Jasper learns more about his opponents
The dust began to settle.
The toilet at the back of the building which was still standing creaked and crumbled and then fell apart. Mr Bagley stepped out of the rubble. ‘Hello again.’ he said to Jasper. ‘Nice afternoon for it…’
‘Do I know you sir?’ coughed Jasper.
Mr Bagley shook flakes of plaster from his mortar board and gown and wiped his face. His stick-on waxed moustache fell on the floor.
‘Ah – the Mayor of Goldcaster. What a pleasant surprise.’ Jasper straightened his own moustache, brushed debris from his hat and coat, checked his pistols and his sword, and turned towards Aunt Hetty who was smiling rather smugly and leaning with her arms folded on the teacher’s desk. ‘That was a bit over the top wasn’t it?’ He coughed again. ‘Still, I have to hand it to you madam, you have proved your point – in spades.’
‘Yes,’ said Aunt Hetty. ‘I did groove there a bit, didn’t I?’
Tantamount emerged from what remained of his desk, flapping his wings free of fallout. ‘ “You were only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!” ‘ he squawked
‘I haven’t heard that before.’ said Aunt Hetty.
‘Some English actor in the twentieth century.’ said Jasper. ‘I think the name is Micklewhite. I don’t know where Tantamount gets these quotations from the future from. It baffles me.’
Elisabeth, covered in dust, gingerly emerged from the remains of the stationery cupboard, realised Sir Jasper had seen her and tried to hide again.
‘Don’t bother young lady,’ he said. ‘I rather thought that when you and your brother escaped me you might have fled away to safety, but given today’s frustrations I’m not surprised to find you somewhere in the thick of things. Are you alright my dear?’
‘Er, yes,’ said Elisabeth, blowing the dust off her spectacles, shaking chalk and paper clips from her dress, and looking at him doubtfully.
‘Don’t be alarmed.’ he said. ‘In the unlikely event that you might now have anything to fear from me, that cannot possibly apply with such an accomplished chaperone by your side. I suppose you’ve been Trundling all over Summerdale today have you?’
‘Well, er, yes, I have – a bit.’
‘Damned good job you made of it too. If I had ever reached Summerdale Towers what would I have found?’
‘It’s quite a nice old house, but it has been empty for a while.’
‘And its “Health Hydro”?
‘Well, it has got a pond…’
‘How about the Gold Mine and Jewel Cavern?’
‘A worked out tin mine with very dangerous shafts. But there are some quite pretty lumps of iron pyrites on the spoil heaps.’
‘Dunplundering, bed and breakfast?’
‘I made that up, I’m afraid.’
Jasper sighed. ‘Heigh ho, another entrancing creature destined to be my foe.’
‘Are you alright?’ asked Elisabeth.
‘I believe so, Miss Trundle. But certainly both shaken and stirred.’ He turned again to Aunt Hetty. ‘I feel that you were rather hard on poor Archibald. After all, I am your enemy, he was merely a minion. I shall miss him. He was loyal and hardworking, and as Purser he looked after my accounts – a good man, despite my previous observations, with a fine singing voice. I shall really miss him.’
‘No you won’t. I ain’t finished yet.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Look over there at that oak tree on the green. You’re a seafaring man – where does the sun lie in relation to it?’
‘Why – about two degrees to the west I suppose.’
‘Right. Hold that thought. Now, I said before no permanent harm would come to him, didn’t I?’
‘Well, yes, but…’
‘Never mind “but”. You would like you Purser back wouldn’t you?’
‘Of course.’
‘Well it will cost you.’
‘I thought it might.’
‘No! Not advantage – bit of dignity, that’s all. Are you prepared to hold the hand of a witch, trust me, and close your eyes for a moment? You need to be in my time slot you see – to appreciate the difference. No harm will come to anyone, I give you my word.’
‘That’s good enough for me madam. It will be a privilege to take your hand. I don’t pretend to understand what you are about, but I’ll give it a whirl – I imagine that would be the appropriate expression for this particular form of magic?’
Aunt Hetty laughed. ‘You’re quite a charmer aren’t you? With plenty of guts. I like that in a man. Reminds me of Doctor Dee… Where’s me crystal? Right. All’s ready. Here we go then. Close your eyes, hold on tight – there will be quite a lot of wind noise but no explosions. One, two, three…’
Her grip was surprisingly strong. He was aware that with her other hand she was swinging the pendulum around. Then she screeched out ‘TEMPUS REVERTI!’ There was a sound of a breeze which rapidly became a powerful wind, then a rushing, irresistible gale of noise, like a hurricane tearing out the sails, ripping the rigging apart, bending a vessel into mountainous waves… Then all was quiet once more.
‘May I open my eyes now?’
‘Indeed you may.’ She released his hand. Was it his imagination, or was there a trace of a friendly squeeze…? He found himself looking at a wall of the class room, completely undamaged, the curtains still against the unbroken window through which he could see the oak tree on the green.
‘Where stands the sun now, Jasper Scabbard?’
‘Back east behind the tree, Mistress Paragon. When it should be further west.’
He looked around. The class room was intact. Exactly as it had been before, indeed unblemished, apart from the existing scratched graffiti on the desks (‘Seth Starkadder is a swot’, ‘“Ada Doom wears red knickers’, ‘Miriam Crutch-Ebbing loves Caleb, Ahab, Jethro, Jesus, The Reverend Mr Poste – for ever’)
An untouched Tantamount was peering out from his hiding place as before, and Archibald was back in his trance upon the platform.
‘What happened to my men?’
‘I put them to sleep in the orchard. They’ll be starting to wake up now.’
‘Where are the Mayor and Miss Trundle?’
‘Don’t know who you’re talking about. You must have imagined them.’
He smiled ruefully and nodded his head. ‘Of course I must have. I am sure she is not crouched in that cupboard and he is not lurking in the lavatory. Well, I am at your mercy madam. You can apparently not only harness elemental forces but can also take us back in time. So today is the Autumn Equinox. It’s also a full moon, isn’t it?’
’You catch on fast, don’t you?’
‘Well, I not only understand Newton’s gravity and how magnetism influences my compass, but I acknowledge the subtle forces that effect the tides, and the seasons. You appear to have access to less known elements, or is that only at certain times? And you implied that your powers were limited for the moment, but if you’re only operating at half cock, as it were, I’d hate to be in the vicinity when you had all guns blazing.’
‘You did ask for a demonstration.’
‘Yes, I did, didn’t I? We’ll at least I now know where I stand. Up to the armpits in quandaries, I think.’
Aunt Hetty’s eyes narrowed. ‘You’re a clever bugger, aren’t you? Once you realised who I was you not only had to test the opposition, but now you’d like to learn more about my limitations. Well I’m not falling for it. I can always pull something out of the hat if sufficiently provoked. I’ve got me own local powers see, don’t need the …’ She bit her lip. ‘Enough of that.’ She smiled again. ‘Well, Mr Clever Clogs, if I could do that to your man, why are you still standing?’
‘Why? Well, I rather think you need me madam.’
‘I need you?’
‘I believe that to be the case. You have demonstrated your skills most effectively, but whether or not you might have even greater power in different or later circumstances, I don’t think that factor places me beyond present danger. I believe that it is your knowledge of the situation of my crew and the wisdom that leads you to forego a possible satisfactory short term triumph in order to achieve your principle objectives – yes, therein I suspect my present safety lies.’
‘What is the situation of your crew?’
‘In other circumstances you would not ask that questions because you know I would not tell you, but now you know that I know how you know – (if you follow me), your seagulls being such an effective force, there is no harm in my confirming your intelligence. My men are split into four groups.
I here, with those disgruntled layabouts lying on the green, my First Mate’s men no doubt sightseeing along the seashore, those in Goldcaster attending to our interests, and those on board my vessel, guarding our resources.’
‘You’re right, I did know that. But you speak of my objectives. What are they then?’
‘Many here in Summerdale must be seeking revenge, but being rid of us must be a greater priority, and recovery of booty and recompense for damage must be very high on their agenda. Whilst we are split asunder by circumstance, if any of us were to panic and flee, we might, albeit separately, be gone. Those left on land would be desperate and dangerous, those on board the Leopard might sail away before you could touch them. Where then would be the prospect of recovery and the resolution to this affair that you and your associates must seek?’
‘Very shrewd, Sir Jasper.’
‘If my surmises are correct madam, it follows that you have so far confined your obvious magic actions to myself, since Archibald is still unaware of anything untoward and as my men were oblivious my group may moan but will not panic. Why can that be? Why not destroy us, each group apart from the other? You might say that it is because you want your possessions returned and you might frighten off those on board the ship. But surely with your special powers you could secure the vessel, raise that wind of which you spoke, drive it on to a sand bank, say?’
‘Bit of a teaser isn’t it?’ said Aunt Hetty, tight lipped.
‘What is apparent is that I find myself delayed. Are you expecting conventional help from outside Summerdale that could not arrive until very late tomorrow night at the earliest, given the distances involved and the primitive nature of the only route? I had allowed for that, even if someone had set off seeking assistance the night we arrived. I am a pragmatist and loathe as I am to admit it, I now believe that it is your special power here that is the danger. Perhaps your frightening abilities are even greater after nightfall perhaps, and I might find myself pinned down in Lower Rumble until militia attacked my leaderless men?’
‘I’m not saying.’ snapped Aunt Hetty.
‘Of course not, and I do not expect you to illuminate me, but I am not about to wait in this place until the full moon rises or the clocks strike midnight or whatever. I am lingering no longer here madam, and shall now return to the safety of Goldcaster town. This has been a most instructive interlude, but I must rejoin the rest of my crew.’ He bowed low to her. ‘Goodbye Madam Paragon.’
‘Goodbye.’ said Aunt Hetty. ‘For the moment.’
‘Ah – you expect that we shall meet again?’
‘Quite possibly, Sir Jasper.’
‘Only possibly?’ He smiled. ‘Well, I have to give this enterprise my best shot, as we shall one day say. I owe that to myself and my crew. You appreciate that I am sure?’
‘Of course I do. Don’t forget young Archy.’ Aunt Hetty snapped her fingers and Archibald blinked, shook his head free of the dunce’s cap, and stepped down from the platform, much confused.
Jasper smiled. ‘And if the time comes, you will be gentle with me, won’t you?’
‘Fat chance. Goodbye.’
‘ “Farewell, goodbye, we wish you all adieu.” ‘sang Tantamount. ‘Parting is such sweet sorrow.” ‘
As they left Aunt Hetty flicked her finger at Archibald. A streak of silver light shot up his back to his head and then faded. His hair turned white and stood on end and stayed that way as Jasper remounted his horse and they rejoined the crew upon the green.
Peering from the stationery cupboard Elisabeth stifled a giggle. ‘Was that really necessary?’ she said.
‘Not strictly, no, but it gave me a great deal of satisfaction.’
‘You were tremendous.’ said Elisabeth. ‘You don’t need the bells.’
‘Oh, but I do – for the full package here in Summerdale. Elsewhere one either makes do or taps into whatever is appropriate. But he was quite right, there is something beneath these floorboards. A quartz packed standing stone is buried beneath the foundations. This was once the site of pagan rituals and lies where two ley lines cross. I just couldn’t resist the provocation.’
She rubbed her hands together with satisfaction. ‘Things are definitely starting to improve. I think I’ve given Sir Jasper the impression that he’s not in danger away from here. And we don’t want him getting back to Goldcaster before the bells are hung. I wonder how Alfred’s getting on?’
She was about to find out.
Author of Dangerous Chimes, read more about Michael Macauley over here.