The Blue Seal of Trinity Cove
Linda Maree Malcolm
Published by JoJo Publishing
First published 2012
This edition 2013
‘Yarra’s Edge’
2203/80 Lorimer Street
Docklands VIC 3008 Australia
Email: [email protected] or visit
www.jojopublishing.com
© Linda Maree Malcolm
ISBN: 978-0-9875879-6-1 (ePub)
All rights reserved. No part of this printed or video publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electrical, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the publisher and copyright owner.
JoJo Publishing
Designer / typesetter: Chameleon Print Design
Edited by Ormé Harris
Digital edition distributed by
Port Campbell Press
www.portcampbellpress.com.au
Conversion by Winking Billy
Acknowledgements
I am deeply grateful to all of the wonderful people who continue to support and encourage me.
Very special thanks to my husband, Sandro, who is my rock.
Dedication
To Stef and Tim, who inspired this story.
About the author
When writing Blue Seal, the second book of this exciting series, Linda Maree Malcolm has once again drawn on some her own experiences, loosely basing the characters on people she has met via homeschooling as well as on her own children, but her main inspiration comes from Beatrix Potter, Enid Blyton, JRR Tolkien, CS Lewis, JK Rowling and LM Montgomery.
Linda worked at a wide variety of jobs before deciding in 2008 to make writing her main focus. Since then she has written the first book in this series Oracle in the Mist as well as Blue Seal. She is currently working on a third book in this series.
She was raised in the Dandenong Mountains and then moved to the beautiful Yarra Valley where, as a single mother of one, she married her husband whose heritage was Italian. The homeschooling mother of four has been completely absorbed in a world of imagination as she has read aloud hundreds of books to her children. Linda also has a deep understanding of the esoteric world.
Contents
Chapter 1: Bobby returns to paradise
Chapter 2: The Crone and the Workplace Oracle
Chapter 3: David agrees to help
Chapter 4: The orbs
Chapter 5: What really happened to Henry and Ina?
Chapter 6: The elusive Blue Seal
Chapter 7: Outback Australia
Chapter 8: The story of Wanda
Chapter 9: Wanda’s terror
Chapter 10: Rescue
Chapter 11: Where is home?
Chapter 12: Madden and Wanda
Chapter 13: The fighting begins
Chapter 14: Despair
Chapter 15: The Shaman’s magic
Chapter 16: The son
Chapter 17: David and the spectre
Chapter 18: What is the Blue Seal?
Chapter 19: Paradise to evil
Chapter 20: Plans to save paradise
Chapter 1
Bobby Returns to Paradise
The summer after Bobby came back home from the island she made a vow to herself to return there with or without David. She knew the island was in peril and she didn’t want to lose her new-found friends. Besides, she wanted another adventure and was not in the habit of waiting around for one to come to her. If she could glean a little more information about the life of her grandmother upon her return from the island, Bobby would feel as though her original mission was complete.
It wasn’t long before the opportunity became available. Daphne, Bobby’s mother, was going away overnight to a Psychics’ Convention in the city. This would give Bobby the time she needed to get back to the island.
The first thing Bobby noticed when she spoke the words “Oracle in the Mist” and entered the tree was that the dazzling bright lights overhead were very much muted this time. She pondered on this. Maybe the lights became less bright the more the crystal ball was used. They certainly would not be noticeable to anyone else in other parts of the town.
These were the thoughts racing through her mind when she found herself again on the bed in the hut with the sand floor. This time though she was not scared as she had been that first time. But there was something else as well; she recognised that she very much missed the companionship of David. She would somehow have to persuade him to join her here; she knew that for sure.
She only had a moment to collect her thoughts when she heard voices that were very familiar to her. The professor was chatting away to Sebastian the monkey as he usually did and she could hear the screeching replies of Sebastian. There seemed to be a sense of urgency in their voices now and Bobby sat up to say hello as they entered the hut. They were so pleased to see her and they embraced the way that old friends do.
“So good to see you again, my dear,” the professor said with a kind smile and Sebastian held onto her hand and would not let go.
“I couldn’t wait to get back,” Bobby said with her usual honesty.
“How’s your … I mean to say, how’s everything back home?” asked the professor in his usual way, which as usual left Bobby feeling as though there was some secret he was harbouring – perhaps about her mother, but she couldn’t be sure.
“Everything’s good back home, thanks. Mum’s away for the weekend and David decided not to come this time. How’s everything here?” she asked.
“All in good time, my dear, all in good time. I’m afraid to say the circumstances surrounding your visit this time are not as wonderful as they were last time. But I think a cup of tea is in order – don’t you? Let’s get you back to the house.” That’s right, Bobby giggled to herself; in typical professor fashion all recent news would be left unspoken until such time as when she was seated comfortably in his home with a lovely cup of tea placed into her welcoming hands.
As soon as Bobby stepped out of the hut she was greeted by the natives, who stood to hug her or stroke her arm or her hair. Even the animals seemed happy to see her. They each roused themselves from their slumber and sleepily came to her to lick her hand, rub against her leg or just sit and smile at her.
“So lovely to see you,” was the general gist of the commotion. Bobby felt as if she had come home after a long time away. It was as though they were her family now. She didn’t suspect at all that part of the reason they were all so happy to see her was because they knew that the future of the island and indeed their very lives lay in her hands.
They went up the winding path that led to the professor’s house, passing the stunning view of the ocean, which remained unchanged and still took Bobby’s breath away. After Bobby had taken a seat in the professor’s house with all of the familiar surroundings – including hundreds of books and precious knick-knacks which still fascinated her – and been given the customary cup of tea, the professor launched into the island’s news.
“I hate to be the bearer of bad news, my dear, but I’m afraid it’s not good. Our lovely Crone – who has been with us for centuries and has the magic and wisdom of all of the generations since the beginning of the dawn of this civilisation and indeed this island paradise – is fading fast and getting worse every day and it’s all because of that evil Workhouse Oracle. Do you remember her? She made an appearance at the beach party and I spoke of her in the story I told you about Henry and Ina? They almost lost their lives at her workhouse and indeed would have been mutated by her into slaves of some sort – some say she changes children into or
cs; others say they become sentinels of sorts who nevertheless are filled with her wretchedness and who thirst after evil and power just as she does. We’re not exactly sure what she’s up to but one thing’s for sure – all of the children that go into that workhouse of hers never come out. She seems to have a growing number of grotesque creatures in her service, most of whom I have only seen in my nightmares during sleep time and would never wish to meet if I could help it. I have this growing sensation that she somehow plans on rising up against us and all that is good in this world; I dread to think what hideous plan she is hatching even now as we speak. This island has only ever known serenity and peace; there is no history of evil in the form of murder, theft or hatred here but all that could change overnight if we’re not careful. One thing’s for sure – we know she wants your crystal ball and she will stop at nothing to get it. Our Crone is strong but she is also old and frail and the weaker she becomes the stronger the Workhouse Oracle becomes. We don’t know why she wants the ball, only that she asks for it day and night and is torturing our Crone from the inside, or so it would seem. As her power grows stronger she seems to be able to completely possess our Crone for moments at a time and my worst fear is that she will actually come to be a constant presence among us through our Crone, if we do not somehow find a way to stop her. Heaven help us if that was to happen. I shudder to think what she has in store for us.”
The professor broke off and stared at his feet for the longest time, looking more serious than Bobby had ever seen him before.
“Another cup of tea anyone?” he asked and suddenly jumped up. It took her a moment to gather her thoughts.
“No, thanks,” she answered. “I just don’t understand how this can be possible when Henry and Ina and the other children manifested an island paradise that, since then, has only known peace. How can that change suddenly and why does she even want my crystal ball? What does she intend to do with it; maybe it’s because she thinks she can get to Henry and Ina with it?”
“That’s a very good question Bobby and one that bothers me too. I would like to hope that was all she had in mind, Bobby, but once you see our Crone I think you’ll understand that she definitely intends on something much more sinister. This isn’t just some small plot of revenge we have here. My instincts tell me we are facing a very dark chapter in the history of our island …”
Right then a blood curdling scream could be heard emanating from the village below the professor’s house. They all stared at each other for a split second before springing to their feet and bounding down the hill. Bobby was deeply disturbed when she noticed all of the natives running towards the Crone’s hut. By the time they got there, there was already a large throng of people standing outside her hut asking if she was okay. But the natives closest to the door took a step back once they had looked inside her hut, with a look of terror on their faces. The professor quickly made his way through the crowd.
“What is it?” he asked. But the natives, looking terror-stricken and pale, only shook their heads as if they had lost the power of speech.
The professor turned to Bobby and in a very serious voice said, “I suspect the Workhouse Oracle senses that the crystal ball is here on the island and will do whatever it takes to get it. Whatever happens you are to stay out here. Do you hear me, Bobby? Do not enter under any c ircumstances.” They locked eyes. Bobby was shocked to hear the professor talk to her in this manner. She had never heard him speak this way before. In fact she had never been spoken to in that way by anyone. And in that split second she also wondered if the professor knew her well enough to know that she wasn’t one to back down from a challenge – nothing really frightened her – and that she certainly wouldn’t go promising anything as stupid as that, but she stole her gaze away from his and nodded her head anyway. As the professor opened the door a sharp-edged, robotic-looking disc came whirling out of the hut, narrowly missing the top of the professor’s head. It whirled all about, slicing the high ponytail off one of the natives before finally embedding itself into a tree. It beeped and hissed very loudly as if it was trying to communicate something. Many lights flashed on the surface of its dome and then it shut down completely. All of the people looked from one to another in dismay.
“Are you sure you want to go in there, Professor?” Bobby asked; even she was not so sure now.
“The Crone is in there. I have to see if she’s okay,” he answered solemnly. As soon as he opened the door another five or six discs came whirling out. This time everyone ducked down to avoid them. The discs hovered, one on top of the other, as if communicating with one another and then flew into different directions so that now each of the trees in the space outside the Crone’s hut had a disc embedded into it.
The professor opened the door gingerly. He looked at Bobby and Sebastian with resignation, entered the hut and closed the door behind him. A few moments later they heard the sound of the Crone’s voice. She was talking and then screaming as if something was hurting her intensely.
“You don’t understand,” she said, “aaarrgghhh,” she screamed. “It’s got me, don’t you see? I can’t get away … aaarrgghhh. It’s got me aaarrgghhh, it’s got me … aaarrgghhh; it’s got me and I can’t break free.” Bobby’s curiosity got the better of her at that moment. Whatever it was that was going on in there was partly her own fault. If it wasn’t for her coming to the island in the first place, none of this would be happening. The natives begged her to stay outside the hut but she broke free and, before she knew it, she was standing beside the professor.
“I told you not to come in,” he hissed. But she gave him her most defiant look, which said ‘I don’t take orders,’ and walked over to where the Oracle was lying on her bed. Nothing could have prepared Bobby for what she was about to see. She automatically covered her mouth and nose with her hand as she felt sure she was about to vomit. The stench was what she noticed first. It was the stench of rot and decay that reminded her of when she had found a dead rabbit in the forest when she was a little girl. She’d read about this smell in plenty of books too; it was a one of a kind smell that meant only one thing – death. Death hung in every corner of the hut and even where there was light shining through a window, the odour of death rose up to meet it as if extinguishing the life and the goodness from it, the verdict already reached. There was life here but it clung precariously, struggling with the stranglehold that the evil had over it. Bobby couldn’t help but stare, with wide eyes, at the form before her. Tears sprang to her eyes. To see the Crone in such a state was more than she could bear; she almost ran from the hut never to return but then remembered that she must endure whatever she had to, in order to save her island paradise.
Chapter 2
The Crone and the Workplace Oracle
The Crone writhed around in agony, the delirium causing her to toss and turn on her bed. She was barely recognisable as the lovely old Crone who had welcomed Bobby and David at the beginning of last summer. In fact, Bobby thought, she looked like someone who had been possessed by an evil spirit. Once Bobby had seen a film that had a character that looked just like this and at the time she had written it off as ridiculous. She thought it a thing of fiction, not something that could actually happen. Her opinion of that would be forever changed now. The Crone’s lovely long hair hung limp and wet against her scalp. Her skin was white and her eyes red and sunken into her skull. She wore a grimace of excruciating pain around her mouth and she was covered in some vile, dried-up substance which looked and smelled like a mixture of blood, vomit and drool. She was a tiny skeleton, with thin flesh wrapped around her bones, and certainly looked as if she had not eaten in quite some time. Bobby choked back a sob that was rising up and threatening to overwhelm her. But there was no time for any sentiment because right at that moment the figure before her changed or morphed – as David would say, having an extensive knowledge of all things fantasy and science fiction related – into a completely different creature.
This creature though was fat and he
althy-looking and wore a look of utter triumph on her big, round face. She wore a dress that was so tight it looked as though she had only just squeezed into and … was that what Bobby thought it was or was her imagination playing tricks on her – there were tentacles where legs should be. She was eating a giant slab of cake, or rather jamming it into her mouth, smearing the chocolate icing all over her face without any hint of embarrassment and then licking her own fingers, rather loudly and rudely. And then she belched; it was the most enormous belch Bobby had ever heard. Bobby found her to be quite revolting and almost retched at the sight of her, but could not bring herself to avert her eyes.
“Well, it’s about time, young girl,” she addressed Bobby, her voice thundering out menacingly. “I was getting quite tired of tormenting that stupid old Crone and not getting any answers. Now I’m sure you’ll tell me exactly what I want to know, won’t you dear? There’s a good girl.”
Bobby didn’t like being told what to do, at all ever, but being told by someone who, as fate would have it, she had already previously decided she loathed – due to the current events on her island paradise – she felt as if she might lose her temper at any moment now.
“I very much doubt it,” she found herself shouting at the creature. “I find you grotesque and the sooner we’re rid of you the better; that’s what I’m here for, if you really want to know.” She noticed out of the corner of her eye that the professor was looking quite anxious and was shaking his head at her and mouthing that she should be quiet. But it was too late; the Workhouse Oracle whipped out an extremely long tentacle which until now had been coiled up at the end of the bed. In an instant it wrapped itself around Bobby’s throat and pulled her roughly, so that she was only inches away from the Oracle’s face.
“I don’t think you fully understand who you’re dealing with, you silly young thing,” it roared with such a force that Bobby could feel the skin of her face and her hair being blown backwards. The happy and victorious look on the Oracle had disappeared to be replaced with a look so dark and menacing that it sent shivers up Bobby’s spine.
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