Firestar (19 page)

“I liked your new friends, Clara,” Arthur said as she perched herself comfortably in the crook of his arm.

Clara smiled. “Mmmm … but it’s nice to be back in Arthur’s Seat with old friends, too,” she said, glancing round the Great Hall where George Tatler and Sir James sat talking to the MacArthur.

Neil, sitting beside her, nodded in agreement as he held his arm out so that Cassia, a large black crow, could perch comfortably on it. Her mate, Kitor, however, landed in a flap of wings on Clara’s shoulder and nibbled her ear gently with his beak. Hearing of all their adventures up north, he wished that he had gone to Morven with them.

“Who is Shona again?” John MacLean asked, trying to sort out all the new names in his head.

“Shona is in Lewis’s class, Dad,” Neil explained, “and Jennifer is a year below them. She lives in the next glen to Shona, that’s how they’re friends.”

“That was the glen you rescued us from, Arthur.” Clara shivered as she remembered the giants. She looked at Jaikie and Hamish. “It’s a pity you weren’t there,” she said, “for it was the most
fantastic
thing you ever saw. The giants were
chucking
huge rocks about like confetti and when they started to grow tall, I thought they were going to reach out and catch Arthur! I didn’t realize he’d put a spell on them.”

Arthur blew smoke down his long nose as if to
say that it would take much more than a giant to catch him. Kitor coughed and flapped his wings. He always kept a wary eye on Arthur who had an alarming tendency to blow fire and smoke at the drop of a hat.

Archie grinned. “I must say, it’s great to have you both back in Edinburgh. It’s been a bit boring here after our adventure with the giants.”

“Is there any news from Lord Rothlan?” Neil asked, looking at the MacArthur hopefully.

“Lord Rothlan and Lady Ellan have already left Morven,” the MacArthur answered. “They’re back at Jarishan now.”

“Amgarad will be pleased, then,” Clara smiled. “He didn’t like being cooped up in the
mountain
.”

“What was it like, Archie, flying with Amgarad?” Neil asked, remembering that Archie had merged with the eagle to fly back to Morven.

“It was the most amazing thing,” Archie said, his eyes bright with pleasure at the memory. “The strength of his wings was amazing. It was too short a journey, though, for Morven was only a few miles away. It was really a dream come true. I’ve always wanted to fly with the eagles, you know.”

Hamish met Clara’s eyes and smiled. “We know,” he said pointedly.

“Thank goodness you managed it, Archie,” Jaikie said. “Maybe you’ll stop pestering us now!”

“I wouldn’t count on it,” Hamish observed. “Just wait until the next eagle comes along, eh, Archie!”

Sir James looked at the MacArthur, sitting on
his carved, wooden chair and interrupted the exchange with a smile for Archie had already told him several times of his wonderful flight. “Archie’s been telling us about the giants, too, Neil. It sounds as though you and Clara had a very
exciting
time.”

“If it hadn’t been for the Americans and their wretched satellite,” Tatler snorted, “the virus would never have got into Firestar in the first place and none of it would ever have happened.”

“It caused a lot of hardship,” Sir James
admitted
. “Most of the glens up north have been cleared but it’ll be a while before the Highlands really get back to normal.” He stretched his long legs and relaxed comfortably on a long divan.

“I see from the newspapers that everything’s been put down to extreme weather conditions,” John MacLean said.

“Yes,” Neil added. “No mention of the giants these days, which is a bit surprising given the headlines they caused!”

Sir James looked at the MacArthur searchingly and smiled slightly. “Did the Lords of the North have anything to do with that, by any chance?” he queried.

The MacArthur nodded. “I should imagine so,” he said. “Such things are best forgotten, don’t you think?”

Sir James nodded in agreement. “Global
warming
’s probably as good an excuse as any,” he said approvingly. “But what about the Americans? What are they doing now?” he queried. “Does
anyone
know?”

“Prince Casimir tells me that they’re on their way back to the States,” the MacArthur replied. “Powerprobe’s been behaving very erratically and he reckons it won’t be long before they shut the whole project down.”

“That’s wonderful news,” Tatler sat up and then looked at him shrewdly. “Did the Lords of the North have a hand in that as well?”

“Well … yes,” the MacArthur admitted,
smiling
slightly, “but there were other factors as well. Apparently, Lord Robertson saw what was
happening
on television while he was in Canada and was so upset that he cut his holiday short. The ghosts are delighted to have him back, needless to say!”

“They didn’t like the Americans much,” Neil said with a grin.

“Ah, but that was because they wanted to get inside the mountain,” the MacArthur said. “Rory and the MacTavish didn’t approve of that at all! It’s understandable! Now, if they’d been normal tourists, I think the ghosts would have kept
themselves
to themselves and bothered no one.”

“Shona will be over the moon to see Lord Robertson again,” Clara smiled, “
and
she’ll be able to climb Morven to her heart’s content over the summer holidays!”

Arthur blew a cloud of smoke down his long nose that sent Kitor and Cassia coughing. “Give over, Arthur,” Archie complained, waving his hands around. “The MacArthur’s pipe is bad enough without you joining in!”

“Come on, you two,” John MacLean said,
looking
at his watch and getting to his feet. “It’s
getting
late and you still have homework to finish, haven’t you?”

Neil nodded guiltily.

Listening to the tale of their adventures, his father had already decided to give his wife a very watered down version of the whole affair. No need to worry her unduly and the children, after all, were safe and sound. His mind veered towards other things as they called their magic carpets, for his brother, David was still seriously ill and he planned to drive down to the Borders the following morning.

Clara looked at Neil and sighed; after dealing with dragons, giants and magicians it was a bit much, she felt, to be landed with homework.

Sir James and Tatler rose to leave as well and as the magic carpets sailed across the Great Hall the MacArthur eased himself back gently in his chair and reached for his pipe. It had been a fairly
desperate
time but they seemed to have got through it without too much trouble. Firestar was back to normal, the Cri’achan had returned to the
mountains
and the Lords of the North were safe.

Nevertheless, he shifted uneasily in his chair. It was the knowledge that Lord Jezail had been mixed up in it all, that worried him. The Sultan, too, had been startled at the news and had already arranged a meeting in Turkey. Maybe Prince Casimir, who had visited Ashgar more than once, would be able to throw some light on the matter. But he doubted it. Jezail had always been a law unto himself. And, as Arthur curled lazily by his side, the MacArthur thoughtfully lit his pipe. More trouble brewing, he mused with a sigh …

“Oh look, Hughie,” Shona said, sitting up in her chair. “There’s a hobgoblin at the door.”

“It’s Rumbletumble,” Hughie grinned as the little hobgoblin’s head appeared shyly round the kitchen door. “Come in, then,” he said. “Come in. The cakes aren’t quite ready yet so you’ll have to wait for a few minutes.”

Rumbletumble was followed by Rumbletop and Rumblegudgeon all of whom had sniffed the
tantalizing
smell of newly-baked cakes from the
hillside
. Their tiny hooves made a clicking noise on the tiles as they headed for the cushions in front of the fire.

“Shona,” Rumbletop said in surprise as they crowded round her chair.

“It’s nice to be able to see you!” Rumbletumble said, smiling.

“It’s nice to be able to see you, too,” she replied, shaking each tiny hand. “How are you getting on in the mountain?” she asked. “Is Firestar
behaving
itself?”

There were enthusiastic nods.

“And what about the lords?”

“It’s a bit dull now,” Rumblegudgeon confided. “Lord Rothlan and Lady Ellan have gone back to Jarishan and Prince Casimir looks sad all the time. He misses his son.”

“He’s going to Turkey next week,” Rumbletop confided.

“Turkey?” Shona looked surprised.

“To visit the Sultan,” Rumblegudgeon added.

“Oh, yes. Lewis told me about the Sultan. I’d love to meet him. He sounds fabulous.”

“He’s very fabulous,” Rumbletumble said,
keeping
a careful eye on the oven. His goat-like
little
face looked so anxious that Shona bit back a smile.

“The cakes smell lovely, don’t they,” she said seriously as Hughie put on oven gloves.

“Your favourites, Rumbletop,” he said with a knowing smile, taking two baking trays out of the oven. “Coconut surprises!”

Again there was a clatter of hooves as they crowded round, standing on tip-toe, their eyes appearing just above the level of the table.

Rumblegudgeon grasped Shona’s hand and pulled her to her feet so that she didn’t miss out on the treats. His endearing, ridiculous, goblin grin creased her up but she managed to keep a straight face so as not to hurt his feelings. Hughie dealt out the cakes on little plates, three on each and it was as she thanked him that her attention was caught by a sudden movement on the slopes of Morven.

“The stag!” she said, gazing out the window. “Dad said he’d seen a stag on the hill the other night but I didn’t know if it was Kalman’s or not.”

“I reckon Glenmorven is his home now,” Hughie said, turning to look out of the long, low windows that gave onto the slopes of Morven. “He likes the glen and feels safe here. The Lords of the North will always protect him and if the winter gets too bad, well, he can always shelter in the old stable.”

The hobgoblins, as usual, ate their cakes in
little
, delicate bites so that it took them a long, long time to get through each one.

“Have some more, Shona?” Hughie offered.

Shona shook her head. “They were delicious but I’d better not,” she said. “Mum’s cooking a
stirfry
and she says will seven o’clock suit you? Dad’s working late most nights but he thinks he’ll be home in time.”

“Jamie Robertson will be coming too, then,” Hughie said as she hugged the hobgoblins and made her way to the door.

Shona’s eyes sparkled. “Yes, of course. There’s just so much to talk about.”

“Aye, he’s pleased to be back. He told me that his son and daughter-in-law are coming over in a few months’ time.”

“We’ll have to persuade them to stay,” Shona said decisively. “Oh look! There’s the stag again.” She pointed to the skyline where the great stag with its magnificent head of antlers, stood
outlined
against the setting sun.

Shona heaved a sigh of great content. “Isn’t it wonderful, Hughie,” she said. “Glenmorven is back to normal again.”

Hughie nodded but once she had gone and the hobgoblins had departed, his eyes strayed once again to the window and the stag outlined against the setting sun. Kalman, he thought with a sigh. An unhappy prince if ever there was one. Where, he wondered, was he now and what was he doing? His eyes dropped sadly as he drew the curtains and turned to add some more logs to the fire.

Then he started in surprise. Prince Kalman sat in one of the armchairs beside the fire, looking at him with an unusual air of diffidence. “I hope I’m welcome, Hughie?” he said, rising to his feet, a touch of arrogance showing in the tilt of his head.

Hmmm, thought Hughie, with a wry smile. He was still as proud as the devil, ready to cast a hex and take off at the slightest hint of rejection. Nevertheless, his kind old eyes softened. “You’re always welcome, Prince Kalman,” he said, “and well you know it!”

Kalman relaxed and sat down again, reaching for some old newspapers that were full of stories about the giants. “So Rothlan managed to get rid of Malfior,” he remarked, turning the pages.

Hughie, who had had the whole story from the hobgoblins, retold what he could remember of their excited chatter. “I think it was the American that did it in the end,” he said. “According to Rumbletop, he was a real whiz with computers and even on the machine, seemed to know exactly what he was doing. He was the one that managed to pin Malfior down.”

Kalman frowned. “So,” he muttered, “it has been destroyed.”

“I thought you’d be pleased at the news,” Hughie ventured, looking at him oddly; puzzled at his expression. He noted, too, that Kalman seemed to have aged since he last saw him and wondered what was worrying him.

Kalman shrugged. “Of course I’m pleased,” he said. “Malfior would have destroyed us all without the slightest hesitation.” He paused and looking
unusually grim, tapped his fingers on the arm of the chair. “I felt its power, Hughie, when I was in Hell’s Glen and believe me, it was possessed of a vicious intelligence.”

He laid the newspaper down on a side table, looking troubled, for although Malfior had been destroyed, he nevertheless felt the bitter residue of Cri’achan Mòr’s hex. It was like a sickness within him but somehow he couldn’t bring himself to tell Hughie. Hughie would pass the news on to his father for sure and he shied at the thought of him knowing.

Seeing his frown, Hughie changed the subject in an effort to lighten the atmosphere. “There’s a bit in today’s paper that might interest you,” he said with a smile, “about the pop stars that brought you over from Argyle. The Jelly Beans! Remember them?”

“Making a hit, are they?” Kalman almost smiled.

“More than that,” Hughie grinned, “they made a big splash with their stories of the giants and … well, since then, they just seemed to have taken off. The publicity they’ve been given is phenomenal. You wouldn’t believe it! Their pictures are
everywhere
these days. In fact, I think it’s tonight that they’ll be playing at some massive pop festival.”

“Where?” queried the prince.

“Somewhere in England,” Hughie answered, turning the pages to find the article, “at a place called Glastonbury. They’ve made it to the big time,” he added, “for they’re appearing alongside some really big stars.”

Kalman sat up straight. “They can’t do that,” he said, frowning.

“What do you mean?” Hughie looked startled.

“Just that they’ll make
total
fools of themselves!”

“Aren’t … aren’t they any good, then?”
“As an act, they’re terrible!” Kalman looked upset. “Kenny can’t play more than a few chords and Larry’s voice is painful, to say the least.” He shook his head in frustration. “I can’t let them do this, Hughie. I’ve got to stop them
somehow
!”

Hughie looked at him in a mixture of approval and some surprise. The prince didn’t usually
concern
himself in the affairs of humans and he
wondered
what had happened in his travels with the Jelly Beans to put him in such a flap.

Muttering the words of a hex, Kalman turned to the wall of the cottage where a huge picture suddenly appeared. Hughie looked at it in
astonishment
and lifted his hands to cover his ears as the music of the Glastonbury Rock Festival roared through the cottage. Judging from the noise of the screaming fans, the current stage act was
receiving
a fantastic reception.

“Where are they?” muttered Kalman as he scanned the stage and the area around it. “Where – on – earth – are – they?”

“There,” pointed Hughie. “Over to the right! Look, you can see their hats!”

Sure enough, standing at the side of the stage, ready to go on, were Kenny and Larry. Kalman focused on them and then enlarged them until they filled the cottage wall.

“I think it’s just dawned on them that they should never have accepted the invitation,” he said exasperatedly as a chalk-faced Larry, his eyes as round as saucers, took in the full of glory of a real rock festival.

“I cannae go on, Kenny,” he whispered, his voice shaking. “We’re no’ good enough. They’ll … they’ll laugh us off the stage!”

Kenny looked grim. “I know,” he muttered, “but we can’t
not
go on. They’ll make us! They’ve paid us a fortune to appear and you know as well as I do that everybody out there is waiting to see us. We’re the stars of the show, for goodness sake!!”

“What’ll we do? We’re on next!” whimpered Larry, grabbing at his sleeve as he saw one of the stage managers moving towards them. “Look, look, Kenny! Look at my hand!” He held out a trembling hand that was shaking violently. “I can’t play, the state I’m in.” Bleak despair shone in his eyes. “Kenny, what are we going to
do
?”

“
I’ll
tell you what you’re going to do,” Prince Kalman interrupted forcefully.

Kenny and Larry eyed one another in
amazement
as they heard the sound of the familiar voice in their heads. Their faces lit up like beacons as they stared around, half expecting to see the stag at their elbow.

“You made it, then,” Kenny said, “you made it to Morven!”

“You’re on next,” the stage manager broke in. Kenny and Larry paid him not a blind bit of notice.

“Are you okay?” Larry demanded.

“I’m fine,” answered Kalman and the stage manager together.

“Not you,” Larry looked at the stage manager in some disgust.

“Look, will you just get on to the stage,” the stage manager hustled them forward, hoping that they weren’t going to prove awkward. He’d heard them rehearsing and wasn’t surprised that they had cold feet but that wasn’t his problem. All he had to do was get them in front of the mikes.

The band onstage were bowing and waving to the fans, the noise was deafening and
everyone
standing in the wings was on a tremendous high. “And now,” the announcer said, “now we have what you might call the giant attraction of the evening, fans. The lads that faced death and lived through it! The fabulous, fantastic JELLY BEANS!”

Everyone standing in the wings was now aware of the problem. Kenny and Larry, suddenly jerked back to reality, were, once more, white-faced, rigid and more or less frozen to the ground. The band members coming off-stage took one look at them and went into action. “Hey, there,” their lead singer said, “don’t worry, just go on and you’ll be fine! I’ll tell you a secret — we all suffer from stage fright, don’t we, lads!” There was a murmur of agreement as they clustered round, nodding encouragingly.

“Do as the man says,” Kalman ordered. “Go on and you’ll be fine, I promise you!”

“Are you sure?” Kenny whispered through stiff lips.

“Positive,” the others said, slapping him on the back.

“You’ll perform as you’ve never done before,” Kalman assured them, watching as the announcer beckoned them forward. “Give them a great
welcome
, fans,” he roared, “the fantastic, crazy,
wonderful
— JELLY BEANS!!”

The wave of cheering died down as Kenny and Larry stood in front of the microphones, clutching their guitars nervously. Kalman, however, didn’t let the silence last. He muttered the words of a powerful hex and as it hit them, Kenny and Larry jerked in sudden amazement and automatically went into their routine.

And what a routine it proved to be! There was nothing remotely pathetic about it! It was heady, powerful stuff and as their voices rang out strongly, the audience screamed in response! Kenny looked at Larry and they grinned in rising elation as they belted out another song. The magician hadn’t let them down; he’d stood by them and paid his debt.

From then on, the audience went wild; screaming, shouting and yelling as Kenny and Larry dominated the stage. They were a sensation! When the near hysterical fans finally allowed them to leave, they looked at one another in a stupified daze of
happiness
for hit, had followed hit, had followed hit.

“Well, well,” Neil turned down the volume on the TV set as the Jelly Beans left the stage to gales of applause, “who do you reckon was responsible for that, then?”

“Prince Kalman, definitely,” Clara answered. “It couldn’t have been anyone else.”

Neil nodded. “He’s made them into stars,” he said a trifle enviously. “That was really some
performance
, you know! They were fabulous!”

Just then, his mobile bleeped imperatively. “It’s a text from Lewis,” he said, scanning the screen. “He thinks Kalman’s behind the Jelly Bean’s rise to fame — just like us, and,” Neil scrolled down further, “he says that what’s really surprising is that Kalman bothered to help them at all.”

“He’s right there. Kalman’s not a do-gooder at the best of times, is he?”

“Mind you,” Neil rejoined, his eyes on his mobile as he texted a reply, “anyone would feel grateful to them after what happened with the giants.”

“Kalman’s not exactly anyone,” Clara said,
smiling
ruefully, “but — well, give him his due, Neil. He’s done well this evening, hasn’t he?”

She looked thoughtfully at the Jelly Beans as, waving and smiling, they left the stage on a
roaring
wave of applause. Like everyone else watching, she knew they’d made history that evening and were destined for fame and fortune, stardom and glory.