alarmed look at Eve.
“Isn’t it strange?” Eve said pointedly. “How before your dad died, neither of us knew
we had a cousin?
”
“Oh! Yes. That was… odd.”
“I could tell you were related at once, as soon as I looked at her,” Amy said, oblivious. “Eve must be
way
more fun to live with than your gran. When’s the old lady getting back from her research trip anyway?”
Amy was relatively contained during term time – she never had much money for the train – but if she lived in the same city… How long would it be till she found out all about him?
Cameron sometimes felt like he was two people: the ordinary boy from Cauldlockheart, a bit shy and lacking in confidence, and the world-shifting wolf-boy who had a totally mad and often wonderful existence. He loved his new life, and fiercely wanted to protect it. Now it seemed like his identities were colliding – just as things were falling apart.
He picked up one of the guitars he kept at the shop, placed it on his lap and began to absent-mindedly pick out a tune. Music had always helped him, at both the happiest and saddest times in his life. It was something he could focus on, and lose himself in: a perfect world of its own, far from any worries or anxiety.
He was just contemplating a particularly tricky chord progression when a movement out the corner of his eye distracted him. The cake cover was shuffling along the desk… The dome bumped into the discarded cassette, lifted, drew in the tape, and moved on.
He put the guitar down, and moved quietly to the desk. He whipped the lid off. A long brown strand of tape was vanishing into the lump, sucked in like spaghetti. It froze, mid-sook.
“Caught you! What are you up to?”
A tiny mouth puckered, revealing chalky grey teeth. “You are ordered to attend the Court of the Parallel. The case of Dr Black versus Lady Ives o’ the Black Hill is called!”
He stared at the lump. “That wasn’t meant to be for another two days!”
“The case has been brought forward,” it gurgled smugly. “You must attend. You must produce Isobel Ives or surrender your tenancy of the shop.”
“You can’t do that!” Cameron thought frantically. They had gone off in search of the ward so they’d have a safe base of operations – not that it had worked out. Morgan and Eve were still missing, and he hadn’t even
begun
to tackle the threat posed by Black and Grey. “What if I say no? You can’t make me.”
“Then action will be taken.” The lump rolled along the desk, its grey dough flesh squashing into and over the answermachine. There was a suckering sound, and the machine vanished. The lump grew bigger.
“All problems will be
absorbed
…”
CHAPTER 6
Guided by Lamps
A fancy bookcase swung aside to reveal the top of a flight of stairs. A lantern, hanging by a metal ring from a staff, lay propped at an angle against the wall.
Cameron peered down the stairwell, which spiralled away into darkness. “This way to the Court,” he said to himself. He reached for the lantern.
“You are expected. You will follow me.”
The staff lifted itself from the ground and swung forward, as if being used as a walking stick by some unseen person. The metal tip made a
pock! pock!
sound as it descended the wooden steps.
“Portable lighting. That’s original.” The pool of light was moving fast and Cameron hurried after. “Hey, wait for me! It’s pretty dark.”
“Then let the light of justice be your guide.” The flame flickered, its voice a hollow whisper. “That was by means of a joke… You didn’t find it funny.”
Cameron drew in air through his teeth. “Not really. I’ve got a lot on my mind.”
“I try to lighten the mood if I can. So many people never leave the Court. We may as well make their stay as pleasant as possible.”
“That fills me with confidence,” said Cameron. Thestairs creaked beneath his feet. “Is it far to go?”
“Quite a distance. Nearly all the way down,” said the
“Isn’t it strange?” Eve said pointedly. “How before your dad died, neither of us knew
we had a cousin?
”
“Oh! Yes. That was… odd.”
“I could tell you were related at once, as soon as I looked at her,” Amy said, oblivious. “Eve must be
way
more fun to live with than your gran. When’s the old lady getting back from her research trip anyway?”
Amy was relatively contained during term time – she never had much money for the train – but if she lived in the same city… How long would it be till she found out all about him?
Cameron sometimes felt like he was two people: the ordinary boy from Cauldlockheart, a bit shy and lacking in confidence, and the world-shifting wolf-boy who had a totally mad and often wonderful existence. He loved his new life, and fiercely wanted to protect it. Now it seemed like his identities were colliding – just as things were falling apart.
He picked up one of the guitars he kept at the shop, placed it on his lap and began to absent-mindedly pick out a tune. Music had always helped him, at both the happiest and saddest times in his life. It was something he could focus on, and lose himself in: a perfect world of its own, far from any worries or anxiety.
He was just contemplating a particularly tricky chord progression when a movement out the corner of his eye distracted him. The cake cover was shuffling along the desk… The dome bumped into the discarded cassette, lifted, drew in the tape, and moved on.
He put the guitar down, and moved quietly to the desk. He whipped the lid off. A long brown strand of tape was vanishing into the lump, sucked in like spaghetti. It froze, mid-sook.
“Caught you! What are you up to?”
A tiny mouth puckered, revealing chalky grey teeth. “You are ordered to attend the Court of the Parallel. The case of Dr Black versus Lady Ives o’ the Black Hill is called!”
He stared at the lump. “That wasn’t meant to be for another two days!”
“The case has been brought forward,” it gurgled smugly. “You must attend. You must produce Isobel Ives or surrender your tenancy of the shop.”
“You can’t do that!” Cameron thought frantically. They had gone off in search of the ward so they’d have a safe base of operations – not that it had worked out. Morgan and Eve were still missing, and he hadn’t even
begun
to tackle the threat posed by Black and Grey. “What if I say no? You can’t make me.”
“Then action will be taken.” The lump rolled along the desk, its grey dough flesh squashing into and over the answermachine. There was a suckering sound, and the machine vanished. The lump grew bigger.
“All problems will be
absorbed
…”
CHAPTER 6
Guided by Lamps
A fancy bookcase swung aside to reveal the top of a flight of stairs. A lantern, hanging by a metal ring from a staff, lay propped at an angle against the wall.
Cameron peered down the stairwell, which spiralled away into darkness. “This way to the Court,” he said to himself. He reached for the lantern.
“You are expected. You will follow me.”
The staff lifted itself from the ground and swung forward, as if being used as a walking stick by some unseen person. The metal tip made a
pock! pock!
sound as it descended the wooden steps.
“Portable lighting. That’s original.” The pool of light was moving fast and Cameron hurried after. “Hey, wait for me! It’s pretty dark.”
“Then let the light of justice be your guide.” The flame flickered, its voice a hollow whisper. “That was by means of a joke… You didn’t find it funny.”
Cameron drew in air through his teeth. “Not really. I’ve got a lot on my mind.”
“I try to lighten the mood if I can. So many people never leave the Court. We may as well make their stay as pleasant as possible.”
“That fills me with confidence,” said Cameron. Thestairs creaked beneath his feet. “Is it far to go?”
“Quite a distance. Nearly all the way down,” said the
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