Joseph Delaney - The Spook's Curse

‘It’s bad enough,’ he said grimly. ‘The Bane was always going to get stronger but this is much faster than I expected. Much faster. It shouldn’t have been able to do this so soon. We haven’t much time left!’

The Spook led the way back towards the house. We could see slates missing from the roof and one of the chimneypots had been toppled from the stack.

‘It’ll have to wait until we’ve time to get it fixed,’ he said.

Just then there came the sound of a bell from the kitchen. For the first time that morning the Spook gave a faint smile. He looked relieved.

‘I wasn’t sure we’d be having breakfast this morning,’ he said. ‘Perhaps it’s not quite as bad as I thought…’

As we entered the kitchen the first thing I noticed was that the flags between the table and the hearth were spotted with bloodstains. And the kitchen was really chilly. Then I saw why. I’d been the Spook’s apprentice for almost six months, but this was the first morning there’d been no fire burning in the grate. And on the table there were no eggs, no bacon, just one thin slice of toast each.

The Spook touched my shoulder in warning. ‘Say nothing, lad. Eat it up and be grateful for what we’ve received.’

I did as I was told but when I’d swallowed my last mouthful of toast my belly was still rumbling.

The Spook came to his feet. ‘That was an excellent breakfast. The bread was toasted to perfection,’ he said to the empty air. ‘And thank you for everything you did last night. We’re both very grateful.’

Mostly, the boggart didn’t show itself, but now once again it took the form of the big ginger cat. There was just the faintest of purrs and it appeared briefly close to the hearth. However, I’d never seen it looking as it did then. Its left ear was torn and bleeding and the fur on its neck was matted with blood. But the worst thing of all was what had been done to its face. It had been blinded in one eye. Where its left eye used to be there was now a raw vertical wound.

‘It’ll never be quite the same again,’ said the Spook sadly when we were outside the back door. ‘We should be grateful that the Bane’s still not regained its full strength or we’d have died last night. That boggart’s bought us a little time. Now we’ve got to use it before it’s too late…’

Even as he spoke the bell began to ring down at the crossroads. Business for the Spook. With all that had happened and the danger from the Bane, I thought he’d ignore it but I was wrong.

‘Well, lad,’ he said. ‘Off you go and find out what’s wanted.’

The bell stopped ringing just before I got there but the rope was still swaying. Down amongst the withy trees it was gloomy as usual but it only took me a second to realize that it wasn’t a summons to spook’s business. A girl in a black dress was waiting there.

Alice.

‘You’re taking a big risk!’ I told her, shaking my head. ‘You’re lucky that Mr Gregory didn’t come down here with me.’

Alice smiled. ‘Old Gregory couldn’t catch me the way he is now. Ain’t half the man he was.’

‘Don’t be too sure about that!’ I said angrily. ‘He made me dig a pit. A pit for you. And that’s where you’ll end up if you’re not careful.’

‘Old Gregory’s strength has gone. No wonder he got you to dig it!’ Alice jibed, her voice full of mockery.

‘No,’ I said, ‘he made me dig it so that I’d accept what has to be done. That it’s my duty to put you in there.’

Alice’s tone suddenly became sad. ‘Would you really do that to me, Tom?’ she asked. ‘After all we’ve been through together? I saved you from a pit. Don’t you remember that, when Bony Lizzie wanted your bones? When Lizzie was sharpening her knife?’

I remembered it well. But for Alice’s help I would have died that night.

‘Look, Alice, go to Pendle now before it’s too late,’ I told her. ‘Get as far away from here as possible!’

‘Bane don’t agree. Thinks I should stay nearby a while longer, he does.’

‘The Bane’s an it, not a he!’ I said, irritated by what Alice was saying.

‘No, Tom, he ain’t,’ said Alice. ‘Sniffed him out, I did, and he’s a man-thing for certain!’

‘The Bane attacked the Spook’s house last night. It could have killed us. Did you send it?’

Alice shook her head in a firm denial. ‘That ain’t nothing to do with me, Tom. I swear it. We talked, that’s all, and he told me things.’

‘I thought you weren’t going to have any more dealings with it!’ I said, hardly able to believe what she was saying.

‘I’ve tried hard, Tom, I really have. But he comes and whispers things to me. Comes to me in the dark, he does, when I’m trying to sleep. He even talks to me in my dreams. He promises me things.’

‘What sort of things?’

‘It ain’t easy, Tom. It’s getting colder at nights. The weather’s drawing in. Bane said I could have a house with a big fireplace and lots of coal and wood and that I’d never want for anything. He said I could have nice clothes too, so that people wouldn’t look down their noses at me like they do now, thinking I’m something that’s just crawled out of a hedge.’

‘Don’t listen to it, Alice. You’ve got to try harder!’

‘Good job I do listen to him sometimes,’ Alice said, a strange half-smile on her face, ‘otherwise you’d be really sorry. I know something, see. Something that might save Old Gregory’s life as well as yours.’

‘Tell me,’ I urged.

‘Not sure why I should, seeing as you’re plotting for me to spend the rest of my days in a pit!’

‘That’s not fair, Alice.’

‘I’ll help you again, I will. But I wonder if you’d do the same for me…?’

She paused and gave me a sad smile. ‘You see, the Quisitor’s on his way up here to Chipenden. Burned his hands in that fire, that’s all, and now he wants revenge. He knows Old Gregory lives somewhere nearby and he’s coming with armed men and dogs. Big bloodhounds, they are, with big teeth. He’ll be here by noon at the latest. So go and tell Old Gregory what I said. Don’t expect he’ll say thanks though.’

‘I’ll go and tell him,’ I said, and set off right away, running up the hill towards the house. As I ran, I realized that I hadn’t thanked Alice, but how could I thank her for using the dark to help us?

The Spook was waiting just inside the back door. ‘Well, lad,’ he said, ‘get your breath back first. I can tell from your face you’re bringing bad news.’

‘The Quisitor’s on his way here,’ I said. ‘He’s found out that we live near Chipenden!’

‘And who told you this?’ asked the Spook, scratching at his beard.

‘Alice. She said he’ll be here by noon. The Bane told her…’

The Spook sighed deeply. ‘Well, we’d better get away as soon as possible. First of all, you go down to the village and let the butcher know we’re heading north over the fells to Caster and won’t be back for some time. Go into the grocer’s and tell him the same and say that we won’t need any provisions next week.’

I ran down into the village and did exactly what he’d told me. When I got back the Spook was already waiting at the door, ready to set off. He handed me his bag.

‘Are we going south?’ I asked.

The Spook shook his head. ‘No, lad, we’re heading north as I said. We need to get to Heysham and, if we’re lucky, speak to the ghost of Naze.’

‘But we’ve told everyone the way we’re going. Why didn’t I pretend we were heading south?’

‘Because I’m hoping the Quisitor will pay a visit to the village on his way up here. Then, instead of searching for this house, he’ll head north and the hounds will pick up our trail. We’ve got to draw them away from the house. Some of the books in my library are irreplaceable. If he comes here, his men might loot this place and maybe burn it to the ground. No, I can’t risk anything happening to my books.’