Joseph Delaney - The Spook

Tusk gave a sort of roar and ran up the slope towards him, brandishing his blade, with Bony Lizzie close at his heels. They weren’t bothered about us for the moment. They knew who their main enemy was. They could deal with us later.

By now Alice had come to a halt too, so I took a couple of shaky steps to bring myself level with her. We both watched as Tusk made his final charge, lifting his curved blade and bellowing angrily as he ran.

The Spook had been standing as still as a statue, but then in response he took two big strides down the slope towards him and lifted his staff high. Aiming it like a spear, he drove it hard towards Tusk’s head. Just before it made contact with his forehead, there was a sort of click and a red flame appeared at the very tip. There was a heavy thud as it struck home. The curved knife went up in the air and Tusk’s body fell like a sack of potatoes. I knew he was dead even before he hit the ground.

Next the Spook cast his staff to one side and reached inside his cloak. When his left hand appeared again it was clutching something that he cracked high in the air like a whip. It caught the sun and I knew it was a silver chain.

Bony Lizzie turned and tried to run but it was too late: the second time he cracked the chain, it was followed almost immediately by a thin, high, metallic sound. The chain began to fall, shaping itself into a spiral of fire to bind itself tightly around Bony Lizzie. She gave one great shriek of anguish, then fell to the floor.

I walked with Alice to the summit of the slope. There we saw that the silver chain was wrapped tightly about the witch from head to toe. It was even tight across her open mouth, hard against her teeth. Her eyes were rolling in her head and her whole body was twitching with effort, but she couldn’t cry out.

I glanced across at Tusk. He was lying on his back with his eyes wide open. He was dead all right and there was a red wound in the middle of his forehead. I looked at the staff then, wondering about the flame I’d seen at its tip.

My master looked gaunt, tired and suddenly very old. He kept shaking his head as if he was weary of life itself. In the shadow of the slope, his hair was back to its usual grey colour and I realized why it had seemed to stream back from his head: it was saturated with sweat and he’d slicked it back with his hand so that it stuck up and out behind his ears. He did it again as I watched. Beads of sweat were dripping from his brow and he was breathing very rapidly. I realized he’d been running.

‘How did you find us?’ I asked.

It was a while before he answered, but at last his breathing began to slow and he was able to speak. ‘There are signs, lad. Trails that can be followed, if you know how. That’s something else you’ll have to learn.’

He turned and looked at Alice. ‘That’s two of them dealt with, but what are we going to do about you?’ he asked, staring at her hard.

‘She helped me escape,’ I said.

‘Is that so?’ asked the Spook. ‘But what else did she do?’

He looked hard at me then and I tried to hold his gaze. When I looked down at my boots he made a clicking noise with his tongue. I couldn’t lie to him and I knew that he’d guessed that she’d played some part in what had happened to me.

He looked at Alice again. ‘Open your mouth, girl,’ he said harshly, his voice full of anger. ‘I want to see your teeth.’

Alice obeyed and the Spook suddenly reached forward, seizing her by the jaw. He brought his face close to her open mouth and sniffed very loudly.

When he turned back to me his mood seemed to have softened and he gave a deep sigh. ‘Her breath is sweet enough,’ he said. ‘You’ve smelled the breath of the other?’ he asked, releasing Alice ’s jaw and pointing down at Bony Lizzie.

I nodded.

‘It’s caused by her diet,’ he said. ‘And it tells you right away what she’s been up to. Those who practise bone or blood magic get a taste for blood and raw meat. But the girl seems all right.’

Then he moved his face close to Alice ’s again. ‘Look into my eyes, girl,’ he told her. ‘Hold my gaze as long as you can.’

Alice did as he told her but she couldn’t look at him for long even though her mouth was twitching with the effort. She dropped her eyes and began to cry softly.

The Spook looked down at her pointy shoes and shook his head sadly. ‘I don’t know,’ he said, turning at me again. ‘I just don’t know what to do for the best. It’s not just her. We’ve others to think about. Innocents who might suffer in the future. She’s seen too much and she knows too much for her own good. It could go either way with her and I don’t know if it’s safe to let her go. If she goes east to join the brood at Pendle, then she’ll be lost for ever and she’ll just add to the dark.’

‘Haven’t you anywhere else you could go?’ I asked Alice gently. ‘No other relations?’

‘There’s a village near the coast. It’s called Staumin. I’ve another aunt lives there. Perhaps she’d take me in…’

‘Is she like the others?’ the Spook asked, staring at Alice again.

‘Not so you’d notice,’ she replied. ‘Still, it’s a long way and I ain’t ever been there before. Could take three days or more to get there.’

‘I could send the lad with you,’ said the Spook, his voice suddenly a lot kinder. ‘He’s had a good look at my maps so I reckon he should be able to find the way. When he gets back he’ll be learning how to fold them up properly. Anyway, it’s decided. I’m going to give you a chance, girl. It’s up to you whether you take it. If you don’t, then one day we’ll meet again and the next time you won’t be so lucky.’

Then the Spook pulled the usual cloth from his pocket. Inside it was a hunk of cheese for the journey. ‘Just so you don’t go hungry,’ he said, ‘but don’t eat it all at once.’

I hoped we might find something better to eat on the way but I still mumbled my thanks.

‘Don’t go straight to Staumin,’ said the Spook, staring at me hard without blinking. ‘I want you to go home again first. Take this girl with you and let your mother talk to her. I’ve a feeling she might just be able to help. I’ll expect you back within two weeks.’

That brought a smile to my face. After all that had happened, a chance to go home for a while was a dream come true. But one thing did puzzle me because I remembered the letter my mam had sent the Spook. He hadn’t seemed that happy with some of the things she’d said. So why should he think my mam would be able to help Alice? I didn’t say anything, because I didn’t want to risk making the Spook have second thoughts. I was just glad to be away.

Before we left, I told him about Billy. He nodded sadly but said not to worry because he’d do what was necessary.

As we set off, I glanced back and saw the Spook carrying Bony Lizzie over his left shoulder and striding away towards Chipenden. From behind you’d have taken him for a man thirty years younger.

As we came down the hill towards the farm, warm drizzle was drifting into our faces. Somewhere far off a dog barked twice, but below us everything was quiet and still.

It was late afternoon and I knew that my dad and Jack would be out in the fields, which would give me a chance to talk to Mam alone. It was easy for the Spook to tell me to take Alice home with me, but the journey had given me time to think and I didn’t know how Mam would take it. I didn’t feel she’d be happy having someone like Alice in the house, especially when I told her what she’d been up to. And as for Jack, I’d a pretty good idea what his reaction would be. From what Ellie had told me last time about his attitude to my new job, having the niece of a witch in the house was the last thing he’d want.