by R A Browell
Galdo shook nervously.
‘I think, Master Charlie, that you simply ‘tell’ the markings where you want to be,’ he replied unenthusiastically.
‘You think?’ repeated Charlie. He leaned close into Galdo. ‘Come on,’ he whispered, ‘I know you can do better than that. Please try and remember. Anything. Please. We need to be sure we can get back.’
‘I say think that’s how it works because it’s all theoretical,’ Galdo whimpered. ‘Like I have already said, I myself have never passed through to the other side.’
‘Galdo, we hear what you’re saying but it doesn’t make sense. We didn’t do anything to come here.’ He glanced down at his watch and looked at Charlie. ‘We just touched the wall and arrived here, so, how did that happen?’ he asked.
‘I think, Master James, that’ll be because your lead traveller gave directions. Can I go now?’ Galdo asked, glancing anxiously towards the entrance to the rock chamber and the steps back up to the castle cellars.
‘Galdo, we’ve got to get back to our world, to Pemberton to be exact, but we can’t risk not getting back and abandoning the others when they need us most. We need some kind of assurance we can get back,’ said James.
He nodded at his friend.
‘Galdo, welcome to the club!’ declared Charlie, nudging the young valetti gently forward. ‘You’ve just been promoted to lead traveller! We need you to get us to Pemberton. We’ll be right behind you.’
‘Oh no, I can’t. Really I can’t!’ objected Galdo, his voice rising to an even higher pitch than usual. ‘I’m just a servant. Here to serve the Laudis. I can’t just flip worlds. I mean it sounds terribly exciting but I simply can’t!’
‘Galdo, please!’ said Charlie, oozing his most potent charm.
‘Galdo, we just need to grab something and come straight back. We’ll only be gone a matter of minutes - that’s all - we promise. No one will even notice you’re away,’ promised James, his dazzling smile and persuasive voice equal to Charlie’s.
‘But the gatekeepers will know…’
‘But the gatekeepers are with us, they’re on our side!’ oozed Charlie. ‘Remember, they let us into Farisia when Silky didn’t think they would. Even though we’re sanguins, they still allowed us to come here and that must mean something!’ He paused. ‘Listen Galdo, it’ll be five minutes to grab what we need and get back here and we’d be eternally grateful. Going that extra mile for houseguests would make you top star valetti material!’ he added, nodding his head sombrely.
‘Top star valetti material,’ repeated Galdo, his mind in overdrive, ‘and you promise that we’ll be back in five minutes?’
‘Five minutes. Just enough time to grab what we need!’ reassured Charlie, lifting Galdo’s hand towards the wall. ‘Think of the service to us, think of the adventure, not many Farisians ever get to use the gateways…’
Galdo thought for a moment. ‘Alright, I’ll do it,’ he stammered nervously. ‘To Pemberton you said?’ he asked, glancing back as the two sanguins watched him place his hand against the markings on the wall, and begin to trace his own individual key within the stone. Without warning, the movement became faster and faster. Galdo’s hand was held in a vice-like grip by the gateway, the tracing of his key signature becoming wilder and wilder before, finally, he disappeared in a flash of vivid pink sparks.
‘Quick, we don’t want to lose him!’ said Charlie as he too placed his hand upon the wall and followed the young valetti through the stone gateway in a flurry of wild movement and bright sparks. Moments later, James found himself under what appeared to be a vaulted crumbling, brick ceiling where everything was pitch black and the air smelled damp.
‘Do you think this is Pemberton? Have you any…’ James began but was interrupted mid-sentence by the click of an electric switch as the cellars were instantly illuminated by a single flickering electric light bulb. ‘How did you know that was there?’ he asked, brushing a thick layer of stone dust from his hair and arms.
‘Sometimes I think I operate better in the dark than in the light,’ explained Charlie.
‘I wish I could. It’d come in very useful for keeping an eye on certain people in the cinema!’ James grinned as Galdo listened quietly.
‘Funny! Come on,’ said Charlie. The reference was to him and Abbie, but he knew that James and Hari were only watching his back and he was grateful that he had friends like them. ‘We haven’t got a lot of time,’ he continued. ‘We need to get the bikes and get back.’
At the far end of the deserted cellar was a set of damp stone steps that led upwards. The two boys took them three at a time, dragging the terrified valetti, who was whimpering and shaking like an uncontrollable jelly, as they quickly covered four levels, winding their way up into cellars that had at least been in use within the last fifty years.
‘I know this place,’ whispered James. ‘We’re definitely at Pemberton. Well done, Galdo. These are the old wine vaults. Hari and I were down here having a look around last year. The next level up has the cold rooms and game store, where they used to hang the venison and pheasants when they had big shoots at this place. Not much point hanging them now; not when you’ve got vampires about!’ he joked. ‘A couple more levels and we’re up at the scullery level and then the kitchens. Come on…’
James ran up the stone steps with Charlie dragging Galdo. The valetti stumbled, still shaking and whimpering but staring in amazement each time the light switch was flicked on and off as they ran up each level.
‘Master Charlie,’ he whispered, ‘how do the balls of light work?’
‘It’s a long story, mate. I’ll explain it to you when we get back. It’s called electricity but if you think that’s amazing, just wait until you see what we’ve come back for, you’re going to have to hold onto your tights!’
‘It’s cold and damp here,’ complained Galdo, starting to shake and shiver even more. ‘You never mentioned the cold.’
‘I guess because we don’t feel it,’ explained Charlie. ‘We’re cold pretty much all of the time. Here take this.’
Charlie pulled off his sweater and handed it to the shivering servant as they took the final flight of steps, four at a time, to stand behind James. He paused, looking at Charlie before he placed his powerful shoulder behind the door, turned the knob and pushed hard. The door flew open with a crash as the three travellers fell into the large kitchen and into full view of three startled faces.
Andrew Carfax and Rani Pradesh jumped in human astonishment, knocking over their empty cups in surprise, as Rakshasa, Hari’s sanguin gran, simply looked up from the pile of papers she was working on at the kitchen table and stared at them; hard.
‘Thank God!’ exclaimed Andrew, staring at the open door and the tangle of teenagers as he watched Charlie and James disentangle themselves and then at the complete stranger, dressed in a long flowing robe, with Charlie’s sweater pulled over the top, who had managed to stand, take one look at the three adults, and then bow so low that his head was now almost touching the floor. Andrew looked back at the door, waiting for the others to appear. ‘Where’ve you been? Who in the world is this, and more importantly where is Lily?’ he asked, his eyes once again drawn to the strange looking visitor.
‘And Hari, where’s Hari?’ asked Hari’s mother, her eyes flicking between the strangely dressed valetti to the cellar door and back.
‘Hari’s fine,’ replied Charlie. ‘They’re both in…’ Charlie hesitated. ‘Listen, it’s too much to explain now. We need to get the bikes and head back…’
‘Head back? Head back where?’ demanded Andrew, glancing at the open door. ‘Exactly where have you been and where is my daughter? You say that Hari’s fine but what about Lil and who in the world is this?’ Charlie and James shuffled awkwardly. ‘Listen,’ continued Andrew sternly, ‘Lily managed to get a sleepy agreement out of me that she could go hunting with the three of you. She said that you promised to look after her and that she’d be back for breakfast. The next thing I k
now is that Rani turns up to collect your bikes, saying that she got some garbled massage about you having to go with Lily and Silky to a place who knows where!’
‘Farisia,’ added Rakshasa, looking sternly at the two boys. ‘A place where sanguins have not been welcome for centuries.’
‘Charlie, I want to know what’s going on! Where’s Lily?’ Andrew demanded. ‘Have you left her and Hari in some other world?’ Rani touched his arm lightly, but he shrugged her away. ‘I take it that you’re James?’ he said pursing his lips. ‘So, I’ll ask you both again. Where are Lily and Hari, who is this and where in the world have you dragged him from?’
Galdo was still bent double, his whole body shaking and his teeth chattering with a mix of cold and fear as Charlie took his arm so that the terrified valetti might end his prolonged bow.
‘Andrew, this is Galdo. Please don’t blame him. Look at the bloke, he’s terrified already. He’s a kind of servant from Farisia. It’s entirely our fault; we persuaded him to bring us back through the gateway so that we could get the bikes,’ explained Charlie, ‘and get back. It wasn’t his idea. Look at him!’ Andrew looked at the tearful servant. ‘But please,’ Charlie begged, ‘we need to get back and quickly. We only came home without the others because we need the bikes. The others are using these horse creatures called epona. Lily’s gone missing and Ilia, this kind of witch-woman thinks that the Seleni took her and we’re going to get her back!’
Andrew and Rani both stared open mouthed, in stunned silence, at Charlie. He was paler than usual but his eyes were light, he didn’t carry the tell-tale darkness of hunger and he seemed to be talking coherently, even though he wasn’t making much sense.
Rakshasa placed the top on her pen and sighed heavily.
‘Have you lost your minds? What are you talking about!’ replied Andrew. ‘What do you mean Lily’s gone missing? Who’s Ilia and the Seleni and most importantly what do they want with Lily? What’s going on?’ he demanded, glancing at Rani who shrugged her shoulders. ‘Rakshasa?’ he asked, turning to the older woman. ‘I want to know what’s going on.’
Rakshasa took a deep breath as she set her pen down. ‘Understand that I have never been to the old worlds,’ Hari’s grandmother began, ‘but it was said that Ilia was a wise woman, something of an oracle with the gift of prophecy and a power over the natural order of things. The Seleni are three sanguin sisters; assassins, who are permitted to travel between this world and the other. In all my time, in all my lives, I have never met them. They use their captivating voices as bait. They sing to quench their thirst with the blood of men.’
‘So what would these sisters want with Lily?’ asked Andrew, trying to remain focused as Rani offered Galdo a seat, some hot sweet tea and a piece of fruit cake. ‘Surely her blood wouldn’t satisfy them and she can’t be any threat, so why would they want to assassinate her?’
James stepped forward. ‘Ilia thought that they might have been tipped off about Lily, possibly by someone from our world. She thinks that the Seleni may have been told that Lily was a potential new sister for them!’
‘Sister?’ repeated Andrew, ‘to a group of assassins? But who would do that?’ He stared at Galdo who was sipping his tea and shivering audibly.
James shook his head. ‘She didn’t say.’
Rakshasa muttered a name, the word barely perceptible under her breath.
‘What did you say?’ asked Andrew, turning, but Rakshasa merely shook her head.
‘Nothing, I was just thinking out loud,’ she said and gave him a forced smile.
‘So, let me get this straight. You’re saying that this woman, Ilia, thinks that Lily has been abducted by vampire assassins who want to make her like them?’
The colour drained from Andrew’s face. He was thinking hard; using all his experience of working under pressure to try and stay calm and keep thinking logically. ‘By persuade, you mean they’ll force her to drink human blood, don’t you?’ he said quietly, each word slow and deliberate. ‘What you’re saying is that they’re going to take her out hunting and positively persuade her to use that voice of hers to attract and murder some innocent human and that you let her be taken!’ he said, his voice raising audibly, as Charlie and James squirmed awkwardly. Andrew turned his back to them. ‘What’s to be done? Can we get into Farisia? Where’s this gateway?’ he asked Rakshasa as he once again glanced across towards the door to the cellars.
The ancient sanguin touched her lips thoughtfully with her forefinger, running it back and forth as she stared hard at Charlie and James. The teenagers were looking down miserably at the floor. It would have been easier had Andrew and Rakshasa lost it and shouted at them, but their restraint cut more deeply than any insult.
‘Andrew I’m so sorry. I can’t tell you how much, but we need to get back!’ Charlie said, his voice echoing around the silence of the kitchen. ‘There are plans to recover Lily. Valens, Silky’s son, has gone to find her. He’s going to stay with her and keep her safe but the rest of us need to get some kind of diplomatic written authority so that the Seleni will listen and let Lily come home with us. Hari’s already gone with Silky to see the Magisterie in Serenisa and we’re supposed to be joining them. Any contact with the Seleni has got to be done through the proper channels. James and I only came back to get the bikes because we can’t ride the epona. We thought the bikes would be quicker; what with the work we’ve done on them. Please Andrew, Rakshasa; we really need to get back to help Lily.’
‘Rakshasa, what happens if they’re too late? What happens if these Seleni succeed in persuading Lily to feed from a human?’ asked Andrew. He was now staring at Galdo.
‘It depends,’ replied Rakshasa, shaking her head, ‘feeding from a human is what we most desire, and the majority of us, particularly those of us that have lived for many centuries, have at some time done so at least once or twice in our lives. It doesn’t mean you can’t ever stop, but it’s difficult. It depends on the person and how susceptible they are. The added difficulty with the Seleni is that they live in a world which is so very different from ours. I understand from those who have met these women that they have a good life. They are venerated; honoured for the role they play in the old world. Lily will be idolised for performing her duties, for using her skills and instinct to support their justice system. Becoming a State approved assassin can, in such circumstances and with such honour, make perfect sense to a young inexperienced sanguin.’
‘But Lily wouldn’t be taken in by all that,’ argued Andrew.
‘Perhaps not, but to the Seleni and the rest of that society, they are the purveyors of justice; an integral part of the system for upholding a particular way of life. You can see how such a very attractive proposition could take very little persuasion, particularly when it’s not just one, but three experienced vampires who are using their seductive charms to convince you. They say these sisters are extremely talented; that they make their prey forget everything; their lives, their wives, their children… and that their victims beg the sisters to take their lifeblood, such is the state of ecstasy they find themselves enjoying as their final wish is eventually granted… Such power can bring with it a great cruelty but it’s not just the addictive quality of legitimate food that feeds such cruelty, it’s the addictive quality of power itself.’ Rakshasa paused momentarily. ‘The Seleni have such power,’ she continued with Galdo looking even more terrified as he listened to her melodic voice. ‘Power over life and death; power over position and veneration and of course, power over wealth.
Serenisa is a place of great beauty and accomplishment. It is the cultural capital of the old worlds. It seduces with its pleasure-seeking and oriental taste for pageantry and display. Everything is designed to dazzle with its beauty and attention to detail, and the Seleni have an almost royal status there. They have everything they want at their beck and call. The question of whether Lily will be seduced has everything to do with appetite, but is not as simple as a question of pure bloodlust. It has everythin
g to do with her drives and motivations. In short, whatever is in Lily’s heart.’
They all stared speechless as Rakshasa finished speaking. Finally, Andrew broke the silence.
‘How do you know all this?’ he asked, staring incredulously at the old vampire.
‘I have lived a long time. Sometimes, I think it’s been too long. I have met lots of like-minded people and I have listened and learned…’
‘We all know that Lily is the sweetest person on the planet,’ said Rani gently. ‘We know that she has a pure heart and a clever head and that she is strong. You’ve brought her up well Andrew, with clear values about what is right and wrong…’
‘I know that, Rani,’ he sighed. ‘I know that she’s a good kid but what worries me most is that two of her biggest drives seem to be encapsulated within the Seleni. Firstly, she has the prerequisite desire to feed on human blood. She’s young and hungry and has no idea of the strength that instinct holds, but like Rakshasa says, if she takes human blood that’s not the end of the world. We all know that she’s managing her appetite well and that addictions can always be treated if she goes too far, but it’s the second driver that worries me most. That voice of hers and the fact that she would be able to do something useful to society with it, is something that I know Lily’s ego will find hard to resist.’ He sighed again. ‘To tell you the truth, she has every reason to have such an ego because that voice, combined with the strength of what she is, will be hard for any creature; man, woman or Seleni to resist…’
The only sound was that of the longcase clock ticking and the occasional overhead footstep of staff working upstairs. Once again Andrew broke the silence.
‘We’ve got no choice,’ he said calmly. ‘We’ve got to go back with you. Where did you come through? Can you show us how the gateway works?’
‘We can’t,’ said Rakshasa. ‘No vampire or human has been allowed into the other world since the sanguins sided with the humans.’