Blue Fire and Ice (10 page)

Bligh offered his arm to Reach. ‘You’re a ballerina, I see,’ he said gallantly.

‘Yes,’ said Reach.

‘Ah, it must be so wonderful to be able to dance!’

‘I suppose it would be,’ said Reach.

*

Calamity lay dozing on the seat between Crimson and Grunge, enjoying the sunshine and the steady rhythm of Sparkle’s hoof beats. She could feel Crimson next to her and Calamity reflected that life couldn’t get any better. It was good to be puppy, she thought. A Muddle puppy. That was the best kind.

The travellers were approaching the outskirts of Beadleburg. Already they could see the straight roads and neat rows of houses cut into the slopes of the hills. Sparkle’s pace slowed slightly as the road made its way up the hill. The afternoon sun was behind them, warming their backs and casting a golden glow on Beadleburg. It was hard to imagine that anyone would want to harm the peaceful, orderly lives of the Beadles.

‘They do like things to be neat, don’t they, Crimson?’

She nodded. ‘It’s why they don’t have much to do with us, I think. It isn’t because they don’t like us. It’s because they think we make things topsy-turvy.’

Grunge smiled. ‘You know, I never thought of us being topsy-turvy. I always figured we were normal.’

‘Do you mind being a Muddle?’ Crimson’s question took Grunge by surprise.

‘Mind? Why would I mind? It’s what I am. Besides …’ he smiled at Crimson, ‘… all my friends are Muddles. Maybe I’d mind if I could think of something else I’d rather be, but I can’t. I’m happy being a Muddle.’

‘You don’t mind what happens …? The Mix?’

Grunge laughed. ‘As long as I have two arms and two legs, does it matter if once in a while they’re not mine?’ He laughed again. Crimson felt good hearing him laugh.

Calamity sat up sharply. Her ears went up and she sniffed. Something was wrong. She gave a little growl.

‘What is it, Calamity? What’s the matter?’

There were times when Calamity found it very frustrating that she couldn’t really talk to people. ‘It’s wrong here!’ she wanted to say. ‘There is something here that shouldn’t be!’

As quickly as it had come, the feeling disappeared. Calamity lifted her muzzle in the air and gave a little sniff. There was no trace of what she had sensed before. She lowered her muzzle and rested her face on her paws. ‘But it was there,’ she reminded herself. ‘Something was there.’ Calamity was watchful as Sparkle brought them to Beadleburg.

*

‘This is the time of our greatest peril, the time of our greatest need.’ Bligh’s voice rolled from his puffed chest like a huge wave. He paused and cast his eyes over the Beadles standing quietly in front of him. Confident he had their attention, he continued his speech.

‘This is the time when neighbours become true friends, the time when the bond of friendship is forged. This is the time -’

‘This is the time I’m usually having my dinner!’ said an unhappy voice at the back of the crowd.

‘– which our history books will say was a time of great courage! When ordinary Beadles and … ordinary … Muddles …’ (the pause was hardly noticeable) ‘… defended our land!’ Bligh puffed out his chest even more. He felt a button pop. ‘These Muddles -’ he pointed to Crimson, Grunge and Reach, who felt very embarrassed – ‘these friends deserve our gratitude. Hooray for the Muddles!’ The Beadles gave a loud ‘Hooray!’ and went home for dinner.

‘Well, now,’ Bligh said to the Muddles as he bent down and picked up his button, ‘we had better have some dinner and then make some plans. I’ve asked our fire officer, Bell, to join us.’

None of the Muddles had noticed the Beadle standing quietly at the edge of the square. He had just returned from the far eastern part of Beadledom where the night before the blue fire had burned down Melton’s Mill. Bell’s face was thin and drawn and his eyes were red from a lack of sleep. Soot from the fire smudged his cheeks. Crimson wondered how long it had been since Bell had had a good night’s sleep.

‘I must see to Sparkle first,’ said Crimson. With Calamity trotting at her side, Crimson went to the stables. Sparkle tossed her head in greeting. Calamity examined Sparkle’s stall, sniffing each corner, checking to make sure the Beadles had given her friend everything she needed.

Crimson and Calamity arrived at Brew’s Coffee and Ale House just as the others were sitting down at a spacious round table that had been covered with an elegant linen cloth. Bligh insisted that Reach sit next to him on his right. On his left, Brian was unfolding a map of Beadledom and talking softly to Bell. A chair had been left next to Bell for Crimson. Grunge sat in the last chair, which put him next to Reach.

Calamity surveyed the room. She spotted what she was looking for. Facing the street was a large bay window, the kind with lots of small panes held in place by thin strips of soft black lead. The window was framed by simple but pretty curtains. A window seat with deep, soft cushions followed the shape of the window. It was a cosy, private little alcove in which a table had been set, with two additional chairs. On these chairs sat a middle-aged Beadle couple, having a quiet, pleasant conversation over dinner.

Calamity trotted to the alcove and sprang onto the window seat. She turned round a couple of times, just to make sure it was as soft as it looked, and sat, her bright eyes fixed on the two Beadles. It certainly was a comfortable seat and she wriggled her bottom to settle it in properly. ‘This is cosy,’ she thought and gave the Beadles her best and widest smile. To give them their due, the Beadles took it very well. The smile of even the cutest puppy reveals a great many teeth, which can be unnerving for a good many people. As Calamity knew would happen, it wasn’t long before they were feeding her the greater share of the tastiest bits of their dinner.

At the other table, Brian made room and spread the map on the white linen cloth. The map was covered with small blue dots. Many of the dots had a number next to them.

‘These dots mark the fires,’ explained Brian. ‘The numbers are the dates of the fires.’

‘But they’re all over Beadledom,’ observed Grunge. ‘And some of the dates show a fire on one edge of Beadledom one night, and on the opposite edge the next night. Without a vehicle, it wouldn’t be possible for one person to travel that distance in a day.’

‘That’s what we figured,’ said Bell. He had a low, deep voice that was rough and hoarse from smoke and lack of sleep. ‘There has to be more than one person responsible. Or, one person who has found a way to travel from place to place very quickly. It can’t be by motor vehicle. Someone would’ve seen it. Anyway, to get to this spot,’ he pointed at a blue dot just near the border with Muddlemarsh, ‘they’d’ve had to go through Beadleburg. There isn’t another road. They’d’ve been seen for sure.’

‘Um, excuse me,’ said Reach nervously, ‘you said the fires have been happening each night for about a month. There must be more than fifty dots, most in little groups.’

‘We put a dot for each additional fire, Reach. When the heat from the blue fire has caused buildings nearby to catch alight.’ Bell gave Reach a rueful smile. ‘We’ve learned not to waste our time trying to fight the blue fires. We concentrate on the ones started because of the heat of the blue fire. Those, at least, we can put out.’ Bell paused. His head drooped slightly. ‘But the blue fire... I’ve never known a fire as hot. Even the furnaces of Myrmidia don’t burn that hot.’

Grunge frowned at the dots and the dates. ‘If you never know where the next fire will be, how do you know where you have to be?’

Bell sighed. ‘We don’t,’ he said. ‘We just send out patrols each night to keep an eye out. They report a fire and we get there as quickly as we can. If there are buildings near the blue fire, the patrols do what they can to stop them burning until we get there.’

‘What do you want us to do, Bell?’ asked Crimson.

Bell traced a line down the middle of the map with his finger. ‘We’ll divide Beadledom in half. You take the western half and I and my volunteers will take the eastern half. The patrols will report a fire to whichever of us is closest. We’ll try to save as many nearby buildings as we can. And maybe during the day we can figure out how to fight the blue fire.’

No one spoke. They looked at the map. It seemed impossible that two fire carts could do any good across the whole land.

‘What happens when you try and put out the blue fire?’

Bell shook his head, as if he still didn’t believe what he was about to say. ‘It gets worse. It seems to feed off the water. It eats sand or anything else we use just as quickly.’ He looked at Crimson. ‘We’re helpless against the blue fire. A hundred fire carts couldn’t kill it. The only way to stop this is to catch whoever is starting the fires. If we don’t, there’ll be nothing left of Beadledom except ashes.’

This time no one broke the silence at the table. ‘Ashes,’ thought Reach. ‘Just ashes …’

‘Grunge, Reach, we’d better get ready.’ Crimson got up from the table. She said goodnight to the Beadles.

‘I’d better come with you,’ said Bell. ‘I’ve prepared beds for you at the fire station. I’ll show you around and get you settled in.’

They walked to the door. ‘C’mon, Calamity,’ said Crimson. ‘We have work to do tonight.’

With a quiet little bark, Calamity said thank you to the nice Beadles, jumped from her soft cushion and trotted to Crimson. ‘Bed now,’ thought Calamity, who had eaten far too much of the nice couple’s dinner.

Bell showed the Muddles around the fire station. As with everything in Beadledom, it was clean and very neat. ‘Though,’ mused Crimson, ‘that pole could do with a bit of a polish.’ Of course, it would have been rude to say anything, so she didn’t mention it to Bell, but she decided that maybe later she would find a cloth and give it a quick rub.

Bell noticed how nervous Reach seemed climbing the stairs to the upper level. When he tried to show her the pole down which they had to slide to get to the lower level, the ballerina nearly fainted.

‘Perhaps it would be better if you had a room at Brew’s,’ he suggested to Reach. ‘He has some very fine rooms on the ground floor and his wife would be delighted to have you there. She’ll make a big fuss over you, but her food’s worth it,’ he reassured the young Muddle.

‘Thank you,’ said Reach.

Crimson and Grunge checked their fire cart, which had been placed next to Bell’s. The large metal water tank was full, everything else was still safely stowed.

‘Right,’ said Bell, ‘I’d best be off. Brian sent the volunteers ahead to get the eastern post ready. It’ll be well past midnight by the time I get there. Come on, Reach. I’ll drop you off at Brew’s on the way.’

Bell walked to his truck. Crimson admired the bright red fire engine. It had a square bonnet, with big, round headlights on polished brass stands on either side. The black wheels had shiny steel spokes and rims. The driver’s cabin was open so that Bell could get in and out quickly. On both sides of the cabin were golden bells which warned everyone when they were in a hurry. Unlike the simple tank on Home’s fire cart, the water tank was a long cylinder lying on its side, with ladders attached. Behind the water tank was another ladder that could be turned right round. It had a little motor and a lever which made the ladder extend like a telescope.

‘Sparkle would never be able to pull this,’ decided Calamity. ‘It wouldn’t be fun riding in this without Sparkle to pull it.’

Bell helped Reach climb into the fire truck then walked round to the driver’s side.

‘Don’t forget, the patrol will release a light tower so you can see where the fire is,’ said Bell as he climbed onto his leather seat and started the motor. ‘Good luck.’

Crimson and Grunge watched the lights of the fire engine gradually fade and disappear into the darkness.

‘We’d best get some sleep, Crimson,’ said Grunge.

‘What a good idea!’ agreed Calamity silently. ‘I hope my bed is soft!’

The Muddles went to their beds. Outside, the air was still and quiet. The town seemed to hold its breath, waiting for whatever the night would bring.

In the hills a few kilometres from Beadleburg a deep blue glow appeared and spread a menacing light over the hills. The night’s fire had come.

*

The blue fire tore at the walls and roof of the grain silo. It was an old building, of old wood, and the fire raged through the rafters and beams. Next to the silo was the farmer’s new barn, its wooden roof freshly painted dark green. Wisps of smoke were coming from its wooden walls as they were scorched by the heat of the blue fire tearing at the silo a few metres away.

The patrol had spotted the fire soon after it had started and raised the alarm. Each patrol had a small electric device with a red button in the middle. As soon as they pressed the button, the alarm bell sounded in the fire station.

Crimson was on her feet the instant she heard the bell. She ran to Grunge’s room.

‘Grunge! Wake up! Fire!’ she said, throwing on her fire jacket. Holding her helmet and boots, she ran to the pole and threw herself at it. She caught it expertly with one arm and spiralled quickly to the floor below. She thrust her feet into the boots and chucked her helmet into the fire cart.

Grunge gathered his things and followed, Calamity at his heels. At the hole in the floor, he threw himself at the pole. Unfortunately, he missed it and plunged to the ground, landing on his bottom.

‘Oooof!’ he gasped and fell onto his back. At the top of the hole he saw Calamity looking down at him. ‘I really thought I was getting better at that,’ Grunge sighed.

‘I think I’ll take the stairs,’ decided Calamity.

‘What are you doing on the floor, Grunge?’ asked Crimson impatiently. ‘Quick, you get the traces ready! I’ll get Sparkle!’

In three minutes, Sparkle was hitched and Crimson and Grunge jumped onto the seat. Calamity leapt on the back and then jumped into the front seat between her two friends.

‘Sorry, Calamity,’ said Crimson, ‘you have to stay here. There’s not enough room. We have to collect Reach.’

Calamity knew this was no time for arguing and jumped from the cart, disappointed not to be going. ‘Sometimes it isn’t so good being a puppy,’ she thought.