Hide & Seek

by Barbara Gaskell Denvil

  This time there were no tents erected and no pens for llamas or anything else. The daisies fluttered in the breezes and the land lay quiet. Waiting!

  The first day of spring dawned in a scarlet blaze. The sky was a swirl of vibrant colours as the sun peeped over the horizon. Then as it climbed higher, the long streaks of vivid scarlet flared up and outwards like flames from a fire, and the orange lights leaped through the scarlet.

  Everyone in the cottage was up and dressed for this was the day of the magician’s Dual, and they were all either excited or nervous. Nathan was outside staring up at the swirling colours of the sky.

  “Red sky in the morning – sailors’ warning,” he recited.

  But his mother shook her head. “Today will be wonderful weather,” she said. “It has to be. I refuse to expect bad weather.”

  It started pouring with rain just as they all grouped together, ready to whizz off to Pickles Village and the prepared arena. They shivered, pulled up their hoods, and wished they’d put on boots instead of shoes. The sun, now up over the horizon in an enormous sizzling orange ball, was soon hidden by dark cloud and the heavy curtain of water.

  Altabella Octobr had already travelled ahead. She stood within the glass dome where the rain did not reach her, although it swamped the ground all around and soaked the seating. She stood silent, her eyes closed. She was concentrating on what she wished to achieve, and how she would protect herself against whatever Clebbster intended to do to her.

  She waited. No whisper, no creak or grunt sounded, but when she opened her eyes, she saw Clebbster standing before her.

  He was the same height, bent over and hunched, like a man who has been alive too long. Granny was not a tall woman but she was straight-backed, her feet stood firm, her hands were small and slim, and she was wearing a long white silk gown which flowed to the ground at her toes, had no tight waist, and the high neck and long sleeves were patterned in a thousand silver designs. She wore no glasses and her white hair was swept back from her face. She looked younger, very much alive with bright anticipation in her eyes, and a fierce determination.

  Clebbster was smiling. His mouth was wide but so thin-lipped, so his smile seemed more as though his chin had cracked. But his eyes, brilliant green, were as awake and as fierce as Granny’s. He wore, as always, long black silk to the ground, and this was also patterned with magic signs, but they were also black and did not show up on the black silk. He leaned on his cane, and the wooden peacock blinked one wooden eye.

  Outside the dome, it continued to rain but soon the stands of seats began to fill with spectators and others swarmed behind, standing crushed as they peered into the arena.

  Where the Epilogs squeezed together, the space appeared empty, but when they moved there was a vague wisp of shape which told of their presence. Soon everywhere was full. Dragons from Sparkan sat amongst the trees behind the seats, watching intently, and waving to each other. The lava wolves crowded beneath, keeping to the shadows. The people of Peganda and the little townships and coastal villages all stared at the three-headed wolves in fear, but the wolves kept back and looked at no one.

  No one, including the dragons and wolves, realised that the trees themselves were also amongst the audience, and had never grown there before. They had tramped all the way from the great dark Forest of Sharr and were ready to block any of Clebbster’s supporters who started a fight.

  It was clear that some of the resurrected wizards were not watching, and Messina guessed they were waiting somewhere, ready to start a war. But unless Granny lost the Dual, it was not yet important.

  All along the front benches sat Nathan and Poppy, Messina and Bayldon, Sherdam, Tryppa, Zakmeister Alfie, Alice, John, Peter and Sam. Amongst them, sitting up with their long, long legs stretched before them, were Hexaconda, Laksta, Laccyjon and two other Quosters. Clebbster saw them, and immediately turned away.

  Passleram was sitting on one of the benches opposite, and Nathan waved. The eagle fluttered a wing in return, but he looked at Poppy in amazement for she was wearing a very strange headdress. It was a wide green band which fitted around her head, and on both sides were three great peacock feathers. They blew a little in the breeze, but even though it was still raining, they did not seem to drip water, and remained bright and upright and very beautiful.

  Brewster Hazlett did not seem to be anywhere, and no one had seen him since his twin brother Wagster had been killed.

  However, William Octobr and his ugly son Hambrick sat on the front benches opposite Messina, staring and angry-faced.

  Within the dome, Clebbster spoke for the first time. “Twilgo Rudge,” his long fingers twitched, holding the cane tightly, “be still. You have your orders.” But the cane was almost dancing, jigging up and down, twisting between Clebbster’s palm and fingers. He was clearly annoyed, but the cane continued to swivel and turn.

  Granny watched it with interest. She had expected Clebbster to use it as a magical aid, and had planned a method of interfering with such a thing, for Poppy’s peacock feathers had some connection with the wooden peacock. No one understood why or how just yet, but hoped to discover, and stop it, as soon as possible.

  Poppy was smiling. Neither Granny nor Clebbster smiled now. The time for the Dual was approaching.

  As Messina stood, walking over to the side of the dome, several things happened at once.

  It stopped raining and the sun slipped out like a golden flower from between the clouds. Beams of brilliant sunshine poured down, drying everything, and sending up steam from the ground where wet soggy grass turned dry and soft.

  Lester Hazlett stood from the opposite bench, and walked forwards to face Messina, although on the other side of the dome.

  And, one by one, Nathan and all his friends pulled back their hoods and tugged on the feathered headbands which Brewster had once given them.

  Poppy already sat with her peacock feathers fluttering. Now Nathan wore a wide red band around his forehead, with white and black eagle feathers looking very grand. Alfie blue parrot feathers, Alice wore a pale blue band with a hundred tiny blue feathers all the way around. John was so excited he almost pulled his headband down across his nose, but he pushed it up until it sat proud – a black band around his black hair. On each side was an ostrich feather, as thick and beautiful as any happy ostrich eager to share his wonderful feathers. Peter’s band was orange with vivid golden feathers that curled and twirled, while Sam wore a bright white band around his silver hair, with clumps of tall white cockatoo feathers on either side.

  It was Messina who spoke first.

  “I, Messina Octobr, wife of the great warrior Bayldon Bannister,” Bayldon smiled in surprise at being mentioned, “the true Empress of Lashtang, Sparkan Clarr and Sharr, do announce the one to one and hand to hand trial of magic between my mother Altabella Octobr, and the wizard Clebbster Hazlett who at present claims the throne. It has been agreed that there will be five rounds. In each case, a winner will be announced after agreement between Lester Hazlett and myself. If we cannot agree, a draw will be announced unless there is an obvious winner, in which case the dispute will be decided between Zakmeister and Ripsta Hazlett, past empress of Lashtang. The majority of winning rounds will decide the winner of the trial. The winner will thus claim the right to announce who shall sit on the throne. The loser will accept this without argument or discord.”

  “It is agreed,” said Lester Hazlett, staring back through the glass. “All this has been fully discussed and agreed. The first two rounds of the Dual must be abstract magic of the first and second order. The second two rounds will be strictly within the third and fourth order of superior magic. If there is already an obvious winner after the fourth round, then the fifth round will be cancelled. Otherwise, the fifth round will be played, and the choice of magic will be freely permitted.”

  Messina interrupted. “I should like to remind everyone here present, and in particular the two players within the dome, that at any time from now until the end, i
f anyone cheats in any conceivable manner, then that person will be instantly disqualified from the trial, and the other player will be awarded the winning position.”

  With a frown, Lester coughed, cleared his throat, looked and nodded faintly at Clebbster, and said, “But it must be noted that cheating is not always purposeful, nor is it always easy to diagnose what is cheating, and what might simply be original invention. For instance, a magical twist in, let us say, the second round, might be construed as too advanced and therefore not abiding by the rules of the first two rounds keeping within the first and second orders of magic. But this might not be cheating. It could be misconstrued, when in fact it does conform to the rules, but is an original twist of some innocent kind.”

  “In which case,” answered Messina, “we will consult together until we come to a joint decision. If no decision is reached – well, I have already explained this.”

  “Very well,” said Lester with a faint smile of satisfaction, “I will now continue. When it comes to the final round of the Dual, each of the opponents may freely decide whatever they wish to do. If death then occurs, this will decide the loser. If both are killed, then the future ruler of Lashtang will be decided between myself and Messina Octobr.”

  “Agreed,” Messina said softly, walked closer to the dome as did Lester, and stood watching with considerable concentration. She said, “I hereby announce that the trial may now begin.”

  Chapter Twenty

  Lady Altabella, looking quite different to Granny in her apron, glasses and smudges of flour, stood a moment staring at the man in front of her. Then she raised both her hands. At first nothing happened.

  Clebbster, thinking that even at this so simple beginning, her spell had failed, raised his long index finger, and clicked his thumb against the black twisted fingernail. Immediately flashes of lightning and rolling thunder swirled within the glass dome. The dazzling white lightning forked and writhed, then pointed towards Granny.

  She did nothing. But as she stood there still smiling, the lightning’s threatening flashes all turned to daisies in mid-air and floated gently to the ground amongst all the other daisies. Annoyed, Clebbster once again clicked his fingers, and produced clumps of rock hard ice like enormous hailstones which fell on Granny alone. Each was sharp and large enough to break her nose or split her shoulder, certainly to knock her out. But once again, as they fell they turned to daisies fluttering their tiny white petals as they fell.

  Even more angrily, Clebbster held up his exaggerated index finger and its black curled nail, while a vortex formed in the air above, faster and faster until the vast black ball of twisting hurricane hurtled on top of Granny.

  It zoomed towards her but she did not move, and the swirling threat turned into dancing daisies, their little yellow centres like tiny suns as they tumbled to the grass.

  Outside the dome and watching everything as it occurred, Poppy now stood and called out, “I’d like to make a challenge. The whole point of the first and second orders of magic, is that no harm is intended towards either person. But the wizard Clebbster has made an obvious attempt to harm his opponent.”

  Messina turned towards Lester. “Do you agree with this challenge, sir?”

  “Certainly not,” said Lester Hazlett somewhat predictably. “Temporary changes in the weather are accepted within the first and second orders of magic. I believe this first round to be a draw.”

  “That is definite bias, sir,” said Messina. “Even ignoring the probable cheating within the attacks of weather conditions directly aimed at his opponent, it is perfectly clear that whatever he attempted to produce, Altabella’s spell was the stronger. All the Hazlett magical changes were wiped out by the Octobr spell. Just one spell, I might add, to counteract three of the Hazlett spells.”

  After a short pause while Lester tried desperately, though failed, to think of a retort, he finally said, “I accept. The first round is awarded to the Octobrs. I now announce the beginning of the second round.”

  Everyone took a deep breath and a number of the Octobr supporters clapped and cheered, but quickly fell to silence.

  Once again Granny and Clebbster looked at each other. Slowly and still staring into each other’s eyes, both raised one hand. Clebbster’s index finger and its curled black nail, nearly as long as his arm, pointed at Granny first, until, with a small crooked smile, he raised it to the glass roof.

  A small wake of Griffin vultures, large black feathered birds with white, almost bald heads and long sharp beaks, appeared within the dome and hopped as though dancing across the grass towards Granny. She could hear Clebbster shouting, “These birds are scavengers and therefore not a threat,” but Granny was fairly sure they had already been trained to kill.

  Nathan and Poppy were hoping these enormous birds would also turn into daisies, but they did not. They sat down at Granny’s feet, looking up at her as if asking for something, then opened their beaks and started to sing.

  “Oh Granny Octobr

  Tis not yet September.

  We welcome you here,

  As one we remember.

  Oh, dear Altabella,

  You’re a great story-teller.

  Come tell us a story

  About an umbrella.”

  The Octobr supporters all laughed and clapped, but the Hazlett supporters looked somewhat offended. Clebbster clenched his hands, the vultures disappeared, and instead a hoard of large shaggy grey rats appeared on the ground, swarming towards Granny’s toes.

  But she was certainly not a woman to be frightened of rats, nor anything else. She smiled at the rats and pointed one small finger. They quickly all turned into snowflakes which floated happily inside the dome, all gently landing on Clebbster’s head and forming a very chilly little white hat with a pom-pom falling down over one ear.

  Clebbster furiously reached up, brushed the snow away and stamped one foot. Granny began to shrink. She became smaller and smaller and did not appear able to halt the spell. But then, as she grew so tiny she almost disappeared, she grinned, stamped her own minute little foot, and Clebbster started to grow large. Not just large, but like a balloon with his nose like a long red spotted horn, his ears as large as an elephant’s and his eyes like weeny green smarties. He swelled fatter and fatter and taller and taller until he bulged into every part of the glass dome. He couldn’t move. He was squashed. Bending over more and more to try and fit in, he banged his head on the top, and ended up sitting down but still measured as large or larger than the dome. It was as if he was in a cage. Meanwhile the tiny Granny, laughing loudly, sprang onto Clebbster’s enormous shoulder and began to tickle his great grey flapping ears. He fumbled around trying to scratch, but could move his massive fat arms.

  Then, with a pop, Granny cried, “Stop.” And everything turned to normal. Clebbster and she were both back to their normal sizes.

  With a wide grin, Messina shouted, “Second round to Altabella Octobr.”

  Lester just stood silent in a sulk, and stared down at his toes in the daisies.

  But from the benches of the Hazlett supporters, the woman Ripsta who had been named as a second and reserve mediator, jumped up crying, “I dispute this decision. All the old witch can do is change or block what Lord Clebbster creates. She does nothing of her own.”

  “Defensive magic,” said Messina at once, “is a normal part of the first and second orders of magic. Indeed, attack is forbidden within those levels.”

  “Lord Clebbster did not attack,” said Ripsta, who was now angry. She had a large scar across her nose and both cheeks, which wore a wide black scab. It was the only thing which spoiled her beauty, and her vivid green eyes still glowed like jewels. “But he initiated each event. All the old witch manages is to block and block again. She has no active magic.”

  “Whether Clebbster attacks or not is a matter of opinion,” Messina answered. “But nothing is yet worth the argument since Altabella, as you have pointed out, has the strength to block every single silly attempt that Cleb
bster makes. He hasn’t yet broken through and therefore she wins the rounds one and two. Now we come to the third round where the third and fourth levels of pure magic are permitted. We may see more interesting creations here.”

  With a grunt of acceptance, Ripsta sat down again. Even Lester wasn’t backing up what she had said, so there was no point in persisting. But now. Like Lester, she was in a deep sulk. Neither of them had expected Granny to win the first two rounds so easily.

  It was Granny who acted first. She raised both arms and whispered something. Above her head as if painted across the inside of the glass dome roof and walls, appeared grand pictures, and these began to move. First they showed Lashtang many hundreds of years before. There seemed to be no people at all, but the vast forest stretched across the north until meeting the Mountains of Clarr. The trees wandered down to the ocean, dipping their roots on the salty water. But there was also a small and winding river which began in the mountains and swept down in a magnificent waterfall. Then it travelled, both wide and narrow in places, both deep and shallow in other places, all through the forest until it reached the centre where a bubbling hot lake of steaming water sent up a beautiful shining spring like a mighty spout.

  “That’s the geyser I know,” shouted Poppy. “It’s still there but the hot lake has gone. And the waterfall. And the river.”

  Then it could be seen that tall slender people were sitting in the trees. Curled amongst the branches, they slept, brushed their hair, sang, and talked with the trees. Then many of them, turning quickly into large and beautifully coloured snakes, wound down from branch to branch and slipped into the lake below. Here they basked in the heat.

  The picture changed, and although the scene remained in the forest, there was the sound of fighting, crying, and trees being chopped down. Men marched beneath the branches, caught many of the snakes and cut off their heads. Some were slaughtered by being cut into little pieces, which were then thrown into the water.