Ravens Gathering (38 page)

“How’re you getting on with Norma?”

Startled, Martin stopped walking.  They’d only
travelled a few yards.

Adam laughed.  “You might not have seen us, but we’ve
been keeping an eye on you.”

“Worried I might start talking about what you’re doing here
at the farm?”

“No.  Just making sure you’re okay.”

They started walking again.

“Do you think I
am
okay?”

“It’s relative, isn’t it?  You’ve got a way to go yet
but, considering what you’ve been through, I’d say you’re doing okay. 
So.
  Are you settling in at the pub?”

“You make it sound like I’ve picked Norma as my soul mate
and we’re planning to live happily ever after.”

“She’s a lovely woman, but I don’t think she’s your type.”

Martin was tempted to ask what Adam thought his type might
be, but decided against it.  “It’s just a place to stop for a while. 
The cottage isn’t really big enough for Matt and Janet to be living there, let
alone me as well.”  Matt had called on Norma Sunday afternoon and cleared
the way for Martin to get a room.  She hadn’t been too enthused at first,
but now things had quietened down in the village and he’d been nothing less
than the perfect guest, she’d come around.

“It probably seemed odd finding your brother and sister
still living at home.”

“It did,” Martin agreed.

“But you can understand why now.”

He didn’t say anything, just nodded slightly.  It was
still difficult to accept that his younger brother was also his nephew. 
Colin’s slowness made him vulnerable, and it was a parent’s natural instinct to
be protective of their child.  So Matt needed to be there.  As for
Janet, he guessed she’d been violated as well.  Fortunately, she hadn’t
fallen pregnant, which was probably a great relief for everyone.  But the
psychological effects had been harsh, not least the damage to her
self-confidence.  They’d been through a terrible trauma, one that none of
them could cope with alone.  Nor could they share it with anyone
else.  Especially not the family member who’d seen it all happen.  In
time, he hoped it would all make sense.

Adam must have sensed the direction of his thoughts. 
“I won’t pretend to know how it feels to be in that situation, and nor should
you.  Unless you’ve experienced it yourself, you can’t.  But you’ve
done the most important thing you can.  You’ve accepted them, and they
know that you don’t blame them.”

“What about the other families?”

“What do mean?”

“I don’t know.  I feel they need help.  Some of
them might even need medical attention after what happened on Saturday. 
But where will they go for it?”

“They can’t go anywhere.  The shame’s too great.”

“Do you think they’d accept help from me?”

“Don’t you think you’ll have enough on with your own
family?”

“Probably.  But not forever.  And at the moment,
they need to be left alone some of the time as well.  I could be using
that time to do something for the others.  Even if it’s helping with the
funeral arrangements for the Salthouse family.”  Peter had died earlier in
the week.  The trauma to his body had been too much for him.  There
were some who would consider it a blessing, but Martin wasn’t going to make
that judgement.  He knew the family were grieving.

Adam bowed his head as he considered Martin’s
suggestion.  “I can’t tell you what to do about Nigel’s family, or any of
the others for that matter.  Only you can decide.  All I would say
is, listen to your heart.”

“My heart’s telling me to try.”

“Then that’s what you must do.”

The path they were on came to a
stile
,
and beyond that it went into woods.  They continued to talk as they
climbed over and carried on walking.

“You’re not planning on going back to the sun then?”

“Not just yet.”  That was a subject he didn’t want to
talk to Adam about.  Time to change the subject.  “Was there a lot of
gossip in the village?  You know, back when the babies were born.”

“Gossip?  You mean because there were so many at one
time?”

“That could have just been coincidence.  No, I meant
about the fact that there was something wrong with them all.”

“It was unusual, and I’m sure the families involved were
very conscious of it.  But you have to bear in mind that not all of the
conditions were obvious immediately.  Colin, for instance, just seemed to
be a late developer for quite a few years.  Peter’s leg was shorter, but
not noticeably so when he was a baby.  And Ronald’s deafness wasn’t diagnosed
until he was nearly two.  The defects in the two girls were more
apparent.  But then it wasn’t that long since the scandal of the
Thalidomide babies, so some people might have thought they’d got off lightly.”

“Still, it’s well known that inbreeding causes defects. 
Surely a few tongues wagged.”

“They probably did,” Adam agreed reluctantly. 
“Fortunately, they weren’t wagged too loudly, so the families were spared that
particular humiliation.”  He paused a moment, clearly pondering what they
had been talking about.  “Of course, if there had been that kind of talk,
it would have all been wrong, but there’s not a lot you can say to enlighten
the ignorant.”

“What do you mean, it would have been wrong?”

“Well, it’s true that the incidence of physical and mental defects
is higher when there has been -” Adam smiled “- as you so delicately put it –
inbreeding.  But the reality is that the incidence is still incredibly
low.  The chances of it happening to five families from the same village
is hundreds of thousands to one.”

“So what happened here then?”

“Well, unfortunately, there was a case of incest that came
to light here during the nineteen thirties.  I can’t prove it, but it
seems likely that the Raven became aware of it when he paid us a visit in
nineteen thirty-nine.  The scandal would have still been talked
about.  I know the family concerned were almost lynched at one
point.  That kind of reaction would have been just the sort of thing he’d
have got a kick out of.”

“That still doesn’t explain how five pregnancies resulted in
five defects.”

“He’s a sorcerer, Martin.  The Source could be
described as many things.  It could be nature, or God, or some infinite
intelligence that guides us.  Whatever you believe about any of those
things, the Source is something that runs through us all.  We all have the
ability to tap into it, but sorcerers have a greater ability than others. 
The Raven caused those defects deliberately, so he could intensify the sense of
shame, and present the families with constant reminders every day.  That’s
something else I can’t prove, but it’s also the only possible explanation.”

“So my mum and Matt have probably blamed themselves even
more for Colin being retarded.”

“Not a nice word, but accurate nonetheless.  And, yes,
it only added to the pain they felt, which was exactly what the Raven wanted.”

“But why couldn’t you tell them.  It wouldn’t have
solved everything, but at least it would have made them feel better about
something.”

Adam look uncomfortable about that.  They walked
several paces before he answered.  “You already know the answer to that,
Martin.  I know it seems harsh.  But we have to consider the bigger
picture.”

“The needs of the many outweigh those of the few.”

“Very well put.”

“I think you’ve got Spock to thank for that one.”  Even
as the puzzled look crossed Adam’s face, Martin flapped his hand in a
dismissive gesture.  “Forget it.  What were you going to say?”

“Well, I was going to try to put things into
perspective.  And I could do that by comparing the suffering caused by famine
and brutal dictatorships in Africa.  But that would be unfair. 
Physical suffering and mental suffering are quite different.  Then again,
I could point out that the world has a population of over five billion right
now.  In that context, what is the suffering of a handful of people in a
little village in Nottinghamshire?  And that would be getting closer to
the truth.  Because the proportions are actually far more
significant.  You see, if the Raven can go back in time with the kind of
weaponry he’s trying to, we won’t be concerned with the fate of the world’s
current population.  We’ll have to take into account the populations that
would have existed over many tens of thousands of years.

“Sacrifices are being made all the time, Martin. 
Bigger sacrifices for smaller causes.  That doesn’t mean it’s easy for me
to watch your family suffering, or the
Paynes
, or the
Dakins
...”  He tailed off.  Martin could
tell that the recollection was genuinely upsetting for him.

They walked a little further into the woods as Adam
collected himself.

“I’m sorry,” he said at last.

“That’s okay.  You don’t need to say any more.”

The path twisted and turned through the trees.  They
followed it for a while in silence, each reflecting on their own
thoughts.  It was Martin who spoke first.

“How’re Ian and Tanya?”

“They’ve recovered from the shock.  Fortunately, they
have no idea what happened in the clearing, so it’s just the experience at the
farmhouse they’ve got to come to terms with.”

“Have they been back?”

“Ian has.  The Army allowed him in just long enough to
pick up some of their things.  I don’t think Tanya wants to see the place
again.”

“I got the impression she wasn’t too enamoured with the
place in any case.”

“No.  She’s talking about moving back down south. 
I think she wants to be with her family.”

“What about Ian?”

“He’s not part of the plan.  But they’ve talked about
it together and with Jennifer.  She’s very good at helping people.”

Martin hadn’t spent much time with Jennifer, so he wasn’t in
a position to agree or disagree on that point.

“It’s strange.  I really got the impression they were
becoming closer.”

“In a way, they have.  They’ve set aside the niggles
and petty annoyances that had built up between them.  Without those in the
way, they’ve been considerate of each other and loving.  But it’s loving
with care, not passion.  We can all tell that they’re sad about it, but
they know it’s the right thing for both of them.”

“Must be difficult.”

“It is, and it will be.  But they’re both strong people,
and at least they know it’s something they’ve agreed on.”

“Still, it seems odd that Tanya’s heading back to her
family.  She never struck me as being family orientated.”

Adam stopped walking for a moment.  They’d reached a
fork in the path, but he took the opportunity to look at Martin
appraisingly.  “Would you have thought that you were family orientated?”

Martin shrugged.  “Probably not.”

“How do you feel now?”

“Like they’re the most important people in the world to me.”

“Family always are.”  Adam rested his hand briefly on
Martin’s shoulder.  It was strangely affirming.  Then he pointed to
the left-hand path.  “Let’s go this way.”

The path took them upwards.  It wasn’t steep, but the
incline was consistent and went on for some time.  Sunlight filtered down
through the leaves and branches overhead, so they could see the pathway ahead
of them.  Martin didn’t recognise where they were, but he was more
interested in anything Adam had to tell him.

“What are Ian’s plans?”

“He doesn’t have any yet.  He’ll probably have to stay
for a while, until the farm’s sold.”

“That could take a while.  It was on the market for
long enough before he bought it.”

“Possibly, but I understand the Ministry of Defence are
interested in buying it.”

“What on Earth for?”

“Quite the opposite I imagine.”

Martin shot him a puzzled look.

“Because the Army can’t explain what happened, they’ve
turned to the RAF.  And they’ve turned to the RAF because they have a
department that investigates extraterrestrial activity.”

“They think it was
aliens
?”

“I’m sure they won’t admit what they’re thinking to anyone,
but it sounds like the MoD is willing to explore that option further.  And
to do that without interruption, they’ll need to own the site.”

“So Ian’s money worries could be over.”

“That’s probably an overstatement.  The Government
isn’t noted for its generosity.  But it should make it easier for him to
move on.  What’s more important is that he’s been in touch with his
children.”

“I didn’t know he had any.”

“Let’s just say he’s not been the most attentive father.”

“How did it go?”

“Not well.  But he’s not going to let that put him
off.  He knows he’s at fault, and it’s going to take a lot of work to put
things right.  He’s learnt a lot about himself in the last couple of
weeks.”

“He’s not the only one.”

The incline was getting shallower, and the top was coming
into view.  Beyond, it looked as if the trees were pretty much on a level.

“Has Tanya given any indication when she’ll be going?”

“No.  I don’t think she’s ready to leave yet.  She
needs to build her confidence back up first.  Right now, she needs to feel
safe, and
Kindness Farm
is providing that for her.  It’s always
been that sort of place.”

“Is that why it’s called
Kindness Farm
?”

“I can see why it might look that way, but no.  In a
way, it’s a bit of a joke.  We might have a serious job to do, but we
enjoy a bit of humour.  Even if it’s black humour.”

“Black humour?”

“Yes.”  The path had levelled out now.  Adam
stretched his arm out, pointing to their left.

About a hundred yards away, Martin could see the clearing.

They were standing almost directly opposite the place where
he had entered the clearing a week earlier, so it took him a few moments to
realise what he was looking at.  The ashy remains of the fire were the giveaway. 
Other than that, there was no hint of the evil work done at the Raven’s
behest.  Instead, the area seemed completely benign.

“Notice anything different?”

It took Martin several long seconds.  He allowed his
eyes to rove across the space, searching for something specific that would
explain the difference in atmosphere.  Obviously there was daylight, but
there had been daylight when he’d come up with Tanya.

“The ravens,” he said at last.

“The ravens,” Adam agreed.  “They gather before their
master arrives, and stay together for as long as he’s here.  Do you know
what they call a gathering of ravens?”

Martin shrugged.  It had never crossed his mind that
there was a name for it.  “A flock?” he guessed.

“Some people refer to it as a murder, which isn’t technically
correct.  A murder refers to a gathering of crows.  With ravens it’s
an unkindness.”

It wasn’t the funniest joke in the world, but Martin could
see the humour in it.  “So
Kindness Farm
will be here to counter
the unkindness when it arrives?”

“Assuming it comes back.”

They were walking again now.  The path would have taken
them away from the clearing, but Adam had stepped off it and was leading Martin
towards the pile of ash.

“Don’t you think it will?”

“I’m optimistic.  We know that one day he will be
defeated in his own time.  We just don’t know how far into the future he
gets before that happens.”

“And when will we know?”

“I’d love to be able to answer that.  The pattern he’s
followed has been to appear at more frequent intervals.  The last few times,
those gaps have been twenty-five years so, if we follow that line of thinking,
logically we should know around 2014.  He could be back sooner,
though.  He didn’t get what he wanted this time, so he might come back for
it in the next year or two.”

Martin shook his head, not sure whether to be impressed or
confounded by the scale of the work the Sentinels were involved in.

“How do you cope with that?” he asked.  “Knowing that
this creature might materialise so many years from now, but equally he could turn
up tomorrow?”

Adam stepped into the clearing and waved a hand at the
debris that lay there.  Remarkably, the tyre swing was still intact. 
The fire hadn’t come close to it.

“We know what he’s capable of.  If we let down our
guard, the consequences could be catastrophic.”

“And yet you don’t know who they would be catastrophic
for.  Or when it might happen.”

“It’s what we do, Martin.”

“Don’t you ever tire of it?”

“I can’t even comprehend why anyone would think like
that.  The Order is committed to protecting mankind.  This just
happens to be the task we are assigned to at the moment.”

“And when will that assignment end?”

“That’s not our decision, but I suspect we’ll have another
fifty years or so of it.”

Martin was very conscious of a humorous glint in Adam’s
eye.  He got the sense that he’d made the comments deliberately, and was
waiting to see what the reaction would be.

“I’d heard there was a bit of a pensions crisis, but I
hadn’t realised it was that bad.  I take it what you’re really saying is
that you’re here for the rest of your life.”

“No I’m not.  How old do you think I am, Martin?”

“I don’t know.  A bit older than me, I suppose. 
Nearly forty?”

“I’m seventy-nine.”

He deliberately left that hanging between them.

“So when you mentioned the events in nineteen sixty-four...”

“I was there, Martin.  I saw you.  So did
Jennifer.  So did Claire.”  His eyes were fixed on Martin’s face,
studying him carefully.

A lump seemed to have lodged in Martin’s throat, cutting off
his voice.  Adam had no reason to lie to him.  And, while what he was
telling him would have seemed outrageous at any other time, in the context of
what he had learned over the last week or so, this was only a minor
surprise.  He swallowed hard.

“How old is Claire?”  Suddenly, it was the only
important question he could ask.

“She’s seventy-five.”  The humour had gone from Adam’s
eyes, replaced by a sadness that Martin couldn’t get a handle on yet.

Claire was old enough to be his mother.  At a push, she
might even be old enough to be his grandmother.  For the first time in his
life, he’d thought he’d made a real connection with a woman.  The hang ups
he’d developed about sex made some degree of sense to him now.  Even so,
he knew they wouldn’t just go away.  And yet, somehow, he’d felt sure
Claire would understand, that she’d be the one to help him move on.  More
than that, though, he had felt there was potential for a real future together.

“It’s a tough one to get your head around, isn’t it?” Adam
said, but Martin wasn’t sure how to take it.

“Are you immortal or something?”

“No.  Far from it.  But we do live longer than
other humans.  Three hundred years is a fair average.”

Three
hundre
... 
He
couldn’t even contemplate the rest of the thought.

She’d already been alive for over forty years when he was
born.  In nineteen sixty-four, she’d watched him as an eight year old, and
she’d been fifty.  No wonder she’d been reluctant to commit when he’d been
preparing to leave her by the Land Rover last Saturday.  She had
leaned
in close and told him to come back in one
piece.  And she’d said it with a tenderness that made him believe she felt
the same way about him as he did about her.  Now it seemed she had just
been playing with him, getting him in the right mental state to go and do the
job they wanted him to.

He felt crushed at the deception.  Perhaps more so than
he might have done at another time.  But there had been so much progress
made with his family.  For the first time he could ever remember, he’d
wanted to be close to them, wanted to stay in the village.  Her betrayal
had thrown that idea aside.  Right now, all he wanted was to get as far
away from the village as he possibly could.

Then Adam said something completely unexpected.

“You need to talk to her.  She’s very frightened at the
moment.”

“Frightened?  What’s she got to be frightened of?”

“Of losing you.  With everything that’s happened to
you.  With the...”  He hesitated, apparently struggling to find the
right words.  And apparently failing.  “With the situation of your
mother and brother having sex, and knowing the same happened between your
father and sister, she knows that any relationship the two of you had could be
a reminder of that.”

“What?”  He looked at Adam incredulously.  “Are
you
mad
?  Why would I think that?  It’s not as if she looks as
if she’s old enough to be my mum.”

“All right, let’s take that point as read for now. 
What about how you’re going to feel when you’re in your seventies, and she
still looks as if she’s in her thirties or forties?”

That stopped him for a moment.  Right now he was young
and virile.  Well, he assumed he was virile.  For the two of them to
be together now would be perfect.  But how
would
he feel in forty
years’ time?  When she was still looking young and beautiful, and he was
heading for the knackers yard.  More importantly, how would
she
feel?

“Think about it,” Adam said gently.  “It might not work
out.  Away from the unusual events you’ve been through together, you might
find that the attraction isn’t there in the same way.  But if things do
get serious, you need to understand what you’re letting yourself in for. 
And when you’ve thought about it properly, you need to talk to her.”