The Catastrophe of the Emerald Queen (42 page)

He heard a
squeak and a thrashing noise and stood up. The snare he had rigged
had caught a squirrel. Grinning he took his dagger and quickly
killed the animal.

As he freed
the twine and lifted the creature up a furious voice behind him
hissed angrily,“and just WHAT do you think you’re
doing?”

Chapter
45

Eventually the singing stopped
and Sophie returned to the palace. Her people continued to sing her
name and it was well into the late hours before the plaza was clear
again. 

Next morning
the business of running a kingdom took over and the matters of most
pressing importance were dealt with. The council was convened and
Maximo was brought before the queen. The orphans that had been left
with him had never known of his betrayal and were astonished when
they had been taken from his home by guards in the early hours. His
tears and obvious guilt over what had happened were listened to by
Sophie and a quiet yet murderous-looking Mordalayn, in front of the
council. He told them about Madame Veer and that his whole house
and family had been threatened. He added that just to ensure his
silence and continued co-operation, Veer had killed his beautiful
sunflowers after he had sent Jared and the others to Anghofio.
Sophie listened and as the man knelt in front of her, tears on his
fat cheeks, she rose and astonished everyone by ordering him to
rise and then embracing him. She then said words Jared would never
forget. 

“
Maximo I
know you are a good man. There are very few of us that can be the
people we hope to be at all times. You were placed in a position
that gives no one except me the right to judge you. I forgive you
and I bid you to return to your home with my blessings.”

 
Maximo
wept with shame, overcome with emotion and was then allowed to
leave to continue with his life with his beautiful house and
family. 

Kulkrain was still too ill to
be moved but a physician had been despatched to remain with him
until such a time as he could visit the palace and be duly rewarded
for his loyalty. 

Bue was personally thanked by
Sophie for his efforts and Mordalayn himself spoke up for the boy,
citing his bravery and loyalty to both his friends and Alegria.
However everyone could see the pain in his eyes at the loss of his
beloved bow master Leppard. They knew it would take a long time for
that scar to heal. Sophie offered him the chance to remain in the
palace and to learn skills from Mordalayn and the boy had
accepted. 

Challandra returned to the
orphanage to be its new Headmistress. At 16 everyone knew she had
more common sense than most people and clearly cared deeply about
the boys. Sophie’s shock at the betrayal of her predecessor who had
become jealous and vindictive at her fall from power was not
something she tried to hide from her council. She left Challandra
with a promise that her loyalty meant she could personally call on
her queen at any time.  

The survivors of the King’s
Daggers were brought up in chains to be judged. They had been
stripped of their armour and were clothed in only their shirts,
trousers and boots. Sophie’s anger finally made itself clear and
Jared was shocked to see her usually peaceful demeanour melt as she
showed her true feelings to those that had not only attacked her
people but had been willing to kill them just to make a point. As
they knelt in front of her she stood and moved towards
them. 

“
Do you
believe you deserve mercy after what you have done?”

 
None
answered. Their previous arrogance replaced by the knowledge that
they now faced a person with unimaginable power and there was
nothing they could say to change whatever fate decided to hand
them. 

“
My kingdom
is peaceful and your king tried not only to kill me when I was
helpless but also to hurt my people. Innocents have died and all
through your wicked greed.” 

The soldiers remained on their
knees with their heads bowed. Mordalayn glared at them, his fists
clenched tightly as he stood to one side. 

“
You were not
merely soldiers following orders. You were the elite of King
James’s army and even if you were to say you were sorry I would
know you did not mean it. You made a free choice to follow your
dead king’s vile plans and for that you have earned my utter
contempt.” 

She looked at
them. “What do you think would be justice?” she asked
angrily 

She stared at
the men before her for a long moment. “You are men who have lived
your lives relishing in the power of your strength and physical
abilities. My judgment is this. I take from you your youth. You
will no longer be a threat to those you sought to make suffer just
because they were weaker than you.”

 
With
that she raised her left arm out straight and spoke a few words in
a strange tongue. Purple light shone at the tips of her fingers and
the kneeling men yelled out in pain and grasped the sides of their
heads with their hands. Yellow light shone from their faces and
shone so brightly no one could look on them. They collapsed on the
floor and screeched in pain and then, suddenly the light faded and
Sophie stood in front of them. Slowly they rose from the floor and
Jared saw to his shock that they were all elderly. Sophie had kept
her promise.  

The men groaned and one or two
reached up to touch their faces, their hands exploring the lines
and wrinkles. Horror creased the looks of many as they realised
what she had done. Once virile and young, not one of them over 35
years old, they were now in their 70s and 80s. Old men whose
ability to fight was gone.

 “
Go
back to Anghofio and tell what remains of your royal family what
happens to those who prey on the vulnerable and the weak,” Sophie
said, anger edging her voice. 

The men staggered to their feet
and faced her, the shock and misery evident on their
faces. 

Sophie looked
at them. “However I offer you one chance to redeem yourselves.”
They stood in silence waiting to see what she had to say. “Make one
selfless gesture that you fundamentally believe will change the
life of an innocent and your youth will be restored to you. If you
can prove that your brutality is extinguished then I will give you
back what I have taken from you.” 

She looked to
her guards who ushered the men out of the throne
room. 

Once the
important issues had been dealt with the council left the throne
room leaving just Mordalayn, Bue, Jared and Kloee. Sophie turned to
Jared. “Time to go home now.” 

Jared was sad. He had seen so
much here.

 
Sophie
smiled at him, her eyes sparkling. “You are always welcome in
Alegria Jared. Come and see me in our world. I would like to be
friends there too.” 

Jared smiled back. “I’d like
that. Which hospital are you in?”

 
Sophie
laughed, her voice musical and high. “I do not know,” she replied
and Jared looked puzzled. She continued. “I am powerful here but in
our world I am just like you.”

Chapter
46

They moved
through the throne room to a small door on the left. Mordalayn
opened it and they walked through, the guards in the throne room
taking up positions either side. Jared saw the long path ahead of
him and the golden gate at the end. They walked slowly along
together, the orange petals soft beneath their feet. Soon they
reached the gate and Sophie took a small key from a necklace at her
throat and inserted it into the large golden padlock. Mordalayn
reached forward and slid the huge bolt and the gate swung forward.
There was nothing beyond, just blackness. An infinity of black. As
Jared turned startled to them, Sophie placed a hand gently on his
arm. “It’s ok, don’t be frightened. Just step through and imagine
where you want to be. You will find yourself
there.” 

As Jared
looked at them both, something caught his eye. Turning back he saw
standing midway along the path, in front of one of the trees a tall
man but with huge wings like an angel. He stood staring at them,
his wings folded behind his back. No one else seemed to notice him.
The man had blood red eyes, piercing and deep. Sophie saw Jared’s
expression and looked back. The man’s eyes shone brighter, then he
faded away.  

“
Who was
that?” Jared said, confused that this world could still show him
things that were able to surprise him. 

“
The
Claviger,” Sophie replied. “They watch over this world and others.
Now order has been restored they are happy. Even I answer to
somebody” 

Kloee was
crying as she hovered next to Jared and he smiled sadly at her.
“Don’t cry. I’ll come back one day, I promise,” he said. She gently
kissed his cheek before flying over next to Mordalayn.

 “
Take
care mate,” Bue said winking, then shook Jared’s hand.

 “
Goodbye Jared,” Mordalayn said in his deep voice. “Remember I
am always your friend.” 

“
Thank you,”
Jared said and extended his hand which once again Mordalayn took in
his huge grip.  

Sophie
stepped forward to hug him one final time and then stepped back.
“Just think where you want to end up and you will be
there.” 

Jared looked
at his new friends for the final time then took a deep breath and
walked through the gateway, the darkness enveloping him as he
stepped forward. Everything went dark and as he turned he saw
Sophie, Bue, Mordalayn and Kloee standing on the threshold and then
suddenly they sped away from him as if he had been pulled backwards
by a hugely powerful hand. He gasped as they faded into nothingness
in the distance and was frightened at the absolute blackness that
covered him. He felt he was both falling and moving in every
direction at the same time. Just as he started to flounder and
waved his hands around, light suddenly flooded around him and with
a jerk he found himself standing on solid ground. He staggered and
almost fell but managed to retain his footing. Feeling dizzy he
looked around and saw that he was on the doorstep of his own house.
It was night time and the light was on over the front door. No one
was around and as he finally regained his footing he saw the
curtains were drawn on the living room window. He looked up and
down the street. It was empty. Turning to face the doorway he
reached up and pressed the doorbell which gave its reassuring two
chime tone. After a few moments the bolt slid on the door and it
opened to reveal his astonished looking father.  

“
Hello dad,”
he said smiling. “I’m home.”

The end….for now.

Acknowledgments

To Dad, Paul Rose, Mitch
ell Small and Robert Maltby for their superb
artwork.

To Fox (8),
Cameron (9) and Chloe (15) for scrutinising the
manuscript.

To Charlotte Elizabeth Thompson for her proofreading skills
(first edition had some quite horrid errors) and her inexplicable
crush on Mordalayn.

To the guys at Hip-Lok.

To my English
teacher Mr Hardy, the only decent teacher in a very bad
school.

To Kevin & Lisa Murphy, Simon JB Davy, Richard Wilson,
Graham the Grinning Demon
,
Ian Miller MBE and Gary M...who all have Alegrian
counterparts.

To Inspector
Gadget for the First game diversions while writing this.

To the
tremendous Alexandra Harrington and the mighty Sister Joseph Clare
for inspiring Madame Veer.

To every bully
I ever met for shaping the walking nightmare that is
Mordalayn.

To Marco Zanitzer at Krav Maga Rome, for showing me that
fighting “fair” will only get you killed.

And most of all to the English Police. For cringeworthy
security flaws that led to the
“complacency in power”
themes of this book.

Excerpt from the sequel The
Sunder of the Octagon.

Out
now!!!

Josie’s feet thudded across the
wet grass as the rain poured down. Her breath was raw in her
throat. The yells followed behind her. The gang had stopped her at
the Jephson Gardens park entrance. She’d seen them before but
stayed away. Tonight they were drunk and they had wanted to chat.
She’d tried to be nice, her heat hammering in her chest and at
first they’d been polite. She’d even given them a couple of
cigarettes. Then as she walked away she heard one of them say,
“Let’s get the freak!” Josie had run then, knowing that this would
happen and praying she could make it to the main road through the
park in time.

It was around 3am and no one
was around to help her. There were seven or eight of them. She
didn’t stand a chance. As she ran past the closed café she saw the
lights in the distance, outside the old pump rooms. The rain was
heavy but she ran faster, her old leather boots limiting movement
and her long braided hair soaking wet.

Suddenly she skidded and
tumbled forward on the wet tarmac. Josie fell hard, the wind
rushing from her lungs and then they were around her, snarling.

“
Well, well!
Looks like we caught the freak!”

“
Shouldn’t go
out looking like that, you’re a disgrace.”