25

Next Steps

It was Dad who pulled her away from the edge of the building, hugging her tightly to his chest as he carried her up the slope of the roof and out of danger. Gafferty thought he might be crying but it was too dark to see his face. Wyn fetched his brother and together they made their way back to the Roost on foot via a secret door in the chimney, Gafferty still in her father’s arms. Exhausted by the events of the day and lulled by Dad’s careful steps and the warmth of his body, she nodded off into a deep, dreamless sleep.

She awoke in her own bed. For a moment she was confused. She had to get up. There were things to do. Today was when she normally hunted in the factory, wasn’t it? Then she remembered.

She sprang out of bed and ran to the kitchen. Mum, Dad, Gobkin and Grub were all sat at the table, as if nothing had happened, busily eating breakfast. Gafferty’s tummy rumbled – she’d not eaten anything since midday the day before. Gobkin grinned at her, like he did when he knew she was in trouble for something.

‘Did I imagine yesterday?’ she said. ‘And more importantly, why didn’t you wake me for breakfast?’

‘It’s not you that should be asking questions, young lady,’ growled Dad, getting to his feet, ‘after the run around you’ve given us! Now, get dressed! Mum will bring you some food. I need to tidy up as, thanks to you, we’re expecting visitors.’

Visitors! Something that had never happened at the House, at least not in her lifetime. It was like her wishes were coming true. She dashed back to her bedroom, dragging on her clothes. Mum brought Gafferty a fried bean sandwich, stroking her daughter’s untidy hair while she ate, sitting on the bed.

‘We thought we’d let you sleep in after everything you’d been through,’ Mum said. ‘We had such a fright when Gobkin appeared with the Smidgen-lad and told us what had happened. Gafferty Sprout, as I live and breathe, I could take all the worries you’ve given us these past couple of days and make a whole quilt of care!’

Dad appeared at the door.

‘I’m sorry, Mum, Dad,’ Gafferty said. ‘I really am. I’ve been so stupid. And Gobkin – is he OK?’

‘He’s never better,’ said Dad, his voice warmer than before. ‘He was as ravenous as a termite when he came back but that’s all. And he’s taken a shine to that Wynloch fellow. Smidgens flying! I’ve never heard the like. And me flying too! First and last time, as well. My guts didn’t take to it, that’s all I’m going to say.’

‘You know what happened?’ said Gafferty. ‘You know about the Roost … and Claudia Slymark and the Mirror and everything?’

‘Young Wibbly Wobbly, or whatever his name is, he told us the parts Gob couldn’t.’

‘Willoughby!’ said Gafferty. That meant he was all right too.

‘He seems like a nice boy,’ put in Mum.

‘We were going out of our minds, wondering where you were,’ Dad said. ‘Then to hear that my daughter, my firstborn, that I brought into the world with my own hands, as your mother lay there exhausted from labouring for hours, whose tiny naked body I held in my arms—’

‘Dad! You’re being embarrassing.’

‘My daughter … being stalked by ghosts and burglars! We could hardly believe it!’

‘I put up a fight, Dad. You’d be proud.’

‘And I am. We both are. You don’t have anything to prove to us. You only have to talk to us, especially if you’re wanting to have daft ideas.’

Gafferty nodded, gratefully.

There was a knock at the door. Lady Strigida appeared, along with a shy Will. He had the same worried face as when she had first met him. Gafferty put down her half-finished sandwich and held out a greasy hand to him. He took it and gave it a squeeze.

‘Thanks for rescuing me again,’ she said. ‘That was a fancy bit of flying.’ His worried look disappeared, replaced by a smile.

‘That’s what best friends do,’ he replied. ‘The whole of the Roost is talking about it, especially after so many gliders came to help. Their smoke trails were made from burning lavender. It’s a ghost deterrent, according to Lady Strigida.’

The woman smiled.

‘I’ve news,’ she said. ‘Claudia Slymark is gone, or at least she has checked out of the hotel. No one saw her leave, but Room 531 is empty.’

‘Is she gone for good?’ asked Gafferty. ‘I bet she’s mad at her ghosts for putting the freeze on her. They seemed very worried about her finding the Mirror.’

‘Perhaps she has gone for good, and perhaps not. Clearly, she is determined. She may still be seeking the Mirror of Trokanis, now that she knows at least one piece of it exists.’

‘The knife!’

‘It’s under your pillow,’ said Mum, reading her thoughts. ‘It’s safest with you, at least for now.’

‘The question is, who is employing Claudia to seek the Mirror in the first place?’ continued Strigida. She sat down on the bed beside Gafferty, her old eyes wrinkled with concern. ‘We need to think about what to do next. Two of the clans have been reunited, and the Mirror is making itself known, emerging from the dust of the past. Why? Maybe there is something larger at work. Maybe it is time for the three clans to come together after all these years.’

Gafferty lay back on the bed. Up above her, in its corner of the bed nook, the little spider sat silently. The spider that had found the page in the atlas showing the Smidgenmoot, that had sent her on this adventure.

‘I want to help,’ she said. ‘I think it’s something I’m meant to do. There’s a whole big wide world out there that I never knew existed. I want to explore it.’

‘All in good time,’ said Mum firmly. ‘Enough adventures for now. I just want to enjoy having my daughter back in her home. I’ve heard quite enough about ghosts, magic and mirrors for a while.’

‘But, Mum …’

‘Aye, there’s plenty of time,’ added Dad, taking the other half of her sandwich and stuffing it into Gafferty’s open mouth. ‘Because, dearest daughter, after all you’ve been up to behind our backs you are absolutely, completely, positively, flipping well GROUNDED.’