Heart of the Hill (18 page)

The others gathered together and waited until the last visitor had left.

“Where did the children go? What happened?” someone murmured.

“Did you not feel Avalon stir?” said Osprey.

“A miracle happened,” said the harmonica player.

“The children found the entrance to the Crystal Cave. Blessed be!”

“Yes, Blessed be!” shouted Osprey. “We will keep vigil until the children return.” He flung his arm around Mr. Smythe's shoulder and invited him to sit on the blanket.

Everyone settled down for a vigil. Some produced blankets, sweaters and wraps from knapsacks and packs.

Others handed around soy nuts and trail mix.

“The child said we should sing,” continued Osprey.

He motioned to the musicians. “Play friends, and raise your voices so the children will hear us. Let them know we keep watch while they travel inside the Tor.”

The music resumed.

Stunned, Mr. Smythe sat on the blanket, hugging his knees. What would he do if Adam and Chantel didn't reappear?

“Idiot. What did you do that for?” whispered Owen, disbelief in his voice. “We're in a blasted cave again. We'd just escaped! What if those women come back?”

Holly ignored him. She peered through the gloom.

They heard a stone strike stone and saw a shower of small sparks. Holly gave a sigh of relief. Arto was still ahead of them. “Keep watching,” she hissed.

Arto struck his flints repeatedly until the braid of dried reeds he carried caught fire. He sheltered the flame with his hand until it burned strongly, then held his tiny torch high.

The faint light on the end of his reed flickered. “The sacred fire,” muttered Arto. “It must be lit before my reeds are consumed.” He cast around in the center of the cavern, holding his taper high in the air until he almost stumbled over a dark mass of sticks piled ready for use on the cavern floor.

Arto thrust his reed into the middle. With a spit and a crackle the tinder-dry kindling caught. Tiny blue and yellow flickers danced under skillfully laid boughs, until, with a sudden whoosh, the fire blazed and the cavern filled with light.

Arto fell to his knees before it and held out his arms beseechingly. “O Guardian of the Portal, show mercy on a believer. The passage to the Lady's Crystal Cave is sealed forever. Grant me entrance through your Portal.”

Holly and Owen held their breath.

Nothing happened.

Zorianna and Vivienne were oblivious to the activities in the Portal. They were engaged in a battle of wills.

“How dare you interfere and terrify the child?”

Vivienne stormed at Zorianna. “You promised to help, not destroy my chance of freedom.”

Zorianna ignored her. She plunged into the darkest reaches of the Tor.

Vivienne followed. “You are in my realm. Answer me!”

Zorianna swung around haughtily. “You think you have power?” She snorted. “You are weak, Vivienne. Learn from my actions. The human child defied me. I punished her.”

Vivienne trembled with frustration. “You do not understand humans.”

Zorianna laughed cruelly. “What is there to understand? The child is nothing. Now she will comprehend the power of the Dark.”

“You do not comprehend the workings of the human mind. Humans are clever,” Vivienne insisted.

Zorianna laughed again. “It is you who do not comprehend.” Zorianna waved her arm and conjured a window out of the darkness. “Look into my dream cavern. Watch the human begging for release.”

Both peered through the gap into the dream cavern.

It was empty!

Vivienne gasped, then laughed.

Zorianna screamed with fury. She flew out of the Tor and raged around in the form of a great wind.

Above Glastonbury, torrential rain fell.

Vivienne sobered and drew a cloak of darkness around her body, wishing she had never set eyes on Zorianna. “She is impossible,” she muttered angrily. “I need to think.”

The moment of reflection was short-lived. Vivienne became aware of activity in the Portal. She tilted her head and probed the darkness. Several realms were involved. She felt a quiver from the past, a stir in the dreamworld and a definite tremor in the present.

“So, the child in the dreamworld has discovered the Portal. She can wait. So can the past. Even I, Vivienne, cannot deal with more than one realm at a time.” Vivienne probed the present, her pulse quickening. “Ah … here is the boy, Adam. He has walked the Labyrinth at last.”

Vivienne flew through the darkness to the present.

Adam and Chantel goggled at each other and stared again around the Portal.

“I … I did it,” stammered Adam. “I … I walked the Labyrinth, and Earth Magic happened.”

“I know,” said Chantel softly. “Time kind of stopped, and something weird made me make the Spiral Labyrinth.”

Adam nodded. “It's weird all right, but I guess we're inside the Tor. Earth Magic worked for me.” His voice grew stronger. “If I could do that, I can do the rest!” He took a deep breath. “Now for the Crystal Cave.”

Wind whirled around them as though an invisible door had opened. Abruptly the disturbance stopped.

“Adam and yet another Magic Child!” said an irritated and flustered voice. “I return just in time. How many more Magic Children are there?”

Adam and Chantel were too startled to answer.

“You have entered the Portal and seek entry to the Crystal Cave? Why?” The voice rolled around the gloomy space, filling their heads, but whether it was a real voice or mindspeak neither child could tell.

Adam tensed. “Vivienne?”

“Yes, it is I, Adam,” the voice replied. “At last you have answered my call and walked the Spiral Labyrinth. Now you have entered the Portal between worlds. Forget about the Crystal Cave; undreamed of power is within your grasp.”

“It is?”

“Don't believe her,” whispered Chantel. The voice gave her the shivers. She tugged at Adam's arm. “Don't listen. Remember?”

Adam pulled his arm free. He couldn't deal with both Chantel and Vivienne. He turned his full attention to the voice. “I don't want power, just the entrance to the Crystal Cave, p … please.” His voice, firm at first, wavered.

Gentle laughter filled the cave.
“
Why do I not believe you? All humans crave power, Adam. Few attain it. Forget the Crystal Cave. You will never be able to breach its seal. Why risk failure when you could be one of the lucky ones? Choose your future!”

The cavern brightened to show four arches filled with mist. As the mist dissolved, each arch framed a scene. In the first, Adam scored the final goal in a soccer match and was lifted shoulder-high by cheering crowds. In the second, Adam received a law degree with both his parents smiling and clapping as they looked on. In the third, an older Adam planted a Canadian flag at the top of Mount Everest. And in the fourth, Adam wore an Edmonton Oilers' jersey as he skated around a hockey rink, holding the Stanley Cup above his head.

Adam straightened his back and watched proudly. Yes, he could do one of those things. It would be wonderful to achieve something that would make everyone cheer and make his parents proud.

The cavern rang with the sound of chanting,
“Adam,
Adam, Adam, Adam!”

Chantel was horrified. “Don't watch, Adam. Don't listen. It's like dragonspeak!” She tried to pull him away.

But Adam was riveted by the images.

Desperate, Chantel began to sing.

“She'll be comin' round the mountain when

she comes,

She'll be comin' round the mountain when

she comes,

She'll be comin' round the mountain, comin'

round the mountain,

She'll be comin' round the mountain when

she comes.”

Adam ignored her.

Chantel plugged her ears, raised her voice and bellowed. The song echoed and bounced from rock wall to rock wall.

“She'll be wearin' pink pajamas when she

comes,

She'll be wearin' pink pajamas when she

comes,

She'll be wearin' pink pajamas, and eating

bad bananas …”

Adam swung around. “Oh, do shut up, Chantel,” he said crossly. “You don't really think I'm stupid enough to fall for any of this, do you?”

With a gasp from Vivienne, the pictures dissolved.

Floating through the sudden silence as though from a great distance above them came the echo of many voices, finishing Chantel's refrain.

“She'll be eating bad bananas when she

comes.”

Adam's eyes widened.

“The New Age supporters on the Tor!” said Chantel.

She and Adam burst out laughing.

“This is madness,” said Vivienne's voice. Her anger was obvious now. “You have followers?”

Chantel shrugged. “Not really. People just joined in.” She smiled up into the gloom. “Can we go to the Crystal Cave, please?”

Adam grinned at Chantel. “You've a nerve,” he whispered.

Chantel shot him a cheeky look.

Vivienne groaned. She should be using her power to keep Zorianna in control. Instead she was faced with rebellious Magic Children — two in the real world and one waiting in the dreamworld.

These children did not follow the rituals of Old Magic. They entered without ceremony or reverence and did unexpected things.

Safely cloaked in darkness, Vivienne stared down at the two laughing children. They had no respect. And magic only knew what the girl in the dream realm was doing.

Vivienne thought fast. She desperately needed a child to become Portal Keeper, but which? Gently, she probed Adam and Chantel's minds and withdrew in horror.

“Myrddin is close,” she blurted. “He sent you to seek the Crystal Cave. He will join you there if you succeed.”

Chantel and Adam nodded.

Vivienne's thoughts grew frantic. She had miscalculated. There was too much new magic in the air, magic she didn't understand and wasn't sure she could handle. She must rid the Portal of these two. If they unsealed the cave, Myrddin would come. If they failed to breach the seal, Myrddin would rescue them. If Myrddin regained his old powers, she was in trouble.