by Noel Pogson
There was no response from Zak this time, and when Steven peered over at him, he saw that he’d fallen fast asleep, as quick as turning out a light.
“I’ll keep watch, you two just sleep,” he said quietly. “I hope yer make it Tallion, I really do…”
18. Time And Time Again
Sir Philip had a problem. Time.
Or, to be more precise, not enough time. It wasn’t the first time, and it wouldn’t be the last, but this was about as complicated as it had ever been. His father had finally helped him to overcome this persistent predicament when he was in his mid-thirties, but it came at a price. First, a secret that had to be kept from everyone, and second, the small matter of growing older quicker than the years you accumulated.
The latter problem wasn't too hard to overcome, at least, not for a wizard of Sit Philip’s calibre. Enchantments and potions could overcome the limitations of age and hide it from everyone until it no longer mattered. The former, keeping it secret, was much more difficult.
In order to overcome time, you need to travel through it, and people often notice! Inevitably travelling in time also means that you live through the same periods of time twice, even if you return to the exact moment you started from, which any sensible time traveller always does.
Therefore Sir Philip, who on paper was fifty four, had actually lived through something like sixty years as a result of the times he’d either stopped time, travelled backwards and forwards through it, or re-lived chunks of it.
He knew that he needed to use the power of time now to help him overcome his current problem. He had six unconscious footballers from Netherdale Academy in the castle, and they needed to be home in about four hours tops. He had one exhausted but recovering eleven-year-old wizard, who needed at least twenty more hours to recharge his magical batteries. He also had one almost dead son, who would almost certainly need considerably longer to recover! Without both boys in full health though, there was no way that he could revive the six unconscious footballers, and revive them he must!
Zak and Tallion therefore had to travel through time; that was all there was to it, and Steven would probably have to go with them. They were going to have to live through the next few days of their lives, allowing them to completely recover from their ordeal, and then come back to where they were now to revive Zak’s team-mates. They also had to do it without anyone noticing! Sir Philip knew he couldn’t hide it from the boys themselves, but he’d cross that bridge when he came to it.
The baronet set about creating a special combined time and location portal in Tallion’s study to take the three friends to a room on the ninth floor of the LookOut tower. Middleham folklore had it that one of their ancestors had created the room, and had imbued it with many charms and much complex magic. The baronet wasn’t so sure though, because some of the magic that he’d detected in the room was very dark indeed. However, its primary attribute would serve his purpose now, without much risk to the three eleven-year-old wizards. This was going to get complicated, but all being well, the world would be back to rights fairly soon.
* * *
Bjarne finished his lunch and returned to his room to puzzle out what had happened. He’d spent about three hours reading the alchemy book in Tai Tuie’s Tomb, and he could remember most of what he’d read so it wasn’t a dream, but it seemed like he’d only been in there for about thirty seconds! The possibilities were either that he’d read the book superfast, which didn’t fit with him sitting in the comfy chair and seeing the time on the clock, or that time had stood still while he was in there.
Bjarne’s logical mind decided that it had to be the latter, which he found almost unbelievable! He decided he needed to do two things. First, read up about controlling time, and second, go back to the room to conduct a few experiments. He set off for the library determined to untangle the riddle of Tai Tuie’s Tomb.
* * *
Sir Philip opened the portal between Tallion’s study and the room in the LookOut Tower. As long as the portal remained open, time in the room would be pegged to time in the rest of the castle. Usually that only happened when the door on the ninth floor of the LookOut Tower was open.
The baronet enchanted Zak, Tallion, and Steven into a deep sleep, and took them through the portal. Nurse Salvae had confirmed that Zak and Tallion should stay together to help Tallion recover more quickly, so he arranged the room like a school dorm with dressers and chairs, and a reading desk near the window, but with only two large beds. He put Steven in one bed by himself, and Zak and Tallion together in the other.
One of the properties of the room that Sir Philip had never been able to properly figure out was the way you always left the room just a few seconds after the moment you went in. It was this feature that he was now going to use to let the boys travel through time while everyone else stayed firmly in Sunday afternoon.
This was the first time that Sir Philip had tried to make someone else travel through time in this room while he wasn't in it, and he was more than a little curious to see the result. He left written instructions that the boys should stay in the room until eight pm, when Zak and Steven should come back through the portal, which would open as they walked towards it.
He then went back through the portal himself and closed it behind him, breaking the link between the room and the castle, which allowed time in the room to run free. What should happen next, was that Zak and Steven should appear within seconds thinking that it was eight o’clock. If his theory was correct, they’d wake up in the room when the clock chimed, read the note, and come through the portal, which would bring them back to more or less the same time as when Sir Philip closed it.
Sir Philip was therefore gratified, but not surprised, when that’s exactly what did happen just a second later! Zak had just spent six hours asleep, in less than a minute, and was looking much more like his old self! The baronet smiled, both in welcome and in relief.
“We’ll have dinner in your room Zak, rather than going down to the dining room. How’s Tallion’s chest?”
“I had a quick look before I came out, Father, and it’s like it was in the infirmary, blackened and raw. Is Nurse Salvae here with her potion?”
“Yes, she’s just having a bite to eat. I’ll fetch her in a few minutes, and she can apply it while we eat. Can you connect with his mind yet Zak?”
The baronet was on tenterhooks for the answer to that question. So far, apart from his body working, there had been no other signs of life from his son at all.
“No Father. There’s nothing there yet, although it feels better than it did after the end of the match. I don’t have that totally empty feeling inside that I had then, so maybe something is recovering.”
Zak could hear the baronet’s thoughts, and shared his fear that the curse had somehow affected Tallion’s brain, or maybe his mind. He definitely wasn’t as panicky about it as before though.
“Okay you should both go for dinner in your rooms, Zak, and you can have a shower and change too. Steven, I’ve let your parents know that you’ll be staying here with Tallion tonight, and we’ll take you straight to school in the morning, is that what you want?”
The young farmer brightened and nodded his head with the trace of a smile.
“Aye Sir Philip, if that’s no trouble.”
“You’re more than welcome, Steven. I think Tallion needs you as much as he needs Zak! Right, look sharp and freshen up, I’ll have dinner sent along in about fifteen minutes.”
As soon as the boys left the room, Sir Philip quickly went through the open portal into the tower, and levitated Tallion back through it into his own bed. He then sent a messenger to Nurse Salvae, asking her to come and administer the rejuvenation potion. This way she wouldn’t have any suspicion that a bit of time travelling was going on!
The baronet closed the portal to the tower room, which allowed time there to reset to be the same as the rest of the castle.
* * *
Thirty minutes later, the skin on Tallion�
�s chest was restored, although he now had a new scar over his heart to match the one that was barely changed on his back.
“That damage developed quite a bit quicker than at school Sir Philip,” said the nurse as she magically put Tallion’s pyjamas back on. “It must be because the Libra Mortis hit him at full power.”
The baronet managed to suppress the smirk that was trying to twitch the corners of his mouth. No-one ever suspected it when you fiddled with time to make things work out.
“There’s still no sign of any damage to his internal organs,” continued the nurse, as she cast a few more charms over Tallion’s unconscious body. “Although we need to keep a close eye on his heart, which does have the faintest trace of irregularity about it. The new scar is right over it, so the Libra Mortis must have been very close. It’s a wonder he’s not dead!”
“These two boys are unique, Honor. I don’t think it was only their magical power that withstood the Libra Mortis, it was the fact that there are two of them. My current theory is that they can somehow share their life force between them. The one keeps the other alive! While ever one lives, the other cannot die…”
The nurse looked at the baronet with raised eyebrows, and then at her patient.
“Immortality?”
“Well, not quite. Get them both at the same time and that’s the end, but you do need to get them both! You mustn’t say anything though Honor, not even to Orion. I’ll tell him when I’ve thought about it a bit more, but for now…”
“Of course Sir Philip! Good heavens, I never heard the like of it before!”
Nurse Salvae checked over her patient yet again, and then left, asking Sir Philip to call her if any other type of injury developed. She then went back to Mhonarr Castle arriving in plenty time for dinner.
Sir Philip quickly reopened the portal and took Tallion back through it into the tower room. He then advanced the clock to show eight forty five to hide what was going on from the boys. They could now stay in the room and get a full night’s sleep, which would return Zak to normal, and should see some more improvement in Tallion’s condition.
As soon as he’d settled Tallion, he collected Zak and Steven from Zak’s room where they were just finishing their dinner, and took them back to Tallion’s study. He asked them to follow him through the portal in about a minute to give him a few seconds to check on Tallion. The real reason for the delay was to make sure that they came back through the portal well after he did next time they left the room.
The baronet explained the need for them to sleep through until morning, and gave them a twelve-hour dreamless sleep potion. Thirty seconds later, they were all soundly asleep, all together in the same enlarged bed, so that their proximity to each other would speed the healing process. Magic now just had to do its stuff, and the baronet hoped that the powerful restorative that he’d just given Tallion would start to have some effect.
He was a bit nervous about leaving his son unsupervised for twelve hours, but there was no choice really. He set the alarm clock in the tower room to wake them up, and left a note asking them to leave Tallion if he was still asleep and come back through the portal for breakfast.
He then went back through the portal himself and closed it behind him. Once again, the tower room disengaged from time in the rest of the castle, and began to work its own particular magic. The baronet had about a minute to shoot through into Tallion’s bedroom so that when the boys arrived it didn’t look as though he’d just walked through the portal ahead of them. He glanced at his watch.
It was three o’clock on Sunday afternoon in real time, but any second now it would be eight forty five on Monday morning for the wizards who were about to come through the portal! He needed to keep track of this carefully! When it was over he’d need to either tell the boys what he’d been up to, or alter their memories. He really, didn’t want to do the latter, because it was never seamless and when they found out, which they eventually would, it would seem like a betrayal.
* * *
“Morning boys!” he greeted as they walked into the bedroom a few seconds later. He’d just had time to magically change his clothes to further the pretence.
“Did you have a good sleep?”
“Aye Sir Philip, that were t’ best sleep I’ve had in months,” answered Steven, nodding his head. “Slept right through fer twelve hours straight! Mind, I need t’ bathroom now, s’cuse me!”
The baronet stepped aside as Steven headed straight for Tallion’s toilet, and grinned at Zak. “You too I guess?”
“Yes Father, but I’ll make it to my own room. Are we going to school? We’ll be late!”
“I’ve arranged for you not to go in today, so don’t worry Zak. I think it’s more important that you’re here with Tallion to help him recover. How’s he doing?”
“Much better, I could hear his mind again, although I’ve lost it now that I’m away from him, but I haven’t managed a conversation with him, he’s very deeply asleep.”
“Excellent, that’s a huge relief Zak! Will you be okay to stay with him today, all day? I’m sure being there with him is making a huge difference. How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine Father, really completely fine, and yes of course I’ll stay with him, you’d have a struggle to take me away, and Steven! He doesn’t have to go to school today either does he?”
“No, he’s staying here for the day too. One of my estate workers can go and help his dad on the farm later if needed. Now, you shoot off to your room and freshen up again, and Steven will join you there for breakfast. I’ll just go through and check on Tallion.”
Sir Philip slipped through the portal into the tower room, and was pleased with what he found. Tallion was making good progress, and it was clear that he was going to make a full recovery; the only question was when. He cast a few enchantments over his son, particularly one to check his heart, but everything looked fine. He would get Nurse Salvae to check him over again at the weekend.
As twelve hours had now passed, he gave his son yet another rejuvenation potion, and then magically fed him so that he could build up his physical strength too. He then went back to Tallion’s study leaving the portal open so that time in the tower room remained pegged to the castle, even though it was now twelve hours ahead!
When the boys finished their breakfast, the baronet once again asked them to follow him through the special portal about a minute later, ostensibly to give him time to check on Tallion. In reality, as before, the delay was to ensure that he would arrive back in Tallion’s room comfortably before them next time they came back through. When they joined him, he told them to come back through the portal together for lunch but leave Tallion in the room, even if he was awake.
Sir Philip left the tower room and closed the portal behind him. He glanced at his watch, aware that once again he only had about a minute before the boys would come through for their lunch! It was now very important that Tallion stayed in the room until he was fully recovered, when he could return them all to normal time.
The constant toing and froing through time had created a small problem for him though. When Tallion next came back, he would return to normal time just before three o’clock, which was when the baronet last took him into the room, the others though would return at three forty, which was the time they’d just gone back into the room.
He needed to get them all aligned again as soon as Tallion was awake, but to do that, he would need to bring Tallion back to real time somewhere else, and then catch him up with the others independently, before they all went back into the tower room together for their final overnight stay.
However, despite that little wrinkle in time, his plan was still intact, and it was still Sunday afternoon in real time. If he could get them all through another twenty four hours to what would be Tuesday morning in their time, then he was sure that Tallion would be up and about, and Zak would be able to have a go at reviving the unconscious members of his school football team – still on Sunday afternoon!
* * *
Bjarne was very busy in Lofthouse Castle library that Sunday afternoon. He found far more books about the subject of controlling time than he’d expected, and was surprised that he’d never thought about this before. His mind was spinning and racing in a hundred directions in response to all the possibilities that were before him! It was clear that time travel, both backwards and forwards, was possible if you had the right incantations and the right charms or talismans. However, there was no guidance in any book about creating a Time Talisman, and they seemed to hold the key!
Each generation of wizards handed the talismans down to the next, but most of the talismans now seemed to have been lost. Each documented talisman also had different powers. Some let you go forwards and some backwards through time. The books indicated that only one talisman had all the time powers imbued in it, but there was no trace of that one at all, through all recorded history.
There must be one in the room though, and it must be connected to powerful magic so that when you close the door time stops! theorised the very sharp nine-year-old. Father must know about it too, but why does he think it’s dangerous?
The boy let his mind dwell on things that might go wrong, and a number of difficulties with the whole concept soon presented themselves. He shuffled through the pile of books in front of him, and found one that dealt with the risks of time travel in some detail, so he settled down to read it.
* * *
Lunchtime for Zak and Steven came round instantly, and as they tumbled through the portal together they were falling over themselves to tell Sir Philip that his son was awake and talking, although he was very tired. Lord Middleham was greatly relieved, and asked the boys to quickly freshen up using Tallion's bathroom so that they could then all go and have lunch together with him.