Chapter 53
Tatscombe Hall, Wealdshire. 1517
The twins arrived at Tatscombe Hall on the morning after Andrew Starling had been captured and tied up in the stable. They told Sir James that they wished to give the villain an opportunity to put matters right.
'I mind not what thou dost,' he informed them. 'I owed thee a boon in return for the good deed you executed when my son was foolish. I will do whate'er you wish me to do.'
Starling was in a pitiful state. His clothes were soiled and he looked like a man condemned to death. When he saw the twins, he managed the weakest of smiles. They had wondered if he would rant and rage, and accuse them of treachery. Instead, he seemed resigned to his fate, whatever that might be.
'Hello, Mr Starling,' Chris said meekly, feeling guilty that he was partly responsible for Starling's current plight. 'How are you?'
'How am I? How long can you stay? I could talk for hours about how I am, and what I am. Or, to be more accurate, what I have become during the last few years.'
'How do you mean?' Josie asked, squatting down in the straw.
'I'll give you the short version,' Starling said grimly. 'I have been stupid. I've been greedy. I bit off more than I could chew and got involved with villains. The result was that I became a villain myself. I've let down my family. I've let myself down.'
'Can I ask you something?' Josie said.
He gave a slight nod. 'Go ahead. I'll tell you whatever you want to know. I've nothing to lose now. I think my life is at an end.'
'I just wanted to know when you decided that you'd . . . uh . . .'
'Made a prat of myself? Gone too far? Yesterday. When we were at the time gate, something happened. It was almost as if I was able to float in the air and look down on myself. I didn't like what I saw. I saw someone who was prepared to go to any lengths to achieve his ends, to get rich, to get his own way. It was as if I'd been afflicted with some sort of madness lately. I've had all night to think about it. I realise that I've got everything wrong. Your friends — the pixies — their values and priorities are much better than mine. Far more noble.'
Chris spoke. 'What do you want to do about it?'
Starling sighed. 'I don't know. I just don't know. I'd like to go back and make a clean breast of everything. In fact, that's what I know I should do — but I don't know if I'm brave enough to do it. I know it would destroy my family. I'd go to prison. I may as well stay here and rot.'
'We . . .' Josie started, falteringly, 'we . . . were going to show you these . . . documents.' She held up the envelope. 'They . . .'
Starling grinned humourlessly. 'Don't tell me — they show that I've been up to no good. Am I right?'
Josie dropped the envelope on the straw. There didn't seem to be any point in opening it.
There was an awkward silence for a few minutes. Chris stopped playing with a piece of straw and asked, 'Do you still want the bypass to go ahead?'
Starling wiped his nose on the back of his hand. 'No, I don't. It's needed — no doubt about it — but not where it's currently due to be built. There's a much better route — cheaper and less damaging.'
'If we were to help you — would you help us to stop the construction of the road?'
Starling shook his head slowly, laughing to himself. 'No. I'm not making any deals.'
'Why ever not?' Chris demanded.
The Superintendent of Roads looked him in the eye and said, 'I will put a stop to the bypass — but I don't want anything in return.'
The twins were stunned. They had been wondering whether the man's apparent conversion was a ploy to escape retribution, but now they were beginning to feel that he really did regret his actions.
'How can you stop the road?' Josie asked.
'Simple. I just need to write a letter. I don't suppose you have any notepaper and envelopes upon your persons?'
'No, sorry. But we could bring you some.'
'I'd also like to write to my wife. She deserves a full explanation.'
He suddenly remembered something. 'The eviction! What happened?'
The twins told all they knew. They said that Shadow had some secret plan that involved tunnels and was confident that Puck's Dell wouldn't be secured by the bailiffs for some time. They weren't sure whether to mention that Mrs Starling and the two children had earned their pixie badges but, as Mr Starling had been so open with them, decided to tell all.
'Good,' he said. 'I think their spell at Puck's Dell will have done them all some good. They were real pains in the backside, you know.' He didn't need to look up to know that the twins agreed with him. 'Actually, 'spell' is probably an appropriate word to use. There's some sort of magic at Puck's Dell. I can't explain it, but you just get this feeling when you're there. I never used to believe in magic — but when you find yourself in 1517 — you can believe anything.'
'We'll be seeing Jaine-Marie and Gerard on Monday, at school. We're looking forward to seeing them,' Josie told him.
'That's good. That's very good. I'm grateful to both of you, do you know that? And I don't blame you in the slightest for arranging that reception committee for me last night.'
'But what are you going to do?' Josie wanted to know. 'You can't stay here.'
'I can't stay tied up in a stable, that's for sure. But I can stay in 1517, can't I? I don't want to go home. Neither do I want to get off lightly. I'd like to make a new life for myself. But I need to feel that I've earned a second chance. I need to suffer for what I've done.'
Chris leaned forward. 'I think I can understand that, but wouldn't you feel out of place staying here?'
'I'm sure I would. It would be so frustrating knowing all that's going to happen in the next five centuries. There are probably laws about prophesying the future. With my big mouth, I'd probably drop myself in it on day one. If you've got any better ideas, I'm listening.'
Chris shifted in the straw. 'I . . . uh . . . I was just thinking. You want to be punished, and you want a chance to start a new life. How about if you — went to Australia as a convict.' He waited to see what the reaction would be.
There was a period of silence followed by, 'How could that be arranged?'
Chris looked uncomfortable. He squirmed for a few seconds and looked guiltily at Josie. 'Without taking his eyes off her, he answered the question. 'I have . . . a friend . . . in our village. In Victorian times. 1836 actually. He's a magistrate. He sort of owes me a favour. I could talk to him and see if it's possible.'
Josie narrowed her eyes and gave Chris an I-want-to-hear-all-about-this-later look.
'A convict in Australia, eh?' said Starling. 'I'd certainly get my punishment, wouldn't I? Okay, Chris. If you can sort it out, I'll do it. — And probably regret it.'
The twins went back to the house and told Sir James how Mr Starling wished to atone for his actions.
'Dost thou wish the rascal to remain in the stable until you return?' Sir James asked.
'Not necessarily,' Chris told him. 'I don't think he'll want to go anywhere.'
'Very well. He may come into the house.'
'We will be back within the hour,' Chris said, 'and then we can take him away.'