He handed the notes to Squib and held out his hand. ‘It’s been a pleasure to meet you, young man, and I hope your fortunes change very soon!’
So saying, he turned and strode away.
Squib thought he heard the Prof mutter something like, ‘It would have been nice …’ but he couldn’t be sure.
Squib looked at the money in his hand. He looked at the professor’s rapidly retreating figure. Without even realising he had made a decision, he scrunched up the notes in his palm and trotted hurriedly after the professor.
The Prof twisted and turned among the varying stalls. Squib followed silently, like a small shadow, ready to melt away at any moment, should the need arise. At last, they found themselves slightly apart from the bulk of the crowd. This was where the boxes and trailers were parked waiting to take horses and ponies back to their warm, comfortable stables and bulging hay nets.
The Prof disappeared behind a small caravan that looked rather tatty and older than all the other vehicles. Squib peered round the corner, careful not to be seen. The Prof unlocked the caravan door and stepped inside. Cautiously, Squib crept up to the dingy window and raised himself up slowly, so that he could peer into the dimly lit interior.
At first he couldn’t see much, but as his eyes grew accustomed to the gloom, he could see the professor lifting something out from underneath the cushioned top of a padded seat. As he lifted this thing, the Prof turned slightly; then Squib could see he was holding some kind of box. Squib could hear him talking to someone, although he couldn’t see anyone else there.
As he watched, the Prof produced a strange looking key from his pocket. It seemed to shimmer slightly in the murk, as though it were made of glittering starlight.
What happened next happened so fast that Squib had no time to think.
As the Prof turned the key in the box, the lid sprang open and light seemed to pour out of the box, followed instantly by a splodge of dark. It was like an inkblot that spread out and up until it hovered like a blue-black stain in the middle of the caravan.
Carefully shutting the box, the Prof put the key back in his pocket. Without even glancing round, he stepped purposefully into the pulsating black ooze.
Squib wrenched open the door of the caravan, squealing, ‘Wait for me!’ He lunged forward into the darkness, just as the blinding light that had filled the caravan sucked back into the dark blot, a mere fraction of a second behind him.
The splodge shrank rapidly and disappeared with a soft shlurrrp and the professor and Squib were gone.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Flushed and bright eyed, Destiny waited impatiently for Anthony and his dad to appear on the platform. Mr Grey had flown over from America and picked Anthony up from school on his way. Two weeks until Christmas; they would be staying with the Smiths for ten days before going back to Anthony’s cousins in Hertfordshire.
Destiny couldn’t wait! It was only just over two months since her memorable visit to the ranch in America, but it seemed like a lifetime ago. She and Anthony hadn’t missed a single Sunday e-mailing each other, and there was nothing they hadn’t talked about over the Net from aliens to school dinners.
Here he was at last. He looked taller than she remembered and Destiny’s excitement suddenly wavered. Supposing they’d said everything there was to say over the Internet? What would she talk to him about for ten days?
Anthony caught sight of Destiny and flashed a broad smile. At once her worries vanished. He was the same old Anthony and ten days would barely be long enough!
That night, they talked on until the wee hours of the morning; quietly so that parents wouldn’t come knocking on the door and complaining that it was high time they went to sleep. Destiny wanted to know all about the ranch; how Merlin and Wasp and Toby were doing. Anthony wanted to know how Destiny was getting on with her riding now that she was sharing a pony. They considered what they would do with the days ahead, unaware that unfolding events would plan their holiday for them!
Despite having chatted until late the night before, Destiny awoke early. At first she wondered why she felt so excited. Then she remembered. Today they were going to a big equestrian event. She loved the pre-Christmas horse show. There would be a huge shopping village with stalls you could wander around for hours. Mum always treated them to pizza and then ice cream in the interval.
This year it would be doubly special, because Anthony and his dad would be there.
There was a knock at the door and Anthony’s tousled head appeared. Sitting together on Destiny’s bed, they discussed the coming event excitedly.
‘I can’t believe you’ve never been before!’ Destiny said incredulously, for the umpteenth time.
‘Well … I … haven’t!’ Anthony punctuated each word by poking Destiny in the ribs. Destiny giggled. She grabbed her pillow and walloped him with it!
‘Right!’ he yelled with mock savagery. ‘This is war!’
Pillows flew. Destiny giggled so hard she could hardly catch her breath.
Anthony was merciless but, knowing he was stronger than Destiny, never too rough.
The bedroom door flew open.
‘Well, kiddies, I hope this isn’t an example of how you’re going to behave at the show today!’ Jenny’s face and voice were both stern, but a tiny quivering smirk at one corner of her mouth gave the game away.
Anthony looked crestfallen. ‘Sorry, Jenny, I guess we got a bit carried away!’
‘Yes, sorry, Mum,’ Destiny said meekly, ‘but it was all Anthony’s fault!’ So saying, she grasped the opportunity to whumph him over the head with her pillow and then collapsed into giggles again.
Jenny feigned despair and rolled her eyes at Anthony. ‘You see what I have to put up with?’
Anthony grinned; it was going to be a really good day.
They arrived in town early, so that they would have time to eat and look around the stalls before the show started.
In the first event, the competitors had to jump six fences in a straight line. The fences got progressively bigger and Destiny and Anthony found they were straining with the riders over every jump; willing the horses not to knock any poles down.
Next they watched with awe as the mounted police riders jumped through hoops of fire and then sailed over fences whilst at the same time removing first their stirrups and then their whole saddles!
‘I could never do that!’ marvelled Destiny.
‘We’ll have to give it a try when we get back.’ Anthony laughed.
Destiny shot him a ‘yeah, right!’ look, which was designed to wound at ten paces. Anthony laughed again.
Just before the interval, there was a competition between teams of dogs, who had to run as fast as possible over a group of jumps, flip a ball up in the air by putting a paw on a pedal, catch the ball and then race back again. Destiny screamed herself practically hoarse cheering them on. The only trouble was she wanted them all to win.
They felt thoroughly exhausted by the time the interval came around and definitely in need of a drink.
‘Don’t be too long!’ warned Jenny, ‘the interval is only twenty minutes. You don’t want to miss the speed stakes.’
‘Okay.’ Destiny smiled over her shoulder, as she skipped down the stairs, closely followed by Anthony.
It seemed like only thirty seconds later that the announcement came over the tannoy for people to return to their seats for the next event. Destiny and Anthony looked wide-eyed at each other. They had drifted quite some way from their seating block and were somewhere near where the riders went in and out of the arena.
‘Let’s watch the first couple from here,’ suggested Destiny. ‘It’ll be fun to see them going in and out.’
They watched the first two riders complete the course. The very first was a young girl who rode very fast, making what seemed like impossible swerves and turns in and out of the jumps. The audience ooohed and aaahed, caught up in the thrill of the round. There was a taut silence as she approached the last fence … then c
ame a roar of approval as she cleared it and raced through the finishing line.
‘Wow!’ exclaimed Anthony, impressed. ‘The rest of them will have to go some to beat that!’
They decided to start watching the third rider and then to make their way back to their seats.
‘Gosh, he looks grumpy,’ remarked Destiny, as the man rode in.
‘His horse doesn’t look too happy either!’ replied Anthony, grimly. ‘He’ll have trouble with this one, you watch.’
Sure enough, the horse bounced around the arena shaking its head wildly and pulling hard, as it rushed uncontrollably over the first two fences. At the third fence, they seemed to reach it all wrong. The horse flung its head up in the air and just seemed to plough right through the jump, instead of taking off. Its rider was almost unseated. When he regained his balance, he had a thunderous look on his face.
He whacked the horse hard, twice, with his whip. Anthony tutted, and muttered under his breath, ‘That wasn’t the horse’s fault!’
Two more jumps were trashed and, by now, Destiny could see that the horse was getting wild. The rider gave the commentator a grim smile and touched his hat to show he was retiring. He made a great show of patting his horse and the crowd clapped appreciatively.
Anthony however, was not so impressed.
‘Come on,’ he said, tugging at Destiny’s sleeve.
‘Where are we going?’ she asked, surprised.
‘I want to see what happens to that horse when the crowd aren’t watching,’ he said seriously, leading her towards the area where the show jumpers and grooms milled around.
‘We can’t go in there!’ hissed Destiny. ‘Look, there are guards at the entrance.’
‘It’s easy, just watch.’
Anthony waited until a group of people were making their way towards the gate.
‘Come on,’ he whispered again, and dragged Destiny until they were both walking at the side of the group farthest from the guards. As they approached the gate, Anthony said, ‘As we go through the gate, laugh!’ He started telling her a funny story about one of the horses on the ranch. He’d got to the bit where one of the ranch hands was being dragged around the yard hanging for dear life on to the horse’s tail, when they passed through the entrance.
It was a funny story and he told it well.
Destiny forgot she was supposed to be pretending and laughed out loud. The guards glanced at each other and grinned.
Then they were through.
Once they were out of earshot, Destiny gasped, ‘That was really sneaky!’
‘Not really, you just have to not be guilty and then you don’t look guilty, so nobody gets the wrong vibes.’
‘That’s so cool. I’m gonna remember that one,’ she said firmly.
As they rounded a corner, there was a commotion going on. Without a word, they both began to run. In the centre of the outside arena were the rider and horse they had just seen competing. A small crowd had gathered to see what was going on.
Pushing their way to the front, Anthony and Destiny were in time to see a smallish rotund figure, face the colour of ripe tomatoes, jabbing an angry finger at the sneering rider.
‘You’re a disgrace,’ yelled tomato face. ‘You shouldn’t be allowed near a ‘orse, let alone ride one!’
The horse itself stood slightly apart, sweating and visibly trembling. Anthony grabbed Destiny’s arm and pointed towards its flanks with a shaking finger. Destiny clapped her hand over her mouth in horror. There were clear welts to be seen, some of them showing speckles of red.
As they watched, an angry looking official strode towards the scene intent on sorting out the commotion. At first he started shouting at Tomato Face, demanding to know, ‘What the hell he thought he was doing,’ and ‘Who the hell he thought he was!’
Instead of shouting back, Tomato Face instantly clammed up and pointed an accusing finger at the subdued horse.
Now it was the official’s turn to go red in the face. He rounded sharply on the rider with a look of furious disgust on his face.
‘Be assured,’ he said quietly, ‘that we take such incidents very seriously. There will be a disciplinary hearing. I will see to it personally!’
The rider, who was now not looking quite so sure of himself, began to protest.
‘Look here … it’s not how it looks … this man …’
The official ignored him and pushed him to one side, ordering that the horse should immediately be taken to the duty vet to have its wounds looked at.
It was over.
The rider gave Tomato Face – who by now was grinning all over his face – a venomous look and hissed, ‘I won’t forget this!’
‘I should ‘ope not,’ remarked Tomato Face cheerily. He turned and strode away.
With lots of shakings of heads, the crowd began to melt away too.
‘Quick,’ breathed Anthony in Destiny’s ear, ‘let’s go after him.’
‘Who?’
‘The man who was complaining.’ He was already hurrying her in the direction that Tomato Face had taken. They followed him out of the arena and back into the shopping village. Anthony was walking so fast, Destiny had to trot to keep up with him.
‘Why … are … we … following him,’ she asked breathlessly.
‘I recognize him from somewhere and anyway, I want to say thank you.’
‘What for?’
‘For giving that horrible man a piece of his mind AND getting him in trouble with the authorities.’
Now that Anthony mentioned it, Destiny too thought that she recognized the retreating figure, but she couldn’t place from where.
They had nearly reached the gate to their own seating area when they lost sight of him.
‘Oh, bother,’ said Anthony vehemently.
They scanned the crowd for some sign of him, but he’d gone.
‘Where did he go? One minute he’s there and the next he’s vanished!’
‘Never mind,’ said Destiny. ‘I guess we ought to get back to Mum anyway. She’s probably going ballistic by now.’
‘Yeah, you’re right,’ sighed Anthony.
They turned into the gateway.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
A hand shot out from under the dark stairway. It grabbed Anthony’s coat and jerked him backwards into the dim recess.
‘Hey!’ yelled Destiny, but her cry was drowned out by a roar of excitement from the crowd above. She plunged forward into the gloom and ran smack into Anthony.
‘Oof!’ they both exclaimed at the same time.
The light from a small torch pierced the murk. It wavered rather wildly, as the short, stocky figure they had been following apologized over and over for dragging Anthony so unceremoniously into the dark nook.
‘I’m so sorry,’ he uttered for the tenth time. ‘I really ‘ope you weren’t too scared, only I didn’t want anyone to see, see?’
‘You didn’t want anyone to see what?’ asked Destiny puzzled.
‘Shhh,’ said the man mysteriously, putting a finger to his lips, even though nobody could possibly hear them against the chatter and clatter of the crowds all around.
Anthony and Destiny glanced at each other questioningly.
Then Anthony said politely, ‘I’m sorry if we upset you by following you, sir. I only wanted to thank you and shake your hand.’
The man nodded impatiently, as though he already knew all that. Nonetheless, he held out his hand, first to Destiny and then to Anthony.
‘The name’s Saddler,’ he said gruffly.
Before either of them could respond, he continued, ‘I’ve been ‘oping for the chance to catch up with you. I need your ‘elp.’
Suddenly, Anthony said abruptly, ‘Where have we seen you before? I know I recognize you from somewhere.’
‘No time for that now. No, no time at all. I’ll meet you in the green’ouse. Tonight. Twelve o’clock. I’ll explain then.’
And with those words he hurried off leaving the two children staring afte
r him in amazement. They looked at each other again and then burst out laughing. ‘The green’ouse?’
‘At midnight?’
‘Was he for real?’ they both gasped together, which made them laugh even more.
‘Gosh,’ said Anthony, sobering up. ‘I wouldn’t have followed him if I’d known he was going to turn out to be so weird!’
‘We’d better hurry up and get back to our places,’ Destiny said, wiping tears from her eyes, ‘otherwise Mum’s not going to be a happy bunny.’
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
‘I can’t believe we’re actually doing this,’ giggled Destiny nervously, as they crept down the stairs in the eerie quiet of the night.
Jenny had not seemed to particularly notice that they’d missed half of the speed stakes and had brushed aside their apologies and explanations of ‘getting lost’.
On the way back, they had discussed their strange encounter with the man who called himself ‘Saddler’.
‘I couldn’t smell alcohol or anything,’ Destiny said, considering.
‘Maybe he’s on drugs,’ suggested Anthony.
‘Yes, but he didn’t really seem “spaced out”. Just a bit, well you know, peculiar.’
‘So what do you think he meant by, ‘I’ll meet you in the green’ouse, at twelve o’clock? For all he knows you don’t even have a green’ouse … er, house!’
Destiny looked at Anthony strangely. ‘Well we do, actually. It’s hidden behind those trees at the bottom of the garden. But how would he know that?’
‘Oh, a lucky guess, I should think. Lots of people have greenhouses.’
‘Well why did he say he’d been hoping to catch up with us?’
‘Dunno, the whole thing is nuts. Anyway, he might guess you’d got a greenhouse, but he couldn’t possibly know where you live!’
‘Unless –’ Destiny rolled her eyes dramatically – ‘unless he’s following us home, right now!’
Anthony dropped his jaw in mock horror and Destiny giggled. They started taking it in turns to peer around and over their seats to see if Saddler was there, watching them. Some of the other travellers gave them funny looks, which set them both giggling again and earned them warning looks from Jenny to behave.
Emajen Page 5