Seven Sorcerers (24 page)

‘So what are you going to do then? Shove me in a sack and … You are, aren’t you?’

‘Sooner or later.’ Skerridge waved a hand airily. ‘S’bin quite fun really, what wiv one fing an’ anovver. Nearly gave up when ya goes an’ gets yerself caught up wiv the ’Ounds, mind! Still, nex’ thing I know ya was makin’ a break for it. Yer’d never ’ave made it o’ course, but ya got pretty close and that meant I got near enough to jump as ’igh as I could an’ pull yer out.’

‘And now?’

‘Rabbit stew,’ said Skerridge and disappeared.

y the time Skerridge had reappeared with two rabbits, some mushrooms and a hunk of bread, Jonas was up and pacing the beach. Nin hovered around him. Every time she tried to touch his arm or speak to him, he snarled at her.

‘I can’t cook,’ she wailed. ‘I’ve got to look after Jonas.’

‘Strikes me ’e don’ want lookin’ after,’ said Skerridge mildly. ‘I’d wotchit if I was yew. Looks like ’e might bite.’

Nin whirled on him. ‘Shut up!’ she yelled. ‘Just you shut up!’ Her face felt hot and angry and stiff with tears.

‘No need t’ yell at a pore ole bogeyman like that.’

Nin turned her back and gazed after Jonas.

Skerridge scratched his nose. ‘’Ow about I keep an eye on ’im, while ya get on wiv the stew? They’re skinned an’ gutted so no nasty work t’ do,’ he went on, waving the rabbits temptingly in her direction.

Part of Nin wanted to go on trying to get through to Jonas, part of her knew it was no good and another part was hurting so much she just wanted to leave it behind for a while.

‘I s’pose something to eat might help him?’

‘Bound to.’

‘I’ll need water,’ said Nin reluctantly.

‘Over there,’ said Skerridge. ‘Nice little stream wanderin’ down t’ the sea.’

Nin set off towards the stream. She was glad to go. She wasn’t sure she could have stood much more of it. The worst thing, worse than the lightning eyes and the howling, was the way he didn’t want her there. He
knew
she was there all right, he just didn’t
care
that she was. Right now, Nin could walk off and leave him and he wouldn’t even notice.

She sniffed hard. She had to use her sleeve on her wet eyes and nose because she didn’t have a handkerchief.

When she got to the stream she sat down on a rock. The sun, half in and half out of some feathery clouds impersonating a giant eagle with ragged wings, was drying everything and a brisk breeze cooled her face and ruffled her hair. The stream mumbled on about Death and Doom in the usual way.

‘You can stop all that stuff,’ she said to it as she filled the cooking pot. ‘It will be all right, you’ll see. At least I hope it will. I just have to believe it will work out in the end.’

She began to see that Skerridge had been clever when he gave her something to do, because she was already beginning to feel better. Like perhaps she could cope after all. Carrying the pan, she set off towards the beach again.

‘Hope,’ whispered the stream to her retreating back. ‘Believe.’ But Nin was too far away to hear.

Before she got back someone said …

‘Jik?’

‘You found me!’

The mudman was watching her from a slab of rock. He jumped down and trotted towards her. She had never been so glad to see a friend in her life.

‘Are you OK? You look kind of thin. Like you lost a layer or something.’

‘Yikyik.’

‘Come on then, better go find Jonas. He’s not too good after that Gabriel Hound thing.’

‘Ik.’

‘Yeah, it’s ik all right,’ said Nin with feeling.

Jonas was standing on the edge of the sand, staring out to where the sea streaked the horizon with blue. Skerridge was crouched a few yards away, watching him carefully. He looked round when they appeared.

‘’Ullo.’

‘Jik.’

Nin glanced at them both. ‘D’you know each other?’

‘O’ course. ‘E’s a Fabulous. Got good senses the Fabulous.’

‘If you knew he was following, why didn’t you say anything?’ She gave Jik a stern look.

Jik shrugged. ‘Tik yik nik.’

‘How could I possibly know when … Oh never mind.’ Nin shook her head, dumped the pot on to the fire and began to sort out the rabbit and the mushrooms.

‘Ooo!’ Skerridge fished about in the pocket of his waistcoat. He dug out two twists of paper. ‘’ere y’are. Seasonin’ fer the stew. Pop in all o’ that one and a tiny bit o’ that one an’ it’ll spice fings up jus’ great.’

‘You can cook?’

‘Bit out o’ practice. Eat on the run mostly, jus’ ’ave to grab what I can get. ‘M a very busy bogeyman, y’know.’ He scratched his ear.

Nin couldn’t stop herself laughing out loud, although she cut it back quickly. Skerridge looked vaguely pleased.

‘Wha’s yer name, by the way? Used ter know, but I forgot and I carn call ya Ri – Gotta call ya somefin’, ain’t I? An’ don’ look at me like that. I might steal kids, but that don’ mean I wanna be on first name terms wiv ’em.’

‘Ninevah Redstone.’

Skerridge screwed up his face. ‘Bit of a mouful. ’Ow d’ya manage?’

Nin shook her head. ‘People call me Nin. And he’s Jonas.’

Skerridge nodded and sighed. ‘S’a first for me, y’know. Bovverin’ to remember a kid’s name. But we been frew enough that I reckon we orta be introduced.’

Nin frowned to stop herself laughing again. ‘You really are something else.’

‘Bogeyman,’ said Skerridge cheerfully. ‘Ain’t ya gonna
get on wiv dinner?’

It took her a while to get the stew going. When it was ready, she steeled herself to go to Jonas. Reaching out, she touched his arm gently.

‘Please, Jonas. Come and eat something. Please. It might make you feel better.’

‘I wouldn’ do that ’f I were yew.’

Jonas turned on her so fast that she didn’t have time to scream. Skerridge moved faster. Jonas had seized Nin’s hair to pull her head back, but Skerridge snatched her from the bared teeth just as they grazed her skin.

Dumped in a heap on the rocks with Skerridge holding her still, Nin covered her head and wailed. Her scalp throbbed where a clump of hair had been torn out and the scratches on her neck burned like acid.

‘Ain’t ya glad ole Skerridge is ’ere?’ The bogeyman grinned, his breath tickling her ear. ‘’e was goin’ fer the jug’lar that time.’

Nin fought him off and struggled up. Jonas was still howling.

‘He’ll get better,’ she said stubbornly. ‘And he wouldn’t have hurt me really.’

‘Ik.’

‘Yeah, see. Even the mudman knows better’n that an’ e’s only been aroun’ five minutes.’

‘Traitor,’ snapped Nin.

Jik drooped his head sadly. Nin ignored him and stamped back to the stew. She didn’t look at Jonas.

‘Let ’im alone fer a while,’ said Skerridge. ‘’ere.’ He
dug a couple of small bowls out his pockets along with a pair of spoons. ‘Picked ’em up alonga the bunny an’ that.’

‘Do you know where we are?’ she asked, trying to block out another howl from Jonas, who was pacing the beach restlessly. Jik had turned to watch him.

‘Yer jus’ a few miles up the coast from the ’Ouse,’ said Skerridge as he slobbered down the stew, ‘and I gotta nidea about ’Ound boy. Ever ’eard of the Lock’eart Sanctuary?’

Nin looked blank for a moment and then she remembered. ‘Enid Lockheart was one of the Seven Sorcerers! She set up a hospital for Quick. Do you think they can help him?’

‘They’ll try!’ Skerridge grinned craftily. ‘Know where it is? Right under Mr Strood’s nose.’

‘Near the House?’

‘More than that! It’s in the blimmin’ grounds, innit! I’ll take yer there if yer like.’

‘Hmm. I guess you’ve got to get me to the House somehow, right?’

‘Never said I was gonna be nice.’

Nin smiled half-heartedly. ‘Shame, I was hoping you might, like, give me my life back? Just for the fun of it?’

Skerridge drew in a breath and shook his head. ‘Ain’t that simple. Even if I didn’ ’ave a reputation to keep up. Y’see, all the mem’ries of ya, all the ones I stole, they’re wrapped up in a memory pearl. The pearls are all in a secret room in the ’Ouse.’

‘But you were following me. You wouldn’t have had time …’

Skerridge shrugged. ‘Miles are pretty much nuffin’ when yer got super-speed. Anyway, point is, yer gotta get ’old o’ yer pearl first an’ then swaller it.’

‘Swallow it?’ Nin frowned.

‘Dunno why I’m tellin’ ya this really, cos I’m gonna deliver ya to Strood, make no bones about it! But jus’ in case somefin’ ’appens an’, oh I dunno, ya gets away from Mr Strood – which is impossible o’ course – I fort I’d let ya know what t’ do next. But don’ go finkin’ ya can get away easy. Look at it like this. Plenny o’ kids over the years ’ave got away from the BMs, ’cept me o’ course. But of all those ’oo didn’ get away an’ got ’anded over, not one of ’em ’as ever escaped from Mr Strood. S’impossible.’

Nin smiled. ‘So was getting away from you.’

‘Yer ain’t done it yet, kid,’ grinned Skerridge. ‘Yer ain’t done it yet!’

By the time they had finished their meal, the day was drowning in its evening light, sinking into clouds like a purple lake. The waves were tipped with foamy horses that gleamed bone white in the dying sun and galloped before the breeze, dragging the sea behind them. It would have been beautiful if Nin had been in the mood to care.

She felt deeply tired. Every bone and muscle ached
with it and she knew they had a long trip ahead. Trouble was, how could she get Jonas calm enough to go with her to the sanctuary?

Jik was rummaging around inside her pack. A moment later he hurried over to Nin and dropped the crowsmorte candle at her feet.

A warm smile stretch across Nin’s face. ‘Perfect! Thank you.’ She picked up the candle and held it for a moment in silent hope. Then she lit it at the fire and carried it over to Jonas, where he had settled in a sprawled heap on the sand.

Skerridge curled up by the fire and was asleep in a second. Nin followed his example and knew nothing more, not even dreams, until the electric feel of gathering dawn woke her up.

Flames filled the sky with gold and she remembered what it had been like to be up there with the inferno. For a second she was filled with a sense of loss so intense that she wanted more than anything to go back.

That’s what it must be like for Jonas, she thought, only all the time. She lay where she was and watched the sky until the sun was up and the flames were just daylight. Then she sat up and looked around. Skerridge was a bundle of cloth and bones in a heap a few feet away. Jik was standing, patiently watching over them. The candle was still burning.

As soon as she moved to get up, Skerridge bounced to his feet.

‘Them crowsmorte candles do all they can in one
night only, so I’d save the rest. Peace o’ mind don’ come cheap, y’know.’

As she blew out the flame, Jonas opened his eyes. The bad thing was that they were still glowing white. The good thing was that he looked at her and said, ‘Nin?’

Nin nodded, squeezing her eyes shut against tears of relief. ‘Um … do you … like … remember anything?’

‘Everything.’ A look of pain crossed his face as he sat up. ‘You shouldn’t have done it.’

‘I couldn’t leave you.’

‘Why not?’ Now something like a snarl had crept into his voice and the white gleam in his eye brightened into light.