Gabriel Finley and the Raven’s Riddle (20 page)

“This bird needs his freedom,” said Gabriel. “Let Hobblewing go, Septimus. And Pamela must also—”

Crawfin interrupted. “You were going to bring us something in return. The riddle that will lead us to the torc.”

“Exactly,” continued Septimus. “My boy, all I'm trying to do is get your father out of prison.”

Gabriel wondered again how he could possibly trust these two.

I don't trust them, either
, agreed Paladin.

Yes, but I have to find my father
, Gabriel reminded him.
That's the most important thing. If there's even a chance that they can help us free him, Paladin, I think we have to take it. Don't you? Wouldn't you do the same thing if you could get your mother back?

Without a doubt!
Paladin replied.

So Gabriel demanded that Septimus send Pamela home
in a taxicab, but to be sure the promise was kept, he asked Paladin to accompany her.

Consider it done
, the raven replied.
I'll return as quickly as I can.

Crawfin grudgingly agreed to give Hobblewing flying lessons. Although Pamela was glad to have Paladin escort her, she asked Gabriel why he wasn't coming with them.

“So I can keep my part of the bargain,” he explained.

“What's that?”

“To solve a riddle, of course.”

The Raven's Riddle

G
abriel was just as excited to examine the parchment as Septimus and Crawfin. The verses were written in scratchy script by the raven Baldasarre. He read aloud:

When they had finished this part of the verse, Septimus's forehead, which had been wrinkled to start with, cleared with obvious amusement. “What a charming little rhyme!”

Gabriel frowned. “It sounds to me like a serious warning,” he said. “Like signs on a fence that say ‘Danger, Keep Out!' ”

“Oh, yes,” laughed Septimus. “I've always ignored those signs. Why, if Crawfin and I paid attention to Keep Out signs, we would be—”

“Out of business,” interrupted Crawfin.

Septimus rubbed his hands. “This raven Baldasarre enjoys preaching a lot of gloom and doom, but I wish he would get to the point!”

“Let's move on,” said Crawfin impatiently.

Gabriel passed his finger down to the next part of the verse.

“That's me,” said Septimus. “No truer words were said.”

The white raven looked doubtfully at Septimus. “If that's you, I'm an ostrich.”

“I was brave in my youth.”

Crawfin rolled his eyes.

Gabriel read on:

“Druid stone? It sounds valuable!” Septimus's eyes brightened.

“And I wonder who pines for its return?” Gabriel said.

“It must be quite precious,” Septimus declared. “What a shame to go to such trouble to find it, just to give it away to somebody else.”

“Maybe Baldasarre means that this stone must be traded for the torc,” Gabriel replied. “A selfish person would keep the druid stone and never get as far as finding the torc.”

Crawfin smirked. “The boy makes sense.” Septimus, however, rolled his eyes and gestured for Gabriel to continue.

“
On pillars made of granite stone, Lady Justice rests her feet.
Well, that sounds like the big courthouse building downtown,” guessed Gabriel. “It has pillars. The top of the building has a statue of a woman holding a sword and a flaming torch. I'll bet that her ‘resident,' whoever it is, lives behind that statue and has this druid stone.”

“What sort of creature would live up there?” said Septimus. “Rather a high place, I reckon. Windy. Cold. Very unpleasant this time of year.” He and Crawfin shared a pointed glance.

“I don't know, but we'll just have to find out,” said Gabriel.

“Now, isn't he a fine chap?” Septimus remarked to Crawfin. “Volunteering on such a dangerous mission!”

“I didn't exactly volun—” Gabriel said, but he was interrupted by a desperate noise—three weak throks. An exhausted raven appeared in the doorway, one wing drooping, his chest heaving.

The Aerie

“P
aladin!” Gabriel cried. “What happened?”

“Attacked,” gasped the bird.

“Oh, no! Is Pamela okay?”

“Home and perfectly safe,” said the raven. “Your aunt fed me a few slices of bacon, then sent me back to you; but on my way I heard the croak of another raven above me, so I landed on a branch. Two other ravens landed on either side of me, so I greeted them with a riddle:

“When I told them the answer was an hour hand on a clock, they didn't laugh.”

“Valravens,” murmured Gabriel.

“Exactly,” said Paladin. “I took off as quickly as I could, but I could hear them behind me. ‘Get him, get him!' they
cried. I flew low over the rooftops, dipping between trees and washing lines, anything to dodge them, but they stayed right on my tail. Eventually, I found my way to the river. It was misty down there, so I hoped I could just disappear, but their eyes glowed yellow like flashlights through the darkness. One of them grabbed my wing, and I thought I was done for. Just then, a huge bird appeared out of the mist and the three began shrieking in terror. I'm almost sure it ate them, because one by one they cried out and then fell silent.”

“Something that eats valravens?” repeated Crawfin. “What could it have been?”

“Well, I didn't wait to find out,” replied Paladin. “If it ate valravens, it might eat me. I got lost in the mist for a while, then finally spotted the lights of the bridge. Halfway across the river, I happened to look up and saw it above me—terrible wings beating the air as silently as a ghost. I couldn't even hear a flutter from its feathers. And those talons! So big they could have plucked me out of the air and squeezed the life out of me!”

“An owl,” said Crawfin.

“How did you escape?” asked Gabriel.

“I flew in and out of the bridge wires. At the end of the bridge I found a drainpipe just big enough to fit me,” Paladin replied.

“Very wise, young Paladin,” said Crawfin.

“I waited and waited,” Paladin continued. “I could see the owl's vicious eyes peering from the mouth of the pipe. I've
never been so terrified. Finally, it began to rain and he must have taken shelter somewhere. I know that owls can't fly in the rain, so I took a chance and climbed out. When I was aloft, I heard him calling after me. The nerve! As if he expected me to come back and offer myself up as his dinner!”

Crawfin cocked his head curiously. “Interesting. I should think an owl that big would have snapped you up in a few seconds.”

“Yes, I know!” Paladin replied. “Mother always said that no one survives an owl attack. That's my second. I don't fancy a third one!”

“I hope the owner of the druid stone isn't an owl,” murmured Septimus.

“The druid stone? What's that?” asked Paladin.

Gabriel explained the verses while Paladin listened.

“Well,” Septimus said. “Best get on your way and find that stone!”

In moments, Gabriel and Paladin had paravolated and were soaring into the sky as one, heading south toward the big buildings where the courthouses were.

The only thing I don't understand
, remarked Paladin after a few quiet minutes,
is why, if Septimus is such a good friend of your father's, he's not helping us? He didn't even offer to come along.

Yeah, I know
, replied Gabriel.
They were perfectly happy to send us off alone.

Before they had time to wonder what dangers Septimus had foreseen, they spotted an enormous courthouse down
below. It had a row of statues on the facade at the top. In the center stood a proud figure of a woman holding a sword in one hand and a flaming torch in the other. Her carved feet stood on a pediment resting across a row of granite pillars. In the niche behind the statue's head and shoulders, Gabriel spied a nest composed of very large twigs and sticks.

As soon as they swooped near, a piercing shriek turned their blood cold. An eagle with a helmet of brilliant white feathers and a massive hooked beak peered over the statue's head. Straddling the nest, it screamed another earsplitting warning.

An eagle!
gasped Paladin.
The only thing worse than an owl. In fact, now I prefer owls. Is it too late to find an owl instead?