The Spook's Sacrifice (6 page)

'Has Mam said when we'll be leaving?' I asked. It
struck me that she wasn't telling me much at all.

'In two days at the most, Master Ward. We'll be
travelling to Sunderland Point and sailing from there.
And don't worry about your old master, Mr Gregory.
He's set in his ways, but sometimes there are other
means to achieving the ends we seek. If he doesn't
come round, then you can always finish your
apprenticeship with me. I'd gladly take you on again.'

I thanked him for his kind offer, but deep down I was still
disappointed. Much as I liked Arkwright, he wasn't John Gregory and it hurt
to think I wouldn't complete my apprenticeship with him as my master.

I turned towards the farmhouse to see Jack bringing in
the cows for milking.

'Who was that?' he asked. 'Another spook by the
looks of him.'

'Yes,' I said. 'It was Bill Arkwright from the north of
the County. Mam sent for him.'

'Oh,' he said, far from happy. 'Seems I'm the last to
know who's visiting my own farm these days.'

Just then, carried on the breeze from the south, I
heard a strange keening noise, halfway between
singing and chanting. It was the witches, probably
carrying out some sort of ritual.

'Mam says those witches are on our side,' Jack went
on grimly, with a nod towards the south meadow. 'But
what about the other lot from Pendle, the ones who
aren't? Won't they visit the farm again when you've
gone? When I'm alone here with just James and my
family? That's what Ellie fears. She's been under such
a lot of strain during the past two years. She's close to
breaking point.'

I understood that. Ellie had always been afraid that my becoming
a spook's apprentice would put them at risk from the dark. Her fears had proved
well -founded, and last year she'd lost her unborn baby while a prisoner of
the Malkins. There was nothing I could say to comfort Jack so I kept my mouth
shut.

That night at supper it was just me, Mam and
James. It seemed that little Mary had an upset
stomach so Jack and Ellie had taken her to bed early,
but I suspected that my eldest brother wasn't happy
with all that was happening at the farm and was
staying away.

Mam was cheerful and kept the conversation going,
but only James really responded much. Finally he went
off to bed, leaving me alone with Mam.

'What's troubling you, son?' she asked.

'I'm confused, Mam.'

'Confused?'

'Aye. Take the witches . . . Do we really need them?
They're clearly troubling Jack and Ellie, and without
them the Spook would probably have come with us to
Greece.'

'Sorry, son, but we do. For one thing they're
excellent fighters, particularly Grimalkin, and we're
going to need all the forces we can muster in the battle
that faces us. The Ord is a terrifying place, and the
Pendle witches are just about the only creatures I know
who won't be too afraid to enter it. They all have their
part to play.'

'What about Grimalkin's presents of the dark wish
and the blade? She said you'd agreed to her giving
them to me. How can it be right or safe to use anything
that comes from the dark? You sent me off to be Mr
Gregory's apprentice and now you're making me go
against everything he's taught me.'

I saw a sadness in Mam's eyes. 'Only you can decide
whether or not to use those two gifts, son. I'm also
doing things I'd prefer not to. I'm doing them to win a
great victory. You may have to do the same at some
point. That's all I can say. Are you wearing the blade?'

'No, Mam, it's in my bag.'

'Then wear it, son. For me. Will you do that?'

'Yes, Mam. If that's what you want, then I must
do it.'

Mam took my face in her hands and looked at me
intently, willing me to understand the truth of what
she was saying. 'If we fail, the County will suffer
terribly. Then the rest of the world will follow. The
Ordeen will be let loose, with the Fiend's power
behind her. We need everything available to us to stop
such evil. This is no time to wonder about where such
help comes from. We must grab it with both hands for
the greater good. I only wish I could persuade your
master to see it the same way. No, son, we have to go
to Greece and take the Pendle witches with us. We
have no choice.'

From that day on I did as Mam asked, wearing the blade under
my shirt in a sheath positioned at the nape of my neck. How could I refuse
her? But I felt that I was moving into a much darker phase of my life than
I had ever experienced as an apprentice to John Gregory.

The following day, a couple of hours before sunset, I
headed for the south meadow to keep my promise to
Alice.

She was bending over a campfire near the hawthorn
hedge that enclosed the field, some distance from the
others. It seemed that she was keeping herself to
herself, away from the other witches. That made me
feel better. I didn't want her under their influence.

The rabbits were on a spit, their juices dribbling into
the flames.

'You hungry, Tom?'

'Starving, Alice. They smell delicious!'

We ate the rabbits in silence but exchanged smiles.
When we'd finished, I thanked Alice and complimented
her on the meal. She didn't say anything for a
while and I began to feel more and more awkward. In
the past we'd always had plenty to say to each other,
but we'd exchanged all our news the day before, and
now our conversation seemed to have exhausted itself.
There was an uncomfortable distance between us.

'Cat got your tongue?' Alice asked finally.

'If so, it's got yours too!' I retorted.

She smiled at me sadly. 'Things just ain't the same
any more, are they, Tom?'

I shrugged. What she'd said was perfectly true. How
could they ever be the same again?

'A lot's happened, Alice. Everything seems to be
changing.'

'Changing?'

'My apprenticeship to Mr Gregory is over, Mam's
formed an alliance with some of the Pendle witches,
and you, my best friend in the whole world, turn out
to be the daughter of my enemy.'

'Don't,' she said. 'Don't say it.'

'Sorry.'

'Look, if we go to Greece and win, then it'll all have
been for the best, won't it? I'll have proved to you and
Mr Gregory that I'm nothing like my father. And maybe
when Old Gregory finally realizes that your mam made
the alliance for the good of the County, he'll take you
back on and you can continue your studies.'

'I suppose so,' I said. 'But I'm uneasy. Uncomfortable.

There's a lot to take in.'

'It's been bad for both of us, Tom. But we'll come
through it, won't we? We always have in the past.'

'Of course we will,' I told her warmly.

We parted on good terms, but it seemed strange to
be leaving Alice in the field with the witches. It was as
if we belonged to different worlds. I felt like stretching
my legs, so I followed the perimeter of the farm round
to the north. The sun was just sinking below the
horizon, and as I reached the boundary of Hangman's
Hill, I saw three figures waiting in the shadows just
beyond the fence. I recognized them as I got closer. It
was Mab and her sisters, three witches from the
Mouldheel clan.

Mab was leaning back against a tree staring at me. I
remembered her as quite a pretty girl, but the Mab
who faced me now was positively glowing, with a
dazzling smile, sparkling green eyes and golden
hair.

Just in time I remembered the two dark magic spells
–
glamour
and
fascination
. The first made a witch
appear much more attractive than she really was; the
second enthralled a man just as a stoat controls a
rabbit, so that he is easily manipulated into believing
anything the wily witch suggests. No doubt Mab was
using those two powers against me, so I resisted,
taking a deep breath and concentrating on less
favourable aspects of her appearance – her shabby
brown dress and dirty bare feet.

When I glanced up again, her hair already looked
pale rather than golden and her smile was fading. Her
sisters, Beth and Jennet, were sitting cross-legged at
her feet. They were twins and, with or without
glamour and fascination, were nowhere near as
attractive as their older sister. They had hooked noses,
pinched faces and hard staring eyes.

'You're not supposed to be here, Mab,' I told her
with a frown. 'Mam wants you all to keep to the south
meadow until we leave.'

'You don't seem very friendly, Tom,' Mab pouted.
'We've just come to say hello. After all, we're on the
same side now, aren't we? And aren't you going to
thank me for saving your life?'

I looked at her in puzzlement. What did she mean?

'That maenad would have killed you but for me,'
she said. 'I scryed it and told Alice to warn you. Knew
you wouldn't look at me in a mirror. Just hope we can
be friends again now, that's all.'

We'd never really been friends, and I remembered
that Mab could be cruel and dangerous. Back in Pendle
she'd not only threatened little Mary; she'd also
intended to murder Alice. This was what repelled me
about having to work with malevolent witches. Most
used blood or bone magic. They could make do with
animals, but they preferred to use people.

'Tell Tom what else you scryed, Mab!' Beth said,
getting to her feet and standing beside her older sister.

'Oh, yes, tell him. I want to see his face when he
knows!' her twin, Jennet, said, jumping up on the other
side of Mab.

'Not sure I should,' said Mab. 'It'll only make poor
Tom unhappy. But maybe not as unhappy as it would
have done in the past – after all, he's not as close to
Alice any more. They're not that friendly at all now, are
they? But I could be your friend, Tom. Closer to you
than anyone has ever been. I'd be—'

'What did you scry?' I interrupted. Mab had already
proved that she really could use a mirror to look into
the future. I was concerned. What had she seen
regarding Alice?

'I saw Alice Deane die!' Mab said, her eyes smiling
with pleasure. 'A feral lamia witch had her in its
mouth. Dragged her down into its dark lair, then
sucked out all her blood until her heart stopped.'

'You're lying!' I snapped, a fist beginning to squeeze
my heart and tighten my throat. Mab's prophecies had
come true before. I couldn't bear the thought of that
happening to Alice.

'No need to lie, Tom. It's the truth – as you'll find out
soon enough. I scryed it two weeks ago. I used fresh
blood – it was young blood too. Not often wrong when I
do that. It'll happen in Greece on the journey to the Ord.
Tell her if you like. Not that it'll make any difference.'

'You're not coming with us to Greece!' I said angrily.
'I'm going to speak to Mam about you. I don't want
you anywhere near me or Alice!'

'You can tell her what you like, but she won't send
me away. Your mam needs me. Her foresight is fading
but mine's still strong. I'm needed to find out what the
maenads are up to. No, you won't get rid of me so
easily!'

Without another word I turned my back on Mab and
her sisters and walked back towards the farm. I was
seething with anger.

She called out to me, her voice shrill and peevish.
'It'll be a bad summer for you, Tom Ward. Lots of nasty
things going to happen. You're going to feel more
unhappy than you've ever felt before!'

At last it was time to head for Sunderland Point
and begin our long sea voyage to Greece. Five
wagons were hired to carry us and our tools and
supplies to the coast – one of them covered with a dark
canvas to protect Mam from the sun.

The Pendle witches had set off on foot the day
before. Mab and her two sisters were part of a
contingent of seven Mouldheels. There were also nine
Deanes and eleven Malkin representatives, including
Grimalkin. Alice went with them. We didn't even get a
chance to say goodbye.

Brief and sad were the farewells we took of Jack,
Ellie and James. Jack hugged Mam tightly, and when
they drew apart there were tears in his eyes. As she
climbed up into her wagon, I saw that Mam's cheeks
were wet too. I tried hard to put the sight from my
mind, but it seemed like a final parting; they might
never see each other again.

I also thought of my last meeting with the Spook. I
was now off to a strange land to face great dangers.

I might never see him again. I wished I could have said
goodbye to him properly to thank him for all his
advice and training.

The journey passed without incident and we arrived
at Sunderland Point to find it teeming with activity.

The depth of the channel didn't permit large vessels to
approach the shore, but out in the river estuary a large
three-masted ship lay at anchor. It was the
Celeste
,
which had been chartered to carry us across the seas to
Greece. It was supposed to be fast too – one of the
speediest merchant ships operating from County
ports.

'Now do you see why I needed the money?' Mam
said. 'Chartering such vessels doesn't come cheaply.
Nor does finding a crew willing to take witches as
passengers.'

Between the shore and the ship, smaller craft were
sailing back and forth with supplies. The evening sun
was shining but there was a strong breeze and I looked
nervously at the choppy water.

I heard a welcoming bark and Claw bounded
towards me with her two pups. Bill Arkwright walked
close behind them.

'Ready for the voyage, Master Ward? Not a bad day
for it,' he remarked. 'But there's a bit of a swell and it'll
be a lot worse further out. Be all right once you get
your sea-legs though.'

I said nothing and glanced across at Alice, who was
standing near the group of witches. She was clearly as
nervous as I was, but she caught my eye and gave me
a little wave. I waved back and looked at the witches,
who were all staring down at the turbulent water.

The sea wasn't the same barrier to a witch as
running water like a river, but the salt was still a
serious threat. Immersed in the sea, they would die.
Even the spray was toxic to them, so they had put on
gloves and leggings, and the normally barefoot
Mouldheels were clad in woollen socks. They also
wore leather hoods; these were close-fitting and had
small holes for eyes, nose and mouth. Yet in spite of
these additional garments, I felt sure that the witches
would still spend the journey cowering in the
Celeste
's
hold. Mam told me that the crew had been warned
about their passengers, but on the shore the witches
were attracting a few wary glances and most people
kept their distance.

Two large rowing boats were used to ferry us out in
groups of six or so. Mam went first, escorted by the
captain of the
Celeste
. Next the witches were rowed
across, their shrieks and howls at the salt spray slowly
fading into the distance. But Alice didn't go with them.
She came to stand beside me.

'Mind if I do the crossing with you, Tom?' she asked
almost shyly.

'Of course not,' I replied.

So we shared the last boat with Arkwright and the
three dogs. The animals were excited and difficult to
calm, and it took a few stern words from her master
to persuade Claw to lie still. The rowing boat pitched
and rolled alarmingly, but luckily the crossing didn't
take long. Climbing the rope ladder up to the deck
proved easy enough and a basket was lowered for the
dogs.

Mam and the captain – a big red-faced man with
prominent side-whiskers – were standing by the mainmast:
she beckoned me across.

'This is Captain Baines,' she said with a smile, 'the
best seafarer the County has.'

'Well, I was certainly born and bred in the County
and I got my sea-legs when I was younger than you,
boy,' he replied, 'but as for being the best, no doubt
some would dispute that. Our part of the world has
more than its fair share of good sailors!'

'You're just being modest,' Mam said. 'And it's not
polite to contradict a lady!'

'Then I owe you an apology,' said the captain with a
bow. 'Indeed, I owe your mother a lot,' he said, turning
towards me. 'I have twin boys – just turned five years
of age last week. They'd be dead now but for your
mother. Maybe my wife too. She's the best midwife in
the County.'

It was true. Before she'd returned to Greece Mam
had helped lots of County women with difficult births
and saved many a life.

'Well, I certainly would be lacking in courtesy if I
didn't show you both around my ship,' he went on.
'It'll be your home for the next few weeks so you might
as well find out what you've let yourselves in for!'

He showed us the different sections of the hold,
including the galley and the quartermaster's stores,
and I soon knew exactly what the captain meant.
Although the
Celeste
had looked big from the shore it
was actually very small for such a large number of
passengers. The crew's quarters, towards the front
of the ship, seemed tiny, but the captain pointed out
that not all of them would be sleeping at the same time:
there were three watches, so at any one time a third of
the crew would be on duty. The witches were to be
located aft, to the rear of the
Celeste
, and there were a
separate quarters that I would share with Bill
Arkwright. Additionally there were two cabins: the
first belonged to the captain; the second had been
reserved for Mam.

Her cabin was small but very well appointed. In
addition to the bed there was an armchair and a table
with two straight-backed wooden chairs. All the
furniture was bolted to the floor to prevent it from
sliding about during storms. The porthole didn't admit
much light so the captain lit a lantern.

'I hope you'll be comfortable here, Mrs Ward,' he
said. 'And now I must get back to my duties. We'll be
sailing within the hour.'

'I'm sure I'll be more than comfortable, Captain,'
Mam said, thanking him with a smile.

I followed Captain Baines back up onto the deck and
saw that the tide was rising fast, the wind freshening
and the air redolent of salt and tar. Soon the large sails
were unfurled, the anchor raised, and with a groan, a
shudder and a flap of canvas, the
Celeste
began to
move away from Sunderland Point. At first she didn't
roll too much. It was a clear evening and the sun was
still just above the horizon, so there was lots to see. To
the north, Arkwright pointed out Cartmel and the Old
Man of Coniston, the mountain we'd visited the
previous year.

'Had some scary times there!' Alice exclaimed.

We both nodded. Arkwright had almost lost his life
and Claw's mate, Tooth, had been slain by the water
witch, Morwena.

Sailing wasn't as bad as I'd expected, but we were
still only crossing Morecambe Bay, which was
sheltered from the worst of the wind. The open sea lay
ahead, and as we passed the estuary of the river Wyre,
I could see a line of choppy white water ahead. The
moment we reached it, the ship began to pitch and roll
alarmingly. Soon my stomach began to heave, and
within ten minutes I'd emptied its contents over the
side.

'How long does it take to get your sea-legs?' I asked
the grinning Arkwright.

'Maybe hours, maybe days,' he answered, while I
gasped for air. 'Some poor folk never find them
properly. Let's hope you're one of the lucky ones,
Master Ward!'

'Going below deck now, Tom,' Alice told me. 'Sailors
don't like women on board at the best of times. Think
it's bad luck. I'd better get out of sight.'

'No, stay up here, Alice. Mam chartered this ship –
they'll just have to put up with it!'

But Alice insisted. I tried going below with her but
the witches were not coping well with the rolling
motion. Down in the gloom the stench of vomit was so
strong that I quickly fled back up to the fresh air. That
night, taking Arkwright's advice, I slept in a hammock
under the stars while we headed south down the coast.
By dawn I hadn't exactly got my sea-legs but I was
feeling considerably better and was able to observe the
crew as they fearlessly climbed the rigging and
adjusted the sails. They had no time for us – it was as
if we didn't exist – but I didn't mind: they were always
busy, and when the ship was rolling or pitching badly,
it was a dangerous job for those perched high on the
masts.

Arkwright knew a lot about seafaring, having made
quite a few trips along the coast in his army days. He
told me the names of the various parts of the ship: that
the left side was called 'port', the right side 'starboard';
and that 'fore' was the front of the boat and 'aft' the rear.
My dad had been a sailor, so I knew most of what he was
telling me already, but he'd also taught me manners so I
listened politely to everything he had to say.

'County ships are always given the names
of women,' he explained. 'Take "Celeste", the name of
this one. As your study of Latin should tell you, Master
Ward, it means
heavenly
, and no doubt some women
are. But in a big storm a ship can be very unforgiving
if she's not handled correctly and treated with respect.
Some waves can be the size of a cathedral; they can roll
a ship like this over and swallow her up. Ships go
missing at sea, lost with all their crew. It happens all
the time. It's a hard life being a sailor – in its own way
just as tough as being a spook.'

We had now sailed into the mouth of a big river
called the Mersey, and there, at anchor, we waited for
the tide. We hadn't left the County behind yet, it
seemed. We were to put in briefly at Liverpool to take
on additional supplies.

Unlike Sunderland Point, Liverpool had a large
wooden quay where the
Celeste
could berth. Most of us
took the opportunity to stretch our legs, but the
witches stayed down in the hold. When I set foot on
the quayside, I experienced a strange sensation –
although I was standing on solid ground, it still
seemed to be moving under my feet.

We waited about while the stevedores busied themselves
loading up our provisions so that we could
leave on the same tide. It was either that or be delayed
until nearly nightfall.

Back on board, I stood beside Mam as the crew
untied the ship from her moorings. She had sought the
shade of the mainmast and kept shielding her eyes
against the sun and staring into the distance as if
expecting to see something. I followed the direction of
her gaze, and out of the corner of my eye saw her face
suddenly light up into a smile.

Someone was running towards us. And to my
astonishment I saw that it was my master! He was
carrying his bag and staff and his cloak was billowing
out behind him. But the
Celeste
was already moving
away from the quay, the gap widening with every
second. The Spook threw his bag and staff towards us.
They landed on the deck and I quickly retrieved them
while he eyed the gap uncertainly. It was then that
Mam stepped forward and beckoned him towards the
ship.

He turned instantly, ran back a little way, then
sprinted straight for the edge of the quay. My heart
was in my mouth. It seemed impossible that he could
leap such a distance. But leap he did: his boots landed
on the very edge of the deck, where he tottered and
started to fall backwards.

Mam stepped forward and grasped his wrist, then
steadied him before pulling him forward to safety. He
seemed to fall into her arms as if they'd embraced, but
it was just the movement of the ship. He stepped back
a little and gave her a little bow before coming towards
me. I thought he had something to say to me, but he
picked up his bag and staff and headed for the steps
down to the hold – without even glancing at me.

'I'm glad you're coming with us!' I called after him.

He didn't so much as turn round.

'Is he angry with me, Mam?' I asked.

'More like angry with himself,' she replied. 'Give
him time. But for now I doubt he'll wish to be your
master.'

'
For now?
Do you mean that I'll be his apprentice
again one day?'

'It could happen but it's far from certain.'

A silence fell between us, and we could hear the
shouts of the crew as they brought the
Celeste
through
the mouth of the harbour and out into the estuary,
heading for the open sea. She was beginning to roll
again, and squawking seagulls followed in our wake.