The Spook's Mistake

And then his expression changed as he suddenly understood what I was feeling.

'Now I see what's the matter. It's the girl, isn't it?'

I nodded. There would be no place for Alice at Arkwright's house, so we'd be parted for about six months. Despite all the mollycoddling I'd suffered recently, I was going to miss her. Miss her badly.

'Couldn't Alice just travel with us to the bridge?' I asked.

I expected the Spook to refuse. After all, despite the fact that Alice had saved our lives on more than one occasion she was still half Deane and half Malkin, and came from witch-clan stock. My master didn't fully trust her and rarely involved her in our business. He still believed that one day she might fall under the influence of the dark. I was glad he didn't know how convincingly she'd appeared as a malevolent witch the other day.

But, to my astonishment, he nodded his agreement. 'I don't see why not,' he said. 'Off you go and tell her now.'

Fearing that he might change his mind, I left the kitchen immediately and went to look for Alice. I expected to find her in the next room, copying one of the books from the Spook's library. But she wasn't there. To my surprise she was outside, sitting on the back step, staring out at the garden with a gloomy expression on her face.

'It's chilly out here, Alice,' I said, smiling down at her. 'Why don't you come back inside? I've got something to tell you. '

'Ain't good news, is it? Arkwright's agreed to take you, hasn't he?' she asked.

I nodded. We'd both been hoping that Arkwright's delayed reply meant he would refuse the Spook's request. 'We're setting off early tomorrow,' I told her, 'but the good news is that you're coming with us to see me off at Caster. '

'To me that's a lot of bad news with hardly a pinch of good. Don't know what Old Gregory's fretting about. That press gang ain't coming back, are they?'

'Maybe not,' I agreed. 'But he wants to get me off to Caster at some point and now seems as good a time as any. I can hardly refuse. '

Although I hadn't mentioned it to Alice, I also reckoned that one reason the Spook was sending me to Arkwright's was to get me away from her for a while. Once or twice recently I'd noticed him watching when we were laughing or talking together, and he kept warning me about getting too close to her.

'Suppose not,' Alice said sadly. 'But you will write to me, Tom, won't you? Write every week. That way it'll make time pass more quickly. Won't be much fun for me alone in the house with Old Gregory, will it?'

I nodded but I didn't know how often I'd be able to manage it. The post wagon was expensive and letters cost money to send. The Spook didn't usually give me money unless it was for a specific need, so I'd have to ask him and I didn't know how he'd react. I decided to wait and see what sort of a mood he was in at breakfast.

'That was one of the best breakfasts I've ever tasted,' I said, mopping up the last of my runny egg yolk with a large piece of bread. The bacon had been fried to perfection.

The Spook smiled and nodded in agreement. 'That it was,' he said. 'Our compliments to the cook!'

In response, a faint purring could be heard from somewhere under the large wooden table, showing that the pet boggart appreciated our praise.

'Could I borrow some money for my stay with Mr Arkwright?' I asked. 'I wouldn't need very much. '

'Borrow?' asked the Spook, raising his eyebrows. 'Borrow suggests that you intend to pay it back. That's not a word you've used before when I've given you money for your needs.'

'There's money in Mam's trunks,' I told him. 'I could pay you back next time we visit Pendle.'

My mam had returned to her homeland, Greece, to fight the rising power of the dark there. But she'd left me three trunks. As well as potions and books, one of them had contained three large bags of money, which were now safely stored in Malkin Tower, guarded by Mam's two feral lamia sisters. In their domestic form lamias had the appearance of human females but for a line of yellow and green scales on their spines. However, these two sisters were in their wild state, with insect-like wings and sharp talons. They were strong and dangerous and could keep the Pendle witches at bay. I wasn't sure when we'd be going back to Pendle but I knew it would happen one day.

'So you could,' replied the Spook in answer to my suggestion. 'Is there anything special that you want money for?'

'It's just that I'd like to write to Alice each week—'

'Letters are expensive, lad, and I'm sure your mam wouldn't want you to fritter away the money she left you. Once a month will be more than adequate. And if you're writing to the girl, you can send me a letter as well. Keep me informed about everything that's going on and put both letters in the same envelope to keep the costs down.'

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Alice's mouth tighten as she listened to what he said. We both knew that it wasn't really the money that concerned him. He'd be able to read what I'd written to Alice and do the same with her letter once she'd replied. But what could I say? A letter a month was better than nothing so I'd just have to make the best of it.

After breakfast the Spook took me to the small room where he kept his boots, cloaks and staffs. 'It's about time I replaced that staff of yours that got burned, lad,' he told me. 'Here, try this one for size.'

He handed me one made from rowan wood, which would be very effective against witches. I lifted it and checked the balance. It was perfect. Then I noticed something else. There was a small recess near the top — the right size to accommodate my forefinger.

'I think you know what that's for!' exclaimed the Spook. 'You'd best try it. See if it's still in good working order.'

I eased my finger into the recess and pressed. With a loud click, a sharp blade sprang out of the other end. My previous staff hadn't had a retractable blade — though I'd once borrowed the Spook's. But now I'd have my own.

'Thanks,' I told him with a smile. 'I'll take good care of it!'

'Aye, and better care than you took with the last one! Let's hope you don't have to use it, lad, but it's better to be safe than sorry.'

I nodded, then rested the point of the blade against the floor, exerted pressure and eased it back into its recess.

Within the hour, the Spook had locked up the house and we were on our way. My master and I were each carrying our staffs but, as usual, I was carrying both bags. We were well wrapped up against the cold — he and I in our cloaks, Alice in her black woollen winter coat, its hood up to keep her ears warm. I even wore my sheepskin jacket — though in truth it wasn't a bad morning at all. The air was crisp, but the sun was shining and it was good to be walking towards the fells heading north towards Caster.

As we began to climb, Alice and I drew a little way ahead so that we could talk out of earshot. 'It could be worse,' I told her. 'If Mr Gregory was planning to go to his winter house, you'd have to go with him and we'd be at opposite ends of the County.'

Usually the Spook wintered at Anglezarke, far to the south, but he'd already told me that this year he'd remain in his more comfortable house in Chipenden. I'd just nodded and made no comment. I supposed it was because Meg Skelton, the love of his life, was no longer in Anglezarke and the house held too many painful memories. She and her sister, Marcia, were lamia witches and the Spook had been forced to send them back to Greece, even though it had broken his heart.

'Ain't telling me anything I don't know already,' Alice said bitterly. 'Still too far apart to visit each other, aren't we, so what difference does it make? Anglezarke or Chipenden — still adds up to the same thing in the end!'

'It's no better for me, Alice. Do you think I want to spend the next six months with Arkwright? You should have read the letter he sent. He says he's ill and doesn't even want me there. He's only taking me grudgingly as a favour to the Spook.'