Jack Shian and the Destiny Stone (28 page)

Please, let us just get back to Novehowe safely … .

Jack’s stomach heaved, and he thought he would vomit, but gradually the spinning slowed, and he dared to open his eyes.

We’re over water …

With a lurch, they came to a standstill beside the stone circle. A fine rain was falling. Jack gasped for breath.

“That wasn’t so bad,” said Petros.

Jack’s eyes narrowed as he looked across at his cousin.

He nearly fainted back there. He’s just saying it to wind me up.

“Let’s find Magnus.” Jack set off for the tumulus.

By the time they reached it they were soaked and cold, and were happily anticipating the tumulus’ warmth. But as they passed through the door, however, their reception was distinctly frosty.

“Where the hell have you been?”

Phineas’ voice cut through Jack and Petros. Jack halted in his tracks.

“We … I mean I … We went to help Caskill.”

“And where is Cleo?”

Jack looked across at Petros, but his cousin was finding the floor very interesting, and did not return eye contact.

“Grey Wolf’s bringing her back. She wandered off in Edinburgh.”

“You mean you lost her? In a city she has never been to before, a city crawling with Kildashie?”

Jack willed Petros to say something, but Petros was sticking to silence.

After an awkward pause, Jack continued, “But we’ve found out useful stuff. And Grey Wolf asked me to give this to Magnus. It’s important.”

Jack untied the pouch, and showed this to his father. Phineas beckoned one of the NorShian, and whispered urgently in his ear. The man left, and returned a few moments later with Magnus.

“Don’t think I’ve finished with you yet,” Phineas hissed as Magnus sat down.

“Please Magnus, Grey Wolf said to give you this.” Jack tipped out the gory contents onto a table. “Caskill’s dead; but he gave me this before he died.” Jack showed the amulet.

Magnus inspected the charmstone first, then glanced at the Dunter’s cap and the severed ear.

“I gather you have been to Edinburgh. What would take Caskill so far from his home to such a place?”

“Grey Wolf thinks the Kildashie heard about the amulet; and they got a dragon from the ice lands to kidnap Caskill and take him to Edinburgh.”

“The Kildashie are using skoffins?!”

“There was only one; it flew away after it dropped Caskill. The Dunters were waiting for him. Grey Wolf and me got rid of them, but they’d already hurt Caskill badly … He died.”

Magnus turned the charmstone over in his hand, and for a while said nothing. When he spoke, his voice sounded heavy.

“Do you know the meaning of this symbol?”

Jack shook his head. “I saw it on your season-wheel.”

“The crescent moons are back-to-back: as the old moon dies the new moon is born; and so time moves on. If the Kildashie went to so much trouble to get this charmstone, then it appears that they do after all wish to halt the seasons.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because if all the charmstones and season-wheels are destroyed, then time will stop.” Magnus looked across at the season-wheel which hung from the wall. “This is no longer a far-off problem.”

“Grey Wolf told me that Caskill’s ancestors were Norse.”

“They were. And our Norse friends will be vexed at this news. Karl, go now urgently to the fjords. Tell our friends that the Unseelie have killed Caskill, and that they wish our winter to remain forever.”

Karl nodded, and set off immediately.

“And have you other news for us?” asked Magnus.

“We saw Festus – one of our neighbours in the square. The Thanatos killed him.”

“I trust you realise how dangerous it was to go to Edinburgh, then?”

“We saw one of the Cos-Howe men too,” said Jack, keen to change the subject. “They can’t hold out much longer. The Kildashie have the Tarditas hex – it means they can freeze people while they attack.”

“The Tarditas?” Armina spoke up. “That does not freeze people – it freezes time.”

“That’s what I meant; it’s how they attacked the Congress. You didn’t hear them coming because they’d frozen time. And now they’re going to use the Tarditas to get the Destiny Stone – at Hogmanay.”

Magnus sat thoughtfully for a moment.

“Our hand is forced; we have no choice now,” he said finally. “With this new evidence I am sure that the fjordsmen will come. You must be hungry; go through and eat. But tell me first: why did Grey Wolf not return with you?”

Jack shuffled his feet.

“He’s … bringing Cleo back in a while.”

“You mean you lost her.”

Jack didn’t reply.

“Grey Wolf would not have stayed unless he was sure he would find her. Now go and eat. The next few days will be busy.”

As Jack went through to the kitchen, Phineas followed him.

“Jack, there’s no sense in us arguing now. We must be united against the Unseelie. And if what you said about Cos-Howe is true, then things are truly urgent.”

“Oobit said there were 100 Kildashie in the city; how many Norsemen d’you think will come?”

“I am sure Magnus knows what is needed. But we have others to worry about too: there’s the Unseelie in the west; and the Thanatos.”

“Oobit said the Thanatos don’t fear the living.”

“So?”

“Well, they might not like ghosts, then. We used them at Dunvik last year, when we beat Briannan.”

“Even with the Norse ghosts to help them, Comgall and his monks would be no match for the Thanatos, Jack. Those ghosts could be called because of their link to the Chalice. We need something on a completely different scale here.”

There was a crash as several McCools fell through the door.

“’Scuse us!” hiccupped Enda. “We found some more friends out there.”

Dermot and the other Irishmen who had been left with the boats entered noisily.

“That Connemara Mary is a fine woman,” sang Dara. “What a voice.”

Phineas strode over and accosted Enda.

“The attack on Edinburgh is on. Sober your men up, and call for more help. The Norsemen have been sent for; we’ll need every ally we can get.”

Enda looked inquisitively at Phineas, then at Jack.

“Ye’ve been off enjoying yerself, haven’t ye? Ye were meant to come with us this mornin’.”

“Caskill’s dead.”

Enda stopped in his tracks.

“Ah now, I’m truly sorry to hear that. I liked the old rascal.”

“He was killed for his charmstone. We gave it back to him, and somehow the Kildashie found out.”

“I know Telos caused you problems on Nebula; but he was never out of our sight there. I’m certain he never contacted the Kildashie.”

“Jack’s not suggesting that one of your men betrayed him,” said Phineas.

Jack looked away and shrugged. “Somebody must’ve.”

“Ye may speak the truth. But it could have been Saorbeg from Nebula; or any one of a hundred spies the Kildashie have over the islands. Watch yer mouth, lad: a careless tongue will land ye in trouble.”

“He’s already in trouble,” said Rana, who had heard the argument and come in to see what was up. “He’s stolen our invisibility bonnets; and he’s left Cleo with the Kildashie.”

“She’s not with the Kildashie!” shouted Jack, his face reddening.

“No, she’s not.” Grey Wolf stood in the doorway. “And she’s some news for you.”

Phineas was first over to the doorway. He clasped Cleo to his chest.

“Never run off like that again.”

“I did not run off. I heard singing and I went to see; when I looked around, Petros was gone.”

“It doesn’t matter,” said Phineas. “You’re safe.”

“Where d’you get to?” demanded Petros.

“I saw Italian flags, and I looked in; it was a restaurant. When I spoke in Italian, they invited me in.”

“You mean you can eat that human food?” said Lizzie.

“I am used to that. They were nice people: a big family, together for Christmas. I said I was lost, and they gave me food. But afterwards, when they said they would call the police, I ran out.”

“She wasn’t hard to find, out in the open,” said Grey Wolf. “But tell them, Cleo, what the humans told you.”

“All the changes in the weather, the summer floods, and the winters that are warm then freezing – they’re worried. They know it’s not right.”

“It’s pollution,” said Jack. “Daid told us, in one of his lessons.”

“These changes happen in the human world too,” said Grey Wolf, “when the balance with nature is lost. The Kildashie are like many humans – what you call
infama
.”

“So the Kildashie hate the humans; but they’re just like them?” said Jack.

“They have no respect. They believe they are masters of their world, not part of it. They will pay for their foolishness.”

“Then we must make them pay.” Grandpa Sandy had now joined the group. “The low road has allowed us to make contact with many friends, and they are on their way to help us.”

“What about Ilanbeg?” squeaked Lizzie. “Can we go and see Mum?”

“Not until all the Shian areas are safe. Maybe once we secure Keldy, they can go there. You will be pleased to know that your Uncle Hart is restored to health; he will lead them. Others from Nebula and Lyosach will take on the Unseelie in the west.”

“So the counter-attack’s on, then?” Jack felt his heart racing.

“We have no choice. The Kildashie will try to get the Stone on Hogmanay. So: we must prepare. Today, we celebrate; tomorrow, we prepare for the fight. We will restore the Congress to its rightful place.”

There was a cheer from the assembled crowd as Grandpa Sandy took his seat. The atmosphere in the chamber was hopeful, exuberant, joyful. Jack smiled.

If the Nebula crowd take on the western Unseelie, all we’ve got to worry about is Kildashie with the power to control time; and a fight to the death with Thanatos. Simple.

As the midwinter festivities gathered pace, so more arrivals appeared. The Lyosach took themselves off with Iain Dubh and the Nebulans to plan the western front. More McCools arrived and engaged in deep conversation with Enda and Dara about how they would recapture the border lands from the Dunters. Elle-folk and pisgies were marshalled into squads that would fetch supplies and carry messages as the various units dispersed. But best of all was the news that the ‘friends from the fjords’ would be arriving in a couple of days.

This news sealed the change in the atmosphere at Novehowe. Nearly 100 Norsemen – cousins of the Novehowe NorShian, but somehow more feared; more to be respected.

“Why do the Kildashie fear the Norsemen?” asked Jack of his father when they strolled outside the tumulus in the chilly dawn of Boxing Day.

“Because the Norsemen nearly wiped them out. They attacked the coastal areas, where the Kildashie were strong. But the Norsemen didn’t go inland, so the Brashat escaped.”

“So the Brashat just finished the Kildashie off after the Norsemen left?”

“Aye, the Brashat banished the Kildashie to their islands, but the Kildashie knew it was the Norsemen who’d nearly wiped them out. That memory lingered: what they feared most over the centuries was the Norsemen’s return. You should ask Murkle …”

Jack looked at his father. Phineas gulped, and swallowed hard.

“That just came out. It’s hard to remember sometimes that he’s dead.”

Jack started to feel sorry for his old Shian tales tutor. He couldn’t claim to have ever liked him; but to have been bled by those Boabans …
Ugh!

“Have you heard?” asked Ossian as Jack approached. “We’re going to take the low road to Edinburgh, and get those Kildashie out.”

“Not everyone,” said Petros. “I heard Enda telling Dara the McCools and Lyosach will go and split up the western Unseelie.”

“Dara says they fight each other given half a chance,” added Jack.

“I can’t wait to get tore into those Kildashie,” said Ossian with relish. “Travel’s all very well; but it’s time to go home now.”

Petros wrinkled his nose.

The optimistic atmosphere changed with the arrival of the ‘fjordsmen’ two days later. Harald quickly took charge, and impressed on everyone (but especially Magnus) that they all had the fight of their lives to come. Harald pointed out that the Kildashie would not simply melt away when faced with a Norse attack: they’d had over 1,000 years to get over that particular hang-up.

After the initial greetings and discussions, Harald summoned Jack.

“We have heard of your recovery of the
Mapa Mundi
. I should like to see it.”

Jack looked nervously at his father, but Phineas just smiled back, nodding. Jack tugged Tamlina’s ring loose, and unwound the flag from his neck. The Elfting leader inspected it carefully.

“But the circles are blank – they show nothing!”

“Only Jack has ever been able to make it work,” explained Grandpa Sandy.

Harald looked pensive, then handed it back. “Perhaps you would show me?”

Jack flicked the
Mapa
into the Sphere. For a few moments there was nothing to see, then figures formed within the two circles.

“It’s me, and the
Mapa
,” said Jack. “With the rest of you in the great hall in Edinburgh castle.”

Phineas looked over his shoulder.

“It’s true: Jack’s there with the rest of us. And there’s bodies on the floor.”

“Then he is clearly meant to be part of this army,” concluded Harald, “although I doubt the wisdom of taking a boy on this quest.”

Jack bridled.
A boy? I’ll be fourteen in a few months!

“The map never lies,” said Phineas calmly. “It has often shown us our true path.”

Harald consulted with some of his lieutenants, then shrugged his shoulders.

“It is not unheard of for a boy to come to war; at least, back in the old days.”

“And he will bring the
Mapa
with him,” stressed Phineas. “Who knows when it may be useful?”

“Have you any idea of how dangerous that is?” roared Harald. “To take the treasure that the Kildashie seek right into their stronghold?”

“The
Mapa
shows us our true path: we cannot succeed without it. And only Jack can make it work.”