‘Hey there. What’s up?’ came a thin voice from the image.
‘Where’s Quinn?’ said Niamh. ‘Grady thinks he’s up at the castle.’
‘Nooo,’ said Bree. ‘I can see him from here. He’s in the common room reading per usual. He’s been at the window all lunchtime and Emily tracked him in there so he hasn’t been out of our sight.’
‘That’s not him!’ said Hugh, a little more loudly than needed. ‘Bardolphus told us he’s up at the castle and Grady just cast a spell at whoever is in the window. It’s a goblin! It’s not Quinn at all.’
‘What do you mean, cast a spell at him?’ said Niamh a little uncertainly. ‘What did you do?’
‘Grady cast a Reval-All spell, Niamh,’ said Hugh excitedly. ‘And it’s definitely a goblin. I saw it myself.’
‘I didn’t know it was a Reveal thingie, Niamh,’ said Grady. ‘But I suddenly thought if I was trying to hide from someone, wouldn’t the best place to do it be in the open where everyone could see you?’
‘That’s mad, though,’ said Bree. ‘He’s not clever enough to do that. Is he?’
‘Who? Quinn or Grady?’ said Hugh, smiling.
‘Ummmm ...’ said Niamh, hesitating.
‘Oh thanks!’ said Grady.
‘Sorry Grady,’ said Niamh, ‘but it just sounds really far-fetched. How can he be in two places at once and if he isn’t, then who cast the spell on the goblin to change his appearance, and why?’
‘Who and why doesn’t really matter,’ said Bree levelly. ‘All that matters now is we get up to the castle. If Grady says it’s not Quinn then let’s not take a chance. Emily can stay here and watch the one in the common room. We need to get to the castle.’
‘We can’t get to the castle though. It’s still school time. How do you think we’d get out without being seen by the teachers!’ said Niamh, waving her hands around.
‘I can fix that,’ said Grady, smiling.
‘How?’ harrumphed Niamh.
‘Let’s get our broomsticks first. Then watch and learn, sis!’
Five minutes later Niamh, Bree, Hugh and Devin were all hiding behind a clump of bushes on the boundary of the school close to the river, broomsticks in hand.
‘What are you planning, Grady?’ asked Niamh.
‘Can you call up your water horse friends?’
‘Probably. But what use are they?’
‘I just need a little bit of commotion to help cover our tracks.’
‘Grady, the horses won’t be able to do that unless you’re planning to swim up the river and get out. Everyone is used to them prancing up the river every now and then,’ said Devin, laughing. ‘If that’s your plan, it’s not very good!’
‘Don’t be mean, Devin,’ said Niamh. ‘If anyone around here can do devious it will be Grady. And I don’t think it’s just the horses you need either, is it?’ she said, looking back at her brother.
‘No. But listen – don’t call them till I tell you to. And make sure they get here quietly. No one can see you talking to them, or they’ll be onto us.
‘Fine,’ said Niamh. ‘But what do you need them for?’
‘Just tell them we need five minutes of mayhem on the river down by the boathouse. That’s all.’
‘That’s all? You sure?’
‘Yep. Tell them to make it look good, though.’
‘Okay. But what are you going to do?’
‘Just wait a sec and see,’ said Grady.
Turning away from the group Grady closed his eyes for a moment and concentrated on a pair of red eyes. His mind soared out over the city, and out towards the hills. He didn’t know where he was going but trusted in the vision of the eyes to lead him. The ground fell away as he rose high over the hills and out towards the headlands by the harbour. Suddenly he found himself diving down towards a near vertical cliff wall made from the rough and red volcanic rock from which the hills were built. For a moment he found himself hurtling directly at the cliff face and then, before he could react, darkness swallowed him as he plunged into a cavern hewn into the rock by the unforgiving coastline weather. Suddenly two bright red lights winked into view and stared back at whatever part of Grady had made the flight. The lights blinked as a voice bounced round inside his head; ‘You need me.’
Grady knew that wasn’t a question. He answered simply. ‘Yes. Can you help?’
‘You forgot that word. Again,’ came the dragon’s voice.
‘Please?’ said Grady, silently cursing himself for getting it wrong – again. He thought for a moment the dragon had been spending too much time talking to his parents.
‘How?’ it said.
‘Watch,’ said Grady, sending an image to the dragon. Grady heard a low growl in response.
‘That looks like fun,’ it said. ‘I’ll be there shortly. Be ready.’ Suddenly the eyes leapt forward and Grady felt as though they had flown straight through him. His mind snapped back across the hills and countryside and city, straight back to his hiding spot. He stumbled and gasped but turned to the others and said, ‘Iris is on her way. Get the horses ready.’
Niamh ran to the river and knelt down. She bent her head down to the water’s edge and placed her hand in the water up to her wrist. She whispered to the water as it gurgled past; ‘I need your help. Can you come quietly?’ Nothing happened for a few moments and Niamh wondered if the horses had heard her. The water which was running gently over her hand changed subtly and began to surge and bubble. A moment later a horse’s head appeared through the swirling water and nuzzled Niamh’s hand. The head rose until just the eyes and ears were above the water. ‘There is a dragon coming. It’s friendly, I think ... we need you to help it distract everyone for a few minutes – not long. We have to get out of the school without being seen. Will you help?’
The beast stared at Niamh and then flowed back into the river. A sound like the memory of a whinny rose up as the water closed over the spot where the horse had been. Niamh pulled her hand up out of the river and sat back on her haunches, confused. She wasn’t sure whether the water horse had agreed to help them or not. Turning back to Grady she shrugged. ‘I’m not sure what they’re doing. I think they ...’
Niamh was cut off as four horses suddenly reared up directly in front of her and leapt out of the water, drenching her in a shower of foam. The horses sat back as the water swirled and licked around them, their shapes changing and drifting with the flow of the river.
‘I think we can take that as a yes, Niamh,’ said Bree.
‘Brilliant!’ said Hugh.
‘Just tell them when, Grady,’ said Niamh, reaching out to the nearest horse. It nuzzled her hand just as before and stamped a hoof as if impatient to be getting on with the task.
Grady closed his eyes and searched for the dragon. He didn’t have to look far this time as an image of the city rapidly approaching told him that Iris was only moments away. ‘It’s time,’ he said. ‘Give it everything you’ve got!’ he said to the horses.
The four stallions suddenly reared up and were joined in the spray by another four horses the children had never seen before. Pawing at the river with their hooves they crashed back down and charged downriver towards the boathouses. Mayhem followed in their wake as they churned the river into a frenzy of waterspouts and whirlpools. As the children watched, the horses forced students and teachers alike to scatter from the riverbank as the furious-looking herd passed by. In moments they were leaping over the pier of the river and submerging boats and punts, scattering oars, and twisting mooring ropes into granny knots.
‘Brilliant!’ said Hugh.
‘You’re going to have to find some better adjectives, Hugh,’ said Bree derisively.
‘But it is brilliant!’ Hugh repeated. ‘Look over there! Have you ever seen Brother Ted move that fast? Racing down from the school, Brother Ted was sprinting along trying to flourish his wand while avoiding tripping over the hem of his brightly coloured robes. The effect was that of a kaleidoscope with feet and hands run
ning out of control and stepping on a banana skin. Not far behind, several other teachers were also heading down to the boatsheds to try and sort out the commotion.
‘It's about to get a whole lot better,’ smiled Grady. ‘Watch this!’
A shadow suddenly passed over their heads and a whomp of air knocked them backwards as Iris sailed very, very close overhead. The dragon rose in the sky, tucked its wings in and barrel rolled into a dive towards the river. As it dropped towards the surface the children held their breath. There was no way she could possibly pull out in time! At what seemed like the point of no return Iris spread her wings wide and levelled out – so close to the river her talons cut the surface leaving a sparkling trail behind them.
The children downstream screamed as the wild-looking dragon headed directly for the water horses. A thin stream of fire suddenly lanced out towards the horses and, before they could move, shot between the two closest horses making them dive back beneath the surface of the river. Iris was still carrying an amazing amount of speed and rocketed past the boathouse and horses before anyone could blink. The water exploded in a V-shaped furrow as the dragon shot past, drenching everyone on the bank including Brother Ted who now looked like a fluffy cat after a bath – his robes hanging limply from his arms and pointy hat slumped across his head.
‘Come on,’ said Niamh. ‘Let’s get out of here now!’
The children did not need encouragement. In seconds they were onto their broomsticks and, using the trees and bushes for cover, made their way stealthily towards the gates. As they zipped from cover to cover they lost sight of the river and mayhem that was engulfing it. The horses and Iris were obviously relishing the chance to raise hell in the schoolyards judging from the plumes of smoke and steam rising from above the school buildings. At one point Iris came into view tumbling end over end as a plume of water hit her square in the middle of the chest. Flapping higher she bellowed before swooping back down with flame arcing back towards the river.
‘Look!’ said Niamh, pointing. The lunchtime gate wardens were running back towards the school to see what all the commotion was about. The children waited till the wardens had bounded up the school steps and out of sight before pointing their brooms towards the gates and speeding through the unprotected portal.
‘Follow the river and stay low,’ shouted Bree. ‘There are more trees for cover on the banks and there’s less chance of running into anyone we don’t want to see.’
The other children nodded and leaned to their right, steering their broomsticks down the wide boulevard that ran along the outside of the school before dropping over the banks of the river and under the Penny Bridge which crossed it not far from the school’s southern boundary.
The river was at full tide with not much space for the children to squeeze through. As they zipped and weaved along the course of the river the children flew faster and faster, other bridges hurtling past inches above their heads, and surprised river elves who were forced to duck out of their way as they punted tourists down past the old historic quarter. One elf wasn’t fast enough and found itself tumbling backward as Grady passed just a little too close. ‘Sorry!’ he shouted, waving back to the elf as it dragged itself from the river sopping wet. Eventually the main part of town fell behind them and they drew closer to the hills.
‘Let’s head up,’ shouted Niamh over the wind from their passage. ‘With luck we should be able to make straight for the castle without anyone really noticing now.’ Pulling the tip of her broom up Niamh quickly climbed with her sights set on the castle walls.
‘Niamh,’ said Grady, pulling up alongside her. ‘What are we going to do when we get to the castle? Don’t you think Mum and Dad will notice we’re not at school?’
‘Mum’s going to be out doing whatever it is she does during the day – princessing stuff, which I think means smiling politely and chatting to people while looking very concerned about whatever it is they get concerned about. Dad will be stuck talking to Murdock or Grandad – they always seem to be scheming and planning something. Either that or flurbiling at the grinkelhank.’
‘What?’ said Niamh, looking confused.
‘You know,’ said Grady, ‘the grinkelhank in Dad’s hurbilhash in the frankengroom?’
‘Grady, I have no idea what you’re talking about! Speak English!’
‘I am speaking English, Niamh.’
‘Well I have no idea what you’re saying. I can’t understand a word of it.’
Grady looked at his sister with a blank stare. For once he actually believed her. It didn’t seem like she could understand anything about the map his father had shown him in the library. Suddenly it dawned on him what had happened!
‘It’s the spell, Niamh! I can’t tell you about what I saw, but trust me. We need to get to the library when we get home. Hey! I can say library when I don’t mention the thing!’
‘What thing, Grady?’
‘Oh forget it, Niamh,’ said Grady. Just follow me when we land.’
The children had never flown that fast in their lives. Niamh and Grady found they had to keep slowing down to let Bree and Hugh catch up – the Fitzhollow and Hooligan broomsticks were astonishingly fast. Despite having been on broomsticks since babyhood, the flying skills of Bree and Hugh were no match for the raw speed of the children’s leprechaun craft.
Niamh’s impatience eventually got the better of her. She slowed for a moment and dropped back to Bree; ‘We need to get to the castle quick. Can you two go straight to Bardolphus and find out which way he saw Quinn go? Grady and I are going to go see some flurbilyfranking thing which we apparently need.’
Bree looked like she was working hard. Despite the streaming breeze, sweat was forming on her brow and she almost looked pleased not to have to keep up any longer. Out of breath she just nodded to Niamh before slowing up and quickly falling off the pace.
Grady and Niamh hunkered down over their broomsticks and shot forward. The rest of the trip home seemed to the children to take no time at all as they urged their broomsticks on. Niamh slowed as they cut low across the hilltop and pulled up behind a rocky outcrop just below the battlements. Grady was confused by the sudden slowdown and circled back round to his sister.
‘Why are you stopping?’
‘I’m trying to think for a moment, Grady. You should try it sometime.’
‘We don’t need to think, Niamh. We just need to do!’ said Grady, flashing a devious smile.
‘Doing’s all very well, but where are we going?’
‘Don’t go near the doors or the courtyard, Niamh,’ said Grady. ‘Just head round to the library window and see if we can get in there. We’ve less chance of being seen if we stick close to the rooftops.’
‘What if no one actually could see us, Grady?’ said Niamh thoughtfully.
‘What do you mean?’ asked Grady as he bobbed beside the cliff face.
‘Do you remember the night we escaped from the cave with Bel?’
‘Yes. Of course I do. It’s not every day you become invisible ...’ he said trailing off. ‘You’re not serious, are you?’ said Grady, looking sideways at Niamh.
‘Why not?’ said Niamh, shrugging her shoulders.
‘Cause we’re kids, Niamh! That’s why!’ said Grady incredulously. ‘That’s really serious magic, Niamh. We don’t know how to do that!’
‘We didn’t know how to fly broomsticks and you didn’t know how to talk to dragons, Grady, but now look at us. If we can do that, then why not cast that spell?’
‘But how? I wouldn’t know where to start,’ said Grady uncertainly.
‘Neither do I,’ said Niamh, looking uncertain at the prospect of trying to figure out advanced magic.
‘Look, it’s a great idea,’ said Grady, sensing his sister’s disappointment, ‘but maybe you can sort it out when we’ve got some time, like much much later?’
‘Yeah. Sure,’ said Niamh, looking back up at the castle walls. ‘Come on. Let’s give it a crack.’ Her broom suddenly l
eapt upwards almost vertically and raced close by the castle walls. Grady was behind her in seconds.
They raced along just below the battlements in the shadows of the crenellations. Luck seemed to be with them as they saw absolutely no one. Either they had threaded the eye of the needle and picked exactly the right moment the guards were on other duties, or someone was looking out for them. Without stopping to wonder at their luck they dropped as close to the rooftops as they could and used the turrets and shadows to pick their way across the castle. Finally they found themselves at their own home wing and paused.
‘We need to drop down as close to the windows as we can without being seen. The columns down here should give us some cover from anyone in the library,’ said Niamh, pointing down to the library windows.
Grady just nodded and quickly dropped over the side. He floated gently down towards the buttressed side of the castle. Niamh followed close behind, bobbing just above her brother. Together they drifted gently down until they were almost at floor level. The afternoon sun was casting a deep shadow over their vantage spot and they were certain no one could see them.
Leaning forward they peered into the library but pulled back sharply as they saw Murdock and Merritt hunched over a map. Grady recognised it as the same one his father had shown him during his detention. They seemed deep in discussion and animated about whatever they could see.
‘What do you think it is?’ asked Niamh.
‘That’s the grinkelhank!’ said Grady, trying to point at the map but ending up pointing in completely the wrong direction. As Niamh watched, Grady struggled to bring his arm round to where the map was unfurled on the desk. No matter how hard he tried he simply couldn’t point at where the map lay.
‘A map?’ said Niamh.
‘Yes!’ said Grady. ‘A grinkelhank!’
‘Well why don’t you just say map? And what’s wrong with your arm?’
‘There’s a spell on the grinkelhank! The only way you can talk about it is if you’ve been shown it by someone who has already seen it!’
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