Jack Shian and the Destiny Stone (18 page)

Jack turned in astonishment to see a ghostly pale, stick-limbed creature standing by the wall. No higher than Jack’s waist, the tiny Ashray had a haunted look.

“The Kildashie were here?!” demanded Phineas.

“They left last month. We never had much, but the Kildashie destroyed what little we had.” Her voice was high-pitched, almost a squeak.

“And the fog?” asked Iain Dubh. “Is it worse now?”

“Worse than ever. The trees used to clear the swamp gas; or some of it. Now it’s choking everything.”

“They’re up to their old tricks, then,” noted Jack. “First the islands, then the area around Edinburgh; now here.”

“And what of your mistresses here? Have they sided with the Kildashie?”

The Ashray looked at Phineas. “I’ll say no more. I’ve to take you to the hall.”

The wizened creature moved off down the gloomy hall, and the travellers fell into step behind her.

“Stick by me,” muttered Phineas as he moved next to Jack. “I wouldn’t trust these hags a minute.”

Except the sceptres don’t work here: your sword and Trog’s knife is all we have.

Jack saw Ishona and Armina walking together, whispering feverishly. For all Iain Dubh’s reassurance, Jack felt ill at ease. Everything he’d heard about this place was bad. And yet …

“Ye all will be hungry?” A young woman in a long flowing green dress greeted them as they neared the end of the hall. Like the old women, her big eyes bulged slightly. “I am Hema. We’ve food aplenty. Come in.”

As the Ashray scuttled away, Hema opened a large wooden door to reveal a great dining room with a fireplace at the side. Flames from the fire and two wall-mounted staves threw some light, but it was still murky. And yet the fire was cheering, and the smell of nearby food made Jack feel faint. He wasn’t alone: the travellers, famished and exhausted, fell into the room.

“It’s not often we have guests. Make yourselves comfortable; the food won’t be long. There’s bowls of water there – you can wash.” Hema waved a gloved hand. “Help yourselves to wine.”

Kedge was first to the fireplace, which bore two large glowing logs. Sparks flew up the chimney and out onto the stone floor in equal measure.

“This is more like it. I’m famished: what d’ye think they’ll feed us?” He poured some wine into a goblet.

Leading the rest of the travellers in, Phineas walked over and whispered to Kedge.

“Ach, never mind that,” said the Rangie lad. “You might no’ need food and a warm, but I do. They’ve been fine to us.” He smiled ingratiatingly at the young woman who had shown them in.

Hema stood with her back to the closed door, and smiled back.

Within minutes a dozen young women had brought in trays of food, piled high with delicacies. Like Hema, they could have been called beautiful, but for their unnervingly large eyes.

Hurriedly washing their hands at a side table, the weary travellers fell on the food; whatever caution any had had about their surroundings, or the nature of their welcome, had been overcome. The atmosphere quickly relaxed.

“I hoped we could count on island hospitality,” laughed Iain Dubh, draining another goblet of wine. “But to have so much food in the winter, it must be a feast day. It’s not the solstice yet, is it?”

“Not yet,” laughed Hema, as she fed him some fruit. “Tonight we begin the midwinter celebrations. The solstice is in two days.”

“Two days!” Ishona spluttered. “That means we were on the bridge for …”

“A long time,” interrupted Morrigan, rejoining the group. “I told you time was different there. But I got you here, didn’t I?”

“So, tell us, Morrigan: where is Murkle?” asked Phineas pointedly.

“He’s been very helpful. You’ll see him soon.”

The mention of Murkle’s name made Iain Dubh sit up. He frowned, as if trying to remember why he’d come here. Bleary-eyed, he looked around. His HebShian comrades, from being famished and exhausted, looked relaxed, and completely distracted by the attentions of the young women. Only Armina and Ishona seemed unaffected by the nature of the welcome. They sat together, watching the proceedings warily. Iain Dubh took another deep slurp of wine, and sat back.

The young women came and went so often that it was hard to say how many there were. Aged about twenty-five, each sported elbow-length gloves, and wore a flowing gown that trailed to the floor.

The one exception was a girl of about twelve, who stood outside the kitchen, half-hidden in the shadows. When instructed, she would place more food or drink on the tables and retrieve empty plates, but she never spoke, retreating instead to her shadowy recess.

Jack looked at the girl idly. Replete with food and drink, he felt fuzzily tired. There was something familiar about her, but he couldn’t figure out what. Dark-haired, she seemed to be brooding, sullen; never quite looking up.

Jack wasn’t sure whether to feel worried or grateful: after his limited diet of the last few weeks, and the icy smothering fog outside, he was glad to have been fed, and to feel warm; but something felt wrong.

“Dad, nobody’s even asked who we are, or why we’re here.”

“I think they know already: they knew Morrigan, and she’s been off somewhere. We must be careful; this is too good to be true.”

“And what about the Cu-Shee – the Black Dogs? We haven’t seen anything like that.”

“Like I said, keep your guard up.”

“Me and the Twa Tams are going to get changed out of these manky clothes,” laughed Kedge, as he and two of the HebShian men were led away. “Then they’re going to show us around.”

“No! Stay here!” cautioned Phineas, but his warning had little effect. The three young men left, laughing with their female companions.

Jack saw that Ossian was talking animatedly with another young woman, and that Morrigan was looking on. Her eyes were narrowed, and she mouthed silently.

I don’t fancy being in Ossian’s shoes when she gets hold of him
.

Despite Jack’s unease, the party continued happily. What food was not eaten was now strewn carelessly around the tables. The place bore the hallmarks of having hosted a great party.

Jack felt his eyes closing, and he fought to keep himself awake.

“We’ll show ye to yer quarters,” announced Hema. Clapping her hands, she ushered her companions forward, and each led several of the guests away.

“Where are we going?” asked Jack.

“Ye can wash; then go to yer room,” smiled Hema. “Sanguina will show ye and yer cousin. I’ll take some o’ the others.”

How did she know Ossian’s my cousin?
thought Jack. Then he reflected,
It must’ve been Morrigan.

“I’ll come too,” said Phineas emphatically. “Come on, Enda.”

“The washroom’s in here,” indicated Sanguina, opening a door. “There’s nightwear in the box.”

The candle-lit washroom was gloomy, but even in the dim light Jack could see it was gigantic. He noted a large chest by the side wall, beside which was a small heap of dirty clothes. There was no sign of Kedge or the others.

The room had no windows, but it did have a row of four cubicles by the far wall, each with a large bath; towels hung on the partition walls. The four guests edged cautiously into the enormous room, and chose clean nightwear from the large chest.

“It’ll take a while to wash us four at a time!” shouted Ossian happily, taking the first cubicle. He seemed at ease.

“Hema was taking Daid and some of the others to another room,” replied Phineas.

Grateful to get his filthy clothes off (
how long have I had these on?
), Jack entered the next cubicle and slipped quietly into the bath. The water was warm, but it smelt kind of funny. Sort of … eggy.

“How’d they get hot water if the rest of the place is so cold?” he shouted through to Ossian.

“It must be geothermal – you know, from hot springs. That’s why it smells funny.”

Jack lay and luxuriated in the warm water for a while.

Phineas’ voice came floating over the cubicle wall.

“Jack! Keep your things safe!”

Jack looked over at Trog’s knife on the chair, beside his Sintura belt.
I’m not leaving them with my clothes.

“And you’ve got a spare set of clothes in your satchel, haven’t you?”

“Yes, Dad.”

“Don’t use the nightwear, then.”

When they were all cleaned and dressed (
knife and Sintura belt strapped on
), they congregated outside the cubicles.

“Where’s Kedge?” demanded Ossian.

“His clothes are there; and the Twa Tams’,” replied Phineas. “They must have gone off to explore the place. We’ll stay together, though. I don’t want everyone getting separated.”

Phineas put his cloak back on, and tucked his dirty clothes under his arm as Hema ushered the next batch of four in.

“Everything all right?” Iain Dubh swayed slightly as he spoke, and gave a small hiccup.

“Sure; but keep a watch. Remember why we’re here,” cautioned Phineas quietly, so that Hema couldn’t hear. “And don’t leave your clothes here.”

As Sanguina led them along a cold, dark corridor to a large bedroom, Jack thought he could see the bulge of his father’s sword under his cloak.

“So many visitors has us struggling for beds,” admitted Sanguina, as she opened a door. “Some of ye’ll share here; there’s another room along the corridor. And the ladies are next door.”

It was like a dormitory, with mattresses along each side wall. Logs crackled in the fireplace, throwing some warmth, but precious little light, around the room.

“I don’t care. I just want to get some shut-eye,” stated Ossian.

“I’ll just check with Armina,” said Phineas, leaving the room.

He came back a few minutes later, apparently happy.

“Armina and Ishona have beds, and they seem all right. I suggest we get some rest. But remember, the solstice is in two days. We must leave soon if we are to get to Novehowe.”

“How far is it?” asked Jack.

“Impossible to say: no one knows where Tula is exactly.”

“Will Morrigan know how to get away from here?” Jack’s guts were telling him something was wrong.

“She got us here, didn’t she?” said Ossian smugly.

“But she’s not with Armina and Ishona,” pointed out Phineas, placing his sword under his mattress, just out of sight. “She knows too much of this place. And she still hasn’t told us where Murkle is.”

“You said we needed someone who understood how they think here,” pointed out Ossian.

“Yes, but to keep us right; not to help them. We have to find the Raglan, and the Gusog feather. We’ll do some exploring tonight, when everyone’s asleep.”

“Everything’s dark here,” noted Jack. “There’s not been a single room that was properly lit.” He thought fondly of how the crystals sprayed the light around the Shian square in Edinburgh.

“They don’t seem to like the light, right enough,” mused Phineas. “I guess it’s to do with being this far north – they’re not used to it in the winter.”

When Iain Dubh and the others came in twenty minutes later, Jack had just drifted off.

“There’s several bathrooms,” chortled Gilmore, throwing his clothes and belongings next to a mattress. “I’ve never felt so clean in my life.”

“Cal, will you take first watch?” asked Phineas, as the others copied Gilmore’s example.

“There’s no need for watches,” said Hema, entering silently. “Oh, excuse me gentlemen, I should have knocked.”

She laughed, a raucous cackle that was at odds with her beauty.

“Ye may have noticed that some of yer companions are not here.” A smile flickered over her lips. “They’re rather busy just now. But never worry, we’ve someone else to keep ye company this night! Malicia!”

She clapped her hands, and in the gloom Jack glimpsed a wall-mounted stone figure dropping to the ground, just like when they had first arrived.

“Malicia, I’m sure ye will take care that these guests are comfortable?” Hema moved along the line of mattresses until she came to Phineas.

“Tut tut,” she said mockingly, as she stooped down and retrieved Phineas’ sword. “The laws of hospitality: don’t you mainland savages know of these?”

She threw the sword over to the mallison, then looked down at Jack.

“I know what ye have, Shian boy. But I’ll get it later – there’s no fun in taking everything straight away. Now I trust that ye will all get some sleep. Don’t let the bedbugs bite!”

Slowly, she took off her right glove, revealing long, sharp fingernails. Stained red. She cradled her right forefinger under Jack’s chin, smiling cruelly down at him.

“Ye’ve brought us fresh blood,” croaked Malicia.

With a sickening feeling, Jack understood.

They’re all Boaban Shee!

In a flash Hema had drawn her wand from her cloak, and pointed it at the wall.

“
Incarceris!
”

The walls telescoped away. Hema and the mallison floated back towards the door, and the mattresses disappeared. Jack felt himself topple over as the room heaved. It was like being at sea again – only even colder.

When he sat up, Jack realised that the large bedroom, fireplace and all, had gone: this was a cell. The mallison sat on a chair just outside a barred gate. Wisps of fog came in through the single pane-less barred window on the side wall. Except for a candle at Malicia’s foot, the room was in darkness.

The curses and oaths died down after a couple of minutes, as the prisoners righted themselves.

“Are you all right, Jack?”

“What happened?” Jack crawled towards the sound of his father’s voice. The floor was freezing, and his hands half-stuck to the icy surface.

“They’ve tricked us. So much for hospitality. And we haven’t a sword between us.”

“What’re we going to do?”

“We’ll have to get out of here, and get the swords,” hissed Phineas. “Then we’ll have a chance.”

“How’re we going to get past the mallison?”

“There’s only one of her, so that’s something. But that gate’s the only way out.”

Finbogie now edged towards them.

“I should’ve seen that coming. But so long on the bridge took more out of me than I realised.”