The Vengeance of Snails

by Chrys Cymri

  We had to make a final bow to the Eternal Leaders. Peter laid a comforting arm across my shoulders as we walked past the snails. ‘Clyde cares for Jago,’ he reminded me. ‘He’ll make sure nothing happens to him.’

  I waited until we were out of view of the snails before admitting, ‘I trust Clyde. It’s the others I’m not sure about. Are you in a hurry to get back? I’d like to take a detour. See if we can find the site of this battle Cornelius mentioned.’

  ‘Sure, let’s ask the dragons.’

  Raven and Tyra were stretched out on the scraggy grass, green-black hides drinking in the sun. Both rose to their feet as we approached. Raven stretched, back and then front, reminding me of a cat. I gave him my best smile. ‘Could you fly us east? We’re looking for a formation which the snails call “Top Rocks”. There was a battle between snail sharks there about two days ago.’

  Tyra’s tongue slipped around her jaws. ‘Any leftovers?’

  Raven snorted. ‘After two days? They won’t be worth eating.’

  We mounted, Peter sliding into place behind me, James climbing up to Tyra’s neck. Morey decided to join my brother. The dragons kicked us away from the slope and angled their wings to take us away from the setting sun.

  A large tor emerged ahead of us. Raven beat his wings, and he and Tyra engaged in a short race. Then a rank smell assaulted our noses, and the two dragons pulled up into a hover.

  The grass below us was torn and battered. Dark blue liquid traced sticky lines over the ground and glistened on the rocks. A few bits of snail shell dotted the battlefield, but where were the bodies?

  Raven muttered something under his breath. The dragons lifted us higher. And then I saw them. Long rows of dead snails, laid out in a large hollow further down the moor. The shell of each one had been placed spiral down, so that the number on the smooth side was exposed to the sun.

  Peter swore, then grabbed my shoulder in apology. ‘Numbers, again,’ he explained. ‘I’m beginning to wish I’d never had that bright idea.’

  ‘But look.’ I pointed at the bodies directly below us. ‘It’s like I said. Those aren’t the ones you painted, are they? The numbers are repeated.’

  ‘And we were much more precise. We put each snail in a metal crate so we could get the numbers on without smearing the paint.’

  I reached down to pat Raven’s neck. ‘Okay, we’ve seen enough.’

  Raven extended his wings and pulled us higher into the darkening sky. I barely noticed the sideways flip to take us through the narrow thin place. My thoughts were taken up with Eternal Leaders and Clyde’s newfound importance. And that the snail was already willing to dictate to us, his friends.

  The sun had set by the time we landed in the mansion’s front garden. My legs ached as I slid to the ground. Peter put out a stabilising hand, and I swallowed my pride and accepted his help. James thanked Tyra, and the female dragon headed off into the twilight. Raven remained in place, his head curving around as Peter and I spoke together.

  ‘I know the rebels destroyed property back home, and attacked you in your garden,’ Peter said. ‘And they caused lots of harm here in Caer-grawnt. But I’m not happy about what we saw back there. It looked brutal.’

  James wandered over. ‘They went after Morey’s family, and they hurt Jago. Can’t say I’m too sorry to see them dead. I think the townspeople here would agree about killing off the rebels.’

  ‘And that’s the other thing that bothers me,’ Peter continued. ‘Isn’t it always the nasty regimes which call dissidents “rebels”? Makes me feel like I’m on Darth Vader’s side.’

  James hummed a few bars of The Imperial March. ‘Maybe Princess Leia’s hairstyle was inspired by the snails? You know, that funny bun thing in the first film?’

  ‘We never asked what made the other snails rebel,’ I said. ‘Or why the Nation feels they have to kill them.’

  Raven’s tail slapped the ground. ‘There might be a clue in the pattern made from their dead bodies.’

  ‘Pattern?’ James repeated. ‘What pattern?’

  ‘You have better distance sight than the rest of us,’ I told the dragon. ‘What did you see?’

  ‘All of the bodies were laid out in two intersecting arms.’ Raven took in my confused look and added, ‘A cross. The dead snails were used to make the form of a cross.’

  Chapter Twenty

  ‘Well, it might not mean anything,’ James said the next morning, speaking around a mouthful of toast. ‘I mean, maybe a cross was just the way the Nation likes to lay out the dead.’

  ‘The snail sharks who invaded Caer-grawnt,’ I pointed out, ‘sang hymns and used New Testament Greek. I can’t think it’s just a coincidence. The Nation knows enough about Christians to use our symbol against the rebels.’

  ‘But those snails attacked the town.’ James swallowed noisily. ‘That doesn't sound very Christian to me.’

  I sighed. ‘Christians aren’t always meek and mild.’

  ‘Certainly not.’ Morey had flown into the room, and he landed on the breakfast table. ‘Dietrich Bonhoeffer, as an example from your own world. He plotted to assassinate Hitler.’

  ‘Cool.’ James took a swig of coffee. ‘I like the sound of him.’

  ‘He was executed by the Nazis,’ I added.

  James grimaced. ‘Like the sound of him. Don’t want to be like him.’

  The unicorns had not joined us for breakfast, so only the three of us sat in the large dining room. Two servants, one an elf, the other a dwarf, stood to one side. A snap from James’ fingers brought the elf over to pour Morey a cup of tea. ‘Don’t get used to this,’ I warned my brother. ‘You won’t have servants back in Northampton.’

  ‘Unless I catch me a millionaire.’ James downed his drink and rose from his chair. ‘I’m off to London. Got some work to do, and then I’m going to hit the nightclubs. See you tomorrow.’

  I looked up at him. ‘How’re you getting there?’

  ‘Tyra’s giving me a lift.’

  ‘Tyra? Why would she do that?’

  ‘Maybe she’s sweet on me.’ He gave me a wink. ‘Don’t worry, my tastes run to skin, not scales. What about you?’ Then he sauntered from the room.

  Morey growled into his tea. ‘Raven must know that you’re betrothed.’

  ‘Of course he does.’ I buttered another piece of toast. ‘Looks like James is back on form.’

  ‘Yes. It’s both encouraging and annoying.’

  Tierney stepped through the doorway. ‘Father Penny, Father Trahaearneifion. Lord Willis will be meeting with town representatives in an hour’s time. He asks if you are free to join him. The Town Hall will be the venue.’

  ‘Are we welcome?’ I asked.

  ‘Lord Willis assures me that you are. He’s made it clear that you should not be blamed for befriending a snail shark.’

  I swallowed the words I wanted to say, and forced out, ‘That’s good to hear.’

  ‘But he has arranged for Inspector Asilraf to escort you.’

  ‘That’s lovely,’ I managed to croak.

  So, forty minutes later, I strode out of the mansion. My best suit jacket was back in England, so I wore a beige one over my black clerical shirt and black trousers. Morey took his usual place on my right shoulder. ‘One day,’ I told him, ‘I’m going to send you the bill for my wardrobe replacements.’

  The gryphon’s sharp claws dug in further as Asilraf landed on the front garden. ‘Salam,’ he said, turning his tan head towards us. ‘Meeting be starting soon. You be ready?’

  ‘All ready.’ I tugged at my jacket lapels, and marched over to the tall gryphon. ‘How is the town? What was the final damage?’

  ‘Twenty-eight dead, one hundred and ten injured.’ The feathered shoulder was on my right, feathers sliding over the black furred back as he strode at my side. I resisted the impulse to give the glossy hide a stroke. ‘Forty some dwellings be damaged.’

  ‘I didn’t think snail sharks were that strong,’ Morey said. ‘Or that th
ey could set fires.’

  ‘Laa. And that be the shame of it.’ Asilraf’s red eyes briefly met my own. ‘Damage done mostly by townspeople.’

  ‘And your own heddlu?’ Morey asked sharply.

  ‘So be true. Dragons be too ready with flame, dwarves be too quick with axes. Also some injuries be from stampedes, not snail sharks.’

  ‘I respect your honesty, Inspector,’ I said. ‘But I take it some of the deaths and injuries did come from the rabble?’

  ‘Naam. So they did.’

  The town was strangely quiet. It took me a moment to realise what I was missing. The factories were silent. No sound of industry, or smell of smoke. The workers must be at home with their families, or on their way to the meeting. I needed to be among them, to be offering support as their rector. I could only hope that Tierney was right, and the townspeople didn’t blame me for the attack.

  The town hall loomed ahead of us, elegant white porticos running along the red-bricked front. Lord Willis stood on the centre of the porch. A red and green cloak was draped over his neck and back, and I assumed that the intricate knot embroidered on the material was a symbol for Caer-grawnt. Several hundred townspeople had gathered on the cobblestones in front of the hall. They parted as Asilraf tapped his beak on various shoulders, heads, and wings. I followed behind, sweating slightly as I tried to interpret the reaction of the crowd.

  A blue and gold clock was set into the centre of the building’s tall front. The arms ticked over to 11am as I walked up the steps and joined Lord Willis. He turned and, with an exaggerated gesture obviously meant for public consumption, brushed each of my cheeks with his muzzle. ‘Welcome, Father Penny, Father Trahaearneifion. Caer-grawnt is very fortunate to have two such dedicated clerics, particularly in these sad times.’

  ‘Only sad,’ a dwarf shouted out from the crowd, ‘because she brought a snail shark to live here!’

  ‘Enough of that,’ Asilraf said. He had leapt onto the balcony to stand beside Lord Willis. ‘We be here to talk over repairs.’

  ‘What’s the point of that?’ asked a were-fox. ‘What’s going to stop those snail sharks from coming back again?’

  ‘They won’t,’ I said. ‘Clyde, the snail shark they came to kill, is gone. He’s back with his own kind now.’

  A dragon lifted his purple head. ‘He should never have been brought here in the first place!’

  Mutterings and snarls spread through the crowd. ‘This could get ugly,’ Morey said quietly, his body shifting on my shoulder.

  ‘Dyfan, isn’t it?’ Lord Willis called out. The dragon stilled. ‘You came here when your treasure was declared forfeit, I seem to recall. You had nothing when this town took you in. Now you have work and a roof over your head.’

  The unicorn turned his head, and his horn pointed at an elf. ‘And you, Viona. You were dismissed from the Llanbedr heddlu when your partner was killed. You were at fault. But we took you in. You now oversee the carding room, if I’m not mistaken.’

  The townspeople had quietened. Lord Willis swept his dark eyes across them. ‘And I could name so many of you. You were all cast out from your own places, your own kind. This town took you in. Caer-grawnt has a proud history of taking in those who had no other home. Should a snail shark be any different?’

  ‘We’ve never been invaded before,’ a were-badger pointed out.

  ‘Then we’ve been fortunate,’ Lord Willis said calmly. ‘And now we know where we’re vulnerable. I’ve released funds to increase our police force, which I know will flourish under the wise leadership of Inspector Asilraf.’ The gryphon dipped his head. ‘Extra medical staff have been brought in from Llanbedr to attend to the wounded. Tomorrow Imam Rashid will come to our town to speak to those of his faith, and on Sunday the service at St George’s will honour those who have lost life or limb in the events of Thursday. If you have any other spiritual needs, speak to me personally, and I’ll make the necessary arrangements.’

  I kept smiling, although the announcement about Sunday had taken me by surprise. At least I had a couple of days to sort something out. ‘All are welcome,’ I told the gathering. ‘Whether you’re of any religion or none. The Church is here for you.’

  ‘And the snail shark?’ a voice called out.

  ‘Gone.’ I took a deep breath, pushing back the stab of sorrow. ‘As I said, Clyde has left Caer-grawnt. He’s now living with the Nation. And none of his people were involved in the attack.’

  ‘How do you know?’

  ‘Because the attackers had numbers on their shells. The snail sharks of the Nation do not.’ I turned my head to the unicorn. ‘Lord Willis, may I lead us all in prayer?’

  ‘Yes, please, Father. Do.’

  Heads lowered, tails stilled. ‘Loving God,’ I said, ‘we ask for your comfort for all those who have been affected by the recent attack. Give healing to those afflicted in body, mind, or spirit. And in your loving mercy, take into your everlasting arms those who died, giving them peace and joy in your eternal kingdom. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.’

  ‘Amen,’ the crowd echoed.

  ‘Now, please, go to your loved ones,’ Lord Willis said. ‘The rector and I will be visiting as many of you as we can. Remember, we are stronger together than apart. This is a time for all of us to pull together.’

  ‘What time is the imam coming?’ I asked as the townspeople began to disperse. ‘I’d like to meet him.’

  ‘He’ll fly in around 11am.’ The unicorn eyed me. ‘You’d willingly meet with someone of another faith?’

  ‘Of course. I regularly attend inter-faith meetings back home.’

  ‘You are an astonishing priest, Father Penny, if I may say so.’

  ‘You were amazing just now,’ I found myself saying. ‘The way you spoke to the crowd. They listened to you.’

  ‘I have the best interests of this town at heart.’ Lord Willis gave a nod to Asilraf, and the large gryphon moved off to direct his officers. ‘I always have. For some reason, you seem to have doubted that.’

  ‘Penny,’ Morey said into my silence, ‘has reason to be careful around unicorns.’

  I found my voice. ‘I had a bad experience with an archdruid.’

  ‘Now I understand the reason for your animosity.’ Lord Willis studied me for a moment. ‘Archdruids draw their strength from the land, which gives them such great healing powers. It also means they are fierce in their defence of their land.’

  ‘You can say that again,’ I muttered.

  ‘But, in their own way, archdruids are willing to give assistance.’ Lord Willis rumbled a gentle chuckle at my look. ‘They’ll heal anyone who seeks them out, so long as he or she is willing to pay their price.’

  Morey cocked his head. ‘What could an archdruid want?’

  ‘I’ve never needed to find out.’

  Asilraf leapt back to the unicorn’s side. ‘Lord Willis, we be ready for the visits.’

  <><><><><><>

  My feet ached by the time I sat down for my evening meal. I ate alone in the warm room. The unicorns were off doing their own grazing, James was probably getting plastered in some glitzy place in London, and the gryphons had gone to their bedroom. I twisted the engagement ring around my finger, then concentrated on eating my salad.

  A scraping sound drew my attention to the open window. Raven rested his long jaws on the wooden sill. ‘The pufflings have eaten.’

  ‘Thank you.’ I speared a tomato and held it out to him. ‘This salad is excellent. Want a sample?’

  ‘They’re nightshades. I ate one once. I was sick for several days.’ His gaze swept around the room. ‘Have you been deserted?’

  ‘Only temporarily.’

  ‘Even by the handsome Peter.’

  ‘He’ll be back on Thursday to visit Clyde.’ I handed off my plate to a servant, and received a bowl of broth in return. Never mind James, I’d have to make sure that I didn’t get attached to this sort of life. ‘You’re happy to bring Peter?’

  ‘I’ll ensur
e that Peter has transport, splendid Penny.’ The air from his snort swept hair back from my forehead. ‘I know Clyde to be a noble snail. I have doubts about the rest of his kind. If you need to fight them, I’ll be at your side.’

  ‘It’s the other snail sharks, the rebels, who’ve been attacking people.’

  ‘But why did they leave? Were they cast out, or did they make themselves outcasts?’

  I met his troubled eyes. ‘In other words, are they like you?’

  ‘My noble Penny, you cut at my heart. Surely you can see the difference between a dragon and a snail?’

  ‘Did they have to run away from those who would’ve killed them, like you did?’ I concentrated on my soup for a moment. ‘Then why turn violent against other species?’

  ‘Against other species as a whole? Or against those who gave shelter to the Great Leader?’

  Now it was my turn to sigh. ‘Much of the destruction came from the townspeople panicking, not the snail sharks. Morey’s going to work with Lord Willis and the local heddlu on an emergency plan. He says a lifetime of helping his clan move from hunting ground to hunting ground gives him plenty of experience in logistics.’

  ‘It would be interesting,’ Raven mused, ‘to find out why one set of snails has departed from another.’

  The bowl had been removed, and some form of meat casserole now awaited my attention. Staying at the mansion could cause great damage to my waistline. ‘I’m surprised you’re interested.’

  ‘This intrigues you. And I’m beginning to realise whatever intrigues you is worth investigating.’

  ‘Finally,’ I said, tucking my hair behind my ears. ‘Took you long enough.’ Then I flushed. A happily engaged woman should not be flirting with a dragon.

  Raven chuckled. Then, to my great relief, he pulled his head back through the window and strode away.