‘Well, if it comes to a choice between you and Quist, you may find that you will be disappointed.’
‘We’ll see,’ she said doubtfully.
Then something occurred to Cobb, he asked her, ‘When we first met, you accused me of coming to kill you and get “it” back. What is “it”?’
‘Ah. I’m afraid I have a small confession to make. When I ran away, I stole a diamond from Quist.’
‘To sell?’
‘No … certainly not. Do you think I’m dishonest? I know that the diamond is important to some scheme that Quist has planned, so I took it.’
‘That explains why he is so keen to find you.’
‘Do you feel well enough to get up?’ enquired Adele.
‘Actually, yes. I don’t know what you put in that poultice but my shoulder feels much better.’
‘Good. Put your trousers and your shirt on and I’ll take you down to the stream. You could use a bath.’
She took him down to the stream and told him to get undressed. Cobb took his shirt off but refused to remove his trousers. ‘Oh come on Mr. Cobb, I’m not some shrinking violet who will faint if I see you in your underpants. This is the 19th century, you know!’
Cobb gave in reluctantly and sat on a stone trying to cover his … er … embarrassment, while she washed him down. She dried him off with a blanket and he dressed. When they walked back to the cottage, Cobb found that his shoulder was loosening up and he could actually move his arm without too much pain.
‘That poultice you put on me really seems to be working,’ he said. ‘My shoulder seems to be getting less painful. It’s a good job for me that you’re a witch.’
Adele stopped dead. ‘Who said I was a witch?’
‘I went to a diviner to try and find out where you were and she said that she couldn’t find you because someone had put a cloaking spell on you. When I asked her who she thought might have done that, she said that it was probably you, as you were a witch. It’s true isn’t it? I saw you light the fire this morning. You didn’t use matches,’ he said pointedly.
She started walking back towards the cottage again. ‘I’m not really a witch; I’m a scientist, a teacher. Like I said, my mother was a witch and Quist used her and her powers to advance his crooked schemes. I saw the toll that it took on her each time she abused her talent for his ends. She felt that she was betraying the whole Wiccan order, using her Magick for bad. I was determined that I would not let me and my powers be used like that, so I rejected my abilities and refused to learn anything but the most basic of spells. I didn’t want to be put in the position where I could be forced to use my powers to help Quist. If I didn’t know Magick then I couldn’t be made to use it, was the way I thought.
‘So I turned away from Magick and studied science. I did have this desire to learn the ways of the Universe, it’s always intrigued me finding out how things tick, but I figured I’d do it with a microscope and a test tube instead of a wand and a cauldron. I went to University and studied anything but Magick! But I guess over time you can’t help picking up a trick or two. Sometimes you just think of something, like “I want these twigs to heat up” and it happens. You don’t always need spells to make things happen you know, you can sometimes do it with your mind. You can’t get away from natural ability, I guess.’
‘So you’re saying that you don’t want to be a witch?’ Cobb asked her.
‘No, not really. I plan on being a scientist or teaching, like I’ve been doing up ‘til now. Being a witch is the furthest thing from my mind.’
‘But you saved my life.’
‘That was science not Magick, surgery not Mysticism.’
Cobb couldn’t help thinking, How did William Shortstraw put it? “Methinks the Lady doth protest too much” … or was it … “Don’t kid a kidder” but aloud all he said was, ‘Okay then, if that’s the way you feel about it. I think it’s a bit of a shame though, with your mix of Magick and science you could be a formidable person. But … it’s your life.’
They walked in silence for a moment then Adele piped up. ‘So how did you find me?’
‘Sorry?’
‘I’ve been puzzling over how you found me and then you just said that you hired a diviner and she couldn’t find me either, so how did you do it? I thought I was being very careful to make sure I couldn’t be followed.’
‘Yes, you made a good attempt at it but you lack experience, you made some basic mistakes by relying too much on the train to get away. I know this man in Londum who has people working for him, all over the country. They found you through the railway line. His men spread some money around and spotted when you left the north/south line and went across country. Then they discovered that you joined the train line further up country. It took a few days but they tracked you all the way up to Inverdupp. So I started my search from there. Spotting the sign for Duppie, which led me to Loch Dupp, was just a stroke of luck. I’d have tracked you to there eventually but it just saved me a few days.’
‘Damn, and I thought I was being so clever jumping off the train and then back on somewhere else but you still found me.’
‘Hey, I’m a detective, it’s what I do.’
‘Very impressive,’ she told him.
‘That diviner told me something else as well … she told me that you were in trouble. Caught in the middle of a struggle between good and evil and you needed help. Any idea what she meant by that?’
Adele looked at him. ‘I’m afraid I haven’t a clue what she could have been talking about.’
‘So you’re not going to tell me? I can help, you know.’
‘I’m sorry Mr. Cobb, I’m afraid I don’t know you well enough to tell you all my secrets. We’ve only just met, after all.’
‘Excuse me? Are you telling me that after that bath you just gave me we are still strangers?’ he said. ‘And it’s Cobb by the way.’
‘Pardon me?’
‘It’s just Cobb. Not Mr. Cobb, not Rufus, just Cobb.’
‘Very well then, Cobb. Despite our recent closeness … I’m not sure that opening up to you is the right thing to do.’
‘You don’t trust me?’
‘I don’t want to put you into danger.’
‘Hey, Miss Curran, it wouldn’t be the first time and I’m sure it won’t be the last.’
‘Adele … you can call me Adele.’
They both let the subject drop as they had arrived back at the cottage. ‘It’s a nice day, sunny, no wind. Why don’t you put your overcoat on and sit outside for a while? The sun will help your recovery,’ suggested Adele.
‘Okay,’ said Cobb taking a chair outside. ‘Will you join me?’
‘Not just yet. Our food supplies are getting low so I need to go and stock up the larder.’ She put her coat on and headed off across the moor.
While Adele was gone, Cobb had a look round the cottage and found the whisky. When she returned he was sitting outside sunning himself, having a drink. She saw that he was watching a flock of geese flying across the sky in a V shaped formation.
‘Don’t you wish you could do what birds do?’ she asked him.
‘What … make custard?’ he asked, puzzled.
‘No silly, fly south for the winter. Just fly away from all your troubles.’
‘Oh that, yes, that would be nice.’ He noticed she had a brace of rabbits over her shoulder.
‘How did you catch them?’ said Cobb, impressed.
‘I hid behind a rock and made a noise like a lettuce. When they came to investigate I jumped them. I see you found the whisky.’
‘No seriously, how did you catch them?’
‘I “called” them to me, with my mind, like I did with Duppie. When they came I hit them with a rock. Poor things, they never had a chance but we have to eat. Can I borrow your knife?’
‘Sure. I’m relieved you caught the rabbits, I thought we’d have to eat the horse,’ said Cobb. Adele cut the throats of the rabbits and then hung them round the back of the cottage
to drain.
Cobb dozed off in the warm sunshine. When he woke up, he wandered into the cottage to find Adele preparing the rabbits. He watched in admiration as she expertly skinned and gutted them. ‘Where on earth did you learn that?’ he asked
‘The benefits of a University education.’
‘What? Do they teach poaching now?’
‘No. They teach biology and anatomy, which includes dissection. We practised on frogs and rabbits. How do you think I knew enough to be able to take that bolt out of your shoulder?’
‘Very impressive.’
Adele put the rabbits in a pot with some water and some herbs she had collected and then put the pot on the fire to cook.
Cobb and Adele went outside to sit in the sun again. Cobb poured himself another drink.
‘Do you always drink this much?’ she asked him.
‘Yeah, pretty much.’
‘Well … why? Is life so hopeless?’
‘I drink to forget …’
‘Forget what?’
‘I don’t know … I’ve forgotten.’
‘Oh well, if you’re going to be like that then,’ she stood up to leave.
‘No, no, wait a minute. I’m sorry … please stay.’
Maybe it was the drink, maybe it was the warm sun making him drowsy, maybe it was because she had saved his life, or maybe it was just because it was Adele, he didn’t know … but he told her. He told her everything. About Esme, how his world had crumbled when he’d lost her, even about the dimension shifting and how he felt responsible for her death. How he had got reckless and been invited to leave the police force, what he did now to get by. How he had just … lost his way.
‘Still, you have to laugh though, don’t you?’ Cobb said bitterly as he finished his story.
He stopped talking, just staring down at his hands. Adele didn’t say anything. She stood up, wiped a tear away from her eye, poured him another drink, leaned down and kissed him on the cheek. Then she went inside to see how the stew was coming along.
***
The rest of the day passed fairly quietly. They ate the rabbit stew and discussed what they should do. They agreed that next day they would move on, take the horse and cart and head south, find a railway station and head back into Albion.
They talked until it got dark and it was time for bed. Adele said she couldn’t spend another night sleeping in the chair. Cobb insisted on Adele taking the bed but she said he needed another night’s rest to complete his recovery. They argued for a few minutes then Adele lost her patience.
‘Right, that’s it!’ she said, ‘no more arguing, get undressed and get in that bed! We are both adults, after all.’ Cobb did as he was told and got into the bed. There was a rustle of clothing and then Adele joined him.
They lay there for a few moments, Cobb lying on his good side, Adele lying on her side, back-to-back, rigid, trying not to touch each other. Then Adele thought, this is nonsense, so she rolled over, snuggled up to Cobb and put her arm round his waist. After a moment’s hesitation, Cobb slid his hand down until it was resting on top of Adele’s and then laced his fingers through hers.
The Plot – Pay Attention!
Cobb and Adele got up next morning and after going down to the stream to wash, made some breakfast from what remained of the groceries and the rabbits that Adele had caught the day before. They discussed options about which direction they should travel when they left the cottage. They decided that they would be safer not returning to Loch Dupp or Inverdupp, so they would take the cart and push on towards the other end of the loch. There was a town there called Fort Willem that had a rail line. Besides, it was probably nearer to their cottage than Inverdupp was. Adele was agreeing with this plan when she suddenly stopped talking mid sentence.
Cobb looked up from his plate, into Adele’s eyes; she was staring wide eyed, over his shoulder. Cobb spun around and saw Harlequin standing there, arms folded, looking down at them. ‘Getting cosy, are we?’ said Harlequin, with a smirk.
Cobb jumped out of the chair and dived at Harlequin … and went straight through him, hit the wall and slid to the floor. Cobb picked himself up, shook his head to clear it and took a swing at Harlequin. His hand just passed harmlessly through Harlequin’s body. ‘What the hell are you?’ he said, ‘and who are those little yellow bastards that keep trying to kill me?’
Harlequin sneered back at him, ‘Wouldn’t you like to know, maggot? I’ll be the last thing you ever see if you touch Adele!’
‘Boys, boys, boys,’ said Adele in her best schoolmarm voice, positioning herself between them. ‘You could cut the testosterone in here with a knife! Now settle down, both of you,’ she said glaring at them, ‘I’m not in any danger from him,’ jerking her thumb at Cobb, ‘and you’re not going to do anything stupid,’ pointing her finger at Harlequin. ‘Now Cobb, sit down and have a drink, we need to talk.’
Cobb did as he was told, grudgingly. Adele sat opposite and Harlequin stood at the head of the table. ‘Right,’ said Adele, to Harlequin, ‘Cobb is not the enemy, he is trying to protect me and I trust him, so I think we should tell him what’s going on … everything.’
‘But he works for your father!’
‘He was just hired to find me; he’s not going to tell Quist where I am.’
‘And you’re sure you trust him?’ said Harlequin.
‘Trust me? What about him?’ said Cobb to Adele. ‘Every chance he gets he tries to have me killed!’
‘Well somebody has to, for the sake of the gene pool!’ replied Harlequin. ‘Okay, so that was to stop you getting to Adele but despite my best efforts you’re here now, so we might as well make the best of it.’
Adele said to Cobb, ‘It’s time we came clean and told you what’s going on.
‘Wait a minute,’ said Cobb holding up his hand to Adele and turning to Harlequin. ‘What are you, some kind of God?’
‘No,’ said Harlequin, ‘the Gods don’t lower themselves to dealing directly with mortals, they use my kind, I’m sort of an agent for the Gods.’
‘What, like Angels?’ said Cobb.
‘Hardly,’ said Harlequin with a grin. ‘But we are … Divine Beings, Immortals.’
‘We’re getting low on booze, can you turn water into wine?’ Cobb figured he was going to need a lot of alcohol in his system to get through today.
‘Yes, but I don’t do party tricks. Look Cobb, if Adele trusts you then I guess I’m going to have to, so I had better explain what this is really all about. We have a lot to get through and time is short. It is important that you believe everything I tell you. Your world, your Universe depends upon it.’
Cobb looked at Adele, sighed resignedly and said, ‘Get on with it, I’m all ears.’
‘Yeah … and you’ve got a big nose as well.’
‘Why you-’
‘STOP IT, YOU TWO!’ shouted Adele, banging her hand on the table.
‘Sorry, sorry,’ said Harlequin. ‘Pour yourself another drink Cobb and pour Adele one too, she’s going to need it.’
Cobb did as he was bid, while Harlequin paced backwards and forwards gathering his thoughts.
‘Dearest Adele, would you be good enough to show Cobb the stone, please?’
Adele went to the cupboard where she had hidden her bag under the blankets. Cobb noticed that Harlequin’s eyes followed her every move. For some reason the hairs started to rise on the back of Cobb’s neck. Adele returned to the table and opened her bag. From it she produced an ornately carved wooden box, about six inches long, and placed it on the table. Undoing the catch, she flipped open the lid and Cobb gasped.
Inside was the most beautiful stone that Cobb had ever seen or heard of, it was incredible. It was oval and approximately the length of his hand from wrist to fingertip. The body of the stone was like a diamond but clear as pure water. Periodically flashes of what looked like purple lightning ran through it. At the heart of the stone there was an irregular black shape about the size of a walnut.
?
??What is that?’ Cobb asked incredulously.
Adele said, ‘This is the diamond that I stole, it is known as The Heart of Infinity. Quist stole it from somewhere. Harlequin came to me and convinced me it was vital that it was rescued from Quist as soon as possible. So I stole it and ran away so he couldn’t get his hands on it again.’
‘And you believed him, just like that?’ asked Cobb.
‘Well, it isn’t every day that an agent of the Gods pops into your bedroom and tells you that you’ve got to save the Universe, so I thought I’d give it a go,’ she replied sarcastically.
‘So that’s why Quist wanted you found, funny, I didn’t think it was fatherly love. What’s it worth?’ asked Cobb.
‘Priceless but that’s not why he wants it. Apparently it has some special properties that can give him immense power,’ replied Adele.
‘What sort of power?’
Adele and then Cobb looked at Harlequin.
‘The power to control or destroy everything. The Universe, time, space, everything. Even the Gods themselves would be helpless before him,’ said Harlequin.
‘I’m guessing this isn’t really a diamond then, is it?’ said Cobb.
‘Well spotted, what you’re looking at is actually solid energy. It has formed a barrier around that black bit in the middle.’
‘And what’s that thing, the bit in the middle?’ asked Cobb.
‘That’s the bit that is giving us the problem,’ replied Harlequin. ‘To explain what this is really all about I need to take you back to the beginning, the beginning of everything. Your scientists believe that the Multiverse began with one huge explosion, from which everything came. The “Great Blast” theory they call it. They’re right; this “Great Blast” created the multiple Universes, the Multiverse. Here in this Universe you know about these other Universes. You think of them as other dimensions. There is something about this Universe, maybe it’s the Magick, I don’t know, but you are aware of these alternate dimensions and the fact that walls between dimensions are thinner here than in most places. People have seen it, there have been breakthroughs from one side to another and it’s a well-documented phenomenon.