by John Booth
“I think the children should stay with us, if they want to,” Daisy said quickly. Tricky and Alice looked as though a fight might be imminent and she wanted to head that off.
“We would sure miss Ebb on the Gatling Gun,” French said cheerfully. “I have offered him a job in the US of A once we finish here.”
“If Daisy thinks they should stay, then so do I,” Laura added.
Dougal sighed. “Very well, they can stay. But should anything happen to them, one of you will explain it to their parents.”
Tricky approached Edith a short time later. “What was Alice talkin’ about?”
Edith sniffed, “Work it out yourself. What did Alice do for Arnold?”
Tricky thought about it, but nothing came to him.
[THICK AS A BRICK. I CHANGED MY HAIR, BUT DID YOU NOTICE?]
Tricky turned and hugged Alice. “I did too, but didn’t like to say anythin’ in case it was an accident.”
Alice giggled and struggled out of Tricky’s hands.
“I knocked out that guard, but I ain’t ever met ’im, ’ad I? When I ’old Edith’s ’and I can see what she sees an’ use my mind remote-like.”
Tom took the wheel and Antonia the attitude controls. The land below looked nothing like he remembered.
“We have drifted well to the south,” Dougal said. “Head north for now and get us back to the border.”
“I will direct you from the border,” Daisy told Tom. “There is a farm we must visit.”
“It will be a lot slower getting back to England than it took to get here as the wind is against us,” Dougal explained. “But with luck we will reach our final destination before nightfall.”
“Laura Young is dead? There can be no doubt?” Baxter asked urgently.
Harris nodded, “The Telepath saw her body, and that of Agent Drew. Killed by rebels in a revenge attack.”
“There will be questions asked in high places,” Baxter said, pacing the room. “My career could be damaged, losing such a young Class A. Trelawney kept all of his safe, though they blamed him for the one that had a heart attack. The Queen will be furious.”
“It was the Army’s fault. I gathered there is a sense of relief that General Brent-Smyth and his staff are dead. The blame can be dumped on them.”
Baxter waved a pudgy finger at Harris. “Yes, the Army lost her, and I can claim she was starting to work for us before the Army messed it up. I could come out of this smelling of roses.”
“Saturday’s extravaganza will take everybody’s mind off it in any case.”
Baxter returned to his chair and sat down. “You are quite right. After Saturday there will be far more urgent questions for people to answer. We should concentrate on making sure our hands look clean on that one.”
The airship descended to the farm in a circular path with the propellers vectored to force the ship down. Tom handed over the wheel to Tricky, much to his delight. French was in the starboard gun turret trying to fix the gun so it did not jam in future.
Tom looked at Laura with increased admiration. “You used a bind to heal someone and it worked. I think you have rewritten the laws of magic yet again.”
Laura looked uncomfortable. “I used a bind to create the appearance of health. Who knows what will happen to the boy when the bind breaks? That is why we need you there, Tom. To heal Claude if he reverts back to his former state.”
“The bind may have burnt out,” Daisy pointed out. “It was written last Saturday and that is nearly a week ago.”
Dougal turned to Tom. “Go with Daisy and Laura. We will take the Hubris into the air as soon as you get off. Wave to us when you are ready to return.”
Tom watched the Hubris fly into the air and wondered what the farmer and his family had made of it. The painting blurred the ship’s artificial lines and even he thought it was a flying animal when he looked at it.
Daisy was already at the door knocking. When Pierre answered it there was fear in his eyes that changed to joy as he recognized her.
“Le renard…” he began.
“…is just a machine. A very pretty machine. Is Claude well?”
“The bind is chaud,” Marie said in a worried voice, “Come, I show.”
Daisy was led over to the fireplace where she was shown two copper plates bound together. Maria put her hand on the plates and quickly withdrew it. Daisy touched it and felt how hot the copper had become.
“In the nick of time, I would say. This is Tom, he is a great Healer.”
Tom bowed, military fashion to the household from the doorway. Laura gave him a push as he blocked her way into the room.
Claude sat by the window and there was a ghost of paleness on his face. Tom went to him and offered his hand. The boy drew back in fear.
“Prendre,” his father urged and the boy put a hand out to Tom.
As Tom touched the boy his talent reached out and raced through the boy’s body. He appeared to be in rude health, though Tom sensed something else. It was difficult to quantify, almost as if a shadow lay over the child.
“We must break the bond,” Laura said, reaching for the plates. Maria stepped back from her, clutching the plates to her breast. She yelped as the heat from the plates burnt her and a thin plume of black smoke rose from them.
Claude changed before Tom’s eyes. His eyes shrank into their sockets and black marks appeared on his skin, internal organs became bloated and unhealthy. Tom used his talent to begin the process of healing. It took a long time to clear out all that was wrong.
Laura came to his side and put a hand on him and he felt her power aiding his own. They had done this before, this sharing, way back in Hobsgate. That time he had healed soldiers on both sides from imminent death. Daisy added her hand and Tom felt his strength renewed.
“He will be fine,” Tom said. He took his hand from the boy who was sleeping peacefully. Pierre and Marie hugged him when he was back on his feet.
“That was interesting,” Tom said as they climbed back aboard the Hubris. “It seems a Spellbinder cannot heal, but you can defy the laws of the universe for a time.”
“Sometimes a time is all that is needed,” Laura said with quiet satisfaction.
Gareth Jones sat once again in Trelawney’s study. Belinda Mann served them tea and cake as it was early in the afternoon.
“Miss Wright seems to be infected with the spying disease as she would only give me a cryptic message. You have heard the news about Miss Young and Miss Drew?”
Trelawney nodded. It was supposed to be a matter of utmost secrecy, but the news of the death of a Class A was already known across the whole of London and would be reported in the evening papers. Such disasters could not be kept secret for long.
“Belinda and I would like to hear your message from Lord McBride before we sacrifice all hope.”
Jones duly read the message out to them. After the first sentence in, Belinda sat down with a gasp and began to smile.
Trelawney remained impassive until the message was complete, then he grinned and clapped Jones on the thigh. “That is wonderful news.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Laura and Daisy are safe in the Hubris and are on their way home.”
“But Andrea has told me that ship is stranded in mid Atlantic with engine trouble.”
“When this is all over, remind me to recruit Lord McBride, my dear. He is a man after my own heart.”
“If you forget I shall know you are getting senile,” Belinda replied serenely.
“Can one of you tell me what is going on?”
Trelawney called for Arnold, “He should hear this too.”
When Arnold was in the room he began to explain.
“I should have that young lady thrashed,” Jones said when Trelawney had finished. “Except that I am sure she would enjoy it. How could she and Eric lie to me like that?”
“It is for the best,” Trelawney said. “Now I want you to give Miss Wright the following message for Lord McBride.”
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The English coastline looked highly unfriendly with white waves crashing on rocks at the bottom of tall vertical cliffs. A large castle like building stood near the edge of the cliffs as if defying the sea.
“I expect you recognize it?” Dougal asked.
“Home,” Daisy said in a dreamy voice. “It seems so long since I was a simple student there.”
“Where will we land?” Tom asked. There was no sign of the shed like building Tom had expected.
Dougal pointed towards the dense woodland. “There is a clearing with a lead shield and a well for water. It is in a dip of the land and that, plus the trees around it, provide adequate protection for the ship.”
Tom took the Hubris low over the towers of Hobsgate and Laura waved as she saw somebody she recognized. Surprisingly, the figure waved back.
Then they were over the woodland and Tom located the landing spot. He overshot the lead shield and French, Baum, Daisy and Dougal dropped to the ground to help guide the ship in. There were massive iron rings to fasten the mooring ropes to.
Antonia switched off the engines and she and Tom joined the queue to climb down to the ground.
“Look,” Laura said as a horse and trap came out of the woods to join them. “Mick Hobbs has come to greet us.”
Belinda arrived at St Giles to make the final arrangements for the wedding. She joined the vicar in the sacristy.
“Have you arranged for the doors to be closed after the guests of honor arrive?”
The vicar was a nervous man and he was trembling as he replied. “Yes, but it is most unusual to keep guests waiting outside the church.”
“It will only be for fifteen minutes and is important that none of the church staff listen to what will be said. They must all wait outside the doors.”
“Very well,” the vicar said, though it was clear it was neither. “But I only am agreeing to this because the Royal Family is involved. I hate secrecy.”
23. Hobsgate
Tom woke early and for a minute he could not think where he was. There was a smell of salt water in the air and then memories came flooding back. He was in Hobsgate, MM3’s secret training school. He and Laura had been sent here the previous year to prove the existence of the Brotherhood. Instead they had got caught up in a mad plot to hold the Prime Minister for ransom.
Unwanted memories of friends killed for daring to have magical talent washed over him. The meal the previous evening had been subdued, with Mrs. Trenchard, the Headmistress, solemnly reading out the names of those who died before they drank their first glass of wine. This was a new Hobsgate tradition it seemed, but one that left Tom cold. He could put far too many faces to those names.
When he entered the dining room, the students turned to look at him and conversation stopped. People stood aside in the queue to let him reach the serving hatch.
“Tom, it’s good to see yer,” Nan Hobbs said from the other side of the hatch. “Mick told me yer were ‘ere and I could hardly believe it. Yer’ve filled out into a proper man and no mistake.”
Tom smiled but could not find a reply in words.
“Don’t you pay any attention to those students, mind,” Nan said cheerfully and handed him a plate filled with more food than he could possibly eat. He thanked her and looked at the benches for somewhere to sit. Laura waved and he saw Daisy with her.
“They did not stop talking when I came in the room,” Laura said as he sat beside her. “And I’m a Class A.”
“Everybody knows what a Class A is, but what Tom did for the injured after the battle was unheard of,” Daisy explained.
“I thought we agreed that no one would ever find out about that.” Tom said. Trelawney himself had decreed that nothing was to be written down and the injured were asked to say nothing on their honor as gentlemen.
Daisy laughed. “This is a training school for spies. Fine spies they would be if they could not find out what happened right in front of their noses.”
“The Trench frightened me last night,” Laura said. “All those people who died. I did not realize at the time, because we were sent to London the next morning.”
“I saw them being shot,” Daisy said. “All those fine young men and women killed for nothing but the ravings of a lunatic. And then the Captain shot Leon in the head.” Daisy’s voice trailed off to silence. Leon had been Camilla’s lover and a good friend.
Laura put her arm around Daisy. “We won though. Not one of them died for nothing. They died for the rest of us.”
“Where is Dougal?” Tom asked.
Daisy answered. “He has returned to the ship to sort out the water and provisions. It takes two to manage the task, so he took Antonia with him. She finds Hobsgate a little intimidating and wanted to go back to the ship.”
Tom looked round and found eyes suddenly averted. Everybody had been staring at him.
“Mick wanted to talk with you,” Laura said. “Daisy and I are off to see the Trench. The funny thing is that thought does not frighten me any more. A year ago I would have been quaking in my boots.”
“Where can I find Mick?”
Laura laughed. “In the stables. Where else would he be?”
Tom stepped out of the door and walked around the outside of the castle walls to reach the stables. The wind was brisk and despite it being August he felt cold. Visions of climbing down the cliffs came back to him and he shivered. ‘Never again.’
Mick was helping a farrier shoe one of the horses. Tom sat down on a convenient barrel and watched. Mick nodded, but made no move to come to him. When the farrier finished his work the two men walked into the stables. There was a way through to the kitchens and, no doubt, there would be tea brewing. Tom waited, Mick knew where he was.
“Aye lad, it’s good to see yer.” Mick offered out his hand and Tom took it. Tom’s talent took over for a few seconds and healed some lesions forming on Mick’s spine. The man was always injuring his back.
Mick straightened and sighed. “There weren’t no call for that. Other’s need yer skills more than me.”
“Force of habit, Mick. You should take a job with less riding and bouncing in that trap.”
“’appen I should, but I reckon I’ve a couple of years left in me yet.”
Mick sat and the two men faced each other.
“I ’eard Laura was dead an ’our after I drove ’er ’ere. News from London.”
“It would be best if no one finds out she is not.”
“Aye, I figured that. But you and ’er bin dead more times than I can count.”
Tom grinned, as he had a point.
“Yer goin’ t’ marry ’er?”
“So she tells me. In September.”
Mick nodded, not in the slightest bit surprised.
“Be for the best.”
“I hope so.”
The two men sat and stared at nothing for a long time.
Daisy knocked on Mrs. Trenchard’s study door and waited.
“Enter.”
There was a pot of tea and three cups waiting on the desk. Mrs. Trenchard offered the girls chairs. Soon she was pouring the tea with only the slightest shake in her hand.
“It is good to see you looking so well, especially as I was reading how you were both dead this morning.”
“Being dead is the safest we have been for a long time,” Daisy said in serious tones. “The Army and MM3 had Laura locked away because she would not kill people.”
“MM3 is not the place it was since Sir Ernest was replaced. You may rest assured that Sir Anthony and his toad of a secretary will not hear of your survival from me or anyone else at Hobsgate.”
“Have you heard anything of Camilla?” Daisy asked.
Mrs. Trenchard frowned. “She was reassigned by Sir Ernest before Baxter took over. My understanding is that she is abroad, using those acting skills she was so fond of.”
Daisy looked disappointed. “I fear for her life.”
“You see trouble ahead?”
“And imminent,�
� Daisy said. “There is a point not far from now where the future will be decided.”
Mrs. Trenchard nodded. “Sir Anthony’s wedding. I turned down his invitation when our Precogs warned me not to go. One predicted my death.”
Daisy grinned. “You always ignored the Precogs when I was here.”
Mrs. Trenchard took a sip of tea, “I am not too old to learn from my mistakes, Miss Drew.”
Antonia increased the engine speed when Dougal called out. They were filling the water tanks from a well just below the ship and the engine was powering a water pump.
Dougal came onto the bridge and took a seat. “It should be full in about an hour. I’ll check on it every ten minutes.”
“Your father had the well dug?”
“He paid great attention to detail.”
“And yet Tom and Laura defeated him.”
Dougal laughed. “They had considerable help.”
Antonia paused in thought. “They are planning to marry in September.”
Dougal frowned. “And your relationship with Tom?”
“I have been offered some crumbs from the table. It is difficult given the closeness with my sister. We are not compatible with domestic bliss.”
Dougal went back to the hold to check the water levels in the tanks. When he came back it was obvious Antonia had news.
“My sister has just finished a conversation with Mr. Jones. There is a message for you from Trelawney.”
Dougal sat down and took out a notepad.
“The message reads: ‘Come to wedding if you can and await developments. Camilla and our Austrian friend will be present and sparks will fly. There will be confusion among the guests. Use your best judgment as to who to help.’”
Antonia looked hopefully at Dougal for some kind of decode of the message. He stood up decisively. “I must go and check the water levels.”
The girls stood when Mrs. Trenchard looked at the mantle clock and announced she had a lesson to give.
“Stay for a while.” She pointed at a writing desk in the corner of the room. “There are some materials for you in there, Laura. Take as much as you want.” Then she left them alone.
