Jack Shian and the Mapa Mundi (26 page)

“Now do you believe me, Jack?”

Jack untied the
Mapa Mundi
and held it out in front of him. As it formed into the Sphere, he scanned the two circles. What did they show?

An outline of the west coast of Scotland … falling leaves … and the north coast … some islands …

“You’ll stay until the autumn,” said Marco with a smile. “So you’ve several months yet – plenty of time.”

In the second circle, a large earthen mound … and standing stones … and a growing crowd, people from lots of different countries by the look of them.

“Well?” Marco’s tone was even.

“We’ve to meet up with others …” Jack’s voice trailed off as he peered at the circles again. There was a bright low sun there … and snow. His brow furrowed.

“The midwinter sun,” said Marco helpfully.

“But we don’t go out during the winter,” replied Jack innocently. “Everything’s put on hold. For us, anyway: the Kildashie seem to like the cold.”

“Then the Kildashie won’t be expecting you.”

Jack felt a tight knot in his stomach. A winter attack!

Jack flung the stone into the rock pool as hard as he could. The splash soaked his shirt, but he didn’t care. This waiting around was so
boring
.

Midsummer – now
that
had been exciting. Hunting the swordfish of fortune; finding the
Mapa Mundi
; raising the giant’s bridge; defeating Malevola and the Grey; rescuing his father.

My father …

But he’s still so weak
, thought Jack;
all these years I’ve longed to find him, and it was two months before he could even talk. I still hardly know him
.

But I’ve got Tamlina’s ring.

Jack took the ring from his Sintura belt and stared hard at the Triple-S spirals. What did they mean?

“Good things come in threes,” Tamlina had said. Well, there were three spirals. Were they really the Destiny Stone, the Chalice, and the
Mapa Mundi
?

The sun glinted off the ring, and with a jolt Jack saw the spirals begin to turn. He felt a sudden whooshing sensation – like the low road, only faster. Instinctively he closed his eyes, but instead of the blur of shade and light of a low road journey, in his mind’s eye Jack could see the street outside Cos-Howe in Edinburgh.

Two men, each tied to a chair, and facing each other. There’s snow all around them, and a burning brazier next to one. The picture’s blurred; I can’t make out their faces … There are three tall men approaching … That’s Boreus! And he’s slapped one of the prisoners hard … Now he’s holding the man’s head so it faces sideways. Someone else is coming … He’s put a sword in the fire. He’s holding the hot blade up to the prisoner’s eyes …

Bleeurgh! That’s gross!

Jack opened his eyes and took a deep breath. He felt sick.

That was disgusting!

Jack shook his head, trying to clear the image seared into his mind, but it was no use. Like a film loop in his head, he kept seeing the sword slicing into eyes.

He puked.

“What’s the matter, Jack?” asked Rana.

Jack started, and wiped his mouth. Had she seen him puke? He wished his cousins wouldn’t creep up on him like that. Glancing apprehensively at the ring, he noticed that one of the spiral arms had faded. He tried to concentrate.

“I thought I saw something. There was snow.”

“Snow? What planet are you on? It’s not even autumn yet.”

“Shut up, Rana.” Lizzie sounded concerned. “Jack doesn’t look well.”

“I’m alright. I was thinking about the Kildashie.”

“That uncivilised bunch,” snorted Lizzie. “It beats me how they can order the Thanatos around.”

“It’s the Tassitus charm,” said Rana confidently. “If they can control sound, they can do what they want.”

“And they’re near the Stone too,” added Jack. “That must make them stronger.”

The Stone of Destiny. Jack hadn’t seen it that many times, but he’d
known
it was giving power to the Shian square. Only now the Kildashie and the Thanatos were there, and they were torturing people.

I’d better not say anything about this to Dad. He’s still not strong enough to handle this – whatever
this
is
.

“More darrigs and dwarves have arrived,” announced Rana. “There are some nearly every day now.”

“This little one said he came from Lomond,” said Lizzie. “It was freezing there.”

“It’s freezing wherever the Kildashie are,” said Jack, thinking of the snow in his vision. “I wish we could do something to get them out. This island’s getting crowded.”

“You’re just in a bad mood because you’ve had to start lessons again,” mocked Rana. “Mum didn’t waste any time getting you and Fenrig back to work when Gilmore arrived, did she?”

“It’s not fair. Petros doesn’t have any lessons. I’ve got to spend every morning stitching.”

“At least that gets you away from his wife,” pouted Rana. “Barassie’s so
fussy
. All that stuff about what we can wear in the tents, what we can wear outside …”

“And all her rules about behaviour,” interrupted Lizzie. “They’re a pain. She never stops criticising.”

“Gilmore’s alright, I suppose,” said Jack. “Good luck to anyone who escapes from the Kildashie. I just wish we were planning how to stop them getting the Destiny Stone and the Chalice.”

“At least we’ve got the Sphere, the
Mapa Mundi
,” said Lizzie. “They can’t make the magycks complete until all three are together.”

Jack smiled at the thought. He’d been the one to defeat the Nucklat and retrieve the Sphere. To begin with, Marco and Luka had even said he should keep it. But it had been an open secret that he had it, and each day Jack feared someone coming to steal it. All these Shian arriving on the island: maybe there were spies among them? In the end, Jack had entrusted the Sphere to Marco, but so far he’d kept Tamlina’s ring. Tucked away in his Sintura belt, it was invisible, but people must know he had it … He’d got a strange buzz from it sometimes, but nothing like that vision …

That was an execution …

“Anyway,” continued Rana, “the Sphere showed us leaving here in the autumn.”

“I’ve never said I wanted summer to finish before,” said Jack. “But Marco’s season-wheel is turning so slowly. I just wish we could get on with it.”

In his heart Jack knew that the Sphere had shown an autumn departure, but each week brought more news of Kildashie atrocities. Surely it was time to fight back?

“Can you tell me where Sandy of the Stone is?” A tall stranger had approached without any of them noticing.

Jack hurriedly thrust Tamlina’s ring back into his Sintura belt. Had the man seen it?

“He’ll be up at the house. Past those trees.” Jack pointed; the man nodded and moved off.

“He’s new, isn’t he?” said Lizzie. “There are loads of people I don’t recognise these days. D’you think we can trust them all?”

“You don’t think he could be a Thanatos spy, do you?” asked Jack.

“I don’t fancy meeting those Thanatos again,” shuddered Lizzie. “You’ve never seen the unforgiven dead. Believe me, you don’t want to.”

“And there’s Boaban Shee too,” said Rana. “Mum told me they’re like vampires. And there are Red Caps in the border lands. Most of the country’s Unseelie now.”

“It’s hard to believe it’s like winter almost everywhere,” said Jack, looking up at the clear sky. “It’s nice here. Bit cooler, though.”

Jack resolved to give Tamlina’s ring to Marco for safekeeping – for now. Like the
Mapa Mundi
, it was too much responsibility. And that vision had been scary.

“I bet Cos-Howe’s doing OK, though.” Jack tried to sound hopeful. “Cosmo can hold out as long as he wants.”

“If the Thanatos …” Rana was silenced by a shove from her sister.

“Let’s get back to the house,” said Lizzie. “It’s getting chilly.”

The youngsters wandered along to Marco and Luka’s house, surrounded as it now was by tents.

“Good news, kids,” called out Aunt Dorcas. “Marco and Luka are coming back tonight.”

“You mean the low road’s open again?” Jack’s eyes lit up.

“No, it’s still out of action. Anyway, they hardly ever use it. Enda’s bringing them over from the mainland.”

“They’re calling more McCools over too,” added Aunt Katie.

Aunt Katie’s changed in some ways
, thought Jack.
More McCools must mean they’re planning something, and once upon a time that would’ve got her frightened. But with Uncle Doonya a prisoner, she’s not scared now, she’s … determined
.

“Does that mean we’re leaving soon?”

“You’ll have to see what Marco says, Jack dear. A grig told us they’ll be here this evening.”

Grigs are flying again, even outside the low road. That definitely means things are on the move.

However, Jack’s newfound optimism was to be short-lived. When Marco and Luka arrived that evening, all they would say was that the time was not yet right for a counter-attack. It wouldn’t be long –
Where’ve I heard that before?
– but things had to be in place, otherwise the whole mission might fail.

Despite yet another “not yet”, Jack was glad to see Marco and Luka again. Since midsummer they had hardly been on the island. And things on the mainland obviously hadn’t improved. The Kildashie and the Thanatos had most Shian – few as they were – under the thumb. Stories of imprisonment, torture – even murder – were commonplace now. A few areas had managed to resist, but isolated and scattered, and with bitterly cold weather, this was not much use for a counter-attack.

First published 2014

by Black & White Publishing Ltd

29 Ocean Drive, Edinburgh EH6 6JL

www.blackandwhitepublishing.com

This electronic edition published in 2014

ISBN: 978 1 84502 770 4 in EPub format

ISBN: 978 1 84502 706 3 in paperback format

Copyright © Andrew Symon, 2014

Mapa Mundi illustration by Rossi Gifford

The right of Andrew Symon to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without permission in writing from the publisher.

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