Hide & Seek

by Barbara Gaskell Denvil

  The throne hovered in the air, and Clebbster began to speak. His voice was as threatening as his eyes.

  “My power cannot be surpassed,” he spat. “Do not ever try to cross me, those who try to unseat me from my rightful place. I can bring you pain just from pointing my finger”, and he held up the index finger of his right hand, which shot forwards like the arrow from a bow, dark and ugly. He had regrown the fingernail which was as long and curled as the finger. Even its transparent echo stank. “I have brought the leaders of my great army back from their sleep, and my ancestors live again. But I can conquer my enemies even more easily. I shall take each one of your pathetic snivelling family and bring them here. Then they will never leave as you will never leave, and each day I can stab with fire, slice with steel, or cut out your tongues, piece by piece. My ancestors can enjoy watching. They can enjoy helping. And they can enjoy rampaging throughout the land, just as they did when alive.”

  Looking around, Nathan saw the evil grins on each man’s face. “They’ll probably snatch your throne back from you and kill you too,” Nathan shouted back, his own anger combined with his growing fear.

  As though they had heard some secret message, the crowd of past emperors stopped speaking, They stood still and silent, staring up at Clebbster, and in one mighty thump, and at the exact same moment, they stamped one foot. Boom. The floorboards shook. And together they shouted out, “Now, my king.”

  The stench swirled.

  Clebbster again lifted his right hand. Although he was only a mirage, the fire stabbed from the long curved nail, and Nathan staggered back, holding his forehead. “No one will ever kill me,” sneered Clebbster. “But we will enjoy killing you. I shall start this very day.”

  He felt himself falling, falling, and falling further as if he was hurtling down a bottomless pit into stinking darkness. When finally he landed, he knew he’d fallen on top of John. But John was unconscious, and within just a few moments so was Nathan.

  Chapter Eleven

  “He’s been gone too long,” Arthur said, frowning. “Does the time pass the same here in Lashtang as it does in my old world?”

  “Oh yes,” said Peter. “And you’re right. It’s been too long. Someone needs to go and check in the forest.”

  “I’m happy to go,” said Arthur at once. “He’s my son, and I need to make sure he’s safe. Tell me where, and how to get there. Whatever the problem, I’ll go.”

  Messina stood behind Peter, hands clasped before her. “It's not that easy, Master Crinford. The forest, which is the last place we know John visited, does not welcome strangers. I shall come with you. I can also make your journey considerably easier.”

  “Then at once,” sighed Arthur. “It’s a real worry. So much can go wrong in this land.”

  Granny darted in through the kitchen door. “Messina, my dear, you’ve recently come from a horrible experience in the termite tower. I cannot permit you to travel off again so soon. I shall go, and I shall take both Sherdam and Arthur with me. I was planning exactly this when I suddenly heard you talking, since Nat is also missing.”

  “It’s Clebbster, isn’t it?” muttered Messina, half under her breath. “He’s constantly after Nathan, and he had a special plan for John. But I had hoped he was still crippled.”

  “He may be,” Zakmeister said, marching into the room. “But unfortunately he still has a few allies and two strong sons.”

  Looking around, over the top of her glasses as they slipped down her nose, Granny wiped her soapy hands on her apron, called to her jelly-maid to finish the dishes, and whipped her apron off over her head, chucking it to a chair. “Right,” she said abruptly. “I’m off. Who’s coming?”

  Everybody in the room jumped up.

  “Yes indeed, as the father,” said Arthur.

  “Yes indeed, as the other father,” said Bayldon.

  “Me,” said Peter.

  “And me,” said Sam.

  Sherdam, Zakmeister, Tryppa, Alfie, Alice and Messina all stood ready and it was only Poppy, most unexpectedly, who remained sitting.

  “That’s not like you,” remarked Granny, frowning down at Poppy.

  “I feel sick,” she said. “I think I swallowed a termite.”

  “Well,” Bayldon said, “since I have no magic, I shall stay here and make sure that Poppy is alright, and I do think Alice, Alfie and Sam should stay here too, and help everyone with the new village down at Bymion. It’s coming along nicely, but it will be ages before everyone is comfortable. Then eventually someone has to fly back to Sicily and invite those strange brigands.”

  “Very well,” said Messina. “I shall stay as well since someone with good magic must remain in case there’s an attack on the cottage. Sam has some magic too and between us we should be sufficient. The rest of you must go.”

  “If Clebbster is indeed involved,” Granny said, “then the combined magic of myself, Tryppa, Zakmeister and Sherdam should be enough.”

  “We shall start making the new village grow,” Messina nodded. “You all need homes and can’t live in tents. This is winter. It could even snow. Arthur, I know you’re worried about John, but really you should stay here and help build your new home ready for him to come back to.”

  At first Arthur was reluctant but eventually he agreed to stay behind, knowing that the others would be quicker without him, so the four shot off into invisibility, and within seconds they had appeared within the first stretch of Sharr Forest. “We don’t know where they are,” sighed Granny, “so let’s ask questions wherever we can.”

  There was certainly no one in sight, but Sherdam addressed the first tree. “Excuse me,” said Sherdam to the small beech, which had lost all its leaves and was looking a bit sad and chilly, “but have two young men passed here lately? They came in friendship to take part in your meetings, and were specifically brought by your great oak.”

  “They left,” said the beech. “I saw them. About sixteen years old or maybe more. One dark and one brown and blonde haired. That was the Lashtang Empole. I also went to the meeting and saw everything. It was a most important meeting and I saw you there also, illustrious lady.”

  “Thank you,” said Granny. “But the empole and his friend never returned and now we suspect some sort of trouble.”

  “Not here,” exclaimed the beech tree. “We are all most excited by the developments. The Quosters may return, and the waterways and hot springs may be restored.”

  Granny walked on, but stopped when a voice from nowhere, as if it floated from just in front. “Well met,” it said cheerfully, “Good to see you again, Altabella.”

  “I’m delighted,” said Granny, thrusting out her hand. “Younger Willow, this is a real pleasure, and most helpful, for we are searching for Nathan and his friend John. They came here for the meeting of the trees, but that was days ago, and they haven’t returned. We are frankly really worried. Have you seen them?”

  “We heard they’d come to the meeting,” replied the voice from nowhere. “I met the great oak Soar and was informed. We’ve always considered Soar really formidable, you know. Almost an enemy. He can get very angry and throw branches. He uses his roots to trip us up. But he was suddenly most polite and told us the Quosters may return, but we can stay too if we wish. But I’ve not seen Nathan or his friend.”

  Tryppa shook the invisible hand. “I’m delighted to see you again,” she said, then laughed. “Not that I do see you, of course.”

  Younger Willow smiled. “Now, would you like to come to tea and meet my wife? Then I shall call some of my friends to go into Peganda to look for Nat and the other boy. Being almost invisible, we are very good at searching for hidden things.”

  Having accepted the invitation, they all trooped into the Epilog village, first pulling on one hanging loop of artificial ivy which opened the magical doorway, and then hurrying into a dark underground lane. Surrounded by attractive cottages and little squashed buildings, the little gardens with their flowers and shrubs, the tiny drinking fo
untain, and the roads which wound around the houses, twisting in all directions.

  “I hope you can see my wife, she’s beautiful,” proclaimed Younger Willow, and opened his cottage door, ushering everybody inside. It was a bit squashed but extremely cosy, with comfortable chairs and the kettle whistling from the kitchen. They drank tea, as the tea pot seemed to float through the air, filling the cups which were also hovering over the table. A plate of biscuits came zooming, and everyone helped themselves.

  Younger Willow’s wife, even more excited, scuttled from the living room to the kitchen and they could all hear her, and smiled, hoping she would see their pleasure.

  It was night when the Epilogs met in a huge crowd outside Younger Willow’s house. They each carried their own minute candle, and they could see the glittering of a hundred little flames bouncing around in the air, and thought it mystically beautiful. Granny walked outside and smiled at the crowd. “I suggest half of you search Peganda, and half search Pickles,” she said softly, gazing into the flickering lights. And she gave them both the address of the Peganda house where both Clebbster and William Octobr had been living, and the three possible and very noticeable houses in Pickles. “I wish to speak with Soar Oak,” she continued. “But then I shall travel directly to Pickles. If the empole and his friend arrive back home, Messina will come directly to inform me, wherever I am. But clearly, they haven’t arrived yet. It is most disturbing.”

  The Epilogs set off into the night, and Granny whizzed herself to the forest centre, and spoke to the old oak tree. Within moments she was back. She looked even more worried. “There was a problem after the meeting,” she explained, “when Yaark turned up. Unable to use the tiger Gilden, he entered one of the other tigers, and attacked everyone. Luckily he was wounded, and sent away beaten. But it means Yaark and Clebbster are now both active again. And there is still no news of Nathan or John. According to Soar, they both went off with Gilden, intending to come straight home to the cottage afterwards. That was days ago.”

  Sherdam turned to the others. “It’s off to Pickles, then. Are we ready?” And when everyone nodded, he raised his arms, and after a jerk and a blink, they opened their eyes to the seashore at night, and the bell coming from the church steeple up on the hill, ringing ten times for ten o’clock at night.

  The sea was glittering with reflection for many of the tiny boats with minute lanterns at their prows, were sailing off towards the horizon. Night fishing was very successful for some fish, and although it was a cold winter, the fishermen were well wrapped. Some people still walked the streets, but most were now at home, and many were already in bed, preparing for an early morning.

  Granny pointed. “Ninester and Ferdinand are both back home here. That’s Ferdinand’s cottage down there near the coast, but Ninester lives up there with his mother. I don’t want to bother him now, and he’d only get frightened, but I should like to check with Ferdinand. He might have heard rumours or seen Clebbster back in his ugly stone house.”

  Zakmeister shook his head. “I’m going to check at the port and see if anyone has seen our two boys,” he said, “I won’t be long and I’ll come straight back to Ferdinand’s house..”

  They strode off together down the narrow sloping lane towards the glitter of the sea. It lay calm and the last of the fishing boats was leaving. Meanwhile Granny, Tryppa and Sherdam walked briskly to the lower streets and knocked on the door of Ferdinand’s house. It was his wife Sorazuma who answered, delighted to see who her visitors were. “We were just about to go to bed,” she said, “but this is much nicer. Do come in and have some supper.”

  “No,” Tryppa smiled, “Not for me. We’ve just had tea and biscuits. But we need to talk.”

  Ferdinand came bustling from the back garden, and they immediately explained their business. “Nathan and John,” said Sherdam. “They haven’t come home. They’ve been missing for several days now, and we’re worried. They went to the forest, but we’ve checked there. They left quite some time ago. We think they’ve been captured.”

  “I’ve been building my own small boat,” he said. “Not finished yet, but it’s a good job, I think. But no need for a boat to find the illustrious empole. I am at your service, naturally, my lady. But where shall we search?”

  “I’d hoped you might have heard gossip,” Granny said, plopping down in one of the large armchairs. “Not specifically about Nat, of course, but perhaps about the return of Clebbster to one of those houses, or some strange appearance that might be Yaark on some secret business.”

  “I have indeed,” said Sorazuma, jumping up. “This morning in the market everyone was talking about the black house on the cliff. There have been strange noises and a large number of people going in and out. Those other houses along the port side, they are destroyed.”

  “That’s true,” said Ferdinand. “The house where the daughter Laksta lived, well, Nathan more of less knocked that down. Now it’s gone entirely and the village mayor is planning a large warehouse for the fisherman to store their equipment, and maybe a fish-market. Then the other house where Clebbster himself lived, that’s gone too. Part of the same warehouse now. But the black house on the cliff, that’s been extended and I don’t know who lives there.”

  “Well, not the mayor,” said Sorazuma. “The women at the stalls this morning said that no one has bought that huge place and it still belongs to the original owner.”

  “Not Hexaconda.”

  “Clebbster,” said Tryppa. “It must be. And I’d bet that’s where he’d imprisoned Nathan and John.”

  “We will all go,” Granny told him. “But I’d sooner wait for Zakmeister. He might have news, and if we face any danger, then he’s a good friend to have around.”

  “Zakmeister is probably the best warrior we have,” smiled Tryppa. “But perhaps we should have asked your pirate friend to come with us.”

  “Then I’ll go down to the docks and find him,” said Ferdinand, but within only a few moments, Zakmeister knocked on the door, and shook his head. “Not much news,” he said. “Clebbster hasn’t been seen creeping around the way he used to when he lived in the white stone house, but the black house on the cliff is the only one left now, and it’s busy. People in old fashioned clothes, strange men in armour coming and going, and men fully armed. Many of them look like Wagster and Brewster. They haven’t got any more ugly family members around, have they?”

  Frowning, the others seemed confused. Granny shrugged. “I have no idea,” she said. “But we must walk up there right away, and discover exactly what has happened. Clebbster is certainly up to something.”

  The wind was cold and growing stronger, and the sea down below was growing choppy. Zakmeister was already marching up the steep road to the black house, Sherdam, Tryppa and Granny following. Ferdinand had raced ahead, for he wanted to explore the grounds while the others went straight to the house. With the wind in their eyes, and the huge darkness above, there was only star-shine to light their way, but no one minded. Neither of the moons was showing through the clouds, but both Zakmeister and Sherdam had created a small golden light beaming out from their hands, and this was most helpful.

  Up the wide road, rabbits and little pink mice scuttled from their way and into the roadside bushes. The house, just two storeys high, stood dark within its grounds. They saw Ferdinand darting amongst the bushes, and he waved before again ducking under the leaves. He had promised to join them before they entered the house itself. If they did!

  And the door stood open. There were bright lights in all the windows, and music was coming loud and clear from the open entrance. Granny snorted. “Terrible taste in music,” she said.

  “It’s old fashioned dance tunes,” Sherdam said. “Now why would they know such old songs? I haven’t heard any of these for years and years. Some of them I’ve never heard at all.”

  “There’s a lot of noise,” agreed Zakmeister. “It sounds as though they’re having a party.”

  It did. As they crept closer, it
was clear that inside there was dancing, although most men appeared to be dancing with each other or by themselves. Cups of something dark were being passed around, and everyone was drinking heavily. There was food of some kind, with huge platters piled on a long table to one side of the room. They could see a couple of women, but no more, and those women were dressed not in flowing party clothes, but in old fashioned armour, their swords still hanging at their sides.

  Granny slipped around to the side of the house where the darkness was complete. There was no party here. It was cold, black, and silent. There was a side door, and Granny pushed it. But it did not open and she stepped back.

  The long side wall of the house was scorched, the black plaster flaking and burned. There were massed weeds, burned ivy falling dead along the edges, and the windows were black, their glass shattered and the rooms inside unlit. It smelled both of dark magic, and of burning rubber, plaster, glass, brick and stone. The combined smells were horrible and very strong, but it did not seem as though the party-goers cared about the stink.

  Tiptoeing along the whole wall, Granny eventually came to the back of the house and here the doors were once again open, but there was silence except for the faint echo of the music, and there were no signs of burning. Not yet risking to explore inside, Granny asked Sherdam to go and see what Ferdinand was doing, and to bring him back. She didn’t want anyone separated if they had to face the danger within.

  Once Sherdam had gone, she whispered to the others. “We know little about this house, but we can see the big party room’s in front. Perhaps the back has the kitchens. There was a huge indoor pool when we came here before, and Hexaconda was swimming in it with a bundle of snakes. Quosters, I suppose. But we can’t know how much has been changed since she left. Clebbster might like floating in hot water too. He used to go to Sparkan for that pleasure, but I imagine he’d be happy to have it in his own home.”