"Since the dawn of time storytellers have enchanted audiences with their words." "But there is an even rarer gift:" "There are those, who by reading out loud can bring characters to life." "Out of books and into our world." "Go to sleep now." "Shh." "Go to sleep, baby girl." " Maybe this will work." "Let me read to her." " She's too young." " No." " Shh." "Why don't you read to me?" ""Once upon a time, there was a dear little girl who was loved by everyone who met her but especially by her grandmother, who would've given her anything." "Once she gave her a little hood of red velvet. "" "What was that?" "What?" "I don't know." "Nothing." ""Red velvet that suited her so well that she refused to wear anything instead of it." "So she was called Little Red Riding Hood. "" "Most of these Silvertongues, as they are known prefer to keep their skills a secret." "But some do not even know that this gift is theirs until it is too late." " Is this the right way?" " Next turn on the left." "Are you sure?" "Because I think we missed it." "Who's the driver?" "Dad." "Who's the navigator?" "Me." " Have I ever got us lost before?" " No." "No." "Oh, hey." "Look, a Sasquatch." "Hey!" "Oh, the turning, left, left, left!" "The Alpine Antiquarian Bookshop should be at the end of this street and on the right-hand side of the square." "Good." "By the way, how come every bookshop we go to is a thousand years old?" "Why can't we go to one that sells hot chocolate and books that are actually new?" "What good would a bookbinder like me be in a new bookstore?" " I love old books." "The marbled pages..." " End papers, the leather binding..." "This is my kind of place." " Maybe you'll find it here, Mo." " Find what?" "That book you're always looking for." " I'm not looking for anything particular." " You don't think I've noticed?" "You never leave a bookshop unless you've checked every corner." " Don't we?" " No, you always come away disappointed." "Sometimes your eyes are even a little red." "It's because old books are dusty." "Hey, look, Harriet the Spy." "I'm going inside." "You want to come?" " The Secret Garden!" " Or I guess you could stay here." "Afternoon." "I'm Mortimer Folchart." "Ah!" "The famous book doctor." "Well, you're just in time." "Look at this poor patient." " Uh-oh." " Do you think we can save him?" " I think the prognosis is good." " Excellent." " Quite the collection you have." " Yes." " Lf you'd like to look around, be my guest." " Thank you." "Fine, intelligent eye." "What do you say to calling him Black Beauty?" "Oh, my dear child." "Imagine, Heidi." "Capricorn's men were looking for Dustfinger in the wrong place." "Southwest end of Treasure Island." "He hadn't left the village." "He hadn't even tried." "Dustfinger was in Basta's house." "What is that?" "Coming over the hill?" "It's a beast of some kind!" "Dustfinger." "He doesn't like to be tickled." "And you should be more careful." "His name's Gwin." "And I know he looks charming but you know what they say about books and covers." "Uh..." "Yeah, I do." "I also know what they say about talking to strangers." "Excuse me." "But I'm not a stranger, Meggie." "You won't remember me, we only met once, and you were quite small." "But I'm no stranger." "Hello, Silvertongue." "I was just having a talk with your daughter." "Meggie, go wait for me in the van." "It's all right, he's a friend." " Dad." " Do it now!" "Let's you and me go for a little walk." "I've been looking for you." "I've been one step behind you for years." "Waiting for you to find what it is you've been searching for." "Just tell me what you want." "I want you to put right the wrong you did nine years ago." "And I'm here to warn you, Capricorn knows where you're staying." "His men are there now waiting for you and your daughter to come home." " He wants you to read for him." " Well, he's out of luck." "I don't read aloud anymore." "If he finds you, you really think you'll have a choice?" "I could help you stay hidden, but I won't." "Not unless you promise to send me home." "I've been here too long." "Send me home, Silvertongue." " Read to me." " I'm sorry, I can't help you." "It's too dangerous." "It's uncontrollable." "If you won't help me, I'll find someone who can." "Just give me the book." "What book?" "I don't have the book." " You don't have the book?" " No." "I've searched everywhere." "I don't have it." "What's in the bag?" "Did you finally find one?" "It's funny, isn't it?" "Strange, my turning up here right at that very moment." "You know, there are times in life when the stars just simply align." "But this is not one of those times!" "Dad!" " Meggie!" " What's happening?" "I told you to stay in the van!" "Run!" "Get in, get in!" "Come on." "Start!" "Stop!" "I'm trying to help you!" " What are you doing?" "Leave it alone." " I want to see the book!" "You're not to touch that book, understand?" "I don't understand." "I don't understand at all." "What is that book?" "Why did the freaky man with the scars want it?" " Why did he call you Silvertongue?" " I can't tell you." " You have to tell me." " No." "I have to protect you." "And your mother." "My mother?" "What has this got to do with my mother?" "Meggie, please just..." "I'm scared, Mo." "Meggie, I'm going to take care of you." "I always have, and I always will." "At least tell me where we're going." "We're going to Italy." "You have a great aunt there." "It's very important that we get there." "Okay?" "Please, Meggie." "No more questions." "So she's friendly, this great aunt of mine?" "You'll like her." "Would you please stop ringing that damn bell!" "After a while." "She's kind of an acquired taste." "Right." "What?" "Elinor." "Well, for the love of Thomas Hardy." "I'm so glad you've finally made your way back here, Mortimer." "My poor books are in a terrible state of disrepair." "Don't worry." "I'll take care of it." "Don't play with your food, child." "You're not a toddler." "Look at her, she's as thin as a soap bubble." "Oh, she so reminds me of her mother." "Not just when she opens her mouth, if she ever does." "Speaking of..." "We haven't heard from her, if that's what you mean." "Oh, well, no matter." "I grew up without a mother." "Didn't do me any damage whatsoever." "No, my mother just suddenly dashed off on safari one day and never came back." "It's what the women in our family seem to do, they just go off on adventures." "Not me, I prefer to stay where I am." "But your mother..." "Well, she wanted the real thing." "My mum wanted me." "And then one day she was gone, without explanation." " Is that what you call an adventure?" " No, that's what I call abandonment." "Well done, Elinor." "Oh, well, you know it's the truth." "Mum did not abandon us." "No." "No, she didn't." "Well, then what really happened to her?" " I'm not a child anymore." "I'm all grown up." " Almost." "Enough to know the most important thing that's ever happened to me." "Don't you think I've realized why I'm not in regular school?" "And why we're always traveling around from place to place?" "All these years you've been looking for Mum." "And that book, but I just don't understand how those two things..." "Meggie." "You have to tell me something." " I write about her sometimes." " You do?" "Yeah." "I make up stories about..." "You make up stories?" "Meggie, you know I don't want you doing that." "But I have to." "I feel like the words bring her back to me." "Yeah." "The written word." "It's a powerful thing." "You have to be careful with it." "Do you think we'll ever see her again?" "I hope we do, Meggie." "I hope we do." "Step away from that case!" "Three steps back!" "What are you doing?" "This place is not for children." "I thought I made that clear." "Come on, out." "I'm sorry, I was just looking for a book to read." "Is that a nose print?" "Do you have any idea how valuable this manuscript is?" "Yes, I know." "Oh, you know, do you?" "It's Persian, isn't it?" "I can tell from the illuminations the pinks and the blues and the gold-patterned background." "Maybe from the late 12th century or so?" "Goodness me, what a little know-it-all." "It's beautiful." "Yes, it is, isn't it?" "But I just adore everything Persian." " You've been to Persia, then?" " Yes, a hundred times." "Along with St. Petersburg, Paris, Middle Earth, distant planets and Shangri-la." "And I never had to leave this room." "Books are adventure." "They contain murder and mayhem and passion." "They love anyone who opens them." "If I promise not to touch anything could I maybe just sit and read in here for a while?" "That was the window seat where she used to curl up and read." "She?" "Your mother." "Your father used to read to her here." "This was hers." "If I find even a bookmark out of place, I'll lock this room up and you'll never see the inside of it again, that I can promise you." "Then Dorian Gray half opened the door." "As he did so..." "Farewell..." "Trapped inside..." "Desire of revenge..." "I tried to warn you." "I gave you every opportunity to help me, but you refused." "All you had to do was read me back." "You could have kept the book." "But you had to run." "So I turned to Capricorn." " What?" " He's promised to help me." "What have you done?" "Meggie!" "There are men outside!" "They're trying to break into the house!" "Meggie!" "Mo, look out!" "Mortimer, my books!" "Hello, Silvertongue." " Basta?" " Did you miss me?" "Stop!" " Oh, you illiterate cretins!" " Hold him!" "These are masterpieces you're destroying!" "Masterpieces, you ignorant halfwit!" "Stop!" "I swear, I'll kill every last one of you!" "You know I could!" "It would take a few words!" "Oh, we won't have to worry about your words if we cut out your tongue!" "You remember my calling card, don't you?" "One, two, three!" "If that doesn't work well, there's always your daughter." " Get off me!" " No one gets hurt." "Yes, the fire!" "The fire." "Isn't that what we agreed?" "Isn't that what we agreed?" "Yes, we agreed, we agreed, we agreed!" "Evil spirits, I repel thee." "Evil spirits, I repel thee!" "Dad!" "Dad!" "Right, get them in the van." " You're not taking them too." " Capricorn's orders." "After all, we are going to require a little leverage to make Daddy read." "Meggie!" "Don't drag my daughter into this." "For God's sakes, she's just a child." " No, don't!" "No!" " What's this?" " No." " My only hope of finding my wife." " My only hope of going home!" " No!" "What is it?" "When will you tell me what is going on?" "Has your father ever read you a bedtime story, Meggie?" " You might want to ask him why." " Give me this." "I'll take that!" "No!" "Oh, my books!" "No!" "Come along, now." "Hurry up." "Oh, my books!" "Come on!" "Meggie." "Where are we?" "They're here." "Hey, they're coming!" "Oh, how lovely." "After you." "Come on, out!" "Out!" "Oh, they're rude!" "Move!" "Move!" "It's ticking." "Flying monkeys." " What is this place?" " I don't know." "Welcome to our humble abode." " Enjoy your stay." " Go on!" "No, I will not share this filthy hovel with all those creatures!" "Go on, get in!" "In you go!" "What are we doing here, Mortimer?" "Where did those monsters come from?" "Books." "They came out of books." "What are you talking about?" "Mortimer, be quick, be clear, or I swear I'll disinherit you." "Came out of books?" "What do you mean?" "Come here." "Meggie this is the story you have been waiting to hear." "Elinor, you were away at a book fair and we were housesitting for you." "Me, Meggie, your mum." "And that night we were in the library so I opened a copy of a book we'd just bought." "Inkheart." "It was a good read." "Full of adventure and magic and a creature called The Shadow." "Terrifying." "I read several chapters aloud and nothing happened." "Then they appeared, out of nowhere from the medieval world of the book." "At first it was capricorn a thuggish bandit working for an evil duke." "Then Basta, his knife-wielding sidekick." "And then Dustfinger a traveling fire juggler with magical powers." "My voice brought them out." "Your voice brought them out of the book?" "And her mother went in." "That's how it works." "Dustfinger saved us from Capricorn that night." "It was only then that I realized Resa, your mum she was gone." "They'd come out of the book, and she went into it." "Resa!" "And that, Meggie, was the last time that I read to you." "The night we lost your mother." "Oh, she went into the book." "Oh." "Goodness sake, Mortimer!" "All these years you've allowed me to think the worst of Resa!" " Why didn't you tell us?" " Would you have believed me?" "You want to read Mum back out of the book." "That's why you've been searching for Inkheart all these years." "If she's alive, you mean." "You say she's trapped in that book." "How do you know?" "Who's to say she got there?" "If she did how could she survive for nine years if the monsters are anything like those?" "Or worse." "How do you know where she is?" "Or if she's alive, even." "How do you know?" " It's like the illustration in the book." " Kind of scary." "It's hideous." "The man's got no taste whatsoever." "Look, will you stop pushing me!" "Meggie, just pretend that you're in a book." "Children always escape in books." "No, they don't." "Remember The Little Match Girl?" "They found her in an alley frozen to death." "Walk." "Come in." "We saved you the good seats." "Capricorn." "Uh!" "I told you to stop that!" "Please." "You got old." "You got a castle." " Indeed, I did." " And a haircut." "A lovely castle in a secluded part of the country far from prying eyes." "Oh, yes, I've adjusted rather well to your world, don't you think?" "This must be your daughter." "So much life to live." "You, however, are a noisy old bag." "You make a racket without opening your mouth." "You barbaric piece of pulp fiction!" "Your malice is matched by your stupidity!" "I don't know how things are in that third-rate novel of yours but where I come from one does not go around ravaging libraries!" "My life's work, destroyed by a bunch of unread, solecistic thugs!" "I have no patience for old women with big mouths." "You know my reader." "Darius, why don't we show our guests what I have been up against?" "Read that." "But you said I wouldn't have to read once he got here." "Yes, well, I lied, didn't I, when I said that?" "Read the book." ""Rapunzel had splendid long hair." "It was as fine as spun gold." "And when she heard... "" "Help!" "No!" "Help!" "You see?" "Look at the writing on her face." "She's only been half read out of the book." " Take her to the dungeon." " No!" " And give her a haircut." " No!" "I'm not going to read out loud, if that's what you're intending." " Not with them in the room." " Bring the girl up, please." "You take your..." "Here's how this will work:" "You'll do exactly what I tell you to do or I'll kill the old lady and lock your daughter up for eternity." "Is that clear?" "Great." "Well, let's get things started, shall we?" "This is a great book, filled with riches." "Reading out treasure?" "For now." "Someone has to pay for repairs, and all the locals have been bled dry." "I'm warning you." "I have no control over what comes and goes." "I have no idea what's going to happen." "Well, this should be fun, then." "Let's give it a whirl." ""Kasim gazed upon the treasures within the cave." "Mountains of gold and silver were heaped from floor to ceiling." "Piles of silks and sacks ofjewels." "Kasim gathered all the treasure he could carry only to find the door of the cave sealed shut." "And by the will of Allah he'd forgotten the password." "He cried out, 'Open Barley!" "'" "But the door did not budge." "Kasim named every grain of wheat he could think of." "'Open Buckwheat!" "' 'Open Millet!" "'" "But still the door would not open." "Then came the sound of approaching hooves. "" "Sand." ""Kasim ran to hide, but tripped, sending coins spilling in every direction." "Then came the muffled call of 'Open Sesame!" "'" "And the cave opened to reveal a most unpleasant collection of bandits. "" "What?" "You see?" "Yes!" "Yes!" "That's how it's done!" "Look!" "What'd I tell you?" "Put that boy in the stable and feed him to the ticking crocodile." "But if he came out, who went in?" "Help." "It's my turn now." "Just like you promised." "Your turn?" "Oh, you mean this." "It's an incredibly rare book, this." "We've been tracking them down for years." "I can't send you back." "I don't know how." "Send us back?" "Why would we ever want to go back when your world is so accommodating?" "With your telephones and your guns and..." "What's that sticky stuff called?" " Duct tape." " Yes, duct tape." "I love duct tape." "Besides, what was I in Inkheart?" "The Adderhead's henchman." "Living in the woods with all those filthy beasts." "But look at me now." "I've got a castle." "I'll never go back." "None of us ever will." "To make sure of that, I'm going to do what I always do when someone digs up a copy of this tedious book." "You promised I'd be sent home." "Yes, I know." "I lied when I said that." "I mean, I'm a liar." "I lie all the time." "Lie, lie, lie." "After all these years, you'd think he'd figure it out by now." " No!" " No!" "Get it!" "Get it out!" "No!" "Must you do that every single time?" "It's pathetic, honestly." "Don't!" "Now, get your burns tended to." "Otherwise, I'll be forced to cancel our Juggle Night." "You know how much I look forward to Juggle Night." "Lock them up." "Hey, Darius." "Don't forget to feed the crocodile, will you?" "Oh, for the love of Theseus!" "No, no, no." "He didn't mean it." "He's just hungry." "It's not his fault." "He's a Minotaur." "He can barely walk, thanks to Darius and his reading." "A lot is down to this jackass." "We came out with half the book tattooed across our face." "Look at my eye." "If you think that's bad, look at the state of my nose." " It's disgusting." " Ye..." "All right." "So you can imagine how pleased we are that you're here." "Delighted." "Because now we got someone who can really read." "I hurt myself." "Again." "I don't understand it." "In Inkheart, my hands, they never burned." "But here!" "Fire has no sense of humor." "You're trying to escape again?" "Resa give up." "We're not going anywhere." "For a moment I held Inkheart in my hands." "But it's ashes now." "And I shall never go home." "But you you still have hope." "When Darius read you out of Inkworld, he left your voice behind in that book." "But if you could talk would you tell me your story?" "Would you?" "No." "No, you wouldn't." "It's because of how I'm written, isn't it?" "You think me weak and deceitful." "It's not all I am." "Not all of me." "It's just a dream." "It's just a dream." "It's just a dream." "Are you all right?" " What's your name?" " My name is Farid." " Are you one of the 40 thieves?" " Stop talking to me." "Don't you know it's bad luck to speak in a dream?" "You stupid girl." "You talk in a dream, you never find your way back." ""Stupid"?" "You're the one who thinks you're in a dream." "I was just trying to be nice." "Go back to your muttering and see if I care." "It's just a dream." "Just a dream." "Come home." "Please come home." "Good morning." "Thank you." "How can I ever repay you?" "Resa, even if I could find you a key, where would you go?" "This is your family?" "This is your husband?" "Your daughter?" "You went in the book when I came out." "You went in the book when I came out and then Darius read you out again." "Gwin." "I'm gonna get you out of these chains, and then you're going home." "I'll meet you at the stables." "I've never been that in control before." "I know I can get Resa out of the book." "And maybe send Capricorn back in." "We just have to find another copy." "Well, it only took you nine years to find the last one." "I bet the author has a copy." "If he's alive, I bet he'd have one." "Someone must know where he lives." "Great." "Now we're going to have to try to escape, aren't we?" "Either that, or get fed to the ticking crocodile next door." "Someone has to stop him." "Before you say anything, I'm here to save your necks." "After putting them on the chopping block in the first place?" "Listen, you want your wife back as much as I want to go home to my family." "You think there's another copy of Inkheart out there, let's find it together." "And how do you intend that we escape?" "Page 14." "The mighty storm?" " Get in the castle!" " Let's go!" ""From the far north they heard a low wail of the wind and Uncle Henry and Dorothy could see where the long grass bowed in waves before the coming storm." "'There's a cyclone coming, Em." "I'll go after the stock. "" "Good doggies." ""Suddenly, Uncle Henry stood up. "" "Get out of the square!" ""He ran toward the sheds where the cows and the horses were kept." "Aunt Em dropped her work and came to the door." "One glance told her of the danger close at hand." "'Quick, Dorothy!" "Run for the cellar!"'" "There she is!" "Come on!" ""A strange thing happened." "The house whirled around two or three times and rose slowly through the air." "Dorothy felt as if she were going up in a balloon. "" "That should do it!" "Let's get out of here!" "Must've run off!" "Help me!" "Come here!" "Let's go." " Come on!" " Straight on!" " Come on!" " Get them!" "Come on, get up!" "You were right." "Mo!" " Gwin!" " Meggie!" "Meggie!" "Look!" "Hold on!" "Hold on!" "Wait, hold on!" "Don't move!" "Watch out!" "Dustfinger!" "Where are we going?" "Don't leave me!" "The prisoners!" "They're escaping!" "Run!" " Hurry, get in!" " Run, run!" "Get in, get in!" " Get the keys, hurry up!" " Take all the keys!" " Which one?" " The one with the nine!" "Wait, wait, wait, Gwin!" "Come on, Gwin." "Come on!" "Okay, go, go!" "Hold on!" "Watch out!" "Still think you're dreaming?" "Well, what else could it be?" "We're flying." "Or is it the night flying past us?" "He lives in Alassio." "Which way is that?" " South." " South?" "Can't you be more precise?" "Beats a camel, huh?" "Farid." "Oh, hooligan." "Farid, some clothes for you." "You'll freeze to death otherwise." "Apparently this is the place." "Man in the fishmonger's says he lives in an apartment over the square." "Good." "Great." "Oh, I'm not coming." "What do you mean?" "You have to come, otherwise he won't believe me." "Oh, I don't know." "You can be pretty persuasive." " Huh?" " You talked me out of a book." "The book is right here within our grasp..." "You're afraid." "You've never read Inkheart, have you?" "What's there to read?" "I've lived it." "Except for the end, and I've got no interest in that." "Well, why not?" "Do you know the end of your story, Meggie?" "No." "And I suspect you wouldn't want to." "It'd be like turning to the last page of a mystery." " Where's the fun in that?" " Well, I think I know the end of my story." " Hm?" " I'm going home." "Why?" "I'm sorry." "It's just all too real for me." "I prefer a story that has the good sense to stay on the page where it belongs." "No, I have to get back to my poor, desecrated books." "I want to mend them, put them in order." " I'll do that." "Let me..." " Here's some money for you." "You see, I've already bought my ticket." "Goodbye." "Good luck." " Elinor..." " Let her go." "Don't catch cold." "Bye, then." "Here it is." "This must be it." "That's it." "What?" "Oh." " Signor Fenoglio?" " Yes?" "Sir, my name's Mortimer Folchart." " I'm Meggie." " My daughter." " I want to be a writer too." " You do?" "Yes." "Give me something to write with." "Be quick, I've got a cake in the oven." "You look like you've been taxidermied." " Lf you want an autograph, give me a pen." " We don't want one." " You don't want an autograph?" " No." "Then why in the name of Chaucer's beard are you ringing?" "Well..." "Dustfinger's in the piazza, we just escaped from Capricorn's village and you won't even believe what Basta tried to do." "What?" "Come home." "Please, come home." "A good story, I'll give you that." "Silvertongues is a wonderful concept." "Wish I thought of it." "Too absurd to take seriously." "I know my characters are so believable that they seem to leap off the page." "But it's simply not possible." "Exactly as I imagined him." "This must be what it feels like to give birth." "Wait, where you going?" "He doesn't want to meet." "Of course he does." "I'm practically his father." "Well, what was that at the end?" "It's called Dragon's Breath." "You can teach to me?" "I'm sure that this must be very exciting for you to meet your characters." "But the purpose that we came here was to find a way to get him back in the book." "Your father's given me an idea for a character." "A master thief who steals things the way a blue jay swipes shiny objects off window sills." "I am not trying to steal them." "You snatched them." "You're trying to keep them from me." "That, my friend, is thievery." "I'm just trying to get my wife back." "Dustfinger." " So wonderful to meet you." " Oh, no, no." "No." "The scars are perfect." "As hideous as I imagined." " I told you, he's afraid." " But, oh, not me, I hope." "He's afraid of what happens at the end of the book." "What do you mean?" "Because he dies?" "Oh, no." " Oh, I see." "Right, I'm sorry." " He dies in the end?" "I had to make the story exciting, it's my job." "They can't all have happy endings." "Life doesn't always, after all." "How's it happen?" "You're killed by one of Capricorn's men while trying to save Gwin." "It's a very touching death scene." "I cried when I wrote it." "You think I care what you wrote?" "You don't control my fate." "Otherwise I wouldn't be here." "I'm not just some character in your book and you you're not my god." "Now, listen, old man do you have a copy of the book or don't you?" "Because I would like to go home now, please." "The problem is it's been out of print for decades." "Plus, the original print run was quite small." "Then there was the fire in the warehouse and the publishers went out of business." "This is gonna take forever." "Stop it." "This is no time to act foolishly." " Stop it." " You're as sour as goat's urine." "Thanks." "And I don't want to know how you know that." "Look around." "This garden is paradise." "No slave drivers." "No sandstorms." " No fleas." " No peace and quiet." "No, it's not that one either." "I did hold on to a few copies but I loaned them to a book exhibition in Genoa a few years ago and they were stolen." "I suppose Capricorn was behind the theft." "At the time I assumed it was just bad luck." " Ah!" "Here we are." " What is it?" "The original manuscript." "Look at that!" "Typewritten, can you imagine?" "Grabbies." "After all these years, I still remember the characters." "The water nymphs in the Wayless Wood." "And in the castles of Umbra the Black Prince." "The Motley Folk." "And of course you, Dustfinger." "As well as the villains:" "The Adderhead, capricorn and the Fire Raisers." "And the worst of all, The Shadow." "It's a wonderful book, I must say." "I'd give anything to go into it myself." "Well, get in line, old man." "I've got page 209 to 447." "What do you got?" "I have the rest." "All right." "Need that." "Now you can read me back, right?" "Well, I'll try to." "But that's only after I've read my wife out, and she's all right." "It's the only way I'm gonna do it." " We might have a problem." " What are you talking about?" "You can't read her out." "Why?" "Because she's not in the book." " What are you not telling me?" " I've seen her." "She's not actually in the book anymore." " She's..." " Where?" "She's in Capricorn's village." "Darius read her out." " She's alive?" " We were just there and you didn't tell me!" " We need the book." " We didn't need the book!" "I needed the book!" "My mum was there and you didn't tell us?" "Listen..." "Yeah, don't look at me like that because if your Dad knew the truth, he wouldn't have helped me and I need the book." " Selfish, repugnant, weak character!" " Blame him, he wrote me that way." " I disagree." " You tell me how to find her!" "Not until you promise to read me back." " Tell me how to find my wife." " I miss my family too." "All right." "Promise." "I promise." "I want to help save Mum too." " Take me with you." " You know I can't do that." "But I can help." "You can help by staying here and being safe." "That's what you can do." "You don't know what I can do." "And neither do I." "Meggie, will you please...?" "Okay, come on." "You got to stay here." " Thanks very much." "Take care of Meggie." " Yes." " And Farid as well." " What?" " Take care of Farid as well." " Of course." "Why can't I come too?" "It's my car." "Sweetheart." "Just bring her back." "I will." "Reduced to babysitting." "Marvelous." " Hurry up, we'll miss the train." " How long will it take to get there?" "Not very long." "Come on." " Can I sit next to you, Mum?" " Me too." "I'll sit in the middle." ""That just happened, " said Dorothy, simply. "I could not help it. "" "You have no right to..." ""If you wish me to use my magic powers to send you home you must do something for me first." "Help me and I will help you. "" ""What must I do?" said the girl." ""Kill the Wicked Witch of the West. "" ""From the far north they heard a low wail of the wind and Uncle Henry and Dorothy could see where the long grass bowed before the coming storm. "" ""It was Toto that made Dorothy laugh." "He was a little black dog with long silky hair and small black eyes that twinkled merrily on either side of his funny wee nose. "" "Toto?" "Oh, Toto, don't be scared." "You're just not in Kansas anymore." "Oh, Toto." "Toto, come out from under there." "You're gonna get me in trouble." "It's me." "Open the door." "Just a minute." "And not another sound." "I mean it." "I'm sorry, I had no choice." "But, look, it's Basta." "And I'm sorry, but I'm afraid all the henchmen blend into one, even to me." " Hello, princess." "Where's your father?" " Told him he'd gone, but they don't believe." " You told them?" " He held a knife to my throat." "Isn't he awful?" "And they don't believe I'm the author." "Tell us where Silvertongue is before I kill you both." "Toto, no!" "Toto?" "Oh, my goodness!" "She's inherited her father's gift." "Another Silvertongue." "Old Capricorn will be pleased." "Bring them both." "So if Darius read her out of the book..." "Oh, no, no, no." "She's fine." " Mostly." "She..." " Mostly?" "She's got no voice." " What?" " He read her out last spring and she has no voice." "But apart from that, she's fine." " Pull over." " For what?" " Just pull over." " That makes sense, you speaking weasel." "I thought I told you to stay with the old man." "But he's mean." "Not as mean as Capricorn." "He doesn't scare me." "I was raised by murderers and thieves." "Well, he should scare you." " I should make you walk back." " I'd only follow you." "Get in." "After this, you teach me Dragon's Breath..." "Just get in the car." "Hello, Mr. Fenoglio?" "These guys are just circling the perimeter." "We should move in now." "When we get to maid's quarters Resa's room is the third door on the right when we go in back." "I'll go in the back." "You guys cover me." "All right, this is our way in." "Now, listen, this is going to be dangerous so you need to keep up." "Got to move quickly." "After you." "Shall we rest?" "No, that's okay." "Just keep moving." " Kids." " No, I'm fine." " What was that?" " Where?" "There!" " Over there!" " Shoot him!" " Bring him down!" " Thanks." " They're there behind the square." " Oh, no." "Well, come on." "Quick." " Hurry!" "Go on!" " Head him off at the square!" "Don't let him get away!" "Look." "Look at this." "Look at the Dragon's Breath." "I think I got it." "Here, feel my hand." "It's been too long." "I'm going to see if he's all right." " Come on." " We'll find him." "He's not far away." " Well done." "Thank you." " My pleasure." "Look who's back." "This is nice." "Just in time for your execution." "All right." "Capricorn's castle is like a five-star hotel." "Not for you, obviously." "You'll be locked in the crypt." "But some of our guests get a room with a view." "Resa." "Sorry." "Listen, your husband's here." "He's come to rescue you." "That way!" "That way!" "There!" "Come on!" "What happened?" "They're going to kill Dustfinger." " Here." " They're going to kill him and it's my fault." "No, it's not." "What happened?" "All the letters of the alphabet." "It looks just like my book." "It's like walking into my own imagination." "I wonder what Capricorn's going to make you read." "I hope it's something good." "I'm excited, I am." "Are you, eh?" ""What raft, Jim? " "Our old raft. "" "'You mean to say our old raft wasn't smashed all to flinders?"'" "I'm convinced." "Though I don't know what that poor boy will do without his raft." " No." " I'm tired of doing stupid tricks for you." "Tell me where my father is." "I have absolutely no idea." "Quite frankly, I don't care, because you read just as well as he does." "What are you gawking at?" "You're just as I wrote you." "A cowardly thug." "How dare you." "You'll pay for your filthy story!" "Only the king can pull it out." "Don't you remember?" "Don't you ever laugh at me." "Get it away from me." "I want it executed with the others." "The dog?" "You want the dog executed?" "As for you, we'll see how you enamored of your creations you are when The Shadow is flaying the skin off your back." "You can't bring it out of the book." "You burnt the last copy." "I saw you do it." "Wrong." "I saved a copy of the book for myself." "Aren't I full of surprises?" "No, I couldn't burn them all, could I?" "Not with my old friend trapped inside." "Oh, you are going to love him." "And by love, I mean cower in terror from." "You see, I love this world and I intend to write my name on every page of it." "You and The Shadow are going to help me do just that." "I won't read anything for you." "Oh, really?" "Let me show you what happens to those who disobey me around here." "She's been very naughty, this one." "Tiresome in the extreme." "Always trying to escape." "So I'm putting an end to it." " Meggie." " Mum." "It's you." "Mo's here." "We're going to get out." "We're going to escape." "We'll all escape." "Well what a touching display of empathy." ""Mum. "" "Look at me." "Yes, I can see the resemblance." "Do you still think I can't convince you to read for me?" "No!" "Mum!" "Mum!" "Please!" "Please!" "Meggie!" "Is it too late to make any changes?" "Changes?" "Just thinking perhaps you might be able to add a few lines, you know what I mean?" "I don't need to be some great beauty, or anything." "I don't know if you noticed my nose." "Oh, your nose." "Yes, right." "Think you could do that?" "Rewrite things, change things a bit." "I don't know." "It's a wonderful idea." "Move." " What are you doing?" "Get off me." " You can't go down there." " They have my daughter." " They kill her if you do anything." " I should never have left her alone." " We have to stay hidden." "Nothing to be frightened of." "It's just dusty old coffins." "If there are any nasty spirits down here, it's not us they're angry at." "Princess needs to rest that voice of hers for tonight." "I've seen my mum." "She's a prisoner here." "I know." "Have you seen my dad?" "Yeah, he's fine." "Capricorn's got another copy of the book." "He's gonna make me read The Shadow out of it." "I have Mo's gift." "I can do it." "Well, then you could read me back." ""One moonlit night The Shadow turned on his despicable... "" "Make him kill Capricorn." "Make The Shadow do it." "Food for the little princess." "Capricorn wants you to have your strength for tonight." "You should stay." "We're telling ghost stories." "Right." "You don't like ghost stories, do you?" "I'll give you ghost stories, you...!" "Get it off of me!" "My pouch!" "You don't have your good luck charm." "Give me that back!" "Why don't you come in and get it?" "What are you doing?" "Someone's got to get us out, and I don't think it'll be the writer." "You give that back to me." "You be careful." "Maybe I don't need my good luck." "Time to finish what we started." "By the bones of the dead man in this coffin, I curse you." "Don't you say that." "Take that back!" "May his spirit haunt your every step." "You take that back!" " Open this gate." " Hurry up." "Quickly." " Open the gate." " Come on." "Let me out." " Which one?" " Help!" "The prisoners are escaping!" "The fire!" "Use your fire!" "Come on, hurry up." "Help!" "The prisoners are escaping!" "The prisoners are escaping!" "Come on!" "Come on." "The prisoners are escaping!" "Help!" "Help!" "Quick!" "I'm sorry, I can't." " I can't, I'm sorry." " Stay!" "Don't go." "You don't have to be selfish just because that's how I wrote you!" "You're more than that!" "You said so yourself!" "Stay and help us!" "Help!" "The prisoners are escaping!" "Help!" "Check all the courtyards!" "Let me out!" "Don't leave!" "Come back!" "Oh, God." "This is quite possibly the most stupid thing you've ever done in your life, Elinor." "There are a bunch of murderous thugs up there." "You think you're going to just walk in and tell them what to do?" "Very likely to listen to you, aren't they?" "Silly old bookworm with your head in the clouds." " Thank you." " You're alive." "Thank you." "All right." "All right." "All right, that's enough." "Did you find them?" "Resa, Meggie, how are they?" " They're fine." " Good." "For now." " But Capricorn has a copy of the book." " He what?" "He kept one secretly." "That was always his plan, to have The Shadow read out of the book." "I can't read The Shadow out." "That would kill us all." "He doesn't need you anymore." "He found someone else." "Meggie." "Meggie?" "Having writer's block?" "Maybe I can help." "Yeah, that's right." "You want to be a writer, don't you?" " You say that as if it's a bad thing." " No, no." "Just a lonely thing." "The world you create on the page seems more friendly and alive than the world you live in." "And you wish you could be there instead." "You're a clever girl, Meggie." "I couldn't have hoped for a finer young lady to be shut up in a crypt with whilst awaiting my execution." "Now, I haven't really got what I need yet but it's very close." "Come on, feed us." "Blast, they're early." "Why are they early?" "This is most inconvenient." "Put one here somewhere." "The words have to be perfect or it won't work." "They have to be written by the writer." "It has to sound like Inkheart." "Ah." "Here it is." "Here what is?" "Something for her to remember me by after I'm gone." "I don't think much of your crude scribblings, old man." "Well, you are my crude scribblings, Magpie so I'd be careful what I scrumple up if I were you." " Where are you taking her?" " To put on her party frock." "Oh, don't worry, you're invited to the feast as well." "We wouldn't eat without you." "In fact, you're the main course." "The Shadow will be feeding on you and that maid later tonight so rest assured somebody will be back to fetch you." "You wanted to be alone, didn't you?" "Well, here you are." "Alone in the wilderness." "Mosquito bites and blisters and..." "Oh, God." "And do you have a plan?" "No, no plan." "Just rent a motorbike, find a map." "We'll figure it out when we get there." " This is the plan." " Good." " You use your fire and create a distraction." " I can set fire to the castle." "I can help too." "Don't get in my way." "When Capricorn's men try to put the fire out I move in, I rescue Meggie and Resa." " But we're outnumbered." " And they have these..." " Guns." "That's why we disguise ourselves as Black Jackets." "Let's go." "Well, come on, then." "This really is a beautiful little village." "But it'll be nice to have something a bit bigger." "Stretch out." "Expand my kingdom's borders." "That's why I need The Shadow." "And I don't want anyone else escaping." "If you don't stop shaking, I'm going to stick you with a pin." "Do you honestly expect me to read an entire army out of this book?" " Do you have a better idea?" " No." "Thought not." "Get a move on." "Go on." "Yes." "Come on!" "Come on!" "Go on." "Forward." "Don't try anything funny or you'll never see your mother alive again." "Please." "The time has come to be reunited with our old friend!" "Well, tie them up, then." "Good evening." "Do you want to get out of here?" "Then you're going to have to help me." "Inkheart!" "Inkheart!" "Inkheart!" "Read it!" "Read the words!" "Inkheart!" "Say the words!" "You're very good at that." "Doesn't mean we're friends or anything." " Read it!" " Read it!" "Inkheart!" "Read it!" "I got it." "Here." ""Capricorn led an army of brutal men who struck fear in the hearts and minds of all those they came in contact with." " Whenever they passed by..." " Resa." "...people closed their doors and hid with their children." "But of all the villains lurking in the Wayless Wood the one most feared and reviled was known simply as The Shadow. "" "The Shadow." ""Made from the ashes of Capricorn's victims The Shadow was immortal and invulnerable and as pitiless as his master." "His fingers and even his breath brought death scenting his way like a hound on the trail. "" ""He appears only when Capricorn calls him rising from the ground, a faceless and fiery beast." " No." "Stop reading." "Stop." " Always eager to consume his next victim. "" "Stop reading, Meggie." "Meggie, stop reading!" "Beautiful." "Feast." "Mum!" "Shadow!" " Shadow!" " Toto!" "Good boy." "Mum!" "Feast." ""Yet one starlit night, The Shadow heard a different voice." "The voice of a girl, and when she called his name, he remembered. "" "Take that book!" ""He remembered all those from whose ashes he was made." "All the pain and all the grief." "The Shadow remembered, and he was determined to take revenge." "Revenge on those whose cruelty was the cause of all this misfortune. "" " Make her stop." " "Shadow went to his master and reached out to him with ashen hands. "" " That's not right!" " Take it away!" "That's not the book." "Those aren't the real words." "Stop her." "Somebody stop her reading!" " Stop her!" " Meggie, watch out!" "Mo!" " Give that here!" " Give it back!" "What a pleasant turn of events." "Silvertongue, you're just in time for dinner!" "No!" "Not my castle!" "Attack!" "Get off!" "Get out of my way!" "Resa." "No!" "Get off!" "What...!" "No!" "You think these misfits can conquer me?" "Go!" "Devour her!" " You'll have to get past me first!" " Watch out, Mo!" "Just keep reading!" " What?" " Keep reading!" "I can't!" "There's nothing left to read." "Then write." "Come on, Meggie!" "You can do it!" "The Shadow turned away from the innocent." "Come on, Meggie." ""The Shadow turned away from the innocent." "And back to the evil master who had controlled him all these years." "The Shadow reached out to him with ashen hands." "And as it did, Capricorn began to crackle and fade like the old page of a book growing transparent and thin as paper. "" "I won't let you!" "Dad!" ""Capricorn's ink-black soul filled with terror as he saw the end was near." "And so, too, did the souls of all those within The Shadow's gaze who'd committed villainy in Capricorn's name." "And then they blew away, like ashes in the wind. "" "Stop!" "Help!" "No!" ""While the terrible monster himself disintegrated and was no more. "" "It's Meggie." "She's reading." "They're going back into their books." "I'm going to miss it!" "I don't want to go back into my stinking book." ""Those who'd been summoned against their will, who were in sight of the girl were set free, and set right and sent back from whence they came. "" "Mo." "Mo!" "Toto?" "Meggie!" "Please, set me free." ""And the old creator finally got his wish disappearing into the world he had only dreamed about." "And then, finally, after what seemed almost a lifetime of wishing the young girl finally got her most heartfelt dream." "While the mother she knew she'd see again and the father she cherished..." " Meggie." ""came running to embrace their only "" "Darling, I missed you." "What happened?" "I missed it." "I missed it." "They're all gone." "I got here too late to go home." "He'll never read me back in now." "He said he'd try." "After he got his wife back." "Well, he won't." "He'd never risk losing her again." "And I wouldn't make him." "Stop it, Elinor." "It's so silly to cry at happy endings." "Come here." "Dustfinger." "Dustfinger?" "Let's go." "Come on, it's time to go." " Let's run." "Come on." "Meggie." " Meggie, quickly." "Come on." "The book's gone." " We don't need it." " Great." "I'll have nightmares for weeks." " Come on." " Come on." "You're all right?" "You were going to leave without me?" "Oh, no." " You're better off with them." " Well, if you're going you should probably bring this with you." "You stole this?" "I learned from the best." "I thought maybe we could find someone." "Another reader." "Someone who could send you back." "What about that girl?" "You like her, don't you?" "You come with me, you may never see her again." "I stole photo from Silvertongue's pocket." "Well, if I'm going to be saddled with you you can make yourself useful." "We got a long walk ahead of us." "Dustfinger." "Dustfinger!" "I promised." "It's your turn now." "Great." "You sure you want this?" "You remember what happens at the end of the book." "It's like I told the writer." "He doesn't control me." "My fate's in my own hands now." "Good luck." "Hey, don't take this the wrong way, but don't come back, okay?" "Do it." ""It had been many years since Dustfinger had set eyes on the rolling meadows and the old mill." "But it was even more beautiful than he remembered." "The butterflies flitted above the grass... "" "He's gone back." "Where he wants to be." "What about you?" "I can't follow him." "Because I've kept Gwin behind, the end of his story will be different." "He's not going to die." "You can stay with us." "It was Mum's idea." "Sorry." "Shouldn't I have said that?" "Just don't expect me to read you back." " You can teach me to read?" " Yeah." "Maybe." "I can teach you Dragon's Breath." "Roxanne!" "Roxanne."