The Jack Brenin Collection

by Catherine Cooper

  Cloda returned the quill to the pot and beckoned Jack to follow. The books were in alphabetical order according to their subject. Solid blocks of stone with letters carved on them separated the different categories. Cloda came to a stop in front of the letter M.

  ‘You’ll find it here,’ she said as she pointed to the bottom shelf.

  Jack looked at the books. They all had titles except for a wide book that had been bound in green leather. Cloda pointed to it.

  ‘Touch the spine and if the title appears you’ll be allowed to remove it. That’s the rule in here. A book won’t come out if you’re not allowed to read it.’

  The book sat between two other books, one about Magic Carpets ~ their origin and use and the other Magic Wands. Jack watched Cloda return to her desk, he was obviously not going to get any more help. If the title appeared he’d no idea how he’d ever remember everything inside, the book was so thick it would take him a week to read it all. He extended his hand but before it reached the book he felt a tingling sensation travel though his fingertips; it made his whole body shiver. As he touched the book’s spine, gold letters appeared… Magic Crystals ~ and everything you need to know about Crystal Magic. This was what he’d come for. He pulled the book from the shelf with some difficulty and went over to the lectern. It was a struggle to lift the heavy book onto the stand. He tried to open the cover but it remained firmly shut. Should he go and ask Cloda for help? If he did she’d probably tell him the book didn’t want to reveal its secrets. He put his hands on the front, like he did with his Book of Shadows; if he asked the right question it might open. He thought very carefully.

  ‘What do I need to know about crystal magic?’

  Nothing happened. Jack tried to lift his hands from the cover, he pulled with all his might but they were stuck fast, he felt cold then hot as he began to panic.

  ‘I’m stuck!’ he cried. ‘Can you help me?’

  THE LABYRINTH

  Jack tried to open his eyes. He wasn’t sure where he was until he realised he was on a floor, an earthen floor. Everything came rushing back to him; the last thing he remembered was being unable to remove his hands from the heavy book he’d put on the lectern. Jack’s head hurt as he tried to look around.

  ‘Up you get,’ said Cloda as she put her hand under Jack’s arm. ‘Nothing to worry about, seen grown men do the same. I should have warned you.’

  ‘About what?’ replied Jack as he swayed unsteadily.

  ‘Book rush, too much information in too short a time.’

  Jack didn’t understand; he hadn’t even opened the book. He felt dizzy, and when he tried to think his head began to hurt again. Cloda steered Jack towards her chair. He watched as she went over to the lectern and easily lifted the book down from the stand.

  ‘Sit yourself down. I’ll put this away, then we’ll see how you feel.’

  He wanted to tell her to stop; he’d come all this way to find some answers. All he needed to know was how to open the book, but his voice failed him. He watched as Cloda made her way to the far end of the library. Jack began to feel warm as sunlight streamed onto his back from one of the round windows. He opened his eyes wide so he wouldn’t fall asleep and concentrated on Cloda as she made her way back to the desk.

  ‘Now, let’s have a look at you,’ she said, as she put her hand under Jack’s chin.

  He felt a bit sick as Cloda turned his head sharply to the left, then the right, as she inspected him. The tip of her hooked nose was almost touching Jack’s face.

  ‘You’ll be fine,’ she told him as she let go of his chin.

  ‘What’s book rush?’

  ‘It can be a bit disconcerting the first time it happens, in fact, there’s many a Druid from the old days who never experienced a book rush. You must be very special to have emptied a whole book.’

  ‘But I wasn’t able to open it. I never got to look inside.’

  Cloda laughed and tapped the top of Jack’s aching head.

  ‘That book was as light as a feather, the only place all that information could have gone is inside your head.’

  ‘Do I have to put the information back?’

  ‘Goodness no, that’s yours to keep. The book will refill itself; it’ll be ready for the next visitor in no time.’

  What Cloda was telling him was difficult to understand but it would explain why she’d been able to carry the large book without any effort.

  ‘I don’t feel like I’ve got a whole book inside my head.’

  Cloda peered into Jack’s eyes.

  ‘I’d say you’ve got a headache; it’s a side effect of book rush. It’ll wear off soon.’

  ‘That’s incredible,’ said Jack as he looked around. ‘Is it possible for just one person to hold all the information inside this room in their head?’

  ‘Of course it is. I absorb every book before it’s catalogued. How else would I know which shelf to put it on? A good archivist knows what’s inside every book in their charge.’

  Jack was impressed. Her knowledge must be vast, and encompass all kinds of different subjects too. He couldn’t imagine what it would be like to have all that information inside your head. He’d only got the contents of one book inside his.

  ‘How do I access the information?’

  ‘Ah! When you need to know, you’ll just know. It would take years to read and remember everything inside a book that size. This way, you get all the information in a few seconds and it’ll stay there forever, providing you can get through the labyrinth. That’s the biggest test. Do you want the information badly enough to overcome what lies behind that door?’

  Jack swallowed hard. This was the moment he’d not been looking forward to.

  ‘Sign in here before you go,’ said Cloda as she looked down at the pile of parchment on her desk. She lifted the quill out of the inkpot and gave it to Jack before placing a small book on the table.

  As soon as Jack touched the book, its cover opened and the pages rapidly turned until they reached the right place. Jack had never used a quill pen before. He signed his name at the top, as best he could, complete with a large blot where he’d tried to dot the i in Brenin. He watched as his signature disappeared into the page.

  ‘My Book of Shadows does that when I write in it.’

  Cloda smiled.

  ‘I think you’ll find there’s a lot more information in here than in your Book. Nora’s transferred as much as she could into the Book of Shadows, but there are books in here she’s never even had off the shelf yet. In future, if you can’t find the answer in your Book you can come back and use the library. Now… since you’ve got what you came for, I suggest you get going.’

  Jack turned and looked towards a small wooden door at the far end of the room.

  ‘Thank you for your help,’ he said to Cloda as he stood.

  ‘Goodbye Jack Brenin, I hope we meet again.’

  Cloda offered Jack her hand. It was claw like and bony and almost crushed his as he shook it. He set off reluctantly towards the door. The sooner he got through the labyrinth the better.

  Jack stepped into a dimly lit cavern. There was light coming from many crystals of irregular shapes and sizes, growing naturally out of the reddish-orange rock. These weren’t the same as the ones from the Caves of Eternal Rest. The larger crystals were clear and sparkled while the smaller ones were a dull milky colour. As if from nowhere, a sentence popped into Jack’s head… crystal light takes many forms, not all crystals are magical, some give light, some heat, and some both. Jack held his hand in front of the nearest cluster. He could feel the gentle warmth from its glow.

  The cavern was large and airy, and Jack could see seven rounded openings that seemed to lead into tunnels. They all looked very much the same and he had no idea which one to take. All he needed to do was to get to the exit, where he knew Camelin would be waiting. The sensible thing to do would be to go down the first tunnel to his right. If this was a dead end he could retrace his steps and try the next one. The tunnel wall
s were the same as those in the cavern except that the light from the crystals looked brighter in the smaller space. After a few steps Jack knew he wasn’t walking in a straight line. The walls curved gently to the left. It wasn’t long before he entered a large cavern. The wooden library door was opposite him on the other side of the cavern, confirming that it was the same one he’d left just moments before. He’d emerged from the second entrance; he turned and went down the third. This one proved to be a dead end and Jack had to retrace his steps. As soon as he entered the fourth tunnel his body tensed. Something felt different. The tunnel roof was lower and the space inside wasn’t as wide. The air felt warmer too. He felt very alone.

  Jack quickened his steps; the sooner he got out of the tunnel the better. He lost his concentration and didn’t see a rock sticking out of the wall until it was too late. He stubbed his toe and almost twisted his ankle as he tried not to fall. He leant against the side of the tunnel to steady himself. He became aware of a sound in the distance. He wasn’t alone; someone, or something else, was also in the labyrinth. Jack strained to hear. The sound was muffled, and although it wasn’t coming towards him, it echoed down the tunnel. A chill ran up and down his spine as his dream about Velindur came flooding back to him. Was this where the crystal magic had transported him? Was he about to come face to face with the one person he never wanted to see again? Jack’s heart was beating fast. He took several deep breaths and tried to tell himself not to be frightened, but he was, and nothing could change that. He knew he couldn’t stay in the tunnel forever. He could go back and try a different one or return to the library door and ask for help, which meant he’d lose the knowledge he’d gained. Jack put his hand up to the golden acorn that hung around his neck and squeezed it tightly. He shut his eyes and wished whatever was in the tunnel would go away. To Jack’s relief there was silence but it didn’t last long, the sound of a taunting laugh echoed around the tunnels. Jack gritted his teeth. He knew the labyrinth was a test of his courage and he didn’t want to fail. Reluctantly he took a step forward and set off towards the unknown.

  The laughter stopped abruptly, only to be replaced by the sound of footsteps. Jack stood still until he was sure the footsteps weren’t coming towards him. As he made his way down the path he could still hear shuffling and the occasional laugh. It wasn’t long before the tunnel widened and Jack stepped out into another chamber. It was similar in size to the one he’d first entered, but this one wasn’t empty. Pillars of rock of all shapes and sizes rose from the cavern floor. A loud peal of laughter broke the silence and echoed around the chamber. Jack held his breath. He caught a glimpse of a slight movement from behind one of the pillars. He stood very still and hoped he was hidden from sight. The laughter stopped. Whoever was there stepped out, casting a gigantic shadow on the cavern wall.

  ‘Come out Jack Brenin, I know you’re there, I saw you come in.’

  The man’s voice didn’t sound unfriendly, and it definitely didn’t belong to Velindur.

  ‘Grannus?’ said Jack as he stepped out from behind the pillar.

  ‘The very same. I see you found the right tunnel.

  ‘Come closer,’ he continued. ‘There’s something else you must do before you leave the labyrinth.’

  As Jack walked towards Grannus he could see he was standing on a rocky island in a shallow pool. The water was completely still and clear. In the dim light the reflection from the roof above looked like a miniature town in the water. Unlit candles were dotted around the rock where Grannus stood.

  ‘Shall we have a bit more light?’

  One by one Grannus lit the candles. The lights flickered and shone into the pool. Below the surface lay a mass of crystals of different sizes, shapes and colours. They sparkled as the light flickered on them. He looked at Grannus for an explanation.

  ‘As gatekeeper and guardian of the labyrinth, I must ask you for your token.’

  Jack put his hand in his pocket and brought out the large coin. He offered it to Grannus on his outstretched open palm as he leant across the water. Once Grannus had the token he made a sweeping gesture with his arm.

  ‘You have done well, Jack Brenin, you did not turn back or ask for help, and you overcame your fear. Not only are you worthy to keep the knowledge you have gained from the Druid’s library but you are also entitled to exchange this token for a gift. Take any crystal from my pool. Choose wisely for there are many different kinds in there.’

  Jack looked into the water. The rock inside the pool was different from the rock of the walls. It had a green tinge and wasn’t smooth. There were so many crystals below the water; he didn’t know how he was going to choose. He decided to just plunge his hand straight in and see what happened. The icy water made him shiver. A ripple travelled across the surface and he lost sight of the crystals. He ran his fingertips over the bottom of the pool. As he touched each crystal in turn, images and words appeared in his head. He knew instinctively the colour, shape and property of everything he felt. He hesitated and thought about choosing one of the small green crystals but his hand seemed to develop a will of its own. He could feel it being drawn towards a rocky shelf. It was hard to see through the water but it didn’t look as if there was anything sparkling in that direction. His fingers went underneath a small overhang and locked onto something warm. As soon as he made contact with the object, Jack felt a jolt travel through his body. The shape of a beautiful octagonal crystal filled his mind. It held every colour of the rainbow in its facets. He knew this was the one he must choose. As he brought out his prize he opened his palm and showed it to Grannus.

  ‘I suspect this crystal chose you, it has very special powers.’

  Jack knew, without a doubt, that it contained crystal magic. He watched as it rose and hovered above his open hand. The crystal began to spin. Jack could not draw his eyes away from the flashing colours. There was a bright surge of white light that made Jack blink. When he looked at his palm again, the crystal had gone. He looked down to see if it had landed back in the water.

  ‘Crystal magic,’ sighed Grannus. ‘It’s the oldest and most powerful kind of magic…’

  ‘It cannot be ruled and chooses its own path,’ continued Jack.

  ‘I see you’ve come across this kind of magic before.’

  Jack nodded. He felt sad. The crystal had been his for a moment but now it was gone. Grannus had told him to choose carefully.

  ‘Why did it disappear if it chose me?’

  ‘If you search your mind you’ll find the answer.’

  Jack concentrated hard and thought about the crystal. He closed his eyes and watched as the crystal formed inside his mind, he looked deep into its facets. Words entered his head… no one has dominion over crystal magic but from this day forth, whenever you are in need, it will come to your aid. Jack looked at Grannus and watched a broad smile spread across his lips. His deep laugh echoed around the cavern.

  ‘So, Jack Brenin, I see you have the answer. The crystal chose you for a reason. It means there’s a storm brewing. Sometime soon you’re going to need the kind of help only crystal magic can give. Believe in yourself and have courage, recognise fear but don’t ever let it enter your heart.’

  Jack thought about Velindur. He would need all the courage he could muster if he ever saw him again. With the help of crystal magic Jack knew he’d be in a stronger position to deal with whatever Velindur might try to do. Jack also thought of Elan and her inner strength. She didn’t fear Max or anyone in his gang but he knew crystal magic wouldn’t help him sort out his problems with the boys. Finding courage and belief in himself was something he’d have to do if he wasn’t going to let them bother him again. Coming to Falconrock had given him more than just knowledge from the Druid’s library, he’d found out things about himself. Jack took a deep breath and straightened his back.

  ‘That’s good,’ said Grannus, ‘you’ve definitely got more now than you came for. Was it worth all the effort?’

  ‘It was. Thank you.’

>   ‘Time you were going, call again won’t you, anytime, but next time fly straight to the arch, no need to go through all that again.’

  Jack smiled. It had been quite an ordeal and he was glad he wouldn’t have to do it all over again. Grannus pointed towards the tunnel at the far end of the cavern.

  ‘If you go through there, you’ll be out in no time. Remember me to Eleanor, and tell her she’s long overdue a visit, it’s a while since we had a good chat.’

  ‘Thank you, I won’t forget to tell her.’

  Jack smiled when he saw daylight at the end of the tunnel. He could see Camelin asleep in the sunshine.

  ‘Sorry I was such a long time.’

  Camelin jumped and glowered at Jack.

  ‘At last, you’ve been ages. You realise we’ve missed lunch don’t you. There’s nowhere to get a takeaway around here. You wouldn’t believe what it’s been like not having anyone to talk to either.’

  Jack smiled. There was something very comforting about Camelin’s bad temper.

  ‘Thanks for all the help. I couldn’t have done it without you, especially at the bridge.’

  ‘Just don’t tell Nora.’

  ‘I won’t. I promise. Shall we go and find something to eat before we go back to Ewell House?’

  ‘Aw Jack! That’s a brilliant idea and if we look hungry when we get back we’ll get another lunch. Ready to transform?’

  ‘Ready.’

  Once they were airborne, Jack flew in a wide circle so he could have one last look at Falconrock before following Camelin. He had lots to tell him on the flight back.

  THE FLYING SQUAD

  The next morning Jack was woken by the sound of birds squabbling. He strained to listen but there were too many voices speaking at once to make out what they were saying. Jack swung his legs out of bed but before his feet touched the floor, Camelin flew in through the open window.

  ‘Please Jack, come and sort them out, they won’t listen to me.’