Alice Parker's Metamorphosis (Book 1 of the new adventure series for children)

by Palmer, Nicola

  Chapter 11

  The Best Laid Plans

  Alice had never seen Sarah so excited. For one who was usually calm, she could hardly keep still, she was so thrilled about the party at the castle. As soon as her sister had driven off, she began her happy ramblings. ‘I never ever dreamed I’d be invited to one of the Rowbottom’s parties. You really have excelled yourself this time, Alice. And I don’t mean that in a sarcastic way, for once. It’s unbelievable. First my best friend grows wings, then she takes me to an amazing secret village and now the ultimate Christmas ball! So much has happened in such a short space of time! Life doesn’t get much better than this, surely?’

  ‘Glad you’re enjoying it,’ said Alice dryly, standing in the hall with her arms folded.

  ‘Oh...sorry, I didn’t think. I’m so looking forward to the party, I almost forgot the real reason we’re going.’

  ‘Shame I can’t. Are you ready to go, Thomas?’ she called up the stairs impatiently.

  ‘On my way!’ he shouted, slamming his bedroom door and hurrying down. ‘Good job the folks aren’t here,’ he said as he put on his coat. ‘We don’t have to make up a story as to where the three of us are going. Mind you, you’ll have some explaining to do, Alice, if Mum realises how much you’ve eaten for breakfast again.’

  ‘She’ll think it was you.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘I didn’t clean up the mess I made.’

  ‘Charming.’

  They stepped out into the winter sunshine for a brisk walk down to the oak tree. Thomas and Sarah chatted about Christmas parties, while Alice was racked with guilt in the knowledge that she had deceived Lucinda. She wasn’t a bad person. Not only that, but worse was still to come. How could she smile at her at the ball, then try to find the man her father had kidnapped? It was hard to believe that someone could be held captive where a party was taking place. Twisted, in fact. She rubbed her eyes as if hoping it would help her see the situation more clearly. All she knew was that she had a responsibility to help the village and to protect the secret existence of Finwips all over the world. When they arrived at the tree lift, Alice and Sarah went first, while Thomas waited outside to follow. Alice was silent.

  ‘You look worried,’ Sarah commented as they travelled down.

  ‘Wouldn’t you be, in my shoes?’

  ‘Probably. But don’t forget, you won’t be alone, you’ll have me with you. Whatever the plan is, they won’t want to put you in real danger, will they? You seem to be very important to them.

  ‘I suppose so,’ replied Alice, sounding unconvinced. Was she? Or did they just want Theo back, whatever it took?

  When Thomas joined them, they made their way along the corridor to the dining hall, where they could hear muffled voices already. On entering, they realised that the voices were coming from a small meeting room to the right-hand side of the main room. There was a group, including their grandad, sitting at a long table with Imogen standing at one end. She turned to greet them.

  ‘Welcome, come and sit down,’ she said with a business-like efficiency. ‘Congratulations Alice, on what you have achieved for us already. This morning, with your help, we’re going to confirm a plan to finally rescue Theo.’

  Alice nodded and forced a smile. She took the empty seat next to her grandad, while Sarah and Thomas sat further along.

  ‘This is Theo’s daughter, Anna,’ Imogen added.

  She waved her hand towards a lady with shoulder-length black hair, who was sitting at the opposite end of the table. She was noticeably pale and looked exhausted, with dark rings under her eyes. Alice felt sorry for her immediately.

  ‘I’m very grateful to you all,’ said Anna quietly. ‘Especially you, Alice. I’ve heard good things about you.’

  ‘Er, thank you,’ said Alice, unsure how to respond. She began to feel more nervous as she realised just how much people were pinning their hopes on her. Her grandad squeezed her hand.

  ‘Now,’ continued Imogen, ‘as you all know, the party takes place at the castle tomorrow evening, so we haven’t much time to prepare ourselves. Alice and Sarah will be attending as guests.’ She turned to the girls. ‘Freya is currently working on your outfits. Dresses, cloaks and masks in dark colours will be best – I have suggested black and navy blue.’ Sarah smiled, nodding in agreement.

  ‘You will also have velvet bags in which to carry torches, food and a party costume for Theo. You will need to take fruit and juice for him. He may be lacking energy. He will not be easy for two young girls to support if he is struggling to walk.’

  Now Sarah looked worried. The gravity of their task was only just beginning to sink in. Alice raised her hand as if at school.

  ‘How do I know where to look for him? The castle is so vast, I wouldn’t know where to start.’

  ‘I can help you there,’ said Grandad. ‘I’ve spent days there with my OAP annual pass and I’ve been watching Rowbottom’s movements carefully. He has been going to the South Tower at least three times a day, taking a brown paper bag with him and leaving without it. I’m pretty sure Theo is in there.’

  ‘What if there’s another reason for Brian to go to that tower?’ asked Alice.

  ‘I can’t think of one. It hasn’t been in use since the fire three years ago. It destroyed a couple of floors quite high up in the tower and rather than go to the expense of restoring it, the previous owners simply closed it to the public. As far I can tell there’s nothing wrong with the other floors.’

  ‘And what happens if I do get recognised as a Finwip? What will Brian do?’

  There was a tension-laden silence. Grandad took a deep breath. ‘Firstly, that won’t happen. You cannot possibly be detected until twelve months after your wings emerge. Secondly, we only know of two other Finwips who have been caught by Brian. And they’re still with us.’

  ‘But what happened to them?’ persisted Alice.

  ‘They were locked up and deprived of food until they revealed their ability. Neither of them proved useful to him, so he humiliated them for a while in front of his Sinwip cronies, then demanded a ransom for their release. We had to pay. Unfortunately, Theo is too valuable to let go. Somehow Rowbottom knew about his ability – this is the first time he has plucked one of us off the street. There’s no doubt, a brain like yours would be a great asset to him. I don’t want to think about how he’d use it.’

  Sarah and Thomas had turned pale. All eyes were on Alice, who was biting her bottom lip.

  ‘Fair enough,’ she said, after a few seconds. Though I can’t see him doing that to a friend of Lucinda’s. We’ll see, won’t we?’ She shrugged her shoulders. Grandad patted her on the back and nodded to Imogen to carry on.

  She handed out copies of a map of the castle. ‘We have these courtesy of Daniel here, who works on the maintenance team.’ This must be the Finwip they had mentioned before, who was virtually impossible to detect. Daniel removed his green cap with the Aylesford Castle emblem embroidered in gold and bowed his head to everyone, revealing his small, pointed ears.

  ‘This is my bunch of keys,’ he said hesitantly, looking at Alice. ‘They’re all labelled. This one is to the South Tower,’ he said, pointing to a very large, rusty one. The internal doors shouldn’t be locked, there’s nothing in there worth protecting. Please keep these keys safe, I could lose my job if I’m found out.’

  ‘Oh, I will, I promise,’ vowed Alice as she accepted them.

  Her grandad leaned over to explain the map. ‘As you can see, the difficulty lies in getting from the dining hall or ball room, where the party is being held, to the South Tower, without drawing attention to yourselves.’

  Alice nodded. Thomas and Sarah looked at each other, raising an eyebrow.

  ‘The best way will be to walk around the outside of the building. Trying to access it from inside will be far too complicated and involve too many locked doors and alarms. The external door to the tower is here,’ he pointed out, marking it with his pencil. ‘That’s the one with the large k
ey. Once inside, you will need to check several floors as quickly as you can. Just open every door and call his name, no one else should be in there. Chances are, if you find a locked door, that’s where he is. Let’s hope you have the key on that bunch.’

  ‘OK,’ said Alice, fiddling nervously with the keys.

  ‘Once you have offered him something to eat and drink, you must get him to change into the party costume immediately, so that he won’t look out of place as you pass back through. When you leave the castle via the main entrance, you need to turn right and make your way across the grass to the river, there will be two boats waiting.’

  ‘We’re getting out of there by boat?’

  ‘It’s the best option. There will be no access for vehicles, even visitor car parks are far away from the main building. On the night, guests will be dropped off at the end of the drive and taken up to the castle by horse and cart.’

  Alice frowned. ‘I don’t like the idea of walking out of the front door. What if someone is standing there, a porter or security guard? They’re bound to ask where we’re going.’

  ‘That has crossed my mind,’ admitted Grandad. ‘If someone asks, you say that your grandad, who will be Theo, has had too much to drink and needs some air. They won’t argue if they think someone might be sick on a tapestry!’

  Alice shook her head in disbelief at her real grandad’s questionable logic and audacity.

  ‘Allow me to introduce Jake and Ethan,’ Imogen continued, nodding towards two young men at the table who had been silent so far. ‘They are experienced rowers and will be able to get you away as fast as possible.’ They nodded emphatically.

  ‘Thomas, you and I will be waiting in the boats as well,’ Grandad informed him. ‘On standby, just in case.’

  ‘Good idea,’ agreed Thomas.

  ‘How far will we be going by boat?’ asked Sarah, not relishing the idea of being in a rowing boat in the dark at all.

  ‘Not too far, don’t worry,’ Imogen reassured her. ‘Just as far as the nearest car park, where Fay and I will be waiting with a van large enough to transport us all.’

  ‘Are you sure you’re going to be alright with this?’ Anna asked Alice. She obviously had misgivings.

  ‘Oh, yes, we’ll be fine,’ said Alice, lying through her teeth. She was far from sure, but how could she say anything else to this poor woman? ‘I’ll do everything I can to find your dad, I promise.’

  ‘Of course she will,’ added Grandad. ‘She’s a tough nut, this one. And she’ll have a good friend with her, as well as us waiting in the wings. We’ll make a good team.’ He put his arm around her and roughed up her hair. She cringed with embarrassment.

  ‘Thank you,’ said Anna. ‘I’ll be there as well but I won’t get in the way.’

  ‘Well, everyone, is there anything else?’ asked Imogen.

  ‘Yes,’ said Grandad. ‘I trust we shall be having our Christmas party once Theo is back with us? We could all do with a celebration when this is over.’

  ‘Absolutely! We’ll make it the best yet – it will be Alice’s first one too!’ grinned Imogen.

  There was a knock and a very tired Freya put her head round the door.

  ‘Just to let you know, girls, your outfits will be ready in the morning if you want to collect them.’

  They thanked her before she disappeared.

  ‘Thank you for coming, everyone,’ said Imogen. ‘I’ll see you all tomorrow evening. Get a good night’s sleep tonight and good luck.’

  ‘You won’t need luck, you’ll do fine,’ professed Grandad, giving Alice a hug before they left. ‘See you on the river!’

  ‘I’m going to stay here for a while,’ said Thomas. ‘I’ll see you two back at home.’

  Alice smiled, putting on a brave face.

  ‘Come on you,’ said Sarah, taking her arm and leading her out. ‘Enough serious talk. We’ve got the rest of the day to do as we please.’

  Alice wasn’t really in the mood for enjoying herself. As everyone left the meeting room, she signalled to Sarah to wait while she stayed behind to ask Imogen a question.

  ‘Er... Imogen,’ she began apprehensively.

  ‘What is it, Alice?’ she asked. ‘Don’t be shy, you can talk to me about anything that is bothering you.’

  ‘Well, this may be a silly question. Ridiculous, really... but I’ve been meaning to ask you if animals can understand Finwips,’ Alice blurted out, blushing.

  Sarah stared at her friend fearing that she had finally lost the plot. Imogen seemed shocked.

  ‘Has something happened to make you think so? Which animal was involved?’

  ‘My dog, a couple of birds and possibly a horse,’ replied Alice.

  Sarah tried to stifle a giggle.

  Imogen sat back down at the table, stunned. Alice thought that if she carried a hip flask like her grandad, now would be the time to offer it.

  ‘Well...,’ said Imogen slowly. ‘It has been known, but I must stress that it is a very rare ability. We used to have a Finwip elder called Ruby who could be understood and sometimes even protected by animals. Wild birds would often follow her to keep her company.’

  Alice bit her lip again. Sarah decided that she needed to sit down as well.

  ‘If that is what you are experiencing, Alice, you are even more extraordinary than we thought,’ admitted Imogen. ‘I need to carry out some more research into that. You are exhibiting incredibly strong characteristics for a new generation Finwip. Logically, traits and abilities should be disappearing, but you are reversing that.’

  ‘I see,’ murmured Alice. She was surprised but also relieved. More evidence that she wasn’t going mad. ‘Thank you, Imogen,’ she said. ‘We should go now Sarah.’

  ‘You’re welcome. Listen, you need to acquaint yourself with that map, Alice. And remember, whatever happens tomorrow night, stay calm. Make sure you carry your spray with you,’ warned Imogen.

  ‘I will,’ pledged Alice. ‘I mean, I’ll try my best. Oh, no, I hadn’t even thought of THAT happening! I’ve been so worried about being able to find Theo and get him out of there, the wings hadn’t even crossed my mind! I must stay calm, otherwise I could ruin everything, couldn’t I?’

  ‘You could, that’s true,’ replied Imogen. ‘But I know you won’t. You have Sarah as a calming influence and I have every faith in you both.’

  Alice looked down at the floor. She could hardly bear to look anyone in the eye at the moment, she was so doubtful of her capacity to do this.

  ‘I don’t want to let anyone down,’ she said woefully, ‘but I’m really not sure you’ve chosen the right person for the job.’

  ‘I’m aware that this is asking a lot from a thirteen-year-old, but you really are our best chance. We had hoped that you would manage to get an invitation, but to have your friend there as well will be invaluable.’

  ‘But how will we know when to slip away and search for him?’

  ‘When you are least likely to be missed. I can’t tell you when that will be, I’ll leave it to your discretion, though I should think it will be after dinner. Don’t leave the table if you can help it. That would be too obvious.’

  ‘OK,’ said Alice, resigning herself to the fact that she couldn’t wriggle out of it.

  ‘Try and enjoy yourself for part of the evening at least. Some people would give their right arm to be going to that ball!’

  At that moment Alice would have given her right arm not to be going.

  ‘I’ll make sure she does,’ Sarah promised her. ‘I certainly intend to make the most of it.’

  ‘Good,’ said Imogen. ‘Now, go and relax, save your energy for tomorrow night. Remember, you’ll need to be alert at all times, so no sneaky glass of champagne!’

  The girls smiled, said their goodbyes and headed off down the corridor.

  ‘I love this place,’ said Sarah, looking around as they waited for the lift. ‘Don’t you?’

  ‘Mmm. I just hope I see it again after tomorrow.’


  Chapter 12

  Fireworks at the Castle

  Thomas knocked loudly on his Alice’s bedroom door.

  ‘Come in if you must,’ replied a grouchy, sleepy voice.

  ‘This just isn’t good enough!’ he complained, marching in and opening the curtains. ‘It’s nearly ten o’clock! While you’ve been snoring, I’ve been down to the village and collected your outfits for tonight.’

  ‘Ooh, let’s see!’ piped up Sarah, jumping out of bed and putting on her dressing gown.

  ‘Listen,’ said Thomas lowering his voice, ‘I’ve told Mum and Dad that a friend of mine made these for you, OK?’

  ‘OK.’

  ‘Fine.’

  ‘This is yours, Sarah,’ he said, passing her a large silver bag. ‘And this one is yours.’

  He laid the second bag in front of Alice, on her bed. She stared at it, but didn’t touch it. Sarah had already opened hers and was squealing as she pulled out the dress and held it up.

  Alice remained sitting up in bed, her arms folded.

  ‘Calm down, Alice, you’re over-excited again,’ joked Thomas.

  She scowled at him.

  ‘It’s alright for her,’ she moaned, nodding in Sarah’s direction, ‘wetting herself about new outfits. I can’t get excited about the party. I’m too worried.’

  ‘Oh, give it a rest! Look at it like this: you’re going to an amazing event and while you’re there, you’re going to collect someone. That’s it. You’re doing nothing wrong; they are.’

  Alice sighed and dragged her fingers through her morning bird’s-nest hair. ‘Well, when you put it like that...’ Eventually she reached for the bag and took out her dress.