by Kit Berry
‘Nothing, sir, I swear!’
‘I don’t believe you. You have a taste for Hallfolk girls. You’re not an adult yet, but you’re already chasing after girls completely out of your league. I think you fancy yourself as a bit of a Romeo. Not that you’d know who Romeo is, would you? Do you really think a Hallfolk girl is going to look twice at an ignorant Village boy like you?’
‘No, sir.’
‘I’m still not convinced that nothing went on in the hut in all that time you were together. It just doesn’t ring true. I can tell you’re still hiding something and I’ll drag it out of you, never fear.’
‘No, sir, honestly—’
‘Silence! And just remember, Yul, what the punishment is for a liaison with an underage girl, and particularly one who’s Hallfolk. If I discover you’ve violated Sylvie in any way, I’ll take great pleasure in banishing you from Stonewylde. After a thorough and public whipping.’
He stood up and stepped towards Yul, standing before him with his head bowed. The boy flinched, despite himself, and Magus smiled grimly. He grasped Yul’s chin in one hand and twisted his face upwards for a better view of the damage he’d inflicted. He tutted and sighed at the sight.
‘You’re not looking so pretty today, Yul. I imagine your back’s a little sore too. How much more can you really take? If you genuinely haven’t touched Sylvie, you’d do well to tell me the truth. I know there’s more to this than you’re letting on, but is any secret worth so much suffering? Your father’s disappointed he didn’t break you last night. One word from me and he’ll try again, and keep on trying until he succeeds. Ponder on that, Yul.’
Magus opened the door and brought in a water jar and an old bucket, which he placed just inside the byre. Then he snapped off the light, locked the door and went away, not returning until the following day. While he was gone, Yul sat in the cold darkness filled with terror at the thought of Alwyn returning with the whip. Would he die at his father’s hand as Mother Heggy had warned, in this isolated stone byre, with only Magus as witness? They’d invent a story about an accident and everyone would believe them; everyone except Mother Heggy and Sylvie. But it would be too late for them to help him.
Sylvie was unaware of Yul’s misery and torture in the byre. Magus called in regularly at Woodland Cottage over the next few days and questioned her repeatedly. As she recovered from the fever, Sylvie developed a chest infection which left her very weak, although perfectly coherent. She dreaded the visits from Magus.
Miranda had said Yul was being kept up at the Hall but would tell her no more. Magus interrogated her constantly about the time spent alone with Yul in the woodsmen’s hut that night, refusing to accept her story that they were simply sheltering from the rain. She understood what he was implying and it made her angry. Yul would never do anything like that to her. She trusted him completely and always felt safe with him. Unlike Magus. She loathed him coming into to her bedroom alone, sitting on her bed and touching her forehead or taking her hand. His eyes were so dark and penetrating. She felt as if he were probing into her mind, violating her memory, and she didn’t trust him at all.
Sylvie saw too how he treated her mother. It was as if there’d never been any liaison up at Mooncliffe and she hated to see Miranda looking so crestfallen. She thought of the man who’d rescued them from London and who’d healed her with Earth Magic, and then of the man whom Yul had described. Now she understood. Magus did have a dark side and slowly but surely it was being revealed. When she asked him if Yul was alright he just smiled that tight, cruel smile and told her to forget that Yul even existed. His expression and cold voice made her shiver with fear for the boy she’d befriended. She remembered the prophecies Mother Heggy had made on their visit. How could she save Yul if she didn’t even know what had happened to him?
Whilst Sylvie gradually recovered from her chill in the comfort of the cottage, Yul little by little succumbed to the torture inflicted by Magus. Days and nights were a blur to him. He was given water and a tiny amount of bread, but that was all. His bucket was emptied once a day, but as time dragged on he had less need to use it. His stomach was hollow, he suffered agonies of cramp in his abdomen, and all he could think about was food.
The deep lacerations on his back had mostly scabbed over but hurt constantly, whether he moved or kept still. His face was a pulpy mess where Magus had repeatedly hit him, swollen so badly he could barely see from between the puffed eyelids. His head hurt so much he couldn’t think straight. He was cold all night and for much of the day and had no bedding other than the mouldy straw. Although it was now June, the stone byre was always chilly and dark as no sunlight penetrated its thick walls and closed shutters.
Yul had no water for washing and smelled bad, but he was beyond caring. Magus interrogated him regularly and he’d begun to forget what he’d already said as his sense of reality slipped further away. But despite his weakening state, he was aware that Magus was still trying to catch him out. The master seemed to realise that he wasn’t being told the whole truth and was determined to get it out of Yul one way or another.
Alwyn had been brought in again. The sight of the tanner’s gloating face and ginger hair made Yul’s heart race; the sight of the coiled snake-whip in his hand made Yul quake with absolute, abject terror. But to Alwyn’s disappointment there were no further beatings. Yul was too weak to take any more and would be no use unconscious. Instead, Alwyn was given hot food that filled the byre with a delicious aroma, and Yul was made to sit close by and watch his father eat.
By the fifth day as the tanner sat down yet again at the makeshift table shovelling steak pie into his mouth, Yul was so far gone that he began to drool. Magus, watching the scene carefully, laughed out loud at the sight. The boy sat on the floor; he couldn’t stand very well now. He hugged his knees, rocking back and forth, his torn shirt failing to hide the protruding ribcage that grew sharper with each day.
Yul’s swollen eyes were fixed on the huge man as he devoured mouthful after mouthful, gorging himself on the rich meat and pastry and grunting with pleasure. He chewed noisily and with appreciation, wiping flecks of food and gravy from his lips and chin with the back of his hand. The steak pie was enormous but Alwyn was determined and worked through it steadily, washing it down with a pitcher of cider and belching every so often. At one point he loosened the belt of his trousers to make more room for his massive, distended belly. Magus kept it going, praising and encouraging Alwyn and urging him to further greed.
‘Would you like some, Yul? You must be so hungry,’ said Magus softly, cutting a sliver of pie. The starved boy was dribbling, all self-control finally gone, and nodded eagerly. He crawled unsteadily towards Magus who held the fork out to him, but just out of reach.
‘Just tell me once more what Mother Heggy said, Yul. Tell me everything that happened between you and Sylvie. It’s so easy, and you know there’s no point trying to keep silly little secrets from me.’
‘No no no I’ll tell you …’
‘That’s right, Yul – just talk and this will all be finished. Tell me everything and then you can eat this delicious mouthful of pie and it will all be over.’
‘She wanted the Beechwood Sickener but she gave me a potion and I couldn’t move and she loved the toenail and the tanner will be the first to fall and it’s solstice by destiny and her raven is back and she knows it’s Sylvie because she’s moongazy the moongaziest girl I ever saw and—’
‘WHAT? What did you say? Sylvie’s moongazy?’
Yul crept closer and feebly tried to take the fork from Magus’ hand.
‘Please,’ he croaked through his split and puffy lips, ‘please give me some food. Please, please, please …’
Magus had frozen where he stood, everything else forgotten in the light of this revelation.
‘I knew there was more to this! I knew you were protecting some special secret. So our little Sylvie’s moongazy! That’s what you’ve been hiding from me! Who’d have thought it?’
/> Yul pawed at his leg and Magus shoved him off so hard he went sprawling across the floor. But the sliver of pie also fell on the floor. Before Magus could stop him, Yul had scooped it up out of the dirt and straw and crammed it desperately into his mouth.
‘That’s disgusting!’ spluttered Alwyn through a mouthful. ‘Filthy little bastard ain’t no better than an animal.’
After five days Yul’s ordeal came to an end. He was released blinking and squinting into the sunny yard outside the byre. He could barely stand. A bucket of cold water and piece of soap were provided and a change of rough clothes. He was given a meagre but welcome meal. Then he was put into the front seat of a Land Rover and Magus drove him out of the stable area and away from the Hall.
Tom shook his head as he watched them go. He’d been aware of some of the cruelty taking place in the byre and couldn’t understand what the boy had done to warrant such treatment. He’d been tempted many times to slip some food to him, or just to comfort him. He’d heard the boy crying in the night and the pitiful sound had nearly broken his heart. But in the end his fear of Magus had stopped him from helping the boy. Tom had visited Maizie and let her know her son was still alive, although he’d spared her the details of what Magus and Alwyn were doing to him. Now, he hoped, the boy would be going home. Although with a father like Alwyn, that wasn’t necessarily a comfort.
But Yul wasn’t going home. As they drove past the turning to the Village Magus glanced across at him and laughed at the expression on his face.
‘Did you think that was it? No, my lad, it’s not over yet, not by a long way. That was just for starters, to make you talk. Now we’re going to start the real punishment. You’ll learn to serve me as everyone else at Stonewylde serves me. You still have some spark in you that dares to defy me. And that spark will be crushed out of you completely before I allow you back into the community.’
‘Please, sir, I’ve learnt my lesson,’ mumbled Yul. ‘I’ll never defy you again, I swear.’
‘You’ve led me a merry dance over the last few days, Yul. Holding out on me, not telling the truth, daring to think you could take me for a fool. You should have understood that nobody gets the better of me.’
‘No, sir, I—’
‘I broke you in the end of course, and now you’ve betrayed Sylvie’s little secret which you tried so hard to hide. How dare you? How dare you keep that sort of knowledge from me? Too damn right, you won’t defy me again! You may not even survive what I have in store for you next.’
Yul swallowed painfully. He was very weak from the torture. His back and face hurt a great deal, a constant and relentless agony. Terrible pains gripped his starved stomach like pincers and his legs couldn’t support him properly. He was dizzy and felt disorientated and confused. He wondered what more Magus could do to him.
But he sat silently; he’d learnt over the last few days to fear this man in a way he’d never feared his father. For Magus was not a brute like Alwyn whose cravings, whether for food, cider or inflicting pain, were easily assuaged. Magus was subtle and he was cruel. Like a cat with its prey, he enjoyed playing with his victim. Magus hadn’t quite broken Yul, but he’d taught him to hide his defiance very deep.
‘Would you like to know where I’m taking you?’
‘Yes, sir.’
‘We’re going to Quarrycleave. You’re to work there with the quarrymen.’
‘Quarrymen? I don’t understand, sir.’
Magus laughed again as he drove the Land Rover expertly up the bumpy track to the ridgeway. He was in high spirits now, his eyes gleaming darkly.
‘I’ve reopened the old quarry, the big one up to the west behind the hills. There’s still a great deal of very fine stone up there, even though the Hall and much of the Village are built with it.’
He glanced at Yul, who sat hunched and pale.
‘I need more stone now for several new projects, and there’s a gang of men working at the quarry right now under Jackdaw. Remember Jackdaw?’
Yul nodded. Jackdaw was the man who’d been banished for murder a couple of years ago, and he was still talked of in the Village. He’d killed his young wife one night in a jealous, drunken rage. His banishment had brought much relief to everyone, for the whole community had feared him.
‘Yes, a man such as Jackdaw has his uses. Now he’s back with a gang of workers surveying the site and clearing the debris at Quarrycleave, ready to start quarrying the stone next year. You’ll spend the next two weeks working for him. If you survive it, you may return to your father’s house in the Village and resume your training as a woodsman.’
‘Thank you, sir,’ Yul whispered and Magus chuckled cynically.
‘I can assure you, Yul, that if you do return, you won’t be the same person. Jackdaw is a hard master and a dangerous man; he’ll break your spirit once and for all. And Quarrycleave is a treacherous place, especially for someone so young. Anything could happen to you there.’
Later in the day Magus called again at Woodland Cottage. There was a strange, triumphant light in his dark eyes. He flung himself into an armchair, stretched his long legs out before him and linked his hands behind his head, grinning at them both like a satisfied cat.
‘What’s happened?’ asked Miranda.
‘Problem solved,’ he said smugly. ‘Cracked him in the end, just as I knew I would. I’m surprised the boy lasted as long as he did, but he couldn’t hold out for ever.’
Sylvie, lying on the sofa, sat up quickly.
‘What have you done? Have you hurt Yul?’
Magus chuckled.
‘That Village boy is no good, Sylvie, and you must forget him. There’ll be no more contact between the two of you.’
‘What have you done to him?’
‘I’ve broken his silence and forced him into submission. And now he’s gone away.’
‘What? Where? Is he alright? When’s he coming back?’
She jumped up and stood before Magus, her hair wild around her face. This was her first day out of bed and she was still weak. Magus laughed and held up a hand.
‘Not so many questions! Yul finally told me everything. It all came tumbling out in the end, just as I knew it would. All the things Old Heggy said.’
‘I don’t believe you! You’re trying to trick me.’
‘No, really. “Those who stand against you will fall, one by one.” Is that what she said?’
Sylvie nodded, feeling sick. What had Magus done to Yul to break him? He’d never have spoken willingly about that.
‘Yul told me something else too, Sylvie. Something about you.’
Magus rose and stood in front of her and she took a step back, feeling suddenly dizzy.
‘I know what you were doing on the night of the Blue Moon in the pouring rain. Yul’s betrayed your little secret.’
Sylvie swallowed. Her mother’s shocked face went in and out of focus. Magus loomed over her, his dark eyes glittering.
‘Yul told me, Sylvie, that you’re a moongazy girl.’
17
Quarrycleave was like nowhere on earth. A vast bleak place of tortured and blasted stone covering acres, it sprawled across the landscape like a white open wound. It bit into the land, shallow at the entrance but deep at the distant end where the rolling hills had been robbed of their stone hearts. Great craggy cliffs spilled out, boulders piled on boulders, faces of sheer white rock, stone protruding from the flesh of the earth like the very skeleton of the Earth Goddess.
She was laid bare and violate, spread open and looted, her body left desecrated and ugly when the men had taken their fill. No benign life force lingered here; no fertility or green earth energy remained in this place of desolation. Like an embittered woman whose beauty has been ravaged, the spirit here was malignant. It was an ancient place which screamed of suffering, moaned of torment, whimpered of death.
Despair hung like a foetid cloud over Quarrycleave, calling for sacrifice. It stalked the labyrinth between high walls of stone; lay in wait amongst
the winding cuts cleaved into the very body of the land. Each jagged and vicious rock-face of the labyrinth represented untold aching sinews and groaning joints of the men who’d hewn and hammered here over thousands of years; men who’d given their youth, strength and lives to Quarrycleave in their quest for stone.
Stone – the one material representing permanence in a transient world where all else followed the natural cycle of growth and decay. The one material that marked man’s dominion over nature and the landscape. Stone was power but, at Quarrycleave, too many lives had been claimed in its quest. Too many deaths had gone unmarked in the name of avarice; of haste and carelessness in men’s lust to rape the earth and plunder the pure white stone.
Quarrycleave sought human life to pay for all the centuries of pain and desecration. Greedy for blood to be spilt, the place soaked up lives to feed its hunger. The hunger was never satisfied, for nothing could atone for the obscene defilement of the land. Quarrycleave was the place of bones and death.
As the Land Rover had approached the shallow end of the quarry, Yul had felt a shroud of misery smother his spirit. Being so in tune with the Earth Magic from his daily visits to the Stone Circle, he sensed the negative, destructive energy of this place. He felt it snaking up out of the tortured landscape and curling around his soul. He began to shake and clasped his hands between his knees to still them.
Magus glanced at him, then swung the Land Rover away from the entrance. He pulled around the edge of the quarry, keeping safely away from the steep drop that marked the rim of the great horseshoe-shaped crater. He drove up the hill on the grass, by the side of the quarry, steadily bumping the vehicle over the rough ground towards the high summit on the skyline. It wasn’t possible to drive right to the top, for rocky outcrops and boulders littered the land here and it was too steep. Magus stopped when he could drive no further, turning the Land Rover so it faced inwards to the quarry, and switched off the engine. Silence fell.
