"Darwin, hold on," Cassidy screamed from below, as a shot rang out.
He glanced down to see Cassidy holding the gun.
"Whoah!" he shouted, though the constriction of his chest made it little more than a whisper. "Careful with that thing!"
"Trust me," Cassidy said, tentacles approaching at her from all angles. She let off four shots. They all hit the tentacle holding Darwin's chest, not in exactly the same spot, but close enough that they perforated across the limb. North screamed, as the weight of Darwin tugged at it, the final pieces of black flesh pulling apart as the tip of the tentacle ripped off. Darwin felt himself swing, and then, either through shock or the extra weight suddenly put on it, the tentacle around his feet lost its grip.
He landed with a thud on the ground that winded him. Really, could he try not to take any more damage today? He was bruised and battered enough as it was. He opened his eyes to see Ryan's lifeless ones staring back at him. Shame, he never liked the kid, but that was a bitch of a way to go.
He got to his feet before North could recover, and with a running charge, punched North in the face, so that the creature was sent sprawling onto its back.
"That's for Ryan," Darwin said before calling over to D'Toeni. "Let's go."
It looked like Magellan had given as good as he had got. D'Toeni was cut and bloodied. Ryan's socks were stained with both red and black blood. D'Toeni ran over to the ladder, pulling Ryan's hoodie up over his head as he did so.
"When you get up there," Darwin instructed, "keep your face down, OK?"
D'Toeni nodded as he pulled the draw strings to reduce the opening of the hood to a size only his nose could poke through.
"Cass, come on," Darwin called, as D'Toeni started making his way up. She was just standing there, smoking gun in hand, looking down on what had once been Ryan. Beyond her Darwin could see North starting to get to his feet.
"Cassidy, now."
She snapped out of her trance, and followed Darwin up the ladder, which creaked with every step.
D'Toeni reached the top and flung the hatch open without hesitation. Darwin looked up to see a twilight sky. Still light enough for D'Toeni to burn, but dark enough that they might still get away with it. He threw himself out the hatch and Darwin hurried out behind. With D'Toeni wrapped up so well he was effectively blind.
As instructed, the vampire was face down on the ground, and Darwin noticed he was shaking.
"You're OK, D'Toeni," he said. "I'd stay wrapped up but it'll be dusk in another ten minutes or so."
"Thank the devil," sighed the vampire. "I thought I might be here under midday sun."
"Next victim you get, steal their watch."
There was a scream from the hatch.
"Cassidy," Darwin exclaimed.
He ran to the hatch and looked down. It was surprisingly black, but he could just make out Cassidy on the ladder below.
"It's got my leg," Cassidy said worriedly. Something tugged at her. Cassidy clung to the ladder for dear life, determined not to be yanked off of it, and in the process, nearly took the ladder with her.
"Give me your hand," Darwin said.
"I can't. I'm scared."
"I'm here Cass," Darwin tried to reassure. "It's going to be all right."
"No, it's not. You saw what they did to Ryan." She started to cry.
"Give. Me. Your. Hand."
She unwrapped one arm from the ladder and extended it, but another yank pulled the top of the ladder from the wall and caused her to lose her grip. Without a second thought Darwin dived down after her, grabbing her outstretched arm. At the same time he felt something at his ankles. For an instant he thought it might be a tentacle, but then he realised these were hands.
"Hurry up and grab her, will you?" D'Toeni's voice mumbled. "My hands are starting to burn."
Darwin grabbed Cassidy's other arm, and together the two men started to pull.
"Stop struggling," Darwin complained.
"I can't help it," Cassidy replied. “It's trying to grab my other leg.”
She looked up into his eyes. No, thought Darwin, you'll be OK. I won't let them do to you what they did to Ryan. I promise.
"Kick at the ladder instead," he told her.
She understood what he meant, and started frantically trying to kick more of the ladder out of the wall. Little by little, the metal ladder came away from the wall, until at last it started falling away into the dark of the tunnel, clanging as it fell.
Darwin suddenly felt the weight of Cassidy lighten. "Pull!" he shouted, and together he and D'Toeni lifted the girl out of the hatch.
They all collapsed on the ground, D'Toeni tucking his blistered hands under his armpits.
"Thank you," Darwin told him, as he found Cassidy and gave her the biggest of hugs.
CHAPTER FORTY - Shadows Of War
"You do realise that you almost started a war today?" Rofen yelled.
Maureen didn't care for being shouted at. It was taking all her effort to refrain from snapping back, even though she knew she was in the wrong.
"They killed Ernest," she protested. "And you lot weren't doing anything."
They were sitting in Rofen's office and the wizard was banging his desk with his fist so hard that nearby towers of paper swayed precariously.
“What are you even doing here? Gatekeepers do not get free entry to the other realm just when they feel like it."
"Ernest," she repeated.
"Ernest was killed in London," Rofen snapped. "Or have you forgotten? And last time I looked there were no elves in London."
"They could have hired someone? They managed to get a note under the door of my gateway."
"Oh please. You do realise that relations are so tense with the elves, our government is just looking for any excuse to go to war."
"So it's all right for them to kill wizards?"
"If it means avoiding a war that could kill millions? Yes."
"So much for loyalty," Maureen bit.
"Loyalty?" Rofen's voice raised an octave. "I could ask you about your loyalty."
"I have given over eighty years of service to this Friary, so don't you start..."
"And yet you decide to abandon years of tradition and rules to gallivant off on some personal crusade. Thought it would be fun to go and see the elves did you? Never mind the diplomatic mess you've caused."
"They were in his house. They weren't supposed to be there."
"So were you, and you weren't supposed to be there either."
Maureen sighed. There was no compromising with this man.
"I'd like to see Joseph," she said, her voice calmer. She wasn't so much asking as demanding.
Rofen's shouting had stopped also. "Well you can't."
"Is he alright?" Maureen whispered. "I mean, will he live?"
Rofen waited a second. Maureen braced herself for some hurtful remark, but instead the Abbott just sighed. "They think he'll pull through."
Maureen's face lit up at this news. If there was one thing she felt guilty about it was for dragging Joseph into this mess.
"No thanks to you," Rofen added, his tone sharpening again. "He's very, very lucky to be alive. If I hadn't come along when I had…"
"Yes. Thank you. How did you find us anyway?"
"An Inspector Thackery. Passed me a very interesting report about an elderly lady and a troll encountering elves. Now who does that sound like? I asked myself."
"Did you investigate the farm? The supermarket? Have you looked for George?"
"This no longer has anything to do with you. And frankly, even if it was, I wouldn't want to take your advice."
Maureen's hackles rose. "What do you mean by that?"
Any tirade was avoided by a knock on the door. Maureen turned to see a plump man with wavy ginger hair and a bushy moustache. He wore a green tweed suit. Behind him followed a dwarf, and given the way huge jewels were set in his gloves, belt and circlet about his head, a dwarf of some importance. His beard was long and black, p
lated with gold thread into two long braids that dangled from his chin.
"Rofen," the fat man called as he entered the room, then taking in the room added, "Dear God, this isn't your office, is it?"
Rofen ignored the insult. "Can I help you, Prime Minister?"
"Can you help me?" the fat man asked with a chuckle. He nudged the dwarf in the ribs, an action the dwarf did not appreciate if the scowl on his face was anything to go by. "Did you hear that, your Majesty? Can he help us? The elves, Rofen. We want to know about the elves."
"Oh," said Rofen, as if he'd paid it no thought. "Just ideological children, I'm afraid. Nothing to be alarmed about."
"That's a lie," shouted Maureen. "They were Crimsons."
Rofen tensed and rolled his eyes.
"The royal guard?" said the Prime Minister in such a high pitched squeal, Maureen thought he might pop. "Rofen, who is this woman?"
"Maureen Summerglass," she said, determined not to be ignored. "I was the one who discovered the elves."
The Prime Minister barely acknowledged her, but the dwarf reached out and kissed the back of her hand. "King Ambrosius the third," he introduced himself.
"Please to meet you, your Majesty," Maureen said with the semblance of a curtsy. Good manners cost nothing.
The King waved a hand, "call me Ambro. Everyone else does." He gave her a friendly wink that brought warmth to his stony, lined face. Judging from his cheeky grin, that probably wasn't something he said to everyone. Maureen found herself blushing.
"Is this true?" the Prime Minister asked. "Was this woman involved?"
Rofen nodded. "She and the troll seemed to be running from the pursuing elves when I found them."
"And where is this troll now?"
"Hospital, Prime Minister. He took a nasty chest wound."
The ginger man raised an eyebrow. "Hospital? I didn't realise the Friary was now extending its health care to trolls?"
"I figured we might need his account of events." Rofen glanced at Maureen with the hint of a scowl. "I figured we might need to collaborate some details."
"We know what happened. This woman told you. The elves are planning to attack New Salisbury."
"We don't know that," Rofen protested.
"They killed a wizard," Maureen interjected, then thinking of George, "possibly two."
"See," said the Prime Minister. "Two wizards dead. Does the whole Friary need to be slaughtered before you'll act on this aggression? We should pre-empt them." He punched his fist into his hand. "Attack them before they attack us."
"You seem to forget Prime Minister, that the elves are much more skilled at magic than us."
"Oh poppycock, Rofen. Stop being so modest."
"I fought a student today, and had I not had help, I would have been defeated."
"Alistair Golightly does not share your pessimism."
"Well until Alistair Golightly is Abbott his opinion counts for nothing. If that time ever comes, by all means, let him lead the Friary into battle. Just don't come crying to me when you don't have any forces left to defend New Salisbury."
The Prime Minister considered this for a moment, stroking the ends of his moustache between his thumb and forefinger. "Maybe, but this is where King Ambrosius comes in. His human weaponry will give us a technological edge."
"Still buying second hand tanks off the humans, your Majesty?" Rofen asked.
Ambrosius nodded. "And air-to-surface missiles, armoured personal carriers and whatever else the Russians have to offer."
"Unfortunately we're too short to operate aircraft," The King turned to Maureen, "or I'd have my own air force by now."
"There we go," said the Prime Minister. "You supply the wizards, the dwarves will supply the tanks."
The King held up his hands in protest. "I never said I wanted to start a war."
The Prime Minister laughed. "Really? So all that expensive weaponry is just for show?"
"It's for defence, not offense. I have no intention for my legacy to be one of an aggressor."
"But your Majesty, this woman has been victim to elven aggression. Surely they are the aggressor?"
King Ambrosius looked at Maureen. "I'm very sorry," he said. "But the death of one man, no matter how great, does not justify risking millions more in an act of petty revenge."
Maureen thought about this for a second. She'd been pro-action, had wanted there to be some retribution for Ernest's death, but the King was right.
"Trust me, when I say, those responsible should be brought to justice," he continued. "But only those directly responsible."
Ernest would have agreed. So would Joseph. No matter how great her anger, how great her sadness, a war was not the answer. That was not what Ernest would have wanted.
Maureen nodded at the King and his hard exterior broke into a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry for your loss," he said. "Truly I am."
It seemed strange after all that had happened over the last few days, but the King's words made her realise Ernest was gone. He wasn't coming back, and she had to move on. Not forget him, nor rage over the circumstances surrounding his death. He was gone, and for the first time, Maureen felt at peace with that, as if she had finally accepted it.
And with that realisation came a calmness, a sense of peace that told her she could be whoever she wanted to be. She wasn't just a gatekeeper. She didn't have to be tied to that for the rest of her life. It was just a job. She had a talent, could do magic and if she wanted could live out the rest of her days following that. She'd never realised until that moment just how obligated she felt to her job. Why should there have been any conflict inside her with wanting to investigate her friend's murder? It had felt like she had been doing something wrong at the time, but no, it was the right thing to do. And she'd, more or less, solved the crime. She didn't have the details, but she knew enough that she felt she could put Ernest's death behind her. Start looking to the future, she thought to herself, stop feeling so tied to the house.
"King Ambrosius is right," she said. "It's not worth going to war over."
Rofen rolled his eyes skyward. "A moment ago you were practically ready to lead the armies yourself?"
She thought he might be happy she'd changed her mind. Apparently not.
"I want justice for Ernest, not needless bloodshed."
"But the elves..." protested the Prime Minister.
"I have every faith, Abbott Rofen will find and deal with them," she said. She wasn't sure that she totally believed that, but she at least hoped he would.
"Then that's settled, Prime Minister," Ambrosius said. "There shall be no war."
"You can't be sure of that," the Prime Minister protested as the King turned to leave. "It'll happen, mark my words. Maybe not this time, but they're plotting and one day they will attack."
"Well until that day, let us enjoy the peace we have. Rofen, Maureen." Ambrosius nodded at each of them in turn, before stopping and adding. "That troll. The one with Maureen."
"Yes," Rofen said. "What about him?"
"See to it that he gets the best medical care. I know you humans aren't fond of Venefasia's native races, and it would displease me greatly should I happen to find out that you cast him out of hospital just because his wellbeing is no longer of interest."
"Your Majesty," the Prime Minister laughed nervously. "He's just a troll. Our medical facilities are designed for humans."
"And I am just a dwarf, who, if you are to be believed, owns a lot of weapons you might want to make use of one day."
"Of course, your Highness,” the Prime Minister replied. "I understand."
Ambrosius stared at him for a second to ensure the seriousness of his request was understood before breaking into a much warmer tone.
"Good," he said clamping an arm round the Prime Minister's shoulder like an old friend. "Now Prime Minister, I hear there is a very good club in New Salisbury called Larry McNally's..."
The two of them left, leaving Maureen and Rofen alone. There was an uneasy silence
between them, before Rofen leaned forward and knitted his fingers together.
"You do realise that you illegally entering Venefasia was a gross breach of protocol?"
"I do realise that. I can only apologise." She felt she owed Rofen that. There was no denying that what she'd done was improper, to argue otherwise would just be stupid. "And thank you for coming to Joseph’s and my aid."
"You're a problem, Maureen. A loose cannon."
"I'd just lost someone dear to me. I was a little unbalanced." She didn't want to sound pleading but that's how it came across.
"If it happened again, would you do the same?"
"It's not going to happen..."
Rofen cut her off. "Would you, though?" His voice was slightly raised.
"Probably. I don't regret what I've done."
Rofen sighed. "You're not helping me, Maureen."
He sat tapping his fingers together for a minute before saying. "I've decided it'll be best if we close your gateway down."
For all her earlier resolve about not being tied to her job, it still felt as if she'd been shot by an arrow.
"It gets hardly any traffic these days. Most people use Luton. And... well... you're a risk Maureen. I can't have gatekeepers running off every time the feeling takes them."
Maureen was silent. She wanted to believe that this was a release, that this somehow freed her to go and make up for all those wasted years, all that sacrifice. But for it to be for nothing? That hurt. That really hurt. She'd wasted her life, had forgone relationships and a family to do her duty. And whatever people may say about what she had done, it had never been done for anything less than the belief in the Friary and its members.
"So you're letting me go? Just like that."
"Yes. I've made up my mind."
Where would she go? She was about to ask Rofen but stopped herself. Don't ask him for help, she told herself. She'd even considered telling him about her magical abilities, but not now. The less people that knew the better. This is the start of your new life, she told herself, but she couldn't help but be afraid.
"Fine," she said.
"I'll give you a week to move out," Rofen said. "After that I'll send the Inquisitor around."
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