by James Erith
‘You see, dreamspinners control what goes into your dreams and, in a way, your ability to think, create and discover. Dreamspinners put in the seed, the germ of an idea, or thought into your head, but then it’s up to the individual receiver as to how it germinates – how it’s interpreted.’
Archie’s heartbeat quickened as he thought about the creature he’d seen over Daisy before the storm. ‘So these dreamspinner things are responsible for the crazy, mad dreams we had?’ he said.
‘Certainly. Those dreams were almost certainly given to you by one of those spidery creatures I gobbled up!’
Archie shivered. This explanation was a little more complicated than he felt like understanding right now. He glanced over at Daisy who looked as if she was about to throw up. ‘Come on, you lot. Time to get inside. I really need to lie down.’
More than anything though, a tickling in his stomach gave him the feeling he, too, needed to be very sick indeed.
A NAGGING THOUGHT TOYED with Old Man Wood’s mind: If Archie’s “fear” was to eat the eyes of this blind, Ancient Woman he’d spoken about, then who did the other eyeballs belong to? After all, there had been two sets of eyes on his plate.
Old Man Wood searched the depths of his mind. Somewhere, somehow, he’d known both. One, a soft, nutty-brown set, with a look of yearning. The other two fractionally larger, with a distinct, icy, pale-blue madness about them.
Why did these warrant his attention? They were familiar – eyes from a long time ago, but whose? And as he wondered, he remembered something vitally important. Wasn’t there something utterly crucial about eyes? Something brilliant and possibly sinister? Something magical that he couldn’t quite lay his finger on?
Why, oh why, was Archie so desperately frightened of them?
ONE HUNDRED EIGHTEEN
A CURIOUS REUNION
‘For goodness’ sake, be quiet you two,’ Solomon said. What a perfectly awful evening. While he’d tried to continue his investigations, Kemp and Gus Williams had been at each other’s throats, their comments towards one another were acidic to put it mildly.
Finally he snapped. ‘I’m fed up with you two,’ he said. ‘You’re not helping me, or anyone. I rather hoped it might be a little more jolly.’
The fact that Kemp had turned up out of the blue remained Solomon’s biggest shock thus far. Solomon knew that he had escaped from a toilet in the isolation ward in mysterious circumstances, leaving only – so he’d been told – a small pile of ash.
By his own admission, Kemp told them that he’d stolen a boat and rowed through the night across the floodwaters, landing – quite remarkably – at the foot of the cliff by the de Lowes cottage. It had to be balderdash, he thought. The soldiers used tracking devices for the crossing and, although it was do-able, the chances of success were highly improbable.
Aside from the general upset he caused Gus, Kemp appeared different: confident and more caring. The way he’d spent so much time helping Mrs. Pye out in the kitchen after he’d coaxed her out of her apartment. The way he smiled every time he looked at the strange woman who appeared happier than ever before. The way Kemp reached for plates and washed up without having to be asked. And then there was the way he smiled every time he looked over towards Sue. These were the actions of a young man almost ... in love. Perhaps, he thought, Kemp was in love with life.
Solomon shook his head. By the look of things, one would have thought that Kemp, not Gus, was the loved-up partner, for Gus looked pale and withdrawn and, quite frankly, ill.
Was Kemp really flirting with Sue? But why so blatantly in front of Gus? To wind him up?
His thoughts were interrupted by a noise.
‘Quiet!’ he said, whispering hoarsely.
They stopped and listened.
‘Ssshh. There,’ he said, pointing his arm. ‘Outside.’
The five of them, Mrs. Pye included, listened as the fire crackled in the hearth.
Yes ... and now chatter, footsteps. A bang outside the front door.
‘Hide!’ Solomon whispered. ‘Now!’
Sue, Solomon and Mrs. Pye edged behind the sofa, blowing out the candles that dotted the tables until only dim light emanated from the hearth. Gus and Kemp crept up either side of the big oak door, their backs leaning in to the plaster.
Jumbled voices, footsteps, laughter. A cough. A retch. Vomiting. More vomiting. Cheering.
Williams and Kemp exchanged glances, puzzled looks on their faces.
Now a hand on the door latch. It twitched upwards.
Kemp picked out a long wooden stick.
‘What are you doing?’ Gus whispered.
Kemp hesitated. ‘You know – just in case.’
The door swung open. A strange head appeared in the dim light, dotted with weird spikes.
Kemp swore. ‘It’s a freaking alien!’
‘Smack it,’ Gus said, as he dived behind an armchair.
In a flash, Kemp swung the thick wooden stick down on top of the spiky head. But instead of incapacitating the intruder, splinters flew in every direction. The head remained quite still and then, with a growl, the body flew up, hands outstretched with such speed and precision that Kemp didn’t have a chance. In an instant, Kemp was pinned to the wall, a hand tight around his neck. He gasped for breath.
Archie snapped the remains of the stick with one hand.
‘Get off me,’ Kemp howled.
‘Who are you?’ Archie roared, trying to make out who the person was in the dim candlelight.
‘Pppp le ... eeese don’t hurt me,’ Kemp squealed.
‘Archie! Let go of him!’ Daisy ordered.
Archie ignored her and lifted him up off the floor with his one hand that was glued to his neck.
‘Who are you?’ Archie repeated.
‘Kemp,’ he whispered. ‘It’s ... me ... Kemp,’ he said, struggling, his eyes bulging.
‘Let him go!’ Daisy shouted.
‘Kemp?’ Archie repeated. ‘It can’t be Kemp – he’s in hospital. We saw it on the telly.’
Archie threw him to the floor and stood over him.
‘Archie? Is that you?’ Kemp said, rubbing his neck. ‘What happened to your head?’
‘Speak for yourself. What happened to yours?’
Kemp moved a hand from his neck to his bald dome. ‘Long story, Arch,’ he coughed. ‘I’ll tell you about it one day.’
Daisy marched over and offered Kemp a hand. ‘Sorry about Archie throwing you – he doesn’t know his own strength.’ She scoured the dark room, her eyes lighting up like car headlights.
‘Mrs. Pye, you can come out from behind the door ... it’s OK, it’s only us.’ She looked down. ‘There’s a girl facedown behind the sofa and someone behind the armchair. Is that you, Gus Williams? Come out now! I can see you.’
She shook her head. ‘And ... er ... Mr. Solomon. What the hell are you doing here?’
Daisy’s eyes started returning to normal as the people emerged, stunned.
Isabella walked over to the candles on the windowsill, clicked her thumb and finger, whereupon a flame, like a gas lighter, shot out of the end of her nail.
Gus, Solomon, Sue and Kemp backed off against the walls.
Candlelight soon filled the room.
‘Oh heck,’ Archie said, retching. ‘Sorry guys, gotta go.’ He barged past the bewildered looking headmaster and shot up the stairs, the sounds of his puking echoing through the house.
‘What’s the matter with him?’ Kemp said.
‘All that rich food at our ... picnic party,’ Daisy said, smiling at him.
Kemp smiled back, looking into her eyes. His heart skipped a beat. Her eyes glowed, like beautiful rubies in the fire. Kemp couldn’t take his eyes off her. Daisy had turned exotic, almost divine.
The odd thing, though, was that Daisy couldn’t stop staring at him and for the first time he could ever remember, it wasn’t in a sour, hateful way.
‘SUE!’ Isabella screamed. ‘Is it you?’
‘No it’s an illusi
on. Of course it’s me!’
They both screeched in delight and ran across the room, embracing and crying and giggling with delight.
‘And Gus?’
Gus, for the first time in a while, beamed at everyone with his wonderful, toothy smile.
‘Oh my god. Our National heroes!’ Isabella said, embracing him. ‘How ... what ... how ... did ... it’s impossible ...?’
‘Headmaster Solomon can probably explain it best,’ Gus said as Archie slapped him on the back. ‘We’ve all come a long way in the last three days.’
The headmaster coughed and moved across to the children. ‘Now, first off, please promise you won’t set fire to me, Isabella, or see through me, Daisy, or get Archie to beat me up?’
‘Don’t worry, I’ll try not to vaporize you,’ Daisy said. ‘But look out for Isabella’s burps. I promise you, she has recently done the longest one ever. Definitely a world record.’
Isabella’s face, even in the dim light had turned notably puce. Noticing, the headmaster roared with laughter, everyone else joining in.
Sue and Isabella eventually settled down on the sofa, Old Man Wood in his armchair, Gus and Archie on one side of the hearth and Daisy, Mrs. Pye and Kemp on the other.
‘So, why are you here?’ Isabella asked.
‘Do you guys have any idea what’s going on?’ Sue said. ‘Out there, the world is falling to bits and the men in charge seem to think it’s got something to do with you lot—’
‘You’re the most wanted people on the planet,’ Solomon interjected. ‘It’s a stroke of luck the entire valley is shrouded in thick fog, or several battalions of Her Majesty’s armed forces would almost certainly be sharing this jolly scene with us.’ His voice took on a softer tone. ‘Sue is right, though, isn’t she?’
Isabella’s emotions suddenly got the better of her. ‘We’re caught up in a nightmare!’ she said, wiping away a tear. ‘A living hell.’
Sue cradled her. ‘You’re OK, though, aren’t you?’
‘Only by the skin of my teeth. I’m not very good at this kind of thing. The twins have been amazing.’
Archie shook his head. ‘We have to do this thing together. We all bring different things. You won’t believe how fast Isabella can run—’
‘Or what she can heal,’ Old Man Wood butted in.
‘Or eat,’ Daisy threw in. ‘And burp.’
‘There’s a plague flying across the world, ’ Sue said. ‘Your hell isn’t very far away.’
Solomon coughed in his most head-masterly way. ‘I am supposed to turn you in to the authorities, directly. They want to know what secret you’re harbouring. But I take it from what I’ve seen of you so far that there is something rather important you must do?’
The children looked from one to another.
Isabella piped up. ‘We found some riddles which we have to solve. The deeper we delve, the more clues we seem to stumble across—’
‘I knew it!’ the headmaster said. ‘And it is only you three who can do this – and of course you, Mr. Wood?’
They nodded.
Solomon stood up and began pacing the room, thinking. While he did this, Mrs. Pye took it as the perfect opportunity to make an announcement. ‘Now then, you children must be starving.’
Isabella caught the others’ eyes and together they burst out laughing.
Mrs. Pye ignored them.
Archie piped up. ‘I can’t speak for you lot, but we’re pretty full, so don’t worry about us.’
Mrs. Pye looked slightly irritated. ‘Have you been eating behind my back then, huh?’
‘Only a bite.’
‘What?’
‘It’s a strange thing – you’ve probably never heard of.’
Mrs. Pye reddened. ‘Go on. Try me.’
‘Well, it’s a funny thing,’ he continued, ‘called Blabisterberry Jelly!’
‘Blabster-whatty-ellie?!’
‘All you need to know is that it isn’t as good as a Mrs. Pye Special,’ Daisy said.
Mrs. Pye smiled, or grimaced. ‘You other’s want one?’ She counted the nods from Sue, Gus and Solomon. ‘Four emps coming up.’
‘I’ll help,’ Kemp volunteered, following Mrs. Pye out of the room.
Solomon sat down and looked over the top of his glasses. ‘You should know this,’ he said rather solemnly. ‘Unless there is evidence of progress, and that means finding you, a rather big bomb is due to land on this area.’ He searched their faces. ‘However, if you’re handed over, I take it this would be bad news?’
‘Extremely,’ Archie said. ‘We have less than three days to go.’
Solomon shifted. ‘The same time as the bomb is due to go off.’ He paced up and back, rubbing his chin. ‘Therefore the question is this: how can we help you?’
‘By making sure we aren’t stopped,’ Archie said.
Solomon smiled. ‘Just as I thought. By the way, what on earth has happened to your head?’
‘Oh! That’s from when I got struck by a lightning bolt at the football match—’
‘You think that’s bad,’ Isabella said. ‘Look at these.’ She removed her half-gloves and held her hands up.
Sue gasped. ‘Holes? How come?’
‘Another massive lightning strike. But I’m telling you, the science absolutely doesn’t add up. Want to see something cool?’
‘Sure.’
‘Then watch this,’ Isabella closed her eyes and pointed her hands at the wood basket. Suddenly a log hovered in the air and moved in mid air across the hearth to the fire where it nestled into the burning embers.
Sue swore out loud. ‘Bells, where did you learn to do that? It’s like you’ve discovered the Force, from Star Wars!’
Isabella laughed and winked at the others. ‘You should see what Daisy can do! And anyway, Sue Lowden, where in hell did you learn to swear like that? At sea, perchance, with Captain Williams?’
Sue blushed.
Isabella pulled her to the side, ‘Time to tell all, dear friend. And do not omit even the tiniest details!’
ONE HUNDRED NINETEEN
A SMALL REFLECTION
Stone thumped the desk.
So much didn’t make sense; didn’t join up. ‘Let’s check that camera you planted in the old woman’s apartment,’ he said to Dickinson.
Dickinson tuned in the receiver. The TV showed the blank wall. Dickinson fast-forwarded the screen, zooming through the footage.
On and on the film continued. ‘Nothing, sir.’
Stone scratched his chin. ‘Well, if they’re not there, any joy from the shopping malls?’
‘Most are underwater in the area surrounding Upsall. They’d have had to get out of the flood zone, and that’s about a two hundred mile radius.’
Stone examined the screen. ‘STOP IT – right there!’
Dickinson paused the recording.
‘Back a little.’
‘There!’ Stone said. ‘Forward a couple of frames.’ He stood up and moved over to the screen. ‘Can you blow this up?’ he said pointing at a picture.
‘This one?’
‘Yes, Dickinson. The one in the frame. Zoom in on it.’
Soon the picture ballooned onto the screen. Stone clapped his hands and swore under his breath. ‘I knew it. I bloody knew it.’
‘It’s a photograph of the de Lowes’ parents on their wedding day, sir,’ Dickinson said. ‘One of the one’s on her dresser.’
‘Is it really, Dickinson. Look carefully, lad. Look very carefully.’
Dickinson peered in. ‘I still can’t see what you can, sir.’
‘Try the reflection.’
Dickinson adjusted the settings and whistled. ‘You know,’ he said, ‘I’ve been wondering where he’d got to?’
‘Kemp?’
‘Yes. He had to turn up somewhere. And if he’s there, what’s to say the rest of them haven’t suddenly decided to make an appearance.’
For the first time in a long while, Stone smiled. ‘Dickinson, time to ge
t back there. And damn fast if you ask me.’ He checked his watch. ‘First light, fog or not. Understand? We’ve been way too soft on them. I think we’ve been played for fools.’
He leaned back in his chair and stretched his arms behind his head.
‘This time, my friend, they’re going to be in for a proper reality check.’
ONE HUNDRED TWENTY
TO THE DEATH
Gus hadn’t wanted to leave Sue’s side. When Isabella and Daisy excused themselves for bed, he hovered around until everyone had left. They cuddled.
‘You need to go, Gus,’ she said softly, stroking his face. ‘You’ll be alright on the sofa – won’t you?’
His dark eyes searched hers longingly. ‘Yeah. Look,’ he began, hesitantly, ‘I just want you to know something.’
‘What?’ Sue said.
He smiled. ‘That I ... um ... well, I love you, Sue. And that whatever happens, it’s been fun, really fun.’
‘You too,’ she said, her eyes sparkling, a cloud of confusion briefly passing over her face.
‘And thank you, for everything,’ he said.
‘Go. You’re turning into a soft little bear, Gus Williams. Away to bed, my Leo. I’ll see you later.’
He held her hand and prepared to leave. ‘Just don’t forget me in the morning, alright?’
Her face glowed like velvet in the soft candlelight and he sucked in every sweet detail, every line, remembering it.
He kissed her on the lips briefly, shutting his eyes as though savouring the moment forever. Then he slipped away, down the creaking staircase, along the corridor, the main stairs and past the rugs lying at the foot of the stairs before collapsing on the sofa.
He wiped his tears and breathed deeply, trying to control himself.
He checked his watch. Midnight. Four hours of sleep, and he’d need every minute – if he could get to sleep.
Gus lay down and pondered the last few days, and the day to come. Destiny is a funny old thing, he thought.
He’d be dead by now if it wasn’t for Sue. She’d saved his life. Now, he had the chance to save hers.
