The Inventor's Son

Chapter 9: In Which a Magic Wand Would Have Come In Handy

THE HORSE-DRAWN CARRIAGES arrived and were loaded with all of Ethan's portable possessions, the precious notes and journals, Sam and the disassembled helicopter prototype. Ethan turned to look at his grandmother's house one final time. The color of the bricks, the wrought iron gate at the end of the walkway, he took them all in, as though he might never see it again.

"What's your grandmother doing, lad?" Liam called out to Ethan who was still watching on the sidewalk.

"She's to put a curse on the house, Inspector. I hope you don't mind," Ethan answered.

"Whatever for?" Liam groused. "We've a train to catch!"

"It's so no one will be able to rob our home while we are gone," Ethan informed him as he climbed into the carriage with the precious prototype. "There are still items in there that we could not possibly take with us. With the curse placed on the house, people will not be able to see the doors or windows once she's done. See?" Ethan pointed to the house.

"No," Liam answered.

"Well, that's odd!"

"Not really," Liam replied.

"Why not really?" Ethan asked with a bit of alarm, and then he recalled that Liam was able to see him while he was invisible as well. "Oh, you mean you can still see the doors and windows even with the curse on the house too?" Liam nodded slowly. Ethan looked down and grimaced slightly. "But...if you can still see it and you're...what you are-"

"You can say it, lad. A Red Banded," Liam said grimly.

"Right, that... well, surely others of your squad would be able to see it just as easily, wouldn't they?" Ethan worried aloud.

"Not necessarily," Liam admitted.

With a crack of a whip, the two carriages began to roll down the street. Ethan's carriage followed Sophia's, and he tried in vain to watch the world of the street he lived on for years go by.

Neighborhood children were returning home from school at the same time Ethan was leaving. He looked away from them, though one of the boys seemed to be glaring at the carriage. After a few moments, Ethan thought he heard a thud.

He looked out the window of the carriage. He was quite stunned to see one of the taller boys with his arm poised to throw a stone at the carriage.

"Oy! Quit yer mischief!" he heard the carriage driver yell at him.

"Goodbye, witches! Goodbye, witches!" the children all chanted.

Ethan's stomach tightened, and Liam growled. He then turned to look out the window. "Please, Inspector Huntington, don't bother," Ethan begged miserably.

"Did you ever have trouble with those louts before?" Liam demanded.

Ethan shook his head. "I didn't even realize that they knew me! We've had trouble with the neighbors adjacent to our backyard, but I always thought that was on account of Father's shed and his inventions..."

"The brats must have seen me, with my uniform, and came to the worst conclusion."

After the carriages turned the corner, Ethan asked in a rush, "Inspector Huntington, what did Inspector Marlowe write in that note? Did it have to do with this case? What happened with Kearney?"

Liam appeared to be considering what to say. "Dear God, you ask about Kearney! All I can say is that he has killed a young boy before. He...harms them, and relishes doing so."

As they drove through the streets, there were times when traffic came to a complete standstill. During one of those times, Ethan noticed something outside the window that took his mind off his troubles for a moment. As he watched this scene, in which a constable was giving a young fellow a ticket, Ethan remarked, "You know, in other countries, they are allowed to have steam powered carriages. Uncle Malcolm says that the big railroad interests in Parliament have worked very hard to ensure that they don't get legalized in the Empire, and for that matter, they've restricted dirigible airship travel as well."