The Secret of the Swan

by Gill Jepson

  Brother John slipped into a fitful sleep. He was troubled deeply, knowing that soon the time would come to entrust his task to another. Robert’s son had been apprenticed as a stone mason and as such became tied to the abbey as his father had been. He knew of the heavy responsibility awaiting him and was prepared to carry out the duties to the best of his ability. John had watched the boy grow and believed that he could be trusted, but he had become aware of a malevolence surrounding the abbey. His uneasy mind created nightmares which showed the treasure attacked by a cloud of black birds, wings flapping furiously until the sarcophagus disappeared under a dark shroud of feathers. He awoke with a jolt.

  The sudden movement roused Robert, who reached out anxiously to the old monk.

  “What ails thee Brother?”

  John took in a deep breath and shuddered. He turned to look at the mason.

  “We need to be sure of the treasure. It must be safe! Thy son must beware of those who would steal the treasure!”

  Robert shook his grey head, “Nay Brother, none will dare touch the sacred prize and the lad is wary… he’ll not let thee down!”

  “He must be certain to pass the knowledge on with care… there must be no mistake. I must remain to help… we must prepare to guide them into the future!” his voice rose in panic.

  “Rest thyself Brother John, we have made provision… the preparations are in hand. When thy time comes ye will lie in the hallowed ground behind the high altar.”

  “And the sign? This is in hand?”

  “Aye, as ye instructed, a stone sealed with a sacred swan… now rest…”

  The monk relaxed momentarily and a deep sigh took away his anxiety. His face glowed and became young again. A mysterious energy filled him and he raised himself from the bed. He pointed at the wall; Robert looked but could not see what Brother John had seen. The monk slumped and fell back onto the bed, the colour draining from his face. A luminescence fluttered like a perfect white butterfly above the monk’s inert body and then disappeared. He was at peace and Robert knew that his weary soul had gone.

  Robert the Mason gazed at his old friend’s face and a single tear rolled down his cheek. He brushed it away and as he did so a warm, bright light illuminated the dark infirmary.

  When he turned, an amazing vision filled his heart and mind. A wonderful golden light shimmered and radiated and in the centre was his friend. The monk turned, smiled and diminished. The light exploded in luminosity and within its heart could be seen a swan.

  CHAPTER 14

  HIDE AND SEEK

  It was fun cycling down the wide coast road and they stopped to buy ice creams. Danny, Rebecca and Megan reached the church at midday and propped up their bikes against the church wall. They noticed a boy sitting on the wall, swinging his legs. He smiled at them and waved.

  They sat down on the beach in front of the church and spread out their lunches. The boy was still watching them and he made them feel uncomfortable. Rebecca whispered, “I feel a bit tight, should we ask him to join us?”

  She looked over at him again and he smiled, still swinging his legs.

  “We won’t be able to talk though will we? We don’t know him… we can’t tell him why we’re here,” hissed Danny.

  The boy was still looking. Rebecca called to him to join them.

  He grinned and jumped down onto the cobbles with a clatter. The children all looked at his shoes. They had never seen anything like them. He noticed they were looking and he shrugged.

  “D’ya like me clogs then? I’m the only one in me class that wears em.”

  They all agreed that the clogs were different and unusual. He seemed pleased with their response and sat down beside them.

  They discovered the boy came from Barrow, like them. His name was George and he went to a school in town and was eleven. The children couldn’t help but notice that his clothes were a little scruffy and well worn. He seemed a happy boy and told them about his family and his jobs that he did to help out. Rebecca couldn’t help thinking how lucky they all were. She knew that she was well provided for, but had never really thought that anyone would have to work to help out their parents.

  When they had finished their lunches, they packed away the remains into their backpacks. They told George that they were going into the church to look around.

  “What’ you looking for?” he asked.

  They froze, for a second.

  “Nothing in particular, just looking round…” said Rebecca.

  “You’re not looking for a swan then?” he grinned.

  They halted, shocked.

  “Don’t worry… I know! I’ve been waiting for you… for ages…”

  None of them moved a muscle. They looked at him, as if for the first time. His clothes were not just scruffy, they were old… old fashioned! Suddenly, everything became as clear as a mountain stream… this boy… was the boy, that Mason had told them about – the one who began the quest a long time ago.

  “How did you know?”

  “Just knew! Like I said I’ve been waiting, Mason said you’d help.”

  The children gaped at him. If he knew Mason… how old was Mason? None of it made sense… it was as though they were out of time… or time was muddled! He told them about the sinister thin man and his and Sid’s escape.

  “Hey! It sounds like Mr Steele, from the abbey,” said Danny.

  “Yeah, but how can it be… he couldn’t be here now, not if he was here a long time ago…” said Danny.

  “Well George is… when did the quest start, George?” asked Rebecca.

  “1934 – that’s my time.”

  “I don’t get it… are you a ghost then?”

  “Nah… pinch me… I’m real enough… but I’m not here all the time. Something happened to stop me finishing the quest, but I don’t know what I did… after I put the message in the stone at Red River Road. I hid the book, but I don’t know where.”

  “So how are you here now?”

  “Dunno. It just happened. I was tired and the only thing I could think of was the quest and that I’d left it unfinished. I hadn’t thought of it for so long… then, I suddenly found myself here! I don’t know exactly what’s happened but it’s like I’ve got another chance.”

  Danny, Megan and Rebecca went into the church to look around, George lingered at the gate.

  “Well, I’ll see ya later. I’ve got to get back…”

  The three turned to wave, but he disappeared as mysteriously as he had appeared.

  At the end of the holidays, a few weeks later, Mum took Megan and Rebecca to a special event in the abbey grounds. A wave of hope had swept through the country that summer. Everywhere you looked there was stuff about “Making Poverty History”. People were doing things to publicise this idea and most kids sported the smart plastic wrist bands, to tell everyone that they supported the idea.

  The two girls chattered with excitement as they walked down the green slope towards the nave. People were already congregating there and there was a buzz of optimism as people talked to folk they didn’t know and welcomed those they did. Many people were there out of curiosity. Rebecca’s mum saw someone she knew and sat with them on a picnic blanket. The girls walked across the paving; weaving through the clusters of adults and children, they caught sight of Danny and his brother, Luke. They were there with the Scouts. Danny waved and walked towards them. The girls pushed their way through a carnival drum band, dressed in exciting and colourful costumes and playing extremely loudly.

  The singing started and then everyone joined in. They suddenly noticed someone else – Mr Mason on the other side of the church, resplendent in his green overalls and white safety helmet. He was singing heartily from his hymn sheet, his deep booming voice resounding across the nave of the church. He was oblivious and did not see them trying to attract his attention. They moved through the crowds, pushing and jostling, losing sight of him.

  Across the nave, sitting on top of a broken column, was George. He had already see
n them and was beckoning them to come over. They worked their way through the crowd, but it was very difficult, as everyone seemed intent on getting in their way. They moved to the back of the crowd and began walking towards George’s pillar. As they reached the grass, a sinister shadow fell across their path.

  A sudden chill ran down their spines. Horrified, they looked at the originator of the shadow, Mr Steele. He blocked their path and stared coldly at them. Megan jumped involuntarily. He seemed pleased at their reaction, smiling maliciously.

  “We meet again. I do hope you are behaving yourselves today.”

  “Course we are… we’re just going to see a mate of ours…” interjected Danny.

  “I don’t think you should be mixing with that young man… he is a trouble maker and you will only get into trouble yourselves.”

  “I don’t know what you mean. We’re not going to do anything that will get us into trouble,” argued Danny.

  This annoyed Mr Steele intensely. His face hardened and he narrowed his eyes,

  “You don’t know what you are getting into, young man! You’re dabbling with things you don’t understand. If you have taken anything from this abbey, you must give it back, it belongs to me…”

  As he spoke he reached out for Danny’s arm. The children pulled away from him and ran around the other way. The girls tripped over each other and bumped into a lady holding a toddler. They apologised and slipped behind her. They were trying to see where George was, because he had disappeared from the top of the pillar. They ducked in and out of the people, keeping a weather eye on Mr Steele, who followed them at a discreet distance. They ran into the cloister and through the passage way to the stream.

  As they ran they could hear the congregation singing in the distance and went through the gateway to the back of the abbey. They turned towards the museum and banged straight into another figure, and they saw with relief that it was Mason.

  “We can’t find George… and Mr Steele was there…” gasped Rebecca.

  “Don’t worry, you are safe and so is George. But move quickly… follow me and do exactly as I say.”

  It was wonderful to be taken charge of. They felt secure and knew they could trust Mason to keep them safe from Mr Steele.

  Mason marched on towards the abbot’s house. They had to run to keep up with him. They came to a halt at the outer wall and walked down the slope to the drainage tunnel. There, crouched under the arch was George. He grinned at them and beckoned.

  “Come on, you’ll be safe in here.”

  Mason gestured for them to go into the tunnel and told them to follow George.

  Danny scrambled down into the tunnel, the others followed. They edged along the wall apprehensively, it looked old and they weren’t sure how safe it was.

  “Come on!” said George impatiently, and he started scrambling along the tunnel. Although it was wide, it was not tall and they were forced to walk with their knees bent and their heads down.

  “I don’t get this!” said Megan, “What’s the point of us going through this tunnel? If we come out the other end, we’ll nearly be back to where we started.”

  “You’ll see! Just carry on and don’t talk so much!” said George.

  “Cheek!” said Megan indignantly.

  The children emerged at the other end in a few minutes. They crept out and stretched as they stood up. George stood with his arms crossed in front of his chest, smiling widely. The others looked at him, puzzled. They looked around. All was quiet. The abbey looked the same… but different… it was hard to put your finger on what was different. It was much, much quieter than when they had gone through the tunnel.

  “Oh my God!” exclaimed Rebecca, “It’s… its odd! Look! The trees are smaller… the walls look, well… cleaner, or something!”

  “And where is everyone?” croaked Megan nervously.

  The abbey did indeed appear different. There were iron railings and fencing where there had been none. Vegetation grew in a natural, untidy way on the masonry. The trees and grass were different too. Some trees were smaller, whereas some were growing where there had only been stumps and mounds before. George giggled at their puzzled expressions.

  “You really don’t get it, do you?” he asked, “You can’t guess what’s happened can you?”

  “Er… no!” said Rebecca, shaking her head.

  “What do you mean?” asked Danny in an exasperated voice.

  “Well! Look!” He said pointing around him. “You’re here! You’re in my abbey!”

  “Your abbey?” asked Rebecca.

  “Yes! My abbey, my time!” he was jumping up and down, “You’re safe here – they won’t know you’re here yet… and when they do you can go back through the tunnel to YOUR time!”

  The others stared at him as though he was mad. Slowly the realisation dawned and shock showed on everyone’s faces.

  “WELL! Do you get it now?” George was losing patience.

  “So you’re telling us… we are in 1934?”

  “Yes! At last!”

  Rebecca’s face paled and Megan’s bottom lip trembled. Danny shook his head in disbelief and grimaced as he took in what George had said.

  “What d’y mean? How can we be in 1934?” he snapped, worry rippling across his face.

  “Oh no! What if we can’t get back… we’ll never see our mums and dads again…” Megan began to cry. Rebecca’s eyes filled with tears too and Danny had paled.

  George looked crestfallen.

  “Aw! I thought you’d like to see where I’m from… I never thought you’d be scared!”

  “Well, it is scary, George. Things just don’t happen like this.” Rebecca put her arm around Megan to comfort her.

  “But Mr Mason wouldn’t have sent you here if it wasn’t safe would he?” he said, trying to comfort them.

  They walked slowly and apprehensively around the grounds, towards the cloister, they were still in shock, but at least Megan had dried her tears. They continued until they reached the nave, where minutes before there had been a congregation of people. It was now empty, apart from two ladies at the far end of the church, looking at a guide book. They wore calf length, straight dresses, and both sported jaunty hats and gloves.

  “Phaw! They look a bit posh!” said Megan, her curiosity distracting her.

  “Why? What d’y mean?” asked George.

  “Well, they look a bit smart to be going round the abbey and they’re wearing hats and gloves, like they’re going to a wedding or something!”

  “Ladies wear hats and gloves, my Mam never goes out without a hat!” explained George.

  Megan shrugged.

  “Anyway, you’re safe here at the moment… even if it’s strange!”

  They nodded and followed George to the nave. A curl of smoke rose from the chimney of the custodian’s cottage, just as it had on the day they met Mr Mason. The door was ajar and there was a gate in place of the railings. What was more; a familiar figure perched, hawk-like on a stool outside the hut, smoking a pipe. He cut a dashing figure in a smart, navy blue uniform and peaked cap, looking rather like a policeman. He looked up and acknowledged them, with a wave of his pipe.

  Relief replaced their anxiety. Soon they told him of the danger they had been in earlier… and of the strange turn of events which brought them there.

  “Take your time, everyone…” he said comfortingly.

  They all shouted at once, Mr Mason couldn’t tell what they were all saying and he held up his hand to quieten them.

  “We’ve been trying to solve the quest… but Mr Steele tried to stop us getting to George and then he brought us here… to the olden days! And it’s scary!” said Rebecca in a rush. “We will get back home, won’t we?” she added anxiously.

  “But you should know… you sent us down the tunnel… didn’t you?”

  Mason nodded slowly, drawing on his pipe, smoke slowly curling around his head.

  “Yeah! And we don’t even know what the flipping treasure is anyway… so h
ow can we find something we don’t even know?” added Danny, exasperated.

  George pushed his hands into his pockets and sighed, looking down at the floor.

  “And I s’pose it’s my fault. After all, I’m the one who lost the book. What are we going to do?”

  Mr Mason took his pipe out of his mouth and pointed it at George, “It was no fault of yours lad. You need to think hard about where you might have hidden the book. Trace your steps back to when you left the message in the stone.”

  The children all sat quietly thinking, trying to imagine the route George must have taken. Danny jumped up suddenly.

  “Why don’t we take a walk now and see if we can jog his memory?”

  “That seems a sensible idea,” Mason agreed, “But you need to beware, they will be looking for you here, too. If they see you, go back to your own place and time as soon as you can.”

  CHAPTER 15

  THROUGH THE TUNNEL

  The children walked towards the gate, trembling with excitement and fear in equal measure. They couldn’t help laughing nervously. It felt strange that in this time they were walking through a gate which no longer existed in their own. They continued towards the amphitheatre. It was fascinating that so much was still recognisable, yet different, all at the same time. As they reached the field, they noticed that the ugly concrete toilet block was no longer there, nor was the car park.

  The custodian’s cottage had changed too, looking rustic and welcoming, with its thin corkscrew of smoke. The road was narrower and dusty, but the verges more abundant and green. It was startling that there was no litter, unlike their own time, when you could hardly fail to notice discarded takeaway boxes, empty cans and other items thrown from passing cars or dropped by walkers!