‘Alice! I’ve been really worried about you. Why did you leave like that without saying anything?’
She stepped forward and, without answering, gave me a hug. After a few moments I held her at arm’s length.
‘You look like you’ve had a hard time of it, but it’s really good to see you,’ I told her. ‘Your hair’s returning to its usual colour. It’ll be back to normal soon.’
Alice nodded, but the smile slipped from her face and she looked very serious. ‘I’ve something really important to tell you, Tom,’ she said. ‘It’s best if Old Gregory hears it too!’
I’d have liked a little more time to talk to Alice alone, but she insisted that we see my master immediately. I went to fetch him, and as it was a sunny afternoon, he led the way to the bench in the western garden.
The Spook and I sat down but Alice remained standing. I had to stop myself from laughing because it reminded me of the occasions when the Spook would stand there giving me a lesson while I took notes. Now my master and I were like two apprentices!
But what Alice had to say soon wiped the smile off my face.
‘While she was on the run with the Fiend’s head, Grimalkin took refuge in Malkin Tower,’ she told us. ‘It’s a long story, and no doubt she’ll eventually tell you the details of what happened herself—’
‘Is the Fiend’s head still safe in her possession?’ interrupted the Spook.
‘It’s been hard, but Grimalkin’s kept it safe so far. Ain’t going to get any easier, though. There’s some bad news. Agnes Sowerbutts was killed by the Fiend’s supporters.’
‘Poor Agnes,’ I said, shaking my head sadly. ‘I’m really sorry.’ She was Alice’s aunt and had helped both of us in the past.
‘One of the two lamia sisters was killed as well, and now only one – Slake – is left defending the tower. She’s under siege and can’t hold out indefinitely. From what Grimalkin said, it’s important that you go there as soon as possible, Tom. The lamias studied your mam’s books and found out that she was the one who hobbled the Fiend. Slake thinks that by looking more closely at the hobbling process you might be able to work out how to finish him off for good.’
The hobble had limited the Fiend’s power in certain ways. If he was able to kill me himself, he’d reign on in our world for a hundred years before being forced to return to the dark. Of course, for an immortal being, that wasn’t long enough. But if he got one of his children to do the deed, the son or daughter of a witch, then the Fiend could rule the world indefinitely. There was also a third way to achieve this end: he could simply convert me to the dark.
‘I always thought it was likely that Mam did the hobbling,’ I said. After all, I was her seventh son born to Dad, another seventh son, and thus her chosen weapon against the Fiend. The hobble concerned me, and which other of his enemies could have been powerful enough to do it?
The Spook nodded in agreement but didn’t look at all happy. Any use of magic made him very uneasy. At present an alliance with the dark was necessary but he didn’t like it.
‘I thought the same,’ said Alice. ‘But there’s one more thing, Tom. Whatever’s needed, whatever it takes, you have to do it at Halloween. There’s a seventeen-year cycle, and it’s got to be next Halloween – the thirty-fourth anniversary of the hobble carried out by your mam. That leaves little over five months . . . ’
‘Well, lad,’ said the Spook, ‘you’d better get yourself to Malkin Tower as soon as possible. That’s more important than books for my new library. Our visit to Todmorden can wait until you get back.’
‘Aren’t you coming?’ I asked.
My master shook his head. ‘Nay, lad, not this time. At my age the County damp starts to rot your joints, and my old knees are playing up worse than I can remember. I’d only slow you down. With the girl to guide you, you’ll be able reach the tower without being seen. Besides, you’ve got years of training behind you now; it’s time you started to think and behave like the spook you’ll soon become. I have confidence in you, lad. I wouldn’t send you off like this if I didn’t think you could take care of yourself.’
AFTER THAT, I spent an hour with the dogs. Claw and her fully grown pups, Blood and Bone, were wolfhounds trained to hunt water witches. They’d belonged to Bill Arkwright, a spook who had died fighting the dark with us in Greece. Now I considered them to be my dogs – although my master had still not agreed to give them a permanent home. While we were away he had promised to look after them, but I knew he was busy planning repairs to the house; moreover, his knees were playing up, so the dogs would no doubt spend most of their time chained up. I took them for a long walk, letting them run free.
Within an hour of my return we were setting off on our journey. We walked fast. Carrying my staff and bag, I followed Alice east towards Pendle. Our aim was to arrive just before sunset, enter under cover of dark and then head directly for Malkin Tower.
Under my gown, in the scabbard crafted for me by Grimalkin, I was carrying the Destiny Blade, a weapon given to me by one of Ireland’s greatest heroes, Cuchulain. The witch assassin had trained me in its use and it would prove a valuable additional weapon.
We crossed the river Ribble with hours to spare and, heading north, kept to the west of that huge, ominous hill, feeling the chill of its brooding presence. Pendle was a place that was particularly conducive to the use of dark magic. This was why so many witches lived here.
However, we were on the safer side of Pendle; the villages of the three main witch clans lay to the southeast, beyond the hill. We knew that the clans were divided amongst themselves; there were those who supported the Fiend and those who opposed him. The situation was complicated but one thing was certain – a spook’s apprentice would not be welcome anywhere in the district.
We skirted Downham, then rounded the northern edge of the hill, before heading south once more. Now, with every stride, we were moving closer to danger, so we settled down in a small copse to wait for nightfall.
Alice turned to face me, her face pale in the gloom. ‘I’ve more to tell you, Tom,’ she said. ‘I think this is as good a time as any.’
‘You’re being very mysterious. Is it something bad?’ I asked her.
‘The first part ain’t – though the second might upset you, so I’ll start with the easy bit. When your mam hobbled the Fiend, she used two sacred objects. One of ’em is in the trunk in Malkin Tower. The other could be anywhere, so we need to track it down.’