Silver Hill (15 page)

THE MONSTER OF SILVER HILL

‘Quick! Hide!’ whispered Jack.

Timmery and the Dorysk immediately flitted off towards the darkest part of the tunnel. Jack turned to speak to Camelin but he was nowhere to be seen. The voices from the tunnel were getting louder and Jack knew if he didn’t find a hiding place soon he’d be discovered. He wished he’d learnt an invisibility spell or could shape-shift like the Dorysk. There weren’t many places to hide in the room. None of the tables had cloths so it wouldn’t be safe to hide under them. The cupboards looked too small, even for Jack to squeeze into. He had no idea where Camelin had gone or where he could go. Jack could hear footsteps now as well as voices. He was contemplating using his wand to send the two Spriggans rolling back down the tunnel, but if he did, they’d know straight away that someone was in their larder. A hissing sound brought Jack to a halt.

‘Psst!’

‘Is that you Camelin?’

‘Who else would it be?’

Jack spun around.

‘Where are you?’

‘Inside the chimney, come on in, there’s room in here for both of us.’

Jack looked at the hearth, it had been carved out of the rock and above it was a wide flue.

‘What you waiting for? Get in or they’ll see you,’ whispered Camelin.

Jack stepped around the remains of the fire as best he could and put his hand inside the chimney. To his surprise the flue was craggy; it too had been carved from the rock. Although it was dark, Jack managed to find enough handholds to climb part way up. He had just managed to pull his feet up out of sight when the first Spriggan entered the room. Jack wondered how Camelin had climbed up into the flue as there certainly wasn’t enough room to fly. His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the first Spriggan complaining bitterly in its high-pitched voice.

‘Carry this, fetch that, why us? I ask you Grabble, why us?’

‘Cos we’s the cooks Dugmore, that’s why.’

‘Cooks yes, servants no!’

‘Well at least we’ve got us some help for the banquet tomorrow.’

‘And not before time I says. Took six of us to get that sheep barbecued tonight and we’s got four of thems to do tomorrow.’

‘And two dragonettes don’t forget. They’ll have to be cooked up here, can’t put them into the big barbecue, be nothings left of thems if we did, then we’d be in trouble again.’

‘You’re right Dugmore. We’d better check on them.’

Jack heard the Spriggans shuffle over to the side of the hearth. He presumed they were roped together.

‘I’ll do this one, you do the other Grabble.’

Jack held his breath. He’d no idea what the Spriggans were going to do. Should he jump out and surprise them or not? He decided to wait and listen. The longer the Spriggans were unaware of the rescue party the more chance they had of succeeding. He could hear coughing and spluttering and a lot of splashing.

‘There you are little ’uns. That’s got yous nice and coated, won’t be long now. A couple more hours in there and you’lls be the tastiest treat Chief Knuckle’s had in a longs time.’

‘Come on Grabble we’s better gets the puddings. Don’t want to keep
Pig Face
waiting.’

Jack heard both Spriggans twittering and chittering loudly. He presumed they were laughing.

‘Better not let him hear you call him Pig Face, you knows we’s not supposed to mention his nose. It’s the
Big One
what worries me, I don’t want to get on the bad side of that one.’

‘Only having a bit o’fun Dugmore, but you’re right and we’s better gets this lot downstairs. It’s going to take us a few trips.’

After a few more grumblings and a clattering of plates the Spriggans’ voices began to grow quieter. Jack could hear the sound of their footsteps receding.

‘They’ve gone,’ announced the Dorysk as he flitted into the hearth.

‘Thanks,’ said Jack. ‘We’d better get out of here and get Norris and Snook to safety before they come back.’

‘Give us a bit of light in here so I can see what I’m doing,’ whispered Camelin.

Jack made the tip of his wand glow dimly. He looked around expecting to see Camelin but he was alone.

‘Where are you?’

‘Down here, in the side oven.’

As Jack lowered his wand, he could see Camelin’s head poking out of an alcove in the rock.

‘Thought you’d have crawled in the other one,’ he said and nodded towards another opening on the other side. ‘It doesn’t look very comfortable up there.’

‘It isn’t. If I’d known about the side ovens I’d have got in.’

‘Well you’ll know for next time.’

Jack hoped there wouldn’t be a
next time
but he did wonder how Camelin knew about them. If they hadn’t been in a hurry he’d have asked. A bubbling sound brought his attention back to the cauldron. Jack scrambled down the chimney and dashed over to see both Norris and Snook’s lanterns bobbing around. The little dragons were fighting to keep their heads above the marinade. He grabbed both sticks and lifted them up.

‘Don’t worry, we’ll have you out of here in no time.’

Norris and Snook coughed and spluttered.

‘What’s it taste like?’ asked Camelin.

‘That’s a terrible thing to say,’ said Jack crossly.

‘No it’s not, it’s a good question, I need to know how sorry to feel for them. If the mixture’s good they shouldn’t be making such a fuss.’

‘Do something useful and hold Snook’s stick for me.’

Camelin shuffled over to Jack and took the stick in his beak. He held the lantern clear of the marinade while Jack untied Norris. It wasn’t long before both dragonettes were on the kitchen floor and two large spoons hung in their places inside the cauldron. Jack hadn’t realised there’d be a mess on the floor. The Spriggans would see it as soon as they returned. He also needed to put the lanterns inside something until they got clear of the tunnels or they’d leave an easy trail for anyone to follow. Jack found two small flour sacks, tipped the contents into the marinade and brought them over to Norris and Snook.

‘I’m afraid I’m going to have to put you in these but it won’t be for long.’

Jack lowered them carefully inside and moved them over to the tunnel entrance. ‘Now all I need is a cloth to clear up the puddles and we can go.’

‘I’ll clean it up,’ said Camelin.

‘We haven’t got time.’

Jack could see Camelin’s beak was already glistening. The marinade on the lantern stick must have been to his liking. Jack grabbed a towel, wiped the floor quickly then tossed it into the cauldron before cautiously putting his head out of the larder and looking down the tunnel.

‘It’s all clear,’ said Timmery.

‘Nothing’s ahead either,’ said the Dorysk as he flitted into view.

‘We’d better get going. I can carry both lanterns as long as I don’t have to transform. Are we all ready?’ asked Jack.

‘Ready,’ everyone replied.

They set off at speed through the tunnels but as they neared the first junction Timmery stopped.

‘What is it?’ whispered Jack.

‘I don’t know but it’s heading this way.’

Jack looked around but he couldn’t see anywhere to hide. The tunnel they were in led straight back to the larder and the loud rumbling sound seemed to be coming from the way they needed to go. To get to the next tunnel they’d have to cross the open space at the junction. Jack didn’t know what to do. They still had a long way to go before they reached the door. He listened intently. He’d no idea what it was.

‘It’s the monster!’ gasped Camelin. ‘Look!’

The light coming towards them grew brighter as the thundering and rumbling sounds got even louder. If it came into their tunnel they’d be crushed. Even if it didn’t, they’d be discovered if the monster looked in their direction; the light from its eyes shone brightly. Jack could feel his legs trembling. He didn’t know enough magic to do anything useful. He desperately tried to think of something, anything that might help.

The loud rumbling increased. If he could only turn the light off they might have a chance, they’d not be seen if the monster went straight past the end of their tunnel. As Jack put his hand over the crystal on the wall it came away in his hand. For an instant it shone brightly in his palm but as soon as his fingers curled around it, the tunnel went dark. Jack held his breath as the noise increased. He felt the air rushing on his face as the monster sped past their tunnel. A terrible smell followed and hung in the air. The noise was deafening. Camelin had somehow managed to get behind Jack. He could feel his wings shaking next to his own trembling legs. For a few seconds it felt as if the whole hillside was shaking as the monster sped by.

‘Are we all alright?’ asked Jack when the monster had gone.

‘Still here,’ replied the Dorysk.

‘Timmery, are you OK?’

There was no answer from the little bat.

‘So much for being brave,’ grumbled Camelin. ‘He’s flown off and left us.’

‘Timmery,’ Jack called a bit louder.

‘Here, I’m here, I went to see what the monster looked like. It’s not a monster at all, it’s a train and it’s full of Hags.’

‘Hags!’ said Jack and Camelin together.

‘Yes and it looks like it’s not going to stop till it gets to the bottom.’

Jack wondered what the Spriggans needed a train for, especially one full of Hags. He turned to Timmery.

‘That was a very brave thing to do but we really need to get going.’

‘Follow me,’ called Timmery as he flitted off down the tunnel.

‘Follow me,’ grumbled Camelin. ‘I can’t even see him, someone put the light out.’

Jack opened his fist and the soft glowing light lit the tunnel. Jack looked closely at the small object in his hand; it was crystal shaped and warm to the touch. He’d no idea how to reattach it to the wall or where the light came from. He decided to hold on to it for now.

They hurried across the open junction as fast as they could and started up the next tunnel. It wasn’t as easy going up and Jack began to feel out of breath. He was just about to give everyone a brief rest when a shriek echoed through the tunnels. Jack couldn’t hear what the Spriggans were saying but he thought he could guess.

‘I think it’s time to put Plan B into action. It sounds as if Norris and Snook have been missed. We’ll get as far as we can before we have to transform, agreed?’

‘Agreed,’ everyone replied.

Timmery led the way. Jack ran as fast as he could after the little bat.

‘You do realise they’ve got really good sniffers don’t you?’ wheezed Camelin as he tried to keep up with Jack. ‘All they’ll have to do is follow the smell of the marinade.’

‘Faster,’ called Jack.

‘Plan B,’ shouted the Dorysk. ‘They’re not far behind now.’

‘Ready,’ said Jack as he pushed his wand and the crystal into Snook’s sack.

‘Ready,’ replied Camelin.

Within seconds Jack had transformed. He picked up Snook’s sack in his beak and Camelin took the other with Norris inside. Timmery flitted impatiently above them. Jack turned to see the Dorysk flying back down the tunnel having taken the form of a dragonette.

‘Let’s hope Plan B works or we might all end up in the marinade,’ thought Jack.

They shuffled along after Timmery as fast as they could. Jack heard a loud chittering. He hoped the Spriggans had seen the Dorysk and gone in the opposite direction instead of following their noses but it wasn’t long before he could hear footsteps. He knew the Spriggans were right behind them when he heard a high-pitched voice screeching: ‘STOP yous two! STOP!’

That was the last thing Jack wanted to do. They’d have to try to outrun them as there wasn’t room for the two ravens to fly in the tunnel. Jack didn’t need to look back to know the Spriggans were gaining on them. He could hear them sniffing the air. Timmery fluttered around Jack’s head.

‘Follow me,’ he whispered.

Instead of continuing upwards Timmery took the next lefthand tunnel and then the right. They all followed. Suddenly Jack had to stop. He realised he couldn’t see Timmery any more. In fact, he couldn’t see anything. The tunnel Timmery had directed them into didn’t have any crystals on the walls.

‘Don’t move,’ said Timmery. ‘I’ll go and see what’s happening, they won’t come down here, they’re afraid of the dark.’

Jack was thankful to the little bat. He could hear footsteps but instead of turning off the main tunnel they carried on past. Neither he nor Camelin spoke, he didn’t even know where Camelin was, the darkness was total. It felt like a heavy blanket and Jack could understand now why the Spriggans didn’t like it. All they could do was wait.