Matter, Properties, and the Enigmatic Cravenmoore Mystery
Matter and its Properties
Matter is anything that occupies space and can be measured. A material system is a portion of matter that is isolated for study. A substance is a specific type of matter.
General Properties
General properties, such as mass and volume, are possessed by all systems.
Specific Properties
Specific properties depend on the type of substance that constitutes the system, but not on the amount or form. Examples include brightness, color, hardness, temperature, and density.
- Mass: A property that measures the amount of material in a substance.
- Volume: A property that indicates how much space a substance occupies.
- Density: The mass of a substance per unit volume.
Liquids
Liquids are formed by particles held together, but the force of attraction is weaker than in solids. The particles can move over each other, allowing liquids to change shape.
The Cravenmoore Mystery
Two hikers found Hannah and her family. They learned that Ismael fled to the sea and has not been seen since the day of the burial. Ismael tells Irene that everyone has been investigating on their own and discovered that the persecution began in Cravenmoore. Ismael suspects Lazarus and asks Irene to accompany him to investigate Cravenmoore while Lazarus takes his daily evening walk.
Once inside Cravenmoore, they enter Lazarus’ workshop and see an angel with Simone’s face. The couple decides to proceed, and then the Shadow enters the angel. Ismael and Irene explore the mansion until they have to separate to find Hannah. Irene goes through a corridor in the west wing and sees a room separated from the others by a curtain. She enters and sees that the woman who drowned near the island’s lighthouse was Alexandra Jann, Lazarus’ wife.
The Shadow suddenly attacks, and Irene screams. Ismael comes to her rescue, and they flee from the house into the woods, falling into a hole that leads to a cave. The Shadow is trapped at the bottom due to the weight of the angel but manages to escape. The Shadow then kidnaps Simone and locks Dorian in the basement. When Irene and Ismael return home, they find Dorian, who tells them what happened. They quickly decide to inform the Gendarmerie.
Meanwhile, the Shadow impersonates Lazarus and tells Simone the whole truth, including that he murdered her children. Simone becomes enraged, breaks the mask hiding the Shadow’s face, and attacks him, knocking her unconscious. When Irene and Ismael reach Cravenmoore, the Shadow pursues them until Lazarus scares it away with fire. Lazarus reveals that the Shadow is his own shadow, which he gave to Daniel Hoffmann in exchange for his heart. He orders them to flee.
Irene initially ignores him but decides to go to Alexandra’s room, where her mother is. The Shadow chases them again and hides in a painting until it attacks. Lazarus arrives with a revolver and shoots, killing both the Shadow and himself. Ismael discovers that the body lying in Alexandra’s bed is actually a robot. The Shadow tries to return to the painting to survive, but Alexandra sets it on fire. The Shadow pounces on her, igniting the palanquin and burning the entire room and all of Cravenmoore.
Characters
- Irene Sauvelle: The protagonist of the book.
- Dorian Sauvelle: Irene’s brother.
- Simone Sauvelle: Irene’s mother.
- Arnaud Sauvelle: Irene’s father.
- Hannah: Irene’s best friend in Bahia Azul.
- Ismael: Hannah’s cousin and Irene’s boyfriend.
- Lazarus Jann: Toy manufacturer and owner of Cravenmoore mansion.
- Alexandra Jann: Lazarus Jann’s wife.
- Daniel Hofman: Toy manufacturer and the antagonist of the novel.