The Omega Children - The Return of the Marauders (A young adult fiction best seller): An Action Adventure Mystery (12 page)

A hundred metres to the left, the stone wall ended and their mother poked her head out, unsurprisingly waving and beckoning them.

‘Urrr, just follow her,’ Melaleuca said.

‘I think it is her dead ghost come back to lead us,’ Lexington said.

‘Or,’ Quixote said, ‘she is somewhere far away meditating and sending us her form using more of her powers.’

‘Just follow,’ Melaleuca said.

As they rounded the corner their mother had disappeared again though by now none were surprised.

A dirt road headed up a small rise, stopping in front of a large ivy-clad wrought-iron gate.  The dirt road headed downhill away from the gate through English looking oak trees.

‘Oh blow, where has she gone? This is cruel and ridiculous,’ Lexington said.

Bedraggled and aching from their run, none of them seemed to care anymore.

‘Sit. Rest,’ Melaleuca said.

‘We have to find mum,’ Lexington said.

Ari sat, resting up against the wall and hung his head between his legs.

‘We don’t even know if it is her.’

‘Just wait,’ Melaleuca said. ‘Whoever it is, they are leading us somewhere. Wait until they appear again.’

‘Yes. But where?’ Lexington added.

‘Well I’m going to explore,’ Quixote said.

He ran up the small rise to the gates.

‘He’s a pain but he is indefatigable,’ Lexington said

‘Big word,’ Ari said.

‘It means not easily tired.’

Ari wiped the sweat off his brow. ‘And where did Argus go?’

‘Oh,’ Lexington said. ‘Ummm. I meant to tell you.’

She hurriedly told them what Argus had done last night, feeling a little foolish for waiting so long.

‘Come on,’ Quixote said as he neared the iron gates.

Melaleuca let the news of Argus filter through her and said, ‘Don’t worry about it. The answer on Argus will become clear. Let’s move.’

She stood and trod up the small rise.

‘How can you know that? What do you base that on?’

Melaleuca ignored her, joining Quixote at the iron gates.

‘Mum led us here,’ Melaleuca said. ‘She appears no more which means we are where she wants us to be.’ Before Lexington could say anything, she held up a determined finger in Lexington’s direction and stated, ‘I know it so.’

Ari gingerly said, ‘Then I should tell you, I don’t think it was our mother we followed. I didn’t want to say anything because I trusted you to make the right decision. But whoever it was they have left no tracks, no footprints, nothing.’

‘So we are dealing with a ghost,’ Quixote half shouted once again more excited.

‘That’s just the point Quixote. We do not know what we are dealing with,’ Lexington said.

‘I know what we are dealing with,’ Quixote said grinning, getting ready to wind Lexington up.

Melaleuca held her hands up high to silence them both. ‘Enough. In the absence of clues we press on.’

‘Mel. For logic’s sake. We have travelled this far and nothing has been answered,’ Lexington said.

Melaleuca turned her hawk-eyes on Lexington and tried to stare her down. Unmoved, Lexington relaxed and took heed of the words of her mother, “your gentleness is the strongest weapon you have,”
and softened her resolve.

‘Mel. I have to do this. Please.’

Melaleuca calmed down. ‘You will. In time. Trust me. For now we push on.’

Lexington could see that Melaleuca would not budge, yet despite not getting her way she felt powerful, having blunted Melaleuca’s sharpness.

‘Where do we push to?’ she said.

‘I’m climbing over the wall,’ Quixote said.

Half way up, he looked over his shoulder.

‘Look at that.’

The dirt road cut through the Oak trees, opening a small gap in the woods, large enough for them to peer into the valley below. A small town or village sat there.

‘What is that place?’

‘New Wakefield,’ came a voice from behind the gates.

‘Idiot. They cannot see you,’ a harsh sounding woman said from behind the gate. ‘Now I will not be able to see what sort of children they are.’

‘Sorry d..d..dear,’ said the first voice.

‘Open the gate then. Come on,’ the woman said.

The gate creaked open.

A sour faced lady grimaced at them. Her old fashioned dress draped to the ground and her hair-bun had a tortoise shell comb holding it in place, matching her tortoise shell glasses. A stooped untidy old man stood next to her, bald and chubby though a lot more cheerful looking.

‘Who are you?’ Melaleuca said backing away and checking where her cousins were.

The old lady screeched back at her. ‘Silence!’ With great disdain she said, ‘I am your Aunty Gertrude and this, is your Uncle Bear-Nard.’

Surprised, and a little horrified, Melaleuca held her silence, exchanging glances with her cousins. Even Quixote found nothing to joke about and Lexington stared upon them stunned.

Pleased, Aunty Gertrude allowed her face muscles to arrange a thin-lipped weak smile.

‘Instant obedience. I like that.’

‘Really,’ Melaleuca said. ‘We were never told.’

Aunty Gertrude scrunched her wrinkled face at Melaleuca in disgust, and turning her revulsion to Uncle Bear-Nard she erupted.

‘I told you they would be trouble. Disgusting, filthy outside children with no breeding, ill manners, and a total lack of respect. Who do not even know how to not talk back!’

She shouted at them with a fierce roar. ‘DO NOT SPEAK UNLESS SPOKEN TO FIRST!’

Uncle Bear-Nard dithered beside her unsure what to do.

Having never seen an elderly person before, nor knowing what was expected of them when yelled at them, the cousins smirked amongst themselves as if watching something funny.

‘What if it’s an emergency?’ Lexington asked with genuine curiosity.

Aunty Gertrude gasped.

‘What if we do like bees and dance in circles,’ Quixote said from half way up the stone wall.

Aunty Gertrude gasped some more and staggered back as if hit. She composed herself, glared at Uncle Bear-Nard, shook her head at Quixote, shouting, ‘Get down before you damage that wall.’

Quixote eyed the solid wall and an incredulous look spread over his cheeky face and he burst into laughter.

Aunty Gertrude’s face steamed bright red, and enraged, she tried hollering but choked on her words. Melaleuca could tell that their Aunty was going to be a mighty handful.

‘Qui. Hop down,’ Melaleuca said.

‘What if it is an emergency?’ Lexington said again.

The curiosity in her voice was replaced with something rarely heard in Lexington – a challenge to fight.

‘You...you...you...’

Quixote leapt down, and now pleased, their Aunt’s words flowed again.

‘You…you ask for permission, you uncouth girl.’

Uncle Bear-Nard shuffled forward and with a timid cock of his head said, ‘Perhaps they just need time to understand dear.’

Aunty Gertrude sneered though Uncle Bear-Nard persisted and stepped forward, saying, ‘Perhaps some further explaining might be in order?’

He made a nervous sound and ducked away from Aunty Gertrude fearful she might hit him.

Aunty Gertrude nodded her approval.

‘Children, yes, I am your Uncle Bear-Nard and this is your Aunty Gertrude. Your mother was my younger sister by 25 years ─ ’ 

‘You mean mothers,’ Melaleuca said.

‘M..M..M..mothers?’ He looked puzzled.

‘Yes. We all have different mothers. They were sisters, quadruplets,’ Melaleuca said and eyed him with suspicion. ‘You should know that.’

Uncle Bear-Nard chuckled.

‘Yes yes yes, of course, slip of my tongue. Speech impediment. Keep losing my ‘S's. False teeth not fitted well,’ he said. ‘Your mothers.’ Uneasiness fell over him as he spoke his last two words.

‘What were our mothers’ names then?’

Looking worried he rushed their names out.

‘Kar...er...no...I mean...Henna, Katie, Ursula and Eugenia.’

Melaleuca relaxed as he got them all right, though Lexington nudged her and whispered, ‘He started to say something else.’

‘Rude girl. Don’t whisper,’ Aunty Gertrude said holding a stern finger up at her.

Uncle Bear-Nard ignored her and motioned for them to introduce themselves.

Melaleuca stepped forward. Her raven-dark shoulder-length hair had knots and dirt in it, and her smudged camouflage clothes made her appear like an urchin.

‘I’m Melaleuca Willimena Enigma Arrnor,’ she said placing her hands on her hips.

‘Disgusting to say the least,’ Aunty Gertrude said.

Uncle Bear-Nard offered a simpering smile, trying to smooth her comments over.

Ari presented himself next. As equally messy, his hair resisted dirt and bobbed about like a great wool coat on a sheep.

‘And I am Ari Hillary Shackleton Arrnor,’ he said sticking his chest out. ‘I like to explore.’

‘What you will like to do,’ Aunty Gertrude said back, ‘is learn respect. What queer names.’

‘Our names,’ Lexington said, ‘were given to us based on our personality. I am Lexington Dodeca Varfor Arrnor. Varfor means ‘why’ in another language. I like to ask why, Dodeca ─ ’ 

Aunty Gertrude cut her short with a sharp hand gesture and Quixote, ignoring it, leapt forward with his normal boundless energy and half shouted, ‘I am Quixote Pisces Teleois Arrnor. The most fun in the whole wide wwwwooooooorrrrrrrrrllldd.’

His smug imp face beamed up at Aunty Gertrude - every inch of feature on his head a call to mischief. He winked at her several times.

‘STOP THAT! STOP THAT! STOP THAT AT ONCE,’ Aunty Gertrude said.

‘STOP THAT STOP THAT STOP THAT...’ Quixote said back amused.

Disgusted, Aunty Gertrude recoiled and marshalled her wits - her face becoming as stern as concrete.

Melaleuca pulled Quixote to her, unsure what their Aunt might do. She well knew Quixote did not have the good sense to know when to stop.

‘Where is our mother?’ Melaleuca said.

‘Your m..m..mother?’ Uncle Bear-Nard raised his eyebrows.

‘Yes. She led us here.’

‘Led you here? How odd.’

‘From the sea’s edge. All the way here.’

‘Sea’s edge?’

‘Instead of repeating my questions back, answer them.’

Infuriated, Aunty Gertrude said, ‘Don’t you get infuriated. No more questions. It’s not permitted.’

‘We did see one of our mothers,’ Lexington said, ‘here in New Wakefield, Agorrah, Tenarthdarway, or whatever you call ─ ’ 

‘Oh my,’ Aunty Gertrude said in gushing tones. Her face became delicate and she shook a little. She produced a dainty handkerchief and held it to her nose. ‘I told you Bear-Nard they would be too much for my sensitive sensibilities.’

Uncle Bear-Nard creased his crinkled red-skinned eyes at her, deep in sympathy.

‘We don’t say that word anymore,’ Uncle Bear-Nard said.

‘What? Tenarthdarway?’

‘No you stupid girl,’ Aunty Gertrude said snapping out of her daintiness. ‘That is not a word, the other one.’

‘Oh. Agorrah?’

‘Oh dear, the forbidden word,’ Aunty Gertrude said feigning fainting.

Melaleuca ignored all their Aunt had said. ‘I want answers.’

‘Enough!’ Aunty Gertrude said. ‘Get these brazen brats inside. Horrors and curse on you and your House Bear-Nard.’

She started shooing them inside as if herding sheep.

‘Come on come on, let’s go. Get a move on.’

Without fighting back they shuffled toward the open gate, though Quixote made it difficult on purpose for her to muster them in one clean push.

‘Oh zounds,’ Aunty Gertrude said and pinched her nose. ‘Do they not know how to bathe?’

‘Uncle,’ Melaleuca said straight-faced, ‘that is if you really are our Uncle, we have not washed since our...’ she paused not wanting to say anything about where they came from. ‘...since leaving our home many days have elapsed. We are in good spirits though we would like to bathe and eat.’

‘Children do not tell adults what they would like to do,’ Aunty Gertrude said.

Melaleuca locked eyes on her, wanting to push her away with all her might. She narrowed her gaze and stared past Aunty Gertrude’s steel-grey eyes and bore deep into her mind.  For a brief moment Melaleuca felt the swirl of emotions inside her Aunt, and at an astounding rate unclear images of her Aunt poured into Melaleuca’s mind that made no sense. Aunty Gertrude staggered backwards, shifting her sight off her niece. She tried to compose herself and adjusted her hair, though Melaleuca saw she had unnerved her.

‘The harder the stick the more easy it breaks,’ Melaleuca said.

Aunty Gertrude pursed her lips tight. 

‘Get these children inside.’

She turned and stormed through the gate.

‘Come children,’ Uncle Bear-Nard said and chuckled a nervous laugh. ‘Let us get y..y..y..you settled.’

They followed their Uncle through the gate and started walking on a dirt road that led up a small hill. Ahead Aunty Gertrude set a furious pace. At the top of the hill a large lawn sprawled out in front of the cousins, and many gigantic trees erupted out of the well-kept grass. They looked as large as the ones in their training play ground though a supernatural feeling emanated from them. Their roots protruded out of the earth, appearing like leaping dolphins frozen in wood with gaps big enough for a person to fit under.

Ari and Quixote ran to the trees and Melaleuca could tell it was as if they drew the boys.

‘Come look,’ Ari called out.

Melaleuca joined them awed by the size of the trees, and even Lexington dashed to them. A look of twisted horror lay twined into the trees flaky bark, and seams of abrupt curls and deep etched lines traced jagged furrow-patterns along it. It looked as if the trees had once been alive.

Discarding her delicateness, Aunty Gertrude ran and yelled at them to get off the lawn, trying to herd them with outstretched arms while yelling at Uncle Bear-Nard.

‘Disgusting! Uncouth! Vagabonds.’

She ushered them through the trees until they stood before an immense manor-like building.

Despite the sun shining on it, it appeared dark and ominous as if something large and unseen created a great shade over it. Five stories high, towers jutted out here and there, and small turrets traced their way around the roof’s edge. Many high-arched windows dotted the large stone-slab walls with smaller bricks and panels of wood adorning it sporadically.

‘Is it a castle or a.....’ Lexington said stumped and then added in a quieter voice, ‘It looks like nothing I have seen in any of my books.’

Aunty Gertrude smirked at their awe-struck silence.

‘Such a mighty privilege,’ she said with great pride. ‘Feast your eyes on the Throughnight Cathedral-Mansion. I see its grandeur is not lost on you. History and myth mix here.’ Her voice became sullen and withdrawn. ‘Once this whole land was dotted with Cathedral-Mansions. Discipline ran high and strong. Our moral fibre was bound by these great buildings. Now this is the last. It is we who hold the fibre of a past age together.’ She stared off into the distance. ‘Oh that outside children should be allowed to tread these great halls where once the mighty trod.’

Upset by her words Uncle Bear-Nard shuffled as fast as he could toward Aunty Gertrude motioning her to be quiet.

Lexington’s face lit up and she turned to Melaleuca.

‘This is perfect for my hypothesis.’ She faced Aunty Gertrude. ‘Why is this called Throughnight?’

Melaleuca lowered her eyebrows in question.
Hypothesis?

‘I said...’ Aunty Gertrude said preparing again to launch into a rant. ‘..no...ques...,’ but then stopped. ‘Throughnight? You do not know your own noble bloodline. Good god!’

‘Let’s...let...them...r..r..rest,’ Uncle Bear-Nard said.

‘But I want to know it all,’ Lexington said pen and notebook ready. ‘The history and the mythology.’

Lexington implored her Aunt with a genuine intellectual want and pride rippled through Aunty Gertrude.

‘You see,’ Aunty Gertrude began, ‘our people are ─ ’ 

Uncle Bear-Nard ambled toward her, shaking his head tut-tutting. Melaleuca found this a strange reaction and saw Ari puzzled by their Uncle as well. Their Uncle grabbed Lexington’s hand and tugged her toward two large wooden doors at the top of a set of marble steps.

‘They need r..r...rest,’ he said to Aunty Gertrude.

‘Bear-Nard!!’ Aunty Gertrude shouted. ‘The servants’ entrance for this rabble.’

Scolded, he led them down the side of the Cathedral-Mansion passing alongside the great stone-block foundations that seemed to go on forever. Up close they appeared dreary and unmaintained though arriving at the back revealed neat gardens and trimmed hedges.