20 Years Later (19 page)

The next day, the children trained quietly, grateful to have Luthor's lessons on setting snares to concentrate on rather than the uncomfortable conversation in the dream the night before. When the morning was over, Zane went over to Jay's square and sought him out.

Jay made time for him, sending some of the Boys away so that Zane could speak freely to him. He listened patiently to Zane's idea and when he was finished, scratched the edge of the bandage still left around his torso.

“You sure he'd like that?” he asked doubtfully. “Don't see why anyone would meself.”

Zane nodded. “I know people used to really enjoy them before It happened. Can you help me, Jay? Please?”

Jay paused, thinking it all through. “I haven't got all that stuff … I'll have to trade with the Weavers for it,” he mumbled aloud. The Weavers were more a group of business associates than a gang, residing in Berwick Street, Soho, once renowned for its fabric trade. After any disaster, there's always someone who finds a way to turn a profit from it, and the
Weavers were expert at this, widely known as the first people to approach when searching for any rare goods. Rumour had it that the Weavers had filled every order ever placed with them, enjoying relative freedom from the more violent gangs due to their usefulness. Jimmy the Weaver, the nominal leader, may have seemed friendly enough but he was a shrewd fellow and one to take care around if you ever strayed that way. Jay knew never to go there at night as it was close to Gardner territory, and it was better to make first contact through a Runner for your own safety.

“You sure that's okay?”

Jay nodded. “Callum did right by us when I was laid up. I'll send one of the lads over when it's all set up … might take a while, though.”

Zane nodded, smiled, and then ran home, not noticing Dev wave at him hopefully as he raced by with his mind on the Weavers. He had never met any of them, of course, and Jay never sent any of his Boys there as it was so close to Gardner territory. If it wasn't for the Runners, and the risks they were prepared to take to survive, the Weavers would probably have gone out of business. Zane had the feeling that so much happened in London beyond his mother's garden.

Jay was true to his word, and three days later Tim was sent round to let Zane know that everything was ready.

He and Titus hurried to the square, leaving a message with Miri to let Erin know where they'd gone as she had been summoned by the Red Lady. Luthor was out hunting, so they didn't have to worry about him seeing anything.

A huge bonfire was lit in the east of the inner square, and a tightly controlled operation stretched from its edge right into the Russell Hotel. Jay had a constantly moving stream of Boys carrying buckets of water from the rainwater butts nearby which were then poured into metal saucepans, heated over the
bonfire, and carried finally into the hotel. He waved Titus and Zane over.

“Almost done, and Callum's on his way. Go and check it's all ok if you want.”

Zane and Titus went into the hotel to find the lobby lit with candles in jars, the filthy windows alone not letting in enough of the daylight. Very little remained of the reception desk; its wood had been taken and burnt a long time before. The former splendour of the walls and ceilings was now eradicated by years of neglect, the coffee tables smashed and the sofas stripped of their cushions and fabric. Now only a collection of springs and metal frames was left scattered around the edges of the area. The marble of the floor was revealed in the path where Boys had walked back and forth, brushing away the thick dust. More jars of candlelight spread up the large spiral staircase to their right, made hazy by the grime that clung to the glass wall that curved around it. Zane and Titus followed the light up the stairs, dodging small Boys either staggering under heavy pans of steaming water or scurrying back down the stairs with empty ones. It was easy to see where the small army was heading to and from, and Titus and Zane made their way to the same room.

The bedroom had been stripped of fabric, wood, and paper a long time before, leaving only a large plastic box with a smashed glass screen that no-one knew the reason for and an old mattress that had been too heavy for the Boys to get out of the room. They had opened the windows to let in as much light as possible, but more candles were in the suite's bathroom, which had no window of its own. Trying their best to keep out of the way, first Titus, then Zane peeped in as one of the Boys tipped his pan of water into the newly cleaned bath. The air was full of steam and fragrant with herbs that Zane had picked from the garden. The list of items that he'd asked for were laid neatly in a row, along with some that Jay had added,
and sure enough it was all there, the Weavers living up to their reputation.

Titus looked at Zane doubtfully. “I hope he likes this.”

“If he doesn't, Mum will,” Zane replied. “Let's go and wait for him outside.”

By the time they had re-emerged from the hotel, Callum was entering the square, marvelling at the frenzy of activity.

Jay beckoned him over, telling the Boys to stop and rest, which they did gratefully. “Callum! Glad you were nearby. Zane here has set sommat up for you, and I let him do it on my patch to say thanks for lookin' out for my lads whilst I was laid up.”

Callum's eyebrows were high as he heard this, and he shuffled over to Zane and Titus, who were waiting for him at the steps of the hotel. “Is this all your doing, young Zane?” he asked uncertainly.

Zane nodded eagerly. “I was talking to Mum ages ago, and she said that one of the things she really missed from before It happened was having a hot bath, especially after a long hard day. And you've had lots of long hard days looking after the Boys, so I thought you might like one too.”

Callum blinked at him from under the eyebrows. “You did, hmmm?”

Zane nodded. “I picked lots of herbs for the water to make it smell nice … I think Mum might like you more if you smelt better.”

Callum took it well, seeing that the boy didn't mean any offence.

“A bath, eh?” he scratched under his long beard. “A hot one, you say?” Zane nodded enthusiastically. “Well, I better get moving, else it'll get cold.”

He ruffled the top of Zane's head as he went past him into the hotel and up the stairs. The remainder of the Boys spilled outside, chattering and pushing each other, to gather under the window of the room Callum had gone to.

A few moments went past. The Boys fell silent, all craning their necks to see if Callum was going to come out running in disgust as many of them expected him to.

“Will he really get in the water?” Dev asked quietly.

“Course he will. We didn't take it all up there for him just to look at!” Jay replied.

“Won't that kill 'im?”

“Nah.” Jay sounded less certain.

“Will he take all of them clothes off?” another Boy asked in a nervous voice.

“I bet some of 'em are stuck on,” another quipped and got a clip round the ear from Jay.

“Less lip!” he growled. “Callum's alright.”

A noise from above hushed them all. It was deep and resonant, like nothing any of them had heard before.

“Is it hurting him, Jay?” Paulie, one of the smallest, asked nervously.

Jay shook his head. “Nah … don't sound like it.”

The sound began to stretch over words, floating down to them all melodiously. “He's singing!” Zane cried out in delight. “It means he really likes it!”

Some time later, a different man emerged from the hotel. Jay jumped to his feet when he saw him, reacting as if someone had strayed onto his patch and Callum was still upstairs.

The man smiled shyly and Zane ran up to him. “Callum!”

Several of the Boys gasped. One cried out, “It made his hair fall off!”

Zane hugged him as everyone marvelled at how different he looked. His beard was gone, as was his long knotted hair. He had cut both away, leaving only an inch or so on his head, and had even shaved with the new razor and mixture secured from the Weavers. He was dressed in the new clothes that Zane had asked for and, much to Zane's relief, smelt fresh and clean.

“You look so much younger!” Titus remarked and Callum laughed, the skin around his mouth so much paler than his cheeks.

“You have to come and show Mum!” Zane urged, pulling him down the steps.

Callum stopped him at the bottom to go over and shake Jay's hand. “Thank you, Jay. It was high time I stopped hiding.” He smiled at the Boys, a couple of whom were still gawping at him open-mouthed. “And thank you too, Boys, very kind of you to carry all those pots. I'll collect my things later.”

He then let Zane usher him to his own square. As he left, one of the Boys shook his head. “I 'ent never having one of them bath things,” he mumbled. “Not if that's what it does.”

Titus hurried after them, curious to see how Miri would react. Callum walked differently, with a body less encumbered by many layers. He was still broad in the shoulder, but with a sturdy body and strong-looking arms which had been impossible to see properly before.

Zane burst into the house, calling for his mother. She came to the doorway still holding her pestle and a handful of herbs and looked at the man in the doorway as if he were a stranger.

“It's Callum, Mum,” Zane cried and her jaw dropped. “We gave him a bath!”

Callum smiled back somewhat awkwardly as Miri struggled to find words. “Would you like a cup of tea?” she finally managed, and Callum nodded with a shy smile, stepping into her house for the first time.

The next morning Zane was surprised to find that Titus wasn't waiting for him in the garden as usual first thing. His friend soon emerged from his house, but he looked distant and tense.

Zane wondered over to him, noting the dark circles around Titus' eyes and the pallor of his cheeks. “What's wrong?”

Titus was scanning the garden for Luthor and Erin. “I need to go to the Red Lady. Right away.”

Zane brightened at the thought of seeing her again. Before he had a chance to say anything, Luthor and Erin came into view and Titus hurried over to the Hunter. “Wait!” Zane called, “I'm coming too!”

Zane tried hard not to look too excited to see her when the Red Lady bade them look up. The breeze teased the voile drapes to his left, carrying her scent to him, and he breathed it deeply. Zane felt a huge sense of relief when Titus had asked that he and Erin be allowed to stay and it was granted. He heard the doors shut as Luthor left and watched her eyes take her visitors in. He was sure they lingered a little longer on him.

“Always a pleasure to have you visit.” She smiled warmly. Zane was certain that she was directing that specifically at him, but then she shifted her attention to Titus. “I take it you have a dream to tell me about?”

The boy nodded. “I saw Lyssa.”

Both Erin and Zane looked at him in surprise. The Red Lady leant forward slightly in her chair. “Your sister? Go on.”

Titus was frowning at the floor, his hands clenching as he struggled to find the best place to start. “I know it was important … I was planning to go to the room I told you about, but I didn't wake up there. I mean … I didn't start the dream there–I was somewhere different, and I could hear Lyssa …”

His voice faltered and he swallowed hard. The Red Lady stared at him intently before saying in a gentle voice, “Tell me about where the dream started … was it another room?”

The tactic worked and Titus focused on the question. “No, it was a corridor, a strange one. The ceiling and walls were grey and smooth. The light was bright, like sunlight, but it came from thick lines on the ceiling that made a humming noise.”

Zane glanced at the Red Lady to gauge her interest and was surprised by its intensity. She had paled slightly, and her hands, usually loosely draped over the ends of the chair arms, were instead gripping them tightly.

“Go on,” she prompted, voice hushed.

“There were lots of doors … sort of set into the walls in an odd way. There was no gap anywhere around them like normal doors and they were all shut. There were covered panels in them, but it looked like the cover could be slid back so you could see into the room. The floor was shiny.”

There was a pause and the Red Lady adjusted her posture, sitting more straight in her chair. “What could you hear?”

Titus seemed reluctant to answer. “Crying … but muffled, coming from the rooms, I think, but the doors were thick. Then I heard Lyssa calling for me and I was moving down the corridor … like I was being pulled almost. I came to one of the doors and I could hear her … hear her crying and calling for me. Then I sort of just moved through the door and …”

His description broke off. Zane couldn't help but reach over and put a hand on his shoulder. Titus looked at him, his eyes blinking rapidly as he took a deep breath. Zane had never
seen him so unsettled before. He looked back at the Red Lady.

“Lyssa was lying on a bed and she was held down by some straps and … and her hair was all cut off and she looked sick. I tried to speak to her but I couldn't … it wasn't like the clever dreams we have in that room. She was … really upset and scared.”

Zane squeezed Titus' shoulder gently as his friend shook, trying to convey his presence and support, but was uncertain whether Titus even felt it. After a few moments he regained his composure and continued in as strong a voice as he could muster.

“The door opened behind me and … and the Giant came in.”

Zane gasped. “The Giant comes from the Unders?!” he exclaimed.

“Giant?” The Red Lady rose and came down the steps to their level. She then looked at Zane with surprise. “You know about the Unders?”

Zane felt the pressure of the three of them staring at him. “Only that they're bad people that steal women … Mum thinks they took Lyssa. I don't know anything else about them … except that they can make lightning and throw it at people.” He gasped again, this time in horror. “That means the Giant can make lightning!”