The Magician's Sons

Chapter 36

"Copernicus, wake up."

The boy's eyes opened drowsily, and he saw Mordechai stooping over him. He moaned and closed his eyes again, still too tired to wake.

There was a painful sense of resentment that came with the sight of Mordechai. After everything that had happened, the man's fatherly smile now made him feel sick with disgust, and he shuddered at the touch of his hand.

"Drink this, my son," the man said, offering him a small glass. "It will do you good."

Copper eyed the clear liquid for a moment. He felt almost too tired to reach for the glass. Besides, at that moment, he didn't want anything that came from Mordechai. He couldn't get rid of his anger and hurt. He wished the man would leave him alone.

"I don't want it," he moaned, turning over in bed. "I'm not thirsty."

"Not thirsty? Come now, you must be!"

Copper shook his head adamantly and buried his face in his dirty pillow. If he had seen Mordechai's expression change from goodwill to utter hatred, he would have started shaking with terror.

The man gripped the glass tighter and stared at the boy with murderous fury. Only he knew what was in that glass. Only he wished, with wicked expectation, to see the child drink the poison and slip away from the world forever. But the next time Copernicus looked at the man, he saw the usual endearing look on Mordechai's face.

"Be a good boy, Copernicus. Drink this for Father. It will make you feel better. And the sooner you are well, the sooner you can run with your brothers again."

Those words sent a deathly chill through Copernicus. He remembered the darkness, the drowning water, the rats, the horror of the tunnels. In his dreams, he had struggled through the tunnels all night long. He had fought his way toward the shining light ahead of him, but long before he had reached it, the water had risen over his head or the rats had swarmed and devoured him.

The boy flinched and began to sob. "No!" he burst frantically. "I can't! I won't!" He started up in bed and gripped Mordechai's jacket in fervent terror. "Don't send me back, please!" he wept. "I can't! I can't ever go back!"

Mordechai tried to put his arm around him, but the boy shoved away in sudden revulsion and threw himself down on his bed, crying bitterly.

"Poor, dear child," the man said, sounding more like a serpent than a comforter. "Of course, you will never return to the tunnels. No, little friend, you will do no such thing. You will lie here and sleep. Yes, deep and peaceful shall be your sleep. Now drink this, Copernicus." He tried to touch the glass to the lad's lips, but Copper stayed the man's hand and looked up at him in earnest entreaty.

"Please," he begged shakily. "Please, sir, I wanna leave. I wanna go away! I can't stay here. I wanna go back to Mr. Hannover!"

"To the baker's shop?"

Copper nodded his head. He had been thinking about it all through the night. He didn't belong there in Mordechai's house anymore. He had seen how cruel and superficial the man's love really was. He had seen how little his life actually mattered to his adopted father. Even though Henry had often been gruff, Copper had always known, in his heart of hearts, that the man would keep him safe.

An evil, condescending laugh rang from Mordechai's lips. "Dear boy, you're quite out of your mind," he said, caressing the boy's aching brow in a way that made Copper shudder. "Do you hear what you are saying? You think the man would really take you back?"