“Which means,” Claire added, “he has the ability to connect with the rest of the natural world. Not in a way that’s all-seeing, all-feeling, but if he wants to control another human, animal, or even a flock of birds, he can do.”
Recognising the sincerity of their words, Martin’s feelings were already shifting, and the implications of their explanation made him uneasy. “But he is a human being?”
“Oh yes. Flawed in many ways, like the rest of us. He’s not invincible. We know that for certain. But that doesn’t mean we should underestimate him. Back at home, we know he was already very powerful before he stole the amulet. But he’s greedy and wants more power. Discovering the ability to travel in time has the potential to give him that. Do you understand how?”
Bearing in mind that everything she’d told him so far was news to him, Martin hadn’t had time to work that much out. He shook his head.
“Can you imagine taking a Chieftain tank three hundred thousand years back in time?” She paused to let that one sink in.
It took a few moments for Martin to think that through. “My God!” The idea was horrifying. “He’d destroy anyone and anything he came across. History isn’t my strong point, but I’m guessing weaponry wasn’t too well developed back then. A few spears, maybe a bow and arrow?”
He was treated to Claire’s warm smile. She was amused at his ignorance, but he was comfortable with that.
“Some societies were a little more advanced, but the point is the same. Nothing could destroy the tank.”
“You made that sound as if it actually happened.”
“It did. In nineteen sixty-four. Though we didn’t appreciate that was what he’d done until after the event. We were too late to stop it going.”
“In fairness,” Adam added, “we couldn’t really intervene anyway. We already knew about the tank in advance. The Order has records that refer to it, so we knew it would have to go back. We can’t change what’s already happened.”
“We also can’t let him know we’re on to him,” Claire continued. “As you’ve probably gathered by now, we know what his plans are, and we know that he will eventually die in his own time. But there’s still a risk that he might have transported some equipment to other points in history, with the potential for devastation there. It might not be caused by him, but by some other person stumbling on to it and using it. For that reason, it was felt by members of the Order that, as an extra safeguard, he needed to be monitored.”
“For three hundred thousand years?” Martin couldn’t keep the incredulity from his voice.
Adam responded with a modest smile. “Possibly longer. It took us a long time to find him. We didn’t know where he was based geographically, so we didn’t know where to look for him, either then or in future times. It’s fair to say that the Order had its work cut out for it.”
“We only narrowed him down to this area about seventy thousand years ago.” It was Claire again. “Of course, I’m generalising about the timing. When you’re dealing with numbers this big, being out by even a few thousand years doesn’t make a lot of difference.”
“So a group of us moved out here,” Adam came back, “and we’ve been watching over the area since. At first, his visits were very sporadic. There could be gaps of a thousand years or more between sightings. And we probably missed him on some occasions. It took us a while to realise that the ravens were a sign that he was coming.
“We think he started coming more often when he realised that the technology was changing more rapidly. For centuries, armies had fought with weapons that were essentially just variations on swords, spears and glorified hammers. Then we started to see widespread use of gunpowder, and with that came various types of guns and bombs. The internal combustion engine sent developments into overdrive. More importantly for him, he could travel further.
“You see, one of the major limitations for the Raven must have been his ability to travel. He can tap into the Source, but that doesn’t mean he can fly or simply transport himself through space. So he was restricted by how far he could physically travel from this area.
“We all know now that gunpowder, for instance, was widely used in China centuries before it came to Europe. But we didn’t know it until relatively recently. And if we didn’t know it here in Sherwood, how would he know? But we had trains appearing in the nineteenth century, and we’re pretty sure he used the railways to go to different parts of the country. We suspect he even travelled over to mainland Europe for a while.”
“Suspect? Weren’t you following him?” Martin’s earlier resolve had disappeared.
“No. We never do. Our aim is to be aware of when he arrives, and when he returns. And whether he has anything to take back with him. Remember, if we get too close, he might realise what we’re doing.
“But do you see what I’m getting at? There have been more technological advances in the last two hundred years than there have been in all of the time that has preceded them. So we think he’d realised this, and become more focused on his search for weapons he can use in his own time.”
“Do you know what else he’s taken? Besides the tank, I mean?”
“Not everything,” Adam said. “Not with any certainty. But we do know he took some guns with him. Those seem to have been taken back in the nineteen thirties, so are probably next to useless beside the tank.”
“And whatever else he picks up on his next visit,” Martin added thoughtfully.
“Which is already happening.”
“Hence the comment Claire made earlier,” Martin deduced. “That he’s back. The person who was responsible for Betty Sullivan...” He just caught himself in time. “...having sex with her son-in-law.”
“That’s right. But this time there’s something different. This time you turned up as well.”
Five
Martin was conscious of them all studying him carefully. They were obviously looking for something. The problem was, he hadn’t got a clue what it was. Eventually, he felt he had to say something.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
There was no immediate response. All five of his roommates simply continued to look at him. It was Jennifer who broke the silence. She had barely spoken since he’d arrived, so he’d assumed she was only there because she was Adam’s wife. He adjusted that assumption rapidly.
“You’re lying.” The words should have been spoken with a degree of petulance, like they came from some bratty teenager who couldn’t get her own way. Instead, her words were a simple statement of fact.
He opened his mouth to respond, but realised his, “No I’m not!” would sound like a bratty teenager’s petulance. So he held back for a moment, collecting himself, all the time aware of Jennifer’s eyes on him.
She’d been pretty much in the background and, like Mason and Croft, left Adam and Claire to do all the talking. It was clear now that her role was to observe, and he guessed she’d been doing that diligently. It was also apparent that she wasn’t in the habit of taking prisoners.
“Tell us the truth, Martin.”
Somehow, he didn’t think she was going to give him the option. Although he hesitated for a moment longer, he realised that it was actually a relief to finally share what he’d been experiencing. And after everything he’d just been told by these guys, they were hardly likely to fill the room with mocking laughter.
“The truth is I can’t explain exactly why I’m back in Ravens Gathering. Something drew me back.” He paused, expecting one of his hosts to jump in with a question, but, having done her job, even Jennifer was waiting patiently for him to carry on. “I’ve always had dreams, ever since I was a child. Well, pretty much the same dream, really. It comes and goes. It’s not there all the time. In fact, there was a point when I didn’t have it for two or three years. But I suppose it’s always been there in the background.
“Anyway, it became more regular earlier in the year. At first it was a couple of times a week, but it built up quite rapidly u
ntil it was there every night. I can’t explain what changed. There was no detail in the dream that seemed different. I just had a strong sense that it was calling me home. And that’s why I’m here.”
This time when he paused, Jennifer must have sensed his unwillingness to continue.
“Don’t stop there. Tell us everything.”
He shot her a look, but she didn’t seem inclined to back off.
“While I’ve been here, I’ve been up to the clearing in the woods at the back of Forest Farm. The dream always ends there, and when I arrived in the village it seemed like the natural place to go. So I’ve seen the ravens.”
“They aren’t the only ones,” Adam said, “but the clearing is the focal point.” Martin was conscious that Adam was watching him expectantly. Though what he was expecting to see was still a mystery.
“It was creepy up there. I felt threatened, even though they were just birds. And there was something else I felt while I was up there. Obviously the familiarity. Apart from the dream, I played up there when I was a kid. But there was a sense of loss as well, a kind of melancholy. It only started to lift when I came away, but it’s still not gone completely, and the last time I was there was early this morning.”
Glancing round the room, he knew he had their attention, even though what he was describing was pretty humdrum compared to time travel and talk of an ancient order. He also saw sympathy. It wasn’t obvious in all of them, but it was definitely there in Claire’s eyes.
“Then there have been some strange things happening in the village. I’ve not been involved, but as I became aware of them, there was a sense that I was somehow connected.” A terrible thought occurred to him. “If this Raven could force people to do things, is it possible he could have taken control of me? I mean, maybe if he did...”
Adam leaned over and rested a reassuring hand on his forearm.
“If the Raven made you do something that would normally horrify you, he’d make sure you were aware of it. He seems to gain strength from negative feelings. If you can imagine, in the modern day what Betty and Ray did would still cause a shock. But, rightly or wrongly, we live in a more tolerant society now compared to the early sixties. Back then, it would be hard to imagine the scandal it would raise, not to mention the emotional upset for everyone involved. The Raven would have taken the emotional pain as a kind of psychic energy. It would make him stronger. That’s why he forced Betty and Ray together.”
“So what you’re saying is, if I’d killed that dog and stolen the van, he’d have made sure I was conscious of it. That way, he’d be able to feed off my guilt.”
“Not to mention your anger and frustration at not being able to stop what you were doing. So, no, you can be confident that you weren’t directly involved.”
“But I was connected?”
“You say you were, so only you can know for sure.”
“How, though?”
Looks passed amongst the members of the Order. Martin didn’t know what they signified, but it was clear they were keeping something from him.
“A few minutes ago, Jennifer told me to tell the truth. It’s obvious there’s something you’re not telling me. Truth goes both ways, you know.”
“We’re not trying to hide anything from you, Martin.” It was Claire. “Having said that, there are things you need to discover for yourself.”
“How long do you think this one will take?”
“Just a few seconds. I think this one is worth you taking a crash course in.”
From the tone of her voice, he suspected he wasn’t going to enjoy the crash course.
“You said your dream ends in the clearing.”
“Yes.”
“Can you tell me who’s there?”
“Will it make a difference?”
“I think so.”
“Okay.” He bowed his head, thinking for a moment, trying to bring the faces into his mind. “Well, my parents are there. And so are my brothers and sister.” He hesitated, then corrected himself. “Actually, no, Colin isn’t there, just Matt and Janet.”
With his head down, he didn’t see the pained expressions cross the faces of the three Hawthorns.
“Some other families are there. The Salthouses, the Paynes, the Dakins and the Wheelers.” He frowned, trying to picture them all. “Actually, they’re not all there, either. None of the younger children are there.” He looked up as it struck him. It was something he’d never noticed before. “This isn’t a dream, is it? It’s something that really happened.”
“We’ll come to that soon,” Claire reassured him. “Just think about who else is there.”
The image of the clearing grew in his mind. He could see the tree trunks flickering in the glow of firelight. Families were mingling, parents and children together. They were moving around rhythmically, as if dancing to some unheard beat. Sweat rolled down their faces, though whether from their exertions or the heat of the fire that blazed in the centre of the clearing, he couldn’t tell. And standing amongst them all was a stranger.
“There’s a man. He’s tall and thin. Dark hair. Long. His face is pale. He’s got dark, staring eyes.” Lost in the images of the dream, he suddenly felt the urge to pull out of it. He still didn’t understand everything he’d seen. Maybe didn’t want to. His eyes re-focused, coming to rest on Claire’s face.
“That was him, wasn’t it?”
Inexplicably, there was sadness in Claire’s eyes. They even looked a little watery. She nodded, apparently unable to trust herself to speak.
“I was there, wasn’t I?” he persisted, looking at the others for help now, since Claire didn’t seem able to verbalise.
Beside him, Adam swallowed hard and nodded. He cleared his throat, coughing out some of the emotion he was feeling. “You were,” he agreed.
“So I saw him in nineteen sixty-four.”
“And he saw you,” Adam said. “From what you’ve explained, I’d say he must have formed some kind of psychic connection with you in those few moments. What caused it is anyone’s guess. But since then you’ve been dreaming about him, and when it was time for him to come back, you were drawn here too. Just like the ravens.”
“What does that mean?”
“Honestly, we don’t know.”
“Well what do the ravens do? Do they help him in some way? Are we going to see something like The Birds?”
Perhaps predictably, he was met with blank stares. But he tried again just in case.
“You know, the Alfred Hitchcock film? Tippi Hedren, Rod Taylor?” He shrugged. “You’re just not movie fans, are you?”
Mason and Croft shrugged back, but they were smiling at him as if they had a joke to share. Their roles as heavies were long past.
“You’re right about the movies. We don’t really have any interest in that or in television. We’re aware that they’re there, but we have more important things to deal with.”
“Only once every twenty-five years,” Martin pointed out.
“At the moment,” Adam reminded him. “But with even faster advances in technology, he could start coming more often. Our vigil has to be a hundred percent.”
“Fair enough. But what about the ravens? What do they do for him?”
“In our experience, they seem to act as watchers for him. They act as his eyes and ears. Other than that, we can only speculate. It just seems that they’re drawn to this area when he is due. When he leaves, they go too.”
“So I could be acting as his eyes and ears too?”
“If you were, you’d know about it.”
“How can you be sure?”
“It’s happened before. Trust us on this, Martin. We’ve been dealing with him for long enough. We’ve seen connections made where he is aware, and where he isn’t. If you don’t know, he doesn’t. And we’ve been watching you since you arrived in the village. We know the signs, and you aren’t displaying them.”
“Is there a chance that could change?”
“It’s possible, b
ut we’ll cross that bridge if we come to it.” Adam looked at his wife. “Has he told us everything?”
“Everything he can,” she said.
“Good.” He smiled amiably at Martin. “Now we need to tell you what we want from you.”
Six
He’d been half expecting it, but was disappointed all the same. Over the past hour or so, he’d begun to feel safe amongst these people. It had felt as if they were there to help him, even if it was only to understand what had been happening to him. But deep down he’d known they’d want something from him. When he’d been asked for help from the police earlier today, he’d kicked back. Over the years, that had become his natural reaction. This time, in spite of the apprehension he felt, he realised he was looking forward to helping.
“The van from the Post Office was hidden in one of the barns at Forest Farm last night,” Adam said.
“I know. The police found tracks there this afternoon. But how do you know?”
“I followed you to your parents’ house last night.” Adam showed no sign of embarrassment over this and, oddly, Martin felt no sense of grievance at having his privacy invaded. He was more interested in where the explanation would take them. “After you’d gone in, while I was waiting for you, I saw the Raven. He came out of the vicarage.”
“What was he doing there?”
“Difficult to say for sure, but we suspect he’s using the vicar and his wife to help him.” He must have seen some puzzlement on Martin’s face, because he elaborated. “There are certain things he doesn’t seem to be able to do for himself yet, especially when it comes to the advances in technology we’ve talked about. We’re pretty sure he can’t drive, for example.”
Martin couldn’t help himself. He snorted a laugh. “I’m sorry,” he said. “It just seems ludicrous that we’re running scared of this bloke who can travel through time and has designs on building up a power base built on fear – but he can’t drive yet.”
“You have to bear in mind that, in the grand scheme of things, driving isn’t significant,” Adam pointed out. “Besides, since the advent of the motor car, he’s probably only spent the equivalent of a couple of weeks around them.”
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