by Jenny Nimmo
When the oaths sensed that they were facing death, they attacked their enemy with a savage fury But time and again the papers were slashed. The shiny green borders would flare briefly and then fade as the oaths turned to sheets of ash. Some of them, attempting to escape, sailed up into the dark sky But spirits can fly too, and every escape was cut short with a bright sword or a gleaming spear.
"It's a bit like fireworks, isn't it?" said Billy in a voice of wonder.
Charlie and Tancred had to agree.
No one could have said for sure how long the battle raged, for time seemed to hold its breath until the radiant mist began to fade and the last tall figure vanished.
It was the silence that convinced Charlie they were safe. The drumming had stopped and the angry buzz of paper had died. Lysander jumped into the air with a triumphant shout. "They're dead and gone, you guys. Come on out!"
Charlie opened the shed door a little warily The leaden clouds had gone and he looked up into a morning sky streaked with blue and gold.
"Come on!" Lysander beckoned.
They expected his face to be covered in wounds, but he appeared to be completely unmarked. Their own cuts too had faded; even the marks on Billy's face had shrunk to the size of tiny threads that were quickly disappearing.
"Powerful medicine," said Tancred, giving Charlie a shove from behind.
As Charlie lurched into the open, he saw that the yard was littered with ash. It must have been an inch thick and it slithered softly underfoot.
"You did it, Sander!" cried Tancred.
The Silks' backdoor opened, and with a loud yelp, Gabriel rushed out to join the others. The four boys ran around the yard, kicking the ash into dusty clouds and rocking with laughter. Charlie's relief was so enormous that he couldn't breathe properly and his laughter was mixed with short bursts of hiccups.
The hiccups stopped when he noticed Billy standing alone in the door of the gerbil house. He was smiling, but his big red eyes looked almost as frightened as they had when the oaths were flying at him.
"What is it, Billy?" said Charlie.
Gradually the laughter stopped, and Charlie and the others walked over to the small white-haired boy
"You're OK now, Billy" said Tancred, but even as he said it, he and everyone else realized that this wasn't true.
"Where am I going to go now?" Billy raised his troubled gaze to the four older boys.
His question was answered temporarily by Mrs. Silk, who called them all in for breakfast.
There was a great excitement in the Silk household. Gabriel's three sisters kept up a barrage of near-hysterical chatter all through the big and delicious breakfast. What was the flying paper all about? Who burned it? Who was drumming? The battle in the yard had been obscured by a thick mist, and no one in the house could see what had happened. They only knew that it was too dangerous to venture out.
Mr. Silk, who'd been writing frantically in a large notebook, eventually flung down his work and shouted, "Quiet, girls! A man can't think!"
"But what WAS it?" persisted April, the smallest girl.
"It was a phenomenon that must on no account be talked about," said her father. "Even to your best friends."
"Is it something to do with Gabriel's oddness?" asked Mai, the middle sister.
"I've told you before, don't call it my oddness!" shouted Gabriel. He didn't get on too well with Mai.
Charlie wondered how Mrs. Silk managed to keep on doling out perfectly cooked breakfasts and pouring cups of tea that were always exactly the right shade of brown. She darted about the kitchen, humming softly and smiling to herself, and Charlie decided it must be relief that made her look so happy. It can't have been easy having furious oaths and ancient spirits battling in her backyard.
Tancred, who wolfed down his breakfast in record time, asked what was going to happen to the food in the yard.
Mrs. Silk looked up in surprise and June, the oldest of Gabriel's sisters, said, "You don't want to eat it, do you?"
Tancred's friends waited anxiously for his reply, but before he could open his mouth, Mr. Silk said firmly, "The hens will deal with it."
The chickens had run for cover as soon as the oaths appeared, but now they could be glimpsed through the window, happily scratching through the ash. Gabriel remembered his gerbils, and he rushed out to make sure they'd recovered from the attack on then house. He came back saying that all was well except that Rita, his favorite, had unexpectedly given birth to more babies than he could count at a glance.
Lysander needed to get home. He gave a cheerful wave and rushed off, saying, "See you later, guys!"
Charlie always felt safe when Lysander was around. Now he was gone, just when they were most in need of his company and advice. Tancred was a powerful ally of course, but the stormy boy was a little unpredictable. A decision had to be made about Billy The Silks' house wouldn't be safe from Florence or the Bloors for much longer.
The telephone rang in the hall and Mrs. Silk went to answer it. "Charlie, it's your mom."
Charlie ran out into the hall and picked up the receiver. "Hello, Mom!"
"Charlie, what's going on?" said the distant voice. "Is Gabriel in trouble? Are you coming back for —"
"Hold on, Mom," Charlie said firmly. "I'm OK. But Billy's in a bit of trouble and we're trying to sort it out. He's run away"
"Run away?" Charlie's message had done nothing to reassure his mother. "But, Charlie . . ."
"I may not be back for a while. I don't know how long this will take."
"How long what will take?"
"Just tell Uncle Paton what's happened, will you, Mom? And please don't worry I'm OK. Really"
As Charlie replaced the receiver he noticed a white moth sitting on his sleeve. It spread its wings, revealing the sparkling silver tips.
"It's you again," said Charlie.
The moth flew off, but Charlie failed to see where it had gone. He ran back into the kitchen. "I think Billy and I ought to leave now," he told Mrs. Silk. "Thank you for a great breakfast."
Mrs. Silk said that it was always a pleasure to see Charlie, but she wanted to know exactly where he and Billy intended to go next. Charlie had been wondering about this and he didn't know how to answer her.
"They're coming home with me," Tancred declared. He stood up so suddenly that a breeze floated over the tablecloth, sending sprays of sugar and crumbs into the air. Gabriel's sisters loudly applauded. They begged Tancred to do it again, but Tancred, grinning bashfully said he couldn't do it, "Just like that!" whereupon a sly little draft caused knives, plates, and saucers to collide with soft clinks and tinkles.
At this point Mrs. Silk became very anxious. "If Billy has been mistreated, someone should be told," she said. "The police . . . or . . . social services." She turned to Billy. "Perhaps you should go back to the academy, Billy. At least you would be safe there."
“ Noooo!" Billy vehemently shook his head.
"Leave him be," Mr. Silk advised his wife. "He'll certainly be safe at the Thunder House."
Tancred and his father were both storm-bringers, and there was always a wild wind and a rumble of thunder around their house, ft was probably the safest place in the city right then, and Charlie was very relieved that Tancred had taken the decision out of his hands.
"My uncle Paton will explain why Billy can't go back," he told the Silks.
The whole family gathered in the doorway to see the three boys off. It was almost as if they were going on vacation rather than running for safety.
When he reached the gate, Billy suddenly turned back and asked, "What happened to the cats?"
"What cats, dear? I haven't seen any cats," said Mrs. Silk.
"Oh, they must have gone home," said Billy sadly.
By the time they began the long uphill walk, Billy was already exhausted from his run earlier that morning. The other two had to keep stopping while he trudged after them, puffing and wheezing. In the end Tancred told Billy to jump on his back, and he carried him o
ver the rough, winding road that led to the woods at the top.
Charlie breathed a sigh of relief when Tancred's gate came into sight. There were two signs nailed to the gate. One said, THE THUNDER HOUSE and the other BEWARE OF THE WEATHER. As they drew closer to the gate, Charlie heard hoofbeats. He tried to ignore the sound, but when he couldn't stand the tension any longer, he looked back. The road was empty, but the hoofbeats were getting louder.
Tancred turned around, and Billy peering over his shoulder, said, "It's the ghost horse again. It's following us."
Charlie gave a yell and raced for the gate. He didn't bother to unlatch it but threw himself over and fell onto the stony lane beyond.
"What's got into you, Charlie?" called Tancred.
"It's Borlath!" Charlie whimpered. "He's after me. Hurry up, you two! Please!"
Billy slid off Tancred's back and began to climb the gate. "I don't think it'll hurt you!" he shouted.
"A lot you know!" cried Charlie. He began to rush up the lane.
A wild and deafening neigh shattered his eardrums. The horse must have cleared the gate, because Charlie could hear hooves thudding over the path behind him.
"Run into the woods!" called Tancred. "It can't get you there. At least, not so easily"
Charlie stumbled off the lane. "It's a ghost horse," he moaned. "It'll find me anywhere." He staggered into the trees and leaned against a broad trunk, trying to catch his breath.
There was a deathly silence in the woods. The wind had died down, and every twig, leaf, and blade of grass was still. Charlie closed his eyes. Maybe he was safe. He began to hear Tancred and Billy stumbling through the undergrowth toward him. A warm draft swept across his cheek. Breath? Something wet and whiskery touched his ear.
A deep grunt echoed right through Charlie's body and he slumped to the ground.
CHILDREN 0F THE QUEEN
Charlie looked up at the two concerned faces.
"Hey Charlie. I think you fainted," said Tancred.
"Did I?" Charlie dragged himself" upright.
"What happened?" asked Billy frowning with alarm.
"The horse," croaked Charlie. "It was right here, snorting into my face. It was horrible."
"Well, you're none the worse for the encounter," said Tancred with a laugh. "You probably terrified the poor thing, screaming like that."
Charlie didn't remember screaming. The woods rustled all around him and there was a faint rumble of thunder above.
"There's a moth on your head," Billy observed, staring at Charlie's tousled hair. "It has silver on its wings."
"Really?" Charlie put up his hand but the white moth fluttered away into the shadows.
"Come on, let's get going," said Tancred impatiently. "We'll keep to the trees, just in case the de Grey woman comes looking for Billy"
"Or the Bloors," added Billy "Can I stay in your house, Tancred, for a long time?"
"Long as you like," said Tancred breezily. "Mom would love it. Come on, ten minutes and we'll be there."
They began to walk through the woods, following a well-worn path used by the sheep that grazed the hillside. Tancred led the party while Charlie brought up the rear. Charlie began to wonder where Billy could go next. The unspoken question hung in the air until a strange solution presented itself. "There's always the Castle of Mirrors," Charlie said, almost to himself.
"What?" Billy stopped in his tracks.
"It's where you belong. Your own castle, Billy"
"Cook told me the Castle of Mirrors belonged to my family," Billy said slowly "Do you think I could live there until I grow up?"
"Why not? Maybe you could live there in safety forever, " said Charlie.
Tancred shouted, "Get a move on, you two!"
Billy and Charlie ran to catch up with him. As they drew nearer to the Thunder House, the breeze turned into a blast and the thunder intensified.
"Dad's in good form," said Tancred.
Charlie's smile froze. A huge unseen form galloped past him. He could feel it’s great weight and its power as it pounded the earth. The others were aware of it now The boys huddled together while the ghost horse began to circle them, neighing and snorting as it raced around and around the small group.
Leaves came showering off the trees when the creature reared up. They could sense its forelegs thrashing the air, and Charlie thought, Any minute now, one of those hooves is going to come down on my head, and there'll be no more Charlie Bone.
And then Billy Raven did something totally unexpected. He stepped off the path and walked toward the ghost horse, grunting gently
"He's crazy." Tancred clutched Charlie's shoulder.
"Yep!" whispered Charlie. Billy might have a way with animals, but how could he talk to a monster like Hamaran with Borlath's heart?
Once again, the thunder stopped and the trees became still. There was a long, gentle whinny and then silence. And in the silence, Billy Raven dropped to his knees and bowed his head.
"What the . . . ?" Tancred's voice cracked with horror.
"Shhh!" Charlie grabbed Tancred's jacket.
The white moth had reappeared, and now it was fluttering just beyond Billy, its shimmering silver-tipped wings moving so fast that they seemed to be drawing a shape in the air. The shape gathered depth and something huge began to appear beneath the hovering silver, until there it was: a tall white horse with a noble head and flowing mane.
Charlie gasped and backed away pulling Tancred with him.
"It doesn't look vicious," Tancred said in Charlie's ear.
"It isn't," said Billy.
"How do you know?" Charlie demanded. "Did it talk to you?"
"Yes." Billy looked over his shoulder and smiled at the boys. "It's OK, really It's . . . She's the queen."
"QUEEN?" said Tancred and Charlie.
"Queen Berenice," Billy told them. "She was the Red King's wife."
"You mean . . ." Charlie's mind was in turmoil. He tried to remember what Manfred had said about the experiment: a gravestone marked with a "B," the bones of a horse buried beneath it, and the heart in a casket.
"Not Borlath," he murmured, "but Berenice." A smile crossed his face and he moved closer to Billy. "That stupid old man got it wrong again."
Tancred, following cautiously, asked, "How did she get here?"
"Old Ezekiel brought her to life. It wasn't Borlath's heart, it was the queen's. Queen Berenice."
They were now standing directly behind Billy who slowly got to his feet.
"She's been following us," said Billy. "She says we're her children and she wants to protect us. Someone brought her here from the otherworld, but her spirit kept fading, taking her back, until your wand kind of steadied her."
"My wand?" Charlie was mystified. "I thought Manfred had destroyed it, unless . . ." He looked at the white moth, its wings just visible as a tiny glint between the horse's ears.
"They say that wands can take a different form," said Tancred, "if they have to."
"Oh." Charlie blinked. Tancred knew more than he had realized.
The white horse began to grunt, softly this time, but with a flowing, almost-human sequence of sounds. Billy listened intently and when the horse was quiet at last, he told the others, "She heard us talk about the Castle of Mirrors and it frightened her. She saw the island where it was built and knew what would happen there."
"So she knows where it is," Charlie said thoughtfully.
"I suppose so." It was obvious that Billy had no idea of the castle's terrible history.
"Charlie, please tell me that you're not going to do what I think you're going to do," pleaded Tancred.
Charlie grinned. "It was just a thought." But the thought was growing.
The three boys stood in silence and watched the stately creature cropping the grass. It was hard to believe that she had been a queen, almost a thousand years ago. Old Ezekiel had made a mistake, but what he had done was miraculous all the same. He was still a powerful magician, and before long he would find Billy an
d take him back to Bloor's, unless . . .The thought in Charlie's mind grew into a plan. And the plan somehow became the only solution. Charlie knew in his heart that finding his father was foremost in his mind, but Billy's safety was a close second.
"Ask her if she'll take us to that island," Charlie said to Billy.
"Charlie!" Tancred protested. "You can't!"
"I think we have to."
Billy was eager to try He dropped to his knees again and began to grunt softly to the mare. She raised her head, her ears back, and her large eyes rolled fearfully
"She doesn't like the idea," Billy whispered.
"Tell her about my father," urged Charlie. "Tell her you have to find somewhere safe."
Billy began again, and this time he added a plaintive whinny to his language.
Suddenly, the mare reared up. With a squeal of terror, she careened off through the trees. They listened to the thud of hooves receding until they faded altogether, and the only sounds were thunder and windblown trees.
"That's that, then," said Tancred. "Let's get to my place."
"No," said Charlie. "She'll come back."
"You're joking, right? That mare is one scared animal, Charlie. She'll never take you to the Castle of Mirrors. "
“She will." Charlie insisted. "She thinks we're her children. She's got to protect us."
Billy didn't like arguing with boys like Tancred, but as he looked from the storm boy to Charlie, he said timidly "I think Charlie's right."
"Have it your own way" said Tancred, "but I'm off." As he strode away he called back. "I'll bring you some food in a bit, if you're still here, which I suspect you will be."
"Do you think Tancred's right?" Billy asked Charlie.
"No." Charlie sat down and made himself comfortable against a wide tree trunk.
There was a loud crack of thunder followed by a sudden downpour, and Billy squeezed in beside Charlie.
