“Owen?” Katie queried as she entered the room and saw him standing, mouth wide open. She was wearing a black vest-top and a pair of green combat trousers that made her resemble a certain plunderer of crypts. “What are you doing here?” she asked him.
“Katie!” Fafnir called as he strode towards her, pulling her into a hug. “Owen is here with his friends and they are all my guests. As are you, of course; the guest of honour!”
“I don’t understand,” she said after her grandfather had released her. “How do you know Owen?”
“My dear, I‘ve known Owen since he was a baby! He’s here with Celia, and Ken. And this is Clive and Ellie,” he said, counting off the people in the room. Ellie gave a little wave and a dance at the mention of her name; the others were less flamboyant and simply raised a hand as they were introduced.
“I didn’t know you had such a varied group of friends,” Ellie commented to Owen.
“I didn’t until yesterday,” admitted Owen, “apart from Mrs Argyle of course.”
“Hello Katie,” Mrs Argyle said with a smile.
“Hi,” Katie said, looking somewhat awkward being the centre of attention. After a brief moment though she walked up to Owen and gave him a hug. “Well it’s great to see you anyway. What happened yesterday?” she asked him. “Everyone was saying that your dad had been arrested?”
“Really?” Owen replied, the idea of him as the source of gossip at school being a new concept to him. “What makes them think that?”
“Angela Algate saw a gaggle of men dressed in black police uniforms bundle your dad into the back of a car. She also reckoned that they found several bin bags full of stolen jewels, but I think that bit was probably her own creation, to add a bit of extra spice to her story.” Angela was in the year below Owen and Katie and was the biggest gossip to have ever walked the Earth (or so she told everyone). She lived across the road from Owen, and was nicknamed ‘MI5’ by the residents of his street on account of her knowing everyone’s business (however inaccurately she may report it).
“I wish you would have told me your dad was such a prolific thief, Owen,” Katie said smiling, “he could’ve stolen me a yacht, or given me a sack of diamonds.” Her smile vanished after she saw that no-one seemed to be taking her story lightly. “He is a jewellery thief?”
“No,” Owen corrected her, “but he is missing.”
Katie looked crestfallen. “I’m so sorry!” she said, “I thought it was Angela’s usual nonsense. What did the police want?”
“It wasn’t the police who took him,” Owen said, “it was something to do with who my mum worked for.”
“But your mum used to work with my parents, same as your dad,” Katie pointed out.
“And that’s why they’re here, Katie my dear,” Fafnir said, “to quiz me on where they might have taken him.” To Owen’s surprise this seemed to satisfy Katie who nodded, as to him the explanation would have seemed rather lacking in detail (as most of them had over the past couple of days).
“Have you found him then?” Katie asked her grandfather.
“Of course,” he said proudly.
“So he must’ve been taken by someone with powers like yours,” Katie surmised.
“A gift that everyone here shares in their own special way,” Fafnir pointed out, “including your school chum here.”
“You’ve got powers too?” Katie asked Owen. “Which ones?”
Owen expected a bit more of a surprised or awed response. “What do you mean?” he asked, a bit confused as to how Katie would know about such matters.
“Which powers have you got?” she repeated.
“Oh. Well, I can reach into parallel worlds and hold onto, err, stuff.” There was probably a more impressive description available but Owen was unable to construct it.
“That could come in handy,” Katie said. “No pun intended,” she added, smiling to herself.
Mrs Argyle looked at Fafnir. “She knows?”
Fafnir put an arm around Katie’s shoulder proudly. “Of course she knows! I’ve been getting her ready since her parents left us.”
“What do you mean ‘getting ready’?” Owen asked. “Getting what ready, and ready for what?” Owen screwed his nose up at his poorly constructed sentence.
“Why for an occasion like today!” Fafnir declared. “We all knew that we would one day be tracked down, and it looks like that time is upon us. No point in relying on others to protect you after all, especially when you’re as strong as this one here.” With his arm still across Katie’s shoulders, he gave her a gentle shake.
“You’ve got powers also?” Owen asked her.
“She most certainly does,” Fafnir said proudly. “My girl here can pack a punch harder than anyone I have ever met, including Sullivan and Ali.”
Katie once again looked uncomfortable being under the spotlight. “You told me it was just our family?” she questioned him.
“This is our family!” he said excitedly. “All of us who share the gifts, however diverse they may be. And there’s a fair few of us, in our extended family. I just didn’t see the need in telling you when they were all spread so thinly across the land. But now we’re all together, just like in the good old days!” He smiled at the people in his room.
“Not exactly like the old days I hope,” Clive said darkly.
“No,” said Fafnir, his voice also taking on a gloomy edge, “but that is why we’re all here, I presume? To bring an end to the darkness that has plagued our kind for so many years?”
“That is not why we are here,” stated Mrs Argyle. “We are here to set Owen - and it would now seem Miss Morgan here also- upon the right path. It is not our purpose to make a stand against the Remnant and those that believe in their aim. That is the responsibility of others and you know as well as I why we have separated ourselves from them.”
“They’re not that bad,” sighed Ellie. “Once you remember all of the rules of course.” She turned to Owen and Katie and rolled her eyes. “There are so many rules.”
“Who do you mean?” asked Owen. “Are there others who could help us?”
“I’m sure they’d help!” said Ellie.
“No!” shouted Clive, causing everyone to jump. He rubbed his face with his hands and continued more softly. “No, Ellie, they will not help. They will only help when they feel that the stability of this world and their way of life is in jeopardy.”
“Who are you talking about?” asked Owen. He looked around the room for answers but none were forthcoming, not even from Fafnir who up until now had been eager to tell all.
“Granddad?” said Katie. “Who are they talking about?” Fafnir avoided Katie’s eyes, instead concentrating on rolling a stone about under his foot. “Granddad.” She said again, this time more softly but with an obvious authority over him.
He paused and looked at her with sad eyes, exhaling slowly. “My dear Katie. ‘They are the self-proclaimed masters of our kind. They are good at heart,” (Clive scoffed at this assessment) “but they do not approve of us meddling in the affairs of those who they consider to be lesser beings. If they knew your powers had emerged they would want to mould you in their own ways. I doubt they’d approve of us old crumblies being responsible for your training.”
“You are a little bit unpopular there, you must admit,” Ellie commented.
“I suppose I am,” Fafnir said proudly. “Maybe I’m being unfair. There is the odd good egg amongst them; I just worry about what they have been cooking up under their tower.”
“Never mind what their activities may be,” Mrs Argyle interrupted, “let us just agree that we shouldn’t rely on their help in this particular matter. They are good people when you get down to the nuts and bolts of defining good and evil, but they would never approve of us trying to rescue Christopher. And yes, they would want Owen and Katie to join them immediately so they could begin their training.”
“Training?” repeated Owen. “For what? And I still don’t get who you’re on a
bout.”
“They’re a cult,” said Clive, bitterly. “They’re holed up in their tower and halls, watching as millions suffer and die whilst they wait for an apocalyptic day that will never happen.”
“I don’t think you’re being very fair,” said Ellie, pouting. “When you get to know them you’ll understand they’re actually really nice. They were really sad to see me leave if you must know.”
“I bet they were. They’d have to do their dirty work themselves without you. You were nothing more than a walking crystal ball to them,” Clive said severely.
“Enough,” declared Mrs Argyle, putting a hand on Ellie’s shoulder to stop her from rising. “This is getting us nowhere. They will not come to our aid, and even if they did,” she turned to Ellie who was about to argue, “it would take them too long to get here.” Ken shifted in his chair, looking uncomfortable, whilst Mrs Argyle continued. “For now we are on our own. They might not think that Christopher Johnston is worthy of our help, but he has done more for the stability of this world and our kind than they could ever imagine. We owe it to him to reunite him with his boy. Even though putting Owen into any danger would be the last thing he would ever want,” she added pointedly.
Owen remained sitting there for a moment and listened to them as they continued to discuss the merits of rescuing his father, along with the possibility of leaving him at the mercy of his captors. Owen thought of how lonely his father had been after Owen’s mother had died, and how in spite of this he still endeavoured to make his sons’ lives as happy as possible.
Owen could feel his emotions starting to swell, forming a fist in his chest that was about to burst out. He stood up suddenly.
“With all due respect to all of you, and of course my dad, I’m going to get him back, with or without you” announced Owen, walking towards the front door, briefly turning back.
“I’ve lost one of my parents already; I’m not going to lose another.”
Owen walked out of Fafnir’s house and followed the path downhill, fighting back the tears that were trying to burst free.
18
Pufflings
Owen stood on the raised path, looking over towards the mouth of the river. He skimmed stones towards the sea, trying to vanquish his frustrations by transferring items from the shore to the water. It wasn’t working very well, although the loud ‘plop’ that the oversized stones he was selecting was oddly pleasing. He picked up a particularly large stone and leant back to throw it, his hands tingling. “Owen, wait!” Owen turned in mid throw to see Katie running down the hill after him. He released the stone unseen, and looked towards his approaching friend, waiting for the sound of the stone falling.
She caught up with him and put an arm around his shoulder. “You okay?”
Owen looked towards the sea, wondering what had happened to his stone. “I’m sorry,” Owen said distractedly. “I just wish they’d be straight with me. Every time they tell me something rooted in truth, it seems like a dozen more lies spring to life around it.”
“I’m sorry that I lied to you as well,” Katie said, giving Owen’s arm a squeeze, her very touch sending shivers throughout his body.
He managed to compose himself and stand still, almost succumbing to how jelly-like his legs felt. “When have you ever lied to me?”
“I should have told you about my gift,” she said bashfully.
“What would you have said?” asked Owen, chuckling. “That you have a super-punch courtesy of your wizard of a granddad?”
“It does sound a bit ridiculous,” she agreed. “When did you found out about what you could do?”
“Yesterday,” he explained. “I climbed up the leisure centre walls and then fell off the roof. Impressive, huh?”
“Ahhh,” she said in realisation, and brushed Owen’s hair across his forehead (the shivers were even more intense this time), “hence the bashed head.” She traced her finger down the side of the wound on Owen’s forehead, her touch sending bolts of electricity firing through him, this time causing him to stumble slightly.
“Do you know how you can do what you do?” Owen asked her, not sure if he was referring to her gift or her ability to make him tremble all over. He tried to look casual as he sat down on a rock that was next to him, lest his legs give way completely.
“With my fists?” she asked, examining them in front of her. “My granddad has tried to explain it to me, but his description changes slightly each time. It’s got something to do with different gravities or pressures on the mirror worlds.” She flexed her hands and twiddled her fingers. “What about you? What are the mechanics of your thing?”
“Mine’s a bit dull,” Owen said bashfully. “I reach out and grab onto solid parts of parallel worlds.”
“Yes,” Katie agreed sarcastically, “sounds very tedious.”
“I didn’t mean it like that,” Owen said. “It’s just not as cool as what some of the others can do. Clive can walk through walls, Mrs Argyle can blow people off their feet, Ken can drown them with water, and your granddad can conjure up fire without a match.
“And me? I can grip things.”
“Sounds pretty nifty to me,” Katie said biting her lip and all of a sudden looking very mischievous. “I tell you what,” and leaning forward she and whispered in his ear, “I’ll show you mine if you show me yours.”
“What?” spluttered Owen, thankful that he was now seated.
“You show me what you can do, and I’ll do likewise.”
“Oh,” said Owen, slightly disappointed as to what she had in mind. “Okay.”
“Stand up then,” Katie ordered. Owen did so, curious as to what might come next, but also worried that it might involve her hitting him. He sighed with relief as instead she pulled him aside, and took a step away from the rock.
She then pulled back her right arm, and sent her fist flying forward, the whole of her hand flashing with a white light as it approached the large rock. Owen’s stomach lurched as it looked like all of the bones in her hand were going to be shattered. But instead the rock yielded to her might and cracked down the middle, the point of impact exploding in a shower of splinters.
Katie landed on one knee, then stood back up and placed her hands on her hips, a triumphant look on her face.
“Your turn,” she declared.
“Lightning Kate,” was the best assessment that Owen could come up with.
Katie smiled and clapped her hands in encouragement for Owen to begin his demonstration.
“Right,” stalled Owen, trying to decide what would be the most impressive way to demonstrate his prowess. He could just make out the sea beyond the trees and decided that a quick journey over the waves would be suitably impressive.
He was about to climb up a steep part of the gully to his right, when Katie told him to wait and walked behind him. “Bend down,” she said, putting her arms around his neck, “you’re giving me a ride.”
“Whoa there,” said Owen, backing away, his palms raised. “I’m pretty new to this; I don’t think I should be carrying passengers just yet.”
“You’ll be fine,” she said grabbing his shoulder and turning him around, and then jumped onto his back and wrapped her legs around his waist and arms around his shoulders. She leant around and kissed his cheek, before whispering in his ear: “I trust you.”
A fire ignited throughout his body and he gripped hold of her legs. Maybe it was a reckless desire to impress the one he loved, but he knew that she would be safe with him and that his powers would not lead them to any harm.
Owen ran down the path past where the river turned off to the left and headed up a path to the right. He burst through a gap in the trees and across a field, the sea opening out in front of him, encouraging him to use it as a backdrop to his flight. He could see where the field joined the cliff path so he headed towards it.
“You sure about this?” he asked Katie.
“Yes,” she breathed in his ear.
He ran across the cliff path and
launched himself over the cliff’s edge. Katie screamed in his ear; not a scream of fear, but one of pure exhilaration.
“Hold on tight!” he shouted as they headed down towards the rocks below, the waves crashing about them menacingly.
Reaching out he grabbed and swung on an invisible rock that was seemingly waiting for him to do so in an invisible, parallel world. He propelled himself forward, grabbing hold of another rock, unsure if he was connecting with the same world or one of the infinite others that he was led to believe exist.
Onwards they flew, the wind biting their cheeks. Katie gripped him tightly, her warm body spurring Owen forward.
He increased his speed and pushed with his legs, moving through the air like a great cat running down its prey. Looking down he watched as the sea passed by in a blue blur below them.
Katie was laughing joyously. Owen grinned and pulled them upwards, his muscles moving effortlessly and without any sign of fatigue. He turned slightly and brought the coast so it was along their right hand side. Ahead there was a small island further out at sea.
“Go there,” Katie pointed, and Owen obediently propelled them towards it. Within moments they were close enough to see its coastal cliffs, so Owen swept in for a more detailed look.
Owen could see families of puffins amongst the rocks, the parents crying and flapping their wings menacingly when the unusual intruders got too close to the freshly hatched pufflings.
“Best give them a bit of privacy,” suggested Owen and circled around the island, allowing the cold sea breeze to determine his direction. Once he had covered the island’s perimeter, he headed upwards towards the thin wispy clouds.
More seabirds were present, wide gulls not bothered by their presence. Below the island was now a small speck against the wide blue sea, the shape of the coastline zigzagging next to it.
“This is all very pretty,” Katie said over Owen’s shoulder through chattering teeth, “but I don’t think I’m dressed for how cold it is up here, and we really ought to get back.”
Owen felt that she had a couple of points, so with a grin he headed back down towards the coastline, allowing gravity to do the work for him.
The Remarkables (The Remarkable Owen Johnson, part 1) Page 15