by Chrys Cymri
Safe? I looked up at the dragon. Claws, teeth, and flame thrower wrapped up in a package twice the size of a large horse. ‘Probably not, but I can’t leave him. Who knows what might happen if I do?’
‘Yes, right, not a good idea to have a dragon on the loose.’ His voice became slightly distant. ‘Simon, sorry, something’s come up. It’s to do with my deliverance ministry. I need to get to--Penny, where are you?’
‘Earls Barton. 99a Shurville Close.’
‘Can you drive me to Earls Barton? Thanks, good man. Penny, keep on the line. We’ll get there as soon we can.’ I could hear sounds of movement and footsteps, and doors opening and shutting.
‘You’re coming.’ Never had I felt so grateful to someone.
‘If you’re right, and Raven requires deliverance ministry, then you need help. If you’re wrong, well, Simon and I will drop into the coffee shop at Jeyes.’ I heard the sound of a car door closing, and an engine starting up. ‘Are you safe at the moment?’
‘I think so,’ I said cautiously. ‘But I’m not sure about Raven. He’s--he’s biting into his leg.’ The sharp teeth were cutting deep, and I winced at the lines of red now dripping down his green-black scales.
‘That could be a sign,’ Gregory said grimly. ‘Has anything triggered this episode? Any mention of God or Jesus?’
I cast my mind back. ‘We were saying the Lord’s Prayer.’
‘“Deliver us from evil”?’
‘Yes, that was it.’ I shuddered. ‘And his eyes, there’s something wrong with his eyes. Like a strange light is coming through them.’
‘And you’ve said there’s something wrong with his voice.’
I had to fight to reply. To say it would only make it real. ‘It’s high-pitched. Which doesn’t make sense at all, because the Noble Leader’s voice was low, so how can that be?’
‘Sounds like Raven might be fighting back for control. Penny, listen to me. Do nothing, I repeat, do nothing for the moment. I need to call a few people now, to arrange for them to pray for us. But, please, this isn’t something you should tackle, particularly on your own. Deliverance ministry needs careful preparation. I’ll phone you in a few minutes.’
The phone went silent. I slid it into a pocket. Raven’s head swung towards me, and I felt the air suck from my lungs. The too-bright eyes wouldn’t fix on mine, although his nostrils flared as he took in my scent. ‘Penny White. The wavering reverend. How long have you doubted the existence of God?’
‘I don’t doubt his existence,’ I said unsteadily.
The dragon took a step closer. The thick scent of smoke wafted around my head. ‘You doubt his love. What was the name of that baby you buried?’To my horror, I couldn’t remember. The image of the young parents swirled in my mind, and the small grave into which they had lowered a tiny white coffin. ‘That was ages ago.’
‘And you have continued to pray to that God, regardless.’ The mixed voice, notes low and high, made my teeth ache. ‘Has he ever bothered to reply?’
‘He answers in many ways. Every dawn, every new life, the light of spring.’
Rough laughter was his response. ‘Every sunset, every death, the dark of winter?’
My iPhone buzzed. I snatched it from my trousers. ‘Gregory?’
‘Reverend White? This is Sergeant Ray Pike, from the Lloegyr Liaison Team. A gentleman in Earls Barton rang us and asked for Inspector Jarvis. Seems the Inspector said to contact him if anything unusual happened in the gentleman’s back garden. We’ve tried to send a message to Inspector Jarvis, but we can’t get a reply.’
‘It’s his day off,’ I found myself saying. ‘He’s with his parents.’
‘Are you currently involved in an incident?’
‘You could say that.’
‘Shall we send assistance?’
A tank would be good. With an ample supply of fire extinguishers. ‘I’m dealing with a dragon who’s possessed by the spirit of a snail shark. I wouldn’t mind some back up. What would you suggest?’
‘We’ll send out a team with a fire engine,’ the sergeant said. ‘Could I just check the details? 99a Shurville Close, Earls Barton. The house owner’s name is--’
Raven had taken another step towards me, so I cut Pike off. ‘I need to go, someone else is supposed to be phoning me.’
I ended the call. To my relief, the phone buzzed a moment later. ‘Gregory?’
‘Yes, Penny. How is he?’
‘She knows,’ I said desperately. ‘The Noble Leader knows that God and I aren’t on talking terms. How can she know?’
‘That’s not important.’
‘How can that not be important?’
‘The Enemy is the Accuser, remember? Satan will always seek to implant guilt, doubt, anything to try to make us think that God can’t save us. You know what Paul tells us in Romans. “Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” God is with you, Penny, and God is for you. Hold on to that.’
Raven suddenly stilled. Now the eyes finally focussed on me. ‘I know you. I know who you are. You’re the one who killed me.’ Sharp teeth glinted as he snarled. ‘In this very place. This is where you killed me.’
Clyde darted forward. ‘Mam!’ he called out, then continued in Welsh, ‘I’m here. Son. Great Leader!’
The dragon’s left foot snapped open, and Clyde was snatched up into the talons. The snail was lifted into the air, trapped in a cage of flesh and claws. ‘You carry the taint of their God,’ Raven retorted. ‘You are not my son. My son would never have agreed to bear that mark.’
Muscles rippled along the leg as the toes began to close. I stumbled forwards, closing the gap between myself and the dragon. ‘Raven, please, come out, free yourself from her spirit! Clyde’s your friend. You’d never forgive yourself if you hurt him!’
‘And you? What are these to you?’
‘They’re my friends,’ I said desperately. ‘And I love both of them.’
Something shifted in Raven’s eyes. ‘Penny?’ The voice was only his own, deep and confused. ‘I don’t understand. What’s happening?’
Gregory was asking similar questions through the iPhone. ‘The Noble Leader--somehow, she must have entered you during the Spirit Ceremony.’
‘She was supposed to enter Clyde. Why me?’
I took a deep breath. ‘She says that Clyde bears a mark. I think she means that he was baptised. You’re the only one of our group who wasn’t.’
His ears and horns drew back, and his nostrils closed as if he’d picked up an unpleasant scent. But his words were slow and deliberate. ‘Then baptise me.’
‘Penny? Penny, what’s going on?’ the iPhone squawked.
‘Raven’s back,’ I said quickly. ‘And he wants me to baptise him.’
‘Then do it.’
I dug in my coat pockets. The water bottle was empty. My fingers hit the hip flask. ‘All I have is Talisker.’
‘That’ll do. Have him say the vows in reverse order. Ask him to renounce evil.’
Clyde was still in Raven’s grip. I fought back the fear tightening my throat. ‘Raven, repeat after me. I renounce evil.’
The dragon shuddered. ‘I renounce evil.’
‘Do you repent of your sins?’
Raven’s gaze was fixed on my face. ‘I repent of my sins.’
‘Do you turn to Christ?’
The foot lowered, then relaxed, and Clyde slipped free. My breathing eased. Raven said steadily, ‘I turn to Christ.’
I slid the iPhone away, and unscrewed the top from the metal flask. My right hand hovered over the container as I prayed, ‘Father of us all, we ask you to bless this liquid, that those who are baptised with it may be cleansed in the water of life and, filled with your Holy Spirit, may be accepted into your eternal Kingdom, loved as your children, and be safe in Christ for ever. Amen.’
The blue-green eyes flashed as I transferred the hip flask from left to right hand. Raven’s sides expanded, and I could feel the warmth as his flame chamber filled. I dashed off a quick prayer to God and to whatever saint was the protector of firefighters. Then I dashed dark liquid three times across the dragon’s snout. ‘Raven, Hrafn Eydisson, I baptise you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.’
The ground shuddered as Raven dropped to his hindquarters. Clyde was back at my feet, and I glanced down to reassure myself that he hadn’t been harmed. A long, loud sigh emerged from the dragon. I searched desperately for some sign, like a ripple in the air or black smoke rising from his body.
The sound of beating wings reached my ears a moment before claws gripped my left shoulder. ‘Father Penny?’ a voice croaked.
I turned my head and found myself looking up at a black crow. The shimmer around his body told me that he was a were. ‘Yes. And you are?’
‘Sergeant Morfran, Familiar to Sergeant Pike. The inhabitant of the house is denying entry to my fellow officers. My partner has decided to take matters into his own hands.’ The sharp sound of splitting wood made me jump, but the crow merely chuckled. ‘That’ll be him at the gate now.’
But the first person who rushed into the back garden was Gregory. A white stole flapped around his neck and he carried a small container in his hands. ‘Penny, how are you? How is Raven?’
‘Raven’s been baptised.’ I looked at the crow. ‘Sergeant Morfran, this is Father Gregory, and he needs the Sight.’
The sergeant helpfully hopped over to my spiritual director, brushed a beak across his cheek, then dropped to the ground to shift momentarily into a human male. To Gregory’s credit, the concerned expression on his face didn’t waver as he took in the large dragon panting only several yards away from us. ‘Raven? How are you?’
‘I'm here,’ Raven said slowly. ‘But I can feel her, like a piece of rotting meat stuck between my teeth.’
‘I’m going to anoint you with this oil.’ Gregory tipped the liquid onto his right thumb and reached up to the dragon’s head. ‘In the name of the Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, you are marked with the seal of the Holy Spirit and are Christ’s forever.’
‘Is he?’ The eerie double-tone was back in Raven’s voice. ‘He has no love for your God.’
Gregory held his ground, even though the dragon had risen to his feet. ‘Raven, can you name the spirit?’
‘Snail sharks speak in colours,’ I said quickly.
My spiritual director gave me a quick nod. ‘What name would you use for her, Raven?
‘Noble Leader.’
‘I want all of us to say the Lord’s Prayer together.’ Gregory’s eyes swept around our small group. ‘“Our Father, who art in heaven…”’
Raven joined in. I found myself tensing, but he said, ‘“And deliver us from evil,”’ with only a slight stumble.
‘Now, Raven,’ Gregory said, ‘I want you to command, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the Noble Leader to leave you.’
The dragon looked away. ‘I’ve never had any time for your God. Why should he help me now?’
‘Because he has promised us, “Call on me in the day of trouble, I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.” Call on him now, Hrafn Eydisson!’
Raven flung back his head and bellowed, ‘In the name of Christ, Noble Leader, leave me now!’
Flames licked around his lips. A cold gust of wind brushed past my cheeks, and I shivered. Raven looked down at me, and I saw only a normal sheen in his eyes.
Gregory rubbed his hands together. ‘There. I suggest it’s time we put the kettle on and had a drink.’
‘Great idea,’ I said. And I downed the last of the Talisker in one gulp.
Chapter Twenty-One
Somehow Sergeant Pike convinced Earls Barton Man to prepare multiple cups of tea. Even more impressive was that he persuaded the house owner to go back inside and allow us to sit in the back garden while we enjoyed our Earl Grey and Rich tea biscuits. I felt water seep into my trousers from the damp bench, but I didn’t care. My legs had gone on strike.
Raven lowered his blue tongue into a mug, curling the ends to bring the brown liquid to his mouth. Gregory stood beside the dragon, sipping at his own drink. Pike and another member of the Liaison team, an older woman called Mary, shared the bench with me. Clyde and Morfran had withdrawn to one side of the garden, and seemed to be engaged in a debate.
‘This is only the first step for you,’ Gregory told Raven. ‘You’ll need to take on the promises you’ve made at your baptism.’
‘The snail spirit is gone,’ the dragon said dismissively.
‘He’s been baptised,’ I added. ‘Doesn’t that make him safe?’
Gregory sighed. ‘I’m reminded of our Lord’s warning in the Gospel of Matthew. An unclean spirit might try to come back, and it can be even worse for that person than before. Baptism, Raven, means that you have been claimed by Christ. He has committed to you. You need to commit to him.’
‘I’ve never wanted to be a Christian.’
‘Church history is littered with reluctant converts. You’re not the first.’ Gregory laid a hand on the dragon’s neck. ‘Penny can find the right person to give you instruction in Lloegyr.’
Raven looked over at me. ‘Or perhaps she can give it to me herself.’
‘No.’ Gregory’s tone was decisive. ‘Penny is too close to you. It must be someone else.’
‘How about Gerald, the abbot at St Thomas’ Monastery?’ I asked. ‘You know him.’
‘If I must,’ Raven growled.
‘You must. And you might want to start wearing a cross, just as a reminder.’ Gregory patted the dragon. ‘Now, I think I’d better let Simon drive me back home.’
I rose to my feet. ‘Could someone give Clyde and me a lift?’
‘I’ll take you back,’ Raven offered.
‘You’re going off to see the Father Abbot,’ I told him. ‘We’ll go home by car.’
‘But--’
‘Raven Hrafn Eydisson,’ I all but shouted, ‘just for this once, would you do as you’re told?’
Raven stared at me for a moment. Then he snorted. ‘Just for this once, powerful Penny. Just this once.’
<><><><><><>
Pike took me home. I sat in the passenger seat of his Skoda Citigo, and Clyde and Morfran continued their conversation in the back. The crow seemed to be able to follow the snail’s mixture of short words and shifting colours. From the bird’s responses, the two were discussing the latest plot twists in Neighbours. I despaired of Clyde ever growing out of his fascination with Australian soap operas.
Gregory had not let me leave until I promised to see him on Monday morning. And he warned me that I might be very tired following the afternoon’s events. I felt myself nodding off during the short drive back to the vicarage, only waking up when Pike pulled into the driveway. Skylar’s Beetle was parked on the road, and there was no sign of the BMW. I thanked the sergeants, collected Clyde, and felt my feet drag as I walked to my front door.
The door to the living room was open, and I glanced in as I went past. Skylar sat on one of the sofas. In the kitchen, I made a pot of extra strong coffee and released Clyde into the back garden. The idea of going to bed was very tempting, but the clock told me it was only 6pm. Far too early. And then I realised that Skylar had been staring at the TV, but the screen had been blank.
For a moment I wrestled with myself. Then, with a sigh, I poured black liquid into two cups, added several spoonfuls of sugar to mine, and took them through to the living room.
Skylar accepted the mug without a word. I lowered myself into an armchair and ingested some caffeine before asking, ‘Good day off?’
‘The magister flew over this morning.’ She rubbed her eyes. ‘The colony still wants me to marry James.’
‘And that’s only going to happen if you both want it,’ I said firmly. ‘Are you even talking to James?’
Skylar waved at the iPhone resting on the coffee table. ‘We’ve been texting each other. He’s sent me some photos of a new product line. Caer-grawnt will get a new school out of the profits, if it all comes off.’
‘That would be good.’ The chair was soft, and my head felt heavy. I swallowed more coffee.
‘I told the magister exactly what I thought of him and his colony. They can stop hoping that I’m going to help them.’
‘I don’t understand. How does marrying James help the colony?’
‘They’re worried. They’ve heard that your government is cracking down on immigrants, and they think that someone might try to send them back.’
‘And marrying James helps them how?’
‘They take me in. I marry a British citizen.’ She gave me a sad smile. ‘Since a colony is like one large family, they think that means they’ll also become British citizens. Through me.’
‘I don’t think it works like that.’
‘Neither do I. But Angwyn wouldn’t listen.’
On the other hand, bearing in mind what I’d witnessed just this morning, I couldn’t blame the magister for trying. ‘The diocese will find you a house of your own. Once you move out, you can decide how much, or how little, you want to see James.’
‘I do like him.’ Her voice was low, and hidden behind her hair.
‘Then you’re doing better than me. I love him, but I don’t always like him.’ I took a deep breath. ‘Look, at the start of a relationship, it’s common to only see what you want to see. Projection, that’s what the therapists call it. It’s only as time goes on that you can decide whether to commit to each other. You need to have the same core values, the same goals in life. If you don’t, then it won’t work out, not in the long run.’
‘That’s why you and Peter are such an inspiration.’ Skylar leaned back in the sofa. ‘You have the same values.’
‘Exactly.’ But my iPhone remained resolutely clear of messages. ‘I’m not up to much cooking. Would you like some beans on toast?’
