by R A Lindo
As the silver ball bounced across the floor, Ulyn Pavel turned and cried out at the sight of it morphing into numerous shapes … larger each time … a huge, silver wheel and then a spinning axe before another transformation into a razor-edged spinning plate. The crowd stood, unmoved, knowing full well what this was leading to as the four Implementers desperately tried to find sanctuary from the spinning fury headed their way - but there was no refuge to be found.
Flames soared each time they neared the boundary of light entrapping them for their misdeeds, so they adopted the only position left to them: a crouched huddle on the trading-lane floor, seconds away from a crushing death.
Death didn’t fall, however … the final transformation of the Vaspyl morphing from a razor-edged spinning plate into a small, square box. The steel structure expanded with each turn until it became clear what was about to befall the trapped, defeated Implementers: a metal cage, providing a definitive end to their time in The Society for the Preservation of Magical Artefacts.
16
A Map of Menace
The return to the private booths in Merrymopes happened soon after Casper and Philomeena Renn entrusted a select few to keep guard over The Sinister Four. None of the adults had explained what would happen to the four Implementers, other than to reiterate that their senior roles in the Society had, almost certainly, come to an end.
A public dispute with another senior member was one thing, Smyck explained, but an unprovoked attack on children was quite another. Added to this, of course, was Kaira’s very public revelation of their potential involvement in Cialene Koll’s death, and their unquestionable link to Erent Koll. All of which suggested an ignominious end.
Guppy’s attempts to discover where the four Implementers would be held were unsuccessful, mainly because they had to negotiate Founders’ Quad and the legion of shoppers hypnotised by the wonders of Leaning Lane. Once they were safely ensconced in Merrymopes, Jacob suggested The Velynx as the location to house The Sinster Four, the hundred-storey faculty existing underground - only reachable by those brave enough to venture across Quibbs Causeway.
A number of factors made this journey perilous, not least of which was the Mantzils - formless and merciless creatures whose piercing cry could obliterate the strongest minds. What better place to house suspects, Jacob suggested as they reached the private section tucked away at the back of Merrymopes, waiting for the booths to descend through the floor once more, returning them to The Revolving Room beneath.
The group of adults and children reconvened in the spinning world beneath Merrymopes to clarify a number of things, not least to put the brakes on Kaira and Guppy’s freedom of movement above ground. It was too dangerous now, her dad explained as the booths on either side made their slow descent.
No father with any sense of responsibility was going to let their child roam the S.P.M.A. without close supervision and advanced magical training. Therefore, a return to the mastery of charms would ensue but first they had much to discuss, and Kaira, Guppy and Jacob had the perfect artefact to summarise their findings: a Panorilum.
Casper Renn was his typically measured self, resplendent in a dark, green suit and white shirt. The Velinis charm had protected him from the flecks of water flying through the trading lane: a rather elaborate way of diffusing the threat posed by the Ameedis.
With his sister sat alongside him, he ruminated over his father’s timely appearance near The Sylent - not the coincidence Kaira imagined it to be. It had been agreed between the adults that Isiah Renn’s return to the margins of the Society, and the reasons he had offered protection to his granddaughter, needed to be explained.
All families had secrets, after all, Casper Renn mused, although his complex relationship with his father was something he had hidden from his daughter. The facade of utter disdain, leading to an irrevocable severance, could no longer hold.
It was time to offer Kaira the explanation she deserved in regard to her grandfather and, indeed, other aspects of her family tree. The Renns she had met in Gilweean - Elyn and Cynthia - and, of course, the grandmother she saw only sporadically.
What the Society would make of this pact, once it became known, was something Casper Renn was prepared to live with: his daughter’s safety came first. The Orium Circle had their own misgivings, Weyen Lyell the only member recognising the need to engage with a man still viewed by many to be a significant threat to the Society. Isiah Renn’s involvement in the illegal practice of Gorrah (dark magic) had never been proven, Weyen Lyell continued to argue, a belief somewhat influenced by his secret romance with Isiah Renn’s daughter: Philomeena Renn.
Furthermore, Lyell contented, Isiah Renn’s penchant stone was clear and not black: a symbol that no curse had been enacted by him. Precisely what he had been involved in during the infamous months in The Sylent had yet to be established. For now, however, it was clear that his philosophy of the need to understand dark magic to defend against it had an undeniable basis.
His appearance near The Sylent yesterday morning was dangerous on a number of fronts, Casper Renn knew. The expected cries of fear from Kaira and her friends along with the severe consequences had Erent Koll entered the building a few seconds earlier.
Kaira’s grandfather was a match for the Prince of the Underworld, yet defending oneself against dark agents was more complicated in the company of ill-equipped, inexperienced youngsters. It was therefore, paramount, that Kaira and her friends learned the true majesty of magic. Only then could they truly protect themselves from the dark army Erent Koll was forming in the shadow world he occupied. The time for secrecy was over.
Secrecy had its place in the protection of the young, Philomeena Renn had suggested to her brother; however, unless negotiated effectively, it could form a permanent shadow over one’s past, causing unforeseen complications. Kaira had a right to know the truth about the man who had been kept at arm’s length for years.
After all, outside of her dad and aunt, Isiah Renn would be the person most likely to risk his life for her. Sensing that her niece had been shaken up by her recent encounter with The Sinister Four, she offered her a small vial of green liquid Kaira recognised: Jysyn Juice.
“Take a sip,” suggested Aunt Phee to Kaira who dutifully did so before offering it to Guppy and Jacob, sitting alongside her.
Jysyn Juice made you fearless, Kaira knew - a perfect tonic to quell the shock of The Sinister Four’s unsuccessful attack. Frustrated that she could no longer roam the S.P.M.A. unsupervised, Kaira also understood her dad’s reasoning for this decision. If proof were needed regarding their inability to defend themselves, Sylan Ryll, Aneesha Khan, Ulyn Pavel and Tunula Creswell had provided it.
Her dad, aunt, Farraday and Smyck had important jobs to do in the Society, and couldn’t be expected to spend all of their time overseeing and intervening in the escapades of the young. Why they were returning to The Revolving Room would soon be evident - a plan to engage two people with secrets of their own: Theodore Kusp and Meyen Grayling.
The return to the spinning structure below Merrymopes was a mildly sombre affair, Kaira sensing that some level of admonishment would follow. She doubted they had returned to the secret, revolving passageway to head off on another adventure. Movements were becoming more perilous for them now, the space providing an increased need for secrecy.
Little could Kaira know how much would be discussed, including delicate family matters involving the Renns and Graylings. Bravery and betrayal would summarise discussions, along with a detailed explanation of why Kaira and Guppy had gone to the trading lane to get their hands on a Panorilum.
It was Guppy’s decision to interrupt the adults’ initial interrogation of their recent methods and movements - a pattern of questioning which quickly formed once they entered The Revolving Room to dial into their new location: The Glass Arch. Another architectural wonder to become absorbed in, The Glass Arch was a vast, hollow chamber framed by steel-and-glass, the roof stretching high above and letting i
n light from an unclear source.
The only decoration within were the green, iron benches which ran the length of the space. It reminded Kaira of a Victorian exhibition hall she had visited on a school trip some years ago although, of course, nothing in the S.P.M.A. was quite what it seemed.
Guppy’s rapid-fire explanation brought Kaira back to the proceedings at hand.
“We went to the trading lane to get a Panorilum,” explained Guppy with the help of Jacob’s supportive utterances. Jacob and Kaira sat alongside Guppy on one of the green, iron benches whilst the adults sat opposite, adding an element of tension to the discussion in their new meeting place.
“What did you need a Panorilum for?” asked Smyck as he rubbed his bald head.
“To piece things together,” replied Jacob in support of his sister. “Things that we found out before the trip to Gilweean, and stuff we’ve found out since.”
“Such as?” prompted Farraday.
“This, for example,” interjected Kaira as she stood from the bench and uttered ‘Comeuppance’, producing a small, green notebook from a pocket. She held the notebook out: the Panorilum which would enable them to map the menace growing around them.
“Do you know how it works?” asked Casper Renn as he studied his daughter, the increasing burden on him evident in his expression.
Kaira shook her head, causing her dad to stand and offer help.
“You write the name of the person you want to study inside - one name per page. You then write the name of any charm you feel may have been used to hide their movements: Invisilis, for example. Unlike a Follygrin, a Panorilum has the power to override protective charms in order to monitor the movements of others. It’s as rare as a Follygrin so should be used sparingly. Power in the wrong hands is precisely what the Society has fought to avoid.”
Once seated again, Casper Renn watched with interest as Kaira, Guppy and Jacob muttered and scribbled in the Panorilum, their prepared presentation likely to solidify or shake the trust that had been placed in them. With the light flooding and bouncing within The Glass Arch, the young trio gestured their readiness to prove their investigative capabilities, hoping this would lead to the acceleration of their training in all things magic and majestic.
As she had remembered Melina Guest do in Tauvin Hall, Kaira held up the green notebook and let it fall, watching it hover in mid air before opening and repeatedly unfolding into a seemingly endless piece of parchment paper. When the wall of paper had reached the desired size, dominating the space between the children and adults, Kaira tapped one edge, causing eight illustrated scenes to appear across it.
The images brought murmurs of approval from Farraday and Smyck who engaged in whispered conversation before the young trio begun. Casper and Philomeena Renn kept their eyes on the Panorilum, wondering at what point they should divulge their own secrets, regarding the true nature of their relationship with Kaira’s grandfather.
“So,” Kaira began, “these are the pieces of a connected puzzle, we think.”
Casper Renn said nothing, staring at the image of The Wenlands and remembering his recent journey there. His sister had informed him, on his return, that Kaira had found out about his journey there via Melina Guest’s concluding statement to the collective, agitated crowd in Tauvin Hall. This was the reason, no doubt, that she had made the mad decision to enter Dyil’s Ditch via a Cympgus, only to be met by the sky urchins who realised the danger she was in.
He knew of every move his daughter had made since entering the Society. The question was: could Kaira have possibly made the connection between his trip to The Wenlands, his presence in Dyil’s Ditch and everything else that was going on? If so, how would she view him in light of this potential knowledge?
“She’ll understand,” Philomeena Renn whispered in a gesture of reassurance. She knew her brother’s moods well, as she did his unspoken concerns. The complexities of power within the Society could only be understood with knowledge and time - precisely when Kaira would fully understand … with knowledge and time.
With Jacob and Guppy standing on either side of the Panorilum alive with moving illustrations, Kaira continued:
“I’ll try to explain in a logical order … from the beginning. The night I was listening at the top of the stairs, I mentioned that I saw something - a symbol. I remembered the name of it from that moment on: the Sign of the Symean. The morning after, I was told about my dad’s job - what he really did for a living - and I was allowed into this amazing, secret world.”
Sensing Kaira was getting lost in a moment of reverie, Jacob moved things along by returning to the images on the Panorilum. He pointed to the image of The Sinister Four imprisoned in the steel cage produced by Farraday moments earlier - an image that brought a smile to Smyck’s face.
“If we weren’t sure before today about The Sinister Four’s involved in the darkness brewing, we are now,” Jacob began as Kaira gathered herself and re-focused on the task at hand.
With a nudge from Guppy, Kaira took a quick gulp of the Jysyn Juice Aunt Phee had handed to them as they descended to The Floating Floor. It wasn’t bravery she required but attention to detail, somewhat shaken by the knowledge of their lucky escape minutes earlier.
“We saw them heading up Horsel Hill towards The Sylent,” continued Jacob. “We didn’t see them enter … they’re too clever to expose themselves so obviously … but the shock of seeing Erent Koll inside The Sylent was enough to confirm their involvement.”
The adults’ response at the mention of Erent Koll’s name was varied - Farraday offering a curse whilst Smyck remained silent. Philomeena Renn’s caramel complexion remained as composed as ever, which couldn’t be said of Kaira’s dad who suppressed a rising anger. Following suspicious characters was the very opposite of discretion - the very thing he had required of them - and there could be little doubt that the Implementers desire to strike earlier was linked to their exposure by Kaira and her friends.
“Go on,” encouraged Aunt Phee with a glance in her brother’s direction, suggesting that he had his own explaining to do; therefore, judgement was not the order of the day.
“Well …,” interjected Guppy, sensing that Jacob was unsure if he should mention the man who came to their rescue. “Well, then someone appeared out of thin air.”
The adults exchanged a knowing glance, to the shock of the trio framing the Panorilum. Did they know it was Isiah Renn….? Kaira’s grandfather and one of the most wanted men in the Society? If they knew, didn’t this make them guilty by association? It was Guppy’s turn to reach for the Jysyn Juice - an action to counter her rising need to question the adults. As Casper Renn crossed his arms to signal his impatience and, perhaps, a warning not to question things they could not yet understand, Guppy bravely said the name on everyone’s mind.
“The man who appeared out of nowhere was Isiah Renn. He explained the danger we were in and told us we had to leave.”
“You definitely saw him…?” asked Farraday. “Erent Koll…?”
Kaira, Guppy and Jacob nodded in unison.
“Flaming, red hair and fire-red eyes,” uttered Kaira as she shuddered at the image resonating in her memory. “Pale, almost translucent skin which was covered in scars.”
“Did he see you, more to the point?” interjected Casper Renn.
“No,” replied Jacob. “Isiah Renn used a Verum Veras charm to protect us, and then a Cympgus to get us to safety.”
Kaira watched her dad’s face cloud over at the mention of his own father’s name … a man whose story had been shrouded in secrecy throughout her life … a shroud that was about to be lifted on this particular aspect of her magical lineage. “You don’t seem surprised,” she stated, to the shock of Guppy and Jacob.
Challenging her dad was something she never did, yet it felt necessary. Compliance had its limitations, as did lies, and if they were seeking the truth, explanations were needed from everyone. Gilweean, in Kaira’s eyes, was an unspoken journey of acceptance and
allegiance, and as they sat in another spectacular space within the endless universe of wonders, she stepped out of the realm of unquestioning compliance she had occupied for so long, refusing to retreat from her father’s searching gaze.
As the unspoken duel between father and daughter continued, Farraday and Smyck stood from the green, iron bench stretching the length of The Glass Arch to study a particular section of the Panorilum, lacking an illustration. Not even they knew what this symbolised as protective charms had no power to hide your tracks on this particular artefact. They muttered to one another as they waited for the family standoff to end, Farraday offering a wink of support to Jacob and Guppy as they did.
The closest ally of Casper Renn, and a man who had a natural distaste for rules, Farraday knew what was necessary to negotiate the current stand off between father and daughter. The skills required in his favourite Society board game, Rucklz, were the same skills required now: skill and wit.
The precocious abilities of Kaira, Guppy and Jacob could not be denied, evident in the collection of illustrations decorating this gathering. Farraday had already made the connections between the moving images, viewing Kaira’s determined stance as a subtle passing of the torch - for the light burned brightly in her, as her father feared it would.
“Your grandfather’s story is a complex one, Kaira,” stated Casper Renn as he stood, realising the time for secrecy and simplicity had come to an end. “The Panorilum has reminded me, once again, that limiting your knowledge will do more danger than harm. So, it’s time to fill in the gaps. The pieces of the puzzle you’ve formed are things I felt I needed to protect you from so, if you’ll allow me to, I’ll connect your dots and my own.”
Sensing that this wasn’t the time to extend the standoff with her father, Kaira stepped away from the Panorilum, gesturing a need for Jacob’s and Guppy’s support who followed accordingly. She sat next to her aunt who did her best to hide a mild guilt.
