‘How could it have anything to do with that? Loomis ran away and there was no one else there,’ Jack said.
‘Maybe,’ she said, but she didn’t look convinced. Jack could feel his stomach being squeezed by an icy fist and realised that he didn’t believe it either. He looked down at his feet miserably.
Later the gnome came to Jack’s room with an update.
‘Aloysius w-will be unable to see you t-today. He is c-conducting a c-crisis m-m-meeting.’
‘I really need to speak to him,’ Jack said.
‘I-I’m afraid the meeting will go on for most of the d-d-day,’ the little gnome said.
‘Listen Miss…Mr… I’m sorry we were never introduced. I’m Jack. This is Cali, Brayden and Gordy,’ Jack said.
‘E-E-Esther,’ the gnome replied glancing around the room nervously
‘OK, Esther, can you get a message to him for me? Please? Just tell him that it’s urgent that I speak to him and that it concerns Ca… it concerns the emergency. Can you tell him that?’
‘C-Certainly sir. When I next see him I’ll be sure to p-pass the message on,’ Esther said bowing and left the room.
‘What’s this urgent thing you need to speak to Aloysius about?’ Brayden asked as the door closed.
‘Oh, it’s nothing, just something that Cali thinks I should have told him before. The truth is, we’d both forgotten about meeting that boy, you know, Loomis before,’ Jack said, his voice deliberately casual.
Gordy looked up from the papers he was reading and Brayden, who had been carelessly flicking through a book, looked back at Jack sharply.
‘What? You’ve met that boy before? The same one?’ Brayden asked his voice thrumming like tight string.
‘Well, yeah. When we went to speak to the Keeper he was in the woods before she arrived. Neither of us really remembered it until we saw him again yesterday,’ Jack said, still trying to sound relaxed although his voice was uneven.
‘Are you sure he was the same boy?’ Brayden asked urgently. Jack, who knew now that something was badly wrong, felt the icy grip on his insides tighten.
‘Yes. He was definitely the same one. He even mentioned it. Why? What’s wrong?’
‘This is bad. This is really bad,’ Brayden said. His skin had become very pale.
‘I don’t understand,’ Jack said, looking at Cali and Gordy. Gordy had the same horrified look on his face.
‘I knew it. I knew we should have told him,’ Cali moaned. ‘Please tell us what we’ve done!’
‘If it’s the same boy, if it’s definitely the same boy then the Fire Elementals know that you’re here. They know we’re helping you,’ Gordy said.
‘So I take it that means that it’s our fault if something’s happened to Cain?’ Jack asked, trying to keep the fear out of his voice.
‘It’s not your fault. It’s likely that the reason you didn’t remember the boy was because he put a Glamour on your memory. That would explain why you didn’t remember.’
‘You can do that?’ Cali asked in a shocked whisper.
‘The Glamour is as omnipotent as the user wants it to be, as unstoppable as Nature. It cannot be stopped if the user has the will and the heart,’ Gordy said matter-of-factly, as if he were simply commenting on the recent sports results or discussing the likelihood of rain.
‘If it’s so powerful then why do I remember?’ Jack asked.
‘He probably didn’t have a lot of time and the Glamour would have been neutralised by the second meeting. It jogged your memory back into position,’ Gordy replied.
‘What about Cali?’ Jack asked.
‘Good question. One can never know how another’s Glamour works but in this case I think I can guess. From what you’ve told us he only had seconds from when you raised the pipe to when the Keeper arrived?’ Gordy said.
‘Ten seconds. Max,’ Jack said. Gordy nodded.
‘I think that when Loomis created the Glamour he used it only once, on both of you. So when it broke on your memory, it would have broken on hers too,’ Gordy said.
‘What shall we do?’ Jack asked.
‘It’s lucky that you did send that message with Esther, it really is important that we speak to Aloysius because we’re going to have to leave. Tonight.’
Aloysius still had not returned any reply by that evening.
‘I don’t understand - surely Aloysius knows that we wouldn’t ask to see him if it wasn’t really important,’ Jack said angrily to Gordy.
‘He is a very important gnome Jack,’ was all Gordy said, which made Jack feel worse.
Although they hadn’t spoken to Aloysius, Gordy was still determined that they had to leave immediately and told each of them to prepare. Brayden went to arrange supplies - food, water, clothes and blankets. Cali, well Cali didn’t tell Jack what Gordy asked her to do, but over three hours after she left she returned breathless. She ran to Gordy, whispered briefly in his ear and then walked over to Jack.
‘What have you been up to? I’ve been stuck with him all afternoon,’ Jack said, jerking his thumb at Gordy. Cali went pink.
‘I’m not supposed to tell anyone,’ she said, glancing over Jack’s shoulder. Jack turned and saw Gordy was watching the two of them. Jack nodded and continued packing bags. He would have to wait until they had a chance to talk without being overheard.
Soon after Brayden returned and Gordy gathered them together.
‘We have to leave tonight, we have no choice if we want to keep Five Oakes safe,’ Gordy said. ‘Brayden, you’ve made the necessary arrangements for supplies?’
‘Yes,’ Brayden said quietly. He still looked pale
‘I’ve arranged transport,’ Gordy said.
‘How are we travelling?’ Jack asked. Gordy shook his head.
‘We’ll use portals. I have a map but there’s no time to explain at the moment. We have to get out of Five Oakes. When we set off we’ll have plenty of time,’ he said.
‘Do you have any information about Cain?’ Jack asked. Gordy nodded sombrely.
‘There are signs of a struggle in Cain’s quarters.’
‘What do you mean struggle? Aren’t his quarters in Five Oakes?’ Jack asked.
‘Yes,’ Gordy replied.
‘But surely no Fire Elementals have been here?’ Jack said, more to himself than to Gordy. The thought of spies in Five Oakes made him feel sick. If Cain had been taken in his quarters, there was only one explanation. Someone - an Earth Elemental - had let the kidnappers in.
‘None of you has divulged our plans to anyone, even close family?’ Gordy aske.
‘I didn’t tell a soul,’ Brayden said. Jack and Cali both shook their heads.
‘Good. We leave at midnight. Brayden, ensure the bags are packed,’ Gordy said. ‘Jack, how are you getting on with your blending?’
‘Not well. I’m trying, but I can’t get the hang of it.’ He blushed.
‘Try not to worry so much about it. If you’re anxious it’s less likely to work.’ Jack nodded gratefully.‘I want you all to try to get some sleep. We leave in just over five hours and I don’t know when we might sleep in a warm bed again,’ Gordy said his face grim.
‘Are you sure we shouldn’t wait another day, like Brayden said? At least until we can speak to Aloysius,’ Cali asked hesitantly.
‘If you want to stay you can, but the rest of us, especially Jack, have to leave,’ Gordy said bluntly.
‘But…’ Cali started. Gordy interrupted her.
‘Cali, I wanted to leave straight away but Brayden convinced me to wait until midnight. Aloysius has at least a small chance of finding us before then, hasn’t he?’ Gordy asked. Cali nodded reluctantly.
‘A small chance,’ she whispered.
‘It gives us time to gather some supplies. It also means we can leave without a crowd of people watching us – the fewer people who know about this the better,’ Gordy said. ‘Right, if that’s all? Be ready for midnight. Brayden, come with me.’ Gordy and Brayden left the room, lea
ving Cali and Jack alone.
‘Can you believe what we’re about to do?’ Jack asked.
‘If you had asked me a few weeks ago I would have laughed in your face,’ Cali said.
‘Yeah,’ Jack said, he felt distant, separate.
‘It seems … incredible,’ Cali said. Her voice sounded far away too.
‘Like it’s happening to someone else…’ Jack said. Cali nodded.
‘I think we’ll find her, I really do.’
‘So do I,’ Jack said, smiling at her. A friendly silence followed, each lost in their own thoughts, before Jack remembered Cali’s ‘mission’ from Gordy.
‘So what did Gordy ask you to do?’ he asked Cali.
‘All he wanted me to do was find out where Aloysius was,’ Cali replied.
‘That’s it? Why did it take so long?’ Jack asked.
‘Because he’s hard to track down Jack,’ Cali scowled.
‘’Where did you find him?’
‘In one of the meeting rooms. I knew because Esther was outside,’ Cali said
‘What happened?’ Jack said.
‘I asked Esther if she had passed the message on and she said she had. That’s it,’ Cali said.
‘I wonder why Gordy sent you to do that. I mean, we’d sent messages. Why find out where he was?’ Jack said. Cali shrugged. Before she could reply Gordy and Brayden came back in and the conversation was put on hold.
They packed their personal bags in near silence. Jack had been trying to catch Cali’s eye for a while but she was studiously ignoring him.
Brayden had arranged for everything that they would actually need so all Jack had to concern himself with was how to pack the various items – warm clothing, sleeping bag, mess tins – into his rucksack, there didn’t seem to be enough room for everything. Eventually he sat staring at the vast pile and the tiny rucksack helplessly. Brayden walked over and wordlessly began to show Jack how it was done. It only took the young gnome a few minutes.
‘Brayden,’ Jack said once Brayden had finished.
‘Yes?’ Brayden asked, he kept his voice very low. Jack cast about for something to say.
‘What do you think I should do with the Amulet?’ Jack asked. To Jack’s surprise Brayden shrugged.
‘Pack it in your bag with the rest of the stuff,’ he said.
‘You think? Not around my neck?’ Jack asked. Brayden shook his head.
‘That’s what they’d expect. If it’s in your bag when you get caught then at least you have a chance of passing it on to someone else,’ Brayden said.
Jack hesitated but in the end he reluctantly unzipped one of the side pockets of his rucksack and slipped the Amulet in. He didn’t want Brayden to think that he had asked for the sake of it. Feeling the Amulet’s smooth warmth disappear as it dropped from his hand, Jack wanted to pick it back out but he knew he couldn’t do it with Brayden watching.
‘You’re probably right,’ Jack said. Brayden gave him a tentative smile then walked back to his own bag.
Jack left the Amulet where it was for a few minutes more, waiting until Brayden was distracted by Cali before quickly removing it from his bag and slipping it back around his neck. After all, it was the only personal item he had except the friendship bracelet Sophie had made for him, and he preferred to keep it close.
‘It’s nearly time,’ Gordy said quietly. Jack nodded. Brayden and Cali checked around to make sure they had left nothing behind and closed their bags.
‘Have you spoken to Aloysius?’ Jack asked.
‘Yes. He agrees with me. We’re to set off tonight,’ Gordy said reluctantly.
‘Why hasn’t he come to see us?’ Cali asked frowning.
‘He can’t – he’s left to find Cain. Abel is with him,’ Gordy said.
‘But I...’ started Brayden. Gordy interrupted him.
‘He’s not here. He left about an hour ago,’ Gordy said.
Jack’s brain was whirling; stay and wait for Aloysius, go with Gordy, stay or go, stay or go? He knew he needed to leave, and quickly if the Fire Elementals had Cain, but he couldn’t go without speaking to Aloysius. Jack walked quickly back to where Cali was standing with her bag.
‘Cali, where’s the meeting room? The one where you saw Esther,’ Jack whispered. Cali reached right to the bottom of her bag and drew out something small, examined it, then put it into one of the zip pockets muttering.
‘I knew it was here. I’ve been looking forever.’
‘Cali! Esther. Where did you see her?’ Jack hissed glancing over her shoulder at Gordy. He was still packing.
‘Oh sorry Jack. It was off the central atrium, just past Pecksmith’s,’ Cali said without thinking. Then she swung around to look at him, her long hair falling into her eyes before she reached up impatiently to sweep it back.
‘Good. Not far,’ Jack said.
‘Why, Jack? What are you going to do?’ Cali asked, her voice almost as sharp as her eyes, although she kept it low.
‘I want to check to make sure Aloysius has really gone,’ Jack said.
‘You don’t believe Gordy?’ Cali asked, shocked. Jack felt himself go hot.
‘It’s not that,’ he said awkwardly. Cali raised her eyebrows.
‘What then?’ she asked, glaring.
‘I just want to make sure,’ Jack said, his voice non-committal ‘and that’s the last place we know he was.’ He didn’t know if he was doing the right thing, but he was desperate. The only person he could trust apart from Cali was Aloysius.
‘We leave in fifteen minutes,’ Gordy said.
‘Cover for me,’ Jack whispered quickly as he edged towards the door.
‘Jack! Come back here!’ Cali whispered. Jack moved closer to the door. Cali, seeing his mind was made up, waited until he was next to the door then shouted loudly. Gordy looked up from what he was doing.
‘What’s going on?’ he said sharply.
‘I, erm…, I-I think I broke my finger,’ Cali improvised wildly, glaring daggers at Jack as he opened the door quietly and slipped through mouthing ‘thanks’ as he disappeared. Jack listened at the door for a moment. No one noticed he was gone.
‘Keeper?’ Jack said quietly.
‘Would you like to hear my riddle?’ she replied. Good. She was on the other side of the hall, so there was no risk of Jack stepping on her on his way past. The last time that had happened half of Five Oaks had come to see what the fuss was about.
‘If you have to come then be quiet,’ Jack said to her as he hurried down the hall; he kept his eyes peeled for unexpected night time wanderers. Jack fervently wished that he could blend. He did not want to be seen by anyone tonight; there wasn’t enough time.
Even with the precautions he took, it took Jack less than two minutes to get to Pecksniff’s, which was dark and silent. The mannequin in the window grew slowly and shrank again as Jack watched. He edged closer to read the sign.
NEW SEASON Glamour Resistant clothes! Made to fit size, shape, and height flawlessly! Be who you want to be… when you want to be!! Tailor made clothes whatever the Glamour!
Jack stared at the mannequin for several moments as it grew and shrank once more; the clothes it was wearing did not become misshapen or stretched, they looked perfect whatever the mannequin size. He shook his head and hurried past the large picture glass window.
All the doors along the corridor were closed. He didn’t have time to check every one and instead began checking doors randomly. The first two were locked, the third opened onto a beach. Jack looked around in surprise. A pleasant breeze was blowing and the sky was clear; he could even smell the distinctive scent of the ocean. The fourth door was locked too and the fifth opened into what was, unmistakeably, a meeting room (there was a large round table and at least a dozen chairs) but there was no-one in there. Deflated, Jack turned to go back to his room, hoping now that his absence had gone unnoticed, that would be something at least.
‘Jack,’ a voice whispered from the dark. Jack froze – he could feel th
e hairs standing up on the back of his neck.
‘J-jack!’ the voice whispered again and there was something about it that Jack found familiar.
‘Who’s there?’ he asked quietly, fear making his voice unnaturally high. Goose bumps were rushing backwards and forwards along his arms, although it wasn’t cold.
‘It’s me. E-esther,’ the voice finally said. His breath left his body with a whoosh.
‘Esther. Where are you?’ he asked excitedly. He couldn’t believe that he had found Esther of all people. She was the next best thing to finding Aloysius, she would surely know where he was.
‘Over here,’ Esther said nervously from Jack’s right. Jack shuffled slowly towards the sound of her voice and then watched her materialise. ‘I’ve been expecting you,’ she said.
‘How did you know I’d come?’ he asked. Esther shrugged, only her black outline was visible, and her luminous eyes.
‘Cali came by earlier wanting to know where Aloysius was. I thought you might be along eventually to find him. I know you’re leaving. Tonight.’ Jack felt a thrill of shock; how did Esther know they were leaving? No one was supposed to know except Aloysius.
‘Who told you?’ he asked.
‘No one,’ Esther said, looking over Jack’s shoulder at the closed door.
‘How did you know then?’ Jack asked, watching Esther closely.
‘I g-guessed,’ she said, still not looking at Jack.
‘You guessed?’ Jack said, sceptically.
‘I saw Brayden getting your supplies together. It doesn’t take a genius,’ she said. Jack nodded. Almost everyone at Five Oakes knew something was going on.
‘What do you want?’ Jack asked warily. What she said next surprised Jack so much that it took him a moment to recover.
‘I want to come with you,’ Esther said.
‘Why? Why would you want to do that?’ Jack asked.
‘I want to help,’ she said, with finality in her tone. Jack knew there was another reason for her determination but that was not a conversation he could have now.
‘You know what we’re doing?’ Jack asked.
‘I have an idea,’ she replied. Her expression convinced Jack that she had more than an idea. She looked petrified.
‘We’re going to find the Black Prince,’ Jack said.
Elemental: Steele Stolen: Part 1 and 2 Page 10
