The Spook's Battle (22 page)

 The air was full of screams, but they were coming from the storeroom into which the Mouldheels had fled; the Mouldheels were no doubt trying to escape by climbing through the other hatch into the first section of the tower below ground. I began to descend the spiral of steps toward the floor.By the time I reached ground level, the screams and shouts were distant, fading away by the second. But there was a trail of blood that led from one of the tables near the wall into the storeroom. I wondered which of the witches was the victim and walked toward the door slowly, reluctant to face what I might find there.However, I saw that the storeroom was already empty. I walked across and peered down through the hatch. It was dark, but in the distance I could see the bobbing lights of lanterns against the walls as the Mouldheels fled down the spiral steps, and the vast space echoed with faint screams. I lifted my own lantern and peered down. The trail of blood continued beyond the hatch. The eye of a lamia glittered, reflecting back the light. She was dragging something down the steps. It was a body. I couldn't see the face--just legs and bare feet slowly receding downward.The Mouldheels belonged to the dark, but I felt sorry for the dead victim below. And I didn't feel good about betraying Mab, even though I'd done it for the sake of the County. But what if she was right? What if she did escape the lamias and unite with the other clans to spite me? Had I just put myself, my family, and all the County in even greater danger?I closed the hatch and turned away, sickened. I would have locked it if I could, but Alice still had my special key. I trusted Mam. I knew that I'd nothing to fear from the lamias. They were family, and I had their blood in my veins. But I still didn't want them near me. I wasn't ready to face who I was just yet.

James The Blacksmith

I
t was a long night. I tried to sleep, hoping to blot out for a while everything that had happened, but it was useless, and finally I went back up onto the battlements and waited for the sun to come up.It seemed to me that I was safe enough in the tower. The drawbridge was up, the breach in the wall had been repaired, and the two lamias would prevent either the Mouldheels or the Malkins from coming back through the tunnels and up into the tower. But I needed to know how Jack was.If only I could bring him and his family into the safety of the tower . . . and one of the potions in the first trunk might well be able to help him. I wanted to see the Spook, too, and tell him everything that had happened; but even more urgently I had to talk to Alice. She knew where I was, and if news reached her about what had happened, she might come back to the tower. She would be able to look through the potions and perhaps work out which one to use. It was dangerous out there and my courage was faint, but I knew that if Alice hadn't come to the tower the next day, then I would have to go and look for her.The sun came up and climbed into a sky that was clear, without even a hint of cloud. The morning wore on, but apart from the crows and the occasional distant glimpse of deer or rabbits, the clearing between the trees and the tower was empty of life. In a way, as the rhyme says, I was king of the castle. But it meant nothing. I was lonely and afraid and I didn't see how life would ever get back to normal.

 Would Magistrate Nowell eventually come back and demand that I surrender? If I refused, would he bring the constable and lay siege to the tower again?By the afternoon my appetite had returned, and I went down into the living area once more. The fire was still smoldering, so I stoked up the embers and started to bake potatoes for my breakfast. I ate them straight from the fire, too hot to hold for more than a second at a time. I burned my mouth a little, but they were delicious and the pain was worth it. It made me realize how little I'd eaten since arriving in Pendle.I found my rowan staff in a corner and sat for a while holding it across my knee. Somehow it made me feel better. I thought of the silver chain that had been confiscated by Nowell. I wanted it back--J needed it for my work. But at least Mam's trunks were back in my possession. I still felt weary and afraid, but decided that, after nightfall, I'd have to set off and find Alice or the Spook. Under cover of darkness I'd have more chance of evading capture --either by witches or the constable and his men. I wouldn't be able to use the drawbridge; once I'd let it down and left the tower, there'd be nobody there to raise it again and any of the witches could easily get in. So I'd have to leave by the tunnel and risk an encounter with the wight. That decided, I pushed some more spuds into the fire for my supper and went up to the battlements to spy out the lay of the land.I waited and watched, gathering my courage as the sun sank toward the horizon. After about half an hour or so, I glimpsed a movement in the trees. Three people emerged from the wood and began to walk to the drawbridge.

 My heart leaped with hope. One was the Spook, clearly identifiable from his staff and cloak. He was carrying two bags and walked purposefully, a gait that I could always recognize from a distance.The person to his left was Alice--there was no doubt about that--but at first I didn't recognize his other companion, who was carrying something over his shoulder. He was a big man, and as he drew closer, I felt there was something familiar about his gait, too, the way his shoulders rolled as he strode out. Then, suddenly, I recognized him.It was my brother James!I hadn't seen James for almost three years, and he'd changed a lot. As he approached, I could see that the blacksmith's trade had put muscle on him and he -was broader at the shoulders. His hair had receded from his forehead somewhat, but his face glowed with health and he looked in his prime. And he was carrying a huge blacksmith's hammer.I waved furiously from the tower. Alice saw me first and waved back. I saw her say something to James, and he immediately grinned and waved as well. But the Spook just continued walking, his face grim. At last the three of them halted in front of the moat, facing the raised drawbridge.

 "Come on, lad!" the Spook shouted up, gesturing impatiently with his staff. "Don't dawdle. We haven't got all day! Get that bridge down and let us in!"It proved easier said than done. The good news was that the heavy capstan, which seemed designed for two to operate, not just one, had a ratchet system. That meant that as I turned it, releasing the chains, the weight of the bridge didn't spin the wheel more than an eighth of a turn at a time before the ratchet stopped the cog from turning. Otherwise it would have whirled out of control, breaking my arms or worse.Lowering the drawbridge was only half the battle. Next I had to open the big, rusty iron-studded door. But as soon as I'd drawn back the heavy bolts, it began to grind on its hinges. Moments later James heaved it wide open, threw down his hammer, and got his arms around me, squeezing me so hard that I thought my ribs might break."It's good to see you, Tom! It's really good. I wondered if I'd ever see any of you again," he said, holding me at arm's length and giving me a huge grin. James had broken his nose badly in a farm accident, and it was now squashed back against his face, giving him a roguish appearance. It was a face with character, as Dad used to say, and never had I been more happy to see it."There'll be time for talk later," said the Spook, entering the tower, Alice at his heels.

 "But first things first, James. Get that door closed and bolted and raise that bridge. Then we can afford to relax for a bit. Well, what have we here?"He paused to glance down at the trail of blood that led into the storeroom and raised his eyebrows."It's Mouldheel blood. Mam's sisters were in two of the trunks," I said. "They're feral lamias. ..."The Spook nodded but didn't look too surprised. Had he known all along? I began to wonder."Well, word came to us that the Mouldheels had fled down the tunnels soon after the Malkins, but we didn't know why," he said. "So this explains it. Where are the lamias now?""Down below," I said, gesturing with my thumb.James had closed the big wooden door and thrust home the bolts. "Mechanism for the bridge up there, Tom?'' he asked, gesturing upward."Through the trapdoor and on the left," I said and, giving me a quick smile, James ran up the steps two at a time.

 "You all right, Tom?" inquired Alice. "Got help for Jack, then came here as soon as we could.""I feel better now you three are here, but I've had a few scary moments, to say the least. How is Jack?""Safe enough for now. He and Ellie and Mary are in good hands. Did my bit, too, just in case. Brewed him up something else, I did. Still unconscious, but his breathing's much better and there's color in his cheeks now. Physically, he seems much stronger.""Where is he? At Downham?""No, Tom. It was too far to take him, and I wanted to get back here and see if I could help you. Jack's at Roughlee with one of my aunts --"I looked at Alice with dismay and astonishment. Roughlee was the Deane village. "A Deane! You've left my family with a Deane?" I looked across at my master, but he just raised his eyebrows.

 "Aunt Agnes isn't like the rest," said Alice. "She ain't all bad. Always got on well, we have. Her second name's Sowerbutts and she once lived in Whalley, but when her husband died, she came back to Roughlee. She keeps to herself. Her cottage is on the outskirts of the village, and none of the others will even know your family's there. Trust me, Tom. It was the best I could do. It'll be all right."I wasn't happy, but as Alice concluded, there came the sound of the capstan turning and the bridge being raised. We waited in silence until James came down the steps again."We've a lot to say to one another, so let's settle ourselves down," said the Spook. "Over there by the fire looks as good a place as any."He helped himself to a chair and pulled it up close to the flames. James did likewise, but Alice and I sat down on the floor on the other side of the fire. "Wouldn't mind one o' those spuds, Tom," said Alice. "Ain't smelled anything that good for days!""Those'll be ready soon, and I'll do a few more. . . ."

 "I've sampled your cooking before, so I'm not sure that's such a good idea," said the Spook drily, making his customary jibe. But despite that, I knew he'd enjoy a baked potato, even if he suffered a few singed fingers. So I went into the storeroom and came back with an armful of spuds and began to push them into the embers of the fire with a stick."While you've been getting yourself into serious trouble, I've been busy myself," said the Spook. "I have my own way of sniffing things out, and there are always one or two folk who aren't afraid to speak up and tell the truth."It seems that since last Halloween, emissaries of the Deanes have been slowly moving in on Downham village to plant their evil and terrorize the good folk. Most villagers were too terrified to warn Father Stocks, who, apart from the thefts from the graveyard, had no idea that things had deteriorated so far. Fear is a terrible thing. Who can blame them when their children are threatened? When their sheep waste away before their eyes and their livelihood's in jeopardy? By the end of the summer, the whole place would have belonged to that witch clan. As you know, lad, I like to work alone --apart from my apprentice, that is--but this wasn't the time for it."I tried to rouse the menfolk to action, but I was making heavy weather of it. As you know, most people fear our trade, and the villagers were too nervous even to open their doors to me. But then your brother James arrived and, after first talking man to man with Matt Finley, the Downham blacksmith, he was able to make them realize the grave danger to themselves and their families.

 Finally some of the village men gathered in support. I'll spare you the details, but we cleared out the Deanes, root and branch, and they won't be coming back for a long time, if at all!"I glanced at Alice, but she showed no reaction to all this talk of the Deanes."As a result of all that," continued my master, "I got your note very late, lad. Too late to help. We set off for Read and met up with Alice, who'd been waiting for us on the outskirts of the laund. Together we traveled here to Crow Wood. Poor Father Stocks," he said, shaking his head sadly. "He was a good apprentice and a loyal friend to me. He didn't deserve to die like that.""I'm sorry, Mr. Gregory," I said. "There was nothing I could do to save him. Tibb took his blood, but then Wurmalde killed him with a knife--" The memory of Father Stocks lying murdered on the bed returned so vividly that I almost choked on my words. "She acts like the mistress of the house --she controls Master Nowell as well. She blamed me for the murder; he believes everything she tells him and was going to send me off to Caster to hang as soon as the tower was breached. He'll be after me again. And who's going to believe me?" I asked, getting more frightened by the second at the thought that I might still be taken off to Caster Castle."Calm yourself, lad. Hanging's the least of your worries! Word has it that Master No-well and Constable Barnes have both gone missing. I suspect that neither will be in any condition to press charges.

 "Suddenly I remembered what the housekeeper had said to me in the cell at Read Hall. "Wurmalde told me that Nowell would be dead within days and that the whole district would be in their hands.""The first might well be true," said the Spook, "but not the second. This land of ours may be at war, but we've a battle or two of our own to fight yet. It's not over by any means--not while I've breath still left in my body. We're probably already too late to save the magistrate, but we can still deal with Wurmalde--whoever she is.""She's an old enemy of Mam's, as I told you in my letter," I said. "She's the driving force behind what they're going to attempt at Lammas. She wants to destroy all the good that Mam's fought for. She wants to kill me, prevent me from being a spook, and then plunge the County into darkness. That's why she wanted Mam's trunks. She probably thinks they contain the source of Mam's power. And it's her idea to raise the Fiend. Mab had refused to join with the other clans, but just before the lamias chased her and her clan from the tower, she got angry and said that she was going to join with the Malkins and Deanes, that she was going to help Wurmalde."

 The Spook scratched at his beard thoughtfully. "Looks like we've paid a high price for driving them from this tower. Keeping the clans apart is our main objective, so these trunks have cost us dear. It seems to me that Wurmalde is the key to all this. Once we settle with her, there's half a chance the whole scheme will just fall apart. The witch clans have always been at one another's throats. With her gone, it'll be back to normal. It's just three days to Lammas, so we've little time to waste. We need to carry the fight to her. We'll strike where and when she least expects it."Then, win or lose, we'll turn our attention to the witches' sabbath and try to halt the ceremony. James finally convinced the villagers at Downham that the futures of their families depended on them helping us, so they promised to lend a hand. They were feeling brave at the time, fresh from driving out the Deanes, but a few days have passed since then, and reflecting on the danger might have lessened their commitment--though I'm sure some will keep their promise. Well, lad," said the Spook, staring into the embers and rubbing his hands, "where are those baked potatoes? I'm as ravenous as a wolf, so I might as well risk one after all!"The new ones weren't ready yet, but I used a stick to drag one I'd cooked for myself out of the embers.