‘I already have,’ replied Jim, gently.
Cobb cocked the gun and slowly squeezed the trigger.
‘COBB, STOP!!’ Adele screamed as she threw herself at Cobb and pulled on his gun arm. BANG! The gun went off and the bullet shattered the water jug on the table next to where Jim was standing.
‘Hey take it easy, you could kill someone like that,’ said Jim.
‘Adele … you don’t understand, it’s the only way …’ said Cobb.
‘No it isn’t … we have a cure,’ she replied.
‘A cure?’ said Cobb.
‘A cure?’ said Jim.
‘Yes, a cure. Well Zelda and I think we may have one. A possible cure.’
Cobb looked between Adele and Jim.
‘Tell me about it,’ said Jim.
Adele quickly explained her theory that the “werewolf germs”, for want of a better expression, were infecting his body like any other type of infection and they should try and treat it in the same way you should treat any other illness, by introducing something into his body to fight it.
Then she told them about the Silver Nitrate. When they both looked doubtful she explained how, in a diluted form, it had been successfully used to treat eye infections in babies, which proved that it could be used medicinally without any harmful effects.
‘So what do you intend to dilute it with?’ asked Jim.
‘Zelda is in the kitchen now mixing something up. It contains wolf bane and something else. Something she assures me should be in there as well, but I think that’s just superstition.’
‘What is it?’ asked Cobb.
‘Well … it’s some of Kayla’s hair. They haven’t burnt the body yet so she was able to acquire some.’
‘Talk about “The Hair Of The Dog That Bit You”,’ said Cobb.
‘Very funny, Cobb,’ said Jim.
‘Well you’re not going to try this, are you?’ asked Cobb.
‘What have I got to lose?’ replied Jim. ‘It may well kill me but that’s preferable to the other thing that’s going to happen to me.’
‘Good point,’ conceded Cobb.
At that moment Zelda came down the stairs into the dungeon corridor, followed by the Grand Duchess and Mira. ‘I thought I’d better bring them along as we’d better explain what we’re going to try to do,’ she told Adele.
Adele quickly ran through her theory again for their benefit.
‘What are the chances of this treatment working?’ asked Duchess Yuli.
Adele shrugged. ‘Slim,’ she admitted, ‘but it is a chance, whereas if we do nothing, then he will surely change and he will have to be …’ She didn’t need to finish the sentence, they all knew what he would have to be …
‘Well, I’m game,’ said Jim. ‘A slim chance is better than no chance in my book. I’ve faced those odds before.’
‘Very well,’ agreed the duchess, ‘proceed.’
‘Right, everybody out, we need room to work,’ ordered Adele.
Duchess Yuli left the room and Won Lungh followed her out, to wait outside until needed. Mira clung to Jim as the last time they had spoken she hadn’t known that they were saying their goodbyes. This time she was aware of the fact and reluctant to leave him. Jim finally managed to persuade her to go as it was for the best.
Cobb made to leave also but Adele held him back. ‘Jim, this treatment may be somewhat painful, so I think it is best if we tie you down so you don’t hurt yourself if you have a violent reaction. Cobb would you do that for me please?’
Cobb cut strips off the bed sheet with his penknife then tied Jim tightly to the bed, whilst endeavouring to make him as comfortable as possible. He tied his wrists to the sides of the bed and his feet to the bedposts at the end. Then he bound him over with strips of sheet across his chest, waist and legs.
Adele retrieved her bag from Won Lungh. She opened it up and removed the bottle of Silver Nitrate she had acquired from Herr Klick, and a syringe. After visiting the photographers, they had stopped off at the doctor’s office and borrowed one.
She opened the bottle of Silver Nitrate and dipped the needle into the silvery liquid. ‘I’m going to use a ten percent solution,’ she explained to everyone gently pulling back the plunger until she had drawn the required amount. Then she put the needle into the concoction that Zelda had made and filled the glass tube.
‘Okay Jim, I’m going to introduce it into the vein nearest the site of the original wound, that would be in the neck, so if you are ready?’
‘Ready as I’ll ever be, wish me luck.’
‘Good luck,’ she said as she found the vein in his neck and pressed the needle into it. One quick press of the plunger and it was all over. She stood up and put the syringe on the table. ‘It’s in the hands of the Gods now,’ she said to Cobb.
Jim started to breathe heavily and then he began to squirm as the Silver Nitrate mixture worked its way into him. His back arched and he gave out a strangled moan. As it quickly worked his way through his body, pain also coursed through him. Pretty soon his moans turned to screams.
‘Won Lungh!’ called Adele. ‘Can you do something to help him?’ she asked when he joined them in the cell.
Won Lungh went over to Jim and as they watched, he dug his fingers into a point on his neck. As had happened to Cobb’s cat Lucifer, Jim slumped and his head lolled to one side.
Despite Jim being out cold his arms and legs still jerked around. ‘I thought he was unconscious?’ said Cobb.
‘His mind is unconscious, that’s just his muscles and nerves reacting to stimuli,’ explained Adele. ‘He will be doing that for some time as the Silver Nitrate works it way around his system, hopefully destroying all traces of werewolf as it goes.
‘All we can do now is wait, so I will stay and keep an eye on him,’ she continued. ‘Go and get some rest, you were up all night and I doubt if you slept much this morning. Go, all of you, I will call you if anything happens. Won Lungh can stay in case I need help but everyone else, go.’
Cobb knew better than to argue with Adele so he left and the others, except Won Lungh, followed him.
All that day and during the night Adele, Zelda and Mira took it in turns to stay and watch over Jim. The duchess and Cobb came and went, even the mayor called in at one point to see how the “hero” was doing. The town had quite taken Cobb and Jim to their hearts for unseating Luga and bringing Yuli to the throne.
Finally, as dawn was breaking over the mountains, Adele was gently shaken awake by Won Lungh. ‘Missee Adele,’ he whispered, ‘Missa Darby waking up.’
Adele shook her head to clear it and looked at Jim who was struggling to sit up in bed.
‘Stay still Jim, you shouldn’t be trying to get up.’
‘Did it work?’ asked Jim, weakly.
Adele shrugged, ‘You’re alive.’
‘Guess we’ll call that a win then …’ he slumped back and closed his eyes. Adele checked his vital signs. His pulse was weak but his breathing seemed fine, it looked like he had just fallen into a natural sleep. She sent Won Lungh to tell the others.
Cobb, the Duchess and Mira piled into the room to see him but Adele wouldn’t allow them to disturb him and quickly ushered them out. ‘We’ll just let him sleep now and wake up naturally when he is ready.’
Cobb asked Mira to take over watching over Jim and led Adele away to get some rest.
***
Later that day, Adele went down to the dungeons to see how Jim was doing. Mira was sitting there patiently holding his hand. ‘How is he doing?’ Adele asked Mira.
As she opened her mouth to reply, Jim interrupted her, ‘Why don’t you ask me?’
‘You’re awake!’ said Mira.
‘How can anyone sleep around here with all this racket going on?’ he said with a yawn.
‘Let me have a look at you,’ said Adele. She sat on the bed and held his wrist, feeling his pulse. She peeled one of his eyelids back to check his eyes, then she gasped and put her hand to her mouth. ‘My God
s, his eyes …’
Mira and Won Lungh came up behind her, ‘What is it Missee Ad-’ Won Lungh stopped as he saw for himself the reason for Adele’s shock.
The iris of both of Jim’s normally blue eyes were coloured with tiny flecks of silver. ‘What is it? What’s going on?’ asked Jim.
The others looked at Adele for an explanation. ‘It looks like the Silver Nitrate in your system … well, some of it has lodged in your eyes, around the iris to be exact. You’ve got silver eyes.’ She found a mirror in her purse and handed it to Jim.
Jim sat there studying himself in the mirror, tuning his head this way and that to catch the light at different angles. Finally he grinned and said, ‘You know … I think I like it. It makes me look distinctive.’
‘You’ll certainly stand out in a crowd,’ said Adele.
‘Well I think it’s dashing,’ said Mira who then kissed him on the cheek.
‘Will this be permanent?’ he asked Adele.
‘I’m not sure. I expect the Silver Nitrate to pass out of your system naturally after being filtered out of your blood by your liver, but as for that …’ she pointed at his eyes, ‘who knows?’
‘So for now I’ll be … The Man with the Silver Eyes!’
***
Cobb and Adele and Won Lungh approached the gypsy camp.
‘Tell me again, why are we here?’ said Cobb.
‘Zelda asked me if I would come to the camp today, it’s important. She also said I could bring any friends or family with me if I wanted to.’
‘To do what?’ asked Cobb.
‘Be witnesses.’
‘Why … are they putting you on trial?’
‘No silly, she is going to do me a great honour.’
‘What, make you an honorary gypsy?’
‘Cobb!’
‘Sorry,’ he replied. ‘I’ll be quiet.’
‘She is going to honour me by giving me my secret witch name. It’s a big thing for a senior witch to give a young, new witch like me her name. Some witches never have that happen to them.’
‘What happens to them?’ asked Cobb. Do they become … The Nameless Ones? Condemned never to be spoken to because nobody knows their names?’
‘No, you loony, they just choose their own names. But it’s not as good as being given a name.’
‘Er … okay,’ Cobb gave in as reached the camp. They made their way to Zelda’s caravan where Adele knocked timidly on the door.
Zelda opened the door and stood looking down at them, looking her most formidable, dressed in her best cloak and holding a basket in her hands.
‘Are you ready?’ she asked Adele.
‘Yes, I’m ready. I have brought my family to bear witness,’ she replied formally, indicating Cobb and Won Lungh.
Zelda came down the steps of her caravan. ‘Follow me,’ she said and headed off into the forest.
They walked for some time without a word passing between them. Cobb opened his mouth to speak at one point but Adele pointed at him and gave him a stern look, so he shut up.
Finally they arrived at a small clearing in the woods. Assisted by Adele, Zelda quickly set up the site while Cobb and Won Lungh sat on a fallen tree, watching them.
Taking items out of her basket, Zelda placed them in the clearing at the four points of the compass, while Adele explained to the others what she was doing. Salt to represent Earth at the north, burning incense to represent Air at the east, a lit candle for Fire at the south and Water at the west.
Finally, Zelda laid a trail of salt connecting these items in a circle. She ushered Adele out of the circle before completing it. Then from her basket she took herbs, which she sprinkled, inside the circle.
Zelda raised her arms and closing her eyes, she chanted a string of words and phrases which Adele didn’t recognise, but she understood what she was doing … purifying the circle. Finally, she lowered her arms and spoke in a loud, ringing voice to Adele, ‘Who stands before me?’
‘I do!’ declared Adele forcefully.
‘Why have you come to me today?’
‘I have come to receive my name, which is my right as a member of the Sisterhood … as a witch!’ Adele replied.
‘And who will bear witness to this naming ceremony?’
As the ceremony was being conducted in Deutschen, Adele gave a short wave to Cobb and Won Lungh to cue them to do “their piece” as she had briefed them.
‘I will,’ said Cobb and Won Lungh, feeling a bit out of his depth, put up his hand meekly and said, ‘Me too.’
‘Step into the circle, child.’
Adele stepped carefully into the circle, taking care not to disturb the salt.
‘Kneel before me,’ instructed Zelda.
Adele knelt down. Zelda removed a headband of woven flowers from her basket and placed it on Adele’s head. Then she put her hand on Adele’s head. ‘I give you the secret name, to be known only to other witches and your loved ones. By this name shall you have power and understanding of the ways of the Craft. I name you … Melina!
‘I name you Melina, that was known in Ancient Athens as Bright Yellow and in Roman tongue as Honey Sweet. Honour this name and the Craft all your days. Obey the laws and love the Gods and Goddesses. Walk in wisdom. Keep well the earth. You now have the power of a name … use it well and use it wisely.
‘I greet you Melina … Sister of the Craft!’
Adele stood up and they embraced.
Zelda held Adele at arm’s length and told her, ‘You are a witch, a stronger one than you know. There are those who would have you use your power for good and those that would have you use it for evil. But be strong, be straight, be true and you will never fail the Sisterhood.’
Then she said, ‘It is traditional to give a present at a time like this. I have this for you.’ She reached into her basket and took out a thick book. ‘I have made you a copy of my Book of Shadows. Use it well and wisely and add to it your own knowledge and wisdom until it is time to pass it on to your apprentice,’ she looked at Cobb then back at Adele, ‘or your own daughter.’
‘I can’t possibly accept this, it’s too much,’ said Adele.
‘Of course you can, you have earned it by saving this country from the scourge of Duke Luga. Besides it is only a copy.’
Zelda brushed a hole in the salt circle and allowed Adele to go through where she embraced Cobb and Won Lungh.
‘Does this mean I have to call you Melina now?’ asked Cobb.
‘No, you don’t have to … well, you can when we’re … you know …’ she said with a smile and a blush.
Come back to the camp now,’ said Zelda. ‘I’ve had Charro prepare a small feast for us.’
***
Several days later Cobb, Adele, and Won Lungh accompanied by Jim in a wheelchair, stood in the castle courtyard surrounded by townsfolk and gypsies. Jim was still weak but recovering quickly, especially with Mira’s loving ministrations.
Grand Duchess Yuli had decided to honour the foreigners who had come to Pils-Holstein and risked their lives to restore her to the throne and bring freedom to the country.
Cobb bowed after she hung the Medal of Valour of Pils-Holstein around his neck and beside him Adele curtsied as she received hers. Next, Won Lungh who had never received public recognition like this before got confused by all the “pomp and ceremony” and also curtsied to the duchess. Duchess Yuli (who was too well bred to draw attention to his mistake) acted as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Finally, Jim bowed his head as he received his medal, followed by a huge hug from Mira.
Then the partying began in earnest. The kitchen and the cellars had been raided once again and everyone from the village brought food and drink, intent on celebrating to the full their release from a life of fear under Duke Luga and his werewolf pack.
Later that evening Cobb and Adele took a stroll along the battlements and watched the sun going down. It was a clear night, which gave a beautiful red sunset.
Adele stopped and Cobb sto
od behind and put his arms around her. ‘What’s the old saying?’ asked Adele, ‘Red sky at night …’
‘Shepherd’s house on fire?’ replied Cobb.
She laughed and elbowed him in the stomach. ‘You’ve no romance in your soul, Cobb.’
They turned to look down into the courtyard. Down below everyone was still celebrating. Jim had retired earlier pleading fatigue but from the look in Mira’s eyes as she wheeled him away, Cobb hoped for his sake he still had a bit of energy stored away, otherwise it was going to be a long night for him. Cobb could see Won Lungh breaking out of his usual reticence and dancing around to the music with a bottle in each hand, still proudly wearing his medal. He saw them and after taking a big drink he saluted them with the bottle. They waved and turned back to enjoy the sunset.
‘Well, what now?’ asked Cobb. ‘Jim’s going to stay here and recuperate for a while but what about us? We’re heroes here you know … I’ve already been told several times that we could stay forever if we wanted to.’
‘Nah, I’m an Albion girl … I’d miss it if I lived anywhere else.’
‘Yeah, me too, but I don’t see why we can’t stay for a few days, though,’ he said, nuzzling her neck, ‘a bit of a holiday?’
‘Good idea,’ said Adele, grinning and pulling his arms tighter around herself. ‘And I think I know where I can get some whipped cream …’
Epilogue
Cobb returned home, he had been out to the hardware shop and bought some furniture polish.
‘Hello Adele,’ he greeted her. ‘What are you up to today?’
‘I’ve got some correspondence to deal with about my mother’s house, I’m going down there the day after tomorrow to see the agent about the sale. What are you up to?’
‘I thought I’d polish up this table,’ he replied. He walked over to a table by the window. It was about six feet long and two feet wide as it stood but it had hinged flaps that could be folded out to make a much larger, round table. It had been placed lengthways across the front of the drawing room window, where it just supported an oil lamp and a couple of ornaments.
The Londum Omnibus Volume One (The Londum Series Book 4) Page 47
