by A. J. Ponder
“Don’t worry, I can.” Perrin brandished the key, but she couldn’t even get it near the lock – the golden cord always seemed to be in the way.
Something was strange about the lock. But Alec couldn’t just stand there and think. Every moment he hesitated the cord got stronger, and his dad got weaker.
“It’s up to you, Alec,” Perrin said as Alec hacked at the gold cord. There were so few strands left. Why didn’t it just break?
Visibly pale through the stubble, his dad slumped onto the floor.
“Dad!” Alec shouted.
“Keep going, you’re doing well,” he said reaching for Molly’s hand. His voice barely more than a whisper. Time was running out.
“That’s everyone,” Mrs Bee said waving happily as she strode over. “Everyone but – oh dear. You’d better give me the sword Alec, you look exhausted.”
Alec looked at the cage. The lock. The cord. “I just need to try one last thing, Mrs Bee. Stand back.”
Alec hefted the sword. Raising it high above his head he crashed it down onto the lock.
“No!” Mrs Bee yelled as the blade clanged and shattered into a dozen pieces. The noise ringing around and around the chamber.
“Broken broomsticks!” Perrin yelled as Alec closed his eyes in despair. “I think you did it.”
Alec opened his eyes – just in time to see Te Keo squawk and shoot up from his shoulders in an explosion of golden feathers.
“The cell door hung forlornly from twisted and broken hinges.
“Zorch,” Mrs Bee muttered picking up pieces of shattered sword. “That’s going to be hard to explain to the Museum.”
“But you did it!” Molly said, grinning. “You rescued Dad...and everyone.”
“Yes, you did,” Ike said. “So don’t worry about breaking a priceless sword. Besides, I’ve got an eidetic memory and I’m very good at blaming things on wizards.”
“Sounds fair enough,” a grizzled man said, pulling himself out through the shattered doorway of his prison cell. He seemed a little less pale already.
“Dad,” Alec said, rushing to hug him and then stepping back as he saw his cousin watching.
Molly had no such decorum. She buried herself in her father’s arms. “Daddy, daddy.”
“Molly Molekin. What do you think you’re doing here? Your mother will be frantic.”
Molly shrugged. “She’ll be ok. Some fairies put a forget spell on her.”
“What!”
“Don’t worry,” Perrin said. “They weren’t Fay. They were just GORMS.”
“Hmmm. That’s not much better. Alec, next time you rescue me maybe you should leave your little sister at home.”
“No way,” Molly said as Perrin and Alec both protested that it wasn’t their fault. They were still trying to explain everything when a very large moustachioed wizard in a thumbprint cloak and clutching a loudspeaker muttered something to Mrs Bee. He turned to face Alec. “What have you done? Where is the sword?”
Ike groaned, but Alec didn’t seem to notice. “Um, you’re the trackers from the museum? Would you like it back?” he asked, turning the pommel over.
The man glared at him, but didn’t take it.
“It’s...ah...kind of looking a little worse for wear,” Alec said.
Perrin hid a smile behind her hand.
Mrs Bee turned and looked at Alec. She didn’t seem in the least amused. “Young ‘zid, that’s a bit of an understatement. Still, I do have the power to absolve you of this...incident. So long as it is never mentioned again.”
She looked at each of them in turn. “Do I make myself clear?”
Alec, Perrin, and even the security guard nodded. “What incident?” Molly asked.
Ike huffed. “I’ve got an eidetic memory – I’m not about to forget anything.”
Mrs Bee rolled her eyes. “You, Ike, can do what you like. Nobody ever believes you anyway. After all, you’re only a book. And everyone knows books are always full of stories.”
EMBERS
The ocean flamed in the dawn light.
Mrs Bee and Mr Kettleson looked out over the harbour while Alec, Ike and Perrin argued about who had done the most to save Wellingtowne, and Molly made sandcastles on the beach.
“Watch the sky,” Mr Kettleson interrupted the arguments. “O’Kreafly was pretty sure something would happen about now.”
Alec followed his father’s finger to see a flash of gold. “Te Keo!” he said. “He’s free.”
Perrin smiled as the golden bird stretched its wings over the harbour and flew off towards the hills of Wellingtowne.
“Just like an angel.” Molly sighed. “Dad, do you think angels will be nicer than fairies?”
“No!” Dad, and Mrs Bee all shouted.
“No,” Perrin said. “They’re even more dangerous. Believe me.”
“Looks like there’s going to be a storm,” Mrs Bee said, turning away as if she had seen nothing at all. “By the way, well done everybody. And Alec, if it hadn’t been for your quick thinking we’d all be...and you, Perrin-
“Me too,” Molly said, her big brown eyes opened extra wide.
Mrs Bee smiled at Molly. “Yes, you all did very well, but as I’ve already told you this is top secret, so don’t expect any official acknowledgement. And one last thing you need to remember.” She winked with a completely straight face. “I’m just a sweet old lady who likes gardening.”
And after that she hitched her handbag onto her shoulder and set off across the road to her house.
“I think we’d better go home and call your mother,” Mr Kettleson said. “She’ll be worried about you, even if she can’t quite think why.”
“I was worried myself for a bit there,” Alec admitted. “What about you, Perrin?”
Perrin nodded. “I’ve been in some tight scrapes in my time, but this was plenty the most dangerous.”
“It was fun, wasn’t it? And the fairies were pretty,” Molly said blithely, ignoring her father’s worried glare.
Perrin looked at Molly as if considering something weighty, before laughing. “Not exactly fun, but exciting. Prob’ly the best beginning to a holiday ever.”
“It’s going to be hard to beat,” Alec agreed.
Perrin grinned. “I’ve got some ideas.”
Mr Kettleson shook his head. “At least not until after you’ve slept.”
“I know – “ Alec ignored his father’s heavy frown “ – how about those ghosts of yours? We could go visit them.”
“Ooh, ghosts,” Molly said. “Can I come too?”
“Absolutely,” Perrin said. If Alec and Molly could ignore his Mr Kettleson’s frown, so could she. “And if we can find another broomstick I’ll show you how to do dive bombs.”
“Really?” Molly and Alec exclaimed.
“Really,” she said.
“No.” Mr Kettleson said. “First I have to take you home to explain a few things to your mother.”
Molly and Alec groaned. And then turned to each other and grinned.
“It’s good you two agree on something.” Perrin laughed. “Come on, let’s go, I can’t wait to meet your mother.”
“Hmmm,” Alec said even as a thrill of excitement swept over him.
The world was strangely familiar and strangely wild, and there was the wonderful feeling that at any moment a creature of legend might run down the street – and bite someone’s head off.
THE END
With thanks to Peter Friend for all his sage writing advice, Richard Ponder for his artistic expertise, Mary McCallum for her help with the manuscript, even at the last minute, and of course my family for putting up with my writing obsession.
If you enjoyed this book
look out for other titles to be released by the same author:
Miss Lilly Lionheart and the Laboratory of Death 2014/2015
(Miss Lilly Lionheart at Wordpress.com)
Wizard's Guide to London 2016
PhantomFeatherPress.wordpress.com
Twisty Chr
istmas Tales
Table of Contents
The Book
Here be Danger
Missing Persons
Truth, Lies and the Landlady
The Death of a Legend
Bad Men
Crazy
Caught at the AMO
Leap of Faith
Magic Quake
The Witch
Hide and Seek
Teetering on Disaster
Drowning – that’s nothing
Kidnapped
The Terror and the Taniwha
Gone
Paperwork
The Coterie
The GORMLESS
Behind Bars
Going Home
The Frying Pan
The Fire
Hot Coals and Traitors
Embers