by Tim Flanagan
Coldred pulled a thin portable computer from his case and pressed a button on the side. The screen flashed awake and after pressing certain areas of the touch screen, a video began showing small shapes dividing and growing.
‘This is a picture of a single particle of the alien bacteria inside a container. The time between each picture is only thirty-seven minutes, but look how quickly the contents of the container changes. This picture,’ he paused the video, ‘was taken after just eleven hours. You can see from the cracks beginning to show in the sides of the plastic container that the volume of bacteria has increased so much that it is putting it under huge amounts of pressure.’
Steven and Georgia stared at the picture on the screen.
‘When we received the animal this morning, we took all precautions,’ Coldred continued. ‘Dissection of the creature was performed using the latest electronic laser cutting devices with robotic surgeons that were controlled from a separate room. Although the creature was at a far more advanced stage of growth than the bacteria we have grown in the laboratory, this shows all the signs that it was an infant creature.’
‘You mean this was an alien child?’
‘Yes. The creature was only two foot three inches tall and had no recognisable legs but it did have the shortened limb buds ready to develop into arms and legs. There was also the early development of a patagium.’
‘A what?' asked Georgia.
‘It’s the thin skin that stretches across the arm and fingers of a bat’s wing. Without it they wouldn’t be able to fly,’ replied Coldred.
‘So that alien creature we looked at this morning could actually fly?' Steven interrupted.
‘Not yet. But presuming an adult developed in the same way, it would seem likely that this creature would have the ability to fly. At the rate they grow, it would only take around three days for the infant to become a fully grown, flying adult.’
‘This is incredible,’ said Georgia. On the screen of the computer, there were now some short films of sections of the creature being dissected.
‘Unfortunately, there is much more to this creature than first appears. It is actually a deadly chemical animal that is armed to kill. We found traces of several chemicals in its skin. The first is a powerful Neurotoxic drug which would create a numb feeling in its victim, as well as muscle paralysis so that it became unable to escape or fight back. The second chemical is Nitric Acid and is used in a similar way to the acid inside your stomach, designed to dissolve and digest its food.’
There was silence in the room, Steven and Georgia couldn’t believe what they were hearing, but they could see on the computer screen the creature they had unwrapped this morning on the grass outside the pub being examined by robotic probes.
‘As well as having an impressive set of weapons, this creature is also developing some defences. Initially the bacteria in the laboratory showed signs of being sensitive to sunlight, but this variation has a thicker coating of cells on its back forming a hood-like cover over it’s head area. These cells form an interlocking series of armoured tiles like those on a Woodlouse or Armadillo, still allowing flexible movement but with some protection.’
‘How do they breathe?' asked Steven.
‘They have a series of small openings around the body that lead into a network of air tubes similar to that of a Cockroach. They appear to filter Nitrogen from the air.’
‘But if they don’t breathe oxygen how can they survive? The air is made of Oxygen isn’t it?' Georgia asked.
‘You’re right, there is oxygen in the air but 78% of it is actually Nitrogen. Although we breathe Oxygen to survive not everything does. Plants, for example, actually need the carbon dioxide from the air to survive. There are also strains of bacteria on this planet that live in certain soil types that actually breathe Nitrogen; others use Methane from the atmosphere.’
Steven thought back to the morning when he had lifted up some of that black skin and seen what he thought was an eye.
‘Can they see?' he asked.
‘Yes, but they only have one eye. The actual eye is not very good when you compare it with ours. We have a clear lens so that we can see effectively; however, theirs is rather cloudy. This may protect their vision from the sunlight. They are able to adapt to their environment incredibly well. We have no way of knowing how these creatures will change, but we can only assume that they will change according to the conditions they are growing in.’
‘This is unbelievable,’ said Steven. ‘It’s like watching evolution at fast speed.'
‘What do these creatures eat to survive?' Georgia asked cautiously.
‘Because of the rate of growth these creatures need a diet with plenty of protein in as well as other nutrients and the easiest way to consume large quantities of protein is by eating meat. Consuming animals such as cows and sheep will certainly supply them with proteins, but there’s a bigger source of protein on this planet made up of seven billion animals.’
‘What animal’s that?’ Georgia asked.
‘It’s us. Humans.’
26. The Silver Bough
Edgar and the children walked back down the Royal Mile towards the entrance to Holyroodhouse Palace. Edgar had picked up some sandwiches as it was already late afternoon by the time they arrived. They quickly tagged onto the last of the days admission to the palace and walked out into a large square courtyard together with the rest of the tour group. The guide began his well rehearsed speech about the history of the palace as well as providing some amusing facts, but Edgar and the children weren't listening.
‘The bard’s sweet song turns water to stone,’ Edgar repeated under his breath.
‘What exactly is a bard anyway?' asked Joe.
‘They were people who sang songs of knights' courage and adventures,’ whispered Scarlet.
‘Maybe there’s a statue of a bard inside the palace.’
‘I remember when we went on holiday to the Peak District….’ Max began before being interrupted.
‘What’s that got to do with the Silver Bough?' asked Joe as the tour group moved across the courtyard towards the entrance to the palace, above which the royal coat of arms was carved into the stone.
‘Well, I was thinking about the stalactites and stalagmites that grew inside the caves. They had been formed by water which turned into stone.’
‘So you think we’re looking for a cave beneath the palace?’
‘Possibly, but I was thinking more about that fountain over there,’ replied Max pointing his finger in the direction of a tall algae covered structure that stood in the centre of the courtyard. ‘This map says it’s a Victorian fountain, although there doesn’t look like there’s any water coming out of it. But, if it’s so old, it may not be working anymore, so you could say that the water has turned it to stone.’
‘It’s worth taking a look,’ said Edgar as he started striding towards the large ornate fountain in the centre of the courtyard. ‘Keep going. We’ll catch up with you in a minute,’ he shouted to the tour guide as the rest of the group continued towards the palace entrance. Edgar and the children now stood on the edge of a well groomed circle of grass looking up at the fountain.
Lion heads protruded from around the stone base whilst above it many different characters supported animals that made up the arms of the crown shaped fountain. At the top were statues standing proudly holding their weapons. They walked around the grass looking at the fountain from different angles for clues that might fit Hadwyn’s riddle.
‘Didn’t you say that the Silver Bough was a simple pipe?' Joe asked Edgar.
‘Yes. But it’s not likely to appear in its silver form.’
‘Well, there’s a piper over here,’ said Joe from one side of the fountain. They all crowded round to where Joe was standing and looked up at the figure he was pointing to. On one of the ornate supports that went up from the base, there was a green stained statue of a man with a round hat and a flowing cape that was frozen in time and blowing into a pip
e.
‘Does that look like the Silver Bough?' asked Joe.
‘I can’t remember in detail; it’s so long since I saw Arthur presenting it to Hadwyn. It was a simple object with no jewels or gems, just a simple shaped flute with a series of finger holes.’
They all continued to look up at the statue and wondered if this really could be the Silver Bough that was in the hands of the stone piper. The back of the group of tourists had now gone through the main building doorway without them and apart from some tourists taking photographs of the palace, no one seemed to be paying them any attention.
‘There looks like some writing on the base of the piper statue,’ said Joe, squinting. ‘It looks like the same style of writing that we saw on the stones in the faerie ring, as well as on Hadwyn’s shield.’ They all squinted upwards trying to make out what was scratched around of the edge of the base beneath the piper’s feet.
‘It could just be the maker’s mark,’ suggested Scarlet.
‘Or graffiti,’ added Max.
Edgar strained his eyes to see the writing and took out his notebook, jotting down what was written.
The children waited while Edgar studied the letters.
A smile crept over his face. ‘It’s a message from Hadwyn,’ he said excitedly. ‘This is definitely the Silver Bough.’
‘How can you be so certain?' Max asked.
‘The writing is a series of letters, the first three are HSC, Hadwyn's initials: Hadwyn St Clair. Then a series of dots counting four and the last two are EG, my initials, Edgar Gorlois. It’s a message: Hadwyn St Clair, for Edgar Gorlois.’
‘Then we’ve found it!' Joe said.
Edgar nodded. ‘All we have to do is take it from the statue.’
‘From one true touch the stone will part,’ muttered Scarlet as she recalled the next line of the riddle.
‘What does one true touch mean?' Joe asked Edgar.
‘Have you heard of the story of the sword in the stone?' Edgar replied. They all nodded. ‘Well, this must be something similar: no matter how strong someone is or how hard they try, only one person can release the pipe from the statue. The true touch refers to the person who can remove the pipe, like King Arthur was the only one who could remove the Excalibur from the stone.’
The children nodded, remembering stories from their childhood as well as films that showed Arthur pulling the sword from the stone.
‘Hadwyn’s riddle said the stone would part, but only for someone with a true touch so there’s only one way to find out if this is the Silver Bough and that’s to see if one of us can remove it from the piper’s grip,’ said Edgar as he looked around the courtyard. ‘Keep an eye out for an official.’ He stepped over the grass and climbed onto the base of the fountain then up until he was standing next to the piper. Worried that someone would see him, he quickly examined the piper then tried to remove the pipe, but it was secure and would not loosen from the piper’s grasp. He jumped back down again and went to stand next to the children.
‘It didn’t work,’ said Scarlet. ‘You’re Hadwyn’s brother as well as a knight of King Arthur; surely it would recognise something familiar in you to that of your brother? Maybe this is all wrong, maybe this isn’t the silver bough after all and we need to look inside the palace.’
‘But maybe I’m just not the right person,’ replied Edgar thoughtfully. If this is the Silver Bough, it will choose the right person. Each one of you now needs to try. It will recognise something in the soul of the person touching it and willingly give itself up.’
Scarlet stepped towards the fountain and Edgar lifted her up onto the base. She then climbed further until she was standing alongside the statue of the piper.
‘Don’t move!' instructed Edgar urgently to Scarlet as he noticed an official looking man walking across the courtyard towards them. As he approached, they could see from the embroidering on his sweater that he was an employee of the palace. His walkie-talkie buzzed with interference.
‘If you wish to get the full tour of the palace in before closing time, I would suggest that you begin to make your way inside,’ he said to Edgar.
‘Thank you,’ replied Edgar, ‘we will.’
The official glanced up at the fountain that he had seen every single day since he began working at the palace. As he was about to turn and go, he hesitated, as if he had spotted something that was different to the other hundreds of times he had looked at the fountain. Edgar, Max and Joe held their breath, expecting the man to tell Scarlet off for climbing on the statue, but instead he reached up to the nearest lion’s head and picked a hard, stale piece of chewing gum from its forehead. He tutted loudly then walked away towards the entrance of the palace. Edgar and the boys couldn’t believe the man hadn’t seen Scarlet, but as they looked up towards the statue, they couldn’t see her either. Slowly, from behind the stone cape of the statue, Scarlet’s red hair began to peer out. She smiled nervously and waited for Edgar to give her the all clear sign before stepping out. Reaching up to the pipe she grasped a hand firmly around it and pulled slightly, trying to slide it from the piper’s grasp.
Nothing happened.
Edgar lifted Scarlet down, checked once again that no one was watching them then helped Joe up to the statue. He too reached up and grasped the pipe with one hand and gave a gentle pull, but nothing happened.
Then, after a couple of seconds, a faint but high pitched mellow whistle sang in the air, as if the stone piper was actually playing his flute. Joe quickly withdrew his hand, but where his fingers had been it appeared as if he had left an imprint on the pipe that shimmered, reflecting light like the mirrored surface of a pool of mercury and slowly the green discolouration changed into shining silver. Joe looked down at Edgar who gave him an encouraging smile. He reached up once again and this time the silver bough slid effortlessly from the piper’s stone grasp and into the surprised hands of Joe. The sweet singing of angelic voices filled the air and made Joe feel like he was floating in a dream.
‘You’ve done it!' said Scarlet in amazement, bringing Joe back to reality. ‘You’re the one the Silver Bough has chosen.’
He jumped off the fountain and immediately the others crowded round to get a good look at the Silver Bough. They were surprised to see how plain it was with just a few carvings etched into the shimmering surface around the mouth-piece and exit.
‘The Silver Bough chooses its owner,’ explained Edgar to Joe, ‘there must be many good reasons why it has chosen you.’
As they looked at the Silver Bough in Joe’s hands, there seemed to be something magical drawing Max and Scarlet towards it. They felt an overwhelming urge to touch the surface, but before they got the chance, Edgar threw an old cloth over it. The distant sound of soft voices that sang in an unfamiliar language stopped suddenly as if the Silver Bough had been turned off at the touch of the cloth.
‘We need to leave as quickly as we can,’ said Edgar urgently. ‘Joe, you need to hide the Bough where no one can see it.’
They left the courtyard of Holyroodhouse Palace and walked back towards Waverley train station. The children stood together whilst Edgar went to get the tickets for the next train back to Harrogate.
‘It will be nice to see our families again,’ said Scarlet to the other two.
‘Can I have another look at it?' asked Max curiously. ‘I wonder if it would have released itself for me too.’
‘I think I should probably keep it hidden,’ said Joe as he nervously looked over to Edgar who was talking to a lady inside the ticket booth.
‘Just showing me can’t do any harm,’ pleaded Max.
Joe reluctantly lifted one side of the cloth from around the Silver Bough and almost immediately the angelic sounds started to fill the air. They received some odd looks from people who walked past, but everyone was too busy to stop and see what was producing the noise. Max looked longingly at the highly polished surface of the Silver Bough. His hand reached out towards it and his fingers lightly brushed the surface. Sudden
ly, the inside of the train station was filled with an ear piecing screech like an animal crying in pain. Joe nearly dropped the pipe as the scream tortured his ears. Max immediately removed his hand from the metal surface and took a step backwards. Although the sound had only lasted for a second, they could still hear it ringing inside their heads.
Joe was suddenly aware of an adult standing next to him, a look of fury on his face. ‘Don’t ever touch it again!' said Edgar in anger to Max as he threw the cloth back over the Silver Bough. ‘Put it away!' he spat to Joe.
‘What happened?' asked Joe nervously.
‘Once the Silver Bough has chosen its owner, anyone else that attempts to use it will become tormented by the screams and curses of the lost souls that are trapped between the two worlds. Souls of those that are neither dead, nor alive. Eventually they would drive you mad until you choose to take your own life and join them.’
They all sat in silence waiting for their time to come to board their train.
It was getting late as the train pulled out of Waverley station, they could see that the greyness of the day had now turned into the dark of night.
The train rumbled along the track and soon all three children dropped off to sleep. Edgar forced himself to stay awake, the train now carried an important cargo on its journey to Harrogate; a magical instrument that could only be used by its chosen owner. It was his duty now to protect and guide the children into a world they could not possibly imagine, but for now he let them sleep.
27. Attack on Parsley Bottom
The hole beneath Parsley Bottom church may have begun nearest to the river, but it extended into a maze of tunnels that went deep underneath the foundations of the church. Every now and then the tunnels opened out into large caverns that river water also seeped into, cascading down the walls into muddy pools of water at the base. The caverns smelt mouldy and metallic. There was a constant dripping sound coming from above, but not from rain-water draining through the soil but from a yellow slimy liquid that dripped from the black shadows that hung upside down like bats, holding on to the deep roots of trees by their claw-like toes.
