The Spook's Sacrifice (4 page)

'A maenad? I knew they were aware of the new threat
I pose . . .' she muttered, straightening. 'But I hadn't
expected them to know about you and send one of
their number across the sea to the County. Darkness
clouds my foresight. Things I would once have known
are obscured, and it's happening at the worst time
possible . . .' She looked really worried.

'Although the maenad came from Greece, Mam, I
could hardly understand a single word she
said.'

'There are many dialects in that land. But her killing
frenzy wouldn't have helped. Talking to a maenad is
difficult because they're creatures of emotion rather
than intellect. They listen only to their own inner voice.
But never underestimate them. They're a powerful
group because they exist in great numbers.

'Anyway, we must be grateful to Alice for saving
your life. Once she accepts that her birth doesn't
necessarily mean she is destined to become a
malevolent witch, Alice may prove a formidable
adversary for her own father. Together the two of you
might just manage to finally defeat him.'

'Together? Mr Gregory will never agree to that.'

'I fear you may be right, son. And neither will he
find it easy to accept what I plan to do . . .' Once again
she stopped short of telling me about her intentions.

Why was she holding back?

'There are campfires in the southern meadow,' I said,
staring hard into Mam's face. 'Jack says they're witches
from Pendle. That can't be true, can it, Mam?'

'Aye, Tom. It's true. We need them, son. We need
their help.'

'Witches, Mam? We've made an alliance with
witches
?' The enormity of what Mam had done began
to sink in. I dreaded to think what the Spook's reaction
would be.

'I know you'll find it hard because of what your
master's taught you,' Mam said, laying a hand on my
shoulder, 'but we can't win without them. It's as
simple as that. And we have to win, we really do. We
have to defeat the Ordeen. We cannot afford to lose.
If we do, not only the County but the whole world
will be at risk. You go and bring your master down to
see me. Then keep out of the way while I try to talk
him round.'

I did as Mam asked – went up to Hangman's Hill and
told the Spook that she wanted to speak to him. I
revealed no more than that, but perhaps my master
read something in my face, for, as he walked down
towards the farm, he looked far from happy.

Leaving him in the kitchen with Mam, I headed
towards a small rise from where I could look down
upon the campfires of the witches in the southern
pasture. The smell of cooking wafted towards me on
the breeze – rabbit stew. Folk in the County were short
of food and rabbits had been hunted so much that their
populations were depleted and they were now hard to
find. But no doubt our visitors from Pendle had their
own dark methods . . .

I thought back over my own dealings with witches
and shuddered with horror. I remembered being
trapped in a pit while Bony Lizzie sharpened her
knives as she prepared to cut the bones from my living
body. Then there was that awful moment when Mab
Mouldheel had held a knife to little Mary's throat,
clearly prepared to kill her had I not surrendered the
keys to Mam's trunks.

Malevolent witches were ruthless creatures of the
dark who killed innocents to use their blood or bones
in their magical rituals. So the Ordeen must be terrible
indeed if Mam was prepared to forge an alliance
with such evil beings. But could I blame her? I too had
been forced to compromise by fighting alongside
Grimalkin to defeat Morwena and a host of water
witches.

My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the
back door slamming, and then I saw the Spook
striding across the yard, his face like thunder. I ran
towards him but he scowled and turned north before I
reached his side.

'Follow me, lad – we need to talk!' he snapped over
his shoulder as he set off towards Hangman's Hill.
After crossing the north pasture, he paused at the
border of Jack's farm and turned to face me.

'What's wrong?' I asked, by now thoroughly
alarmed. I was sure that the discussion with Mam had
gone badly.

'What's wrong? Everything, lad. Just about everything!
You know my feelings about using the dark. It just
can't be done. You can't make alliances with witches
and suchlike and hope to avoid being contaminated and
drawn towards the dark yourself. Above all, lad,
you
can't risk it. That's exactly what the Fiend wants, as I've
told you often enough. So you've got an important
decision to make. Think it over very carefully—'

'Think what over?'

'What your mam's proposing. Going to Greece,
joining forces with witches and . . . well . . . I'll let her
tell you herself. I can't do it – the words would choke
in my throat. I'm going straight back to Chipenden
now. If you're not back within three days I'll know that
you're following your mam's wishes. In that case your
apprenticeship with me is over!'

'Please!' I called, following him across the boundary.
'Don't go. Can't we talk about it?'

'Talk? What is there to talk about? Your mam's made
an alliance with the Pendle witches. It's as plain as the
nose on your face. So think on, lad, and make your
choice. I've already made mine!'

So saying, he turned, climbed over the fence and set
off up the hill without a backward glance. I watched
him disappear amongst the trees, hardly able to
believe what he'd just said. He was ending my
apprenticeship? How could he do that after all we'd
been through together? I felt shocked, hurt and angry.
I didn't deserve that.

I went down the hill and crossed the yard, heading
straight for the kitchen again. I needed to talk to Mam
and try to sort things out.

'Your master took it very badly,' Mam said when
I went in. 'Even worse than I'd expected.'

'He's gone back to Chipenden, Mam. He said that if
I wasn't back there in three days, then it would be the
end of my apprenticeship.'

Mam sighed. 'I was afraid of that. But you got on
quite well with Bill Arkwright, I believe.'

'Who told you that, Mam?'

'People tell me things all the time, son. Either that or
I find them out for myself. Let's just say I know what
happened. You got off to a bad start but things sorted
themselves out and he trained you well. If John
Gregory won't continue as your master,' Mam went
on, 'then you'll have to make do with Bill Arkwright. I
need him too. I've already sent for him. I hope he'll
agree to join us and come to Greece. He should arrive
sometime tomorrow to talk it through.'

'What do you want
him
to do in Greece, Mam?'

'He's a good spook, but above all he used to be in the
army. We're facing a tremendous battle and I'll need
Arkwright's strength, fearlessness and military tactics.
I've told him it's vital that he comes with us – he'll be
able to strike a bigger blow against the dark there than
he could in sixty years of service to the County.'

It would be good to work with Arkwright again, I
thought. He'd toughened me up a lot during the
months I'd spent with him north of Caster; maybe I
could continue the physical side of my training. If it
hadn't been for what he'd taught me, that maenad
assassin would probably have killed me. On the other
hand I was really going to miss working with John
Gregory. He was my real master and also my friend. It
was sad to think that I'd never be his apprentice again.
The house at Chipenden had become my home. Bill
Arkwright, for all his qualities, couldn't replace that.

'Can't you tell me more about your enemy, the
Ordeen, Mam? What makes her so dangerous that you
need to defeat her in battle?' I asked. 'What's the
threat we face that we need help from so many
people?'

Mam bowed her head for a moment as though
reluctant to speak, but then she looked me in the eye
and seemed to find her resolve. 'The Ordeen has a
terrible thirst for blood, son. And when she visits our
world, those who accompany her through the portal in
her great citadel, the Ord – daemons, fire elementals
and vaengir – are similarly thirsty. Thousands of
innocent people are slaughtered – men, women and
even children. She's growing in power and each visit
she makes to our world is more devastating.'

'She sounds even worse than the Fiend.'

'No, son, the Fiend is far more powerful but he
doesn't flaunt his strength. His aim is a slow
accumulation of power, gradually increasing the evil
that makes the world a darker and more dangerous
place as he tightens his grip upon it. His plans are
long-term – eventual total dominion.

'By contrast, the Ordeen has no long-term plans
other than to drink her fill of blood and instil terror
into everyone she comes in contact with. Many victims
simply die of fear and are easy pickings for the
maenads that swarm in her wake. She's a powerful
servant of the dark – nothing compared to the Fiend,
but we can't hope to confront him yet. For now we
must concentrate on the immediate threat before us,
and destroy the Ordeen before she widens the range of
her portal.'

'What do you mean, Mam?'

'The Ordeen has been visiting Greece for thousands
of years; she materializes only on the plain before
Meteora, where thousands of monks have their homes.
Her visits take place every seven years, and each of
these is more devastating than the previous one. The
monks use prayers to defend their monasteries, and
try to bind the Ordeen within the confines of the plain.
But gradually she's grown in power, while their
effectiveness has declined. And now that the Fiend is
in the world, she can count him as her ally and the
dark is much more powerful. Under the direction of
the Fiend, more and more flying lamias have joined
her: this time, it seems certain the Ordeen will use
them to slaughter the unprotected monks in their
monasteries high in the rocks. That done, the prayers
that have helped to keep her in check will be no more.
She'll be able to go forth and devastate other lands.'

'They've been able to contain her just with prayers?
Prayers really do work then, Mam?'

'Aye, whoever offers them up, if they are uttered
selflessly and with a pure heart, the light is
strengthened. So, although in decline because of the
dark's growing power, the monks at Meteora are a
great force for good. That's why we must strike now
before they're overwhelmed. Prayers alone are no
longer any match for the Ordeen and Fiend combined.'

'So that is where we'll be travelling to – her citadel
near Meteora?'

'Yes – the Ord, her citadel, always materializes
through a fiery portal south of Meteora, near a small
walled town called Kalambaka. Every seven years –
give or take a week. We must stop her this time once
and for all. If we fail, next time she'll be so powerful
that nowhere will be safe. But it's the County that will
be most at risk. I am the Ordeen's old enemy. If I fail to
destroy her, then she'll obliterate the County in
revenge. The Fiend will tell her that my seven sons – all
that I hold dear – are in the County, and she will
eradicate it. Her murderous followers will hunt down
and kill every living person. That is why we must
defeat her at all costs.'

At supper, Mam sat at the head of the table. We tucked
into her delicious lamb stew and she seemed happier,
less troubled, despite all that we would soon face in
Greece. I remember it well because it was the last time
all of us – Mam, Jack, James, Ellie, little Mary and I –
ever sat around the same table together.

I'd spoken to Ellie and James earlier. My brother had
seemed content enough but Ellie was a little reserved,
no doubt because of the witches camped out in the
south meadow. Now, at supper, I could feel a tension
in the air – much of it seeming to radiate from Jack.

Jack said grace before the meal, and we all, except
for Mam, answered 'Amen'. She simply waited
patiently, staring down at the tablecloth.

'It's lovely to be back with you all,' she said when
we'd finished our prayers. 'It's sad that your poor dad
can't be with us too, but we should remember the
happy times.'

Dad had died during the winter of the first year of
my apprenticeship. He'd suffered from congestion of
the lungs and even Mam's skills as a healer had been
unable to save him. She'd taken it hard.

'I wish that my other sons could have visited too,'
Mam continued sadly, 'but they have lives of their own
to lead now, with their own problems. They're in our
thoughts and I'm sure we're in theirs . . .'

Despite those sad absences, Mam chatted away
cheerily, but the tension in the room was growing and
I could see that Jack and Ellie were uneasy. At one
point, through the open window, we heard what
sounded like chanting from the direction of the
southern meadow. It was the Pendle witches. Mam
ignored them and carried on talking but poor Ellie
shuddered and looked close to tears. Jack laid a hand
on her shoulder and stood up to close the window.

James tried to lighten the atmosphere by telling me
about his plans for the brewery he hoped to start the
following year. But it remained a tense, uncomfortable
meal. Eventually we got through it and it was time
for bed.

It was strange to spend the night in my old room
again. I went and sat in the wicker chair and stared out
through the window across the farmyard and hayfields,
beyond the north pasture towards Hangman's
Hill. The moon was bright, lighting everything to
silver, and I tried to pretend that I was back in the days
before I'd ever become the Spook's apprentice. I
brought all my memory and imagination to bear, and
for a few moments managed to convince myself that
Dad was still alive and Mam had never left for Greece;
that she was still helping with the farm chores and
working as the local healer and midwife.

But I couldn't block out the truth. What was done
was done, and things could never be the same again. I
climbed into bed with a strong sense of loss and grief
that brought a lump to my throat. It was a long time
before I managed to fall asleep.

Bill Arkwright arrived late the next morning. His huge
black wolfhound, Claw, bounded across the yard
towards me; her half-grown puppies, Blood and Bone,
scampered along at her heels.

I patted her while the pups circled us excitedly.
Arkwright was carrying his huge staff with its big
sharp blade. He walked with a swagger, and his
closely-shaven head glowed in the sun. He looked a lot
friendlier than the first time I'd met him and his face lit
up with a warm smile.

'Well, Master Ward, it's good to see you again,' he
said. But something in my expression made his smile
fade. 'I can tell from your face that something bad has
happened,' he continued, shaking his head. 'Am I
right?'

'Yes, Mr Arkwright. My mam's made an alliance
with some of the Pendle witches. She's had to because
she needs their help to fight the dark in her homeland.

She wants me, you and Mr Gregory to go with her
back to Greece to fight the Ordeen. My master was
furious when he found out about the alliance and
stormed back to Chipenden. He said that if I didn't
follow him, I could no longer be his apprentice. I feel
torn between them, Mr Arkwright.'

'I'm not surprised, Master Ward. But I can understand
Mr Gregory's reaction. What your mam's asking
goes against everything he believes in.'

'Well, I've had to choose between what Mam wants
and what Mr Gregory wants,' I told Arkwright. 'It
wasn't easy but my first loyalty must always be to her.

She gave me life and I was her seventh son. So she has
to decide what's best for me.'

'You've had a very difficult choice to make but I
think you're right, Master Ward. As for myself, I've a
decision to make too, it seems. I'm going to listen to
what your mam says with an open mind. I must
confess that it's a challenge – it would certainly be
exciting to travel to such a faraway land. So, for now,
I'll not say yes and I'll not say no. I'll wait to hear more
from your mam's own lips. An alliance with servants
of the dark, you say? Well, sometimes we have to
compromise in order to survive. Neither of us would
be here now if it wasn't for the witch assassin,
Grimalkin.'

That was true enough. She'd fought alongside me in
the marsh, and together we'd defeated Morwena and a
host of water witches. Without her I'd have been
killed. Servant of the dark or not, the alliance with
Grimalkin had been worthwhile. It seemed clear that
Bill Arkwright didn't have the same scruples as my
master.

We found Mam talking to James behind the barn.
When she saw us, she took her leave of my brother and
came to greet our visitor. 'This is Bill Arkwright, Mam,'
I told her. 'He's come to hear what you have to say.'

'Pleased to meet you, Mrs Ward,' Arkwright said,
giving a little bow. 'I'm intrigued by what your son has
told me and would like to know more.'

Mam turned to face me and gave me a warm smile.

'I'd like to talk to Mr Arkwright in private for a few
moments, son. Why don't you take a walk to the south
meadow where the campfires are. There's someone
there who'd like a word with you.'

'What? One of the witches?' I asked, puzzled.

'Why don't you go and find out?'

I wondered why she couldn't just discuss things
with Arkwright while I was there, but I nodded and
left them to talk.

The campfires were scattered across the big field
next to land belonging to our neighbour, Mr Wilkinson
– half a dozen of them, with two or three witches
around each fire. Who could want to talk to me? I
wondered. As I walked across, I could see food
cooking, and once again there was a tantalizing aroma
of stewed rabbit.

It was then that I heard footsteps behind me and
turned quickly, my mouth opening in surprise. Facing
me was a girl of about my own height. She was
wearing pointy shoes and her black dress was tied at
the waist with a piece of string.

Alice.