The Last Phoenix (18 page)

“What should we do with the nest and the egg?” Milly sniffed. “We can't just leave them here.” Her eyes flicked to the stone statue of Milton and his bride and her voice rose. “Not with
them
!”

“Let's take the nest and the egg to the workshop for now,” Jess said quickly. “We can decide what to do with them properly tomorrow.”

“I guess Michael and I have to come back here anyway.” Jason realized. “To talk to the earlier us, and make sure that whole meeting happened.”

“I wondered why I had that look in my eye,” said Michael quietly, shaking his head. “I thought I was just sad about the gold. As if that really matters…” He broke off. “Come on, Jase. Give me a hand with the nest.”

Skribble was floating above the burned remains, watching their work closely. “Be careful!” he commanded.

They lifted the nest as carefully as they could and carried it slowly out of the octagonal building, Skribble floating beside them on his cloud. Milly picked up Skribble's lamp.
Hugging it closely to her for comfort, she followed with Jess.

The four of them didn't say a word as they reached the workshop and laid the nest gently down on the workbench.

“We'll see you soon,” said Jess to it, almost as if Fenella was still there.

“What will you do, Skribble?” Milly asked, putting his lamp down on the bench. “You won't go just yet, will you? Please say you won't?” She didn't think she could bear it if he disappeared too.

Skribble looked down at the dusty egg, an unreadable expression on his face. “I shall remain here tonight to watch over her.”

Jess didn't think she had ever felt so sad. “Okay, Skribble. Well, we'll come here after school tomorrow.”

Jason and Michael nodded mutely.

Milly kissed the worm on top of his head. “See you tomorrow, Skribble.”

Jess took Milly's hand. With one last look at the cold ash-covered egg and the genie worm sitting on his cloud beside it, the children left the workshop.

M
ichael lingered outside the school gates, waiting for Jess to show. It had not been a great day—what he'd noticed of it, anyway. He couldn't stop thinking about the weirdness of being trapped in Milton's house, the scariness of the magic he and the others had been caught up in, and…

And Fenella.

Stop it,
he told himself, clenching both fists.
It's suicide to cry at school.

He thought of the egg, sitting there so lost-looking in that singed and spiky nest. He barely noticed the other kids milling about him as they drifted off down the school driveway. The real world seemed so pale after the wildness of the adventure he'd just lived through.

He suddenly saw Jess walking toward him. One look at her eyes and he knew she was feeling just the same.

“Thought school today would never end,” said Jess ruefully.

“Me too.” Michael glanced away. “Not that I really want to go back to Milton's place and…you know.”

“It'll be good to see Skribble again, though,” said Jess, forcing some jollity into her voice.

“True,” Michael agreed. “I just wish we didn't have to go back there to do it.”

“You and Jason need to be there to talk to the versions of us from last Saturday,” Jess reminded him. “Did you remember to bring that T-shirt of yours?”

Michael nodded and patted his bag. “I found it last night.” He sighed. “You know, it's so weird, realizing I was—I
will be
—putting on such an act.”

“Speaking of acts, I said I'd go to the church hall tonight to wait for Milly. It's about the last thing I feel like doing.” Jess sighed. “Well, apart from studying. That would be worse!”

“Jess!” A girl's voice calling jolted them back to reality. It was Colette, closely followed by Jess's gang of girlfriends. Michael watched them swarm up and surround Jess, ignoring him completely. Naturally, since he was in the year below, he was invisible to them.

“Jess, it was like you were on another planet today.” Colette sounded full of concern. “These exams are totally stressing you out, aren't they?”

Jess opened her mouth to argue otherwise. Then,
instead, she shrugged and nodded.

Colette put a hand on Jess's shoulder and grinned. “Well, your friends are coming to the rescue!”

Jodie nodded and passed her a colorful CD case. “I've got you a Learn History Quick Study Program on DVD!”

Jess looked at it, her cheeks reddening. “Really?”

“I thought you people were her friends?” joked Michael.

“Ha, ha.” Jodie shot him a look before turning back to Jess. “My mum says it's really good.”

“And she should know, she's a history teacher,” put in Natasha, handing Jess a small brown bottle. “Here, I've got you some lavender oil to help you relax while you load it up.”

“And get this,” Colette added. “If we all pass, my mum says she'll let us have a manicure at the beauty salon she goes to! So—I thought we could all study together all weekend at my place and then we'll be super-ready for the exam on Monday.”

Jodie nodded. “If we're all cramming together, we can test each other and we can't wimp out and watch TV instead!”

Jess grinned. “Thanks. That would really help.”

Colette looked at her anxiously. “Jess, you do know that even if you fail miserably and we can't be in the same
lessons, you will always be our mate, don't you? Promise us you don't think anything else.”

Their eyes met. “I promise,” said Jess, feeling a glow of happiness inside. “Thank you.” She included the other two in her gaze. “Thanks all of you.”

Natasha smiled at her. “Shut up with the thanks!”

“What are mates for?” Jodie added.

Colette grinned. “Now are you walking home with us or not?”

“Actually, Michael and I have got stuff to do,” said Jess. “So I can't tonight.”

“Little brother stuff, huh?” Colette gave her a sympathetic look. “Okay, see you tomorrow then.”

“See you!” Jess called, waving as they walked off.

“Little brother stuff?” Michael frowned as he watched them go. “Even so, I wish I had mates like that,” he admitted. “Well, you know, mates like that but more manly and cool.”

“You
have
mates,” Jess told him. “So what if they're friends with Rick the Slick too?”

“I just can't be one of Rick's hangers-on. I can't.” Michael shrugged. “Anyway, you'd better go home and meet Milly, she'll be wondering where you are. I told Jason to wait for me at the bottom of Flint Street so we could go through what we say to ourselves on the way to Milton's.”

“Well, take care,” said Jess. “We never did find out about that weird bloke watching us.”

Michael shrugged. “And we probably never will.”

“Hey, Michael!”

For an improbable second, Michael thought it was that very same mystery man calling his name. Then he realized it was actually Rick the Slick of all people, appearing from behind the bike sheds. No cause for alarm, but definitely cause for a quick getaway. “I'm off,” he muttered to Jess. “Laters.”

She waved briefly as he hurried away down the school driveway.

Michael threaded a path across Moreways Meet more or less on autopilot, lost in his own thoughts, until he saw Jason at the bottom of Flint Street, slumped against the signpost with a face as long as the walk ahead to Milton's.

“All right?” said Michael.

Jason looked up and mustered a smile. “Suppose.” Then the smile dropped and his eyes widened as he seemed to look past Michael. “Oh, no.”

Michael turned around—and a chill of fear went through him.

Just a few meters away stood the man with the scruffy hair and the glowering face. The man who'd watched him
in the junk shop, and who'd been turning up ever since. The man Michael had decided they would never see again.
Me and my big mouth,
he thought.

The man said nothing, just went on watching with beady eyes. Michael checked behind him for other people in the street. Typically, no one was about. It was just him, Jason, and this sinister stranger.

“Who are you?” Michael demanded. “Where are you from?”

“I've been wanting to talk to you,” the man said, in a nasal, whiny sort of voice. “I want to do a deal.”

Jason gulped. “Are you…magic?”

“Magic?” The man snorted. “What're you on about?” He stabbed a finger at Michael. “I saw him try to palm off some gold on the geezer in the junk shop. Sounded pretty desperate. And if the junk shop doesn't want it, well…maybe I can help you out.”

Michael almost laughed out loud. He turned to Jason, who was looking totally startled. “All this time we thought we were being watched by some evil, all-seeing genie or something, and it's just some dodgy old geezer!”

The man smiled, showing teeth undoubtedly as crooked as the rest of him. “Just show me that gold, son.”

“I've changed my mind about the gold, ‘Dad,'” said Michael coldly. “It's not for sale.”

The man's smile dropped. “I don't think you heard me,” he said quietly, taking a step closer to Michael and Jason. “We're going to make a deal. And I'm setting the terms.”

Michael felt a sudden wave of fury. “Look, mate, this is not a good time to start threatening me and my brother, okay? Not after what we've been going through. So, push off. Leave us alone, or we'll…” He frowned, flummoxed, and looked at Jason again. “What'll we do?”

“We'll…” Jason shrugged, flustered. “We'll tell our mum and dad?”

The man seemed unimpressed. “Look, I don't like picking on kids,” he went on in a reasonable voice, “but I want that gold. And it can't really be yours—you just wanna get rid of it, don't you?” He came closer. “If you won't sell it, maybe I'll just take it…”

“Take
this
!” yelled Jason suddenly. He hurled himself at the man, bringing him down in a perfectly timed rugby tackle. The man gave a startled gasp of surprise as he crashed to the ground.

“Nice one, Jase!” Michael cried. “You haven't even got your powers anymore!”

“I know!” Jason said, beaming with joy—for all of a single microsecond before the man grabbed hold of his wrist. Jason tried to scramble clear, but couldn't. Michael waded in and tried to wrestle Jason free, but the man grabbed his
arm, clamping down hard on the skin. Michael gasped, tore himself free, and managed to yank Jason away from the man too. Swearing, the man shambled back to his feet and was about to charge after Michael and Jason—

When suddenly a young fresh-faced policeman sprinted from around the junction and grabbed hold of the dodgy man. “All right, that's enough,” he shouted. “Picking a fight with little kids? You should be ashamed!”

Michael's relief was such that he was prepared to let the “little kids” reference go.

“These kids have nicked some gold,” the scruffy man whined. “I was only trying to get it back off them.”

“We haven't stolen anything,” Jason said hotly.

“Right!” Michael agreed. He turned out his pockets—knowing the phoenix gold was back at home—and Jason quickly did the same. “Nothing!”

“He just started threatening us!” Jason went on.

“I know,” said the policeman, “this young man told me.” He turned and beckoned to someone behind him—and Michael gaped in amazement.

“Rick?”
he spluttered.

Rick shrugged, a little awkwardly. “I wanted to talk to you back at school, but you didn't hear me so I went after you. And I saw that bloke was following you too—so when I noticed the policeman, well…”

“He asked me to check things out.” The young constable grinned happily at the sullen, scruffy man in his grip. “And thank God he did! I recognize this bloke from the station files in Quilborough. Petty crook. Wanted for fencing stolen property but jumped bail.”

“Is there a reward for catching him?” said Michael eagerly.

The cop smiled. “A free tour of the police station when you come to make a statement,” he said, straight-faced. “Meantime, I'll need your names and addresses….”

Jason reeled off the details while Michael eyed his watch. “We're in a bit of rush, officer. Got an urgent appointment and time's running out. Can we, um, come by later?”

“Should be fine,” the policeman agreed happily, turning to the scruffy, scowling man. “My first arrest! Come on, then, there's a lot of people who want to talk to you…”

Michael breathed a sigh of relief as the cop bundled the crook away, and looked at Rick. “Thanks,” he said grudgingly.

“Anytime,” said Rick. “I mean, I know you two could have taken care of that bloke yourselves, but…” He shrugged. “I was very impressed with the way you gave him lip, Michael. Cool. No wonder the other lads look up to you so much.”

“Huh?” Michael stared. “They do?”

“Josh, Thomas, Sam, they're always going on about you.” Rick grinned. “It's why I wanted to be one of your gang in the first place.”

“
My
gang?” Michael stared in wonder.

He shrugged. “Who else's?”

Michael raised his eyebrows. “You know, Rick, you're not as dumb as Jason looks.”

Rick grinned—then turned to Jason. “Fair play, though—I saw your tackle, it was wicked. No wonder you took out your brother the other night.”

“Oh, we…we were just mucking about,” said Jason. With sudden inspiration, he went on: “I, um, bet Michael a week of his chores that he couldn't trick you.”

“Yeah?” Rick laughed. “Then I can see why you gave it a go, Mikey. Sneaky stepbruv you have there.” He looked at Jason again. “You know, I heard how you caused a rumpus in the junior soccer tournament. And now I've seen that tackle, I'm wondering how you'd make out in rugby.”

“Rugby?” Jason repeated in a daze.

“Yeah, you've obviously got some natural talent. I could help you—train you up a bit. I'm trying to get a team together for games down at the park on Saturday afternoons.” Rick shrugged. “You should try out for us if you want.”

“Me!” Jason nodded so hard he nearly bruised his chin on his chest. “Oh, wow! Yes, I do want!”

“Be cool, Jase,” Michael hissed. “Well, Rick—thanks for the assist, mate, but like we told the cop, we've got to split for now. Catch you tomorrow, yeah?”

“Tomorrow, right.” Rick shook his head, admiringly. “I can't believe you're being so cool about that creep attacking you. Excellent. See ya!”

Michael knocked knuckles with him, then strode away down the street with Jason in tow. “
That
, he can't believe,” he muttered. “If we could only tell him that after all we've been through in the last few days, that scrawny old fence means next to nothing!”

“That's magic for you,” Jason murmured. “And I think it must be magic that made Rick want me to be on his rugby team.”

“Nah,” Michael told him, clapping him hard on the back as they walked on together. “That was just you.”

 

Milly sat alone at home, brooding. But for all her sadness, there was some niggling distraction at the back of her head, a feeling that she was missing something.

Suddenly, it leaped into her head.

Way back—before we went into the future—Fenella said we couldn't go forward past her next rebirth. Now
we know she wasn't reborn…but we still went forward into today.

Milly gasped and jumped up. “How could we have done that if Fenella's really dead?” Then her heart sank again.
I suppose the future's been changed,
she thought.
Skribble said it could be…

The thoughts kept chasing themselves around her head. And though she was supposed to wait for Jess to come and collect her, she decided she just had to talk to Skribble about things ahead of her audition. She wrote a quick note to Jess and hurried out the door.