Alice Parker & the Curse of Fate (8 page)

‘
Well, we
can’t live like this either! Thomas and I are ruining
everything for those around us!’

‘
There is
another option. You could ask Hugh to track down Isabella and wipe
her memory again. This time Lionel won’t be able to remind
her; she’ll go home and he will still be in Germany.’

‘
No way,’
said Alice without hesitating. ‘I don’t want him
involved again. We’ve got enough problems with one Rowbottom
over here.’

‘
But he helped
us last time! So he can’t be all bad.’

‘
NO! I still
don’t trust him. We’ll sort this mess out without him.’

‘
Just sleep on
it, please Alice,’ begged Grandad. ‘I think I should
come and join you. In fact, I’ll start packing now.’

‘
Don’t
bother. We’ll be on the first plane home tomorrow.’

*

Alice regretted
saying that. After today there was no way she could get on a plane.
What if Isabella’s bearded sidekick
tampered
with the electrics of an aircraft? Hundreds of lives would be at
risk. Clearly Isabella had no regard for others in her mission to
obliterate her and Thomas. Lionel must be providing an irresistible
incentive.

When would things
improve? Alice was fed up with being afraid, fed up with running
from danger. Why was she wasting her life battling against people
who hated her instead of spending time with friends in Finwip village
at home?

‘
Perhaps I
should force myself to read all of my books about the future,’
she said aloud. ‘If I know what’s going to happen, maybe
I can just accept it and plan my life around it.’

‘
You? Accept
what you’re told? Never!’ laughed Thomas. ‘Anyway,
where’s the fun in that? That would be like reading the end of
a book before you start it!’

‘
Maybe. But
all this trouble is our fault. It’s one thing being in danger
ourselves, but we’re putting other people at risk all the time,
wherever we go. I wish I’d never become a Finwip.’

‘
I remember
your grandad saying that once,’ said Grandma. ‘But I
wouldn’t change him for the world. You two might not be who
you are now.’

‘
That wouldn’t
bother me at all,’ replied Alice woefully. ‘Life would
be much simpler.’

‘
You should
think about Grandad’s suggestion, at least,’ said Thomas.
‘It’s not such a bad idea, contacting Hugh. You know my
thoughts about that scrawny weasel, but I have to admit, he’s
been pretty useful this year. If he’s still trying to make
amends for what he’s done in the past, well ... maybe we should
let him.’

‘
Ah! So you
admit that Isabella has found us now!’

‘
I suppose it
looks that way. She’s obviously paying someone to do her dirty
work for her. I don’t know why they would bother watching
Matthias’s house, though.’

‘
She’s
keeping an eye on the whole family. It’s ridiculous! Lionel’s
revenge trip has got out of hand.’

‘
I’d
like to know the price on our heads, if Isabella is prepared to go to
these lengths for him. There must be something worthwhile in it for
her. Especially if she’s paying this other bloke to help.’

‘
She’s
just good at wrapping people around her little finger. He’s
probably just a lonely Sinwip she met in their village here. All she
has to do is flash some cash and flutter those awful false eyelashes,
and people can be very gullible where she’s concerned. Can’t
they?’

Thomas scowled.
‘So, are you going to call Hugh?’

‘
Don’t
push me. I’ll think about it, that’s all I’m
saying.’

*

Alice could think
about nothing else that evening. Feigning tiredness, she went to bed
early and finally decided to make the call. Grandad was right; as
annoying as it was, it seemed a more appealing option than delving in
to her future. Alice was even more averse to finding out what her
future held since Isabella had discovered something about it that
made her furious. Reluctantly she dialled Hugh’s number. A
beeping sound was followed by a recorded message.

‘
The number
you have called is not recognised.’

Alice tried several
times, but the message was always the same. He must have changed his
number. Perhaps Lucinda would have it. It took a while for her to
answer, and when she did Alice could hardly hear her.

‘
Lucinda?
Where are you? Is that wind I can hear?’

‘
Alice! Oh,
I’ve been so worried about you. Isabella has gone to ...’

‘
I know, I
know. Are you all right?’

‘
No, not
really.’ She sounded as if she was crying. ‘I’m
in the stable. I’ve been sleeping in here. It’s
freezing!’

‘
What are you
doing in there?’

‘
I’m so
sorry, Alice. Isabella said if I warned you of her movements, she’d
burn down the stables. I believe her! I know what she’s like
now! So I’ve been sleeping with my horses. I had to keep
quiet, do you understand?’

‘
It’s
OK. I’d do the same for my animals. But how did she know we
were in Berlin? I didn’t even tell
you
!’

‘
You didn’t
see her? She was on the same flight, Alice! She set off to find
that horrid statue and found you on the way!’

Alice was
flabbergasted. How was that possible? She had been looking all
around and not spotted Isabella. Her hand shaking as she held her
phone, she tried to pull herself together. ‘Listen, do you
have a new number for Hugh? I need to speak to him.’

‘
Yes. But
he’s on holiday. He’s just gone to New Zealand for a
month. I phoned him yesterday to ... and he was ... airport. He
said he ... So I don’t think ...’

‘
You’re
breaking up! I can’t hear you! Please try and keep warm!’

‘
Be careful!
You’ll be all right when ...’

Alice lay down and
thumped her head against the pillow repeatedly. How could they have
been so unlucky? How had she missed Isabella? Was she wearing a
hat? Had she dyed her hair? It didn’t matter now. She knew
exactly where they were staying. They were sitting targets.

Chapter 7

A
Country Retreat

The hours dragged on
as Alice lay wide awake, a confusion of thoughts swirling around in
her head. Isabella on the same plane as them, Hugh on another to New
Zealand, Lionel somewhere in Berlin and a mystery Sinwip pursuing her
and Thomas on Isabella’s behalf. What a mess.

Just after 3.00 a.m.
she noticed a tapping sound. Was someone knocking at her door? She
hesitated for a moment. The tapping continued. It was coming from
the window, not the door. Alice panicked. Who could it be?

‘
Don’t
be stupid!’ she said to herself. It must be the tree at the
back of the apartment block, rattling against the glass. To put her
mind at rest she pulled up the blind to make sure. A face stared
back at her. She froze. She wanted to scream, but stopped herself
just in time. Instead she nearly choked on a sharp intake of breath.
It was Ralph!

Horrified that he
had seen her in her pyjamas, she grabbed her night gown and put it on
before opening the window.

‘
At last!’
spluttered Ralph. ‘I am freezing!’ Alice helped him
climb in, his wings squashed flat against his body as he squeezed
through the window. She offered him her duvet, but it was no use
until his wings retracted. They practically filled her small guest
bedroom. Alice inched her way around his wings so that she could
lock her door. The last thing she needed was Brigitte finding a boy
with wings in her room.

Alice wasn’t
sure if it was fear of someone seeing Ralph, or excitement that he
had come to see her that was making her heart beat so fast. Judging
by his delighted smile it was the latter. Annoyed at herself for
betraying her feelings again, she decided to be blunt.

‘
What do you
want?’ she whispered. ‘You’ll get me in to
trouble!’

‘
In fact, I am
trying the opposite. I want to help – you are already in
trouble. I came to tell you something.’

‘
How did you
know where to find me? Oh, let me guess, Grandad told you exactly
where we stay.’

Ralph nodded. ‘This
Sinwip who is looking for you, is she part Aquatrox?’

Alice’s mouth
fell open. ‘You know about Aquatrox?’

‘
Of course!
They are not unique to England, you know!’

Alice bit her lip,
feeling rather stupid. ‘In answer to your question; yes, she
is. Why?’

‘
I’m
afraid she found the entrance to our village today. I was travelling
in the lift when I saw something in the lake. I thought it was some
mad person, swimming at this time of year. But she came closer,
looked at me through the glass, and I realised she was not human.’

Alice sat down next
to Ralph now that his wings had retracted. ‘Are you sure? Did
she have scaly brown skin? Oh, and teeth like a llama?’

He smiled. ‘Yes.’

‘
That was
Isabella.’

‘
Then you must
not return to our village, Alice. It’s not safe for you any
more. That glass lift ... if she attacks from the water ...’

‘
If she
attacks from the water, I won’t drown. My swimming ability
won’t let me.’

‘
Your swimming
ability will not save you if she boils the water in the lake. I know
what she can do. She heated the water before she swam in it. And
that is not all. I have seen her before. Yesterday after you left,
I stayed in the security room for a while and I saw her hanging
around near the lake. She met a man and I think he gave her bad
news. She was very angry and they argued for a few minutes. Before
she stormed off she pushed him in to the water. He climbed out
screaming – the water had burned him! I could see steam rising
from the lake!’

Alice sighed. ‘I
bet the man had a beard.’

Ralph nodded.
‘Promise me you will stay away from the lake, Alice.’ He
took her hands and held them tightly. ‘Please. I do not want
to lose you and I know you feel the same about me.’

Alice was trembling.
He’d only just met her and yet he was reading her innermost
thoughts – the thoughts about him, anyway. That was an ability
that she really didn’t like. What a nerve! She pulled her
hands away and stuffed them in to the pockets of her night gown.

‘
You won’t
lose me,’ she replied curtly. ‘I know for a fact that I
live to a ripe old age.’

‘
Ah, your
books! Have you read them all? Do I feature in them? Your
grandfather would not say.’

‘
Grandad told
you about my books? He’s told you far too much!’ she
hissed. ‘But he kept you a secret from me! I know nothing
about you!’

Ralph looked at her
with sadness in his eyes. ‘That hurts me. I do not understand
why he did not tell you. He talked about you a lot and showed me a
photograph of you. When I saw it I knew I just had to meet you.’
He leaned forward until their foreheads were almost touching. ‘I
know you have been thinking about me a lot since we met, Alice.’

Sickened, Alice
pushed him away. This was too much for her to bear.

‘
What’s
wrong?’ he whispered, panic-stricken. ‘Have I done
something to upset you? If so, I am sorry.’

Alice shook her
head. How could she tell him that his peculiar mind-reading ability
reminded her of Hugh? Aargh! She didn’t have to tell him. He
would be reading her thoughts about him right now, and realising that
they were mixed up with memories of someone else. Here was this
incredible boy, declaring his feelings, and she had ruined it all by
thinking about a weirdo like Hugh. He had a lot to answer for. Mind
Magician indeed. He’d certainly messed with her mind.

‘
I’m so
sorry, Ralph. You’ve done nothing wrong. I’ve just got
a lot going on at the moment.’

‘
So it would
seem,’ he replied, visibly disheartened. ‘Perhaps I
should go. You know how to contact me if you need me.’