Kingsholt (10 page)

‘I’ll stay here,’ said Tyler, reappearing, ‘keeping a look-out. I’ll hoot if there’s any sign of Nimbus and hoot twice if he goes away.’

Sam nodded. He was scratched and aching. He pulled his anorak over his nose and mouth and looked into the pit.

Would he dare to go down? Say he slithered to the bottom and could never climb up? Then he thought of Chloe behind the iron door and was sure her horror and fear must be greater than anything he felt.

He tested the slope. It was covered with grasses and small bushes and flints that slipped and took you with them. He crouched down and felt the ground with his hands. Stung by nettles, he pulled the sleeves of his anorak over his fingers. He went slowly, one foot in front of the other, balancing his weight, watching the patch of ground that was always a little way ahead of his feet, so that he wouldn’t slip. As he edged toward the bush that hid the iron door, he slid on a strip of loose flints. Shooting out a hand, he caught hold of a branch of the bush, clinging to it with difficulty. Sweat dampened his palms and he was going dizzy. He didn’t dare let go, even though his arms were aching and the branch was straining under his weight. It was then, out of nowhere, he saw the monk on the edge of the pit and heard him singing a psalm he remembered from an age ago when he
was a choir boy.
Or was it a patch of moonlight and the wind in the trees?
He wasn’t sure but he did know that it gave him strength. He forced himself to look up to see what else he could hold. Just above him a small flint ledge, overshadowed by a bush, jutted out and there in the side of the pit, was the iron door. With his free hand he made a grab for the ledge. At first his grip slipped but he tried again and this time held firm. Keeping hold of the branch with one hand, he pulled himself up with the other, surprised at his own strength, he sat on the ledge with his stomach heaving. It was ages before he felt well enough to examine the iron door. When he did, he found it was encrusted in rust and small growths, perhaps the shells of molluscs that had become embedded a million years ago. There was a rusty lock and beside it a strip of deep, black shadow that marked the gap between the door and its jamb. He was able to tuck his fingers into the gap and with his left foot kick at the iron door. At first it would not move and he began to lose heart. Would he ever reach Chloe? He felt in his pockets for the scraper and as he touched it his despondency turned into strength. He wedged it into the gap and with renewed energy levered the door until it creaked and swung inwards. He’d done it! A surge of triumph washed over him as he switched on the torch and went inside.

He had expected to find a small, overgrown place, a hole full of vegetation and water. Instead he was facing a man-made tunnel that curved over his head, and sloped up into the hillside. It was carved out of the natural stone. Sam shone his torch onto a clump of bats that were clinging to the hacked-out ceiling. He must be in the Roman stone mines, he thought, with a sudden sense of adventure.

Chloe was lying on her side, a little beyond the first corner. She was gagged. Her hands were loosely tied and her feet were roped together. As Sam undid the gag Chloe groaned.

‘Don’t you worry,’ said Sam, ‘I’ll get you out whatever happens.’ He shone the torch onto her feet and with difficulty
prised open the knots, then he struggled to untie her hands. Once again he had the strange feeling he was in a time warp, as if he and Chloe were wedged into some sort of no-man’s land, where nothing and infinity were intertwined. Was it the darkness that gave him this strange sense of floating down through history?

After what seemed an age, yet no time at all, Chloe slowly sat up. She shook as she rubbed her arms and feet. ‘Oh Sam!’

He put his arms round her. ‘It must’ve been awful.’

She clung to him. ‘I had this dreadful nightmare,’ she said in a hoarse voice. ‘Dark Time came down from there.’ She pointed to the slope. ‘His horse neighed as he bent over me and tried to make me ride with him into the darkness.’

Sam shuddered, holding her close. ‘It’s all right, it’s all right. I’ll soon get you out.’

He half held, half dragged her to the end of the tunnel. He heaved against the door and when it opened Chloe collapsed on the flint ledge. Sam realised there was little chance of climbing out of the pit on their own.

He didn’t know how long they stayed there under the bush. The full moon climbed from one branch of a tree to the next, turning Chloe’s skin paler than ever. There was no wind and the ghostly light made the chalky flints look insubstantial, like feathers. The high leaves were whitish in the moon but below there were hollows of darkness and Sam wondered if Nimbus had crept back and was spying on them, unseen, ready to ambush them. When he heard the creak of branches he stiffened, trying to see through the black leaves.

A figure appeared at the top of the pit and another behind. Sam cowered down next to Chloe, hoping the bush was thick enough to cover them both.

‘There, behind the brambles.’

His heart turned over, but with relief, not fear. Surely that was Tyler’s voice and the tall straight figure beside him was Aidan,
not Nimbus?

He stood up, almost dislodging Chloe as he did so. ‘We’re stuck,’ he whispered between cupped hands.

Aidan came down sideways, clinging with his fingers where the slope was too slippery. He stopped just above them and untied a rope from round his waist, throwing one end silently down to Sam, who looped it round Chloe. Then Aidan pulled her up the slope, little by little, while Sam wedged his feet into the loose flints and pushed her from behind.

Out of the darkness, Tyler hooted, once, like an owl, and Aidan signalled to Sam and Chloe to lie flat on their faces against the pit. The undergrowth rustled, the wind swept up through the trees like a great invisible bird. Then, in a renewed moment of silence, Tyler hooted the all clear and they resumed their climb, edging their way slowly towards the rim of holly bushes.

‘Nimbus is on the prowl,’ whispered Aidan. ‘We must be careful. He’s obsessed! He’s mad! I don’t know what he’d do if he found us.’

Sam and Aidan supported Chloe as Tyler led them silently down a hidden track that ran through the undergrowth and out to the field below. Moonlight flooded the long grass.

‘She’s back,’ said Aidan, pointing to a light from Leela’s cottage. ‘I told her to go home and wait for us there.’

‘Mum knows
I’m
all right,’ said Tyler placidly,’ she knows no one harms
me.
’

As he was speaking Chloe slumped and collapsed into the grass. Aidan picked her up and carried her in his arms.

‘She’s light, too light.’

A shaft of yellow dropped from the front door and Leela stood there, her hands shielding her eyes, looking out into the dark.

‘Is that you, Tyler?’

Tyler strode ahead. ‘Me, and the others,’ he called.

‘You all look exhausted,’ said Leela as they crowded on the doorstep. ‘Come in quickly, before you’re seen.’

There was a noise from the wood, shouts, and a cry that rose and fell. Out of the dark line of trees the buzzard flew, circled round and swept back into darkness. Leela hurried everyone inside and closed the door.

Sam looked round. It seemed a long time since he had been in such a warm and cheerful room. The carpet was a soft moss green, threadbare in parts, the curtains and rickety couch were in a bright cherry blossom pattern. The low ceiling was crossed with two old timbers and from a beam above the wide fireplace a bunch of dried flowers dangled beside a silver pendant and a copper kettle. A sense of relief relaxed him, he had the feeling no-one, not even Nimbus, could harm him here. Aidan settled Chloe on the couch where she lay limp and fragile.

‘You’ve had enough, poor thing,’ said Leela. ‘I’ll have to help
you change your clothes. They’re damp and they smell of mildew.’

Aidan and Sam moved away as Leela helped to undress Chloe.

‘I have the very thing,’ she said, presenting Chloe with one of her own night gowns.

‘It’s too beautiful,’ said Chloe softly. ‘I usually wear a tee-shirt.’

Leela smiled. ‘Just you rest and get warm now,’ she said, covering her with a deep blue duvet.

‘I’m all right,’ said Chloe, ‘really I am.’

‘She’s not,’ said Sam, ‘she needs a doctor,’

Chloe sat up slowly, hugging the duvet close to her.

‘I fought him. I tried hard. I know that, though I can’t remember everything.’

‘What happened?’ Leela asked gently.

‘I don’t know.’ Chloe slumped back onto the couch. Tears trickled down her cheeks. ‘I’ll be all right. I just need sleep.’

‘If you’re not all right in the morning, I
will
call the doctor,’ said Leela. ‘What about a hot cocoa and oatmeal biscuits? Then you can all settle down on sleeping bags. You’ll all be safe here.’

‘It’s good of you,’ said Aidan. ‘Everyone needs a rest, though I’ll stay on guard. You never know.’

That night Sam shared Tyler’s room.

‘You have the bed,’ said Tyler, turfing off Judy and wriggling down into the sleeping bag he had placed on the floor underneath the window. He leaned up on his elbow to talk.

‘I didn’t want to leave you up in Bones Wood but I knew it would be best if I went straight back for Aidan and told him everything. He was so worried he tried to phone Chloe’s parents to tell them to come back.’

‘Did he get them?’

‘There was an answer phone saying they were so tired they had gone off for a little break together and would be back next
week.’

‘That figures,’ said Sam angrily. ‘Of course, Aunt Dorothy finds it hard to cope at the best of times.’

Tyler nodded. ‘Aidan thought of phoning the police but he was afraid they’d question Chloe and that was the last thing she needs at the moment. So he grabbed his haversack and we came as quickly as we could.’

Sam grinned. ‘Just as well he takes all that stuff with him. Without the rope we’d never have got Chloe out of the pit.’

‘He’s on guard tonight,’ said Tyler, ‘but there’s no need. No one comes here. Nimbus has never been here. Never.’

He yawned and pushed down into his sleeping bag.

‘There’s always a first time!’ said Sam but the sense of relief stayed with him. Chloe was safe below and Aidan was in the kitchen, keeping watch.

Moonlight smudged the windowpane and the thin flowery curtains shielded them from the night. Yet in his mind he was still out there, scrambling down the pit, opening the iron door, finding Chloe in the tall man-made tunnel. Now he was going down the tunnel, down and down and down into the dark world of the Roman mines.

Before he knew where he was, he was fast asleep.

In the morning a grey bristle covered Aidan’s jaw line and shadows lined his eyes. Sam looked at him with admiration. ‘Were you up all night?’ he asked over breakfast.

Aidan shoved a forkful of bacon into his mouth.

‘More or less,’ he said. ‘Nimbus was prowling about like a wild cat. He knows Chloe’s gone.’

‘I think it best if she stays here with me,’ said Leela, putting three sizzling pieces of bacon on Sam’s plate. ‘She’s still fast asleep, bless her.’ She turned back to the stove. ‘If only we could get in touch with her parents. They could take her away. Didn’t they leave an address?’ She sounded puzzled.

‘No!’ said Aidan. ‘They obviously trusted us completely.’

Leela poured the tea from a big blue tea-pot that had seen better days. ‘Well, there you are. I’ll stay here with Chloe and see how she is when she wakes up.’

‘If you like, I’ll sleep over at Kingsholt,’ said Tyler slowly, ‘then Chloe can have my bed.’

Leela, looked at Tyler, her eyes dark and bright. ‘Would that be all right, Aidan?‘’

‘I’ll take the football with me,’ said Tyler, now that he had decided what to do. ‘Judy’ll come as well.’

‘You’re more than welcome,’ said Aidan. ‘We’re going to need you in every way.’ He looked round at the small group. ‘I don’t think we have enough evidence to call in the police yet. I can hear Nimbus denying everything and making more terrible accusations. I also think Chloe, despite everything, would say there was nothing wrong.’

‘How
could
she?’ said Sam.

‘It’s possible Nimbus drugged her,’ said Aidan briefly. ‘It’s true she’s begun the good fight back but it might not be enough. It’s a difficult situation but for the moment I think it’s best if we manage on our own.’ He turned to Leela. ‘You stay here with Chloe but it would be useful if you could come over to Kingsholt – say tomorrow morning – to keep in touch and make sure everything’s in order and tell us about Chloe.’ He turned to Sam and Tyler. ‘I want you two to keep an eye open. It might be an idea if you kick a ball about and have a look round. If you see or hear anything of Nimbus or Tammy you must let me know. I’ll be up in the woods sawing branches. I’ll have a good view from there.’ He looked grave. ‘Nimbus’ll stop at nothing now he’s lost Chloe. He kidnapped her to bargain with us and now he hasn’t got her, he’ll either try to find her or go after the ‘treasure’ on his own.’

‘How can he?’ said Sam.

‘I believe he’s got the right map,’ said Aidan quietly. ‘Whether he can read it or not is another matter. So please pray. We need
help to sort it all out, and that’s the moment we’ll call the police if we have to.’

Sam buttered a large chunk of bread and ate it slowly. This morning he was less afraid than he had been last night and yet he was haunted by what he might have to do. He had no means of defending himself. Unlike Aidan, he carried nothing in his pockets, or nearly nothing. He emptied them out. In the face of danger, what good was a scraper and a brown feather? Yet for some reason he felt unwilling to part with them. Words from nowhere came into his head.
They keep me in touch with that past world, when the valley was filled with the singing of psalms.

Leela gave him a shrewd look. She went out of the room and came back with a small brown bottle in a plastic bag. ‘Now this should take your mind off things,’ she said. ‘It’s a small present. Can you guess what it is?’

Sam unscrewed the lid and smelt the brown liquid. ‘Nice smell. Oak gall ink?’