The Deptford Mice 1: The Dark Portal (21 page)

Audrey held her head as far back as she could. She could smell the warm blood on him. It matted his fur down in dark, wet patches. She knew he had feasted on Fletch and she felt ill.

‘Faster!’ They were spinning at a tremendous speed now. Audrey’s feet barely touched the floor. She whirled round and round, struggling not to be sick. Her head swam, she was uncomfortably dizzy but still Jake went faster.

He held on tightly to her paws as she lifted into the air, stretched out and nearly flying. If he let go she would be dashed to pieces on the far sewer wall.

Audrey could not cry out – everything was a mad blur of fire and blood.

‘Leave her alone!’

Suddenly Jake stopped and Audrey rolled into the corner, cracking her elbow on the brickwork.

Jake whisked round at the voice.

‘Keep out of this, trollop,’ he snarled.

Madame Akkikuyu stepped over the old rats, cuffing them about the head.

‘I said leave the mouselet be,’ she said coolly.

‘No one stops me, you old witch. Get back to your peddlin’ and fortune-tellin’ – it’s all you’re fit for now.’

Akkikuyu eyed him soberly. ‘Popular Jake, you not so favourite now. Leave while you can.’

Jake held up his bloody claws and flicked them before her. ‘I’ll rip out your gizzards, you ditch drab.’ He jumped at her.

Madame Akkikuyu reached smartly into her bag and threw some dust into his eye. Jake fell back howling, temporarily blinded.

‘Come to me mouselet,’ Akkikuyu beckoned to Audrey. ‘See what I return to you?’ She held up two small silver bells, the same ones she had taken from Audrey as payment on their first meeting.

Audrey ran to the fortune-teller almost gladly, and took the bells.

‘Don’t just sit there. Pete – Macky, rip the witch apart.’

The two rats, who until now had looked on in amazement, edged cautiously forward.

‘I think not boys!’ said Madame Akkikuyu as the rats looked on nervously. She delved into her bag once more, and this time brought out a handful of herbs. She cast them into the fire.

The flames spluttered and crackled. Bright white stars sizzled in the fire and with a whoosh the flames shot up to the ceiling and scorched it black.

Macky and Pete stared fearfully at the blazing column before them.

‘She is a witch,’ Vinegar Pete muttered.

‘I have Lord Jupiter’s favour,’ admitted Madame Akkikuyu proudly.

‘Look there!’ Macky pointed to the roaring, surging pillar of fire. In its centre two circles formed, and shone out brighter than the surrounding flames.

‘Mercy on us!’ Pete cried: The old rats fell on their faces and grovelled in the dirt.

The eyes of Jupiter were before them.

‘Hear me,’ the rich, velvety voice called to them from the flames.

‘Akkikuyu will now complete the simple task I set for you. You have failed me, and I am greatly disappointed in you all.’ There was a frightening edge to the voice.

‘It weren’t us fault,’ wailed Macky. ‘It was Jake – he made us stop.’

The fiery eyes became slits. ‘Where is Jake?’ Jupiter asked softly.

The one-eyed rat came forward. The magic of Akkikuyu had startled him, but his confidence was returning. He wiped the last bit of irritating dust from his eye and swaggered past her. He bowed respectfully.

‘Oh Gracious Lord,’ Jake began. ‘I was delayed through their incompetence – the lads here are not the able folk I trusted them to be. They wrong me in the blame – it does not lie with me.’

Pete and Macky protested.

‘Soft,’ soothed Jupiter, ‘I hear what Jake has to say. So Jake my lad, it was not your fault – maybe it was Fletch’s.’

‘That’s right – yeah the dirty snotbag. It were him.’

‘And where is he now?’

‘Oh, I had to stick him, my Lord. He were a baddun – rotten he was.’

‘Jake,’ Jupiter interrupted. ‘You forget I know all that goes on in my realm: you worship false idols, not your true master. You, Jake, have betrayed me.’

Jake fell on his knees. ‘No, oh Dark Magnificence – it was Fletch not me what went down in that poxy temple. I followed him – that’s why I stuck him. I did it for you. I knew you wouldn’t like what he was doin’ – honest.’

The fire ran red and Jupiter roared. ‘Enough Jake! I have done with you – I see and hear all. I have sentenced you.’ The eyes looked quickly at the five other gaping rats. ‘Get you to the mines and work there till you die.’ The rats fled, falling over each other in their haste to be gone.

Jake swallowed. He was frightened now. He had underestimated Jupiter’s powers. Silently he waited for his fate.

Jupiter began laughing softly and Jake shivered at the sound.

‘Oh Jake, what have I in store for you?’ he chuckled wickedly.

‘Am I to serve you on the other side of your altar?’

‘What would I do with a rebel like you, Jake? No I have something far more amusing planned. You’re something of an old soldier aren’t you Jake – and you know what they say don’t you?’

‘My Lord?’

‘Old soldiers never die Jake, they simply fade away.’ Jupiter laughed again. ‘Goodbye.’

A spark from the fire flew out and landed on the end of Jake’s tail. He howled and stamped on it but it would not be extinguished. The spark took hold and burned into his tail. A bright yellow ring slowly spread around it and began to creep up towards him.

Jake blew and stamped but his tail smouldered stubbornly on. Horrified he saw that where the bright sizzling ring had been only ash remained.

The ash that once was the end of his tail dropped as grey dust on the floor, and still the burning ring advanced.

‘Soon it will reach your body Jake – then at last your head. Ha ha ha.’

Audrey hid behind Madame Akkikuyu. She buried her face in her paws but the acrid smell of singed fur found her nose.

Bit by bit Jake’s tail was consumed. He turned pleadingly to Madame Akkikuyu.

‘Help me. You must do something,’ he begged her.

Akkikuyu stood back. ‘I gave you a chance to leave, Jakey boy – you pay now for the game you have played.’

‘No, no!’ he screamed. The smoking ring was near his body now, his tail a mound of grey ash on the ground.

‘I’ll put it out!’ he yelled wildly. ‘I’ll get away from you and jump into the water.’ Jake ran from them and dashed round the corner, away from the fiery eyes.

Audrey peered out between her paws. She hoped Jake would be able to put it out in time.

A sudden last scream echoed in the tunnel and was abruptly cut off. Jake had not made it.

Audrey had no time to feel sorry for him. Jupiter spoke to Madame Akkikuyu.

‘Have you the girl mouse there?’

‘Yes, she is here. Come out mouselet!’ She ushered Audrey before her.

The mouse stared terrified at those eyes that burned in the fire. Nothing could save her now.

‘Where is she, Akkikuyu?’ asked Jupiter irritably.

‘But Lord, the mouselet stands in front of you.’

‘You lie.’ The eyes searched for Audrey but were unable to focus on her.

‘I not tell lie – she is here.’

‘Shadows gather about her: I cannot pierce them. She must be shielded by some protective spell.’

Akkikuyu smacked Audrey on the back of her head. ‘Stop funny business and let the High One see you.’

Audrey was bewildered: she knew of no spell.

‘Mousey not so simple as look says,’ said Akkikuyu.

‘Wherever you are!’ Jupiter snarled and Audrey knew he was addressing her although he could not see her. ‘Know that there are no powers to match mine – I have waited long and grown mighty.’ The eyes flashed, still hunting for her. But the shadows that had clouded over Audrey were too thick.

‘Akkikuyu, bring the mouse directly to me. This is but an extension of myself. Before my true person, whatever crude charms she has woven about herself shall be broken and her impudence suitably rewarded.’

‘I obey Lord.’ Akkikuyu bowed. ‘I no make error in delivery.’

‘Make haste.’ The eyes closed and the fire died suddenly.

Madame Akkikuyu looked at Audrey. ‘What magic you have?’ she asked.

Audrey shook her head. ‘None, really, I don’t understand what happened.’

‘Hmm,’ considered Akkikuyu. ‘Well, my mouselet, there is nothing that can protect you from Jupiter. Rat god will have you: so sad for one so young.’ She kicked the glowing embers off the ledge into the water below. ‘You come with me now,’ she said to Audrey. ‘Oh mousey mouse, what awaits you?’

Audrey dared not imagine. She meekly followed the fortune-teller around the corner.

A long trail of ash stretched before them.

Akkikuyu shuffled through it regardless. ‘Oh bad boy, Jakey,’ she tutted, sending up clouds of grey dust.

Audrey held her nose and covered her mouth, trying to avoid inhaling any of it. They followed the ash trail until it ended abruptly. On top of the last, sad little mound was an eye-patch.

It was a gruesome reminder. Madame Akkikuyu stepped over it, then paused. She turned and picked it up. ‘Never know,’ she told herself, ‘may come handy!’ She popped it into her bag. ‘Keep up mouselet,’ she said to Audrey. ‘Not far to go.’

Gwen Brown sat down heavily and hung her head. Silent tears splashed on her lap. Arthur tried to comfort his mother.

‘You shouldn’t have left her,’ she said sadly.

‘I know Mother, but really, I can’t look after Audrey all the time.’

Gwen lifted her head and looked through the doorway to Arthur and Audrey’s bedroom. The sight of the empty bed made her lip quiver. ‘What is to become of our family?’ she said, clasping his paw tightly. ‘Are you sure she went through the Grille?’

‘There’s nowhere else she could have gone.’

Mrs Brown sniffed and rubbed her red eyes. ‘This is terrible. And you say that Oswald and Piccadilly are gone too?’

‘Oh, and Twit,’ Arthur added, his fat round face sagging glumly.

‘What are we to do? How can I tell Arabel Chitter?’ Mrs Brown wondered desperately. ‘She will be so distraught over this. Oswald’s a delicate child: the damp is sure to get to him.’

‘I don’t care what she thinks,’ snorted Arthur. ‘She’d make a drama about anything – I just hope Oswald will be able to look after himself in a tight spot.’

‘Yes – oh this is too terrible! Poor Oswald! I can’t think of him in those nasty dark sewers: whatever possessed him? But at least Piccadilly is with him? Our Audrey is alone! She stifled another sob.

Arthur knelt down in front of his mother and gazed steadily into her eyes.

‘What should we do? I could go down after them if you like.’

Mrs Brown would not hear of it. She held on to her so tightly and forbad him to go. ‘No love,’ she said. ‘You would be lost too. No, if Audrey can come back then I’m sure she will. You following blindly won’t help anybody. We must just trust in the Green Mouse.’

Arthur tried to sound brighter than he felt. ‘If the rats have got her then they’d better watch out,’ he joked. Mrs Brown ruffled his head with her paw. ‘Come Arthur,’ she said gently, ‘you must be very tired. You should go to bed. You’re very brave. Fancy you going to see the bats. Now go and get some sleep: you need it.’

‘What about you, Mother?’

She smiled at him weakly. ‘Oh I’ll go soon. I shan’t be able to keep my eyes open for much longer.’

Arthur kissed her on the forehead and reluctantly plodded off to his room. He knew that his mother would not sleep that night. This was yet another blow to her heart . . . Arthur was sure that she would not be able to take much more.

He sat on the edge of the bed, unwilling to get under the covers. If only he could do something to help. Why had all his friends disappeared and not returned? He began to think that the Grille had come to life and snatched them away. Arthur was now frightened by that metal grating. He had always scoffed when the elders had told fantastic, scary tales of it and the mysterious underworld that lay beyond. His own experience in the cellar with Twit was enough to show him that there was some foundation in those tales.

Arthur began to wonder if the Grille was alive in some mysterious way. Had Jupiter imbued it with life and thought? Arthur was not sure. A few days ago he would have laughed at such a suggestion, but not now.

He blinked his eyes and shook his head sleepily. A yawn struggled free, and very soon he was lying on the bed and snoring softly.

Gwen Brown busied herself with tidying the supper things: she washed and dried them, then she tidied up the already tidy room. With nothing left to do she sat down and tried to stay awake.

A knock outside the Skirtings brought her up with a jerk. She had nodded off after all. She crossed to the mouse hole but hesitated before drawing back the curtain. Terrible news might be waiting for her: they said bad tidings rode on the wings of night. Taking a deep breath, Mrs Brown pulled the curtain back.

There stood Twit, and next to him Thomas Triton, sword in hand. They had returned from Blackheath via the Cutty Sark where the midshipmouse had paused to collect his old weapon.

‘Beggin’ your pardon, Mrs Brown,’ excused Twit hurriedly, ‘but we got to see Arthur.’

‘Hello Twit,’ was all Gwen could think of to say. She looked inquiringly at the stranger in the woollen hat with the kerchief tied around his neck.

‘Oh, ’scuse me,’ Twit stammered. ‘Forgot me manners. This be Thomas Triton, midshipmouse,’ he added grandly.

Thomas bowed and snatched off his hat. His white hair waved about like a frothy sea. ‘Ma’am,’ he said deeply, ‘me and the lad here desire to have a word or two with your son – if it pleases you, of course.’

‘It does not please me,’ replied Mrs Brown, collecting herself. ‘Twit, where did you vanish to? And no, I’m sorry, but Arthur has gone to bed and I won’t disturb him now.’

‘It grieves me to hear you say that ma’ am,’ Thomas bowed again. ‘If I seemed discourteous you must forgive me, but I’ve seen some rum things tonight and it goes ill with me to stand like a beggar at the door.’

‘Oh!’ Mrs Brown was embarrassed at not inviting them in.

‘Please,’ she said hastily, ‘I am sorry – it’s just that so many worries have made me forget myself.’