The Spook's Battle Read online

  For a moment I panicked, not knowing what I could do to help, but gradually Alice's breathing returned to normal and she sat down wearily on the grass."It's Mab Mouldheel up to her tricks. Using that lock of hair against me, she is. She's been doing it all day. But don't worry, it's starting to pass. Let's rest for ten minutes and I'll feel better. Besides, I've something to tell you. Something for you to think about."Still concerned about Father Stocks, I considered going on ahead and asking Alice to catch up when she felt better. But it seemed certain that we'd be back well before sunset and I was tired as well, so I told myself that ten minutes wouldn't matter. Besides, I was intrigued. What was she going to say?We sat ourselves down on a grassy slope with our backs to the hill. No sooner had I taken the weight off my legs than Alice began."Been talking to Mab, I have. Wants me to pass on a message to you --""What were you doing talking to her?" I demanded."Wouldn't choose to speak to her, would I? Came looking for me, she did. It was this morning, not long after Old Gregory had left. I heard someone shouting my name from the other side of the Avail and went out. It was Mab. She couldn't climb over to this side because thehouse is set in the church grounds. Holy ground, ain't it? Mab can't set foot there. Anyway, she wanted me to tell you this. She wants the trunks for herself. In return, she'll guide you into Malkin Tower and help you rescue Jack and his family."I looked at Alice in astonishment. "Do you think she can do that?""Yes, and what's more I think she's fond of you. More than a bit keen, I'd say!"

  "Don't be daft," I said. "She's a malevolent witch. We're natural enemies.""Stranger things have happened," teased Alice."Anyway," I said, quickly changing the subject, "how would she get me inside the tower?""There's a tunnel. Leads straight into the dungeons.""But why do we need Mab to guide us, Alice? You're a Deane and also a Malkin on your mother's side. Surely you know where the tunnel entrance is?"Alice shook her head. "I've been in the tower a few times, but only above ground. Know that part wellenough, but only Anne Malkin, their coven leader, knows where the actual entrance is. It's a secret passed down from generation to generation. Only one living person is ever given that knowledge! She'd only be allowed to show it to others if the whole coven was in mortal danger and they needed to get into the tower secretly and take refuge there.""So how does Mab know? Is this some sort of trick? Maybe she's only pretending to know."

  "No, Tom, this is no trick. Remember that night when you saved me from the Mouldheels and we met Dead Maggie in the wood? Hungry for blood, Maggie was, and set off to meet 'em. Trouble is, there were too many and they got the better of her. Maggie was once the leader of the coven, so she knows where the entrance is. Got the secret from her, they did. Don't know how, but it wouldn't have been pleasant. Wouldn't talk easily, our Maggie, so they must have hurt her pretty bad. Mab said she'd hurt me, too, if I didn't talk you round. Got my lock of hair, ain't she. I'm starting to feel unwell again--think shemight be doing something to it now, just so I know what's what. And that's part of the bargain. Offer to give her the trunks and keys, and shell show you the entrance to the tunnel and help you rescue your family. Not only that --she'll return my lock of hair. Be more use to you when I get that back. At the moment I'm useless. Just a shadow of myself, I am."It seemed simple. All I had to do was surrender the trunks and I'd be given a chance to get Jack, Ellie, and Mary out--perhaps before midnight, before Wurmalde could carry out her threat. But, in a way, nothing had changed.Alice did look ill. Somehow we had to get that lock of hair back from Mab, but not this way. I shook my head. "I'm sorry, Alice, but I just can't do it. As I told you, Wurmalde says she'll swap Jack and his family for the keys, too. But whether I give them to Wurmalde or Mab, I'd still have surrendered them to a witch. It would still help the dark and place the County in danger."

  "This way is better, though, ain't it? Can you trust Wurmalde? Giving her the keys is easy--but what guarantee is there that you'll get your family back safely in return? Mab Mouldheel prides herself on always keeping her word. Once the bargain's made, she'll show us the way in person. She'll guide us through to the dungeons because the trunks will be nearby. She'll be in as much danger as us. Be a terrible thing for her, to be caught by the Malkins, so she needs to get in and out safely. We'll be with her every step of the 'way. Not only that--if she's helping us, maybe she won't join up with the Malkins and Deanes. We'll be stopping the covens uniting and releasing the Fiend as well as rescuing your family.""It's still giving her the trunks, though. I can't do that--" "Let me try to talk her round. Let's see if she'll do it for just one trunk. If she agrees to that and is prepared to give me back my lock of hair before we enter the tunnel, then we're laughing, ain't we? Just one trunk can't do that much harm.""It's still one trunk too many. Mam wanted me to have them all, and it must be for an important reason. The lastthing she'd want is for me to give them to the dark!""No, Tom, the last thing she'd want is for Jack and his family to die!"

  "I'm not even sure about that, Alice," I said sadly. "However much it hurts, there are more people than just immediate family to consider. There's the County and the world beyond that.""Then we'll do it your way!" Alice snapped. "We'll say that Mab can have the trunks in order to get to your family, but once we're inside the tower it'll be easy enough to get the better of her. Came up on me unawares, the Mouldheels did. And there were a lot of em. If it's just me and Mab, I'll sort her out for sure. Just see if I don't.""But she's got a lock of your hair, Alice. You said yourself you're not as strong as you should be.""I've got you, though, haven't I? Look, once we're inside the tower, the two of us can overpower Mab. Then we'll rescue your family before midnight, and once the soldiers have breached the wall -we'll get your trunks back."I thought about it for a bit, then nodded. "I'm not sure what other choice we have, though I doubt whether a few soldiers will be a match for the Malkins.""You may be right, Tom. We may need another plan for getting hold of those trunks, but for rescuing your family this is the best plan we have."

  "I know you're right," I said, "but I feel uncomfortable with betraying Mab like that.""Mab? You can't mean that! Just think what you're saying. Do you think she felt guilty when she was planning to kill me the other night? Or when she was trying to make you hers, or when she tortured me all day today with my hair? You're turning soft, Tom, like Old Gregory. Pretty girl smiles at you and your brain goes soft.""I'm just saying it isn't right to break a promise. My dad taught me that.""He didn't mean when you were dealing with a witch, though. Old Gregory probably wouldn't like our plan, but then he's never around when we need him these days.If he was, we wouldn't be having to rescue Father Stocks and your family all by ourselves."Her mention of Father Stocks reminded me again of the great danger he was in and the terrifying ordeal we were about to face at Read Hall. "Alice," I said, "something else is puzzling me. Who exactly is Wurmalde? She claims to come from the same land as Mam but talks as if she's part of the covens. As if she speaks for them."Alice frowned. "Never even heard of her before today.""But you were in Pendle until two years ago. Wurmalde's been in Roger Nowell's employment longer than that.""Nowell's a magistrate. Ain't likely I'd go near his house. Not stupid, am I? Nor any of my family either. As for his housekeeper--what would anyone know about her?"

  "Well," I said, "she's a mystery all right, but we've delayed long enough now, so let's press on toward Read. Feeling any better, or shall I go on ahead at a faster pace?""I'll go as fast as I can. If I can't keep up, you'd best go on ahead."Our pace wasn't quite as fast as before, but Alice did manage to keep up and we came within sight of Read Hall with over an hour of daylight still remaining. But now we had a problem--how to get inside unseen.A creature of the dark, Tibb was not yet a threat, but there were still two risks. Wurmalde wouldn't be able to sniff out either Alice or me, but she might glimpse us from a window. There were also the servants to worry about. Some might be unaware of what was going on behind the magistrate's back, but if Cobden had returned from Malkin Tower, he'd certainly pose a danger. I couldn't afford to simply walk down the wide carriageway."I think the
best chance of getting inside unseen is to approach from the shrubbery at the side. I can use my key to enter by the tradesmen's door."Alice nodded her agreement, so we circled around and approached from the -west, moving through the bushes and trees until we were close to the side of the house,only ten or twenty paces from the door."We need to be very careful here," I told Alice. "I think it's probably best if I go in alone."

  "No, Tom. Ain't right. Need me, you do," Alice said, her voice indignant. "Two of us together have more chance.""Not this time, Alice. This is risky. You stay hidden, and if I get caught, at least I'll know there'll be somebody on the outside to help. If the worst came to the worst, you could come in after me.""Then give me your key!""I need it for the door --""'Course you do! But once you get it open, throw it back onto the lawn. I'll come and pick it up once you're inside.""You'd better take my staff as well," I told her. Father Stocks would still be weak, and I'd have to help him down the stairs. My staff would be an encumbrance. It was still light, so I hoped I wouldn't have to face Tibb, and the chain would be enough to deal with Wurmalde.If I missed her, I still had salt and iron to fall back on.Alice nodded but grimaced as I handed it to her. She didn't like the touch of rowan wood.I walked cautiously forward across the grass.

  I halted close to the door and put my ear against the wood. I could hear nothing, so I inserted the key and turned it very slowly. There was a faint click as the lock yielded. Before I opened the door, I held the key high so that Alice could see what I was doing and threw it back toward the line of bushes. It was a good shot and it fell on the lawn, less than a pace away from where she was hiding. That done, I eased open the door very carefully and stepped inside. Once I'd closed it behind me, it locked itself shut. I waited, rooted to the spot for at least a minute, all the while listening for danger.Reassured by the silence, I moved through the hall-way to the main staircase. I paused and untied the silver chain from around my waist, coiling it about my left wrist, ready to throw. It was still daylight, so I didn't expect to meet Tibb yet, but I was more than ready for Wurmalde.In the hallway I halted again and peered about. It seemed empty, so I began to climb the stairs, pausing every time the wood gave the slightest creak. At last I reached the landing. Just ten steps would bring me to Father Stocks's room.I crept along, opened the door, and stepped inside. The heavy curtains had been drawn across the window again and it was very gloomy, but I could just see the outline of the priest lying on the bed."Father Stocks," I called softly.When he didn't answer, I went to the window and pulled back the curtains, flooding the room with light. I turned and walked back toward the bed.

  Even before I reached it, my heart had begun to beat very rapidly.Father Stocks was dead. His mouth was wide open, unseeing eyes staring up at the ceiling. But he hadn't died as a result of Tibb taking his blood. The handle of a dagger was protruding from his chest.I felt upset and horrified at the same time, my mind reeling. I'd thought he would be safe enough until dark.I should never have left him alone. Had Wurmalde stabbed him? The blood on his shirt and the sheets appeared to come from the wound. Had she done it to cover up the fact that Tibb had taken his blood? But how could she hope to get away with murdering the priest?As I was staring horrified at the body of poor Father Stocks, someone stepped into the room behind me. I turned quickly, taken by surprise. To my dismay, it was Wurmalde. She glared at me before a faint smile appeared on her face. But I'd already pulled back my left arm, readying the silver chain. I was nervous, but I also felt very confident. I remembered my last training session with the Spook, when I'd hit the practice post a hundred times without missing even once.

  A fraction of a second later I'd have cracked the chain and hurled it straight at the witch, but to my astonishment another figure came in through the doorway to stand at Wurmalde's shoulder, facing me, his forehead creased in a frown of displeasure. It was Master Nowell, the magistrate!"A thief and murderer stands before you!" Wurmalde crowed, the accusation strong in her voice. "Look at those bloodstains on his shirt and look what he holds in his left hand. That's silver, if I'm not mistaken."I stared at her, unable to speak, the words "thief" and "murderer" spinning around inside my head."Where did you get that silver chain from, boy?" Nowell demanded."It belongs to me," I said, wondering what Wurmalde had told him. "My mam gave it to me.""I thought you came from a family of farmers?" he asked, the frown creasing his brow again. "Better think again, boy, because you'll need a more convincing explanation than that. It's hardly likely that a farmer's wife would own such a valuable item.""It's just as I told you, Master Nowell," Wurmalde accused. "I heard a noise from your study and came downstairs in the dead of night to catch him red-handed. Otherwise you'd have lost even more than you have. He'd forced open the cabinet and was helping himself toyour poor dead wife's jewelry. He ran off before I could seize him, fleeing into the night like the thief and murderer he is, and when I went upstairs to tell Father Stocks what had happened, I found the poor priest as you see him now--dead in his bed, a knife plunged into his heart. Now, not content with murder and thieving that silver chain from somewhere, he's sneaked back into your home to see what else he can get his hands on."What a fool I'd been. It had never crossed my mind that Wurmalde would kill Father Stocks and then simply blame it on me.

  When I opened my mouth to protest, Nowell stepped forward and seized my left shoulder in a strong grip before snatching the chain from my hand."Don't waste your time trying to deny it!" he told me, his face livid with anger. "Mistress Wurmalde and I watched you from the windows just now. We saw you circling the house with your accomplice. My men are outside, searching the grounds--she won't get far. Before this month is out you'll both hang at Caster!"My heart sank down into my boots. Now I knew forcertain that Wurmalde had used fascination and glamour to control Nowell, and he believed everything she said. No doubt she'd broken into the cabinet and stolen the jewelry herself. But it would be a waste of time for me to accuse her. I couldn't just come out with the whole truth either, because Nowell didn't believe in witchcraft."I'm not a thief, or a murderer," I told him. "I came to Pendle following thieves who not only stole trunks belonging to me but kidnapped my family. That's why I'm here --""Oh, don't you worry about that, boy. I intend to get to the root of the whole matter. Whether there's a glimmer of truth in what you say or your whole story is a pack of lies, we'll find out soon enough. Those who live in Malkin Tower have laughed at the law for far too long, and this time I intend to bring them to justice. If they're your accomplices or it's a case of thief against thief, we'll find out tomorrow. There's been a whole day's delay persuading the military of the need to come here. But I intend to send all within that tower to Caster in chains forquestioning, and you'll be going with them, under armed guard! Now empty out your pockets. Let's see what else you've thieved!"I had no choice but to obey. Instead of stolen goods, salt and iron showered down onto the floor.

  For a moment Nowell looked puzzled, and I feared that he would then search my person and discover the keys around my neck, but Wurmalde gave him a strange smile and a vacant expression settled on his face before being succeeded by a new resolve. With a frown he marched me down into the servants' quarters and locked me in a holding cell that was used by the constable. It was a small room with a stout door, and without my special key I'd no hope at all of getting out. He kept my chain, and Alice had my staff. I had nothing with which to defend myself.As for Alice, I knew that she'd have sniffed out Nowell's men and fled the grounds before they'd gotten anywhere near her.

  That was the good news. The bad news was that it was very unlikely that she'd try to getinto the house and free me tonight. It was just too dangerous. And she couldn't rescue my family without me. Time was passing, ticking toward the midnight deadline set by Wurmalde. If I didn't give her my keys by then, she would hand Jack, Ellie, and Mary over to Grimalkin to be tortured. It didn't bear thinking about.But while Alice was free, I still had some hope of rescue. If not tonight, she'd do her best tomorrow --if I was still alive when dawn came. Wurmalde might
visit me in the night to make one final demand for the keys. Or, worse --she might send Tibb.A little while later, as I lay there in the darkness of the cell, I heard a key turning in the lock. Quickly I came to my feet and moved back to the far corner of the room. Dare I hope? Could it be Alice?But to my disappointment and dismay, Wurmalde came in carrying a candle and closed the door behind her. I looked at her voluminous skirts and wondered if Tibb had entered the cell with her."Things may seem grim, but they're not hopeless," she said with a thin smile. "Everything can be put to rights. All it would take is the keys to the trunks. Give me what I want, and by tomorrow evening you could be on your way back home with your family--""Yes, and be hunted down as a murderer. I can never go home now."