by Vance Huxley
“He dare not.” Abel never spoke though he saw glyphs forming in several hands. “You are right, too many magic-users now. But why must we leave?”
“Who said that? But if you stay, you should take care of him. Another owner of the house might prefer a lawn here.” Abel looked around the old, gnarled fruit trees. “As it happens, he likes dryads. He didn’t know about you but he talks to the one in Elmwood Park.”
“The place of dead trees? The last dryad still endures?”
“Yes and has honey sometimes.” Abel heard Rob snigger because of how dryads usually reacted to honey. Sure enough…
“You have honey for answers?”
“Maybe honey for a little vigilance. You saw the watcher, the bird?” Abel gestured to where it had been, in the bush.
“They come and go.”
“Not any more. That or I find more guards and they get the sweet rewards.”
The dryad wasn’t buying it. “No. We will tell the human if there are more, but we will not join wars between magic users. Dryads always die, or their trees do.” Several nearby trees rustled agreement, so other dryads were listening.
Unfortunately Abel felt sure the dryad told the truth. Sorcerers like Pendragon would burn an inconvenient tree if the dryad became a nuisance, and not lose a minute’s sleep. “Accepted. There may be occasional treats if you speak to him, or deal with magical creatures that intrude. I will find another way to deal with watchers.”
Ferryl/Claris had one. “Burn one tree. The rest will obey.” Though aloud she looked overwhelmed. “A real dryad, right here in Frederick’s back garden. Now will you take me to see the willow ones?” Abel ignored the smirks because all those present had met those three.
“I will when we get back, and you can help me organise some guards.” By then the group were back at the house and surrounded by Taverners wanting to know what had happened, what had Ferryl been teaching? Though before he finally left Abel had a long talk to Frederick about the local area, and if he wanted more lodgers.
∼∼
Abel and Rob weren’t going to mention the meeting to Kelis when she arrived back with Laurence, because he shouldn’t know. It turned out Laurence already knew and seemed definitely annoyed, but also a little worried. “You could have told me about a Tavern meeting. Kelis could have come home another day.” He looked at her and smiled. “Though I really am pleased to get her to meet my parents. They’ve been fraying my ears because Kelis’ mother isn’t in their usual circle of friends.” His smile grew just a little bit, but seemed more nervous. “Has the reason anything to do with what Kelis told me when, er, on the way back?”
Before Rob could say a word, Kelis dived in. “We stopped for some meditation, to practice leaf floating, because I was a bag of nerves after the visit.” She glowered at Rob’s snigger. “Laurence mentioned he’d got this funny sensation down his arm, and asked if that should happen. I fluttered my leaf. After all, the others were told before they actually did that, so they weren’t scared witless.” She looked defiant now because there’d been a discussion before each revelation.
The expression on Laurence’s face caught Abel’s eye. He looked decidedly warier now. “What did Kelis say, Laurence?”
“That the funny feeling meant I’d nearly fluttered the leaf so I had to talk to you. That you’d explain about Ferryl Shayde. I thought.” He looked at Kelis, hesitating. “Well, it’s just, Kelis gets nervous when we’re alone.”
“I’m getting better with practice?” Kelis realised what she’d said and tried frantically to find a way out.
Laurence ploughed on, rescuing her from Rob and her own big mouth. “I thought Kelis blew on the leaf as an excuse to head home, because we’d been sat there meditating for a while. Now she just said she’d fluttered her leaf and you two never batted an eyelid. On the way back Kelis said if I’d done that a couple of days ago I could have come to the meeting, and explained which one. It’s real, isn’t it?” He looked at Rob’s smiling face. “Unless it’s a really complicated setup?”
“No setup Laurence. In a day or week your leaf will flutter up off your palm and you’ll blame a draught or a sigh. Then it will do it again and you’ll email Ferryl Shayde, still thinking she’s a joke, a game character. After that but before you see too many magical creatures, you’ll meet her, or her voice anyway.” Rob laughed, because he could show Laurence a magical creature right now. “Kelis, do you want to take Laurence to collect Claris from outside the church? He could admire the gargoyles.”
Abel watched the shock, then understanding, then the humour as Kelis took that in before asking, “Will that speed it up?”
“I think so. Then you won’t have to find excuses for getting him to park up in quiet places. Unless you like the practice.” Rob burst out laughing at the spluttered denials, soon joined by Abel and eventually Kelis and Laurence. Once Kelis and Laurence left, with Laurence asking how come Claris would be outside the church, Abel sent Zephyr to pass a warning. Ferry/Claris would be waiting, and would know exactly what had been said. It would be a big relief in a way for Laurence to know about magic, even if he didn’t need to know everything just yet.
Laurence didn’t leave until after dark, though he still didn’t really know what happened at the big Taverner meeting. He’d not even pushed, being completely floored by seeing the Goblins. According to him, and Kelis, his home had plenty of gargoyles and stone statues, but Kelis didn’t think any were alive. Unfortunately even her enhanced eyes didn’t have proper magical sight like Zephyr, and she couldn’t go round tapping them all with a warm glyph to be sure. Now Laurence wanted a way to find out, and asked if he could adopt some from the church if necessary. He left with a fistful of hexes and a warning he’d want a way to put them near food once his sight cleared.
Once he’d left Ferryl/Claris showed them another missed message on her phone, from a withheld number. She promised to start digging into Claris’ memories of the Leech, even if she wasn’t keen, to see if Claris had seen anything about this key. If not they may as well finish off the Leech, because it probably wouldn’t tell them now even if it could communicate.
Kelis wanted to know what really happened at the Taverner meeting, keeping strictly to that when Rob asked about leaf practice and how long the journey home had taken. Though after hearing all she needed to, Kelis did talk about where Laurence lived. Not a stately home, the sort with safari parks and guided tours, but possibly hoping to grow into one. It had the big lawns and tree-lined driveway and paths, and the big steps and ornate stonework round doors and windows, but only eight of the fifteen bedrooms were fit to sleep in. Laurence’s words apparently, which had them all laughing.
On the way home Rob wanted Abel to help him smuggle a Goblin into the boot of Laurence’s car. They decided the Goblin would start asking for food much too soon, probably before Laurence got out of Brinsford.
∼∼
Within days, on the way to a theme park, Laurence told them he’d moved his leaf. He’d even done so twice to be sure. After a test to confirm it the day became a bit of a celebration, with Kelis definitely unwinding. With a smirk to Abel and Ferryl/Claris she told them they wouldn’t want to be in the same car on any tunnel rides, not now she knew Laurence would be magically protected. Maybe, but Abel whispered to Ferryl/Claris that he definitely looked to have been glyphed after the first one. Since they were left to their own devices a bit more Abel found out Ferryl liked bareknuckle rides, the faster and scarier the better. Abel wasn’t a fan, but at least he figured he could soften any impact with wind glyphs.
Laurence didn’t want to be rid of the other couple when he stopped on the way home. He’d started to see creatures and would like lots of tuition, as soon as possible please. Considering the size of his home, Laurence wanted to start banishing them or preferably for Abel and Rob to visit. The bottom line turned out to be Laurence bricking it about what might be lurking in the old, empty rooms on the upper floors and attic. “If we can clear them the
Tavern can raid the storage for anything that will make a costume. Some of it has been in the attic for donkey’s years so mother and father won’t object.”
“A real Spenz F’Lorinze?” Kelis giggled, then glanced at Abel. “Sorry, Laurence didn’t mention this and then the thought of him in tights?” She giggled again.
“Not quite.” Laurence smiled at her. “Though if it helps to persuade you I can get a real rapier, a big feather and the frilly shirt, and the rest must be for hire?” His smile suddenly grew. “There’s about twenty little rooms in the attic that were for servants in the bad old days. When we were younger we used to drag out bits of curtain for cloaks and old helmets and clothes. Dad barred us from up there for a year when he caught my big brother chasing me with a real sword.”
“So if you were disowned you’d have a sword and helmet at least.” Abel had a little smile but wasn’t convinced yet. Kelis seemed torn, worried about how long it would take the three of them even if she knew Ferryl/Claris would make it four. Eventually Abel agreed to coming over with Rob and Claris just to look. “Though won’t your parents think it strange if you don’t invite your usual friends?”
“Seraph? I sometimes wonder why I used to invite her so often, because she’s worse than Claris. Sorry Claris, than you were.” Laurence looked a bit puzzled. “Mother calls her the blue-bloodsucker, throwing money about and trying to latch onto connections to nobility. I used to think of inviting others, but somehow I always ended up with Seraph and her friends.” A smile flickered over his face. “I think Kelis came as a real relief for my parents.”
“Yes, she would. I was a real bitch then but I promise to be nicer this time.” Ferryl/Claris looked suitably remorseful.
“Will they mind us wandering about poking in corners?” Abel glanced at Ferryl/Claris. They’d not want parental supervision for drawing or fixing hexes.
“We’ll wander about the grounds first and look at statues, then it’ll just be me showing the place off.” Laurence shrugged uncomfortably. “I don’t usually, but they’ll be interested in me making new friends. Mother nags sometimes.”
Kelis wiggled her fingers. “I hope nobody comes over all posh and uppity.” Abel heard the bite in that, and Laurence must have. He promised his parents weren’t like that, and the staff weren’t at all posh.
∼∼
While Laurence worked on magical protection for his home, Frederick sent more information about the area around his house. With two resident magic users, a score of magical visitors and one enthusiastic beginner, Effy, to help him, Frederick checked for any magical protection or large magical creatures nearby. The dryads had spoken to him, and had no problem dealing with purely magical trespassers. Nothing like a Hoplin or even a Skurrit would be venturing into Frederick’s garden, not after he scattered the first bag of boiled sweets among the trees. Better yet, many of the big old houses on the street had old trees in their huge back gardens, so they also had dryads who might be bribed into being watchers.
Armed with the information Abel, Kelis, Ferryl/Claris and Rob visited the churchyard to talk to the Goblins. As usual the gargoyles had moved about and changed shape, though the ones in plain view from the street always looked the same. Abel chose a dragonish one perched on a sarcophagus. “We’d like to talk to a few of you at the same time, a serious talk.”
“More bribery? More cake and pizza?” A long green tongue dropped from the stone mouth to slurp noisily. “Another little stinky?”
“Are you always hungry because you are a Goblin, or because there isn’t enough food in Brinsford?” Kelis turned to the other three. “It just occurred to me it could be real hunger.”
Even Ferryl/Claris looked curious, so she didn’t know. “We are not as hungry, not since you drove out the competition.” The green eyes looked up at the church, and the small crowd of mainly stone spectators.
Rob eyed them as well. “What Kelis means is are there too many of you for the food supply in Brinsford?”
“Possibly, but what can we do? Even though we are strong enough to pass through your boundary to hunt outside, lone goblins would soon be caught by Skurrit packs or larger hunters. A big pack would be safe, but cannot hide out there. Gargoyles do not belong in fields.”
“What about moving into a big town? There would be bins to raid.” Abel held the Goblin’s eye. “With care of course, without leaving litter.”
Instead of looking keen, the Goblin looked uncertain. “That would split the meld, those who have grown together. We never do that in the stories, our history. Each meld just keeps growing.” The stone spectators now had green Goblin heads or had turned completely into Goblins, none of them looking keen.
“But how did that work? Why didn’t you end up overrunning the area?”
“They did. I told you about fires when goblins slept near hearths, and them being hunted down.” Ferryl/Claris looked thoughtful. “There were always more, like rats. Actually they kept the rats down. Some sorcerers believe a huge Goblin infestation spreading from northern England stopped the Black Death by eating all the rats. When such infestations grew too big, a Lord or sorcerer would organise a Goblin hunt.”
“Our stories say many died because the church declared us demons and the sorcerers burned us as entertainment.” This Goblin, a little larger than most, crawled down a drainpipe to join the discussion. “This meld fled such a hunt, by a sorcerer. Our Old added that to the stories. We were few, but hid on a farm near here. When the church barrier around the village fell, we moved in. So much food! The meld grew, to where we had trouble finding enough to eat. Then you came and drove out the Ratlins and other scavengers, so we had enough again.” This Goblin looked as if its skin had been glazed badly, covered in tiny cracks.
“Are you an old one?” Kelis inspected several others. “Why is your skin like that?”
“I am an Old, beginning my crumbling. All goblins crumble, but Stonelins faster than others. The constant changing, looking like stone, weakens our skin so it fails sooner, then the gas and magic inside escape and mix. If the rest of the meld are lucky, we are alone so none perish with us.” The Goblin looked at the four humans. “Soon, some Old must search for a flame, so the younger meld can eat. We always increase so the Old must make way.”
“You commit suicide?” All four looked around as Rob spoke, realisation dawning. “Haven’t you got birth control, or, well, er, restraint?”
“We have no birth as you know it but the meld increases, always. Some of our magic returns to the air, so we live on but not in the same form.” The old Goblin didn’t seem comforted by that.
“So you wouldn’t rather move, just some of you to start a new pack, meld?” Rob looked around baffled by the lack of understanding.
The goblins simply didn’t see how or didn’t want to. “Even if a meld tries to move to find food, other melds will not allow it. They would drive us away. It is in the stories.”
“What if there isn’t another meld there?”
The goblins looked at Rob, baffled, then from one to the other in total disbelief. A smooth one, so probably younger, jumped off a gravestone. “That is not possible. Even if the church and sorcerers drive us out, they always miss some. The meld only needs one to grow again.” It shuddered. “We do not want to be used as entertainment.”
“Sorcerers don’t do that anymore, heat you up so you pop and burn. We have fireworks. You saw them.” Rob threw his hands up in exasperation. “We explained.”
“But we thought you meant here, since Sorcerer’s Keep fell empty.” Now the goblins looked completely baffled.
“Listen properly this time, please.” The four humans sat down surrounded by goblins in various stages of gargoyle and, now the humans were looking, varying degrees of smoothness. The goblins weren’t actually accusing anyone of lying, certainly not magic users with fire glyphs, but they weren’t convinced either. Instead of coming away with an agreement for volunteers, the best the humans could get was a promise to talk about it. At
least the goblins could pester Ferryl/Claris for answers because she lived there.
∼∼
When the four of them discussed the Goblins’ reluctance, Ferryl/Claris confirmed there had always been Goblins, everywhere. Despite her memories, the investigations around Frederick’s house hadn’t found a single sign of them. Ferryl/Claris wanted to find out why, but selling the gold ornament had a higher priority so she could get lodgings. Not to get a better bed, though that would be nice, but to get her clothes clean. Without a launderette nearby, the lack of a washing machine had become a real problem.
Tonight Kelis took some of Ferryl/Claris’ clothes home, to mix in with her own for washing. Now Claris spent so much time in public, grubby wrinkled clothing wasn’t acceptable. Meanwhile Abel hoped he could get the quilt cover and sheets through the washer at home and back here without his mum noticing. The clothing couldn’t even be dried here; a washing line in the churchyard would have attracted notice.
In between visiting here and there with Laurence, practicing their new glyphs and persuading the goblins to consider a move, Abel, Kelis and Rob attended several meetings with Mr. Forester. He really had pushed ahead, finding contractors and negotiating the printing of real game boards and packs of cards. The booklets first had been produced containing the monsters and rules for the players or the Barmaid, their version of a Dungeon Master-type referee. The first example of the proposed box and the board came as a stunning shock to all three teenagers. Suddenly Bonny’s Tavern looked like the real thing!
Mr. Forester brought Jenny every time, because he wanted her to actually organise the whole launch of the game. With his supervision of course, but Jenny’s dad really liked the idea of her getting practical experience to back up her studies. There were several suggestions for improving the board, and another rewriting of the background scenario because Mr. Forester really did like the charity aspect. He had already started the paperwork to establish Frederick’s house as a charity. Jenny thought that even if that wasn’t completed the game itself might be ready to launch by Christmas.
