The Promise (The Seekers Book 1) Page 6
Millie sat back down.
“Are you ready to begin my dear? You don’t seem very sure of protocol.”
Millie gave him a watery smile, “I’m not sure of anything really.”
“I see, well shall we begin by introducing ourselves. I am Joseph, the 8th Keeper of the Chalice and you are ...?”
“Millie. Millie Freeman.”
The old man frowned, “So you are not my replacement?”
“Your replacement?” Millie was even more confused.
He smiled, “Good. I thought I have should have known, after all the others were all called Joseph too and while He can do as He wishes I did wonder what the point would be...”
Millie interrupted, “All the replacements are called Joseph?”
“Yes, yes, marvellous isn’t it, an unbroken line going back over 2000 years.”
Millie stood up again, “I really do need to find my brother. Where are we exactly?”
Joseph stood too, “Well, you are here and you are there, of course, otherwise you couldn’t get here...”
Millie interrupted, “So this is a portal, can you get me home or back to Avalon?”
Now Joseph was puzzled. “But you have the crown, Your Highness, what would you want with a ...”
“Can you do it or not?” Millie didn’t mean to snap but she was worried and frustrated by recent events, “Quark has always been there before, but this time we got stuck in a tree and then those stupid fairies shot at me, I’ve lost the crystal and now I don’t know where I am!”
Enlightenment dawned on the old man’s face. “Ah -you have a Companion. That explains everything. Come.”
Millie followed wearily. Where was her Companion? So far he hadn’t been much company at all. She followed the old man up a rickety wooden staircase and entered a chapel. Well, she thought that’s what it was. There was a simple wooden table with two candles burning at either end. A beautiful linen tablecloth covered the middle of the table and on it was a simple wooden bowl. There was nothing else in the room.
The old man knelt on the floor. Millie did the same. It was faint at first but as she concentrated she heard the music. It was truly beautiful and she felt her eyes getting heavy, she struggled to stay awake. Must ... not ... sleep.
21
It was now completely dark in the garden; Oliver looked at his watch for the hundredth time and decided he had better go home. Perhaps Quark would return there and then he would be in the wrong place. Winston was asleep on the bench and there had been no more sign of their tiny muggers so he had become bored with the waiting. Oliver’s phone rang again; his mum was going to be cross anyway so he decided to answer it. “Hi mum.”
“Oliver, where are you? Dinner has been ready for over an hour.”
“Sorry, we lost track of the time and the signal is dodgy here, but we won’t be long now.”
“Good. See you soon then. Love you.”
He knew she was angry by the tone of her voice, but he also knew he could rely on his parents and if he had to, he would tell them everything.
Winston jumped off the bench and waited expectantly, but he wasn’t looking at Oliver, instead he was staring at the floor. Oliver was about to pull him away when a shape began to materialise, at first he thought it was Quark but then he could see it was a figure kneeling, as if in prayer. Millie was back!
###
The microwave pinged and Millie took out her plate and joined Oliver at the breakfast bar. Amazingly little had been said about their lateness as their parents seemed kind of pre-occupied too. Oliver watched her picking at her food, moving it around the plate, “Are you sure you are okay?”
“I think so. I just wish I knew what was going on.”
Oliver nodded, “I’m sorry I couldn’t come after you.”
Millie could tell that Oliver was upset but she was angrier about the crystal, “It wasn’t your fault Ollie, Quark should have helped us and now we’ve lost our only connection to him too, so I guess that’s that.”
Their dad entered the kitchen and helped himself to another beer from the fridge, he turned to Millie, “Hey sweetheart, you okay?”
Millie nodded, “How are the new inmates?”
“The birds are fine but they may have to find a new home.”
Millie chased the last of her peas, “Why?”
Her dad hesitated, “I’m not supposed to say anything yet, but the council want to close all the shops on our row.”
“What?” Oliver was so indignant he knocked his glass of Coke over. “That’s not fair.”
Millie fetched the paper towels without comment and mopped up.
“We don’t like it either son, but my lease is up soon and they have every right not to renew it. Anyway, don’t worry about it eh? I’ll sort it.”
Millie decided to have an early night; she had failed Michael before she had even begun the stupid quest. There was nothing she could do now.
22
Thursday morning and the sun was actually shining. Millie caught up with Becky just before registration, but her reception was frosty. “So, there was no room then.”
Oh blast! “Sorry Becks. Last night was awful and then I got some bad news and I just went to bed early...”
Becky barely looked at her, “That’s too bad, I phoned Hannah and we made a start on the geography project.”
Ouch. Forgot that too.
“Maybe we can do some tonight?” Millie was grovelling now.
“You have netball, remember?” She went and sat down next to Hannah.
Great.
Millie moped around by herself all morning, she wasn’t very good company anyway, so perhaps it was just as well. She looked for Oliver at lunch time but remembered he would be in Chess Club. She was about to head for the hall when she spotted Miss Elliot walking out of school. She chased after her, “Hello Miss, can I ask you something quickly?”
“Of course, what can I do for you?”
Millie reached for her mobile phone and found what she was looking for, “Do you know what kind of tree that is?”
Miss Elliot squinted at the small image that Oliver had taken, “Well, not my area of expertise, of course, but I am fairly sure that is a Yew tree. As ancient woodlands go some of them are reputed to be thousands of years old and they may be some of the oldest trees in the world. They can be found in church yards all over Britain, where they usually pre-date the church.”
She handed the phone back, “First crystals and now trees, what are you up to Millie?”
“Nothing really.” Not now anyway. “Just something I was interested in.”
Miss Elliot turned to leave and on impulse Millie called after her, “Have you ever been to Glastonbury Miss?”
She stopped and actually giggled, “Many times, as a student of course, but why do you ask?”
Millie decided to take the risk, “If I had to find something important, say like a stone, in Glastonbury, where would I look?”
Christina Elliot knew children well enough to know this was a serious question, so she gave a thoughtful reply. “Well, you could try some Tourist Information Sites; they are generally more reliable than some of the stuff on the internet. Glastonbury has quite a following, as you will find out. People claim all sorts of weird and wonderful things happen there, it has a very mystical atmosphere. Have you been to the Abbey?”
Millie shook her head.
“It’s in ruins now, of course, but it has a very interesting history. Oh – and they claim it is the burial ground of King Arthur if you believe in that sort of stuff. Why is the stone important?”
Millie could answer that one truthfully, “I’m not really sure Miss, but a friend of mine asked me to look into it and it’s important to him that we find it.”
“Well good hunting then, bye Millie.”
Millie kicked at a leaf. Some hope. She had lost the crystal, Quark was nowhere to be seen, they might have to move again and her best friend was mad at her. Everything was just fine.
Well the end of the day had turned out better than the beginning, netball had been brilliant and they were worthy winners. The minibus dropped Millie off at the end of her road and she met Oliver coming the other way with Winston.
“Hi! How did you get on?”
Millie bent down to pat Winston who was pleased to see her, “Good thanks, we won 5-2.”
“Awesome! Well done.”
Millie walked away and Oliver knew she was still worrying about Quark. “Try not to worry, he found you before, remember?”
“Guess so.” Millie let them in the house, “I’m just going to check something on the net. Come up when you’re ready, okay?”
It was a “do-it-yourself” night. Their dad had a late night opening and their mum was on a late shift at the hospital, so Oliver gave Winston his food first and made sure he had some fresh water before making their tea. He very bravely added two large glasses of orange juice to the tray and set off for Millie’s room. She was already engrossed so he carefully negotiated a space on the cluttered table and then helped himself to a towering ham and tomato roll.
He spoke while chewing, “Any good?”
Millie had pulled up the official website for Glastonbury Abbey and for once was avidly reading instead of clicking onto something new every few seconds. She scrolled down the page, absently reaching for a roll too, “I hope there’s no mustard on mine.”
Oliver smiled,”Of course not.” But in his haste he had mixed them up on the tray, oh well 50/50 chance. He peered over her shoulder, “Have you got history homework or is this ...?”
“Just following up something Miss Elliot said about the Abbey. Look at this – there is a famous stone in the Abbey gardens. It’s called the Egg Stone and was discovered by some guy called Bond.”
“I see Miss Moneypenny ...” Oliver did his best 007 impersonation.
Millie ignored him, “Originally located in the Edgar Chapel they moved it outside and now it’s behind the Abbot’s kitchen. See, there’s even a picture.”
Millie zoomed in on the image to get a better look. They surveyed it briefly. Oliver took another roll, result – lots of mustard! “Well it is a stone but we don’t know if it’s our stone do we?”
Millie moved the virtual image around, “Well it is on a corner, see!” Sure enough the stone was positioned on a corner. The Abbots kitchen was an unusual octagonal shaped building and had lots of corners. Millie hit the printer key, “We need to see it for ourselves. Quark said it would reveal itself to the Seeker and that’s me, so I guess I have no choice but to go.”
Oliver finished his orange juice, “And how are you going to get to Glastonbury?”
There was a sudden movement to their right, “May I suggest this time you consult with me?”
Quark!
24
“So Samael, you failed.”
There was no point in explaining, the Master was not interested in excuses. Samael dared to lift his head a little, “The female bears the Crown and the male has the Breastplate, it will take more time.”
The look was withering, “Do not talk to me of time, you fool, is that not our curse already? I have waited aeons for this chance. I will not be cast out forever, remember that.”
Samael tried to control his simmering anger and his voice shook slightly, “I know exactly where they are my Lord and I plan to make MY move when they have what we want, the girl must be in possession of the Orb and the Stone. I will not let you down.”
Almost a smile, “Keep a tighter hold on your minions Samael, it is not good when they try and show initiative.”
Samael watched as the Master moved away to study the Sacred Writings and he recognised his dismissal with relief. As he left the courtyard he spotted the Well Overseer being taken down, his audience with the Master would be his last.
25
“May I?” Quark was pointing to the table.
Millie was so relieved to see him she passed him the plate.
“No Your Highness, the information.”
Oliver took the paper out of the printer tray and passed it to Quark, who simply glanced at it and then handed it back. “Looks very promising.”
Millie found her voice at last, “Where have you been Quark?”
“You wouldn’t understand if I told you, er, is there a problem?”
Millie was furious, “Oh no, apart from the fairies from hell, the six foot spider and Joseph the crazy – I would say yesterday was a fairly normal day, wouldn’t you Oliver?”
Quark looked at Oliver; he clearly didn’t get the sarcasm.
Oliver sighed, “We had a few problems.”
Quark nodded, “Yes, you dealt with them very well.” Millie just glared so Quark hurried on, “I thought it best to be discreet, the less our enemies know, the better.”
“But someone has taken the crystal, isn’t that important?”
Quark bristled with indignation, “They most certainly have not.”
Oliver ran his hands through his hair, “So where is it then? They searched Millie so we assumed somebody had taken it.”
“Ah, I see. Remember, I am that which is not, so that that which is can be. Please to examine your jacket.”
Millie didn’t even know where it was, unlike Oliver she never hung her clothes in the wardrobe, and it drove her mum mad. Quark pointed to her sports bag. Feeling slightly embarrassed Millie unzipped the bag and found her favourite jacket screwed up at the bottom.
“So?”
But as she said it she knew there was something odd about it. The top fastening was a most unusual shape and when she touched it, it fell off into her hand and reformed as the crystal.
“All matter is transferable ...” Quark began.
“I simply couldn’t see it in its present form.” Millie finished.
“Exactly! Shall we go?”
Oliver finished off the last ham roll as Millie seemed to have lost her appetite, “You mean to the Abbey?”
“Of course, no time like the present, hah!” Quark laughed at his own little joke.
“But it’s late and dad will be home soon.” Millie was somewhat dubious about rushing in now. “What if the bad guys turn up again?”
“I will be with you. And we shall be there and back in an instant.” Quark opened the Portal on Millie’s bedroom wall and gestured with his hand and they stepped through into total darkness.
“Where are you?” Millie hissed.
Quark answered by lighting up like a beacon, the logo on his chest casting a soft orange glow all around them. The ruins looked appropriately ghostly in the eerie light and the scattered silhouettes of trees stood out majestically against the night sky.
Oliver loved it. “Cool. This will give the neighbours something to talk about!”
Millie held out her hand, “Do you have the printout?”
“Oh yeah.” Oliver handed her the crumpled sheets.
Millie studied the map and got her bearings, she knew the Abbots kitchen was to the right of the car park, near the top of the grounds and was an octagonal building with a pointed roof. It was the only part of the Abbey left, more or less, intact. Finally she spotted it.
“There it is.”
Oliver charged forward but Quark insisted on going first. Millie was happy to let him lead, he was their only source of light, except for the full moon that appeared from behind the clouds now and again. Quark’s little legs were working overtime and Oliver towered over him. She thought they must have looked a funny little trio, but hoped they were unobserved this time.
It didn’t take long to reach the building and they all shuffled around the outside.
“Is this it?” Oliver had stopped in front of a large but unremarkable stone, about the size of a large pumpkin; it had a small depression in the top. Millie stared at it. She was disappointed. “So what now?”
Quark checked around, “It is not the Cornerstone, Your Highness, for it has not reacted to your presence, but if you will permit me
I believe it may yet be able to assist us. This is a mystical stone, present here for many generations.” He bowed as if waiting for permission.
Millie shrugged her shoulders, “Whatever.”