by SJB Gilmour
‘Just read the damned scroll, Isaacs,’ O’Brien growled at him.
‘Alright, alright, don’t get your knickers in a knot.’ James told her, grinning. He continued to read. ‘Oh, now this is better. Representing humans, botanists, spellweavers, seers and the minotaurs, are James Isaacs, that’s me by the way, Benjamin McConnell, Cassandra of Troy and Herdmaster Tor—’
‘No way!’ Cassandra replied adamantly. She crossed her arms in front of her chest in defiance. Tor wasn’t so disapproving. The idea of being accepted as an equal by the enchanted community obviously appealed to him.
‘Representing halflings and necromancers, Her Royal Highness, Princess Madison Honey Hai Du.’
James looked sideways at Maddy. ‘You’re a necromancer? I didn’t know that.’
‘Keep reading Flower Man!’ O’Brien snapped at him.
‘Representing fauna and the twelve wings of dragonkind, Siouxanne. Okay, that’s seven. Next, representing oracles and alchemists, Bruce Smith.’ James looked up from the scroll. ‘Who’s that?’
‘Bruce the oracle, remember?’ Charity told him. She had nearly finished her bowl of blood and was beginning to look a little better.
‘Oh, the guy McConnell dug out from Cromwell’s island? Where is he?’
Benjamin shrugged. ‘I handed him over to the medics. I haven’t seen him since. He’s probably at Amelia’s hospital.’
‘Not there, Master McConnell,’ Charity told him. ‘Our facility in Tuscany managed to take on several hundred injured. He was among them. I gather most were released very soon after waking up…’ She hung her head. ‘A coven infirmary is never a popular place to be. Anyway, as far as I know, he’s still there. He was badly malnourished.’
O’Brien didn’t like the sound of that. She leaped off the chair. ‘I’ll be right back,’ she promised and nimbly padded through a portal and disappeared.
James looked back at the list. ‘Okay, the last name here is O’Brien. I know she’s a Silver Shroud and beastmaster too, but I think you might get some opposition to including her.’
‘Not from Wolfenvald,’ Jasper told him.
‘I know that,’ James replied. ‘She’s a Silver Shroud. I meant from former Guild members. She did kill an awful lot of them, you know.’
‘How many did she kill?’ Jasper asked him.
O’Brien reappeared in her Amazon form. She was half-carrying, half-dragging the unconscious form of Bruce Smith. ‘One thousand, two hundred and fifty one,’ she declared as she dumped Bruce on the floor. ‘A new Amazon record.’ She looked at Cassandra coldly. ‘Well?’ she demanded. ‘Are you with us or not?’
‘How do you know your name is on that list?’ Cassandra replied just as harshly.
‘Duh,’ O’Brien said, tapping one of her ears. ‘Werewolf, remember, old crone? I heard Isaacs even from the other side of the portal.’ She turned to look at Charity. ‘I met a sister of yours called Elizabetha. She wasn’t too keen on letting me take the alchemist.’ She looked down at Bruce. ‘I know she and your sisters helped a lot during the battle but their allegiance seems to have changed. We had a bit of a disagreement.’
Charity nodded. ‘Such is why I am here, Mistress.’
O’Brien pulled a chair away from the table and began cleaning her sword, which had obviously just seen yet more violence. ‘I’m the only survivor of that disagreement.’
For the first time since she had arrived, Charity actually looked happy. Though she remained silent, she smiled and nodded gratefully at the grim Silver Shroud.
James put the scroll away. ‘Okay,’ he declared. ‘The business day has closed.’ He refilled his tankard, and lounged back, taking another drink.
‘What do you mean?’ asked Benjamin. ‘It’s eleven-thirty in the morning!’
‘So? Who said an enchanted ambassador has to work the same hours as a mortal? If I say the embassy is open from elevenses till noon then that’s when it’s open.’ He tapped his temple. ‘And it’s not eleven-thirty. It’s eleven fifty-eight. Check your watch.’
Of course, several watches were produced and everyone gaped at the grinning ambassador.
‘The clock in my head is never late by more than a minute or so,’ he told them all smugly. ‘C’mon, we’ve got the rest of the day to get sloshed!’
Before he could make good with his intention of drinking for the rest of the day, another elevator appeared. This time, Field Marshal Jax marched into the hall. He nodded politely to everyone present and then turned to Maddy. ‘Your Highness,’ he said with another bow. ‘I have a message from The Mingus Consortium and Her Majesty, Queen Melanie Troy, The Nightsmith. They would like you to come to Jilde at your earliest convenience.’
Maddy shrugged. ‘There are some things to which I need to attend,’ she replied curtly. ‘Tell Her Majesty I’ll be at her disposal as soon as possible.’ She turned to James. ‘Be sure to pass on our recommendation, Ambassador.’
‘Right!’ James said, holding his tankard up to the one held up by Jasper. ‘To The Council of Nine!’
‘The Council of Nine!’ several of the others echoed, the loudest of whom was Lord Tor.
To James’ annoyance, another portal appeared. A small sprite fluttered out and flew directly over to him.
‘Ambassador Isaacs,’ she piped. ‘I bring a message from the spirits of Castlerigg.’
James groaned. ‘Alright,’ he muttered. One last customer, then we’re closed the rest of the day. What do you want?’
The sprite curtseyed mid-air. ‘It appears there’s a lycanthrope in the woods near the spirits’ home. The hobgoblin Wallop the Watcher has her bound. The spirits would have the Golden Mane and her pack remove the monster.’
James made a face. ‘Fine. I’ll go get Sarah and Mel and tell them to take care of it. Happy?’
The sprite nodded. ‘The spirits are also aware you are forming a new society of enchanters. They suggest you include Wallop the Watcher in it. They predict he will be most useful in times to come.’ She curtseyed again, fluttered back to the portal and vanished.
James got up from the table and pointed one finger at a pair of Black Coat guardians. ‘This office is now closed until tomorrow,’ he told them firmly. ‘If anyone else comes along, I don’t care who it is or what they want, they can wait.’ Then he turned to Jasper. ‘You sure I can go through that thing and come out alive?’
Jasper grinned at him but didn’t say anything.
James scowled and he walked up to the portal on the floor, swallowing. He paused for a moment, held his breath, and walked through to Wolfenvald. He was met on the other side by some more stern-looking Black Coat guardians. They knew straight away who he was and that he was allowed to be on Wolfenvald, but that didn’t make them happy about it.
‘Just get me to Her Majesty,’ James told them impatiently. ‘The sooner I give her my message, the sooner I can get out of your fur.’
He was immediately transported to see Sarah. James had barely finished explaining what the sprite had told him when Sarah gave a gleeful yip and instantly transported him, Uncle Robert, Aunt Roberta and herself to Jilde. Mel was even more enthusiastic to get away from her palace. She gave up her brooding the moment they arrived and didn’t even wait to ask what they were going to do or where they were going to go. Lastly, they went to Gnumphlatia and hauled Ronny away without even bothering to explain why they needed him.
In only minutes after James had left for Wolfenvald, he was back at Gembrook with Mel, Robert, Roberta, Ronny and Sarah.
‘What are we doing here?’ he asked Sarah. ‘I thought we were going to see the spooks and their stinky hobgoblin.’
Sarah grinned and wagged her tail. ‘We are, but I’m bringing my pack with me. That includes, Uncle Benjamin and O’Brien as well as the rest of us.’
Benjamin gave a playful yip and bound out to join Sarah and the rest of Pack Kopernik. O’Brien however, looked nervous. Her eyes were serious and still slightly haunted.
‘I’m p
art of your pack?’
Sarah grinned. ‘You and Uncle Benjamin are together now, yeah?’
Benjamin whined, embarrassed. ‘Well—’ he began to hedge. ‘I mean, we’ve never really made anything official…’
For the first time Sarah had seen, O’Brien also looked embarrassed. ‘We haven’t decided anything—’
‘Oh please,’ Mel told them. ‘You’re practically joined at the hip.’ She stamped over to the two sheepish-looking werewolves. ‘Here. We’ll make it official.’ She turned to James. ‘Cousin, you do it. You’re Ambassador to Wolfenvald.’
James nodded, grinning wickedly. Before O’Brien or McConnell could protest, he held his hands out wide and declared, ‘By the power vested in me by Wolfenvald or whatever, I hereby pronounce Silver Shroud Benjamin McConnell and Silver Shroud Kate O’Brien to be married!’
After the brief applause had died down, James turned to Sarah. ‘Right. Can we please go and get your lycanthrope from the spooks now?’
Sarah and her pack arrived in the clearing below Wallop’s tree just as the stinky hobgoblin was climbing down.
‘I’ve found the spirits!’ he called out boastfully as he climbed down. ‘I commanded them to—’ He broke off when he got to the ground and saw before him the entire group of those horrid enchanted folk who had teased him so nastily months before. There was that awful gnome, the horrid botanist, those two nasty Brown Coats, and of course that monstrous Silver Shroud. There was even the Golden Mane. There was also a second Silver Shroud, along with a human-looking girl he sort of recognised, but now she appeared different. She had metallic hair and nails, as though they were wrought from tarnished silver, and she was dressed in some sort of fearsome-looking armour, also made from that cursed metal.
The male Silver Shroud turned up to him and grinned. ‘Thank-you, Wallop,’ he said calmly, finally using Wallop’s real name instead of teasing him the way these folk had done last time they’d met. ‘We’ll take it from here.’
Then the Golden Mane and both Silver Shrouds assumed their human forms.
Wallop’s companions fled into the forest, while Wallop scampered back up to his hole as fast as he could. From his vantage point, he peered down at the group.
The female Silver Shroud revealed herself to be an Amazon, and judging by the tattoos, quite a nasty one. The male Silver Shroud was one Wallop recognised very well. McConnell, his name was, and he was not to be trifled with either. The Golden Mane herself was also dressed in Amazon armour, same as the Silver Shroud Amazon, only her armour was gold. It must have been frightfully heavy, Wallop thought. Unless, he added to himself as he stared at it, it was enchanted in some way he couldn’t recognise.
‘So that’s her,’ the silver one observed. ‘That’s Mandy Kelly? What happened to her?’
The Golden Mane shrugged. ‘I dunno, but there’s one way to find out.
The female Brown Coat changed to her human shape and put one hand on the Coppernick girl’s shoulder. ‘You can do it, Sarah. We’re all with you.’
The Golden Mane girl nodded at the two Silver Shrouds. ‘You two hold her down and open her eyes.’
They obeyed her and the Golden Mane — the girl he’d come to know was called Sarah Coppernick — knelt down to face the still-unconscious lycanthrope and stared into her vacant eyes.
Wallop gaped as he saw two beams of the brightest yellow light shine from Coppernick’s eyes into those of the girl called Mandy Kelly. He’d heard of mind-reading, but this was a display of power far beyond anything he’d ever imagined possible. That spell, he knew instantly, (for hobgoblins are excellent readers of hexes and spells) was allowing Coppernick to absorb every memory the Kelly girl had ever had.
When the Coppernick girl drew back and the lights from her eyes faded, her expression was severe. ‘It was Guntex,’ she told them all. ‘He caught her. He trained her and brainwashed her to hate me and everyone in my pack. He took her to Conundrum Gate to kill me. She was hiding at the top of the tower when it blew.’ She looked at the silver-armoured girl. ‘Did you see her?’
The girl shrugged sadly. ‘So much was going on. There were so many demons…’
McConnell nodded at the girl. ‘It’s okay, Mel. We’ve got her now.’
The Golden Mane and the female Silver Shroud undid the bonds Wallop and his fellows had tied about the unconscious Mandy Kelly. The Silver Shroud, who was bigger and burlier than Coppernick, then picked her up and together they walked through the Golden Mane’s portal. McConnell and the Brown Coats assumed their werewolf forms and all three followed, grinning and wagging their tails. The silver humanoid one called Mel also marched through the portal and away to Wolfenvald. Only the Flower Man and that awful gnome were left.
The Flower Man looked up at Wallop in his hole in the tree. ‘You can come down now, hobgoblin,’ he told him calmly. ‘We wouldn’t have hurt you anyway, you know.’
Wallop swallowed and then climbed back down his tree to stand before the bald sorcerer.
‘Who were they?’ he demanded. ‘What were they?’
The Flower Man shrugged. ‘You’ve just been in the presence of two queens, old chap. Her Royal Majesty, Queen Sarah Kopernik, First of Wolfenvald, and Her Royal Majesty, Queen Melanie Troy, The Nightsmith and Empress of Jilde.’
Wallop blinked at him.
‘She was the silver one,’ The Flower Man supplied.
‘And who are you then?’
‘He’s her cousin,’ the gnome supplied affably. ‘And, he’s Ambassador for Wolfenvald, so be nice or you’ll have a pack of Black Coats here before you can say boo.’ He sniffed the air in front of him and wrinkled his nose. ‘Or should I say poo?’
The Flower Man grinned down at his gnarled little friend. Then he nodded at Wallop. ‘That reminds me. We’re putting together a new council now that The Sorcerers’ Guild and Conundrum Gate are gone. The spooks up on the hill reckon you should be part of it.’ He nodded over his shoulder towards the stone circle of Castlerigg. He handed Wallop a small scroll. ‘Get in touch with Princess Madison Hai Du if you want in.’
‘Princess?’ Wallop was so stunned by all this, that blurting out single words was about all he could do.
James grinned at her momentarily then turned back to Wallop. ‘Maddy will sort it out.’ He wrinkled his nose at Wallop’s odour. ‘But, if I were you, I’d take up bathing on a regular basis. The rest of the people on that council won’t want to sit next to you if you stink the way you do.’
Now Wallop was offended. ‘Just how regular is regular?’
‘Every day.’
‘Better make that twice a day,’ the gnome added. ‘Same goes for your clothes. Every time you wash, put on clean clothes afterwards. Then everyone will be happy.’
Wallop waved to where the Golden Mane’s portal had been. ‘What will they do to her?’
The Flower Man shrugged again. ‘That depends on the lycanthrope. She’ll either die fighting Queen Kopernik, or she’ll submit. Either way, the infection will be cured and she’ll be human again. If she submits, she’ll probably be allowed to stay on Wolfenvald for a little while — at least until they find her parents. Who knows? She might be allowed to stay. Queen Kopernik’s a softie.’ His tone indicated that he would not be anywhere near so generous. He nodded at him once more, then he and the gnome marched through a portal of their own, leaving Wallop the Watcher alone in the forest with his invitation to join the most powerful group of enchanted creatures ever to be brought together.
James and Ronny did not immediately join the others at Wolfenvald. Instead, they met in a vacant room in the hotel that had been Ronny’s previous place of employment — Gnumphlatia Manor. There they met Maddy, who was waiting quite impatient;y for them. She produced an innocuous Gnumphlatian rucksack and began hauling sack after sack of pexo from it. She divided the money into three piles.
Ronny and James could hold in their excitement no longer. They pounced on the bags of money with joy.
‘As agreed,
Ambassador,’ Maddy told James, once more grinning widely. ‘A three-way split.’ She shook her head. ‘My advisers thought I was mad investing all that money in silver futures on Jilde.’
Ronny beamed at her. ‘So how much did we make?’
Maddy shrugged. ‘Well, I matched James’ contribution of one and a half million pexo, and with your own input of the same, Master Mason, we had four point five million pexo. We bought options on Jilde to buy at eighteen pexo a tonne. We just sold at twenty-two thousand pexo a tonne. That’s a profit per tonne of twenty-one thousand, nine hundred and eighty-two pexo. We bought two hundred and fifty thousand tonnes. So all up, we made just shy of five and a half billion pexo. That’s one point eight three one billion, eight hundred and thirty-three thousand, three hundred and thirty-three pexo each.’
The three of them then collapsed in chairs around the bed, which was now loaded with more money than any of them had ever seen before, and began to laugh. They laughed so hard that tears came, washing away all the stress and misery they’d suffered over the past week.
Later, Sarah, Mel, Aunt Roberta, Uncles Roberta, Benjamin, Kate O’Brien and Maddy stood around the unconscious form of Mandy Kelly. The girl was still out like a light and lying on the sandy ground in the middle of a training field in the temple of the Order of Silver Shrouds. Sarah had not been there before, but knew it intimately, just as she knew every centimetre of Wolfenvald. The temple was further north than her own range and though it was probably just as picturesque and serene, was frightfully remote.
The temple and the Order had been run for centuries by a lithe female Silver Shroud. When O’Brien had come along to lead the Silver Shrouds into the Battle of Conundrum, that she-wolf had stepped aside. Once O’Brien had done her work however, she was back in charge, which mostly involved seeing to the needs of all those in the Order. Most were prone to bouts of depression or inclined to go off the rails in other ways. The temple provided them a safe, calm and soothing place for them to free themselves of their troubles. Many within the Order had been especially troubled after the battle, and so the First, who had no name that she volunteered, was a very busy wolf indeed.
