‘You’re i-i-invited t-t-to a meeting of the C-C-Council today at th-three pm. Will-you-be-able-to-a-a-attend?’ she asked in a rush, the last sentence melted into one.
‘Yes! Of course!’ Jack said. The gnome turned from Jack and began to hurry away.
‘Wait!’ Jack shouted at her rapidly retreating back. The gnome stopped and turned back around. Her eyes were fixed on Jack.
‘Y-yes?’ she asked.
‘Where?’ Jack asked
‘Urm... I... urm... the Head of Council’s office,’ the gnome replied her eyes sliding from Jack to the Keeper. She started shrinking.
‘Great! See you then,’ said Jack. She backed away growing smaller, before turning and rushing away. Jack turned to Cali grinning.
‘I wonder what the meetings about?’ Cali mused.
‘I don’t care. We’ve been here forever - I want to get moving, get Sophie and go home!’
Jack looked at the clock on the wall.
‘The meeting is at three. Just under an hour - shall we go and see Bob?’ he asked.
‘Under an hour? I have to get washed up – meet you back here at five to,’ Cali said running towards her room.
‘What? What do you mean you need to get cleaned up…?’ Jack shouted to her disappearing back. Muttering about girls and Sphinxes and all other things that he would never understand he sloped off, shadowed by the Keeper.
Jack gnome watched while he was waited for Cali. He had been sitting for over half an hour when he saw a group of young gnomes meet and begin a lively discussion. As he watched he saw one of them wave his arm in Jack’s direction. He tried to work out what they were saying but all he heard were fragments of words - ‘Aloysius’ a couple of times, ‘the Keeper’ at least three or four times. He looked at the clock – two forty-five - he had time. Maybe they would speak to him. He sidled over inconspicuously when the argument was particularly heated.
‘What if it is true?’ one of the larger gnomes was saying.
‘That’s my point! We should find out! You never know…’ a smaller gnome said excitedly.
‘I think we should just…leave…it…’ the larger gnome said as he became aware of Jack looking on with interest. He backed away a step spying the Keeper settled near Jacks feet. His skin took on a cheesy look.
‘All I’m saying is we should at least ask. If it’s true, what they’re saying…’ the smallest gnome trailed off. ‘What’s wrong?’ he asked. Turning he saw Jack. The others hurried away
‘What if what’s true?’ Jack asked smiling.
‘Um. Nothing. It’s nothing. Just, you know,’ the gnome said, eyes darting from Jack to the Keeper and back.
‘What’s your name?’ Jack asked.
‘Brayden,’ the gnome mumbled. ‘You’re Jack Steele aren’t you?’
‘Yes,’ Jack said. Brayden’s feet stopped shuffling as he stared at Jack.
‘Wow. All you humans look the same to me… still, wow, Jack Steele…’
‘What do you mean all you humans look the same to me?’ Jack asked.
‘I didn’t mean to be rude,’ Brayden said ‘it’s just, I don’t know, sheep all look the same to me too. And goats.’ He smiled encouragingly. Jack started laughing.
‘What’s going on?’ Cali had arrived.
‘Nothing really, just a misunderstanding,’ Jack said.
‘Oh. Right. Are you ready?’ she asked, eying Brayden.
‘Yeah,’ he turned to Brayden. ‘See you around?’ Brayden smiled and nodded before he sped off.
Jack and Cali set off down the corridor to the meeting.
‘What was that all about?’ Cali asked.
‘He was talking about me,’ he sensed rather than saw Cali’s reaction and quickly rethought the sentence ‘us, I mean.’
‘And?’ Cali asked quietly, looking around to see if anyone was listening.
‘I was only there for a minute before you arrived,’ Jack said ‘but he and his friends definitely knew something. Which is more than we do.’
‘What do they know?’ Cali asked.
‘I didn’t have a chance to find out,’ Jack said, kicking himself for wasting an opportunity.
‘We can ask when we see Brayden again,’ Cali said.
‘Yeah I suppose,’ Jack replied as they finally arrived at the meeting room. The congress that would determine the rest of his life was about to start.
Chapter 7: The Travelling Party
Jack looked at the other members of the company with interest. Immediately across the table was a distinguished gnome with a handlebar moustache – he looked sombrely through the pile of books by his side. A pair of tiny spectacles stood on the end of his nose. The gnome glanced up and frowned when he saw Jack looking at him.
Jack’s interest slid to the woman on his right. Goose flesh crept up his back and arms. It was the girl-woman with the golden hair. She smiled when he caught her eye. He felt Cali’s elbow in his ribs and turned.
‘What?’
‘You’re staring,’ Cali said, amused. Jack blushed.
‘She’s an Air Elemental,’ he said.
‘Really?’ Cali said, craning around to look herself. Before she could get a good look the door swung open and Aloysius hurried through.
‘Aloysius,’ the distinguished gnome stood. Aloysius nodded and began to speak.
‘We are gathered to decide the best course of action to recover Sophie Steele. I don’t think any of you have met Jack Steele and his friend Cali,’ Aloysius gestured to Jack and Cali and everyone turned to scrutinize them. There was a lengthy silence.
‘Hi,’ Jack said.
‘Let me introduce you to the other members of the council,’ he put a hand on the distinguished looking gnomes shoulder. ‘This is Wistan, he’s Head of Security.’ Aloysius moved around the table briefly introducing each person until he reached the woman who was sitting on Jack’s right.
‘This is Leofwen, Empress of the Air Elementals.’ Leofwen smiled at Jack again. Her eyes were strange; they were not a light grey today but striking sky blue. When he looked closely he could still see misty forms racing across their surface. She took his hand, enfolding it in hers and shook it gently.
‘So glad to meet you again under more favourable circumstances,’ she said, or at least Jack thought she said. He had not seen her lips move nor heard her voice – he had received the remark some other way.
‘Air Elementals are far removed from human physiology. They have no vocal cords,’ Aloysius said.
‘How do they speak without speaking?’ Jack asked.
‘Osmosis - her thoughts are transmitted through the air directly into yours.’
‘That’s amazing,’ Cali said ‘and I suppose…’ Aloysius held up a hand, a rueful look on his face.
‘I will be pleased to widen your knowledge however our time now is limited,’ he said. ‘The purpose of this meeting is to decide what we need to do in order to find Sophie Steele. Does anyone have any information that I do not?’ Aloysius asked. Silence. ‘As I’m sure you are all aware Jack Steele’s sister, Sophie, has been taken by person or person’s unknown.
‘We suspect the Black Prince of the Fire Elementals. You will not find out much about either him or indeed any Fire Elementals in our libraries. They are not very well documented through choice. Initially this was not considered unusual. Now I have my suspicions about the motivation behind it.’
‘But who is the Black Prince?’ asked Cali.
‘Auldred is the most unstable Elemental in living memory,’ Aloysius said. ‘We cannot say that he is evil, nor yet that he is good. Only that he had brought immense change and radical ideas.’ There was much muttering around the table. Many of the people there disagreed with this statement.
‘He’s taken the Fire Elementals by force!’ one gnome said loudly.
‘He’s the one creating the imbalance!’ another said.
‘He’s pure evil,’ said a third, quieter voice. Jack looked for the speaker but could not work out w
ho it was. Aloysius held up his hands for silence.
‘Let us suffice it to say that the Black Prince is our only suspect. No one other than he would have considered approaching Sophie before she was mature …We had no idea where he might have taken her. Until yesterday.’
Everyone started to talk at once.
‘Where…’
‘Have you…’
‘Why wasn’t…’
‘Please,’ Aloysius raised his voice to calm the tumult. ‘I’ll tell you what I know. The Black Prince has seized control of the Fire Elementals. Their new base is Mount Terror … on Ross Island.’ There was a shocked silence, then uproar again.
‘Are you sure?’ asked Wistan. ‘I don’t mean to question the veracity of your sources, however it does seem farfetched to suggest that the Fire Elementals would locate their headquarters somewhere so against their nature.’
‘You forget I think, Wistan, that Mount Terror is a volcano.’
‘I have not forgotten Aloysius,’ Wistan said. ‘It is not possible. The intelligence you’ve received must be incorrect.’
‘I understand your concerns; of course I do. However, my source is extremely reliable. The information is correct,’ said Aloysius.
‘What’s wrong with Ross Island?’ Jack asked.
‘Ross Island is in Antarctica,’ Cali said.
‘But they’re Fire Elementals. Surely they need to be somewhere … hot,’ Jack said feebly.
‘According to your kind,’ he nodded in Jack’s direction ‘Mount Terror has been dormant for over a million years but my source tells me that the Black Prince has reactivated it.’
‘How can he reactivate a dormant volcano?’ Cali whispered.
‘Remember that Fire Elementals are a people of glamour. They can manipulate elements other than their own to a certain degree. As we all can.’
‘And the Black Prince?’ Cali asked.
‘He can manipulate fire better than any Elemental in living memory. He is almost as well skilled with water. Earth he has a better than average skill with. Fortunately, as far as I can determine his ability with Air is small. I suspect that this is due to the subtle nature of that element.’
‘Aloysius I understand that you believe your source to be impeachable, however I think I would know if he or his kind inhabited Ross Island. The waters are not without their guardians,’ said a man sitting further round the table. His skin was silvery-grey and his eyes were the colour of the sea in a storm.
‘Lord Naira, I assure you my source is not wrong,’ Aloysius said. Lord Naira looked mutinous until Empress Leofwen spoke.
‘We must trust Lord Naira if we are to work together to stop the evil.’ Lord Naira sighed and nodded.
‘Indeed in these times more than any other. I meant no disrespect Aloysius. I believe you,’ he stood and touched his forehead and chest with his left forefinger and then presented his left hand palm upwards to Aloysius. Aloysius repeated the gesture with his right hand. Lord Naira sat down, satisfied.
‘The purpose of this council is to neutralise the threat of the Black Prince,’ Aloysius said. ‘It is imperative to retain peace between our peoples. It is also vital that we return Sophie to the care of her parents. We must do this without alerting the Black Prince to our movements or,’ and this time he looked pointedly at Jack ‘our involvement.’ Aloysius turned to Jack and Cali. ‘Do you understand?’ Jack looked at him blankly but Cali slowly nodded.
‘Understand what?’ said Jack.
‘Jack, we have to do it,’ Cali said, her eyes standing out of her face stark and wide.
‘I know that, I know I’ve got to find her,’ he said.
‘We have to go alone.’
‘What? Don’t be stupid! They wouldn’t send us in al-one…’ he stopped as he looked at the grave faces surrounding him.
‘Right, I get it now,’ he said. ‘You want me and Cali to go by ourselves. In case we get caught.’
‘Please try to understand Jack. There is no other way…’ Aloysius said.
‘Save it,’ said Jack stalking from the room. Cali followed behind scattering apologies and ran to catch up with Jack.
‘Jack what’s the matter with you?’ she asked. He turned on her furiously.
‘Don’t you get it Cali? They want us to do their dirty work. They don’t want to risk starting a war between their people so they’re going to use us. If we get Sophie and get out great, if not it’s no big loss and no harm done. They can always come up with something else,’ he stopped walking and thumped the wall. The power of the punch forced him to step back and he landed on one of the Keeper’s enormous paws. She roared and yanked her foot back, unbalancing Jack and throwing him to the floor. Cali white faced and trembling ran past to the end of the hall before disappearing from sight.
‘Great,’ muttered Jack getting up and walking slowly back towards his room. ‘Just great.’ He arrived at his room and closed the door before the Keeper had a chance to follow.
Jack threw himself on his bed and didn’t move until he heard the inevitable knock at the door.
‘Who is it?’ His blue eyes narrowed as he tried to make himself see through the door.
‘Aloysius.’ His voice was steady.
‘Jack? I’m here too,’ Cali called uncertainly.
‘What do you want Aloysius?’ Jack said his voice slicing through the door.
‘I wish to explain,’ Aloysius said. Jack didn’t answer. On the one hand Aloysius had not lied to him. There had never been any talk about how they were going to find Sophie, only how Jack was going to find her. On the other hand - and this side raged - help had been implied. Aloysius had allowed the assumption to remain and that’s what stung.
It was impossible, unbelievable that he should go alone and try to overcome the Black Prince.
And yet…
And yet, he had the Keeper, a formidable ally and it was Aloysius who had led Jack to her.
And yet he had wished for this for two years, the chance to be reunited with his sister, and it was Aloysius who had found her.
And yet…
Was destiny really something that had to be chased or did it find you wherever you tried to hide?
‘Please let us in Jack. We can at least hear him out,’ Cali’s small voice came again from behind the door.
‘Oh yes, that’s the very least we can do,’ said Jack, trying to hold onto the dank betrayal, he knew it well after all. If Jack was honest, really honest, he knew that he would let Aloysius in. After all, what was Jack going to do, go home? What home? Steele Manor? Steele Manor had ceased to be his home the moment Sophie had disappeared.
‘Jack?’ Cali, still hesitant. Jack closed his eyes.
‘Fine. Come in. But I don’t want the Keeper in here. Leave her outside,’ Jack said. Aloysius and Cali opened the door and walked in. As the door opened to its fullest extent Jack caught sight of the Keeper’s beautiful, solemn face; she was not looking towards him but down the corridor. Jack felt a moment’s relief that he did not have to look into her warm golden eyes.
What is the right question? Jack thought. As he did he saw the Keeper turning slowly towards him, as if he had spoken aloud. The door swung slowly back into place however hiding the Keeper from his sight.
There was a long silence; they just looked at each other like strangers. It was Cali who made the first move, rushing over to Jack to give him a clumsy hug.
‘I’m sorry. I was scared,’ she said unevenly as she let him go. The anxious look lingered around her big emerald eyes.
‘No, it wasn’t your fault,’ Jack said ‘I shouldn’t have been like that with you. I’m sorry. Forgive me?’ Cali nodded and gave him another hug, warmer this time.
Aloysius watched from just inside the doorway until both Jack and Cali were pink and speechless. He smiled and then swept further into the room holding his finger to his lips.
Jack and Cali who had run out of things to say had no problem following that request and they watched quietly as
Aloysius stood. Eventually he walked to the table beside Jack’s bed and reached under the lampshade. He fiddled around for a moment then held out his open hand to Jack and Cali. A small rock was curled in the palm. As Aloysius closed his hand Jack thought he saw an eye open in the rock, but he was sure that that could not be right. Rocks did not have eyes.
Jack watched Aloysius pocket the rock and then sit in the chair closest to the bed. Dismissing the rock that almost certainly did not have an eye from his mind (and rocks don’t curl, Jack thought, scornfully), Jack looked closely at Aloysius.
Aloysius gave a long sigh and regarded Jack as closely as he himself was being regarded. For a moment Jack was with Sophie at the top of the stairs in Steele Manor the day they had moved in, waiting to see who would make the first move.
‘I need to fill you in on some details of our history that have been omitted so far,’ Aloysius said.
‘I already…’ Cali began. Aloysius held up his hand
‘What I’m about to tell you is in no book. It is not written. Unlike in your world, the less savoury actions of our ancestors are only known through the oral tradition, passed down from father to son and from mother to daughter. In many ways this is one of our great failings, however it is tradition.’
‘Go on,’ Jack said after a heavy uncomfortable silence. He desperately wanted to hear more especially if it helped him to find Sophie.
‘Hundreds of years ago, before we went into hiding, long before then, the Elementals were very different,’ Aloysius began.
‘What do you mean, different?’ Cali asked eagerly. Aloysius smiled at her and his face softened and became distant.
‘There were many more Metal Elementals and we didn’t have to wait three hundred years for a new one,’ he said. ‘The world was full of Elemental and human living side by side. It was not what you would call a golden age – there was persecution on all sides. But for the most part everyone got along.’
Elemental: Steele Stolen: Part 1 and 2 Page 6