The Spooks battle wc-4

by Joseph Delaney

  "Ain't nothing to worry about, Tom," Alice said, coming into the bedroom behind me. "Agnes has given em a strong potion. Sent all three into a deep sleep so they can regain their strength."Not been able to cure your brother, sad to say," Agnes said, shaking her head. "But he is stronger now, and should be able to walk when he wakes. Can't do nothing about his mind though. It's in a fair old muddle. Doesn't know whether he's coming or going, does poor Jack."He'll be all right, Tom," Alice said, coming across and squeezing my hand in reassurance. "Soon as we get back I'll sift through your mam's trunk. Certain to be something in there to sort him out."Alice meant well, but it still didn't make me feel much better. I began to wonder if my brother would ever make a full recovery.

  We went back into the living room, and Agnes boiled us up a fortifying herb drink. It tasted bitter, but she assured me that it would do us good and build up our strength for whatever lay ahead. She told me that my family would wake naturally within the next hour, and they should be strong enough to walk back to Malkin Tower. "Anything new to tell us?" Alice asked, taking a sip of her drink."Family don't tell me much," Agnes said. "They don't bother me, and I don't bother them, but I can see things for myself. There's been a lot of activity these past few days. They're getting ready for Lammas. More Malkins visited yesterday than I've seen in a month o' Sundays. Been Mouldheels here, too -a thing I've never known in my lifetime."Alice suddenly laughed, a slight edge of mockery in her voice. "Bet they didn't all walk by your window, so how come you know all this?"Agnes colored slightly. At first I thought she'd taken offense, but I soon realized that it was embarrassment. "Old woman like me needs some excitement, don't she? No fun in looking out of my window onto fields of bleating sheep and windswept trees. What I do is the next best thing to gossip. Keeps me from being too lonely."

  Alice smiled at me and squeezed my arm affectionately. "Likes to use a mirror, Aunt Agnes does, so she can see what's going on in the world. Would you do it for us now, Aunt?" She turned her smile toward the old lady. "Important, it is. We need to see what the Mouldheels are up to. Best of all, we'd like to see Mab Mouldheel. Could you find her for us?"For a moment Agnes didn't reply, but then she gave a little nod and went across to the far corner of the room. There she rummaged around in a cupboard and pulled out a mirror. It wasn't very large, not much more than twelve inches tall by six or so wide, but it was framed in brass and set on a heavy base. She placed the mirror on the table and positioned the candle just to her left. Then she drew up a chair and sat facing the mirror."Close the curtains, Alice!" Agnes commanded, reaching toward the candle.Alice did as she was bid, and the heavy curtains plunged the room into gloom. The moment Agnes's hand closed about the candle, it flared into life.

  I trusted Alice's judgment, but I suddenly started to suspect that Agnes was a little more than just a healer. A wise woman didn't use mirrors and candles. The Spook wouldn't have been happy, but then again, Alice often did things he didn't approve of. I just hoped that, like Alice, Agnes always used her powers for good rather than to serve the dark.For a moment there was a silence in which I could hear only the rain pattering hard against the window. Then, as Agnes began to mutter under her breath, Alice and I stood behind her so that we could look over her shoulders into the mirror, which began to cloud almost immediately.Alice's right hand gripped my left. "Good with mirrors, is Agnes," she whispered into my ear. "Even give the Mouldheels a run for their money!"A sequence of images drifted across the mirror: the inside of a cluttered cottage; an old woman sitting hunched in a chair stroking a black cat on her knee; what looked like the altar of a ruined chapel. Then the mirror grew dark and Agnes began to rock from side to side, the words tumbling from her lips faster and faster, the sweat beginning to ooze from her brow. The mirror brightened a little, but now all we could see it was wild racing clouds and then what looked like branches thrashing in the wind.

  It seemed odd. How was she doing it? Where was the other mirror? We seemed to be looking upward from the ground. Then two people appeared. They were distorted, and immense. It was like an ant's-eye view, looking up at giants. One figure was barefooted; the other wore a long gown. Even before the image sharpened and I could see their faces, I knew who they were.Mab was talking animatedly to Wurmalde, who was resting her hand on her shoulder. Mab stopped speaking, and they both smiled and nodded. Suddenly the image began to shift. It was as if a dark cloud were moving across from the left of the picture, and I realized that our vantage point had been obscured by the edge of Wurmalde's skirts. Then I glimpsed one of the witch's pointy shoes and, next to it, a bare foot, three-toed with sharp, cruel nails. She was hiding Tibb under her skirts again. The image faded and the mirror grew dark, but we'd seen enough. It looked like the Mouldheels were about to join the other two clans. Agnes blew out the candle and came wearily to her feet. After opening the curtains, she turned and shook her head. "That evil little beastie gives me the shivers," she said. "World would be a better place without it."

  "Without Wurmalde, too," Alice said."How did you do that?" I asked Agnes. "I thought there had to be two mirrors."Depends how strong the witch is," replied Alice, answering for her aunt. "Water will do just as well. It can be in a basin, or if it's calm, even a pond will do. Aunt Agnes was really clever and skillful: Wurmalde and Mab were standing on the edge of a big puddle, so she used that."At those words a shiver ran down my spine, and in my mind's eye I saw that dark underground lake again, with the pieces of the wight floating motionless, the surface like glass. And I remembered my sense of unease. "I felt a chill when we passed the underground lake," I said. "As if I was being stared at. Could someone have been using it like a mirror to see us pass by? "Agnes nodded, and her eyes became thoughtful. "That's possible, Tommy. And if that's so, they'll know you've left the safety of the tower and will be lying in wait when you go back."

  "So let's go the other way then," I suggested. "The Spook's still inside Malkin Tower, so he could lower the drawbridge for us. We can go straight through the wood toward it. They won't expect that."Could try that," Alice said doubtfully. "But they could be waiting in Crow Wood, too, and we'll have to shout for the Spook to let us in. Still, we might have a better chance there. Specially if we go round the long way and approach from the north."There's another problem though," I said. "The Spook will be busy for hours dealing with the dead down in the dungeons. So he wouldn't hear us. We'll have to wait before we go back. Wait until after dark…" "You're more than welcome to stay here until then," Agnes said. "How would you like some broth to warm your insides? Your family will be hungry when they awake. I'll make some for us all."

  As Agnes prepared the food, there was a faint cry from the next room. Little Mary had woken up. Almost immediately I heard Ellie soothing her, so I rapped lightly on the door and went in. Ellie was comforting her child, and Jack sat on the edge of the bed near the door with his head in his hands. He didn't even look up when I came in."Are you feeling better, Ellie?" I asked. "And how's Jack?"Ellie gave me a little smile. "Lots better, thanks, and Jack seems stronger, too. He hasn't spoken yet, but look at him-he's well enough to sit up. That's a big improvement."Jack was still in the same position and hadn't acknowledged me, but I tried to be cheerful because I didn't want to alarm Ellie.

  "That's great news," I told her. "Anyway, we're going to get you back to Malkin Tower for safety."At my words, alarm flickered onto her face."It's not that bad," I told her, trying to be reassuring. "It's in our hands now and perfectly safe."I hoped never to see that grim place again," she said."It's for the best, Ellie. You'll be safe there until we can get you home to the farm. Before you know it, everything will be back to normal."I'd like to think so, Tom, but the truth is I haven't much hope. All I ever wanted was to be a good wife to Jack and have my own family to love. But what's happened has spoiled everything. I don't see things ever getting back to how they were. I'll just have to put a brave face on it for poor little Mary's sake."At that moment Jack came to his feet and shuffled toward me, a puzzled expression on
his face."Great to see you on your feet, Jack!" I said, holding out my arms to greet him.

  The old Jack would have gripped me in a bear hug and almost crushed my ribs in his exuberance, but my brother was far from being recovered. He halted about three paces away, and his mouth just opened and closed a few times; then he shook his head in bewilderment. He seemed steady enough on his feet, but words had deserted him. I just hoped that Alice would be able to find something in Mam's trunk to help him.Soon after sunset we thanked Agnes Sowerbutts and were on our way, the rain having eased to a light drizzle.Alice and I were walking ahead, leading the way, but our pace wasn't very fast. The rain finally stopped altogether, but there was thick cloud and it was very dark, which at least made it harder for anyone lying in wait to spot us. Little Mary was nervous and kept clinging to her mother, who had to keep stopping to comfort her. Jack just ambled along as if he'd all the time in the world, but he stumbled into things and at one point tripped over a log, making enough noise to alert every witch in Pendle.

  Our plan was to keep to the east, passing Crow Wood far to the right. The first part -went well, but as we curved round to approach the tower directly from the north, I started to become increasingly uneasy. I could sense something out there in the dark. At first I hoped my imagination was playing tricks, but the clouds were being ripped and torn by the wind and starting to fragment, the sky growing lighter by the minute. Then the moon found a gap in the clouds and the whole area was lit with a faint silver light. When I glanced back over my shoulder, I could actually see figures in the distance before a large cloud once more plunged us into darkness."They're behind us, Alice, and getting nearer," I told her, keeping my voice low so as not to alarm the others."Witches. Lots of em!" Alice agreed. "Some of their menfolk, too."We'd entered the trees of Crow Wood and were moving toward a fast-flowing stream, closing on it with every step. I could hear the rush and hiss of water boiling over rocks.

  "We'll be safe if we can just get across!" I shouted.Luckily the bank was low, and I steadied Ellie as she hastened across, carrying Mary. The water hardly reached our knees, but the rocks were very slippery underfoot. Jack made heavy weather of it and fell twice, the second time close to the far edge, but he dragged himself up onto the muddy bank without complaining. We'd all reached the far side and I was relieved that the immediate danger was over. The witches would never be able to cross. But at that moment the moon came out again briefly, and I saw something that filled me with dismay. Twenty or so yards to our right was a witch dam, a heavy wooden board suspended above the water. Supported by ropes that ran across pulleys to handles on either side of the stream, the board was fitted between two grooved posts that would guide it into position as it was lowered.We'd gained a little time, but it wouldn't be enough. It would take our enemies just a few moments to lower the dam into position and stop the flow of water. Once across, they'd catch us long before we reached the tower.

  "There's a way to stop em, Tom!" Alice yelled. "It's not hopeless. Follow me!" She ran toward the witch dam. Flickering moonlight lit the scene briefly, and Alice pointed to the water underneath the board. I could see what appeared to be a thick, dark line running directly from bank to bank."It's a groove, Tom," Alice shouted. "Clan menfolk move the stones away and cut a trench in the bed of the stream. Then they line it with wood. It makes a tight seal so that the water can't get through. If we can put some of the stones back, they won't be able to lower it fully."It was worth a try, and I followed Alice down the bank into the water. In theory it was easy. All we had to do was find a few stones and put them in the trench. In practice it was very difficult. It was dark, and the first time I plunged my arms down past my elbows into the cold water, my fingers couldn't get a grip on anything. The first stone I found was deeply embedded and wouldn't budge. The second was smaller but still too heavy to lift, and my fingers kept losing their grip.At the third attempt I found a stone just a little bigger than my fist. Alice was ahead of me and had already put two stones into place close to our side of the bank."There, Tom! Place it close to mine. Won't take too many."

  By now I could hear hoarse breathing and the rapid slap of feet against the damp ground. After a further struggle I found another stone-this was twice the size of my first-and I splashed it down toward the trench, positioning my shoulder against the lower edge of the raised board to help me aim in the darkness. But our pursuers were very close now. When the moon came out again, I glimpsed the burly figure of a man reaching for the handle.I found another stone and just managed to drop it into the trench when I heard the wheel turning. The board began to rumble downward. I was going to search again, but Alice gripped my arm."Come on, Tom. That'll do! Won't be able to make a seal, and the water will still flow."So I followed Alice back up onto the bank; we ran to where Jack, Ellie, and Mary were waiting and led them off through the trees. Had we done enough? Was Alice right?Ellie was exhausted by now and stumbled along at a snail's pace, still clutching her daughter. We needed to move faster. Much faster."Give Mary to me," Alice insisted, holding out her arms for the child.For a moment I thought that Ellie would refuse, but she nodded her thanks and handed over the child. With the rumble of the board growing fainter behind us, we kept going until we reached the clearing. The tower was ahead. We were almost safe.As we came within shouting distance of the tower, my hopes soared: I heard a grinding noise from within, and as I watched, the moon came out again and, with a clanking of chains, the drawbridge began to descend. Worried by our late return, the Spook must have been watching from the battlements and seen our approach.But as we reached the very edge of the moat, I heard a guttural shout behind us. I glanced back at the trees, and my hopes sank faster than the last stone I'd dropped into the trench. There were shadowy figures sprinting over the grass toward us. The witches must have crossed the stream after all.

  "We should have used more stones," I said bitterly."No, Tom, we did enough," Alice said, handing Mary back to Ellie. "Ain't witches, but it's almost as bad. Clan menfolk, they are."There were at least half a dozen of them rushing at us, angry men with wild eyes, brandishing long knives, blades glittering silver in the moonlight. But the drawbridge was down now, and we backed onto it, Alice and I taking up a defensive position on its very edge, keeping the others between us and the big iron-studded door. The Spook would be descending the steps now, just as fast as he was able. But our enemies were almost on us.I could hear my master drawing back the heavy bolts, but would he be in time? Ellie gave a cry behind me, and then I heard the sound of the big door grinding on its hinges. I raised my staff to defend myself, hoping to deflect the blade that was arcing toward my head. But someone else was beside me now. It was the Spook, and out of the comer of my eye I saw his staff spear forward at my assailant. The man screamed and fell sideways into the moat with a tremendous splash.

  "Get inside!" shouted the Spook. "Get inside, all of you!" He was standing his ground as two others ran to us, shoulder to shoulder. I didn't want to leave him to face them alone, but he pushed me so hard toward the door that I stumbled and almost fell. Just then the moon went behind a cloud, and we were plunged into darkness again. Without thinking, I obeyed, reaching the door at Alice's heels. There was another cry of pain, and I glanced back. Someone seemed to fall, and there was another splash. Was it the Spook? Had they knocked him into the water? Then a shadowy figure was running to the door, but even before I'd raised my staff to defend myself, I saw that it was my master.He stumbled inside, cursed, threw down his staff, and put his shoulder to the door. Alice and I helped him, and we just managed to get it closed before something heavy crashed against it. The Spook slammed the bolts home. Our enemies were too late.

  "Up the steps and raise that drawbridge!" the Spook commanded. "Both of you! Look sharp!"Alice and I ran up the steps, and together we began to turn the capstan. Down below we could hear angry shouts and metallic crashes as our enemies hammered uselessly against the door. It was hard work, but with our shoulders straining against the resistance of the wheel, we
continued to turn the capstan, and bit by bit the bridge was raised. Just before it was fully up against the door, the banging outside ceased, and we heard distant splashes as our enemies jumped into the moat. It was either that or be crushed between the heavy wooden bridge and the huge door.After that we were safe. Safe for a while, at least. The Spook, Alice, and I discussed what had happened, while Ellie tried to make Mary and Jack comfortable. We were all weary, and before an hour had passed we were settling down for the night, once again sleeping on the floor, wrapped in dirty blankets. I was exhausted and soon fell into a dreamless sleep, but I awoke during the night to hear someone sobbing nearby. It sounded like Ellie."You all right, Ellie?" I called out softly into the darkness.Almost immediately the crying ceased, but she didn't reply. After that, it took me a long while to get back to sleep. I began to wonder what tomorrow would bring. We were running out of time. In two days it would be Lammas. We had lost a day bringing Jack back to the tower, so I -was sure the Spook's priority tomorrow had to be settling with Wurmalde. If -we didn't find her and stop the -witches, then the dark made flesh would be -walking among us, and it -wouldn't just be Ellie crying herself to sleep at night.