The Spook's Battle Page 3

  Being a Deane, my dad didn't visit the tower. He'd never have got out alive. We lived in a cottage near Roughlee, the village where most of the Deanes live. The Mouldheels live in Bareleigh and the rest of the Malkins in Goldshaw Booth. Mostly keep to their own territory, they do."After that Alice grew silent, so I didn't press her further. I could see that Pendle held a lot of painful memories for her--unspoken horrors that I could only guess at.Jack's nearest neighbor, Mr. Wilkinson, had a horse and cart, and I knew he'd be only too happy to hire them out. No doubt he'd have one of his sons drive us so I wouldn't have to make a return journey later. I decided to call in at my brother's first to let him know -what I intended to do with the trunks. We made good time and came within sight of Jack's farm late in the afternoon of the following day. My first glance told me that something was badly wrong.We'd approached from the northeast, skirting the edge of Hangman's Hill, and as we began our descent, I could see right away that there were no animals in the fields. Then, as I caught sight of the farmhouse, it got worse.

  The barn was a blackened ruin: It had been burned to the ground.It never even crossed my mind to ask Alice to wait at the farm boundary. Something bad had happened, and all I could think of was checking that Jack, Ellie, and their daughter, Mary, were all right. By now the farm dogs should have been barking, but everything was silent.As we hastened through the gate and across the yard, I saw that the back door of the farmhouse had been smashed in and was hanging from one hinge. I ran across, with Alice at my heels, a lump in my throat, afraid that something terrible had happened.Once inside, I called Jack's and Elbe's names over and over again but received no answer. The house was unrecognizable as the home I'd been brought up in. All the kitchen drawers had been pulled out and there was cutlery and smashed crockery on the flags. The pots of herbs had been taken from the windowsill and thrown against the walls; there was soil in the sink. The brass candlestick had gone from the table and in its place were five empty bottles of elderberry wine from Mam's store in the cellar. But for me, the worst thing of all was Mam's rocking chair, which -was in big, jagged pieces, as if someone had taken an ax to it. It pained me to see that. It almost felt like they'd hurt Mam.Upstairs, the bedrooms had been ransacked --clothes scattered across the beds and floors and every mirror smashed. But the scariest moment of all came when we reached Mam's special room. The door was closed, but there was blood splattered across the -wall next to it, and there were bloodstains on the floorboards, too. Had Jack and his family been here -when this happened?

  I became filled with a terrible dread that someone had died here."Don't think the worst, Tom!" Alice said, gripping my arm. "It may not be as bad as it seems. ..."I didn't answer, just kept staring at the splatters of blood on the walls."Let's look inside your mam's room," Alice suggested.For a moment I looked at her, horrified. I couldn't believe that was all she could think about now."I think we should look inside," she insisted.Angrily I tried the door but it didn't yield. "It's still locked, Alice. I've got the only key. So nobody's been inside.""Trust me, Tom. Please ..."For safety, I kept the keys on a piece of string round my neck. There was a large key for the door and three smaller ones for the three largest trunks inside. In a moment I'd opened the door and stepped inside. Additionally, I had a key made by the Spook's brother, Andrew, who's a locksmith, and it will open most locks without trouble.

  I'd been wrong. Somebody had been in the room. It was completely empty. The three big trunks and the smaller chests were gone."How could they get into the room?" I asked, my voice echoing slightly. "I have the only key."Alice shook her head. "Remember the other thing your mam said: that nothing evil could enter here. Well, something evil's been here and that's for sure!"I certainly did remember what Mam had said. It had been on my final visit to the farm when I saw her for the last time. She'd stood in this very room, talking to Alice and me, and I remembered her words exactly.Once locked, nothing evil can ever enter here. If you 're brave and your soul is pure and good, this room is a redoubt, a fortress against the dark. . . . Only use it when something so terriblepursues you that your very life and soul are at risk.So what had happened? How had someone gotten inside and stolen the trunks that Mam had left me? What did they want them for? What use were they to somebody else?

  After checking the attic, I locked the door to Mam's room again, and we went downstairs and out into the yard. In a daze I walked across to what was left of the barn--just a few charred posts and fragments of wood among a pile of ashes."I can still smell the smoke," I said. "This happened recently."Alice nodded. "It happened soon after dark, the day before yesterday," she said, sniffing loudly at the tainted air.Alice could sniff things out. She was usually right, but now, looking at her face, I didn't like the expression there. She'd discovered something else. Something very bad. Maybe worse than what we'd already found."What is it, Alice?" I demanded."There's something else as well as smoke. A witch has been here. Maybe more than one--""A witch? Why would a witch come here?" I asked, my head whirling with what I'd seen."For the trunks, what else? There must be something inside 'em that they wanted badly.""But how would they find out about the trunks?""Mirrors, perhaps? Maybe they have powers beyond Pendle."

  "And what about Jack and Ellie? And the child? Where are they now?""My guess is that Jack tried to stop 'em. Big and strong, Jack is. Wouldn't have given up without a fight. Want to know what I think?" Alice asked, her eyes wide.I nodded but was afraid to hear it."They couldn't go into that room themselves because your mam protected it against evil in some way. So they made Jack go in and fetch out the trunks for them. At first he put up a fight, but when they threatened Ellie or little Mary, he had to do it.""But how could Jack have gotten in?" I cried. "There's no sign of the door being forced, but I have the only key. And where are they? Where are theyNow?" "They'll have taken your family with them. That's what it looks like.""Which way, Alice? Which way did they go?""Needed a horse and cart to carry the trunks. The three big trunks looked heavy. So they'd have kept to the roads mostly. We could follow and see. ..."We ran to the end of the lane and followed the road south, walking fast. After about three miles we reached the crossroads. Alice pointed."They've gone northeast, Tom. It's just as I thought. They've gone to Pendle.""Then let's follow them," I said, setting off at a run. I'd taken fewer than ten paces before Alice caught me, spinning me round by my arm.

  "No, Tom, this ain't what to do. They'll be well on their way already. By the time we get there they'll be hidden away, and there's lots of places to hide in Pendle. What hope would we have? No, we should go back and tell Old Gregory what's happened. He'll know what to do. And that Father Stocks will help, too."I shook my head. I wasn't convinced."Tom, think! Alice said, squeezing my arm until it hurt. "First we should go back and talk to Jack's neighbors. Maybe they know something. And what about your other brothers? Shouldn't you send word to them about what's gone on? Surely they'd want to help. Then we should run for Chipenden and tell Old Gregory what's happened.""No, Alice. Even at top speed, it's well over a day back to Chipenden. Then half a day or more to Pendle. By then anything might have happened to Jack and his family. We'd be too late to save them.""There's another way, but you may not like it," Alice said, letting go of my arm and dropping her gaze to the ground."What do you mean?" I asked. I was impatient. Time was running out for Jack and his family."You could go back to Chipenden, and I could go on to Pendle alone --""No, Alice! I couldn't let you go alone. It's too dangerous."

  "It's more dangerous if we're together. If they catch us together, we'll both suffer. Imagine what they'd do to a spook's apprentice! A seventh son of a seventh son. They'd be fighting over your bones, for sure. Ain't nothing more certain than that! But if I was caught alone, I'd say that I'd just come back home to Pendle, wouldn't I? That I wanted to be back with my family again. And I'd have a better chance of finding out who's done this and where they're holding Jack and Ellie."My stomach was churning with anxiety, but gradually Alice's words started to get through to me. After all, she did know the p
lace and would be able to travel through the Pendle district without arousing too much comment."It's still dangerous, Alice. And I thought you were afraid of going back.""I'm doing this for you, Tom. And your family. They don't deserve what's happened to them. I'll go to Pendle. Ain't nothing else for it now." Alice came forward and took hold of my left hand. "See you in Pendle, Tom," she said softly. "Get there just as soon as you can.""I will," I assured her. "As soon as you find out anything, go to Father Stocks's church at Downham. I'll be waiting there."With that, Alice nodded, turned, and set off along the road to the northeast. I -watched her for a few moments, but she didn't look round. I turned and ran back toward Jack's farm.

  Chapter 3

  Priorities

  I called at the Wilkinsons' farm, which bordered Jack's land to the west. Dad had always preferred to keep a variety of livestock, but our neighbors had gone over to cattle about five years earlier. The first thing I noticed now was a field lull of sheep. Unless I was much mistaken,I found Mr. Wilkinson repairing a fence in his south meadow. His forehead was bandaged."Good to see you, Tom!" he said, jumping up and rushing over. "I'm so sorry about what's happened. I would have sent word if I could. I knew you were working somewhere up north, but I'd no address. I sent a letter to your brother James yesterday. I asked him to come right away."James was my second-oldest brother and worked as a blacksmith in Ormskirk, to the south-west of the County. It was almost surrounded by moss land and soggy marsh. Even if he got the letter tomorrow, it would take him a day or more to get here."Did you see what happened?" I asked.Mr. Wilkinson nodded. "Aye, and I got this for my pains," he said, pointing to his bandaged head. "It happened soon after dark. I saw the fire and came across to help. At first I -was relieved that it was only the barn burning and not the house. But when I got nearer, I smelled a rat, because there were so many people milling about.

  As I'm your nearest neighbor, I was more than a little puzzled as to how they'd managed to get there before me. And I soon realized that no attempt was being made to save the barn; they were taking things out of the house and loading them up onto a cart. The only warning I got as I headed toward them was the sound of boots running up behind me. Before I could turn, I was hit hard on the head and went out like a light. When I came to, they'd gone. I looked inside the house, but there was no sign of Jack or his family. Sorry I wasn't able to do more, Tom."

  "Thanks for coming across and trying to help, Mr. Wilkinson," I said. "I'm really sorry you got hurt. But did you see any of their faces? Would you recognize them again'.He shook his head. "Didn't get a close enough look at any of 'em, but there was a woman nearby, sat straight-backed on a black horse. A rare piece of horseflesh, too --a thoroughbred like the ones they race during the big spring market in Topley. She was a fine-looking woman,large but very shapely, with a good thick head of black hair. She wasn't rushing around like the rest. I was still some distance away, but I heard her call out what sounded like instructions. There was authority in her voice, all right."After that blow to my head I was fit for nothing. The following morning I was still sick as a dog, but I sent my eldest lad into Topley to report it to Ben Hindle, the constable there. He took a band of villagers with him the next day. They followed the trail northeast for about two hours and found an abandoned cart with one of its wheels broken. They had dogs with 'em and tracked the scent overland until it ended suddenly. Ben said he'd never seen anything like it. It was as if they had just vanished into thin air. So there was nothing for it but to call off the hunt and turn back. Anyway, Tom, why don't you come back to the house and get a bite to eat? You're more than welcome to stay with us for a few days until James arrives."

  I shook my head. "Thanks, Mr. Wilkinson, but I'd better get back to Chipenden as fast as I can and tell my53master what's happened. He'll know what to do." "Wouldn't it be better to wait for James?" For a moment I hesitated, wondering what message to leave for James. One part of me didn't want to lead him into danger by telling him that we were heading for Pendle. At the same time, he would want to help rescue Jack and his family. And we'd be heavily outnumbered. We'd need all the help we could get."Sorry, Mr. Wilkinson, but I think it's best if I set off immediately. When James arrives, would you mind telling him that I've gone ahead to Pendle with my master? You see, I'm pretty sure that those responsible for doing this come from there. Tell James to go directly to the church at Downham, in Pendle district. It's north of the hill. The priest there is called Father Stocks. He'll know where to find us."

  "I'll do that, Tom. Hope you find Jack and his family safe. In the meantime I'll keep an eye on the farm--his livestock and dogs are safe enough with me. Tell him that when you see him."I thanked Mr. Wilkinson and set off back toward Chipenden. I was worried about Jack, Ellie, and their child. Alice, too. Her arguments had made sense. She'd persuaded me that the best thing was for her to go on alone. But she was scared, and I suspected that, whatever she said, she'd be in grave danger.I arrived back in Chipenden late the following morning, having spent part of the night in an old barn. Without ceremony I blurted out the bare bones of what had happened, begging the Spook to set off straightaway for Pendle--we could talk on the road, I said, because every second we delayed increased the danger for my family. But he would have none of it and gestured toward a chair at the kitchen table.

  "Sit yourself down, lad," he told me. "More haste, less speed! The journey will take us the best part of the afternoon and evening, and it wouldn't be wise to enter Pendle during the hours of darkness.""What does it matter?" I protested. "We'll be there for some time, won't we? We'll be spending lots of nights there anyway!""Aye, that's true enough, but the borders of Pendle are dangerous because they're watched and guarded at night by those who shun the sunlight. There's no hope of getting into a place like that unseen, but at least during the daylight hours we'll arrive with the breath still in our bodies.""Father Stocks could help us through," I said, looking around for him. "He knows Pendle well. He must know a way for us to get to Downham safely tonight.""Reckon he does, but he left shortly before you arrived. We've been talking it through, and he's given me the final pieces of the jigsaw so that I can work out how to sort out the witches. But he's got a number of terrified parishioners at Downham and daren't leave them too long. Now, lad, start at the beginning and tell me everything again. Leave out no details. In the end it'll prove the better way than blundering off on the road without half a plan between us!"

  I did as I was told, telling myself that, as usual, the Spook was probably right and this was the best way to help Jack, but as I finished my account, tears came into my eyes at the thought of what had happened. The Spook stared hard at me for a couple of seconds and then stood up. He began to pace back and forward across the flags before the kitchen hearth."I'm sorry for you, lad. It must be hard. Your dad dead, your mam gone away, and now this. I know it's difficult, but you've got to keep your emotions in check. We need to think clearly now, with cool heads. That's the best way to help your family. The first thing I have to ask is what you know about those trunks in your mam's room. Is there anything you haven't told me? Have you any idea at all what they might contain?""Mam used to keep the silver chain she gave me inside the trunk nearest to the window," I reminded him, "but I've no idea what else was inside.

  What Mam told me was very mysterious. She said that I'd find the answers to a lot of things that might have been puzzling me. That her past and her future were inside those trunks and I'd discover things about her that she'd never even told Dad.""So you've no idea at all? Are you sure?"I thought hard for a few moments. "There might be money inside one of the trunks.""Money? How much money?""I don't know. Mam used some of her own money to buy the farm, but I don't know how much there was in the first place. There must have been something left, though. Remember at the beginning of the -winter, -when I called home to collect the ten guineas Dad owed you to pay for my apprenticeship? Well, Mam went upstairs and got them from her room."The Spook nodded. "So they could well have come for the money. But if th
e girl's right and witches are involved, I can't help thinking there must have been something else. And how did they know the trunks were there?""Alice thinks they may have been spying -with mirrors.""Does she now! Father Stocks mentioned mirrors, but I can't see how they could have seen the trunks in a locked room. It doesn't make sense. There's something more sinister behind this.""Like what?"

  "I don't know yet, lad. But as you have the only key, how did they get into the room without breaking the door? You say your mam protected the room in some way to keep out evil?""Yes, but Alice thinks they made Jack go in because they couldn't enter themselves. There was blood on the wall and the floor," I said. "I think they must have hurt Jack and made him go in and fetch out the chests --though how the door was opened is still a mystery. Mam said that room was a refuge --"I felt myself choke with emotion, and the Spook came forward and patted my shoulder in reassurance.

  Then he waited silently until I'd gotten my voice under control."Come on, lad, tell me.""She said that, once it was locked, I could go in there and be safe from anything evil on the outside. That it was even better protected than your house. But I was only to use it when I was being pursued by something so terrible that my life and soul were at risk. She said that there was a price to pay for using it. That I was young and it would be all right, but that you couldn't use it. And that if it ever became necessary, I had to tell you that."The Spook nodded thoughtfully and scratched at his beard. "Well, lad, it gets more and more mysterious. I sense something deep here. Something I've never come across before. What we face is even more difficult now that innocent victims are involved, but we've no choice but to go ahead. We'll be setting off for Pendle within the hour--we can find somewhere to sleep on the way and arrive after dawn, when it's safer. I'll do all I can to help your family, but I have to tell you this: There's more at stake here than just their lives. As you know, I've decided to try and deal with the Pendle witches once and for all. And not a moment too soon --Father Stocks brought some very bad news. It seems that the rumors were true. The Malkins and the Deanes have already called a truce, and moves are now afoot to get the Mouldheels to join them. So it's as bad as I feared. Do you know what happens on the first of August, less than two weeks from today? "