CHAPTER 16
2010
“SO WHAT DO YOU THINK IT IS?” I asked.
“Ah,” Cally said. “That is the big question. What do you want it to be?” I was still close to her, leaning over the stone. I looked her in the eye. Her pupils were wide, glinting with mischief. In a movie, I would’ve kissed her. But I wasn’t in a movie, and I wasn’t sure if she was teasing me or flirting with me.
Instead, I said, “I…er, I don’t know.” I think I blushed.
She looked away, smiled to herself. I took the opportunity to step back and brush some of the dirt and bits of dead leaves from my shirt.
“Sorry,” she said. “I was just…you know. I didn’t mean to…”
I frowned as if I didn’t know what she was talking about. “Mm? It’s all right, I just, erm, anyway,” I said, changing the subject. “You must have some ideas, some theories.”
Cally nodded. “Oh yeah, there’s theories all right—lots of them: shrine, altar, monument, navigation waypoint, celestial calendar. Take your pick.”
“Or it could be,” I said as though I’d just had an inspirational idea, “an amazingly expensive bench.”
She laughed. “You’re funny,” she said.
“No, I’m serious,” I said, hamming it up for all I was worth. “They’d pay a fortune for a set of these in the new mall.”
“Yeah,” she said, joining in. “Stylish, elegant and, above all, vandal-proof.”
We shared a smile. I’ll be OK, I thought, as long as I don’t push my luck.
“Seriously though, we don’t know what it is,” she said. “We don’t know how it got up here, where it came from. We don’t even know how old it is.”
“Can’t you use carbon dating?” I asked.
“Not carbon dating—that’s really for organic materials. But there’s lots you can do in the lab. The prof wants to analyse it in a mass spectrometer and do as many tests as possible. But for that you need samples, and to take samples you need permission. And the druids…” She shrugged.
“The druids don’t want you hacking lumps off the mother ship or whatever they think it is.”
“Right,” she said. “Anyway, I think it’s usually this slow. It’s not like on the telly—you don’t rush in with diggers. It’s more like scraping away with a trowel and a paintbrush. You take your time, photograph everything, write it all down.”
“Sounds a bit…dull,” I said.
She shrugged. “It’s OK. You can have a bit of a laugh. And if you do find something, it’s great.”
“Yeah,” I said. I wasn’t convinced, but then I thought of long hours spent with Cally, and it started to sound pretty good. “Look,” I said, then I wasn’t sure how to finish the sentence.
She looked at me, smiling, expecting another joke. “Yeah?”
I felt light headed; was I going to do this? “Are you finished for the day? I mean, are you free?”
She looked at me quizzically. “Free?” she said.
“Yeah, I, er, wondered if you wanted to…” my voice trailed off as I saw the look on her face, realisation closely followed by embarrassment. I’d pushed my luck.
“Oh,” she said. “No, I don’t think that would be…”
“No,” I said. “Of course not. I…I’d better be going anyway. Stuff to do.”
“Yeah. Sure. And my friends will be back in a minute. And Dean, he’s sort of my boyfriend.”
I looked at the ground, I looked all around me—anywhere but at her. “You said there was a path?” I said.
“Yeah,” she said. “Just over there.”
I glanced at her to see where she was pointing. “Thanks,” I said. “See you…I mean…bye.” I started walking up the slope, hoping I was going in the right direction
“Bye,” she called.
I raised an arm to wave, but I didn’t turn around. I waded into the undergrowth, moving as fast as I could without breaking into a run. And I kept going.
CHAPTER 17
3500 BC
TELLAN DUCKED INTO THE UNDERGROWTH just in time. It was not yet dawn, but already Waeccan was crossing the pit floor. Tellan held his breath, raised his head and watched. Waeccan approached the rock face and then…Tellan gasped. The old man was climbing, clambering rapidly up the sheer slope like a man half his age. Soon Waeccan disappeared from view. Tellan waited. When would Waeccan return? Tellan rubbed a hand across his face. It was worth taking a risk. He broke cover and sprinted across the pit. He found the narrow steps easily. They were only partially hidden by the surrounding undergrowth. Tellan reached out, ran his hands over the level surface of a step. It was cut into the rock, but how? He shook his head. It wasn’t right.
A voice from above. Waeccan was talking—to himself? Tellan backed away, listened. It sounded like Waeccan was on the move. Quickly, Tellan turned, scanning the pit floor for hiding places. He chose a large boulder and dashed toward it, almost slipping as he threw himself down behind it.
He took a deep breath. He’d done it. Carefully, he peered around the boulder’s edge. Waeccan was climbing unsteadily down. Tellan watched as Waeccan walked to his hut. Soon Tellan smelled smoke. His stomach growled as he realised Waeccan was making a meal. Tellan turned away, slumped back against the rock and waited.
In a while, Waeccan emerged from his hut, walked to the rock face and busied himself. What was he doing? And who did he keep talking to? I should go back to Burlic, Tellan thought. But I don’t know what to tell him yet. If I wait, he might do something worth watching.
Tellan had the patience of a natural hunter. As Waeccan worked, Tellan crept from shadow to shadow, watching, waiting. But he kept his distance. I don’t like it, Tellan thought. The way he talks. Can he really be alone?
Eventually, as the daylight faded, Waeccan stopped to forage for food and firewood and returned to his hut. I’ll go closer now, Tellan thought. While he’s busy. He crept across the pit floor, picking his way carefully through the scattered stones. As he neared Waeccan’s hut, he crouched, edged his way behind a clump of dense hawthorn.
He could just see Waeccan. It looked as though the old man was struggling to light his fire, muttering away to himself. Tellan was well hidden. He could move closer, close enough to hear what Waeccan was saying.
Almost noiselessly, he crouched down, parted the lower branches and slid in between them. He hardly noticed the thorns scratching his arms. He’d known much worse. Inside the clump of bushes there were very few branches, just the main trunks of each bush. They formed a dark space that made a perfect hiding place. Tellan even had room to shift his position and stretch his legs a little. It had been a long day.
Now Waeccan crouched over his pathetic attempt at a fire. The acrid smoke drifted into Tellan’s hiding place. It stung Tellan’s eyes, made them water. He blinked, wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. And when he looked back to Waeccan…Oh no—the old man had jumped to his feet, was rushing toward him. Tellan froze; there was no time to react. Waeccan reached among the branches, peered into the darkness within. I’m too close to him, Tellan thought. I should’ve known better. But it was a shadowy hiding place. There was a chance Waeccan wouldn’t see him if he kept absolutely still.
No. Waeccan gasped in horror. It was too late. He’d been discovered. Tellan tensed. His hunting instincts told him to strike, to try for a quick kill. But the old man was staring him in the eye, and nothing in Tellan’s life had prepared him for this moment.
“Who are you? What are you doing there?” Waeccan called. There was no mistaking the fear in the old man’s voice, but nevertheless his words chilled Tellan to the core. Tellan backed away, retreating into the gloom. One step, two, then in one motion he turned and crouched. He pushed his way through the branches, and then, as quickly he dared, he slipped away. He heard the old man calling after him: “What do you want? Why do you hide like a coward? Show yourself if you are a man.”
Don’t run, Tellan thought. It’s too noisy—he’ll know where you are. He
moved in among the trees and breathed more easily. The daylight was dwindling, the shadows were darkening and the old man’s frustrated cries were fading away behind him. He had escaped.
Now he must return to find Burlic. He looked for the path he needed and spotted it easily enough. He started walking. Burlic, he thought, there’s another problem. What would he tell him? How would he react if he knew that Tellan had been seen? Better not to mention it. He would tell him about the secret way up the rock face. Waeccan must have some sort of hiding place up there. That should satisfy him. And there was nothing else worth talking about. If there was anything suspicious to see, then it must be in that hiding place. He’d tell Burlic to climb up there himself and look around while Waeccan was busy elsewhere. It would give him something to do, distract him from his murderous plans. “And while you think about that,” Tellan muttered, “I’ll think of a way to stop you.”
It was all right. He had until tomorrow. They’d come back into the pit tomorrow.
CHAPTER 18
2010
WHERE DID I GO WRONG? The question nagged at me over and over as I barged through the undergrowth, hopelessly casting about for a glimpse of this supposed path. Of course, I’d never really been in with a chance in the first place, not with a girl like Cally. “Oh well,” I muttered to myself, “at least you tried.” And how was I to know she had a boyfriend? Dean, I thought bitterly, sounded like a prop forward—whatever that means. I stood for a moment and looked around to get my bearings.
The slope was steeper than I’d thought. And there was no sign whatsoever of a path. I looked back at my trail of trampled plants. It was clear to see where I had been, but there was no trace that anyone else had ever been there. So either I had blundered off in completely the wrong direction, or…“She lied to me,” I whispered. I sighed and closed my eyes for a moment. She’d made a fool of me. Her whole story of professors and archaeological digs was just too far-fetched. Surely, if there’d been a dig in the quarry I’d have heard about it. It would’ve come up at school and my dad would definitely have talked about it. It was just around the corner from my house for goodness’ sake. And protesting druids? That would’ve been on the local news. “Druids,” I said contemptuously. “Give me a break.” I trudged on up the slope. Apart from some spindly trees, the ferns and wild plants seemed to go on forever. A few druids, I thought, would brighten the place up.
But then, there was the stone. Cally hadn’t made that up. And if she wasn’t really on a dig, then what the hell was she doing there? I chewed my lip. I didn’t have any answers. I grabbed hold of a tree trunk and rested for a second. I was starting to get hot. And thirsty. I looked at my watch. It’d been a long time since I’d had anything to eat or drink. And I just wasn’t getting anywhere. I could bumble around for hours and never find the path.
I looked back down the slope. “I could go back,” I said. It would be a bit embarrassing, but I didn’t have to admit I’d got lost. I could make up some excuse. Perhaps, if we could pretend that I’d never tried to chat her up, things would go a bit better with Cally. I’d certainly like to ask her a few more questions. I wanted to know more about that stone. I’d almost made up my mind up to go back, when I heard it: a girl’s high-pitched scream, suddenly cut short. It came from below me. It could only be Cally. And now I knew what I had to do.
CHAPTER 19
3500 BC
“WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?” Burlic snarled. “It’s almost nightfall. I looked for you but I couldn’t find you. I’ve waited here all day.”
Tellan held out his arms toward Burlic, his palms open. He kept his voice calm and level: “Yes, and I have something important to tell you. But let’s keep our voices down. We do not want to be overheard.”
Burlic narrowed his eyes and glared at the younger man. His lip twitched. But when he spoke, he lowered his voice to a muted growl: “I was beginning to think the old man had done away with you.”
“Well, as you see, I am unharmed,” Tellan said. “Sit down, and I’ll tell you all that I’ve seen.” Burlic didn’t move. Tellan forced a smile. “Burlic,” he said. “Sit down, my friend. We have much to talk about.”
Grudgingly, Burlic squatted on his haunches. Tellan did the same, sitting close so that they could speak quietly. “For much of the time,” Tellan began, “Waeccan works on the stone. I wasn’t close enough to see how he works—it wasn’t worth the risk.” Burlic snorted and shook his head, but Tellan carried on. “But just as I got there, before it was even properly light, Waeccan climbed straight up the rock face.”
Burlic pulled a face. What nonsense. He opened his mouth to speak, but Tellan didn’t give him time. “He has a secret path, cut into the rock. It’s hard to explain, but it gives him…footholds—it makes it easy for him to climb. I went closer to see for myself. And there’s something else…” Tellan paused, but Burlic was not about to interrupt; he was waiting, open-mouthed. Tellan continued. “Somewhere up there on the rock face, Waeccan has some sort of secret hiding place. He stayed there for some time, but I could not follow without being seen.” He looked Burlic in the eye. “If only,” he went on, “we could see inside Waeccan’s hiding place.”
“Ha,” Burlic said. “We can see for ourselves. If an old man can climb to it, then I know I can.”
“I suppose so,” Tellan said, doing his best to sound doubtful. “But would you follow Waeccan up the rock face? Would you risk being seen? The rock face is exposed, and he would have the advantage of height over you.”
“Of course not, you young fool. I’ll wait until he’s off being busy somewhere. You could keep an eye on him, and I’ll climb up.”
“Ah, that is a very good idea. You’ve thought of everything, Burlic.”
“We’ll go tomorrow—after daybreak.”
“Yes,” Tellan said. “We’ll go tomorrow.” And he smiled to himself. That had been much easier than he’d thought.
CHAPTER 20
2010
CALLY THRUST HER HANDS into the pockets of her dungarees. Alone again. Poor boy, she thought. I was a bit rough on him. He wasn’t the worst boy who’s ever asked me out. She sniffed. That title could belong to any one of a long list of creeps and idiots. She could still hear Jake thrashing around in the undergrowth somewhere above her. She’d like to say sorry to him and to explain. In his own way, he’d been quite sweet, nice to talk to. It’s just that he was a bit…young. At least he’d made her laugh. But it was too late now—he wouldn’t be back. She sighed. She needed cheering up. Her day was not going well.
It had started out OK. The prof had been busy making phone calls up at the base camp, and Cally and the other volunteers had been given some free time. It had been Dean’s idea they should go down to the ledge. He’d got what he called some “cheeba.” Honestly, he was so uncool. Why on earth had she said that Dean was her boyfriend? She shuddered at the thought. It had just been the first name that had popped into her head.
Cally had smoked a joint before. It wasn’t really her sort of thing, but she wasn’t going to say no and be the only one to stay behind. So they’d all sat on the ledge and passed the joint around. But this one had seemed much stronger than the one she’d tried before. She’d felt sick and dizzy. She’d muttered an excuse and stood up, but that had only made her head spin. Worried that she was going to throw up, she’d wandered away from the others, over to the black stone. She’d felt faint, needed to sit down. They weren’t supposed to sit on the stone, but she’d been past caring. The ground had swayed under her feet. She’d sat down, then lain down on the cold stone. The others had laughed at her, called her names, jeered. Their voices had echoed and faded. She’d closed her eyes, seen flashing lights, felt the ground spin. And had a terrible dream.
She shook her head to get rid of the memory. It was best forgotten. And when she’d woken up, they’d all left her. How could they? She’d been alone and unconscious. Anything could’ve happened. She had a good mind to quit the dig. She wasn’t sure she could face a
ny of them ever again. But it would mean leaving the stone. And whatever she said to make light of it, she was genuinely fascinated. She walked across to it, leaned over and ran her hand over the smooth surface. Was she imagining it, or did it make her fingertips tingle? For the second time she sat on the edge of the stone. For a moment she was lost in thought as she stroked the cold stone with the backs of her fingers. It really was beautiful. But there was no one to share this moment with. Jake understood, she thought. She’d seen it in his eyes. Sadly, she pulled her legs up and hugged her knees to her chest. She sighed, closed her eyes and wished she was somewhere else.
CHAPTER 21
3500 BC
BURLIC DID NOT LIKE THE RAIN. He could cope with extreme cold and fierce heat, but now, crouched in the mud, he was drenched to the bone and miserable. He leaned back against the broad tree trunk. It was a good hiding place, but it provided no shelter from the relentless downpour. Tellan, he noticed sourly, did not seem to mind. The younger man had been cheerful all morning, ever since they’d decided to keep their distance and just keep an eye on Waeccan while they waited for an opportunity to climb the rock face. Burlic wasn’t sure whose idea that had been. Sometimes Tellan’s words could be slippery. It didn’t matter. When it came to it, Burlic was stronger than Tellan. And much stronger than Waeccan.
Burlic smiled grimly. Waeccan was old and frail. It wouldn’t be much of a fight. Burlic felt for his knife, wrapped his fingers around it. The cutting edge was the sharpest he’d ever made. He had taken great care with this knife, working on it the previous day while he’d waited for Tellan to return. It was ready for one dreadful purpose, one lethal stroke. The cold flint felt good. But would it be enough?
“Tellan, keep your eyes open,” he hissed. “Remember—we are not here to fight an old man, we are here to fight a Shade.”
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