Things change around the 11-year-old orphans from Grace Field as they approach their twelfth year of life.
✦ Will these four eldest children, who have placed so much faith in their sole guardian, Isabella, be able to betray that trust after learnin...
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Chapter Thirteen | William Minerva
[Narrator]
Emma carefully ascended the creaky ladder, determined to find the elusive book she had been searching for. Her eyes lit up with excitement as she finally pulled out the desired book from the crowded bookshelf.
"The person that I want to introduce is – this guy." Turning to her companions, she eagerly flipped open the back-cover page, revealing a captivating illustration of an owl, surrounded by dark and intricate lines.
Norman leaned in, squinting to get a closer look at the symbol. "William Minerva?" he questioned, intrigued by the mysterious name.
Emma nodded with a smile, "Yes."
Curiosity piqued, Norman took the book from Emma's hands. "Who is he?" he inquired, hoping for more information.
"I have no idea, other than this book is his," Emma said. "But he might be an ally."
"An ally? How so?" asked Ninelie.
Her excitement barely contained, Emma explained, "This incredible person sends messages through his books, not just a few, but a whole bunch of them!"
Intrigued, Emma laid out several books on the table, all opened to the back-cover page, where the bookplates were located. Each book had a slightly different design, prompting Norman to analyze them closely, "Aren't these..."
"Bookplates, yes," Emma said.
"It indicates who owned a book before it was delivered here," Ray noted, recognizing the marks.
"And what's this message?" Norman asked, looking at Emma.
"But..." Ninelie looked closely at one bookplate, comparing it with another. "They're not the same."
"Right?" Emma looked at the books, "All of these books have a slight distinction from one another, take a good look."
Norman focused intently on the bookplates, particularly on the illustrations of the owl. "They all look like the same owl to me."
It took a moment for him to apprehend after observing the other details other than the owl itself. The inconsistent lines of the circle surrounding the owl. Norman's eyes widened, looking up as he finally realized, "Morse code?"
"Precisely." Ray grinned.
"Once I saw this, I immediately knew that it was a message for us. But I'm not that familiar with Morse..." Emma admitted.
