Shipwreck Island

by Struan Murray

  ‘You were going to kill her,’ Seth said. When he spoke, another voice spoke too, issuing from the sea itself: a low, ancient growl, so deep it made Ellie’s bones tremble. The bulge in the sea was still growing: a mountain of froth and dark water, casting a long shadow across the beach.

  ‘No!’ said one man, pulling his hood back. She recognized him from his sword fight with Viola – he was only a few years older than Ellie. ‘We were just going to rough her up a bit!’

  He wasn’t talking to Seth, but to the growing mountain of water. None of them had noticed Seth at all. His skin was already as pale as marble, except for the blue swirls, and Ellie feared what would happen if it got any paler. She rushed towards the cliff.

  ‘LIAR!’ Seth roared, and the waters did too. Ellie thought she glimpsed something beneath the surface of the growing mountain: a towering, spectral creature made of darkness, as tall as ten men.

  One by one, Loren’s followers fell to their knees, flinging back their hoods to reveal the frightened men and women underneath.

  ‘Loren made us do it!’ one shrieked. ‘He said he’d make us rich!’

  ‘Seth!’ Ellie called, wedging her good arm into a crack in the cliff to heave herself upward. ‘You’ve made your point, stop!’

  The blue swirls on his skin now looked like swollen black blood vessels, coiling round his arms and neck as if to choke him. The creature in the sea lunged forward, and the men and women screamed. Behind it, the wall of water was growing higher, as wide as the island itself.

  Seth fell to his knees. ‘Stop … hurting … each other,’ he said, his voice a pained whisper that was magnified a thousandfold in the echo of the sea.

  ‘Seth!’ Ellie cried. ‘It’s over – I’m okay!’ She looked down at the people on the beach. ‘Don’t just stand there, run!’

  At last, Loren’s followers came to their senses, fleeing in both directions along the beach. With a gasp, Ellie heaved herself over the lip of the cliff and tumbled towards Seth. She cried out as she touched his hand, finding it cold as ice water. She stared into his eyes, but couldn’t find anything of her friend.

  ‘SETH!’ she roared.

  ‘They’re … hurting,’ he said, his face twisting with horror at whatever it was he could see. ‘I have to stop it.’

  The wall of water was rising higher, blotting out the light of the sunrise. The dark shape took another step towards the beach, still shrouded in the raging, twisting waters. It reached out a black claw towards Seth.

  ‘NO!’ Ellie screamed, holding Seth close. ‘Get away! He’s not yours to take.’

  Again the ancient voice spilled from Seth’s lips and the sea at once. ‘He is me.’

  Ellie grabbed Seth’s face. The blue-black veins had covered him entirely; she didn’t think his body would last much longer. She thought of what the Crone had said in Leila’s diary. She battled against the urge to tell him – it was the worst thing she could think of to do to him, but the only way to save his life.

  ‘Seth, listen to me. The Crone said that your mind is broken, and that to truly control your powers you must remember the truth of what you did.’ She took a breath. ‘There was a war, and the people you loved were in pain. I don’t think you meant to, but … I’m so sorry, Seth. You caused the Drowning.’

  The wall of seawater recoiled, roaring as if struck. Seth wriggled in Ellie’s grip, muttering fretfully. The black veins released him, vanishing to nothing, and his eyes were his own again, wide and afraid. He gasped, like someone rescued from drowning, a sound that was at once heartbreaking and utterly human.

  ‘No,’ he whispered. ‘No.’

  Behind them, the wall of seawater was swallowed back into the ocean. Of the dark creature, nothing could be seen.

  ‘I did this?’ Seth said, his voice childlike and terrified. He stared at Ellie, his lips trembling.

  ‘Yes,’ said Ellie. ‘I’m so sorry.’

  Seth stared at his hands, his mouth opening and closing. ‘No.’ He balled his hands into fists. ‘I WOULDN’T!’ he yelled, and the sea rumbled too. ‘Ellie,’ he whimpered. ‘Ellie, how could I?’

  ‘It was the Enemy,’ said Ellie. ‘I don’t know how, but it tricked you. I know you, Seth. You would never have done it on purpose.’

  Seth let out a cry that echoed across the empty beach, then keeled over, sobbing into Ellie’s shoulder. She held him close.

  ‘It wasn’t your fault,’ she whispered, over and over again. ‘It wasn’t your fault.’

  Divine Act

  How long they sat there, Ellie wasn’t sure. The birds began to sing, and the skies grew light.

  ‘Shall we go home?’ she asked finally.

  Seth sniffed and sat up. He gave a tiny nod.

  ‘Are you okay?’

  ‘Not really.’

  Ellie squeezed his shoulder. ‘Come on, maybe some orange-peel pie would help?’

  Seth looked at her sharply through red-ringed eyes. ‘I don’t understand. Why aren’t you afraid of me?’

  Ellie shrugged. ‘I told you – the Seth I know would never want to hurt anyone.’

  ‘But I did. Just now. There was something inside me that wanted to kill those people.’

  ‘And there’s something inside me that wants to kill everything. But it’s not me.’

  Seth slumped forward, hugging himself. Ellie rubbed his arm; his skin was cold as winter frost.

  ‘Come on, let’s get you a blanket and some tea.’ She looked along the beach. ‘Though I need to find Kate. Loren told his followers not to hurt her, but I don’t trust him … Wait, she was wearing one of the bracelets!’

  She looked at Seth hopefully, and he looked back with sad, weary eyes.

  ‘Sorry,’ said Ellie. ‘You probably don’t want to be using your powers right now.’

  Seth closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. ‘There’s someone in the street above. Darting in zigzags.’

  Ellie helped Seth to his feet and they clambered up the rocky path towards the town. They found Kate in Arturo Street, darting in zigzags just as Seth had said, checking round corners and through windows. She turned, saw Ellie, and fell to her knees. ‘Oh, thank goodness you’re okay. I thought … I was sure …’

  Ellie hurried over and hugged her. ‘Are you okay?’ she said. Kate was trembling like a frightened mouse.

  Kate forced a smile, then shook her head. ‘No. Loren’s going to tell everyone I’m not the Vessel if I don’t give him what he wants.’

  ‘But he’s got no proof! We’re going to stop him,’ Ellie said, squeezing Kate’s arm. ‘We’ll tell everyone about that Inquisitor and –’

  ‘If we do that, he’ll reveal you’re from the Enemy’s City, and the people will demand your head. And he’ll … he’ll tell everyone the truth about me. It’s over, Ellie. Like he said. His story is better than ours.’

  Ellie gripped Kate’s hand, but it was lifeless and stiff, and did not squeeze hers back.

  ‘I … I need to get to the palace,’ said Kate.

  ‘Oh, oh right.’ Ellie took Seth’s arm, and he drifted along beside her. ‘We’ll come with you.’

  Around them, the island was waking up: shouts and cries and the occasional bang of something heavy being dropped. Kate kept marching, eyes fixed ahead.

  ‘Look,’ said Ellie, ‘I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but you understand, right? I mean, you kept secrets from me too!’

  There was a smash of breaking glass. Kate frowned.

  ‘Kate, we can still stop him. We have to. All that stuff about sending you to another island – he’s lying. As soon as he gets what he wants, he’s going to kill you.’

  But Kate said nothing. She had stopped at the corner of the street, clasping her hands to her mouth.

  Before them was a torn-up market street: ransacked shops and toppled stalls, people picking over them like ants over fruit. A sea of tumbling, tussling figures, faces sweat-smeared and wide-eyed and panic-stricken.

  A man hefted a statue of the Qu
een and launched it through a shop window. He jumped inside, and moments later dragged out a bag of oats. The tiny shopkeeper chased after him, still in his dressing gown.

  ‘No, stop – this is my livelihood!’

  The thief pushed him, and he tripped and fell back through the window. Two women leapt upon the fallen bag of oats, scooping the contents up in their hands and filling their coat pockets.

  A newspaper fluttered against Ellie’s shoes.

  THE INVENTOR HAS FAILED. LOREN SAYS: ‘THE ISLAND IS DYING!’

  Further up the street, a stallholder fought back against two men who were trying to get at the moneybox under his stall. They pinned him to the ground, then flung the box open, wrestling over the coins inside. One kicked over a basket of onions that rolled into the dirt. Three small children scurried about, gathering them up.

  Kate rushed up the street. ‘Stop!’ she cried. ‘Stop this!’

  She ran at the two men still fighting over the moneybox, pulling at one’s arm. The man growled and shoved Kate with his shoulder, and she rolled across the sandstone and into a patch of soil. Ellie left Seth on a bench and hurried to help Kate up. The knees of her trousers were torn and Ellie could see blood and grit in the skin underneath.

  ‘I’m fine,’ Kate said, turning back to the fight. ‘Stop it!’ she cried. ‘As your Queen, I command that you end this madness!’

  ‘Kate,’ said Ellie softly. ‘That’s not going to help.’

  ‘No, I must do something,’ said Kate. ‘My subjects, listen to me!’ she roared, in the deep, commanding voice of the Queen. But when heads turned to see who was speaking, they saw only a girl caked in mud, her hair matted and her trousers ripped. ‘I am your Queen,’ she whispered.

  ‘FRIENDS, STOP!’

  The rioters froze. Ellie felt her stomach twist at the sight of Loren, spotless in his silver robe, touching the hands that reached out to him as he passed.

  ‘You are afraid,’ he said gently. ‘I understand. I admit, even I was frightened by the sight of those barren fields, and the countless tales of theft and violence across the island. But know this, friends – help is on the way! I have just reached an agreement with Our Revered Queen; soon I shall take command of the farms, restoring them to their former glory with ingenious machines of my own invention!’

  There were laughs of relief. The two men that had been wrestling now clapped each other on the back.

  ‘But brace yourselves, my friends, for I have some even better news – and you lucky few are the first to hear it. At the Festival of Life in four days, the Queen shall mark me –’ he took a long pause – ‘Royal Successor!’

  There was silence, and a few blinks, as if the crowd wasn’t sure what this meant. Then an explosion of applause burst from those nearest to Loren and spread up the street, raging in Ellie’s ears like a thunderstorm. Loren raised his hands for silence.

  ‘This means that, should tragedy strike and Our Divine Queen pass on, I shall become the next Vessel to the great God of Life!’ Loren beamed round at everyone, his cheeks flushed pink. ‘In the meantime, with the powers granted to me as an official member of the Royal Family, I will put right the damage done to our beloved island. But look!’ Loren’s eyes had fallen on Kate, widening in delight. ‘How fortunate we are!’

  He walked down the street, placing a hand on Kate’s shoulder. Kate stiffened, breathing in sharply as every eye turned to look at her.

  ‘Don’t touch her,’ Ellie spat, and Loren held a finger to his lips.

  ‘Friends.’ He searched the crowd. ‘You may find what I’m about to say shocking, but know that I would never lie to you. I am sure you have found yourselves wondering, in your darker moments: why does the Queen stay up in the palace? Why does She not come down to help us? Well, friends, it turns out She has been with you all along. The Queen of Shipwreck Island – Vessel to the Most Bountiful God of Life – stands before your very eyes.’ He patted Kate’s shoulder. ‘And this is Her.’

  There was silence, broken only by the cries of seagulls. Kate stood deathly still. A mutter of uncertainty rippled through the street.

  ‘I’m not lying to you, friends. This is the twenty-first ruler of Shipwreck Island. This is our Queen.’

  A woman gasped and fell to her knees, clasping her hands together. ‘Praise Her!’ she cried. Others stared, confused, as if they thought this was a joke.

  ‘Everyone, on your knees!’ shouted the same man who’d barged Kate to the floor minutes earlier. He glared at those around him and they all dropped to their knees.

  ‘Praise Her,’ some murmured.

  Loren bent towards Ellie, smiling broadly. ‘On your knees, loyal subject,’ he said softly.

  Ellie stayed standing, glaring at Loren hatefully.

  ‘Get down, child,’ said an old woman behind her. ‘Show your Queen some gratitude.’

  Ellie dipped to one knee, as the man next to her began to weep. ‘Praise Her!’ he sobbed into his torn sleeve. ‘Bless Her!’

  Kate looked around at the crowd, tugging at her fingers one after the other.

  ‘What are you doing?’ she whispered to Loren, but Loren just winked.

  ‘Show us your power!’ cried a woman in the crowd.

  Kate’s eyes went wide. Ellie swallowed, and they stared at one another in horror. The crowd muttered and bit their fists in excitement.

  ‘Yeah!’ cried a boy. ‘Make some plants grow!’

  ‘Save us!’

  ‘Stop this,’ Kate hissed to Loren, trying to force a smile. ‘Please, I will give you what you want. Just make them stop.’

  Loren smirked. ‘What a glorious idea, my friends.’ He pointed to a patch of dried earth beside the street. ‘Here, now, She will make the dead earth bloom with life. Praise Her!’

  The crowd rose to their feet in excitement, bouncing up and down and clapping their hands. One man punched his fist into the air.

  ‘Praise Her!’

  ‘PRAISE HER!’

  ‘Praise Her!’ Loren echoed. ‘Our great God-Queen will bring forth plants and flowers that have never before been seen!’

  He clapped, and clapped, and the crowd clapped with him. Kate was flushed and trembling as if from a fever. Ellie wanted to reach out to take her hand.

  ‘I think our Queen just needs more encouragement!’ Loren announced. ‘Did you know, She likes to be known as Kate to Her closest friends?’

  Kate took a step back as the clapping grew louder and more insistent.

  ‘Kate!’

  ‘Kate!’

  ‘KATE!’

  Every face was smiling, Loren directing their cheers like the conductor of an orchestra: three hundred delighted people who had so recently been trying to rob one another.

  ‘KATE!’

  ‘KATE! KATE! KATE!’

  Kate turned to the patch of soil. The people watched in hushed expectation.

  Kate fixed her eyes on the dead earth. A tear rolled down her cheek.

  Loren grinned. ‘Ah well, I guess even Queens have bad days.’

  The crowd laughed, and Kate stifled a sob, turned and staggered up the street towards the palace. One man shoved her back down towards the patch of dirt.

  ‘Try again!’ he cried. ‘We’re hungry!’

  Kate stumbled, and Ellie leapt forward to catch her before she fell. Kate stared hopelessly at the ground.

  ‘Now, friends!’ said Loren. ‘The Queen is clearly tired. Let her go, so she can rest. I’m sure she has plenty to think about.’

  The crowd grumbled in disappointment and Kate rushed off up the street, not meeting anyone’s eye.

  ‘Kate!’ Ellie yelled, hobbling to catch up with her. ‘Kate, wait!’

  But Kate was running now.

  ‘Kate!’ Ellie cried.

  ‘Go away, Ellie!’

  ‘But I want to help,’ Ellie mumbled. ‘You … you can trust me.’

  Kate stopped running, and turned to look back at Ellie. She screwed her eyes shut, squeezing new tears down her c
heeks.

  ‘No, Ellie. I can’t trust you. I can’t trust anyone.’

  Leila’s Diary

  4,822 days aboard the Revival

  It took all night for Varu to decide exactly where the land was, but by the morning he was sure that the Ark was not heading towards it.

  ‘Then we need to get the Ark-Captain to change course!’ I cried.

  ‘Be careful,’ the Crone called after us, as we raced from the garden. We hurried up to the captain’s quarters, crashing through the doors. For some reason, the First Mate was sitting in the Ark-Captain’s throne.

  ‘Where is he?’ I asked.

  ‘Who?’

  ‘The Ark-Captain.’

  ‘I’m the Ark-Captain.’

  ‘No you’re not.’

  The First Mate smiled nastily. ‘The old man was weak and foolish. He didn’t believe me when I told him that the Enemy is onboard. Now he’s at the bottom of the ocean.’

  I swallowed, but tried not to look frightened. ‘Well, whatever – you need to steer the Ark east. There’s land out there.’

  ‘What? Nonsense. No land left. Not taking orders from a child.’

  ‘You’ve got to. Once we reach land, the Crone can –’

  ‘Don’t trust that Crone. How’s she growing all those vegetables down in the dark, anyway? Sounds like the Enemy’s work to me. You!’ He pointed at three of his men. ‘Bring me the Crone. Kill her if she struggles.’

  I grabbed Varu’s hand and we raced out of the Ark-Captain’s quarters, his men clomping after us.

  ‘We have to help her!’

  ‘She’s a Vessel – she’ll be okay,’ said Varu. ‘We need to make sure the Ark is pointing in the right direction first.’

  ‘But the wheel’s in the Ark-Captain’s quarters! We can’t go back in there!’

  ‘I don’t need the wheel.’

  I chased him up the stairs towards the Sky Deck, children shrieking as I barged through their game. Varu hurtled towards the prow. He flung out his hands, then his face twisted like he’d been stabbed in the heart. The sea rushed up the Ark’s sides, roaring and spitting. The Ark lurched, its hundred masts groaning in protest.