“We’re in the sky?” asked Sam, absolutely amazed.
“You were flying with Hermes,” Messina explained, “and coming to join the rest of us. Yaark grabbed you both.”
“And the cats too?” asked Sam with a sniff, holding Mouse tightly. The kittens did not seem to care and had probably enjoyed being sparrows, and now Flop and Mars Bar were cuddled to their mother while Gosling was cuddled to Hermes.
“Weren’t we on our way to Sparkan?” remembered Nathan, scratching his head as if his feathers were still itchy.
“Indeed.” Messina began to walk around the cave, feeling the rocky grooves with her fingers. “But now we must return to Lashtang as quickly as possible. The danger is too great for us to go directly to Sparkan,” she said. “In a few days I hope I and Nathan may set off once more for Sparkan but Lashtang needs us first.” Finding nothing hidden within the walls, she started walking towards the tunnel and beckoned to the others to follow her. “Hermes, I wish you to take Sam and the cats back to the Lashtang cottage. Some parts of this tunnel are too narrow and low for you to fly through, but as soon as you see the sky at the other end, you must fly fast.”
They all entered the long dark tunnel. Messina led, and the cats scampered at their feet. Hermes walked at the end with Nathan, watching out for any flickering shadows or sudden movement along the walls. The slugs soon appeared, and Messina shone a bright light in their faces, just in case any one of them was carrying Yaark inside.
At last they came within sight of the bright blue sunny sky beyond, although the opening of the tunnel was blurred by the straggling fingers of cloud. And there, sitting right in the middle of the way out were four very small and very bright stars. The blue and black stars were just a little larger, but the pink and green hovered in front, as if ready to pounce.
“Stop,” shouted Messina, holding up her arms so that everyone halted behind her. Everyone except the cats knew that Yaark was a little blue star unless he was occupying someone else. But none of them had known there were other stars.
“Are they Yaark’s family?” whispered Sam.
“Hush,” said Messina at once, and she turned to the entrance and the floating stars. “You are not part of Lashtang or Sparkan,” she said. “So where do you come from? And what do you want?” There was no answer, so Messina spoke again with contempt in her voice. “You claim to be powerful creatures,’ she said, “yet you cannot speak? Or is it the evil that steals your voices?”
It was the black star which zoomed suddenly forwards and sparkled brighter, with sudden flashes dancing out into fiery sparks. Then the cloud outside started to darken and its fingers crept into the tunnel and pointed to Nathan and the others, just as before the fingers had pointed to the houses in Peganda as they had all collapsed in ruins. Nathan quickly moved out of the way, pulling Sam with him. Hermes flapped his wings and flew up into the air. He raced at the stars, pecking and hissing. But the stars simply darted from his way.
“Hermes,” called Messina. “Take Nathan, Sam and the cats and fly to Lashtang as soon as the way is clear.” Sam picked up Mouse and the kittens and thrust them onto the goose’s back where they could hang on to his neck, and he climbed on behind them, holding them safe.
“Quick, Nat,” he yelled. “Climb on.”
But Nathan moved beside Messina. He was shaking his head. “Hermes,” he ordered. “Leave now.”
“I obey, my illustrious lord,” said Hermes and in just two seconds he was flying over the top of the little stars, out of the tunnel, away from the groping cloud, and right out into the sunshine.
Messina breathed a sigh of relief. “But you should have gone too,” she said to Nathan. ” It will be easier for me if there is no one else with me to worry about.”
“But I couldn’t leave you here alone,” mumbled Nathan. “You’re my Mum, and I only found you a couple of years ago.”
She laughed. “You won’t lose me yet, my dear,” she said. “I have also grown stronger in these past years since you rescued me from the ice chamber. Now I shall teach you some of the magic you will need to know when you are emperor.”
Chapter Six
The flashes and darts of stabbing brilliance from the black star were blocked by Messina’s hands. Hitting her upraised palms, they fizzled out like tiny fires in water. Messina was laughing.
“Nathan,” she said, “draw out your knife.”
He did and held it up. “But Yaark is Warden of the Key,” he reminded her. “Yaark and this knife are attached.”
“Exactly,” said Messina, “and now point your blade at the blue star, and demand obedience.”
Feeling very nervous, Nathan did as he had been told. He pointed the knife and it shone rich silver. “Yaark,” he called loudly. “you are the Warden of the Key of Clarr. As the Lord of Clarr, and the holder of the Knife of Clarr, I command that you obey me.”
Quickly Messina stood behind Nathan, her hands now on his shoulders. “The last time,” she whispered to him, “that you ordered Yaark this way, he was in the body of Gilden and did not have to obey you. But now he is just himself.”
The light from the knife was blinding, and all the stars sprang away into the cloud where they could not be properly seen. But a bitterly cold wind began to whistle around the mouth of the tunnel, and it swirled around Messina and Nathan, curling and tying until it felt as though they were both chained and could not move. But Messina kicked out, and immediately the invisible chains of wind blew away and the fingers of clouds fell like Smokey wisps on the floor of the tunnel.
The blue star hovered in front of Nathan’s face as if waiting to obey his orders, but Nathan was not sure what to do next, and turned back to his mother. However she was standing tall, with her eyes closed as though she was contemplating something important, so he turned back to the star, saying, “Now stay still do nothing to hurt me.” Once again nothing seemed to happen, and he wished Messina would speak, or Sherdam or Zakmeister would come along to back him up. Even his father Bayldon, who had no magic at all, could be very clever with ideas.
The blue star continued to hover but did not seem able to do anything new, but then the pink and the green stars zoomed together, in and out of the shadows. Then abruptly the whole space was filled with tiny red flies buzzing and biting. They spat a tiny red haze which stung and made Nathan itch all over, and then they bit, sucking his blood and leaving tiny black holes all over his face and up his arms. But they could not touch Messina and she stood, still with her eyes closed, as if she had no knowledge of what was happening. Nathan was feeling quite sick, but he raised his knife again and shouted, “Knife of Clarr, kill those wicked flies. Get rid of everyone,” and as abruptly as they had arrived, now they all fell dead on the ground at Nathan’s feet.
He looked down at the thousand marks on his arms and couldn’t stop scratching. Blood trickled down to his hands, and he could smell his own blood on his face. But now there was not one fly left alive and once again he faced the stars.
Yaark seemed unable to do a thing, trapped by the Knife of Clarr, but the black star, which was the largest, swooped forwards and stuck itself to his forehead. Immediately Nathan knew it was trying to get inside his mind and take him over as Yaark had once done, but Nathan fought him off, furious and determined.
He could hear the voice in his mind. It was deep and guttural like a growl, and hard to understand. It said, “I am Flibweed. We are the incubi of the meteor K.E. 869. We need new food. You will be planted on our meteor, but first we will rope your foolish island Sparkan, and pull it up to our homes.”
Nathan was startled but he was also quite interested so he almost began to ask questions. But then he realised the danger and fought to keep Flibweed out of his head, forcing him backwards. The star popped out with a grunt, and Nathan stamped both feet, shouting at all the stars to keep their distance. He held the knife higher, but he noticed that his hand was shaking slightly.
Quickly he realised that although the tunnel and the c
loud had always smelled disgusting right from the first little sniff, now the stink was changing. It was so rancid that Nathan started coughing and could not stop. He wondered if something was trying to crawl into his throat, and attempted to keep his mouth shut, but the vile stench continued to grow and make him cough. Soon his eyes were streaming, and he was bending over, retching and feeling terrible. He could not see anything different, but when he clamped his hand over his mouth he saw that almost at once it was covered in something like powdery smoke. It was thin but dirty, and as Nathan stopped it from getting in his mouth, it grew thicker over his hand and he could feel it sinking into his eyes and blowing up his nose. Still holding up his knife, he shouted “Knife of Clarr, blow out this filthy stuff and don’t let it near me.”
It stopped at once and Nathan could breathe again. He pulled out a tissue from his pocket and wiped his eyes, the back of his hand, and his face. Then he blew his nose and glared at the stars. He could still smell the horrible stink, but the smoke dust had gone.
He hoped at least Hermes and Sam had made it safely down to the cottage, but he wished his mother would wake up and do something to help. He didn’t really think she was asleep, but it seemed she was in a trance, hopefully preparing something to save them both. So Nathan waited for the next assault. It came soon enough.
With a thump, thump so loud and heavy that the tunnel floor, even though it was hard rock, began to vibrate, there was the sound of massive footsteps coming from somewhere behind him. He didn’t want to turn for his mother stood tall at his back, and he needed to keep the knife bright and high. But horrified at what might be coming, Nathan saw that his hand was shaking again. “Mum,” he whispered. “Can you help?”
Then marching out from the dark tunnel, came four pairs of huge legs with huge feet. The legs wear so long, they bumped against the top of the rocks, filling all the space right up to the ceiling, and they wore similar tight trousers in some thick material of big black and white checks. The shoes were absolutely enormous, like wooden clogs that made a threatening noise like pounding thunder. But there was no top to the legs and nothing at all above the belt around the waist. There was no chest. No arms, no neck and no head. Just legs and feet. Nathan stared, hardly believing what he saw.
The legs marched towards him and around him, big wide strides going thump, thump, thump as the whole tunnel shook. Nathan tried not to tremble, but the legs suddenly started kicking out and the round wooden toes only just missed him.
Kick, kick, and the things were getting closer. Nathan peeped up at his mother, but her eyes were still closed. Then one huge wallop came at him as one of the legs bent up high at the knee, so it was higher than his head, and then swung outwards, landing right into his stomach. He was winded and almost dropped the knife, but he realised this was exactly what they wanted them to do, so he hung on. Still striding around him in a great wide march, another pair bent up its knees and jumped, both legs kicking out at the same time. Nathan lifted the knife out of the way and ran to the side, so the kick missed him, but that started the legs moving quicker. They also started to run, smashing out towards him, thundering and bumping and almost blinding him with those great black and white checked trousers pushing into him and knocking him one way and then the other. He no longer had Messina protecting his back, but the legs stopped him returning to her.
Nothing hurt her. Nothing dared go too close, but those massive thumping legs and feet seemed terrifying. Their tops were flat belts, just touching the rocky ceiling.
Managing to hold up the knife, Nathan was able to say, “Knife of Clarr, make these legs turn to water and wash away.” He had meant to shout, but he heard his voice quite little and squeaky. Yet as soon as he stopped speaking and moved back again against his mother, so the sound of running water replaced the thumping feet. Then with a mighty swoosh, the trousers spurted out liquid, it ran from the bottom and over the shoes, and with a huge splash, the legs disappeared, and everything became a dirty puddle.
More nasty smells. Nathan sighed. One last time he held up the knife. “Knife of Clarr,” he commanded, his voice now stronger, “make these stars go away and stop trying to hurt me. They want to snatch you away from me, so you must protect both of us, and my mother too.”
Almost feeling safe and able to relax, Nathan had lowered the knife just a little when a terrible scream came from outside, and a desperate wailing. Alarmed, Nathan once again tensed, not knowing whether this was a trick, or if someone was being attacked outside. He stared around, but all he could see was the four tiny bright stars now whizzing up to the roof and hanging there, out of line of the knife.
A fearful scream echoed through the tunnel, and a pathetic sobbing followed, like a small child crying for its mother. Then another squeal. “What’s happening?” demanded Nathan.
“Murder. Pain and agony. Help us, I beg you. Save my baby. Please help us.” The voice, pleading and faint, came from the cloud.
“Has Yaark got more people trapped?” demanded Nathan. But the stars did not answer. He asked the knife instead, holding it up to his own face. “Knife of Clarr,” he said, “where do these screams, and cries come from? Are there real people being hurt?”
A wavy picture formed in front of Nathan’s eyes, of lights and twirling sparks in the clouds outside. One little red flame opened in the middle, screamed loudly, then closed its opening and began to giggle. Another shooting spark popped from the wafting clouds, and sprang upwards with a wailing shriek, then burst into fireworks and spun happily around.
So Nathan turned angrily to the stars. “What a mean trick,” he said. “You wanted me to be good and help people in trouble, while you were just being horrible.” He pointed the point of his knife at the blue and the black stars, saying, “Yaark and Flibweed, you are disgusting.” And then to the pink and green stars, adding, “I don’t know your names and I don’t want to. You are all vile.”
But then, quite unexpectedly, he heard his mother’s voice softly behind him. She said, “There is nothing more to trouble you, my dear. Look. The incubi have trapped themselves.”
Whirling around, Nathan stared up at his mother. At last she had opened her eyes, and she was holding a large glass jar with a great big brown metal stopper. Through the thick glass, Nathan could see the four little coloured stars trapped inside. They were flying madly in angry circles, knocking against the glass walls and bouncing from the bottom to the top. But they discovered no way to escape. Finally they clustered together in a little group, trying to work out a way of getting out.
“But they won’t find it,” said Messina. “I am sorry I left you alone so long to deal with all the bad things these creatures tried to do to you. But I knew with the Knife of Clarr you had as much protection as you needed, and I had to summon all my strength to create a jar with no way to escape or break it from inside, and then pull the stars into my trap. Now I have them. They will not get away, and I will keep them until I decide what to do with them. I may destroy them forever, but perhaps I shall find a use for them first.”
Nathan stared through the glass. He never thought he would see the terrifying Yaark so tiny imprisoned in a jar and utterly useless. And with three others too. He said, “Now we can make Yaark turn all the people of the plains back into the men and women they used to be.”
“I doubt I can make Yaark do anything,” sighed Messina. “I can destroy him, but even if I threaten to squash him beneath my shoe, I doubt he would ever do as I ask. But at least from here, he cannot do any more cruel things to our people. And we shall discover whether Wagster and Brewster are any better without Yaark inside Wagster.”
“And Clebbester,” nodded Nathan.
“We shall see,: said Messina. “The important thing is not to drop this jar, or ever let it break. I have put a spell on it to make it safe, but I shall take no risks.”
Nathan was so excited and delighted, he nearly jumped up and down. “Now do we go to Sparkan?” he asked.
But Messina said, “No.
Not yet. We must return to Lashtang, first to assure everyone that we are safe, for Hermes will have told them all we are in terrible danger. And secondly to sit down with your granny and study these disgusting creatures.”
“I don’t even really know what an incubi is,” frowned Nathan.
“Perhaps,” said his mother, “it is better that you never know. But an incubus and a succubus are similar creatures of great evil which suck out the mind and soul of the person they inhabit, taking over their thoughts and bodies. That is what Yaark has been doing for many years moving from one creature to another. Now we have stopped him forever, and his vile friends too.”
Leaning back against the rocky entrance, Nathan took a deep breath and smiled. “Mum, you’re just incredible. Now everyone’s saved.”
“I’m not sure of that,” said Messina. “But that’s exactly what I’m trying to achieve. Now, my dear, stand close to me and we will return to the cottage.”
Within a blink, as Nathan stared into the glass jar watching Yaark, Flibweed and the others, they were standing on the grass outside the cottage doorway and the others were running towards them, excited and relieved. Poppy threw her arms around Nathan’s neck, which made him go pink and wriggle away, while Alice and the others all rushed around, shouting out everything at once. “We were beginning to think you were in trouble,” called Alfie, clapping Nathan on the back so hard he nearly fell over.
“We was thinking we ortta come and find you,” said John, grabbing Nathan’s arm. But The cats, dashing around in excitement, were tripping everyone up, and it was only Granny who walked over to Messina and gazed with fascination at the glass jar she was holding.
Dominoes Page 6