Alice Parker & the Curse of Fate (6 page)

Alice hurried down
the stairs. ‘I think they’re fantastic! I bet you can
fly so much better than me!’ she gushed.

‘
I am sure
your wings are perfect,’ replied Ralph with a smile.

Thomas tutted in
disgust at that smooth response, while Alice simply blushed. She
hung her head in embarrassment and wandered out of the library.

‘
What’s
in there?’ she asked, pointing to a modern metal door which
looked completely out of place.

‘
Just our
security room,’ called Christina, running in the opposite
direction after Daniela.

Thomas followed, but
Alice paused outside the security room. Just how safe was this
village?

‘
Can I have a
look?’ she asked Ralph.

With a puzzled
expression he took a bunch of keys from the pocket of his robe and
unlocked two locks. ‘If you want. But it is not very
interesting in here.’

Alice stepped inside
and found ten CCTV monitors on the walls of the windowless room. On
the desk were a control panel and an empty mug. ‘There’s
no one here!’

‘
No one can
sit in here all day. Besides, we rarely have a problem.’

Troubled by this
relaxed approach to security, Alice sat down on a chair and
scrutinized each screen in turn. One was focussed on the lake, one
on the golden willow and one on the statue of the boy with his dog.
One room of the palace above ground was also being filmed.

‘
What’s
special about this room?’ she asked, pointing at it.

‘
The original
entrance to the village is in that room,’ replied Ralph. ‘My
mother fears a historian may discover the secret one day.’

‘
Any problems
recently?’

‘
No. Why?
Are you looking for something? Or someone?’ he asked as
Alice’s eyes darted from screen to screen.

‘
Yes. No. I
mean, I don’t know.’

Ralph stood behind
her and leaned over her shoulder to study the screens. He opened his
huge moth wings so that one rested gently on her back. ‘Are
you afraid of someone? You can tell me. I will do what I can to
help you.’

Alice pretended not
to have noticed the position of his wing. She looked in to his
entrancing eyes and took a deep breath. ‘We’ve been
having trouble at home. It’s a long story but that’s why
we came here. Thomas and I ... well, she’s been trying to ...’

‘
She? A
Sinwip, I assume?’

Alice nodded.

‘
And you think
she is in Berlin now?’

‘
Yes. Maybe.
I’m not sure. Thomas doesn’t think she followed us.’

‘
I see. Well,
you are safe here in the village. Can you not stay with us?’

‘
No. We’re
staying with my aunt.’

‘
That is a
shame. But please do not worry, Alice. You will be OK, I promise.’

‘
How would you
know?’

‘
Your
grandfather said you are very strong. I believe him.’

‘
Hmm. He
seems to have told you a lot about me,’ said Alice
suspiciously.

Ralph smiled. ‘Only
because I asked.’

‘
Alice, I’m
afraid we have to go. Something’s come up.’

Alice jumped at the
sound of Thomas’s voice behind her. ‘Oh, no! What’s
wrong?’

He wouldn’t
answer and simply gestured to her to follow him out of the room.

‘
How
unfortunate,’ said Christina. ‘I hoped you would meet my
husband when he returned from work. Another time, perhaps?’

‘
Definitely,’
Alice assured her. ‘We’ll be back for the coffee and
cake!’

‘
We look
forward to it. I shall walk you to the lift.’

‘
Auf
Wiedersehen,’ said Ralph quietly from his chair.

‘
Bis bald!’
replied Alice in a detached manner. Secretly she felt pleased he
looked disappointed that she was leaving.

Torsten spotted them
walking out of the village and ran ahead to open the door of the
lift. Alice giggled.

‘
Why is he
dressed like that?’

‘
Oh, it is
just for fun, really.’ replied Christina. ‘He is the
caretaker here but acts like a butler. He says we owe it to the
aristocrat who created our village to continue a bit of tradition!’

Torsten bowed to
them as they entered the lift. When it began to move Alice waved to
him and Christina.

‘
So what’s
happened?’ she asked Thomas anxiously as soon as they were out
of sight.

‘
Nothing.’

‘
Nothing?
What do you mean? You had me worried! Why are we leaving, then?’

‘
You were
getting too close to that Ralph kid. You’ll only get hurt.’

‘
WHAT?! I am
not! I’ve only just met him!’

‘
I saw him put
his dirty great wing around you.’

‘
Oh, for
goodness sake! He was being nice, that’s all! What’s
your problem?’

‘
I don’t
have a problem,’ insisted Thomas. ‘I’m just trying
to protect you.’

‘
Bah! It’s
me who’s been protecting you, remember? You’re the one
who’s really in danger, you’re just too pigheaded to see
it!’ yelled Alice.

‘
I’m
not, actually. But you can believe that if you want.’

Alice was furious.
She could tell from his tone that he was convinced he knew better.
Did he know something she didn’t? And why hadn’t Grandad
told her about Ralph? Alice felt she was being kept in the dark by
her own family and she didn’t like it one bit.

*

Alice could not
speak to Grandma alone until the next day. When Brigitte nipped out
to the post office the interrogation commenced.

‘
Why didn’t
you tell me there was another Finwip like me? Ralph’s only two
years older than me, he’s got multiple abilities and he can
fly! Surely Grandad should have told me!’

‘
I honestly
didn’t know!’ replied Grandma, shaking her head in
despair. ‘But then, I didn’t visit Finwip village when
we were here last time. I couldn’t get away from Brigitte.’

‘
Well, Grandad
knew that Ralph had become a Finwip and developed several abilities.
He even told him all about me and how similar we are. So why has he
kept it from me?’

‘
Perhaps he
wanted it to be a nice surprise for you when you met Ralph.’

‘
No. There
must be another reason. Grandad had no idea I would be coming to
Berlin this year. So if I hadn’t, I would still be thinking I
was a freak of nature – even for a Finwip. He knows I don’t
enjoy feeling like that. Something’s going on with him and I’m
being taken for an idiot.’

‘
Well, if you
are, my love, so am I,’ said Grandma wearily. ‘I promise
you he never told me that young Ralph had become just like you. It
doesn’t make sense; he’s very fond of Ralph and his
family. We both are. I’ll ask him about it when he calls
later – if Brigitte isn’t listening.’

Alice simmered a
little. She knew her grandma was telling the truth because she
looked quite upset and confused about the whole thing. They did not
have to wait until evening to hear from Grandad – the phone
rang just a few minutes later.

‘
Alice, your
grandfather wants to speak with you,’ called Brigitte.

She leaped up and
grabbed the telephone. ‘There’s something you need to
tell me, isn’t there?’ she began angrily.

‘
Indeed there
is! Now listen, I ... Get off, Benedict! Stop that! Get off my
shoulder, flamin’ bird!’

‘
Alice, I’m
so sorry! I got it wrong! Can you hear my voice on the phone?
Alice?’ called Benedict.

‘
Of course I
can hear you! What’s going on there? Benedict? Wrong about
what?’ Alice could hear his wings beating as Grandad tried to
shoo him away from the telephone.

‘
Alice, it’s
me again,’ said Grandad. ‘I think Benedict wants to say
something.’

‘
So let me
speak to him!’

‘
Listen,
Alice!’ warbled Benedict. I’ve been spying at the
Rowbottoms’ again. Apparently Isabella melted her dad’s
safe, just how she melted your grandad’s a few months ago. She
found the invoice for Lionel – I mean for the statue – or
whatever he is these days. It turns out the buyer was not Swiss,
although he was driving a van with Swiss plates. He was German.’

‘
Oh. What
about Isabella?’

‘
She
disappeared a couple of days ago,’ cooed Benedict woefully. ‘I
heard her dad say she’s taken her passport. I’m so
sorry, Alice. I think she’s in Germany too. Alice? Are you
still there?’

Alice was frozen to
the spot.
Although
she had feared the worst, hearing her suspicions confirmed was a
painful blow. For the past few days she had known Isabella wasn’t
far away. She could
feel
it.
Now all she could feel was an overwhelming urge to be sick. ‘I’ve
got to go.’ She passed the phone to her grandma and ran to the
bathroom. She hadn’t even managed to confront her grandad
about Ralph.

‘
Pull
yourselves together,’ hissed Thomas to Alice and Grandma when
the call had ended. They tried to discuss the latest development in
whispers while Brigitte bustled around the apartment, tidying up
before her son’s arrival. Grandma had tears in her eyes and
was regretting bringing them to Berlin. Alice just kept repeating
herself.

‘
I knew it. I
told you so! I just knew it!’

‘
How many more
times do I have to remind you?’ growled Thomas. ‘Isabella
doesn’t know we’re here! She’s looking for Lionel
right now, not us!’

‘
Yeah, then
what happens when she does find him? We’re next!’
panicked Alice.

‘
She thinks
we’re still in England. That buys us some time.’

‘
No, she
doesn’t. She knows exactly where we are, I can feel it. I
haven’t felt right since we arrived here.’

‘
You haven’t
looked right either in that stupid hat.’

Alice rolled her
eyes in exasperation. ‘I don’t know why I’m even
talking to you, after what you did yesterday.’

*

They all tried to
put on a smile when Matthias arrived, though it was difficult to be
miserable in his company. Alice liked him even though he was one of
those infuriating people who always seemed to be in a good mood. She
had noticed that when he visited England to stay with Grandma and
Grandad for a week in September.

‘
You look a
bit happier,’ Thomas whispered to Alice as they followed
Matthias to his car. ‘Have you been telling Sarah about Mr
Wonder Wings?’

Alice said nothing.

‘
You can’t
continue to give me the silent treatment at the restaurant. Everyone
will notice. Listen, I told you I was just trying to do the right
thing. For your sake.’

Alice spun round,
her eyes full of anger. ‘If you’re so worried about
doing the right thing, tell me what the big secret is with Grandad
and Ralph! What do you know? You obviously don’t like him.’

‘
I don’t
know anything! I never met Ralph until yesterday! But you’re
right, I don’t like him. He’s too ... full of himself.’

‘
Like you, you
mean?’

‘
That’ll
do, you two,’ said Grandma firmly, linking arms with Alice.
‘Let’s not have an unpleasant atmosphere at lunch,
please. We’ve got enough to worry about as it is.’ She
positioned herself between Alice and Thomas in the back of the car,
while Brigitte sat up front with her son.

‘
I hope you
all have a head for heights,’ grinned Matthias as he started
the engine. ‘You will need one, where we are going!’

‘
Are you
taking us to the Victory Column?’ asked Thomas, sitting up with
interest.

‘
No, we cannot
eat there. We are going to the rotating restaurant on top of the
Fernsehturm!’