  The only justification I can find is that I was a poor and ambitious orphan, and I thought that a girl like me would have never made it in this world without help from men. In the end, I have paid for my mistake dearly.

  However, I have taken my vengeance upon old Bart! I surely did! It was me who won at last! Not only did I cast a curse upon him that will haunt him until the end of time, but I have also managed to steal the only thing he ever cared about right from under his nose: his treasure!

  I am sorry, but none of you Ravagers of the Sea will ever find it.

  I forgive you for not doing anything to defend me. You were scared of Black Bart, that boastful braggart, and could not find the courage to tell him that you were in love with me. We should have left like we had planned, just you and I, headed for wherever the wind would have taken us, far away from here. A new world. Forever free.

  But you were weak. You lost me. That shall be your punishment.

  As far as our newborn baby girl is concerned, she is in a secluded place now. I have found some good people who will raise her. I cannot reveal their identity, though: it is the only way to keep her safe from Black Bart and the other Ravagers.

  I left her a hint to locate the treasure and also a very powerful amulet that will protect her from HIM. My one and only hope is that the treasure will grant her a better destiny than the one her mother had. At least, she will not have to ask anyone anything. She shall be free and independent.

  I cannot say more.

  Goodbye my only love.

  Forever yours,

  Althea

  Minerva closed her eyes and pressed the scroll against her chest. She sniffed the air: the brackish smell had been replaced with a pleasant scent of heather and wild flowers. The fragrance, however, suddenly vanished, and the curtain went still once again.

  Althea had gone forever.


  Minerva opened her eyes and placed the scroll next to the knife. “Goodbye,” she whispered, tracing the word carved on the wooden table with her finger.

  Her friends had listened to her silently, their mouths hanging open, but they were clearly about to burst.

  “Wow!” Ravi said. “So Merrival used his knife to carve that word when he found Althea’s letter. And he must have cried too,” he added, studying the specks on the scroll. “That means he really loved her, even if he didn’t leave with her …” Lately, Ravi had been particularly interested in the pangs of love.

  “Your ancestor Merrival and Althea had a baby,” Thomasina chimed in, staring at Minerva. “That baby is one your ancestors … and so is Althea! She must be your great-great-great-grandmother.” Thomasina tried to calculate in vain. “It’s unbelievable! You descend from a witch and one of the Ravagers of the Sea!” she cheered enthusiastically.

  “And next to Althea’s signature is a seal with the image of an owl,” Minerva muttered thoughtfully, running her finger along the edges of the wax seal. “And this inscription: Domina Noctuae. We must find out what it means.”

  “The treasure’s not here, though.” Ravi brought them back to reality. “Althea stole it before she was locked up in the Tower of London.”

  “That’s right, to get back at Black Bart,” Thomasina said. “I wonder if her daughter ever found it,” she said. “She had just been born when she lost her mother.”

  Minerva shook her head. There were still so many mysteries to solve.

  Ravi looked a bit disappointed. “We came all the way down here for nothing.”

  “Well, we’ve just had an amazing adventure!” Thomasina replied.

  “And it is not over yet!” Minerva added. She studied the writing desk. There were other things in addition to the knife and the scroll. Books on flowers, plants, and marine animals. A pair of leather gloves, a snow-white linen handkerchief, and an amethyst pendant. The dark purple stone had a heather flower embossed on it.