‘ “But cannot I go to find the elements of the Elixir?”
‘Then you would not be able to see her again. The world which she now inhabits can best be described as a space which slips through all worlds and yet never becomes part of them. Its walls are transparent and she is able to experience the other worlds as silent images on the threshold of her consciousness, but she passes unperceived. She cannot go back from there. Only onwards. Even if you were able to find the Elixir, which I very much doubt, for you are well known to the Evil One and he would do everything in his power to stop you, you would still remain apart from her. No, it must be one unknown to him.’
‘ “Very well, I accept what you say. But what then can I do?”
‘You must go, like Selina, into the world between worlds. You will never find her there for she, too, is without substance and cannot be seen. But if the time comes that a mortal seeks and finds the elements and they are joined, then you will both pass into a new world and be together once more. You may have to wait for many centuries, perhaps forever, for most mortals would be unable to understand or even believe the story of the Elixir, let alone risk their lives by seeking it.’
‘ “How do I reach the world between?”
‘I can send you there. But firstly we must bind the servants to secrecy and arrange an accident.’
‘ “I trust all those who serve me and I think that they will do anything I ask. Will you call them to me?”
‘I did so, and when they were all gathered around his bed, Falcon addressed them.
‘ “Good people. The time has come when I must leave this world and join my lady who has already left it.”
‘At this the female servants began to weep and the men sighed, for they thought that Selina was dead and that he, too, was going to die.
‘ “I am deeply moved to see how much you care for us,” continued Falcon. “But it is not as you think — I am not going to die, but hopefully go to a new and joyful life. I cannot tell you more, but I beg you all to keep my secret closely and not to divulge what I have just told you to another living soul. There will be an accident. The world will think that my wife and I have met with an untimely death. My cousin Harold will inherit the title and estates and I shall request in my will that all of you who have served me shall serve him also. He is a fair man, and you will be content with him as your master. Now, will you keep my secret?”
‘They all swore that they would and thanked him for his past kindnesses and generosity. Then they went sadly from the room, leaving us to make our final plans.
‘I suggest that you depart to the world between as soon as possible,’ said I. ‘Each day here shortens your life with her, for the moment you both step into a living world again you will begin to age once more and live the normal span of human life.’
‘ “I understand. As soon as I have made my will, I shall be ready to go.”
‘The next day, when he had put all his affairs in order I sent Falcon into a deep sleep and from thence banished him to the lonely world between. Later that day their carriage was overturned down a steep bank and all the servants went into deep mourning as they had been instructed. Two coffins filled with stones were lowered into the earth a few days later. Harold came to Hadlows as the nineteenth baronet and managed the estates until his death. So, life at Hadlows continued much as before. As far as anyone knows the servants were true to their former master and none knew their secret. And I continued to live here through generations of Langtons, serving them and biding my time until one should come to restore the Elixir.’
‘Oh I am glad we came,’ said Melissa. ‘I’m sure this was meant for us.’
‘Yes, I think so,’ said Fandeagle. ‘As I said once before, for those touched by magic it is a simple thing to pass from one world to another. And now, if you’ve finished your tea, why don’t you come and look at my Irish wolfhound. I keep him in the courtyard behind the stables. He’s a very fine fellow.’
The children spent the rest of the day with Fandeagle exercising the dogs and grooming Uncle Bertram’s old horse. And by the end of it, both were firmly convinced that they never wanted to live in a town again.
When Melissa went up to her bedroom that night, the first thing she did was to go to the drawer where she had put her torn dress. She wanted to see if it could be mended. But when she opened the drawer the torn dress had gone. In its place lay a dress of silk, the colour of an amethyst. Fine lace was stitched into the neck and round the sleeves. It was as light as a snowflake. Lying on top of it was a necklace of seed pearls, twisted into the letter ‘S’.
Melissa couldn’t resist trying it on immediately. It fitted perfectly and the colour suited her very well.
‘Oh thank you, Selina,’ she whispered to the empty air. ‘I shall wear it when the adventure is over and you have been set free.’ The curtains stirred slightly as if a sudden breeze had passed through the room and there was a faint sigh.
Melissa put the dress back in the drawer and got into bed. Very soon she was asleep.
The next few days passed slowly and uneventfully. The weather became more cloudy so they spent most of the time exploring different parts of the house. They found many interesting things and it was great fun but both had much on their minds, and by the end of the third day they were growing restless and the suspense became agonizing.
At last, one evening, there was another note pinned to Sebastian’s pillow.
‘Meet me in the kitchen one hour before midnight tonight’ it said. And there again was the sign of the crescent moon with the sun in its arms.
Sebastian went to the window and leaned out so that he could see the clock.
‘It’s ten o’clock. One hour to wait.’
They opened their books and tried to read to pass the time, but neither of them could concentrate. The minutes dragged slowly by until at last it was eleven o’clock.
They crept down to the kitchen. Fandeagle was waiting for them, sitting in a chair drawn close to the fire which was burning brightly. The night was quite cold for June and the children were glad to squeeze into a seat in the inglenook and roast themselves before the flames. Fandeagle made a pot of chocolate which they drank from small silver bowls.
‘Do tell us,’ said Sebastian, ‘has anyone seen the Evil One since the Elixir was lost?’
‘He has been seen only once since the day when Selina was banished from the world. He took his bitter defeat back to the dark regions and brooded long. Then he went to the Spring of Pan. He attempted to persuade Pan to join him and together they would try to get the rest of the Elixir for their own use. But Pan merely laughed at him and scorned to join forces with such a one. The Evil One was furious and that evening as Pan lay feasting and drinking wine, the Evil One cursed him and cast him into stone. Pan was caught off his guard and ensnared by the enchantment. The rest you know.
‘Your coming broke the spell, for by crossing the lake you were given power against evil. Anyway, the Evil One went back to his kingdom after his failure to corrupt Pan, quite overcome by a second defeat following so hard upon the first. Since then he has kept within the confines of his kingdom. But it is my guess that when the news reaches him of the finding of part of the Elixir, his defeat will turn to ashes in his mouth and desire and vengeance will cause him to take up arms once more.’
Melissa shivered. The room seemed to grow suddenly cold and a dark shadow fell over the three huddled by the fire. A log fell into the grate and the shadow was gone.
The clock began to chime the twelve strokes of midnight.
‘Well,’ said Fandeagle, looking at Sebastian with a smile. ‘I think we have talked long enough. Are you ready to go?’
Sebastian started. He had grown warm and drowsy by the fire and his imminent task had faded from his mind as he listened to Fandeagle.
‘Er — yes. I’m ready. But where am I going? Do you know?’
‘You are going to the place which mortals call Hell.’
Melissa gave a lit
tle gasp and Sebastian paled visibly.
‘Actually I was never sure that it really existed — as a place that is,’ said Sebastian, a slight feeling of fear in the pit of his stomach.
‘Well, it does — and it doesn’t,’ was Fandeagle’s reply. ‘And there is no need to fear.’
‘No, of course not,’ said Sebastian, stoutly. ‘But can you tell me what is it like?’
‘It depends on the quality of your imagination. That is all I can say. And now if you’re sure that you want to —’
‘Yes, yes, I’m quite sure.’
‘Very well.’ Fandeagle closed his eyes and began to speak in the strange tongue once more and the fire before them rose up in great tongues of flame and roared in their ears. Very slowly Sebastian seemed to dissolve before Melissa’s eyes into the firelight. And then with a great crackling and a curl of smoke, he was gone.
FOR A moment Sebastian’s vision was entirely obscured by a thick grey smoke which, like a heavy pall, cloaked his shoulders and hooded his eyes. A bell tolled slowly and dismally somewhere near by. Then he stepped out of the smoke and found himself on the bank of a river. On the other side of the river the ground was rocky and mountainous. On this side there was a grassy bank sloping down to where a small boat was tied to a wooden jetty. Seated in the boat, his back to Sebastian, was a robed figure.
Sebastian looked about him in bewilderment. This was nothing like he had imagined Hell to be. He walked towards the occupant of the boat.
‘Excuse me,’ he said politely. ‘I wonder if you could tell me where I am, exactly?’
There was no reply. The boat bobbed up and down on the fast-flowing current. Slowly the robed figure turned to face him and Sebastian was startled to see that he was wearing a black mask which hid the upper part of his face and covered his eyes completely. The strange figure beckoned to Sebastian to enter the boat. Sebastian did so, not without some misgivings. But as the masked figure would not speak to him, he had little recourse but to obey. At once the rope attaching the boat to the shore fell away and the boatman began to push the boat into mid-stream. The instant the long pole touched the water, the sky split above their heads and a storm fell on them with a violent fury. Sebastian clung to the prow as the boat heaved and tossed over the walls of water and shut his eyes against the flying spray. A terrible howling filled his ears and from time to time a wave broke right over his head and drenched him to the skin. Just as he was beginning to feel really ill, and thought he could bear it no longer, there was a grating sound from the bottom of the boat and it ceased its ghastly heavings. Sebastian blinked and looked about him. The waters still swelled angrily but slowly the storm was dying. The boatman leaned on the pole, his head bowed. Then slowly he raised his blindfolded eyes and pointed a finger at Sebastian.
‘The waters are angry,’ he said. ‘Thy soul displeases them. Thou art a deceiver for death is not on thee!’
Sebastian thought that he had rarely experienced anything so unpleasant as the hissing of the boatman and the menacing thrust of his forefinger. He waited no longer but sprang out of the boat and ran into the mouth of a cavern which opened in the rock before him. He continued to run until the daylight vanished behind him and he was alone in a dark tunnel, lit by the gleam of smouldering fires placed at intervals along his path. There seemed nothing to do but continue, which he did, more slowly and warily now. At last he came to a pair of iron gates set into the rock. A smoking cauldron gleamed on either side and lit up the worn lettering on the gates which Sebastian was unable to read. On one side gaped a huge black hole. Sebastian had little doubt of where he was.
‘Come on then,’ he said to himself, feeling very nervous. ‘No point in delaying. I wonder what’s down that hole?’ He looked in not really wanting to know but taking any excuse to put off going through the gates. He leaped back with a cry of surprise. There were six eyes glinting at him. There was a low growl. A flame leapt in each of the six eyes and they grew larger. Sebastian shrank back in horror. A great shape loomed out of the hole; a huge body with three heads and three tongues were licking three pairs of sharp teeth. It leaned down towards Sebastian and scorched him with its hot breath. Sebastian stood quite still, not wanting to make a move in case it encouraged the creature to pounce. Suddenly it stopped growling.
‘Hallo, hallo, hallo,’ three voices said in unison. The great three-headed dog sniffed at Sebastian’s face and neck and ears with its three snouts.
‘That’s odd. Very odd. You’re not dead. What’s your game?’
Sebastian was so surprised to hear human voices coming from this inhuman monster that he couldn’t collect his thoughts properly.
‘It’s all right,’ said the monster, a little impatiently. ‘I’m not going to hurt you. I’m just here for effect, as it were. My name’s Cerberus. Come on, spill the beans. What are you here for?’
‘Er — well, I’ve come to look for something rather special which is kept down here. But I’m afraid it would take me a very long time to explain what exactly it is.’
‘Secrets, eh? Ah well, I expect I’ll find out all about it soon enough. There’s not much going on down here that I don’t know about. Well, if he’s got it, you’ll have a job to persuade him to part with it. Very close fisted, he is.’
‘He?’ repeated Sebastian, a little confused.
‘Him. You know. Lots of names for him. I’ve got one myself. Not that I use it to his face, mind. He’s got rather a nasty sense of humour. Doesn’t do to get on the wrong side of him as I’ve found out to my cost.’
‘What do you mean?’ asked Sebastian.
‘Well, how would you like to have three heads? And dogs’ heads at that. Nothing to do all day but roar at a few passing souls. Sometimes I don’t even bother. There was something rather odd about you though, that’s why I came up to see.’
‘Were you once a man then?’
‘Yes indeed. Never one to take being ordered about and pushed around, and therein lies the story of my sad transformation. But I see you’re in a bit of a hurry. I’ll save it for your next visit. Be here a bit longer then, no doubt.’
And he drew back his lips over his teeth and laughed heartily.
‘Do you have to come here when you die?’ asked Sebastian with a shiver. ‘Isn’t there any alternative?’
Cerberus laughed again. ‘Course you don’t have to come here if you don’t want to. Go anywhere you like once you’re dead. Don’t have to go anywhere at all if you don’t want to. There’s a lot of people that likes suffering, you see. Really enjoy it. That’s what this place is for. It’s all up to you, you know. Depends what you want or imagine you want. That’s it — imagination. Think about it and it’s here. Snap your fingers and it’s gone. See what I mean?’
‘No, I’m afraid I don’t quite,’ said Sebastian. ‘Why don’t you snap your fingers then? You wouldn’t have to be a dog with three heads any more.’
‘What! And spoil a good story? Why, the legends that have been handed down about me for centuries! I shouldn’t like to spoil all that. I’m famous you see. Which is more than I ever was in life. People like a good old scare now and then. Service to mankind, I am.’
And he drew himself up proudly and wagged his great tail.
‘But you said how dull it was,’ persisted Sebastian.
‘Well, I enjoy a bit of a moan now and then to tell you the truth. Doesn’t really mean anything. I’m dead you see. Nothing matters now the way it does in life.’
Sebastian shook his head. ‘I think it’s most confusing. Perhaps one day I’ll understand.’
‘I daresay,’ said Cerberus, quite kindly.
‘Well, I must get on now,’ said Sebastian. ‘Goodbye — and not meaning to be rude or anything but I rather hope we don’t meet again!’
‘No offence taken,’ said Cerberus. ‘As I said, it’s entirely up to you. Mind you watch out for his little tricks,’ he added as Sebastian swung open the gates and slipped inside.
Sebastian stood by the en
trance, half fearful and half excited by what he saw. For a moment he didn’t dare to let go of the handle for the floor shimmered and heaved like a carpet with an army of rats beneath it. It didn’t look safe at all. And when he looked more closely he saw that there were actually holes in it. He let go of the handle and moved forward cautiously to peer down the nearest hole. But as he lifted his foot the piece of floor beneath it slid along with him so that he was always treading on the same bit. As he got near the hole it closed up, and another appeared behind him. It really was an odd way for a floor to behave and it made him feel quite giddy.
The room, if one could call it that, had a great many doors leading out of it but no walls to speak of, merely empty spaces which stretched away to a ring of blue hills far beyond. The ceiling, Sebastian thought, was eerie but most beautiful. It was like frozen spears of light, poised above his head, each shaft pointed with flame and paling vertically to a soft glimmer.
At the far end of the room a door swung open and shut with a bang and a figure walked slowly towards him. From that distance Sebastian could see that he was tall and thin, wearing a long robe with a deep hood shadowing his face. Trailing on the floor behind him was a long crimson tail which came to a triangular point.
‘It’s Him!’ thought Sebastian with a strong feeling of apprehension. ‘I won’t let him see I’m nervous, I’ll go straight up to meet him.’
So Sebastian walked or rather slithered across the great space between them until they were face to face. Then the hood fell back and Sebastian saw him clearly. His eyes were like black pools and between them his nose was as curved and sharp as a scimitar. Two black brows twisted up the great domed forehead from which spouted tufts of grey hair.
‘How do you do,’ he said in a soft, pleasant voice and his thin lips smiled, good-humouredly. Without waiting for a reply he snapped his fingers and two chairs appeared beside them. ‘Shall we sit down? I’ve had a tiring day. It’s a moral age we live in and people are hard to tempt. Still,’ and he rubbed his long, bony fingers together. ‘I mustn’t bore you with my work. What can we do for you?’
The House Called Hadlows Page 7