Eldritch Manor (10 page)

Augury and fog

“B
ut
he's just in our dreams ... is he real? Why was he looking for us? What's he going to do? What should
we
do?”

Willa looked anxiously to Horace, who was frowning and staring into his tea. The whole group waited in silence for a long moment while he thought. Finally, he cleared his throat.

“The horse is a Grant, and yes, he is real. All too real. However, we don't need to worry about
him
so much. He was sent to find us and his job is done.”

“He was
sent
?” Willa fought to keep calm.

“The Grant is sent by his masters to scout about and find people. When you saw him that first time, Miss Trang knew it was a bad sign, that something evil was brewing, but she never thought he might be searching for
us.
If she had, she wouldn't have left.”

Horace took a sip of his tea before going on. “But now ... now it appears that he
was
looking for us. He roamed the streets and roads of the dreamworld, searching. When Mab stopped us from dreaming, without knowing it she also prevented the Grant from being able to find us.”

Belle passed a pale hand over her eyes. “And when we were able to dream again, he found us. In our dreams.”

Willa leaned forward. “But why was he looking for us? Who sent him?”

Horace straightened his spoon. “The Other Side sent him.”

Robert stomped a hoof in irritation, rattling the cups. “Rubbish. What on earth would the Other Side want with a pathetic collection of old farts like us? What good are we to anyone?”

“I ... I'm not sure.” Horace rubbed his forehead. He suddenly looked very old. “I need to think....” He struggled to his feet and left the room. The others exchanged worried looks. Willa was still frantic for some answers.

“I don't understand. What's the Other Side?”

Baz started clearing the table. Robert looked out the window. Tengu muttered about things he had to do and slipped out of the room.

Willa appealed to Belle. “What is the Other Side?”

Belle made a face and waved her hand. “Oh, nothing you have to worry about. It's just ... You know, there's this side, and then ...” She mimed lifting a rock and turning it over. “There's the other side. The side you can't see. The underneath.”

“But what are we talking about here? Bad guys? Monsters? What?” Willa was feeling panicky now.

“You read too many books,” replied Belle sharply, clearly finished with the conversation. “Don't worry about it. I'm sure it's nothing. Like Robert said, they couldn't possibly want anything with us.” She turned and wheeled out of the room.

Willa slumped in her chair, exasperated. Belle was treating her like a little kid. Well, she
was
going to worry about it. After all, Miss Trang left her in charge. She sat up suddenly. Miss Trang. Of course. They needed to call her back, and right away!

Willa hurried up the stairs to the library, where she knew she'd find Horace. She felt a little relieved at the thought of Miss Trang. She and Horace would figure everything out. Everything would be fine if they could just get Miss Trang to come home.

Horace was sitting in his usual chair, staring out the window. Willa paused a moment in the doorway. The sight of him there, thinking so intently, comforted her.

She coughed softly. Horace looked up brightly, smiling. “Hello. Is it teatime already?”

Willa felt cold. “No ... we just had breakfast ... I was wondering about the Grant. You said you needed to think?”

Horace blinked. “The Grant. Yes.”

Willa approached. “Can you call Miss Trang back? I think we need her help.”

Horace considered this for a moment. “Miss Trang. Yes, that would be a good idea. But first I think an augury is called for. Then hopefully I'll have more information to relay to her.”

“Augury, you told me about that. Foretelling the future, right?”

“Yes. I'll read the signs, see what's brewing. I'll do it tonight. I just need to find a high point, where I can see as much of the landscape as possible.”

“You can see the whole town from the top of Hanlan's Hill, and the ocean too, if it's clear.”

“Exactly the spot. Splendid.”

“May I come with you? I can show you the way.”

“All right. We'll leave at ten.”

Later that afternoon Willa came down the stairs and paused in the front hallway. It was strangely dark. A black shadow pooled in one corner. Willa flicked on the hall light, but the shadow didn't disappear in the light. It remained, as if someone had painted it onto the wainscotting — an inky black triangle reaching about a foot up the wall.

Willa knelt and leaned close to stare into the shadow but could see nothing. She gingerly slid her foot into the shadow. The blackness was total. It was like the end of her shoe had just disappeared. Her toes tingled with a cold electrical tickle. There was a sudden skittery scratching noise and she jumped back.

A few minutes later everyone was gathered around the shadow — everyone except Robert, who was asleep in his room. Horace solemnly ran his hand along the wall above and beside the blackness.

“Yes. Yes. Definitely.” He sat back, a worried frown on his face.

“Definitely what? What is it?” Willa ventured, afraid of the answer.

“It's a temporal tear, a little rip in time. It's not uncommon in houses such as ours. Especially with the superintendent away. Miss Trang, I mean. You look away for a moment and there it is. The trick is to not let it spread or you're in big trouble. It's a lot like termites, actually.”

“I'll bet you anything it was opened up by somebody,” muttered Belle darkly.

Horace considered this. “Well ... yes. Simple carelessness could possibly cause it....”

“
Possibly?
It
was
opened by someone and I know who. That old drunk and his little bimbo friends.”

Baz was nodding in agreement. “It
had
to be them!”

Even Horace looked convinced. “It
is
possible, maybe while they were imbibing, a careless word or ...”

“I've always said the Bacchantes were a danger to everyone,” interrupted Belle. “They belong on the Other Side, not here with civilized beings ...”

“CIVILIZED BEINGS??!” Robert's voice boomed. He stood at the top of the stairs, his face twisted in anger. “
Civilized?
You call yourself
civilized
, you malicious old sea hag?”

Horace blinked anxiously. “Now Robert, we weren't saying — ”

“Oh, you weren't? I heard you, Horace, you agreed with her. Why should
I
be under suspicion ...”

“I didn't actually agree ...”

“You did too, you spineless ninny!” bellowed Robert.

Horace started to lose his cool at this, flickering golden in the hall light, turning uncertainly in and out of his lion-shape. Robert started down the stairs, continuing to shout. Belle screeched back at him. Tengu backed away, his hands over his ears, but Baz grinned at the ruckus.

Willa glanced at the black stain. It was slowly sending an inky finger out along the floor.

“Look! Look! It's growing!” she shouted. Everyone froze, looking down at the black shadow.

“We all need to calm down,” counselled Willa. “Fighting isn't going to help.” She felt like she was talking to four-year-olds. Horace slipped back into his human form, looking sheepish. Belle turned her head away, scowling. Robert sat on the steps, his head in his hands.

In the ensuing silence she could see that the black stain had halted. She looked around at them as they glared darkly at each other. They seemed like strangers to her. Childish, whining, fighting strangers. Just when she needed them to be grown-ups. She couldn't wait for Miss Trang to come back.

The view from Hanlan's Hill was spectacular. The town lay stretched out before them, twinkling and still. The streetlights made it look like a vast airport, with row upon row of landing strips. Beyond the lights all was black, but past that a ribbon of silver marked the horizon: the ocean, caught in the moonlight. Horace said the spot was perfect, and pulled out a long stick with a hook at the end. He traced a circle in the dirt and sat down in the centre. And watched. And waited.

Willa sat on a nearby log, trying to make herself comfortable. Horace had warned her that the augury had to proceed in total silence, which was easier said than done. She was jumpy, nervous, and full of questions. Sitting quietly on a hilltop was the very last thing she wanted to be doing tonight. She had expected an augury to have more ... well, action, or at least swirling mists and crystal ball visions. Instead it involved Horace sitting cross-legged on the ground, staring out at the view. Once in a while he would peer through a small pair of opera glasses, following the flight of seagulls, or an eagle, or little flocks of songbirds. Willa shook her head. Trust Horace to get sidetracked by a few pigeons when he was supposed to be determining whether or not they were in danger!

Willa's head snapped back as she woke with a little snort. She clapped her hands over her mouth but Horace looked back at her and smiled.

“Had enough? Should we head home?”

“No, no. Sorry. I'm fine, we can stay.”

Horace was wearily getting to his feet. Willa jumped up to help him. “Quite all right. I believe I'm finished here.”

Willa was surprised. “But what did you see? I didn't see anything, apart from a few birds.”

“That's what augury is. The signs can be very simple, very subtle. Often just the comings and goings of birds. The direction, speed, numbers, species … it all means something.”

Horace rubbed his forehead a little, chagrined. “It's been a good five hundred years since I've attempted this, so I've lost some of my skill for precise prognostication … but generally, here's what I see.” His voice dropped lower and lower and Willa leaned close to hear.

“Something coming. Darkness and cold swirling in from all directions. A dam about to burst. Walls giving way to great power and force. And darkness. Everywhere, in everything I see darkness. It's coming.”

His voice cracked and fell into silence. He looked down at the ground and his breathing was laboured. Willa said nothing, but took his arm and they turned toward home.

They descended the hill in thoughtful silence, branches crackling underfoot, Horace in front and Willa reaching out to take his arm every time he stumbled. At the bottom they stepped back onto pavement and paused in a pool of streetlight. The city was deathly still, TV light flickering in the windows of the houses around them, and a wispy fog creeping in.

Horace looked around, slowly turning to take in the whole scene.

“Horace? What's wrong?”

He turned, startled, and looked at her in surprise. “Oh! Excuse me miss, but what street is this?”

Willa stared at him. Was he joking? No, he was looking at her with a polite smile on his face. They stood there for a long moment. Willa's heart was in her throat. “Horace. It's me. Willa.”