Spook's Curse (18 page)

Had it found us?

Next came a loud pounding and ripping noise from somewhere directly above my head. It sounded as if something was beating hard on the roof, thumping it with heavy fists. I heard the slates begin to fly off and crash down onto the flags that bordered the western lawn.

I dressed quickly and rushed downstairs two steps at a time. The back door was wide open and I ran out onto the lawn, straight into the teeth of a wind so powerful that it was hardly possible to breathe, never mind take a step forward. But I did force myself on, one slow step at a time, battling to keep my eyes open as the wind pounded my face.

By the light of the moon I could see the Spook standing halfway between the trees and the house, his black cloak flapping in the fierce wind. He had his staff held high before him as if ready to ward off a blow. It seemed to take an age to reach him.

What is it? What is it?’ I shouted, as I finally made it to his side.

My answer came almost immediately, but not from the Spook. A terrible, menacing sound filled the air; a mixture of an angry scream and a throbbing growl that could have been heard for miles. It was the Spook’s boggart. I’d heard that sound before, in the spring, when it had prevented Bony Lizzie from chasing me into the western garden. So I knew that down there in the darkness amongst the trees, it was face to face with something that was threatening the house and gardens.

What else could it be but the Bane?

I stood there shivering with fear and cold, my teeth chattering and my body aching from the battering the gale was giving it. But after a few moments the wind subsided and very gradually everything became very still and quiet.

‘Back to the house,’ said the Spook. ‘There’s nothing to be done here until morning.’

When we reached the back door I stood looking at the fragments of tiles that littered the flags.

‘Was it the Bane?’ I asked.

The Spook nodded. ‘Didn’t take long to find us, did it?’ he said, shaking his head. ‘No doubt the girl’s to blame for that. It must have found her first. Either that or she called it.’

‘She wouldn’t do that again,’ I said, trying to defend Alice. ‘Did the boggart save us?’ I asked, changing the subject.

‘Aye, it did for now and at what cost we’ll find out in the morning. But I wouldn’t bet on it succeeding a second time. I’ll stay on watch here,’ said the Spook. ‘Go up to your room and get some sleep.

Anything could happen tomorrow so you’ll need all your wits about you.’

I
 came downstairs again just before dawn. The clear sky of the night was now overcast, the air perfectly still and the lawns dusted white with the first real frost of the autumn.

The Spook was near the back door, still standing in almost the same position as when I’d last seen him. He looked tired and his face was as bleak and grey as the sky.

‘Well, lad,’ he said wearily, ‘let’s go and inspect the damage.’

I thought he meant the house but instead he set off towards the trees in the western garden. Damage there was, certainly, but not as bad as it had sounded last night. There were some big branches down, twigs scattered across the grass and the bench had been overturned. The Spook gestured and I helped him to lift the bench and position it again.

‘It’s not that bad,’ I said, trying to cheer him up for he looked really glum and down in the mouth.

‘It’s bad enough,’ he said grimly. ‘The Bane was always going to get stronger but this is much faster than I expected. Much faster. It shouldn’t have been able to do this so soon. We haven’t much time left!’

The Spook led the way back towards the house. We could see slates missing from the roof and one of the chimneypots had been toppled from the stack.

‘It’ll have to wait until we’ve time to get it fixed,’ he said.

Just then there came the sound of a bell from the kitchen. For the first time that morning the Spook gave a faint smile. He looked relieved.

‘I wasn’t sure we’d be having breakfast this morning,’ he said. ‘Perhaps it’s not quite as bad as I thought...’

As we entered the kitchen the first thing I noticed was that the flags between the table and the hearth were spotted with bloodstains. And the kitchen was really chilly. Then I saw why. I’d been the Spook’s apprentice for almost six months, but this was the first morning there’d been no fire burning in the grate.

And on the table there were no eggs, no bacon, just one thin slice of toast each.

The Spook touched my shoulder in warning. ‘Say nothing, lad. Eat it up and be grateful for what we’ve received.’

I did as I was told but when I’d swallowed my last mouthful of toast my belly was still rumbling.

The Spook came to his feet. ‘That was an excellent breakfast. The bread was toasted to perfection,’

he said to the empty air. ‘And thank you for everything you did last night. We’re both very grateful.’

Mostly, the boggart didn’t show itself, but now once again it took the form of the big ginger cat. There was just the faintest of purrs and it appeared briefly close to the hearth. However, I’d never seen it looking as it did then. Its left ear was torn and bleeding and the fur on its neck was matted with blood.

But the worst thing of all was what had been done to its face. It had been blinded in one eye. Where its left eye used to be there was now a raw vertical wound.

‘It’ll never be quite the same again,’ said the Spook sadly when we were outside the back door. ‘We should be grateful that the Bane’s still not regained its full strength or we’d have died last night. That boggart’s bought us a little time. Now we’ve got to use it before it’s too late ...’

Even as he spoke the bell began to ring down at the crossroads. Business for the Spook. With all that had happened and the danger from the Bane, I thought he’d ignore it but I was wrong.

‘Well, lad,’ he said. ‘Off you go and find out what’s wanted.’

The bell stopped ringing just before I got there but the rope was still swaying. Down amongst the withy trees it was gloomy as usual but it only took me a second to realize that it wasn’t a summons to spook’s business. A girl in a black dress was waiting there.

Alice.

‘You’re taking a big risk!’ I told her, shaking my head. ‘You’re lucky that Mr Gregory didn’t come down here with me.’

Alice smiled. ‘Old Gregory couldn’t catch me the way he is now. Ain’t half the man he was.’

‘Don’t be too sure about that!’ I said angrily. ‘He made me dig a pit. A pit for you. And that’s where you’ll end up if you’re not careful.’

‘Old Gregory’s strength has gone. No wonder he got you to dig it!’ Alice jibed, her voice full of mockery.

‘No,’ I said, ‘he made me dig it so that I’d accept what has to be done. That it’s my duty to put you in there.’

Alice’s tone suddenly became sad. ‘Would you really do that to me, Tom?’ she asked. ‘After all we’ve been through together? I saved you from a pit. Don’t you remember that, when Bony Lizzie wanted your bones? When Lizzie was sharpening her knife?’

I remembered it well. But for Alice’s help I would have died that night.

‘Look, Alice, go to Pendle now before it’s too late,’ I told her. ‘Get as far away from here as possible!’

‘Bane don’t agree. Thinks I should stay nearby a while longer, he does.’

‘The Bane’s an 
it,
 not a 
he!’
 I said, irritated by what Alice was saying.

‘No, Tom, he ain’t,’ said Alice. ‘Sniffed him out, I did, and he’s a man-thing for certain!’

‘The Bane attacked the Spook’s house last night. It could have killed us. Did you send it?’

Alice shook her head in a firm denial. ‘That ain’t nothing to do with me, Tom. I swear it. We talked, that’s all, and he told me things.’

‘I thought you weren’t going to have any more dealings with it!’ I said, hardly able to believe what she was saying.

‘I’ve tried hard, Tom, I really have. But he comes and whispers things to me. Comes to me in the dark, he does, when I’m trying to sleep. He even talks to me in my dreams. He promises me things.’

‘What sort of things?’

‘It ain’t easy, Tom. It’s getting colder at nights. The weather’s drawing in. Bane said I could have a house with a big fireplace and lots of coal and wood and that I’d never want for anything. He said I could have nice clothes too, so that people wouldn’t look down their noses at me like they do now, thinking I’m something that’s just crawled out of a hedge.’

‘Don’t listen to it, Alice. You’ve got to try harder!’

‘Good job I do listen to him sometimes,’ Alice said, a strange half-smile on her face, ‘otherwise you’d be really sorry. I know something, see. Something that might save Old Gregory’s life as well as yours.’

‘Tell me,’ I urged.

‘Not sure why I should, seeing as you’re plotting for me to spend the rest of my days in a pit!’

‘That’s not fair, Alice.’

‘I’ll help you again, I will. But I wonder if you’d do the same for me ... ?’

She paused and gave me a sad smile. ‘You see, the Quisitor’s on his way up here to Chipenden.

Burned his hands in that fire, that’s all, and now he wants revenge. He knows Old Gregory lives somewhere nearby and he’s coming with armed men and dogs. Big bloodhounds, they are, with big teeth. He’ll be here by noon at the latest. So go and tell Old Gregory what I said. Don’t expect he’ll say thanks though.’

‘I’ll go and tell him,’ I said, and set off right away, running up the hill towards the house. As I ran, I realized that I hadn’t thanked Alice, but how could I thank her for using the dark to help us?

The Spook was waiting just inside the back door. ‘Well, lad,’ he said, ‘get your breath back first. I can tell from your face you’re bringing bad news.’

‘The Quisitor’s on his way here,’ I said. ‘He’s found out that we live near Chipenden!’

‘And who told you this?’ asked the Spook, scratching at his beard.

‘Alice. She said he’ll be here by noon. The Bane told her...’

The Spook sighed deeply. ‘Well, we’d better get away as soon as possible. First of all, you go down to the village and let the butcher know we’re heading north over the fells to Caster and won’t be back for some time. Go into the grocer’s and tell him the same and say that we won’t need any provisions next week.’

I ran down into the village and did exactly what he’d told me. When I got back the Spook was already waiting at the door, ready to set off. He handed me his bag.

‘Are we going south?’ I asked.

The Spook shook his head. ‘No, lad, we’re heading north as I said. We need to get to Heysham and, if we’re lucky, speak to the ghost of Naze.’

‘But we’ve told everyone the way we’re going. Why didn’t I pretend we were heading south?’

‘Because I’m hoping the Quisitor will pay a visit to the village on his way up here. Then, instead of searching for this house, he’ll head north and the hounds will pick up our trail. We’ve got to draw them away from the house. Some of the books in my library are irreplaceable. If he comes here, his men might loot this place and maybe burn it to the ground. No, I can’t risk anything happening to my books.’

‘But what about the boggart? Won’t it guard the house and gardens? How can they even get in without the risk of being torn to pieces? Or is it too weak now?’

The Spook sighed and stared down at his boots. ‘No, it’s still got strength enough to deal with the Quisitor and his men but I don’t want unnecessary deaths on my conscience. And even if it killed those who entered, some might get away. What more proof would they need then that I deserve to burn?

They’d come back with an army. There’d be no end to it. No peace until the end of my days. I’d have to flee the County.’

‘But won’t they catch us anyway?’

‘No, lad. Not if we take the route over the fells. They won’t be able to use their horses and we’ll have a good few hours’ start. We have the advantage. We know the County well, but the Quisitor’s men are outsiders. Anyway, let’s get started. We’ve wasted enough time already!’

Heading for the fells, the Spook set off at a very fast pace. I followed as best I could, carrying his heavy bag as usual.

‘Won’t some of his men just ride ahead and wait for us at Caster?’ I said.

‘No doubt they will, lad, and if we were going to Caster, that could just be a problem. No, we’re going to pass the town to the east. Then we’re going southwest, as I just told you, to Heysham, to visit the stone graves. There’s the Bane still to be dealt with and time is running out. Talking to the ghost of Naze is our last chance to find out how to do it.’

‘And after that? Where will we go? Will we ever be able to come back here?’

‘I see no reason why we couldn’t in time. Eventually we’ll throw the Quisitor off our trail. There are ways to do that. Oh, he’ll search for a bit and make a nuisance of himself, no doubt. But before long he’ll go back to where he came from. To where he can keep himself warm during the coming winter.’

I nodded but I wasn’t entirely happy. I could see all sorts of flaws in the Spook’s plan. For one thing he might have set off strongly, but he still wasn’t fully fit and crossing the fells would be hard work. And they might just catch us before we reached Heysham. Then again, they might search for the Spook’s house anyway and burn it out of spite, especially if they lost our trail. And there was next year to worry about. In the spring the Quisitor was bound to come north again. He seemed like a man who’d never give up. I couldn’t see any way that life would ever return to normal. And another thought struck me...

What if they caught me? The Quisitor tortured people to make them answer questions. What if they forced me to tell them where I used to live? They confiscated or burned the homes of witches and warlocks. I thought of Dad, Jack and Ellie with nowhere to live. And what would they do when they saw Mam? She couldn’t go out in sunlight. And she often helped the local midwives with difficult deliveries and had a big collection of herbs and other plants. Mam would be in real danger!

I didn’t say any of this to the Spook because I could see that he was already weary of my questions.

We were high on the fells within the hour. The weather was calm and it looked like we’d have a fine day ahead.

If only I could have got out of my mind the reason we were up there, I’d have enjoyed myself because it was good walking weather. We’d only curlews and rabbits for company, and far to the north-west the distant sea was sparkling in the sunshine.

At first the Spook strode out energetically, leading the way. But long before noon he began to flag, and when we stopped and sat ourselves down close to a cairn of stones, he looked utterly weary. As he unwrapped the cheese, I noticed that his hands were trembling.

‘Here, lad,’ he said, handing me a small piece. ‘Don’t eat it all at once.’

Doing as he advised, I nibbled on it slowly.

‘You do know the girl’s following us?’ the Spook asked.

I looked at him in astonishment and shook my head.

‘She’s about a mile or so back there,’ he told me, gesturing south. ‘Now we’ve stopped, she’s stopped. What do you suppose she wants?’

‘I suppose she’s nowhere else to go, apart from east to Pendle and she doesn’t really want to go there. And she’d no choice but to leave Chipenden. It wouldn’t be safe when the Quisitor and his men arrived.’

‘Aye, and maybe it’s because she’s taken a shine to you and just wants to go where you go. I wish I’d had time to deal with her before we left Chipenden. She’s a threat because wherever she is, the Bane won’t be too far away. It’ll be hiding underground for now, but once it’s dark she’ll draw it to her like a moth to a candle flame and it’ll be hovering about for sure. If she feeds it again, it’ll grow stronger and start seeing through her eyes. Before then it may chance upon other victims - people or animals, the effect will be the same. After bloating itself with blood, it’ll grow stronger and soon be able to clothe itself in flesh and bones again. Last night was just the start.’