Chapter 40
Puck's Dell, Stumblefrith Forest, Wealdshire. Tuesday 26 May 1998
On the Tuesday morning, having recovered from the ordeal of the previous day, Chris and Josie made their way to Puck's Dell. They didn't take their bikes as there was a footpath which, running across some fields, led directly from Swainshurst to Stumblefrith Forest. The road journey, on the other hand, would have entailed either risking life and limb on the major road which ran south from Kingsbourne, or taking a lengthy detour along Chalkpit Lane.
Although they hadn't visited Puck's Dell before, they had no difficulty in finding it. As they were entering the camp, Josie nudged her brother and pointed. 'Hey, Chris. Look over there.'
'Over where? What am I looking for?' he asked.
'Those two kids near the fire.'
'Yeah. What about them?'
'Don't you recognise them?'
Chris concentrated. They began to look familiar. 'Heck, it can't be,' he exclaimed. 'Not toffee-nosed Jaine- Marie Starling and her pain-in-the-bum brother.'
'Sorry,' Josie said, 'but I think it is.'
'What are they doing here?' Chris complained.
Josie shrugged. 'I don't know but they look very much at home.'
'I wouldn't have thought that saving trees was their sort of thing.'
'You're right,' Josie agreed. 'This is the last place I would have expected to find the Starlings.'
'This could ruin my day,' lamented Chris.
'I suppose we ought to go and say hello to them?'
'Do we have to?'
'I don't particularly want to — but we're bound to bump into them while we're here and, of course, we can find out what they're doing here.'
'Okay. I'll follow you.'
The twins made their way to the camp fire, both of them hoping and praying that either they'd made a mistake or the Starlings would suddenly disappear before they reached them.
'Jaine-Marie? It is you. What are you doing here?' Josie asked, beaming her best smile at the Starling girl.
Jaine-Marie looked as if she'd been caught in the act of doing something that she shouldn't have been doing. She gasped and left her mouth hanging open. What should she say? She could hardly tell the truth. She quickly regained her composure and returned the smile. 'What a surprise. Hi, Josie. Hi, Chris. Gerard and I have joined the protesters.' When she saw the look of surprise and disbelief on Josie's face, she said, 'Don't look so amazed. Aren't we allowed to join an environmental campaign?'
'Uh, yes. Of course. I'm just a bit surprised, that's all. I didn't think you were into eco-stuff.'
'Well, we are, aren't we Gerard?' Jaine-Marie retorted haughtily.
Gerard, looking far more relaxed than his sister, said, 'Yeah, we're well into it. Mum and Jaine-Marie have been building benders—'
'Your mum! Is she here?' Josie exclaimed, realising immediately that she was giving Jaine-Marie another opportunity to be snotty with her. Luckily, Chris chimed in before Jaine-Marie had a chance to bite Josie's head off.
'What's a bender?' he asked.
Gerard pointed. 'See those shelters over there? They're benders. They're made by stretching a tarpaulin over a frame of hazel branches.'
'Cool,' enthused Chris. 'Where's yours?'
'I haven't got one. I'm building a tree house.' He looked up into the branches of a nearby tree. 'It's up there. Do you want to see it?'
'Yeah, sure. I've always wanted a tree house.'
When Chris and Gerard had gone, Jaine-Marie sighed. 'I suppose you want to see my bender.'
'Yes, I'd love to. Did you make it yourself?' Josie asked as she walked with Jaine-Marie.
'Mostly. Ant helped me. He's the bender-building expert. Actually, I made my mother's without any assistance.' Jaine-Marie bent over towards Josie and hid her mouth behind her hand as if to ensure she wasn't overheard. 'Mum wasn't too good at it . . .But don't say anything if you see her. She blows up if anyone mentions bender building.'
'Don't worry. I won't say a word.' And who would ever believe that I'm having a reasonable conversation with you — old snooty-drawers Starling? Josie was pleasantly surprised to find that Jaine-Marie was becoming friendlier by the minute. I wonder how long she can keep it up, she wondered.
'Is that Chris up there?' Shadow called up into the tree.
Chris put his head out of the doorway of Gerard's tree house and looked down. 'Hi Shadow.'
'Are you coming down?'
'Yeah. Won't be a minute.' Chris stepped back into the tree house and told Gerard he had to go. 'Great tree house. Once you've got the door on it'll be real cosy.'
Twiggy, a girl who had the shortest hair that Chris had ever seen, stood up. 'I suppose you'll be wanting one now — a tree house, I mean.'
'It's tempting. I'll let you know. We're only supposed to be visiting but — I wouldn't mind having my own place here.'
'You're welcome to stay in my house one night — when it's finished,' said Gerard. You know — if you want to see what it's like.'
'Yeah, great. I might take you up on that. Right — I'd better go. See you guys.'
As Chris had never climbed down a rope ladder before, it took him a while to get down to where Shadow was waiting.
'You'll get the hang of it,' Shadow told him, 'or so I'm told. I avoid tree houses and rope ladders like the plague. I like to keep my feet firmly on the ground. Anyway, I'm glad you could get here. Let me welcome you officially to Puck's Dell.'
'Thanks. I feel quite at home already.'
I see you've recovered from the . . . party.'
'Oh yeah. I'm sorry about that. Was I very embarrassing?'
'No. I've seen worse. Hell — I've been worse. Forget about it. Shall we go and find your sister?'
'I think she's with Jaine-Marie.'
'Yes, I noticed. I saw them just now. They obviously know each other well.'
'You reckon? I don't think so. I wouldn't exactly call them friends. In fact, I don't know that they've ever spoken to each other before.'
'Interesting. They seem to be getting on pretty well together now. Look.'
When Chris saw the two girls laughing and joking together he was more than surprised. I'm gobsmacked, he thought. I'd never have believed this if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. My sister getting on with Jaine- Marie Starling!
'I've found your brother, Josie,' Shadow announced. 'Shall we go and look for Misty? If you two have finished chatting, that is.'
'Yeah, okay. We can chat later.' She put her hand lightly on Jaine-Marie's arm. 'Remember — if you want me to dig you out some old clothes, let me know.'
'Okay. Thanks Josie. A jumper would be good. As old and tatty as you like. And um . . . some you-know- whats.'
'No problem. I've got a drawer full.'
As the twins walked away with Shadow, Chris whispered to Josie, 'How come you're getting on all right with Jaine-Marie?'
'I don't know. I can't believe it. Either she's had a personality transplant or she's completely different when you get to know her.'
Shadow smiled to himself. Looks as if Misty's tree sprites have been busy, he mused.
'How did you get on with Gerard?' Josie asked.
'Same as you. The Gerard up a tree isn't the same as the Gerard at school.'
'Weird, isn't it?'
'Maybe doing something like this — you know — saving the countryside from bulldozers — maybe it brings out the best in people. What do you think, Shadow?'
'Uh . . . yeah. I'm sure you're right. But here's Misty. Let's ask her what she thinks.'
'Ask me what?'
'Josie and Chris were just saying that Jaine-Marie and Gerard seem to be different people from the ones they know at school — and wondered whether saving trees makes you into a better person. I said you might have a different explanation.'
Misty thought for a moment. 'No, I wouldn't disagree, but I think my little friends ought to be given some of the credit.'
'Little friends?' echoed Josie. 'Who are they?'
Misty put her mouth to Josie's ear and whispered, loudly enough for Chris to hear, 'The tree sprites. If they know that you are trying to save their homes — they'll repay you by giving you some of their zest for life.'
'Zest for life,' Josie repeated thoughtfully. 'But doesn't that just make you happier? It doesn't necessarily make you nicer, does it?'
Misty cocked her head. 'Don't you think the two go together? Aren't people nicer when they're happy?'
Chris wasn't sure about that. He knew a few people who were never happy unless they were beating the crap out of someone — but he decided not to contradict Misty's cosy view of the world.
'Let's go and find a quiet spot to sit down and chat,' suggested Misty. 'How about the beech grove?'
'Sounds good to me,' Shadow said.
The beech grove was a group of six fine beech trees which stood in an almost perfect circle. It wasn't a magic place — but it felt as if it ought to be. When you looked upwards, you had the impression that these pale-barked giants of the wood were tall enough to trap passing clouds. Their dense canopies, allowing only the occasional beam of light to filter through the leaves, prevented anything from growing beneath the trees, and a thick carpet of dead leaves covered the grove. The moss-covered, exposed roots of the beech trees provided ideal seats.
'I've a million question to ask you,' Misty said when everyone was seated. 'Tell us about Tatscombe Hall, to start with.'
The twins described the building and its occupants, and then related how they had met Sarah and Elizabeth, how they had devised a plan to find out who was responsible for the theft of the silver goblet, and how they had made him confess his guilt.
Shadow said not a word and no-one could tell what he was thinking. Eventually, Josie looked him in the eye and asked, 'What's going through your head? Do you think we're nuts?'
He closed his eyes tightly and squeezed the bridge of his nose. 'You're not nuts — that's for sure. I'd like to think that you'd made it all up or imagined it but you talk about things in such great detail that I have to accept everything you've said. And, of course, I saw two cheerful people suddenly disappear before my eyes, only to re-appear a couple of minutes later looking like death warmed up. I believe what I see. It's not easy to accept, though, and I know that the majority of people would dismiss your story out of hand. You would upset their security, make them question everything that they've been taught. They'd be so frightened by the implications of what you were saying that they'd close their minds to it. They'd simply refuse to even listen to you. I suppose I could find an explanation for what I saw by saying that I imagined you disappeared in Blackfriars Wood. The main reason I'm still sitting here is that I've spent a lot of time with Misty. She has shown me things. She's opened my eyes, I guess.' He put his arms behind him and leaned back. 'I don't know when I last made a speech that long. I'll shut up and give someone else a chance.'
Misty held up her arm and pointed to her wrist. 'You haven't told us about your bracelet. Where did it come from?'
Josie shrugged. 'I don't really know. Mum and Dad said that it arrived in the post, two years ago, and there was a note with it saying it was a present for my sixteenth birthday. Dad took it to the university — he works there — and had the note analysed. They said the paper was old and the ink was old but, obviously, the note must have been written fairly recently because, sixteen years ago, no-one knew there would be a Josie living in Lime Lane, Swainshurst.'
'Are you sure about that?' Misty asked. 'I thought you said there were lots of people in 1517 who knew about you.'
Josie's mouth gaped. 'I never thought of that. Do you think one of the Houghtons sent it to me?'
Shadow chuckled. 'I doubt it. Can you imagine someone posting a parcel with a little note on the front saying, 'Please do not deliver for another five hundred years'?'
It was Chris's turn to laugh. 'He's right, Josie. You'll have to think of another explanation.'
Josie scratched her head. 'But who else could it have been? There isn't anyone else.'
'Not yet, there isn't,' suggested Shadow.
'What do you mean?'
'Maybe you haven't yet met the person who sent — or will send — the bracelet.'
'You're right,' Misty agreed. 'It could be anyone from any time. It may be someone who you will meet in the past or someone from now who will go into the past. That, of course, would mean that you two won't be the only ones who do a spot of time travelling.'
Chris had a suggestion to make. 'How about if the person who sends the bracelet to Josie sees her with it now, or next week, so knows that he — or she — has to go back in time and send it to make sure she gets it?'
'What?' everyone chorused.
'Oh, I don't know.' Chris suddenly jumped up. 'Wait! I've got it. Try this for size. Josie goes back in time two years and sends the bracelet to herself. That would work, wouldn't it?'
Everyone sat silently for a while and considered the implications of Chris's idea.
Shadow was the first to speak. 'An interesting idea, Chris, and I suppose it could be possible, in theory, but it wouldn't account for the old ink and paper.'
'Nor would I write a note saying 'Give this to Josie' — would I?'
'I don't think it would be possible for Josie to send it to herself,' Misty argued. 'Think about it. If she sent it now — it would no longer be here — and it wouldn't have existed before 1996, or whenever. It would be permanently locked in a two-year loop.'
'And,' Chris added excitedly. 'It would never have been made.'
Shadow screamed, 'No more! Please. You're doing my head in. I just can't take any more. My brain hurts.'
'Mine too,' declared Josie. 'Chris likes doing this. He tried to addle my brain a few days ago with time puzzles. What was it you called them, Chris?'
'Paradoxes. Impossibilities. Things that must be but can't be.'
'Let's change the subject,' Misty suggested.
'Good idea,' agreed Josie.
Misty leaned forward and rested her hands on her knees. 'The place in Blackfriars Wood is special. It's a focus for earth energy. You call it a time gate. Okay, let's all call it a time gate. But it's not just time travel that can take place there.'
'What else?' Josie asked.
'All sorts of things. If you were a healer, you could top up your healing abilities there. If you were a medium, you'd probably find Blackfriars Wood bursting at the seams with the dearly-departed. It means different things to different people.'
'And nothing if you're me,' Shadow moaned.
Misty reached across and touched his knee. 'Maybe one day, Shadow. When you grow up.'
'If I grow up. If I spend much more time with you lot, I'll probably not last very long.'
Misty squeezed his knee. 'We'll look after you.'
'The road is going through Blackfriars Wood, isn't it?' said Chris.
'That's the plan,' Misty sighed.
'But we can't let the time gate be destroyed. It would be destroyed, wouldn't it?' Chris asked.
'I don't know. I can think of several possibilities. The time gate may lose its power. It may divert its energy elsewhere. Earth may take exception to having one of her energy nodes tampered with. She may retaliate.'
'How?' Chris wanted to know.
'All sorts of different ways. What do you think natural disasters are?'
Chris gulped. 'Earthquakes, you mean?'
'Who knows? Our planet has taken a lot of stick from humans. From her point of view, all that humans want to do is trash her. She's going to fight back one day.'
Chris pulled a face. 'Maybe she won't be quite so upset if we give her a helping hand.'
'That's why Puck's Dell exists,' Shadow told him. 'What do you think, Misty? Should we establish a camp in Blackfriars Wood?'
'I don't think so. There isn't time. We'll have to let the time gate look after itself.'
Shadow suddenly thought of something. 'Can you go forward in time?'
Josie shook her head. 'We tried it, but it didn't work.'
Shadow looked disappointed. 'What a shame. We could have found out whether the road would be built, the bailiffs' strategy, and so on.'
'I don't think that visiting the future is allowed,' Misty said. 'People could find out what was going to happen to them, which horses to bet on, how to avoid future accidents—'
'Whether they're going to get married to the person they think they're going to marry,' Shadow threw in.
Misty stared at him. Shadow couldn't decide whether it was a glare — or something else.
Misty couldn't decide why Shadow had made the comment.
Luckily for both of them, Josie had a suggestion. 'I've been thinking,' she said. 'Couldn't we try to persuade the road builders that it could be dangerous to put the road through Blackfriars Wood? I know Shadow said that no-one would believe Chris and I if we told them about our time travelling — but what about if we showed someone? If we took them back in time so that they could see for themselves.'
'Let me think about this,' said Shadow. 'Tell me how the bracelet works. Can anyone use it?'
'I don't know. I usually wear it and hold Chris's hand so that he comes with me. He tried it on his own once, and it worked.'
Chris coughed. 'I'd better make a confession,' he said. 'I have . . . borrowed your bracelet a few times . . . and gone time-tripping on my own.'
'You pig!' Josie cried. 'Why didn't you ask me first?'
Chris looked penitent. 'I know. I should have done. I'm sorry. I'll ask you next time.'
'You'd better. Where have you been with it?'
'Uh . . . I . . . just took a quick peek at our village during the last century. I wanted to see how it had changed over the years.'
Josie narrowed her eyes. 'I'll talk to you later,' she promised.
Shadow waited for the atmosphere to settle before continuing. 'There is someone who we could talk to. He owes us a favour. If you could prove to him that the time gate is real — maybe — just maybe — he'd consider diverting the road. It's a long shot, mind — a very long shot — but I think it would be worth trying.'
'Who is this person?' Chris asked.
'Andrew Starling — Superintendent of Roads and Transportation.'
'Starling! You don't mean—?'
'Father of Jaine-Marie and Gerard? Yes.'
'Their father is responsible for the road!' yelled Josie. 'And to think that I was being nice to Jaine-Marie.'
'And I told Gerard I'd take him up on his offer to stay in his tree house one night,' added Chris, looking as if he'd just swallowed a slug.
'Calm down, calm down,' Shadow ordered. 'If we can tolerate having them in Puck's Dell — there's no need for you two to get your knickers in a twist.'
'Okay,' Josie whined, 'but why are they here?'
Shadow and Misty exchanged glances. 'Can't tell you, I'm afraid,' said Shadow. 'It's a bit . . . delicate.'
'When can we see Mr Starling?' Chris asked.
'If you're able to stay all day, we can probably see him later. But if you have to go — we could probably arrange a meeting.'
Josie looked at Chris. 'A meeting would be best, wouldn't it? We told Mum we'd be back for lunch.'
Shadow looked at his watch. 'You'd better be off, then. It's 12.30. What I'll do is find out when Andrew Starling is available and then ring you up and arrange a meeting. Let me have your number.' He fumbled in his pocket and found a piece of paper and a pencil. 'Here, write it down for me.'