Heart of the Hill (7 page)

“Place your pencil on the end of the right-hand arm of the cross. Curve up past the right-hand lines, over the top, drop down under the top left-hand dot, come up between the lines and the top of the cross and then curve down to touch the right-hand dot.”

“Place your pencil on the end of the left-hand arm of the cross. Arc up over the top and drop down to just below the right-hand arm, turn in beneath the right-hand arm to curve down and around the bottom right dot. Making a wider path, sweep up, all around the outside, over the top and down to the bottom left dot.”

“Finally, place your pencil at the base of the cross.

Arc up around the outside to the right and over the top. Drop down left and inward and pass up between the bottom left dot and the base of the cross, loop up around to the left, between the wide lines. Sweep up and over to finish at the bottom right dot.”

Mr. Smythe finished and sat back happily as though he had just explained the easiest thing in the world.

Crumpled sheet after crumpled sheet of paper hit the floor as each child attempted to draw the spiral pattern.

Chantel sighed and gave up. “This is too hard.”

Owen followed suit, throwing down the pencil in frustration.

Holly persevered a little longer, then rubbed her eyes and shook her head. “It's weird, it makes me dizzy,” she grumbled and quit.

Only Adam, his tongue poking from the corner of his mouth, persisted.

“Got it!” Adam triumphantly completed the labyrinth and waved it in the air.

Two blasts of mindspeak hit him at the same time.

First Vivienne's voice:
You can conquer the Labyrinth. COME!

Overlaying it, Myrddin roared:
ADAM, time is run
ning out. You must all come to the Tor.

Adam clapped his hands over his ears.

“What is it?” said Owen.

“Is something wrong?” asked Holly, noticing his white face.

Chantel touched his arm gently. “Is it mindspeak?” she whispered.

Adam nodded and removed his hands from his head. His eyes still mirrored distress. “I was blasted by mindspeak … way too loud … it hurt.” He turned to his cousins. “It was Myrddin and the Vivienne woman, both at the same time. We're being called. We have to get to Glastonbury fast.” He looked across at Mr. Smythe. “Please, Sir, can you help make it happen? Like now? As soon as possible?”

The room was charged with tension as the children held their breath. Mr. Smythe had helped them before. He knew about mindspeak and the Wise Ones. And he'd believed their stories. Would he help them again?

Mr. Smythe gazed at the ceiling, tapping a finger thoughtfully. Giving a whoop, he leaped from his chair, riffled though a pile of papers on the dresser and pulled out a slim leaflet. Opening it he ran his finger down a list of dates. “How about tomorrow?”

“Perfect!” said Adam with relief.

“We can't go until after my cast is off,” warned Chantel. “Besides, what will we tell Aunt Lynne and Uncle Ron?”

Mr. Smythe waved the leaflet. “The truth. This weekend is the Glastonbury Arts Festival. There are concerts, art displays, dancing, children's shows, street theater and parades. Terrific fun! I'll invite you to come with me!” He pushed papers around the table. “Where's the phone? I have a friend in Glastonbury, Mervin Green. He's a fellow historian. He rattles around in a large Victorian house on Wearyall Hill and might be glad of some company. Where's the blasted phone?”

CHAPTER FOUR
T
HE
R
EMAINING
L
EGENDS

Despite being mid-summer, storms raged over southern England. The area around Glastonbury was hardest hit. Rain poured, thunder rolled and lightning danced. The silhouette of the Tor flashed in and out against the sky as the elements warred.

In the valley people scurried around, tightening guy ropes holding tents and marquees in place and swathing plastic sheets over the speakers on the outdoor stage set up for next day's opening of the Glastonbury Arts Festival.

Many looked nervously at the sky and crossed their fingers, wishing for clear skies during the weekend. Others looked at the sodden fields and wondered how much water the drainage ditches could hold.

Inside the Portal, their voices concealed by the sound of the storm, Vivienne and Zorianna clashed.

“How dare you mislead me, Portal Keeper,” shouted the emissary. “Twice you have wasted my time. I will not allow you to do so a third time. This is not a game. If I wished to visit other worlds in this galaxy I have the power to do so without your tricks. How dare you. I demanded entry to Gaia.”

Vivienne refused. “You may not pass. I read your heart. You wish to bring destruction to Gaia.”

“LISTEN CAREFULLY, PORTAL KEEPER,” the emissary roared. Her voice rolled and echoed around the black tower, cloaked in the rumblings of thunder.

“I hear you,” said Vivienne from the inner darkness.

“I hear you whether you shout or not.”

“And I hear
you,
Portal Keeper,” hissed the voice. “I too read heart-thoughts, for I am Zorianna, deputy for the Dark Being. My skills equal yours, and I read desire! Your desire for freedom has seeped into the very rocks of this place. Give me entrance, and I will offer you escape.”

“You
are willing to take my place?”

Zorianna smiled contemptuously. “I think not. But let me enter Gaia, and I will bring you a human child who will.”

Vivienne smirked. Zorianna did not know she had already reached a child's mind, but it would be good to have a second child in reserve.

“I have been watching Gaia,” continued Zorianna. “I am learning about its inhabitants. They crave power. A human child will not be able to resist your offer once it tastes Old Magic.” She chuckled again. “Give me the freedom to roam Gaia, and soon you will be released.”

Vivienne considered. “I too sense desire. Yours, Zorianna! Your heart is filled with a desire for power. You will destroy anything in your path. As Portal Keeper, I am forbidden to allow entry to those who will destroy Gaia. You may not enter.”

“Look deeper, Portal Keeper. I have reconsidered. I will help the Dark Being destroy the Wise Ones, but I will save Gaia. I wish this place for myself. The Dark Being rewards her followers, and this intriguing corner of the galaxy shall be mine. I have been observing Gaia. Once the treasure I seek is found, exploiting the humans offers much more fun than destruction. That is allowed, is it not?”

Vivienne considered for a moment. “It is not disallowed,” she said. If the threat of Gaia's destruction was removed, entry was at her discretion, but could she trust the emissary?

Vivienne probed Zorianna's mind again.

Zorianna's mind was deep and devious. It held a tremendous lust for power. It held jealousy. Vivienne mind-probed deeper and deeper and finally gave a little sigh of satisfaction. She'd found Zorianna's secret weakness: Hidden deep in Zorianna's heart was jealousy of her leader, the Dark Being. Zorianna would not destroy Gaia; she would use it as her base. Zorianna believed she could learn about Old Magic and Earth Magic from the humans and discover the means to destroy the Wise Ones herself. She dreamed of standing beside the Dark Being as an equal.

Vivienne smiled. Zorianna did not understand Gaia's humans, but that was for her to discover. Besides, two could play at exploitation. Zorianna was powerful. She could be of use.

“Earn my trust, Zorianna. I will allow the magic of your mind to probe through the Portal to complete a task.”

“I am listening,” Zorianna murmured.

“You say you can reach a human child. Prove it. Draw a child into the Portal without harming either the child or Gaia. Then I will give you entrance.”

The children's afternoon was full of activity as Lynne and Ron helped them pack for the unexpected weekend trip.

Holly organized herself quickly. She packed everything she could, loaded dirty clothes into the washing machine and wandered out to the garden.

At last the rain had stopped, and the sun was peeking through gaps in the clouds. Holly checked around. Everyone was busy. Good. All afternoon she'd fought a powerful urge to walk the labyrinth. She knew it was destroyed. She herself had raked it from the lawn that morning, but somehow the labyrinth was calling her. Had it reappeared?