The Seventh Tide (7 page)

A glance passed between the two boys, the comradeship of the under-appreciated and unfairly maligned. But Adom was still uneasy.

‘If only there were some sort of test…’ he murmured, biting his lip anxiously.

Then he noticed something that had in fact been niggling for his attention for some time. It was music – pipes, and people singing – and it was coming from the settlement further up the hill.

‘That’s it!’ he exclaimed, jumping up. ‘The people are gathering for the Holy Father to bless them and heal their sick. And since everyone
knows
a demon cannot bear a blessing, that’s what we’re going to do.’

‘What?’

‘Come on!’

As they came to the edge of the clearing, however, Adom paused. He looked out at the settlement, less sure now.

If they
were
demons, should he be leading them straight into a group of unsuspecting folk?

Hurple seemed to guess his thoughts.

‘We’re hardly going to do anything hellish in full view, at midday, surrounded by a gaggle of holy men, now are we?’ he said reasonably. ‘To be properly eldritch we’d
have to wait till after sundown and, oh, I don’t know, pick you off one at a time, probably.’ All the time he was speaking, the smells from the cooking fires were drifting tantalizingly past his nose. That rabbit in the warren seemed a long time ago now…

‘Come on – I’m starving!’ said Eo. ‘Is there time to eat before we get desecrated?’

‘Blessed
!’ said Hurple and Adom in chorus.

Eo shrugged. ‘Whatever,’ he said. ‘Is there?’

And suddenly Adom was hungry too.

‘Come on, then,’ he said with a shrug, and led the way.

The people were still gathering. The ones bringing sick and injured with them came last of all, having to travel slowly and with care. The Bard’s people and the monks moved about among the crowd, greeting and making welcoming gestures towards the cooking fires. A piper was playing a tune that Adom knew from home, at least he was until Brother Drostlin fussed over and made him stop.

Too vulgar for such a holy occasion
, Adom mimicked the monk sourly in his mind.

Eo’s sky-coloured eyes were wide with curiosity. He was taking in the scene with great concentration and enthusiasm.

‘Maybe we could get your lot to
convert
the Kelpies,’ he suggested suddenly.

‘Don’t be daft. You don’t convert demons – you kill them!’ Adom scoffed. Then he stopped, uncomfortable at the thought that it might be a demon he was speaking to. The idea of Eo and the talking ferret having to be killed was becoming more and more… unthinkable.

Suddenly he straightened up. ‘There he is!’ he said in a low voice. ‘Columba!’

Eo and Hurple looked about expectantly.

‘Where? Which one is he?’

There
!’ Adom pointed, amazed that they had to be told. The Holy Father was a head taller at least than the men around him, but even without his height he stood out in any crowd. Adom wondered why they couldn’t see it. ‘Over there!’

There was a short, appalled silence. Then, ‘But…’ said Eo, ‘he’s
old!
’

‘There’s irony for you,’ murmured Hurple. ‘She was
so close
, our Gladrag, not more than, what, ten years too late.’

‘What are you talking about? What’s a Gladrag?’ said Adom.

‘Hibernation Gladrag is the Head of the G – that’s Eo’s people, remember? She will have had first turn to throw the Traveller, and she evidently tried to fling us to the time of the great Columba, who,
as we all know –
’ and he looked down his snout meaningfully at Eo – ‘is one of history’s most renowned Kelpie-killers. Only problem is, she flung us just a bit too far. We’ve missed Columba the Warrior of God and instead we just have Columba the Old Man.’

Adom was shocked right down to his sandals. Were they really turning their noses up at a saint?! Did that mean they
were
demons, after all?

‘What are we supposed to do
now
?!’ said Eo. ‘If the old man can’t help…’

‘Well, he can’t
fight
, that’s obvious, but maybe he can give us some advice…’

‘Look, I don’t know what your problem is here, but sit
down
and I’ll bring you something to eat. Assuming you can
eat food
, and not just
souls.
’ Adom shoved Eo down on to a rock at the edge of the crowds and stomped crossly away.

‘
Watch out
!’ said Hurple in a much quieter voice. ‘I
think we’re drawing attention
…’

‘So?’ said Eo.

‘Don’t be stupid
!’ Hurple hissed. He was getting really agitated now. ‘I can’t think of
any
period in human history where a talking ferret isn’t going to be in big trouble. And I for one don’t fancy spending every new Tide being burned as a messenger from hell or stoned as an abomination or dissected as a freak of nature or bored to death on a string of chat shows – so start treating me like a normal ferret!’

Eo blinked. And that involves… what, exactly?’ he said tentatively.

Hurple tutted impatiently. ‘Just pick me up and carry me around. I’ll do the rest. Look out!’

A fine animal.’

Eo managed to grab Professor Hurple, swivel and fall off his log in one uneasy motion. From the ground, he looked up into the face of the man they called the Bard. His eyes were laughing, though he was trying hard to keep the rest of his expression polite.

‘I’m sorry to have startled you,’ he said. At exactly the same moment Eo heard a tiny strangled whisper from under his chin – ‘Not so tight!’ – and he adjusted his grip on the Professor, while struggling upright again.

‘Sorry!’ he said. ‘Um, I mean, thank you. Yes. He’s
very… pretty.’ At which point Hurple bit him on the thumb. OWWW!’

The Bard tipped back his head and laughed out loud.

‘I think “handsome” is the word you wanted!’ he said. ‘This is clearly no mere jill but a noble dog, one of the wisest of his kind.’ He started to move on, then stopped and looked at Eo more closely.

‘I’ve not seen you before – have you travelled far?’

Eo nodded.

‘Has anyone offered you food?’

Eo nodded again. ‘Yes… Adom. He’s –’

At which point Adom came bustling back. ‘You can eat later,’ he said. ‘The Holy Father is about to begin. Excuse us, Bard –’ turning to the man – ‘they have come to be blessed, and it’s time now…’

‘Off you go!’ Devin said cheerfully. But a moment later he thought,
They? That’s an odd word to use…

Adom was already showing Eo where to stand in the line, then stepped back.

‘I’ll be watching,’ he said. ‘God speed.’

Eo peered nervously down the queue as Columba began his progress. The people seemed so grateful for the old man’s attention, so
awed!.
It didn’t make sense to him – maybe it was a cultural thing? – but really, he couldn’t see what all the fuss was about…

… until Columba was standing before him, putting out his hand and looking him in the eyes. Suddenly Eo understood it all. The Holy Father was no less old than he’d thought, no less decrepit-looking, but the
greatness
was still there. It had nothing to do with vigour of muscle or agility of mind, or even depth of experience – and
it had everything to do with native power. It flared out of his grey eyes and welled from his touch in ways that Eo was unable to find words for.

‘Bless you, boy,’ was all Columba said, but Eo couldn’t at that moment have asked for more. In fact, he almost forgot Hurple, sitting in his hands and also needing to be given the all-clear as far as being demonic went.

Just at the last moment he remembered, and squawked, ‘Holy Father, will you bless this beast?’

Columba turned back, smiled at the adoring boy with his animal, alert and expectant in his hands. He sketched a cross with his thumb on the animal’s furry forehead and moved on.

And nothing happened – neither Eo nor the ferret began to scream or dissolve in smoke or show in any other way the kind of major discomfort hellish things usually manifest when touched by holiness.

Adom stirred. He hadn’t realized he’d been holding his breath.
Well, that’s a relief
, he thought.
I’m glad they’re not demons, not even the beast.
And it was true. But that didn’t stop the twisted feeling in his gut.

‘The crowds can always light him up.’

Adom jumped. It would seem he wasn’t the only one watching. Devin the Bard hadn’t gone far. Any interesting gesture or turn of phrase or snippet of conversation was grist for his mill. He had seen how Adom’s face changed from tension to relief, but hadn’t lost the troubled look round his mouth and eyes.

‘I’ve always found jealousy to be a crippler in my line of work,’ he said conversationally. ‘I imagine it must be the same in yours.’

Adorm gave an outraged gasp. ‘I’m not –’ he began, but the Bard had already moved on.

Adom scowled. Was that what it was, this worm inside? Jealousy? Was he jealous that Columba had smiled at Eo and not at him? That Eo and the talking animal had been given the full measure of the great man’s charm and, and,
greatness
, and he, Adom, who lived and worked with him every day (well, in the same general vicinity, anyway) –
he
got
nothing
?

It was a lot to swallow. Adom gulped hard, and went to collect his new friends.

No one seemed ready to speak at first. They got some food and returned to the cluster of rocks to eat, separate from the crowds but still nearby.

Then, when their hunger was dealt with, the three exchanged looks.

‘My!’ murmured Hurple, and flopped down on his tummy in a patch of sun.

‘Well!’ said Eo. ‘I mean… well!’

‘So, um, congratulations!’ said Adom.

‘What?’

‘I’m glad you’re not demons,’ Adom explained.

‘Oh, right. Well, we did
say.
’

I know. Sorry.’

‘Never mind. And sorry from us too, for not understanding about, you know,
him.
,’ said Eo.

Adom sighed. ‘That’s all right,’ he said. ‘What happens now?’

‘Now?’ Hurple scratched vigorously. ‘Well, I can’t say I know
exactly
how the “Gift of the Tide” thing is supposed to work, but it seems pretty obvious that we’ve arrived in the perfect place at the perfect time to acquire
the perfect champion… the perfect…’ He turned suddenly on Eo. ‘He was standing right there in front of you – why didn’t you
ask
him?!’

‘Are we allowed to ask? Then why
didn’t you
ask him?’ Eo protested.

‘Because
I’m
not supposed to be able to
talk!
I’m the dumb animal, right?!’

Eo muttered something rude under his breath.

‘Oh, well,’ said Hurple grudgingly. ‘I guess it wasn’t exactly the moment, was it? We’ll need to meet with him more privately. Set that up for us, will you, Adom? Tell him it’s important.’

‘ME?!’ squeaked Adom. ‘You expect
me
to walk up to the Holy Father and say, “You have to meet with this boy and his beast ‘cause I’m telling you it’s important”? Just like that!’

‘Yes. Is there a problem?’ asked the ferret innocently.

‘Is there a problem?
!’

‘ADOM
!’

It was probably the last voice on earth Adom wanted to hear just then. It was Brother Drostlin’s.

‘I don’t believe
for a moment
that you did a proper job on that caulking, and
already
you’re back up here stuffing your face and playing about with… playing about –’ He seemed at a loss for words to describe anything as lowly as Eo. ‘The Holy Father wants to leave at the turn of the tide. He wants be a good few leagues further north by moon-rise.’

‘But he
can’t!
’ blurted Eo, just as Adom exclaimed, ‘But
why
?’

Brother Drostlin began to quiver ominously. ‘You dare – you
dare
to question the wishes of the Holy Father? You
dare!?
!’

His outraged voice went swooping up to such an unbelievably high note on the last words that it made Eo giggle. He didn’t mean to. It was just nerves, of course.

Brother Drostlin didn’t think it was very polite, however, so he belted him.

One blow more or less was nothing much to Adom, but it was a new experience for Eo and not one he particularly enjoyed. Adom hustled his new friend away before anything worse could happen, down through the trees to the shore and the forgotten, but still stinky, tallow bucket.

‘Don’t worry. We’ll speak to the Holy Father when he comes to the boats,’ Adom reassured them as they went, but Eo wasn’t listening.

‘He hit me! He
hit
me!’ he kept squeaking, until Adom turned on him.

Are you trying to tell me no one ever hit you before?!’ he asked incredulously. ‘How do you learn anything?’

‘I bite him from time to time,’ Hurple offered.

Adom shook his head. The G world sounded too good to be true. In the meantime…

‘Here, you can help.’ He cobbled together another brush out of sapling branches and handed it to Eo. ‘The sooner this is done, the sooner we can be ready to grab just the right moment and ask Columba for help.’

Hurple took one sniff of the stuff and retreated to the edge of the trees, while the boys got on with the job. And the reason they both needed to completely wash themselves and their clothes in the sea afterwards had everything to do with their zeal for labour, and nothing at all to do with any silly tallow-flicking fights…

The afternoon was wearing on when the first of the brothers started to return to the shore. The mood they brought with them was cheerful. Two people had been healed on the spot and several others were expected to get better soon.

‘
He
should be coming down as well any time now,’ Adom whispered to Eo and the ferret. ‘Now, you must speak to him as soon as he’s here –
before
he wants to get into the boats – he hates to hang about.’

But it was easier said than done. At first Brother Drostlin had the Holy Father’s ear and no one else dared approach. When the monk was finally finished, a crowd of latecomers rushed up to Columba, begging his blessing before he left. Then there was a homily – far too short to be a proper sermon, which was expected to go on for several hours, but still long enough to be eating up a lot more of the remaining time. The two boys tried to work their way up to the front of the listening congregation, but were caught by Brother Drostlin, who dragged them away by the ears.