Wraith(55)

He smiled at me with a friendly twinkle. ‘Any time.’

Let’s hope not.

Gabriel moved to the hole and swung himself easily over the edge. Keeping his eyes on mine, he lowered himself down. As soon as he was swallowed up by the darkness, I beckoned to Martin. He looked nervous and scratched at his neck with shaking fingers. ‘It’ll be fine,’ I reassured him.

Once the tension was released from the rope ladder, I called down. ‘Is everything okay?’

Gabriel’s voice floated back up. ‘It’s fine. Hang on.’ There was the faint sound of fumbling and then a brief roar. A moment later, light appeared as he lit one of Marrock’s torches. I peered over and saw him beckoning.

‘Go on, then,’ I said to Martin. ‘You can do it.’

The boy gulped but he’d been with Sally long enough to do as he was told. He found it more difficult than Gabriel to lower himself but, after a few attempts and some nervous tugging at the rope ladder, he managed it. Once he was halfway down, I walked back to Becky. She was still clutching Ange’s hand as if she were afraid to let go in case her mother disappeared again.

I addressed them both in a low voice. ‘We can’t let the goblins get the Stone. Not the Filits and not the Gneiss. We have to find it first. If I can search for it then I might be able to do something about it.’ I met Ange’s eyes. ‘You’ve seen what I really am. You know I’m capable of this.’

Ange looked back at me fearfully. If she hadn’t worked out what I was when I’d approached her in her Tolbooth cell, then she had to know by now. She’d been watching from the fisherman’s shed when I’d spoken to the other wraith. To her credit, she hadn’t yet mentioned it – but I’d seen the look she gave me after we’d left the area.

‘I’m not like the others you’ve heard of, Ange,’ I said, praying she’d believe me.

She licked her lips and swallowed before finding her voice. ‘I know,’ she whispered. She knelt down beside Becky. ‘Tell Saiya where you hid Daddy’s box.’

Becky didn’t hesitate. ‘Five doors to the left from Sally’s house. In the garden in a hole in a big tree.’

‘Thank you.’ I glanced at Ange. ‘Do you know what’s in it?’

She shook her head. ‘Not a clue. And I was telling the truth before. I really can’t open it. What lies inside might lead to the Stone. Then again, it might not. I couldn’t say for sure.’

Except her ex-husband had believed it would. He’d probably never gone after it himself because he couldn’t open the box. Maybe the goblins would be in the same position but they believed in its contents as well. If I was going to trust in the existence of an alternative, true version of the Stone of Scone then I ought to believe in everything else attached to it.

There was a muffled shout from the tunnel. I smiled down at Becky. ‘It’s your turn.’

Her hand tightened round Ange’s and her face went white. ‘Okay.’

I gave her an approving nod. Her knees were knocking together in terror but she wasn’t going to be the one to hold us back.

‘I’ll be right behind you, sweetheart,’ Ange promised.

I gently propelled Becky over the edge.

Sally pushed herself up out of the wheelchair and gazed down dubiously.

‘How are you doing, Sal?’ I asked.

She didn’t look at me. ‘I’ve got an egg-shaped bump on my noggin and I have to go down a hole on a rope ladder which probably won’t hold my weight because I need to cuff the ear of the damn boy who gave me the bump in the first place.’

I breathed out. ‘Good.’

Her voice lowered a fraction. ‘The bang on the head has done me some good. Apparently it really is time to cut and run. Despite what appearances may suggest, I don’t have a death wish, Saiya.’ She raised her eyes to mine. ‘Do you?’

I didn’t bother answering. Instead, I manoeuvred into position so I was hanging from the rope ladder with one hand and used my free hand to beckon over Becky. ‘I’ll go first,’ I told her. ‘You’ll be right behind me. That way, if you fall I’ll be able to catch you. But you won’t fall. I’ll guide you all the way.’

‘Okay.’ There was a pause. ‘Saiya?’

‘Yes?’

‘Thank you. You saved my mum. She’d be dead if you hadn’t helped us.’

That wasn’t entirely true; there were others who had aided her escape both deliberately and inadvertently. And we weren’t out of the woods yet; Ange was still in danger. Even so, I took Becky’s words in the spirit in which they were given and smiled. ‘You’re welcome.’

Becky turned and edged her way down. I waited until her feet were on the rung directly above my head and stepped down. ‘That’s it,’ I said. ‘Lift your right foot and bring it down. Another inch. The next rung is right there.’

Becky gasped, her knuckles white with the strain of gripping the rope. The further down we went, however, the more she grew in confidence. By the time we reached the bottom, where Gabriel and Martin were waiting, she was climbing like a monkey.

‘I did it!’ The flicker of the torch lit up her face, showing her delight.

Gabriel grinned at her. ‘You were amazing.’ He glanced at me. ‘You were amazing too,’ he added. ‘You have a way with children.’