Jack Shian and the King's Chalice Part 13

"Come in, girls," said their grandfather lightly. "I trust you've been enjoying the story?"

"We couldn't hear all of it," Lizzie began, only to be silenced by a sharp pinch from her sister.

"You may as well hear the rest in comfort. I take it that you are aware of the ma.n.u.scripts?"

Rana nodded, while Lizzie looked away.

"They tell us that the Stone is linked to other treasures, including an ancient cup. I understand a symbol of this has been the prize in an annual match between Cos-Howe and Claville."

"The French captain sketched a fiery cup in the air before the game," said Jack. "Afterwards he went to claim it, but when his hands touched the flames, they disappeared. The referee disappeared too."

"Was there anything special about the cup?" asked Grandpa.

"Its markings," said Rana. "Afterwards I remembered where I'd seen them before on Tamlina's ring."

Doonya and Katie turned sharply to look at Rana, their eyes wide with surprise.

"What do you know of Tamlina?" demanded Doonya angrily.

Sensing that she had strayed onto difficult ground, Rana hesitated.

"You'd better tell us what you know." Grandpa Sandy spoke gently.

"Ossian took us," explained Rana. "We didn't know where we were going, it was a secret. We just went along for some fun."

"I hope you realise how foolhardy that was," said Doonya. "Tamlina's a very dangerous enchantress. How did you know where she was?"

"Ossian knew," chimed in Lizzie. "She made Ossian and Petros wait behind while Rana and Jack and me went with her."

"She didn't give you anything to eat or drink, did she?" asked Aunt Katie anxiously.

"She gave us this broth, but we poured it out on the ground," said Jack. "She didn't notice; she'd already drunk hers."

"That's just as well, Jack dear. There's no knowing what might have happened if you'd drunk one of her potions."

"She went into a trance," continued Jack, "but it was hard to hear what she was saying."

"Something about a Trinity," broke in Rana. "And then she spoke of sphere and silver."

"She mentioned my father too," said Jack. "Something about him and Konan the Brashat trying to trick each other up in Keldy."

"I wish you'd told us this before, Jack," said his grandfather. "We haven't managed to get anything out of Tamlina before now. You must have caught her at a fortunate time."

"Afterwards, I don't think she remembered what she'd said," pointed out Lizzie. "She even asked us if she'd mentioned some kind of stone. She knew she'd been talking, because she said we had responsibility with knowledge."

"She was quite right, then," snapped her father. "The responsible thing would have been to come and tell us."

"So what does the Trinity mean then?" asked Petros. His parents looked at him, then at Grandpa Sandy.

"We're not sure." Grandpa tapped the fingertips of his left hand against those of his right. "The ma.n.u.scripts are difficult to decipher, and there are many strange symbols. Rana," he turned to his granddaughter, "what were the markings on the King's Cup?"

"It was a round pattern," b.u.t.ted in Lizzie. "Three spirals joined in the middle."

"That's right," added Rana. "The same as Tamlina's ring. I'll draw it for you."

Rana fetched a pencil and a sc.r.a.p of paper, and began to draw an outline of the shape.

As Rana presented her drawing, Grandpa and Uncle Doonya exchanged glances. Aunt Katie took the cue.

"Come on, you lot," she said, getting up. "We'll get you something to eat. Grandpa and Dad need a few moments to discuss things."

Reluctantly, the four youngsters went through to the kitchen. Each ate quickly but quietly, trying to listen for sounds from the front room. After ten minutes, Grandpa Sandy came through.

"You can come back in now," he announced. "Perhaps without realising it, you have uncovered important information. The Congress will have to decide what to do next."

"What do the spirals mean, Grandpa?" asked Petros, as they all sat down again.

"The ma.n.u.scripts talk of a Trinity. The three spiral arms probably represent that. The Stone could be one arm, and the King's Cup another, but we're not sure if the third one is the globe. The doc.u.ments are very old and difficult to read."

"Where did they come from?" asked Jack.

"That's a mystery," replied Doonya. "They appeared in the castle chapel a week after midsummer. n.o.body knows how."

"Maybe a human left them," suggested Jack. "Humans walk through that chapel all day."

"That's possible," said Doonya. "Most of the ma.n.u.scripts aren't Shian. That's why they're so hard to interpret."

"I can read human writing," piped up Rana.

"These aren't like the human books you've seen," said her mother kindly. "They're old parchments, from before the time printing was invented. That's what's so strange if it was a human who brought them. They must be valuable. Anybody could've picked them up."

"We must a.s.sume that whoever left them meant us to find them," said Grandpa. "The question is, why?"

"The Congress must decide," said Doonya. "There's only so much we can do on our own."

"I agree. But," said Grandpa, turning to the youngsters, "apart from telling the senior members of the Congress, this must be kept to ourselves. Having such knowledge could be dangerous if others know that we know. You must not tell anyone else what you have told us."

"We told Ossian what Tamlina had said," Jack pointed out.

"He hasn't told his parents, then," said Doonya. "Hart would certainly have let us know if he had. But has he told anyone else?"

"He's been on a tight rein since coming back from France," said Katie, "but I'm sure he'll still manage to meet his friends, and some of them are not that trustworthy."

"I'd better go to Keldy and find out," said Doonya. "I can go this evening."

"The Congress meets tonight," said Grandpa firmly. "You ought to be there."

"I'll be back in time for that. The Congress will want to know if anyone in Keldy knows all this."

Grandpa Sandy and Doonya returned late from the Congress meeting. Both looked drawn and tired. As they entered the house, Jack and Petros were getting ready to go upstairs.

"Just a moment, please, you two," said Doonya.

Exchanging puzzled glances, the two boys followed Doonya into the front room. Grandpa Sandy closed the door.

"How's Ossian?" asked Jack.

"He'll not be allowed out for a while," snapped Uncle Doonya. Then, composing himself, he continued, "Everyone in Keldy is fine. But things are happening that are causing us some concern."

"Tonight's Congress meeting was not plain sailing," explained Grandpa. "Our news has upset some people, and the upshot is that they want you both, and Rana and Lizzie, to appear before them next Friday."

Jack gulped hard. Apprentices were never summoned by the Congress, except for the most serious of offences.

"But why?" Petros found his voice first. "We haven't done anything wrong."

"It's not a matter of having done anything wrong," replied Grandpa, "although some believe that going to see Tamlina puts you in that category. But you have no choice. If summoned, you must attend. We'll be there too, so don't worry. I'm afraid," he continued, looking at Jack, "that in light of these events it would be safest for you not to leave the square until after next week's meeting."

"I've only just been allowed out!" shouted Jack. "That's not fair!" He thumped the arm of the sofa, and stormed out.

Both Jack and Petros found it hard to sleep that night. Indeed, the following week was difficult, with the Friday night meeting looming ahead. Rana alone seemed unconcerned, arguing that she hadn't committed any crime.

As Friday evening neared they were all made ready by Aunt Katie, to 'look their best' for the Congress. Jack, in his tidiest clothes, squirmed as his hair was once again brushed flat. He wasn't looking forward to being interviewed, but rationalised that the sooner they got there, the sooner it would be over.

Lizzie and Rana were arguing over whether they should take their pet squillo Nuxie along. Lizzie's claim that he was so sweet that he was bound to melt even the stoniest of Congress members' hearts was met with the withering retort that they didn't need luck. To Jack's relief, Grandpa Sandy arrived and announced that it was time to leave.

22.

The Shian Congress

Grandpa Sandy a.s.sembled the group on the mound of earth at the foot of the square. Drawing his cloak around them, he whispered, "Wind-flock Cos-Howe."

Jack had no time to be surprised. The spinning and the loud drone started and finished so quickly that he had barely time to register where they were going. He was still feeling giddy as Grandpa Sandy lowered his cloak. The Cos-Howe entrance chamber was well lit this time, with a dozen burning torches on the wall.

"The meeting's here?" exclaimed Petros.

"The Congress meets as circ.u.mstances dictate," replied Grandpa, leading them towards the great wooden door. "I believe some senior Shian wish to impress on the Cos-Howe contingent that the Congress is in charge."

Jack saw that the tables that had been there on their previous visit had disappeared. Instead, one long wooden table at the far end faced them. Behind this were twelve high-backed wooden chairs, at which sat the Shian Congress.

They've all got the same cloak as Grandpa.

Starting at the left end, Jack saw Murkle and Rowan, conversing earnestly. Next to them sat a similarly old woman, whose wispy grey hair sprouted from underneath a small felt hat; then two gnomes, feverishly whispering with one other. Then an empty chair and an imposing throne, then two more empty chairs. Then a tall black woman with grey hair and a piercing gaze, who sat tapping her fingers rapidly on the table; then a Darrig who glowered as the group entered. Next to him, a hunched old man sat silently, his face hidden by his cloak hood. Jack tried to a.s.sess how friendly or hostile each would be.

The tall black woman stood up and indicated silently to Grandpa Sandy to join the table. As he moved to take an empty seat, he patted each youngster rea.s.suringly on the shoulder.

Atholmor and Samara entered from a side door. Atholmor's cloak was a slightly brighter shade of green, but he wore the same dark tri-cornered hat as Grandpa. Everyone stood in silence until Atholmor had taken the throne, and Samara the seat between Grandpa and Armina, leaving vacant the seat to Atholmor's right.

Doonya went to the side of the great chamber, while Aunt Katie remained with the youngsters, facing the table.

"Don't worry," she whispered. "Just answer the questions, and we'll soon be out of here."

Jack noted that Cosmo was standing near Doonya, but that they were pointedly ignoring each other. Cosmo nodded silently at Jack, which made him feel a little better.

Atholmor tapped the table.

"This special meeting of the Congress is convened to hear from these young people."

"They have been meddling in things that should not concern them." Murkle rose from his chair. "In my day an apprentice would have been cast into iron for consorting with an enchantress."

"What do you mean, 'consorting'?" shouted the tall black woman.

"Please, Armina, Murkle, let us have order!" said Atholmor firmly. "These young people are not on trial. We merely wish to discover what they know." He faced the small group. "We understand that you were taken to see Tamlina, and that she drank some potion. We wish to know what she said while in a trance."

Jack moved confidently forward. "Tamlina only let me and Rana and Lizzie go with her. She drank her broth and went into a daze. She was mumbling something about my father and a Brashat trying to trick each other. Then she chanted about 'sphere and silver', and 'the Seat of Power'. That was it."

He stepped back to join the others.

The figure at the far right now removed the hood from his head. Jack looked up, and shuddered as he recognised the man who had looked in at Daid's window. The man's face had a long scar from below his right ear to the corner of his mouth, giving his face a sinister lopsided look.

"These children are mixing in dangerous company. Soon we'll have Brashat swarming all over because of them. They must be kept where they cannot put us all at risk under lock and key, or else banished."

"Please, Finbogie, I have asked for good sense to prevail. I am aware that the Brashat have an interest in these matters, and like you I am keen not to let them too close to our secrets."

"What secrets?" snorted Murkle. "With these children meddling, nothing will remain secret for long."

"There is no doubt that these youngsters are well intentioned." Rowan's gentle voice was a heartening change from Murkle's. "I am sure that we would like to know what they have learned."

Jack relaxed. At least some of the Congress was on their side.

"What exactly did Tamlina say about 'sphere and silver'?" Atholmor spoke firmly.

Jack looked back at Rana and Lizzie. "If ... if sphere and silver they would gain ..." He paused, unable to recollect the rest.

"The Seat of Power they would win," concluded Rana promptly.

"Attain," Lizzie corrected her. "It's 'they would attain', not 'they would win'."