Oracles of Delphi Keep (58 page)

The concept of this novel would never have existed were it not for my grandfather Carl Laurie, who, when I was a little girl, told me of being orphaned at the tender age of five and brought up in the most inhospitable of conditions within a poorly run and underfunded orphanage in the South of England. There, from the ages of five to fourteen, he was routinely starved and beaten, barely clothed, and hardly cared for.

I carried the burden of knowing that my grandfather had suffered such cruelty for nearly thirty years before it occurred to me to rewrite a portion of that history as homage to such a charming, courageous, and sublimely elegant man. Thus, this story and all its sequels are for you, Granddaddy. May you rest in peace and know that I love you … eternally.

Thanks also to: Jim McCarthy, the single greatest agent in the universe, who read the first one hundred pages and encouraged me with boundless enthusiasm to carry on. Krista Marino, my phenomenally talented editor, who applauds my efforts while pushing and challenging me in such magnificent ways (and I’m truly a better writer for it). Pam Bobowicz, assistant editor, whose advice and comments have proven invaluable. Vikki Sheatsley, cover designer extraordinaire! Publisher Beverly Horowitz, who works tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure
that I am well supported and cared for. Antonio Javier Caparo, for his powerful and intriguing cover art, which both mystifies and fascinates. And everyone else at Delacorte Press for their supreme efforts and energy on behalf of this story. Also Grahame Baker-Smith, thank you for your beautiful vision—it was quite an inspiration.

Elizabeth Laurie and Mary Jane Humphreys, every bit as beautiful and elegant as their father, and who remain my most avid supporters, confidantes, and friends. (Love you, Aunties!) Inga Brault, my childhood best friend, who may find herself at times reflected in the character of Theo. Thomas Robinson, for his help with French translations. Karen Ditmars, who reads every first draft and always makes me feel like a rock star. And the rest of my family and friends, too numerous to name here, but you know who you are. Thank you for your love, support, and most importantly, your inspiration. I’m forever in your debt.

Finally, I would like to acknowledge that I have taken some small liberties with historical fact, mythology, and even geography. I have done so not to deceive the reader, but solely for the purpose of convenience to this story. My hope is that you will recognize this as a work of pure fiction—and forgive the license.

When Victoria Laurie was eleven, her family moved from the United States to England for a year. She attended the American Community School at Cobham, and one day, while on a class field trip, she caught her first glimpse of the White Cliffs of Dover. Her trip to the cliffs, her year abroad, and her grandfather’s stories of his childhood as an orphan left such an indelible impression on her that when she turned to a career as an author, she was compelled to write this story.

You can visit Victoria at
www.oraclesofdelphikeep.com
.

This is a work of fiction. All incidents and dialogue, and all characters with the exception of some well-known historical and public figures, are products of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Where real-life historical or public figures appear, the situations, incidents, and dialogues concerning those persons are fictional and are not intended to depict actual events or to change the fictional nature of the work. In all other respects, any resemblance to persons living or dead is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © 2009 by Victoria Laurie

All rights reserved. Published in the United States by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.

Delacorte Press is a registered trademark and the colophon is a trademark of Random House, Inc.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Laurie, Victoria.
  Oracles of Delphi Keep / Victoria Laurie.—1st ed.
    p. cm.
  Summary: In 1938, three orphans—Theo, Carl, and Ian, ages ten to thirteen—lead three
teachers through a portal that takes them from Dover, England, to Morocco in their quest to
locate six silver boxes before the ancient prophecies therein are found by the evil Demogorgon’s offspring.

eISBN: 978-0-375-89258-5 [1. Oracles—Fiction. 2. Prophecies—Fiction. 3. Orphans—Fiction. 4. Orphanages—Fiction. 5. Space and time—Fiction. 6. Gorgons (Greek mythology)—Fiction. 7. Quests (Expeditions)—Fiction. 8. Dover (England)—History—20th century—Fiction. 9. Great Britain—History—1936–1945—Fiction. 10. Morocco—History—20th century—Fiction.] I. Title.
PZ7.L372792Scr 2009   [Fic]—dc22    2008026438

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