| |
Jasper took a tentative step forward as Dekon moved aside and went to stand with Vance and Greta.
‘Stand here, please,’ the tallest man said. His head almost touched the roof.
Jasper stood where he was told and saw that he had been placed in the very centre of the room. The men stepped back to the sides and looked at each other doubtfully. Jasper didn’t blame them as he doubted he was any use either.
The tall man took one step forward and pointed at Jasper. To his horror, Jasper saw a ball of fire heading for him. They really did shoot fireballs! He ducked out of the way and it skimmed past his shoulder, singeing part of his sleeve. The fireball hit the far wall and fizzled out, leaving a small black charring on the brickwork. Jasper could see several other similar marks.
‘Hey!’ Jasper complained as he straightened up and glared at the man. ‘What’s the idea?’
The man did not respond to Jasper, but turned to his fellow councillors. ‘No defence shield.’
‘Shame,’ another replied. ‘Next test please, Mex.’
Before Jasper could wonder what they would throw at him next a thud on the other side of the room drew everyone’s attention.
‘Vance?’ Jasper queried. The elf lay on the ground looking surprised. How had he gone across the room so fast?
‘No, not Vance,’ Greta added. Jasper turned and saw Vance standing next to her.
‘Rhet, how did you get here?’ Vance asked.
‘I’ve no idea,’ Rhet said as he sat up and rubbed one elbow. He looked dazed and confused. ‘One minute I was sitting in the library and the next I was here.’
The three councillors looked at Jasper intently.
‘Interesting,’ Mex said.
‘Did you bring him here?’ another asked.
‘That could be useful, Saran!’ the shortest one added.
‘Me?’ Jasper looked back at them as if they were mad. ‘Why would I do that?’
Everyone looked confused for a few seconds then Dekon stepped forward.
‘May I try something?’ he asked. The councillors nodded.
‘I wish I had a nice turkey sandwich,’ Dekon said loudly.
Jasper wondered if the warf had gone a little mad. Why would he want a sandwich at a time like this? A second later a large sandwich appeared in the warf’s hand. Dekon looked at the sandwich, then at the councillors, then everyone stared at Jasper.
‘Did you wish you were here, Rhet?’ Vance asked his brother.
‘I suppose I did,’ Rhet agreed as he tried to stand but wobbled and supported himself against the wall. He didn’t seem pleased with what it meant.
‘And that explains the children just before,’ Greta added. ‘They all wanted to show me the new toys and things they had just been given. They didn’t say where they got them but I guess they wished like all little children.’
‘They wished?’ Jasper wasn’t feeling too well. ‘Are you saying that I grant wishes?’
There was a long silence which nobody seemed willing to break. Eventually one of the councillors spoke up.
‘It’s called a genie curse. I’ve never seen anyone over the age of one that had it.’
‘I’ve been cursed?’ Jasper asked. Thugs with guns were looking much more inviting by the minute.
‘It’s just an expression,’ Vance explained. ‘When babies have strong magic they project it outwards and anyone that wishes for something will usually get it. When they gain control of their magic, usually at about a year or so old, the phenomenon stops.’
‘Perhaps he is simply yet to gain control of his magic then?’ Dekon suggested.
‘He’s a little older than a baby,’ Greta pointed out. ‘And that is probably how he fixed the water feeds up at Dragon Tower. Someone near him wished for it.’
Jasper thought back to the time in the lake cavern. Yes, Tomas had wished for the water to be working. ‘And the fish,’ he said with a sigh.
‘This is a disaster.’ Mex, the tall councillor shook his head.
Silence fell again.
‘Does that mean I can wish for things too? I could wish myself home,’ Jasper suggested. ‘Then I’ll be out of your way.’
‘It doesn’t work like that,’ Rhet replied. He seemed to have regained his balance. ‘You can only grant other people’s wishes. That’s why they call it a genie curse.’
‘Have you made any wishes since you arrived?’ Dekon asked.
Jasper thought back. Had it only been just over a day since he came to Elvale? It seemed much longer. ‘I wished the brushes were clean for the scribes.’
‘It took Aster the rest of the day to clean them,’ Greta said and shook her head.
‘I wish I was home,’ Jasper said firmly. He braced himself in case he suddenly found himself back on the city streets again but nothing happened. He looked pleadingly at Dekon and the warf spoke up.
‘I wish Jasper was home.’
‘It only works on small things,’ Vance told them. ‘People have tried all sorts of wishes near a baby with a genie curse. The only things they got were simple things they could have done manually anyway. And sometimes it didn’t work at all.’
‘Nobody ever travelled anywhere,’ Rhet pointed out. ‘His curse seems stronger.’
‘And that’s a big problem,’ Saran said solemnly. ‘It could be too late already.’
‘Too late for what?’ Jasper asked.
‘Why do you think we try our magical tests in this room?’
‘So nobody sees you throwing fireballs at innocent people,’ Jasper suggested a little sourly.
‘Magic gives off a drift, an invisible waft of smoke and here the bricks absorb most of it. What isn’t absorbed goes out into the world and signals that someone has been doing magic.’ Mex looked at Jasper as if somehow this was all his fault. ‘And the black queen can sense it. If she has seen the drift of magic you have no doubt created she will have guards on the way here already.’
‘It’s why we brought you through in that storeroom and how Greta was able to use her magic to create a storm. Without the bricks it would be very dangerous,’ Vance added.
‘I still don’t see how any of this is my fault,’ Jasper pointed out. ‘I didn’t ask to come here and I certainly don’t give wishes on purpose.’
‘Yet you are here, and are granting wishes. There’s only one solution for this,’ Mex said firmly.
Jasper looked at him suspiciously as he turned to confer with his fellow council members. There was a lot of nodding and whispering going on. Then they turned back to face him.
‘You will go south,’ Mex said simply.
‘South?’ Jasper repeated. ‘Why?’
‘There are less people in the south. You can find somewhere isolated and stay there. If nobody is making wishes you will not cause any trouble.’
‘Oh, so you mean you want to banish me into the countryside and leave me there?’ Jasper was getting indignant now even though his brain was telling him it wasn’t wise to annoy someone who could throw fireballs.
‘You would prefer to stay here, all alone, in this room forever then?’ Mex offered. ‘That is the only other option.’
‘Forever?’ Jasper felt like a broken record.
‘Unless you manage to gain control of the magic that is spilling from you like a river,’ he replied.
A small pig appeared in the room and began snuffling around. Rhet looked embarrassed.
‘I’ve always wanted a pet pig,’ he muttered. ‘I couldn’t stop thinking about it.’
‘See, this is what we’re talking about?’
‘He’ll need someone to go with him,’ Vance pointed out. ‘He knows nothing of our land and would be conspicuous without even trying to be.’
‘Dekon is the best choice,’ Greta suggested.
Dekon was feeding the sandwich to the pig and he looked up in surprise. ‘Me?’
‘History tells that dwarves are known to be practical and sensible and not prone to too vivid an imagination,’ Mex added as he nodded approvingly.
‘Warves,’ Dekon corrected through gritted teeth. ‘I didn’t want to come to Elvale and now I’ve finally made a life for myself you want me to go bush with a magical freak?’
Jasper tried not to take offence at the term as he supposed it was quite accurate.
‘Just to get him settled somewhere he can’t cause any harm,’ Mex replied. ‘You can return after that if you want.’
This was getting worse. Not only did they want to get rid of him, but they were expecting to leave him totally alone in the wilderness!
‘What’s in it for me?’ Dekon asked as he glared at Mex.
‘What do you want?’ Mex replied
‘To go home to Warfdon,’ Dekon said and folded his arms defiantly. Even Jasper knew he was purposely asking for something that wasn’t possible.
‘How about a new wagon?’ Mex suggested.
Dekon just raised one eyebrow and looked unimpressed. ‘I suppose the rest of you would just wish for stuff all day long and Jasper would be her prisoner within a week.’
Silence followed and Dekon finally gave a sigh.
‘I will take him. I guess I’m the only chance he’s got.’
‘Really?’ Jasper was as surprised as everyone else in the room looked.
‘I get to see the south,’ Dekon said with a shrug. ‘All I’ve ever seen is this town and Dragon Tower.’
‘Well, that’s settled then.’ The councillors seemed quite relieved that the problem was solved. ‘How soon can you leave?’
Dekon patted the pig then pushed it in Rhet’s direction. ‘I have customers waiting for their goods. I’ll go when it’s all done.’
‘We can get a blacksmith in from Briarwood,’ Mex said immediately. ‘They can finish your work.’
Dekon looked annoyed. ‘Tomorrow then.’
‘Jasper really should stay here until then,’ Saran said thoughtfully.
‘It’s almost evening and we’ll be gone at sunrise,’ Dekon told him. ‘Everyone will be asleep, not sitting around wishing for things.’
The councillors reluctantly agreed.
‘I need to get back to Dragon Tower,’ Rhet said. He was holding his new pet pig and looked delighted with it.
‘Wish it,’ Vance suggested.
Jasper stared at Rhet then felt a little wave of weakness run through him as the yellow-haired elf vanished.
The councillors left the brick room and the rest followed. Vance was the last to leave and he took the last lamp with him. The lights in the tunnel were extinguished as they walked and the blackness behind them filled Jasper with a sense of dread. Living in that room underground or heading out into the cold, snow-covered countryside. There really was no competition.
The trip back to Dekon’s house was all downhill and the warf was muttering to himself the entire time.
‘Do you really want to go home still?’ Jasper asked as they reached the big red door to the workshop.
‘I do,’ Dekon replied. ‘There are no other warves in Elvale as far as I know so why would I want to stay? Feel free to take a nap. I’ve got some tidying up to do.’
The warf hurried off around the side of the workshop and left Jasper by the door. Clearly nobody was worried about him wandering off any more, in fact they probably hoped he would.
The fire in the living room was still going but was just about out. Jasper loaded it up with a few small logs and sat in a comfy blue chair next to it. Before he realised it he had nodded off and was being shaken awake by Dekon some hours later. The sun had all but gone down but there was a lot of noise out on the street.
‘The queen’s guard are already here,’ Dekon said softly as if the guards might overhear him. ‘We have to leave now. They’re sending a carriage to take us to Dragon Tower.’
‘Won’t they stop us leaving?’ Jasper asked, suddenly wide awake.
‘They’re going house to house checking for any babies. At this stage they’ve not even considered it could be anyone else. But they do know it’s in this general area.’ Dekon did not appear worried. ‘Nobody here has had a baby lately so they’ll not find anything.’
‘Can’t you wish us there?’ Jasper suggested.
‘Not with the queen’s guard so close,’ Dekon replied with a firm shake of his head. ‘We go by carriage.’
A rumble of wheels on rough cobbles announced the arrival of the carriage and Jasper realised this was it. He was heading out into the wilderness. The open countryside didn’t scare him as he had grown up travelling the land in gypsy caravans but he had thought he had left all of that behind. He was far more used to luxury hotels and hot running water these days.
Dekon picked up two small leather sacks and headed for the door.
‘What’s in the bags?’ Jasper queried quietly in case someone was listening. It didn’t seem a lot to be taking. They had no idea how long they would be gone and if they would even be able to return to the town. Dekon’s life had been here for ten years and Jasper found it hard to believe that he could just walk off and leave everything behind. ‘Do you want me to carry one?’
The warf looked at the bags and smiled. ‘They’re a bit heavy for you.’
A sudden knock at the door made both of them jump. They looked at each other and Dekon waved him to the back of the room.
‘The further away from people you are the better,’ he said with a scowl.
The warf put the sacks down and opened the door. He smiled at the two guards dressed in black capes and black and red uniforms. ‘How can I help you? The smithy is shut until morning.’
‘We’re looking for babies. Are there any here?’ one of them asked, then without waiting for an answer he pushed his way into the small room and looked around.
‘No, nobody but me and my apprentice,’ Dekon replied in a friendly tone.
‘Why is he dressed like a farmer?’ the guard asked quickly and looked suspiciously at Jasper. Jasper tried hard not to look guilty.
‘He’s only just started today. That’s all he came with,’ Dekon lied smoothly.
‘The neighbours did say there was someone new here,’ the second guard added. ‘Where are you from, boy?’
‘Farmoth, Sir,’ Jasper replied in his best dumb-farm-boy manner and dipped his head in an awkward bow. Unfortunately, as it was a lie it came out as a shout.
‘The only things that come from Farmoth are turnips and pumpkins,’ the first guard said with a laugh. ‘He looks and sounds as bright as a turnip. Check upstairs.’
The second guard hurried up the stairs, thudded around for a few seconds then came back down. ‘Nobody else here.’
The guards were about to leave when one of them spied the two bags by the door and the coach waiting outside. ‘What’s in them? Are you going somewhere?’
‘Just pots and pans,’ Dekon replied with a shrug. ‘They’re needed up at Dragon Tower. Cook’s apprentice burnt holes right through most of the pans. They need them in a hurry to make dinner.’
Dekon pointed to the frying pan that he had picked up from the basket earlier.
The guard looked at the destroyed pan, then kicked the sacks. A metallic thud sounded and the guard pulled open the top of the nearest one. He pulled out a small pot and peered at the rest of the goods.
‘Good quality.’ He seemed satisfied and lost interest, dropping the pan back into the sack with a loud clang.
‘Let’s move on,’ the second guard said, waving his companion out of the room.
Dekon shut the door and waited a few seconds while the guards moved off. He listened at the door for a bit longer then nodded. ‘Let’s go.’
There were fewer people out on the streets now, probably due to being almost night, but Jasper suspected that the guards' arrival had something to do with it as well. They were stopped at the bridge as they left the town. The guards peered in the windows and waved them on when they saw no children.
‘Do you think they’ll follow us?’ Jasper asked as the town grew smaller behind them.
‘They can see your drift anywhere and since we won’t know if people are using your magic we’ll have to keep moving all the time,’ Dekon said.