Alfie could see her in full now. She was tall – as tall as Caspian – and she wore a long sky-blue dress that seemed to billow around her even though no wind was blowing. On her head was a crown made of delicate strands of gold twisted around shining gems.
“The Queen,” whispered Emily. “She’s acting much more quickly than I thought.”
“That’s the Queen?” Alfie burst out as he caught a glimpse of her face. “She’s the one that shot Ashford!”
Emily said nothing, but Alfie felt a storm in her silence.
“We do not respond to threats,” said Caspian coolly.
“Maybe not. But now that we are here, what is to stop us from taking it?”
Alfie held back a yell as the elves she had brought with her surrounded Caspian. He recognized three of them as Ashford’s attackers. “They’re going to hurt Caspian!”
“No,” said Emily. “They’re not. Now come on, they don’t know that you have the lens. We can’t risk them seeing you here.”
Alfie and Amy remained glued to the spyholes as the elves closed in menacingly on Caspian. Looking nonplussed, he snapped his fingers. The suits of armour around the walls creaked to life and stepped down from their stands. “I don’t believe it!” said Amy as the empty suits marched towards the elves and grabbed their wrists. The screams were ear-piercing.
“Iron! You would dare to use iron against us?” screamed the Queen as her retinue struggled uselessly against the armour.
“Shall we start again – with a more civil discussion?” said Caspian. The suits of armour released the elves and marched back to their positions against the wall.
“Come on!” said Emily grabbing the back of their pyjamas and pulling them away from the spyholes. “We need to get you home, now!” She led them through a different door and back into the coach house. Johannes was waiting atop the coach, and another carriage stood next to his. It was green with incredibly ornate silverwork trailing around the doors and roof. A driver that could have been Johannes’s twin brother was tending to the six pure white horses that pulled it. Alfie realized that it must have brought the elves from their realm. He remembered what Emily had said about the offices being multi-dimensional and suddenly the huge variety of strange carriages in the coachhouse began to make sense to him.
“Quick, I’ve locked the door from reception, but you need to get out of here,” said Emily, hurrying them into Johannes’ coach. Alfie grabbed her arm before she closed the door.
“Emily, I know they don’t like each other, but Caspian will try his hardest to get Ashford back, won’t he?”
Emily grasped his hand reassuringly. “He never does anything less, Alfie. The oak portal will be sealed when you return. Do not, however impatient you might feel, attempt to go through it.”
Alfie felt his dad grip his shoulders. “He won’t.” It was as much a command as a statement.
The Black Mirror
“Oi, sleepyhead!” Thud-thud-thud.
Alfie was wrenched awake by the sound of his cousin Madeleine hammering on his door and yelling through the keyhole. He could hear her brother Robin telling her off.
“Keep it down, Maddie. You’re the most annoying alarm clock ever!”
Alfie wished that she had a snooze button as he rolled out of his huge four-poster bed and opened the door for the twins.
“Sorry, I tried to stop her barging up here,” Robin apologized as Madeleine bounced into the room. Alfie rubbed the sleep from his bleary eyes.
“Your dad went food shopping,” said Madeleine, poking through the comics on Alfie’s bedside table. “He gave us some money to go for lunch with you and Amy. You know it’s after one o’clock? Is she still in bed too?”
“Maddie, come back!” called Robin as his sister dashed off to wake Amy. He threw his arms up. “I swear she gets more annoying every day. Meet you in the courtyard when you’re ready,” he called back as he hurried after her.
Alfie dug out a pair of jeans and a T-shirt and tried to remember where he had kicked his shoes. He’d never get used to such a huge bedroom. By the time he had showered and dressed, Amy and the twins were already lounging on the grass in the courtyard’s garden. He was very glad to see that Amy’s black eye was almost unnoticeable now. He loved the castle, but the gifts he had received from Orin, especially the ancient creation magic the druid had hidden inside him, seemed to keep bringing danger to people close to him.
“What’s up with the tree?” asked Madeleine. Alfie had almost forgotten about the strange men that Caspian had brought with him to the castle last night, but it appeared that they had been hard at work. Three iron bands encircled the oak tree, which Alfie guessed were to prevent the elves from opening the portal from the other side again. On each band was an indentation that, before even looking, Alfie knew the talisman would fit into. The talisman was already a key for many things that Orin wanted him to be the only person to open, such as the druid’s study and the great seal under the castle. It seemed he was now the guardian of the portal too. This was another lock he would never open.
Alfie and Amy filled the twins in on what had happened during the night. They were too shocked by Ashford’s kidnapping to dwell on the revelation that he was a time-travelling thief too.
“So that’s all Caspian is doing to get him back?” cried Madeleine. “Talking? There must be something we can do.” She leapt to her feet and began examining the bands around the tree. “Your talisman will open these, won’t it? We could go after him. Me and Robin could bring our bows. We’ll rescue him ourselves!”
“Sit down, Madeleine. You’re not helping,” said Robin wearily. “Even if we could figure out how to open the portal ourselves, what are we going to do? Go up against a pack of armed elves? You’re not going to shoot anyone and they’d know that.”
Alfie felt grateful to Robin as Madeleine sat down, finally silent. He knew charging after Ashford could only end in disaster but wished there was something he could do.
“What’s Leo up to?” asked Amy, breaking the grim silence. Galileo was stealthily creeping across the grass nearby. Crouching low with ears flat to his head, he began to wiggle his bottom.
“He’s going to pounce,” said Alfie, recognizing the cat’s hunting mode. Galileo suddenly shot forwards, leaping through the air to land in the middle of the herb patch. A large mouse shot out of the parsley, squeaking loudly. The cat darted after it as it scampered through the grass to disappear into a hole in the castle stonework. Galileo settled down in front of the hole. Alfie knew he’d be there for hours. He had seen the cat wait patiently for days when he was hunting. Watching Galileo waiting for his meal made Alfie realize just how hungry he was himself.
“Come on. Let’s go for lunch.”
Gertie Entwhistle in the village bakery was delighted to see them, and Alfie began to feel better after one of her freshly baked steak pies.
“I’d have thought that butler of yours would be horrified at you eating anywhere but the castle,” said Gertie as they paid for their lunch and bought bags of orange tongue-twizzlers and sherbet fizzbombs from her little sweet shop at the front of the bakery.
“He’s on holiday,” said Alfie, thinking quickly. He didn’t want news of the attack getting around the village and telling Gertie would be like putting an announcement in the local paper.
“A holiday?” said Gertie in mock surprise. “I wish I could remember what those felt like. I could do with a butler around here. I just can’t keep up with business these days.”
Alfie’s dad was back with the shopping when they returned to the castle. He seemed to be trying overly hard to be jolly as they helped him unpack and stock the cupboards. It was the longest Alfie had seen him in the kitchen since they had moved to the castle, and it was clear he didn’t have a clue where Ashford kept everything. Alfie could tell that Dad was still very uneasy. His eyes twitched to the window at every sound from the courtyard.
“I’m making lasagne tonight,” he called after them as the
y headed back outside. “Be in the Great Hall for six. I don’t want to have to wander all over this place looking for you.”
Alfie groaned as memories of his dad’s bizarre cooking came flooding back.
In the courtyard Galileo was crouched on the cobbles beneath the oak with something between his paws.
“What have you got there, boy?” said Alfie, creeping towards the cat. With a quick flick of his paw Galileo sent the mouse he had been stalking sailing through the air and leapt up to catch it again.
“Bad cat!” cried Robin. Galileo paid no attention, letting the creature run a little way before trapping it with his paws again.
“He’s just doing what cats do,” said Madeleine. “It’s in his nature.”
“He’s tormenting it!” said Robin, who could never bear to see an animal hurt.
Alfie crept towards the cat. Galileo growled as he closed in, picking up the mouse in his jaws and springing to his feet. Alfie leapt forwards just in time to grab him around his furry waist. “Quick, get the mouse!” he shouted, as Galileo writhed in his hands, scratching at his arms. Robin gently eased the cat’s jaws open, releasing the mouse into Amy’s waiting hands.
“Poor little fella,” said Amy, stroking the top of the mouse’s head as she carried it into the castle. Galileo followed, trying to claw his way up her jeans to reach the trembling creature. Alfie pulled him off her.
“What’s wrong with you?” He deposited the cat in the kitchen next to his food bowl. “Anyone would think we were starving you!” He shut the door, leaving the cat to yowl his frustration at his lost prize.
“The mouse is OK,” said Robin. “But we should keep an eye on him for a while before we let him go.”
“There’s an old birdcage in Artan’s room,” said Alfie. “Come on. We can put him in there.”
The cage proved to be very suitable. It was nice and big, and the bars were close enough together to stop the mouse slipping out between them. They even found some straw to line it with. Artan floated over to see what they were doing as they placed the mouse inside with some sunflower seeds and a jam-jar lid filled with water.
“What type of mouse is that?” he asked.
“A common field mouse, I think,” said Alfie.
Artan took a long hard sniff. “Smells funny.”
“That’s because Leo slobbered all over him,” said Amy.
“Do you even have a sense of smell?” asked Alfie.
“That’s right,” rumbled Artan. “Mock the poor old hollowed-out bear. I’ll have you know you couldn’t pick a better nose than mine. Go on, give it a try.”
“Urgh. Get away!” Alfie pushed the bear’s cold nose away as it nudged his cheek.
“I will if you give me an in-scent-ive. Get it?” He did a little flip in the air as he cracked up laughing at his own puns.
The bear’s jolly mood changed completely when Alfie recounted the attack of the night before. He became more and more agitated, swooshing around the room knocking masks and paintings off the wall in his clumsy rage.
“They came in here – to our home – and harmed one of our own? We should fly straight into their lands and give them a taste of fear!”
“Calm down,” said Alfie, grasping the bear’s paw and pulling him down. “You sound like Maddie. We’re not going after them.”
“Well, we should at least be prepared in case they come back,” he growled.
“He’s got a point,” said Robin. “I know the portal is sealed, but we should be ready to protect ourselves – just in case. Think. You saw them at Caspian’s offices. Is there anything you remember?”
Alfie thought hard and remembered how the elves had screamed in pain when the armour in Caspian’s offices had grabbed their wrists. “Iron! It burns them or something.”
“Of course!” said Amy. “That must be why Caspian had those little blokes ring the tree with iron.”
“Robin, do you remember Granny’s stories?” said Madeleine suddenly. “When we were little she told us she always keeps a cat in the house and an iron poker by the door…”
“…In case the Fair Folk come calling,” finished Robin, his eyes wide. “Do you think she was talking about elves? She couldn’t really know something about them, could she?”
“Let’s ask her tomorrow,” said Alfie.
“Hey, look at this.” Amy had been investigating the harpsichord and had found something. “I was wondering why some of the keys wouldn’t work. This was hidden under the lid.” She handed Alfie a curved black mirror in a round copper frame. It was about the size of a large saucer.
“I was wondering where Orin left that,” grinned Artan. “Give it a go.”
Alfie stared into the mirror, and a distorted reflection with a huge nose stared back at him.
“It’s not a very good mirror,” said Madeleine, polishing the surface with her sleeve. They took turns to look into it until Alfie’s stomach broke the silence with a loud grumble.
“All right, calm down. It wasn’t that funny!” he said as the others fell about laughing. “Let’s go and see if Dad needs a hand in the kitchen.”
“Alfie, the mirror!” cried Robin. Alfie looked at the curved disc in his hands and nearly dropped it in astonishment. In the glossy surface he could see a room with a little figure running frantically backwards and forwards.
“Let me look,” said Madeleine, pulling at the mirror. The second it left Alfie’s hands the image disappeared.
“Look what you did!” snapped Robin. “Why do you have to be so grabby?” He handed the mirror back to Alfie. “See if you can do it again.”
Alfie stared down at it. “I don’t know how it works. I just said ‘let’s go and see if Dad needs a hand in the kitchen—’” The mirror flickered to life again. “It’s Dad!” he cried. They all watched as Alfie’s dad soaked a tea towel in water before running back to throw it over a flaming pan.
“What is this thing?” Alfie asked Artan, who was enjoying watching their puzzlement.
“Orin’s scrying glass. It was always handy for seeing who was at the door. Just tell it the room you want to see – it works for anywhere within the castle’s walls, even the courtyard and gardens.”
“Try another room,” said Madeleine eagerly.
“OK, how about my bedroom?” The surface flickered and reflected a fisheye view of Alfie’s room.
“Nice boxers, Al,” laughed Amy.
Alfie went bright red and mentally kicked himself for leaving yesterday’s underwear on his bedroom floor. “The Great Hall, the Great Hall!” he shouted quickly.
They spent half an hour viewing all of the rooms that they knew of in the castle, even making up names of rooms to see if they existed.
Alfie took the scrying glass and the caged mouse to his bedroom before they went down to dinner. The mouse sat quietly in the cage, front paws wrapped around the bars.
“It’s like it’s watching us,” said Robin.
Alfie’s dad met them on the stairs, his face red and sweaty and his hair sticking up more than usual. “Dinner is served!” he panted. “I’ve set out the table in the courtyard. Thought I’d let the castle … er … air out for a while.”
Alfie was very glad that they were eating outside as a fog of burnt cheese seemed to be creeping into every corner of the castle. They trooped into the courtyard garden where plates and cutlery had been set out on the stone picnic table. He wondered if another reason they were eating out here was to keep an eye on the oak tree. He could understand his dad being worried. The fact that their home had been invaded in the middle of the night was terrifying. His dad seemed to be avoiding mention of Ashford.
“Ace lasagne, Mr B!” said Amy as she tucked in. Alfie was sure she was just being polite, but his dad seemed to swell with the praise.
The layers of sauce and cheese in the lasagne were separated with slices of toast. Alfie realized that his dad must have forgotten to buy pasta sheets. He sometimes wondered if his dad deliberately forgot ingredients to
turn the preparation of a meal into one of his experiments.
“How’s Lizzie?” Alfie’s dad asked Amy as they ate. Alfie knew that Amy’s gran loved working in her tea rooms and rarely took a holiday, so it must have been a very nasty illness to slow her down.
“Getting over the infection,” said Amy. “But she asked if I could stay on until the end of the holidays. She said she has some stuff to sort out at the tea rooms.”
“That’s fine with me, but we’d understand if you’d prefer to stay on the farm with the twins after last night.”
“Yeah!” said Madeleine immediately. “You could share my room.”
“Cheers, Mads, but nothing could put me off staying in a castle,” said Amy quickly.
“Leave those, Dad, we’ll do them,” said Alfie as his dad began to clear away the plates.
“Thanks, Alfie. I’m going to bed before I fall asleep right here. As it’s the holidays you can stay up for another couple of hours, but make sure you use the security switch, and promise me none of you will go out into the courtyard.”
“We promise,” said Alfie.
“What’s the security switch?” asked Amy after Alfie’s dad had gone off to bed.
“Muninn and Bone had it fitted after Murkle and Snitch nearly tore the Great Hall apart before Christmas.” Alfie led the way to a brass switch on the wall near the main castle doors. “Flick it.”
Amy flicked the switch and a strange chorus of clinking chains, sliding bolts and hissing pistons rang through the castle as the front doors bolted shut and iron grates rattled down in front of the stained-glass windows. The chandeliers and torches on the walls flared to life in the sudden darkness.
“Cool!” said Amy. “I can’t see any elves getting past that.”
“Yeah,” said Alfie. “I just wish we’d used it last night.”
“Don’t beat yourself up, Al,” said Amy. “Caspian’s an arrogant jerk, but I bet he’ll get Ashford back.”
Alfie wished he shared her confidence. His fingernails dug into his palms as he thought about how much worse things could have been the night before. If only he’d used the security switch when he got back with Artan, Ashford would still be with them.
Alfie Bloom and the Talisman Thief Page 3
