by R A Browell
‘Sanguins sided with humans? How?’ asked Andrew and Rani in unison.
‘I’m not sure,’ said Rakshasa, shaking her head. ‘Something to do with us taking something from the old world whilst we were still allowed access, long after the humans had been banished. I don’t know all the details but the old worlders hate both sanguins and humans. They won’t let us in.’
‘But that can’t be true, can it?’ argued Andrew. ‘Four sanguins passed through only yesterday and two came back about ten minutes ago. It’s got to be worth a try!’
Despite the hot sweet tea, Galdo started to shake even more than he had before.
‘I can’t take more sanguins back to Farisia,’ he whimpered, ‘I’m going to get into terrible trouble Master Charlie,’ he added as he started to jiggle nervously at the kitchen table. ‘Oh my,’ he gasped. ‘I’m feeling faint, ever so faint!’ he cried as he waved his hand rapidly in front of his face like a fan and continued to jiggle up and down. ‘Oh Me! Oh My!’ he kept repeating like a demented frog.
‘Listen,’ said Charlie, frowning as he looked at Galdo and his nervous body-jig, ‘we’ll go and get the bikes from the coach house, get them down into the cellars and then we can take it from there. The gatekeepers can decide who they’ll let through.’
‘The cellar? Gatekeepers?’ repeated Rani looking anxiously towards the cellar door.
‘You knew about this?’ she asked her mother. Rakshasa nodded slowly as Andrew looked at the elegant ancient sanguin for an explanation. ‘Guardians of the gateways between the worlds,’ Rakshasa explained, ‘and Andrew, what you’re suggesting is taboo. We cannot enter the other worlds. It’s simply not allowed.’
‘I think you’ll find that a lot of taboos have been broken recently!’ Charlie replied, with a sigh.
‘And what do you mean by that?’ asked Andrew sharply.
‘Only that we’ve already travelled to Farisia and then back here, even when Silky didn’t think we’d get past the gatekeepers… I reckon you should try. Let the gate-guys decide. If they let you through, then they must think that you can help. If not, then they must believe that we can manage to find Lil alone. We don’t know for definite she’s even with the Seleni.’ Andrew narrowed his eyes as he thought about Charlie’s suggestion. ‘Come on, what have you got to lose?’ added Charlie. ‘Anyway, we can’t waste any more time!’
Rakshasa stared across the table at the terrified Galdo as she pondered Charlie’s suggestion. She’d followed the stone markings with her fingers a thousand times but never seen the gateway actually in action and the prospect of seeing it work and perhaps even getting through to the old worlds intrigued her.
‘Don’t take the bikes down the staircase,’ she said. ‘You’ll find there’s a trapdoor in the courtyard, leading to a delivery shaft. In the old days it was used for delivering barrels of beer and caskets of wine. Look over towards the kennels. If you use the old pulleys, you’ll not damage the bikes.’ She looked towards the cellar door, ‘and boys,’ she added with a smile, ‘don’t forget your leathers!’
*
‘Did you hear what Rakshasa said?’ asked James in a whisper as they slid open the coach house door.
‘You mean the name?’
James nodded. ‘Mortragon. You ever heard that name before? You think she knows who might have spoken to the Seleni?’
‘No idea mate! Why don’t you ask her?’ Charlie smirked as he moved in to tackle his friend.
‘Because, you idiot, if you hadn’t already noticed, she didn’t want to talk about it, did she? You saw how edgy she was,’ replied James, grabbing hold of Charlie with supernatural speed.
Galdo stood silently in the shadows, watching them.
‘Do you think Rani knows anything?’ asked Charlie.
‘I don’t know,’ replied James. ‘Rani reminds me of my mum. She never really seems to know what’s going on. I mean she’s really sweet, like a mum should be, but she’s human, whereas Shasa’s in a different league. She’s like some kind of Amazonian warrior! It kind of makes you wonder what she’s got up to in her past… Maybe Silky will know something about the name?’
‘And you think Silky’s still going be speaking to us after what we’ve just done and are about to do?’ asked Charlie raising his eyebrows as he flung the dust sheet off the first bike.
‘Maybe not,’ James grinned and then lowered his voice again. ‘Why didn’t you mention the Elementals?’
‘I don’t know. I just thought it would freak Andrew out even more if I threw that in as an added complication. As it stands all he has to deal with is the fact that Lily might be corrupted by the taste for human blood, which he seems pretty sanguine about.’
James smiled.
‘What?’ asked Charlie.
‘Nothing – just you and your choice of words!’
Charlie furrowed his brow and continued. ‘I’m guessing he’s treated addicts before but he seemed more bothered that she might be seduced to join the Seleni because of their lifestyle rather than the taste for human blood.’
‘It wasn’t the lifestyle,’ said James. ‘It was the chance to do something for society’s good – that’s what he said and I can see that. Lily’s got her head screwed on right, she’s a good girl, but she’s idealistic. She needs to remember that the greatest good she can do is to find the Elementals and save the planet.’
‘Maybe what he’s really worried about is how strong she actually is?’ suggested Charlie.
They stripped off, pulling on black leather trousers and biker jackets as Charlie tossed a set across to Galdo and pulled the first motorbike backwards off its stand. He lowered his voice further.
‘I just thought that if I’d told him that she might be the only one who could save our dying planet and that by drinking human blood it might pollute her so that she couldn’t…Well,’ Charlie sighed, ‘it’s bad enough that we lost her when she was just a regular sanguin, but now she might be some kind of vampire saviour of the world!... And don’t forget, we don’t know how she’s handling all this… I just thought he might flip, particularly as we promised we’d look after her. Losing the daughter is one thing, being responsible for the death of the entire planet is quite another!’ said Charlie half smiling.
‘Don’t joke about it,’ replied James uneasily. ‘We’re now as much a part of finding these Elemental things as Lily is. If we fail…Well, we really don’t want to go there.’ He paused. ‘And there was me, thinking that the next major challenges in my life were going to be my exams and finding my next meal without resorting to murder!’
‘Now who’s joking!’ snorted Charlie as the two of them wheeled the motorbikes out into the courtyard. ‘Galdo, take Hari’s bike and grab that cylinder, will you?’ called James. ‘And be very careful – that’s a hydrogen mix – highly explosive, in this world and the next!’
Galdo started to shake again. ‘Explosive?’ he repeated in a high pitch whimper. ‘Did you just say explosive?’
‘Galdo it’s good, it’s all been tested!’ reassured James. ‘Our adjustments just mean we’ll be giving the epona a run for their money. When we get down to the gateway you just follow our instructions and you’ll be fine.’
‘I don’t think I should take a machine,’ objected Galdo. ‘Can’t I just ride behind one of you? That would be so much simpler! Oh no!’ he cried and started to wail. ‘No, No, No!’ he exclaimed. ‘Just look at my hands!’
He held them out. His normally lily-white skin was smeared with greasy engine oil. Both boys stifled their chuckles as they watched the valetti’s exaggerated reactions. He was rubbing at his fingers furiously with an oily rag, covering them in even more sticky goo.
‘It’s only a bit of oil Galdo! Which reminds me – we’ll need reserves.’ James returned to the coach house and dragged out a couple more canisters, which he strapped to the bikes. ‘Who are you texting now?’ he asked, watching Galdo who was still rubbing his hands furiously. ‘No, wait, let me guess!’ James rolled his eyes.
&
nbsp; ‘Listen mate, I promised and I’ve just now got some signal and charge. I need to let her know that I’m busy revising and I’ll see her at the weekend.’
‘At the weekend! But we have no idea when we’ll get back,’ warned James. ‘You’re setting yourself up for trouble mate!’
Charlie looked down at his phone and Abbie Parkin’s number. ‘Do you think so?’ he asked looking worried.
‘How should I know? Probably not! Just call her, don’t text – you know how paranoid girls can be. But hurry up. I’ll start unloading. Come on Galdo, I’m going to need a hand.’
James knelt down and found the huge iron ring under the loose gravel in the middle of the courtyard. He lifted the trap door, hooked up the first bike to the pulley system and started lowering it gently into the cellar, jumping about twenty feet down and landing with ease to release the bike from its chains. He leapt up and repeated the exercise with the other two machines as Galdo stood muttering to himself, still obsessively wiping the motor oil off his hands. By the time Charlie had finished his call to Abbie, all three bikes were safely down in the cellar. Charlie strode back across the yard like a confident young buck, grinning from ear to ear.
‘She’s fine, he said happily. He was glowing. ‘Notices have gone out for the end of term ball. Apparently, we got the gig...’
‘I told you the audition went well,’ smiled James.
‘Abbie’s going to get tickets for us all, including Lil.’
‘That’s positive thinking. Perhaps you should have told her to get an additional three tickets for the delightful Seleni and have done with it!’ added James but neither of them laughed.
‘So, she knows you’re with us and we’re seeing Lil does she?’ James asked. ‘Just so we get the story right!’
Charlie nodded. ‘I’ve said that Lil was down at Pemberton exercising the horses as a favour to Hari. We, of course, are all revising hard!’ he added with a mischievous glint in his eye.
‘Revising hard!’ spluttered James. ‘I had no idea that becoming a vampire had made you such a blatant liar!’ Out of them all, James found the lies the hardest part of his new life. He almost envied the way that they seemed to come so naturally to Charlie.
‘I am going to tell Abbie,’ said Charlie quietly. James stared hard at his friend but said nothing. ‘But first I have to be sure. We both know it’s not just my secret, it never has been. We’d all have to agree… and now with Lily… What I mean is that it’s also Lily’s secret now, isn’t it? And then there’s this search for the Elementals… There’s a lot to think about…’
James kept his thoughts to himself. Involving another human in their sanguin lives was a risky business and anyway, they needed to focus on what they were doing. He watched Galdo struggle with the bike and wondered whether it had been such a good idea to bring the valetti along with them. He seemed so fragile.
‘Come on – we need to get going,’ said James. ‘We’ve got to get back to Farisia and don’t forget there are two impatient humans and an ancient sanguin waiting for us by the gateway! Better not keep them waiting.’
*
They were down in the cellars.
‘Galdo needs to go through first, on Hari’s bike,’ said Charlie. ‘He can tell the gatekeepers that we need to get back to Pergamont. If we’re lucky, we’ll be back before anyone knows we’ve been missing. Maybe no one will have noticed Galdo’s absence.’
‘Charlie,’ sighed James, ‘Ziggy was going to tell Silky that we’d gone back home remember. They’re going to know what we’ve done.’
‘Well anyway,’ said Charlie ignoring his friend, ‘you three try the gateway after Galdo; see if you get through and then James and I’ll go last. I’m not sure if the gateway will take the bikes but it’s worth a try, and anyway, I can’t see why not. I suppose there could be a little uncertainty about the combustibility,’ he added, glancing mischievously at Galdo, ‘but I’m sure we’ll be fine.’
‘Combustibility?’ repeated Galdo, looking even more terrified as his grip on the handlebar slipped and he accidentally revved the engine.
‘I’m only kidding and be careful with the juice! You let the clutch off and who knows where you’ll end up!’ Charlie warned.
‘So,’ stuttered Galdo nervously, ‘let me check again. I release this clutch thing and then release the brakes as I feel the force of the gateway?’
Charlie nodded, cheerily. ‘I think that’ll work and don’t look so worried Galdo. The gatekeepers obviously love us; they’re bound to welcome us back into Farisia with open arms. Go on now, mate!’
Galdo stood astride the bike, facing the cup and ring patterns on the intricately carved wall. He reached out one hand so that his fingers could trace the markings, holding onto the bike firmly with the other and before he had time to think, sparks flew from the ancient etchings, Galdo released the clutch and brakes, and in a flash both he and Hari’s bike had disappeared into the rock.
‘One down!’ shouted a jubilant Charlie over the purr of the two remaining engines. ‘I told you the bike would get through! Come on you three, you need to follow quickly. Have a go and see what happens…’
Rakshasa stood forward. She closed her eyes as she reached her pale, elegantly shaped hand toward the markings. They all held their breath and waited for her fingers to get caught by the gatekeepers with the rapid movement, the flash and the sparks but there was nothing. Everything was silent. Rakshasa stood disappointedly down from the concentric ripples on the wall. Rani and Andrew both tried, but again there was nothing. Andrew stepped away.
‘You need to get back,’ said Andrew. ‘We’re slowing you down. Get to the Magisterie quickly and then find Lily. She needs you. We’ll be waiting upstairs. I’ll stay here at Pemberton until we get news but you must promise me one thing.’
‘Anything,’ replied James.
‘Promise you’ll bring her home and that you won’t leave her there, even if she wants you to.’ Andrew could feel the tremble in his voice. ‘I already lost Lily’s mum, don’t let me lose Lil. I’m trusting you; all of you…’ He ran his hands up through his hair. ‘Now go!’ he ordered as Charlie and James revved the bikes and edged towards the wall.
‘What do you think we try a double entry,’ grinned Charlie as both boys held their bikes steady in one hand, reaching out to touch the wall markings with the other.
‘We’ll bring her back, we promise,’ said James, his eyes connecting with Andrew’s for the last time as both boys disappeared in a flurry of fumes, sparks and displaced motorbike engines, leaving the three adults standing alone in the crumbling, cold, damp foundations of Pemberton House.
The Lindorm
James looked furious as he stared around at the unfamiliar surroundings and killed his engine. ‘So, where exactly are we?’ he demanded.
The tearful valetti pursed his lips and looked down at the wheels of his bike and the long green grass that threaded itself through the spokes.
‘Galdo, where have you brought us?’ Charlie asked gently.
‘I’m going to be in so much trouble!’ Galdo whimpered.
‘What do you mean going to be?’ hissed James. ‘Galdo, where are we?’
‘Stop it, James. He didn’t do it on purpose. Can’t you see how upset he is? Galdo, can you tell us where we are? Where did you ask the gateway to bring us?’ Charlie asked soothingly, trying to coax the inconsolable valetti.
‘I’m so sorry Master...’
‘Look, no more of the Master thing,’ said James, calming down. ‘Hari already has illusions of grandeur. You calling us Master just reinforces everything we’ve been trying to squeeze out of him!’ Galdo looked confused. ‘Don’t worry about it, listen, it doesn’t matter but we do need to know where we are and how far it is to get back to Pergamont and then on to Serenisa.’
‘We’re…we’re….’ stuttered Galdo.
‘Come on, just spit it out,’ said James.
‘We’re just outside my home village,’ Galdo explained
tearfully, ‘Adderswick. I thought I was going to die in an explosion on the machine and all I could think of was home and my family… I… am… so…so… sorry!’ He reached up his sleeve for a handkerchief and blew his long nose. ‘I’m not used to such adventures, Master James. I’m a valetti, we don’t do adventure. We do clothes and shoes and interior design and beautiful things but we do not do motor machine bikes and travel to different worlds and … explosions!’ he cried, as he blew his nose loudly again and then looked despondently down at the ground.
‘Look Galdo, we’re not angry with you,’ said Charlie, shooting a warning glance at James who sniffed huffily and started surveying the fields and marshlands beyond, shaking his head slowly from side to side. ‘No, we’re not cross with you,’ he continued, ‘just the situation, but we do need to get back to Pergamont and find the others as quickly as possible. Galdo, I need you to just think. Tell me, where exactly are we, and how far is it back to Pergamont?’
‘Like I said, we’re outside Adderswick,’ Galdo mumbled.
‘I can’t see any town or village anywhere,’ said James, peering across the horizon.
‘And how far is Adderswick from Pergamont?’ asked Charlie.
‘About five days.’
‘Five days on foot?’
Galdo shook his head.
‘On horse?’ asked Charlie hopefully
‘Horse?’ Galdo looked up, confused. ‘I thought you said your machines were like epona. It’s about five days ride on epona.’
‘Okay,’ said Charlie trying not to raise his voice and upset the nervous valetti even further. ‘So, what we need to do is take the gateway back to Pergamont, drop you off and go from there. Can you do that Galdo? Can you ask the gatekeepers to take us back to Pergamont?’
Galdo looked confused again. He shook his head slowly.
‘The gateways are ancient and used only with the gatekeepers’ permission,’ he whimpered, his voice barely more than a whisper. ‘We can’t use them to travel within Farisia or Kelpasia.’