A Change In The Weather

Chapter 26: A warm welcome

21 January, 2008 – 3:14 pm

Tobias clambered out of the bright orange van and instantly felt himself cringe inwardly with embarrassment. He’d parked it on the gravel drive outside Winterton Hall, but he felt uneasy just leaving it to dribble oil on the driveway. He would’ve rested easier parking it around the back - it looked so out of place against the grandeur of the architecture – almost as if some idiot had just abandoned it there.

He brushed himself down and looked critically at his black dinner jacket and bowtie. It didn’t take him long to come to the conclusion that it must look ten times as ridiculous to any poor fool who happened to witness the bizarre spectacle of someone dressed like James Bond clambering out of a rusty old campervan with all the panache of a professor of cryptozoology.

Curiously, he noticed that it didn’t seem to bother Hillary, who’d decided to dress himself in what at first appeared to be some sort of bizarre Edwardian evening garb. Tobias shook his head and brushed himself down.

The mist that earlier had covered the grounds in a thin veil, seemed to be getting thicker by the minute, with visibility down to about twenty metres. Anything beyond that seemed to be subsumed by an ever-thickening curtain of opaque nothingness.

Hillary pulled out the invite, and stared at it again.

A polite cough came from the doorway, which made him fumble and almost drop the card in surprise. Both Hillary and Tobias looked at one another briefly, before slowly turning around to find themselves staring up at a middle-aged balding gentleman dressed in a butler’s uniform.

‘Welcome to Winterton Hall gentlemen.’

The butler stood at the top of the stone steps that wound up to an ornately carved wooden door. He held his head high and peered down imperiously at the new arrivals through his spectacles, which were perched rather uncomfortably on the end of his beak-like nose.

There was a pause, before he beckoned them towards the entrance with a wave.

‘Sir is expecting you. I’m delighted to announce that all the guests have arrived and are being attended to in the Great Hall. So if you will follow me, I’ll take you through…’

And with those words, the butler turned and shuffled back through the open doorway into Winterton Hall. Hillary followed and a bemused Tobias couldn’t help glancing over his shoulder one last time at the sad-looking campervan as it sat there, slowly leaking dirty black engine oil onto the driveway…

* * * *

From a darkened room, eyes stared down upon the driveway from an upstairs window.

‘More arrivals…’ muttered Augustus, flicking the curtain aside and squinting through little pebble-like eyes at the figures below.

Godfrey, the mayor, sighed.

‘Hillary - the last watcher of Bracken Wood. I didn’t think he’d be able to resist our little invitation. Whoever would have thought that after all this time fate would bring us face to face again. How deliciously ironic the way things turn out don’t you think?”

‘Do you think he suspects anything?’ asked Augustus.

‘Of-course. That’s why he’s here. Nothing could keep him away. He’s far too inquisitive. He still wants to make us pay for the death of his mentor.’ answered Godfrey. ‘He’s protecting the children - the last heirs to Talistay.’

‘How can we be so sure?’

‘Why else would he be bothering with two children? You of all people know the rumours and legends…’

‘Maybe that’s all they are, just rumours.’

‘Maybe, but we can’t take that chance. It all depends on how much the old fool has revealed to them.’

‘Remember how fate brought us together,’ recalled Godfrey. ‘Everything is here. This is not coincidence. Coincidence is reserved for mortals and unbelievers.’

Ichabod nodded slowly.

‘If they are who Hillary thinks they are then – indeed - they have magical powers undreamt of for humans.’

‘All the better to kill two birds with one stone,’ sneered Gideon. ‘Wipe them out utterly.’

‘Who’s that with him?’ grunted Augustus.

‘A friend perhaps?’ suggested Godfrey. ‘Who knows?’

‘I recognize him.’ muttered Ichabod. ‘The annoying little tourist who was hanging around the church the other day.’ He turned slowly, giving Gideon a disapproving look. I knew he was showing more interest than was healthy. Although I didn’t think much of it at the time…’

The Mayor turned away from the window.

‘I see. And now he turns up out of the blue with Hillary. Most interesting don’t you think?’

And then something occurred to him and he turned back to the window.

‘Do you suppose this is the same person that Toadflax chased into the wood?’

Gideon shrugged.

‘I don’t know. Although I seem to recall seeing him briefly at the Church too…’

Godfrey allowed himself a smile.

‘Come Gideon. As I said, we are not dealing with coincidence here! You must learn to trust your instincts more. No matter. We’ll just make sure that we give him and his little friend a proper welcome shall we?’

‘You mean the way we welcomed Cornelius?’ leered Augustus.

‘He no doubt relives the scene in his mind everyday. How could he ever forget? Just make sure there’s a nice roaring fire waiting for him downstairs. He won’t miss this one.’

The mayor paused, rubbing his hands together gleefully.

‘Do you remember the look of shock on poor Cornelius’s face as we pushed him into his own furnace? It seemed like an age before he finally stopped screaming.’

‘He did carry on for ever-such a long time didn’t he? Didn’t he almost manage to climb out at one point? But then you kicked him back in? Even when you stabbed him with that pitchfork to shut him up he still wouldn’t quieten down.’

‘A pitchfork was it? It all seems highly elaborate. I seem to recall his hair and beard had burnt off, and yet he still writhed about in the embers for far longer than he should have…’

‘How could I forget?’ replied Gideon, turning to face the Mayor. ‘I’d better tell Edgar that the fire will need stoking then,’ he said finally, with a dark smile.

‘Now that we have the Ivory Flute we also have the means to possess the Dragon egg. Notify Toadflax of our plans and make sure that everything goes to the letter. Timing is critical. We can’t afford to make any mistakes. Also, tell him to make sure the children are disposed of… We don’t want any nasty surprises.’

The Mayor stared at his watch and tapped it.

‘Ah. It is time. Assemble our guests in the great hall. Let’s put an end to this interminable curse once and for all. Let no one get in our way. And I mean no one…’

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