Turpin beamed.
Cautiously, Tanya pushed the door open, holding her breath as it creaked softly again. Beyond it, the shop lay in darkness except for a few small lights that had been left on in display cabinets. There was no sign of the dark figure, but another door at the back marked PRIVATE was ajar. She closed the front door quietly and headed towards the other one, listening.
A muttered voice drifted through it, so faint that Tanya could not make out the words. She pushed the door open soundlessly.
‘Careful,’ Turpin murmured.
Ahead of them were three more doors, the first of which opened on to a storeroom full of boxes and the second to a small kitchen. To Tanya’s left was a set of stairs leading down. Yet another stack of boxes, empty this time, was piled up beside it. ‘There must be a cellar,’ she whispered. The third door was open a crack and, from there, the muttering could be heard. Tanya and Turpin crept closer, then Tanya felt a light nip on the back of her ankle. She bit her lip and turned round. Oberon sat by the stairs, his tail wagging gently.
‘He’s trying to tell us something,’ Tanya mouthed. ‘I think Ratty’s down there!’
‘We must go to him—’ Turpin began, but a loud thump from the third room made them both freeze.
‘No, no, NO!’ Each word was punctuated with a smashing sound. ‘None of these is it!’
Recovering herself, Tanya edged her way to the door and peered through the crack. The room beyond was crammed full of shelves of dusty or broken items, a few of which were clocks but the vast amount were hourglasses. Hundreds of them, lining the walls and stacked up in haphazard piles. In the corner of the room, a man with grey hair and thick glasses sat hunched over a table, glowering at a pile of smashed hourglasses.
Solomon.
With a sweep of his arm, he sent the fragments flying to the floor, where they shattered on a pile of previously discarded hourglasses.
Solomon leaned back, removing his spectacles to massage the bridge of his nose. ‘It’s out there somewhere,’ he murmured to himself. ‘Haunting me. Eluding me. I can feel it.’
And it’s closer than you know, Tanya thought, dread creeping through her. She backed away, tugging Oberon and Turpin into the storeroom as Solomon got up and stomped to the door. They waited as the sound of his footfall faded down the cellar steps.
‘What do we do now?’ Tanya asked. She slipped the rucksack off her shoulders and turned it to look at Don. ‘If Ratty is down those steps, Solomon is with him. And you’re still a toad! Solomon’s not going to bargain with me – if I go down there and hand him the hourglass, he’ll take it off me and probably keep me prisoner with Ratty, too. We need to get you turned back.’ She peered round a stack of boxes. ‘Look, here’s a window.’ She thought quickly. ‘If I put you on the window ledge, you can watch for a star. In the meantime, Turpin and I can create a diversion to find Ratty and get him out.’
‘What kind of diversion?’ Don asked. He looked hopefully at the window. A ribbon of navy sky was visible between the cloud, but no stars.
‘By using this.’ Tanya pulled the hourglass from the rucksack. ‘If I can get Solomon to play a little game of hide-and-seek, Turpin can sneak into the cellar and free Ratty. By the time Solomon finds the hourglass, you’ll hopefully be . . . well, you again and you can tackle him.’
‘And if I’m not?’ Don said. ‘If I’m still a blasted toad?’
‘Then we grab the hourglass and run,’ said Tanya, feeling far less brave than she sounded.
‘Is dangerous,’ said Turpin. ‘Very risky.’
‘There’s no other way,’ said Tanya. ‘Unless we leave it another night and come back for Ratty—’
‘No,’ Don interrupted. ‘We only got here because of your wish. If he’s here, I can’t go without him. If Solomon leaves this place and takes Henry, there’s a chance we might not trace him again, not without giving up the hourglass. Even then I don’t think Solomon would hand Henry over – his gift is too powerful.’
‘Then we have to do it now,’ said Tanya. ‘Turpin, you wait by those boxes by the stairs. I’ll sneak down and surprise Solomon. When he chases me back up the stairs, push the boxes into his path. That’ll give me time to hide the hourglass.’
‘What if he catches you?’ Don whispered. ‘What if he does something magical? You could be a toad in two seconds flat!’
‘He won’t catch me. I’m faster than he is and I’m protected. Whatever he does, he’ll know there’s a chance I could drop the hourglass and break it. I don’t think he’ll take that risk.’
‘Where will you hide the hourglass?’ Don looked around. ‘What about in one of these boxes?’
‘No.’ Tanya shook her head. ‘That’ll probably be Solomon’s first thought. I’m going to hide it in plain sight.’
‘In the shop?’ Don gasped.
Tanya nodded.
‘By the time Solomon makes it up the stairs and past the boxes, I’ll have hidden the hourglass in amongst the others, then I can join Turpin and help get Ratty out.’
Don took a deep breath and nodded at the window ledge. ‘All right. Let’s do it. Put me up there.’ He lowered his voice even further. ‘And pray that I see a star.’
Tanya pulled out her mother’s red shawl from the rucksack and threw it round Oberon, tucking the ends into his collar. Provided he stayed quiet, it should hide him from Solomon until she was ready. She placed Don on the sill, then took the hourglass, trying to steady her suddenly shaking hands. ‘Turpin, get ready,’ she whispered.
Turpin gave a fierce nod. Then the two of them crept out of the storeroom and towards the cellar steps. Turpin took up her position behind the stack of boxes.
‘Wait until I’ve cleared the stairs and you’ve got a clean shot at Solomon,’ Tanya whispered. ‘Then shove as many boxes his way as you can.’
‘It will be many,’ Turpin promised. She reached up and gave her horns a little stroke as if for courage or luck.
Tanya readjusted her grip on the hourglass. Her fingers were damp with nervous sweat. Then she edged closer to the narrow stone steps and started down them as quietly as she could.
23
Captives
WITH EVERY STEP TANYA TOOK FURTHER down into the cellar, a musty, damp smell grew stronger. She paused, pinching her nose to press the tickle away, and felt Oberon’s nose bump into the back of her leg. The hourglass in her other hand felt warm and, now she was touching it again, the whisperings of the memory had begun once more. She forced herself not to listen. She could not afford to be sucked into it this time.
At the bottom of the steps, an old wooden door was half open, hanging crookedly on its hinges. She crept nearer, trying to steady her breathing, and peered through the gap in the door into one side of a dimly-lit room. It looked very similar to the room she had seen in the memory, for there was all sorts of equipment and magical paraphernalia crammed everywhere. Dusty books teetered in piles, crates jammed with jars of nasty-looking ingredients were stacked up on top of one another, and a huge, black cauldron stood at the centre of it all. Exactly how long had Solomon been here? Tanya wondered. Several months at least, from the looks of things.
She drew back on to the staircase as heavy footsteps sounded on the other side of the room. Then Solomon’s voice came in a low growl.
‘Wake up, boy!’
Holding her breath, Tanya moved forward again and slunk to the edge of the door, looking round it on to the side of the room she had not yet seen. It was all she could do not to gasp, for there, just a short distance away, stood a large, silver cage. Inside it, shivering and sleepy-eyed, was Ratty.
Tanya pressed a hand over her mouth. Poor Ratty looked dreadful. He was thinner, and his brown skin had taken on a grey look. His eyes were sunken and dull and even from where Tanya stood she could see they had lost their sparkle.
Solomon stood on the other side of the cage bars, but he was not alone. A hulking figure lurked just beyond him in a shadowy alcove. It wore plain, dark c
lothes and its face was hidden by a gruesome mask that looked like it had been painted by a child. It had two black holes for eyes and a thin, red slash for a mouth. Though the mask was different to the one she had seen before, Tanya recognised the figure as the same one she had seen at the fairground. Confusion and panic swept through her. What was Morghul doing here, with Solomon? And, more importantly, how would Turpin get past him to uphold her part of the plan?
Solomon took the bars of the cage and rattled them. ‘I said wake up!’
At the sound of his voice, Tanya felt Oberon’s body go rigid beside her. She looked down and saw that the fur on the back of his neck was standing up.
Ratty rubbed his eyes and glared.
Solomon eyed him nastily. ‘Are you hungry enough to talk yet?’
‘Hungry enough to eat a dead dog,’ Ratty answered, coughing weakly. ‘But I’ll never talk to you.’
‘Just tell me where the memory is hidden!’ Solomon snapped. ‘Where did your thieving father put it?’
Ratty’s mouth set in a determined line. ‘If I told you, would you let me go?’
‘Of course.’
‘I don’t believe you.’
‘You don’t have much choice,’ said Solomon. ‘No one knows you’re here. And your wretched father somehow escaped from where I left him, not that much good will come of it in his present form.’
‘What do you mean?’ Ratty asked. ‘What have you done to my pa?’
Solomon gave a thin smile. ‘Let’s just say I’ve cut him down to size. Now, are you going to tell me what you know? Where is that hourglass?’
‘I don’t know,’ Ratty said. Hatred burned in his eyes. ‘And, even if I did, I’d never tell you.’
Tanya screwed up her courage and stepped beyond the door into the cellar room. ‘You’re asking the wrong person.’
Solomon spun round, his eyes wide with shock. ‘You!’
‘Tanya?’ Ratty gasped. He jumped to his feet. ‘What are you doing here?’
Tanya swallowed, her knees suddenly wobbly. ‘I’ve come to give Solomon what he wants,’ she said. ‘In exchange for you.’
Solomon stared at the hourglass, transfixed. ‘That’s it,’ he whispered. He lifted his hand, taking a slow step towards her like she was a bird he was afraid to frighten away. ‘That’s the one. How . . . where did you . . .?’ He shook himself slightly. ‘Give it to me, girl. Give it to me and I’ll release him.’
Morghul shifted in the shadows. Even though there was no face to read, Tanya sensed his longing. It was as strong and as greedy as Solomon’s, and every bit as terrifying. Perhaps she could lure them both out of the cellar, leaving Turpin to release Ratty from the cage. She took a tiny step back, waiting. ‘No. Let him go first.’
Solomon’s lip curled back. He took another step towards her. ‘Now listen, girl. Don’t be stupid. Give me the hourglass or it will be taken from you. Forcibly.’ He snapped his fingers and Morghul lurched out from his shadowy corner.
‘No, you listen,’ said Tanya. She brandished the hourglass, noticing how Solomon’s outstretched hand shook. ‘I know how this works. So if either you or that thing—’ she jerked her head at Morghul, ‘—does anything that makes me nervous, and I happen to drop this, the memory will be lost forever. And I don’t think you want that.’ Beside her, Oberon gave a growl that sounded almost convincing.
Solomon blinked, noticing Oberon for the first time. Then his face drained of colour. Tanya silently congratulated herself on putting him in his place, but it was only when he spoke next that she realised that what she had mistaken for fear was in fact rage.
‘You dare threaten me? You’ve no idea who you’re dealing with, girl! You’re not leaving this place until you hand that over. And if it breaks you won’t be leaving at all.’ He gave a nod to Morghul. ‘Get her. And remember the same goes for you, if you damage it.’
Morghul grunted and lunged towards Tanya.
‘Run!’ Ratty yelled.
Tanya turned and fled, flinging the cellar door wide. Behind her, she heard Oberon snap and snarl as he tried to block Morghul’s way. ‘Oberon!’ she shouted, terrified he’d come to harm. His claws scraped the stone steps beside her and together they scrambled up them. She heard Morghul’s heavy tread behind her, closer than expected, and fear spurred her on. The rucksack bounced against her back as she ran, and from somewhere inside she heard enraged squeaks as the Cornish brownie bounced with it. Finally, she reached the top of the stairs, with barely enough breath to speak.
‘Turpin, now!’ she gasped, hurtling past the pile of boxes. She caught a glimpse of two small hands giving a hard shove, and the mountain of boxes tumbled on to the staircase like falling dominoes. She heard rather than saw Morghul stumble backwards, losing his footing and crashing to the bottom. From the depths of the cellar, Solomon roared.
Tanya fled into the back room.
Heart thudding, she hurried over to the pile of discarded hourglasses on the floor by the table. She glanced at the real one in her hand, aware that she was about to take a terrible risk, but unable to think of another solution. Carefully, she placed it at the edge of the pile, scooping up smaller parts of some of the broken ones and placing them on top to hide it. Mixed in with the others, it was a good hiding place. With a final look to memorise the spot, she took another one of a similar size from the pile, then, checking the coast was clear, slipped out of the room.
Loud thuds sounded from the stairs as Morghul hurled the boxes out of the way. Tanya edged past into the storeroom, where, to her dismay, Don was very much still a toad.
‘What’s going on?’ Don hissed. ‘Did it work?’
‘Not exactly,’ said Tanya. ‘Morghul is here. Solomon sent him after me and he’ll be here any minute. With Solomon still in the cellar, I can’t send Turpin down!’
‘Morghul is here?’ Turpin skidded into the room, her hair standing on end.
‘Yes. And Ratty is locked up downstairs. Our only hope is for Solomon and Morghul to both come up here.’
Don blinked, his blue eyes huge in his warty face. ‘I don’t understand. What is Morghul doing here, with Solomon? I warned him what would happen if Solomon ever remembered what he was! Solomon would destroy him to get his spell to work.’
Tanya shook her head. ‘But Morghul wants the hourglass just as badly as Solomon does.’
‘Because the hourglass not only holds Solomon’s memory of that night, but Ratty’s memory of Morghul, too,’ said Turpin. ‘Without Ratty knowing what he is, Morghul has no power. Solomon can use glamour to change Morghul’s shape, but just for a short while. Only Ratty can give him a lasting form. Without him Morghul lives a half-life. He needs Ratty to remember . . .’ She trailed off as a tumult of noise sounded from the stairs. Boxes flew over the handrail, crashing every which way as the path from the cellar was cleared.
‘They’re coming,’ Tanya whispered. She pushed Turpin towards a crate in the corner. ‘Hide. I’ll lead them to the front of the shop and then you go down and get Ratty out of the cage.’
‘What about me?’ Don hissed.
‘Keep looking for that star,’ Tanya said desperately. ‘We’re going to need it.’ She darted out, shutting Oberon in the storeroom behind her, and slipped into the darkened front of the shop. A thought struck her and she approached the door. Perhaps she could fool Solomon into thinking she had left and lure him out of the building altogether. But as she touched the handle a white spark snapped off it, followed by the sound of a lock clicking into place.
‘I told you that you couldn’t leave, didn’t I?’ Solomon’s voice rang up the stairs, high-pitched and triumphant. ‘Every door and every window in this place is barred by magic. You’re going nowhere, girl.’
A trickle of cold sweat snaked down Tanya’s spine as she sought a hiding place. There were few options. With only seconds to spare, she dropped down and crawled under the counter, the sound of her own heartbeat thumping in her ears.
Overhead, the lights snapped o
n. Tanya squeezed her eyes shut, listening. Footsteps moved over the floorboards. Cupboard doors opened then banged shut. Display units were tossed aside, sending watches scattering over the floor. The footsteps came closer.
‘There aren’t many places to hide here.’ Solomon’s voice was taunting, sing-song, as he approached the counter. His shoes clipped into view, slowly and deliberately. Tanya considered running, but knew it was hopeless. There was nowhere to run, and nowhere else to hide. Please, she thought. Please let Turpin get Ratty out.
A second pair of legs appeared in front of her. The movement was soundless; the movement of someone or something that was used to creeping in shadows, unseen and unheard. Without warning, a pale, waxy hand reached under the counter and seized her by the shoulder, pulling her out painfully. She yelled and struggled, but to no avail. The hand shook her into stillness like she was no more than a rag doll being shaken by a dog, and then she found herself looking up into the hideous, masked face of Morghul. Up close, the melted-wax look of his pale skin could be seen at the sides of the mask and, horrible as the mask was, Tanya was glad it was still on.
Solomon snatched the hourglass from her hands, but his jubilant expression quickly twisted into one of anger. ‘I don’t have time for this!’ he roared. His eyes were wide and crazed. He threw the hourglass across the room where it shattered against a wall. ‘Where is it?’
‘You just broke it,’ Tanya lied, stalling desperately. ‘It was disguised . . . with glamour.’
‘You can’t fool me,’ Solomon sneered. He wrenched the rucksack from her, rifling through it, then threw it aside. ‘I’d know that hourglass anywhere, disguised or not, and that wasn’t it. It’s still here somewhere. I can feel it. The memory is so close it’s practically singing to me!’ He grabbed Tanya roughly, shaking her out of Morghul’s grip.
‘The girl has hidden it somewhere. Find it! Search every room, check every hourglass.’
Tanya bit her lip.
‘Yes, Master.’ Behind the mask, Morghul’s voice was muffled, yet still Tanya could make out a strange quality to it. Like there was more than one voice mixed in, as fluid and changeable as his face. He bowed his head and lumbered out of sight.