Jack Shian and the Destiny Stone (25 page)

“And if you knew our islands then you would know that that is what we fear most,” said Magnus. “We would never survive that.”

Iain Dubh had silently joined the group.

“Jack, you remember how bad things were at Nebula? After the Hallows’ Eve party?”

Jack thought back to the grimness of Nebula. Thin-faced creatures, only just surviving the hardship of cold and near-starvation. He shivered.

“Well, Novehowe’s much like that. It’s a long hard winter. Only the prospect of spring returning makes it bearable.”

“I’m sorry if making you wait a few hours to put your request was troublesome,” said Magnus. “But we have waited months to share this time of festivity.”

Jack looked down guiltily.

“So,” continued Magnus generously, “I gather you have a request to make?”

“He does,” said Iain Dubh. “And I promised Jack that the Nebula men would join him if he could persuade Magnus of Novehowe to do so. So, Jack, plead your case.”

“We … we wanted to ask if you would help us stop the Kildashie. If they get the Destiny Stone and the King’s Chalice, they’ll be able to control everything. It’s freezing cold everywhere; and there’s floods, and the woods are all getting burnt, and the waters are being poisoned …” Jack heard his voice getting faster and faster.

“The Kildashie believe they can do whatever they like,” added Phineas. “We’ve always known they could be
infama
; but from all we’ve heard, they really don’t care.”

Magnus looked across at the half-giant, who had resumed his place near the fire.

“For the Kildashie to challenge the green man and threaten to break our season-wheel
was
infama
. But we are not so reckless as to join a battle without knowing what we fight. How big is the Kildashie force?”

Jack looked at his father and grandfather.

“The Kildashie and Thanatos occupy Edinburgh and most of the lands north of Keldy. The Boabans – well, they have Tula, but nowhere else. The Red Caps are in the Borders; and there’s various Unseelie in the west.”

“But how many Kildashie are there?” insisted Magnus.

“There were only thirty or so at the Oestre festival …” began Jack.

“That was just their advance party,” added Armina. “When they attacked the Congress, Boreus brought in many more.”

“You see what we have here,” said Magnus, “and this is us at our best, until spring at least.”

“But we must defeat the Kildashie before the new year. That’s when they’ll try and get the Destiny Stone.”

“By Hogmanay?!” laughed Magnus. “That’s out of the question. We have no fighting force to lend you.”

Jack felt he was drowning. He struggled to take in a breath, and his head swam.

“Magnus,” pleaded Phineas, “you know that we have come far to ask for your help. It is imperative that we stop the Kildashie from taking the Destiny Stone.”

“It is not that we do not wish to help you, but see for yourself what we have here. A dozen fighting men, at most. Our community has not had the benefit of being near the Stone, like you have. And midwinter is hardly the time for such excursions.”

“But we were told that many others would be here at midwinter,” exclaimed Jack. “We have to join forces.”

“The low road is open today,” replied Magnus, “which is why you see some of our overseas friends here.” He indicated small groups dotted around the chamber: Grey Wolf and the other Cree; a group of short painted men, who crouched low beside the fire; and the McCools.

“Then you can call others to join you,” said Jack simply.

“But this is our solstice festival: a time for celebrating the passing of midwinter.”

“Magnus, I do not doubt the integrity of these mainlanders,” added Iain Dubh. “The boy has found the
Mapa Mundi
; they have retrieved the Shian flag from Ardmore, and even rescued the Gusog feather. I promised HebSeelie support if they could persuade you to join.”

“Your honour is not in question, Black John. But our forces, even combined, are not enough to take on the Kildashie and all their allies. And especially not in winter.”

“But if the Kildashie get the Destiny Stone, they could control the weather: and then it would be winter forever,” pleaded Jack.

Magnus looked keenly at Jack.

“You mean they really control the seasons? And the weather?”

“We don’t know how; but wherever they’re in control, it’s freezing. They’ve cut down most of the Shian woods, and they’ve caused flooding, even in the human places …”

Magnus looked down at the NorShian season-wheel.

“We’d heard that things were bad in some areas,” he admitted. “But it’s all so distant.”

“It won’t stay distant if they get the Stone,” said Phineas firmly. “You saw the power this fragment of the Raglan gave to Stegos; the whole Raglan will be giving them much more. If they get the Destiny Stone itself – well, it’s unimaginable.”

“I suppose …” said Magnus; “I suppose I could call on our friends from the fjords. But there’s time yet. The low road will be open for most of the next ten days.”

“But we need to be in Edinburgh by Hogmanay. Otherwise the Kildashie will win.”

“I can send a message to the fjords; but there’s no guarantee they’ll come. If they do, we can join you. If not, then attacking the Kildashie is suicide. I won’t waste my men on a mission that’s doomed to fail.”

“D’you think they’ll come?” Jack turned to a NorShian beside him.

The man shook his head slowly.

“Only if they think one of their own is in danger.”

“What d’you mean, ‘One of their own’?”

“The fjordsmen left traces wherever they sailed; including people. They look out for those who are still there. That knife on your leg is Norse, isn’t it? It’s an old one.”

“An old soldier gave it to me; on Ilanbeg.”

“Well, if an old Norse remnant like him was in danger, or harmed, then the old earls would come.”

“Old earls?”

“Oh, Harald, and Rognvald. They used to bring warriors over here, back in the old days.”

The man wandered off, leaving Jack feeling low; the NorShians’ lack of enthusiasm was depressing. Spying Ossian talking with a group of Cree, he moved over.

“This guy’s amazin’,” said Ossian as Jack approached. “The stories he tells about huntin’. Three days goin’ after a moose. I’m goin’ over for a visit when all this is done.”

Jack sipped a goblet of juice. That seemed like an optimistic assessment based on what he knew. If only there was some way of speeding things up.

Rana approached frowning.

“I thought Mum and the others were going to join us.”

“That’s right,” said Lizzie. “The low road’s open today – why haven’t they come?”

“Back on Ilanbeg, Marco talked of the time being right,” said Jack. “I guess they’ll join us in Edinburgh.”

Jack thought back to Ilanbeg: what had Marco and Luka taught him? They would defeat the Kildashie with the right force, and at the right time. But how were they to know?

“Silver shilling for your thoughts,” said Rana mischievously.

“I was just wondering how we can persuade Magnus. That other guy said the Norse would come if they thought one of their kind was in danger.”

“Well, the Novehowe lot
are
Norse. And so was Trog,” stated Lizzie. “A lot of them mixed in with the local Shian, so you can’t always tell.”

“What d’you think, Cleo?”

“I should like to see Jeck’s flag. The Kildashie that came – they knew it was important. But I have not seen it working.”

“It’s not like just lighting a candle,” said Jack impatiently. “It has to be right for it to work.”

“Then maybe
I
can make it work.”

Jack pulled Tamlina’s ring off, flicked the
Mapa Mundi
into a sphere, and handed it to Cleo. The two circles formed, and clearly visible in one was a Christmas tree.

“That’s the High Street!” exclaimed Petros, looking over Jack’s shoulder.

Jack didn’t need to be told. The huge Christmas tree outside St Giles’ Cathedral was up there for so long before Christmas that it was a familiar sight to Shian, even before they retreated inside for the ‘great winter shutdown’.

Then the tree faded, and was replaced by the image of five lit candles: three purples, and one pink one forming a square; and a white one in the middle.

“They’re all lit,” shouted Lizzie excitedly. “That means it’s Christmas Day!”

Jack frowned.
Is it telling us to go to Edinburgh on Christmas Day?

A picture started to form in the other circle, and Jack gasped: a huge figure of a man … no, more than a man … a giant. Jack blinked, but there was no doubt about it. It was Caskill. And the charmstone was hanging loose in his chest.

“Who is that, Jeck?”

Jack’s head was whirling. Half of him didn’t want to believe what the other half was telling him. Then he made up his mind.

“We’ve to go to Edinburgh at Christmas. And help Caskill.”

“Caskill?!” exclaimed Petros. “He went off to Nanog; or somewhere. But west: he was going to set off for the west.”

“Well, he’s going to be in Edinburgh on Christmas Day. And he needs our help.”

“But we can’t go until everyone else is ready,” said Lizzie.

“Magnus is taking ages to decide,” replied Jack. “He’s said he’ll ask the fjordsmen, but there’s no guarantee they’ll come.”

“I would like to see a city at Christmas,” said Cleo. “It will be nice to see all the lights again.”

“I wouldn’t mind going to Edinburgh,” said Petros. “To the human spaces, I mean. The parties will be cool.”

You’ve changed your tune,
thought Jack, as he flicked the
Mapa
back to a flag.
You used to go on about the ‘Dameves’.

“I can take you to human places,” added Cleo. “I know how to be part of a human crowd.”

“So do I,” said Petros. “I’m a quarter human, remember.”

“It’s too dangerous to go to Edinburgh,” snapped Lizzie. “Besides, we’d never get away.”

“There’s people coming and going all the time,” Jack pointed out. “We could easily slip out if the low road entrance is open. And be back before anyone notices.”

“Edinburgh
is
dangerous,” said Ossian. “You’ve just been tellin’ everyone how bad the Kildashie are, and you know what the Thanatos did to Ploutter. Kedge won’t go back. What makes you think you’d get away again?”

“Without Caskill we’d never have got this far. And if his charmstone’s almost out, he needs our help.”

“What are you youngsters up to?” enquired Phineas as he approached. He held a goblet, and his face was ruddy.

“Nothing,” said Jack. “We were just wondering when Magnus was going to ask the fjordsmen to come.”

“Not much joy there, I’m afraid. I’m sure we can persuade a few of the people here to join us, but it’s not the army we need.”

“What should we do, then? We can’t sit here and do nothing.” Jack’s voice rose.

“Oh, I’m sure we’ll think of something. But a word of advice: don’t even think about travelling without the rest of us. We haven’t come this far for you to risk it all on a whim.” Phineas went off to join Armina and Daid by the fire.

“He must’ve heard you,” hissed Petros. “We’ll never get away if he’s watching us.”

“Uncle Phineas is right,” stated Lizzie. “You can’t go off into Kildashie territory without protection.”

Oh, I’ll take protection, don’t you worry,
thought Jack.

He was startled a moment later when Grey Wolf tugged his arm.

“I’ll come with you.”

Jack turned round in astonishment.

“You knew what I was thinking?”

“It is written on your face; and I heard you say ‘Caskill’. But I see you have doubts.”

“The Kildashie and the Thanatos are deadly; and I hate the cold. If the Kildashie have made Edinburgh as cold as we think …”

“They are breaking the circle: stopping the season-wheels turning is
macava
; you call this
infama.
We know it too: years ago men came and destroyed our homelands.”

“Where
have
you come from?”

“Over the sea. But one of my ancestors came from these islands. From time to time some of us return to his birthplace.”

“And you know Caskill?”

“We know of him. He bears a charmstone, I think: like this.” Grey Wolf pulled out a quartz piece held on a string around his neck.

“It’s the same as the one we got for Caskill! The one that stops him sleeping!”

“We heard that you had rescued that; that’s one of the reasons we came here. If Caskill is in the big city, then he will be in trouble. I will help you find him.”

Jack steered Grey Wolf further away from the others and whispered, “I was going to take Rana and Lizzie’s invisibility bonnets. I’m sure I can get to Edinburgh and back without being seen.”

“I do not know this city, so I will need your help to keep safe there. But I have things that will help too. Let me tell He Who Waits.”

“Cleo wants to come,” butted in Petros as Grey Wolf left.

Jack was irritated that Petros had sneaked up on them.

“No way. I’m not taking her. This is about helping Caskill. She doesn’t know anything about Edinburgh.”

“But she knows about human spaces. If the Shian areas are dangerous, that could help.”

Jack considered this for a moment.

“I still don’t like it. It’s going to be hard enough me slipping away. If she comes too, Dad’s bound to notice.”

“And me,” said Petros. “I’m not missing out if there are some human parties.”

“This isn’t a family holiday!” snapped Jack. “I’ve got to get there and back quickly, and without Dad or the others noticing.”

“Well, if your dad asks me, I might have to tell him where you’ve gone.”

“You wouldn’t!”

“Not up to me to lie for you,” said Petros simply.

Jack ground his teeth. He felt like thumping Petros, but then he turned round and saw his father watching. He turned back.

“Well, how are we all going to get away without Dad and Grandpa knowing?”