kingdoms of the dead … And only a
few
ordinary people could go there. Only heroes. Knights in armour went there. They always took their dogs, enormous hunting dogs, and they pursued the great beasts of the Underworld, the giant elks whose antlers could scythe down trees, the huge, horned pigs, the belly-rumbling bears, the man-wolves which walked on their hind legs and could disguise themselves as dead trees.
‘But sometimes, when one of the hunters tried to get back to his own Castle, he couldn’t find the holloway, or the stones, or the wood, or the cave … and he became trapped there, and ever more ghostly, until his clothes were like ragged grave-shrouds on his body, and his swords and daggers were red with rust. But if a man had a good
friend
, then the good friend would go and rescue him.
If
…’ she added with a final dramatic flourish, raising the wooden mask to her face and imitating her father’s jokey growl, ‘
if
… the Hollower would allow it …’
Eight years old and she had shamed his ‘raw haunch ofcow’. James Keeton stared at his daughter in astonishment.
‘Where on earth did you get all that from? Gaunt?’
‘It just came to me,’ she stated honestly.
She was without doubt her grandfather’s girl. Her father smiled and conceded defeat.
‘Did you enjoy the walk today?’ he asked by way of changing the subject.
She stared at him, then nodded. ‘Why didn’t you come with me? Into the wood?’
Her father just shrugged. ‘I’m too old to go gallivanting around in woodland. Anyway, there was a KEEP OUT sign up. Can you imagine what would happen to my business if I was prosecuted for trespassing?’
‘But the
house
was there. You came all that way to see the house, and then gave up! Why?’
Keeton smiled awkwardly. ‘KEEP OUT signs mean what they say.’
‘Who put the sign up?’
‘I have
no
idea. The Ryhope estate, I expect.’
‘Why didn’t they rescue the house? Why did they just leave it? All overgrown, all run down. But it still has furniture in it. A table, a cooker, a desk … even pictures on the wall.’
Her father stared at her, frowning slightly. He was clearly astonished by what she was telling him.
‘Why would they do that?’ Tallis persisted. ‘Why would they just leave the house to be overgrown?’
‘I don’t know … I just don’t know. Really! I have no idea. I have to admit, it seems very strange …’
He went over to the window and leaned heavily on the sill, looking out into the clear evening. Tallis followed him, thoughtful, then determined.
‘Did Harry go to that house? Is that where Harry went? Is that where you think he died?’
Keeton drew a deep breath, then let it expire slowly. ‘I don’t know, Tallis. I don’t know anything any more. He seems to have told you far more than he ever told me.’
She thought back to the evening when Harry had said goodbye to her. ‘I told you everything I remember. He was going away, he said, but he would be very close. He was going somewhere strange. Someone had shot him with an arrow … that’s all I remember. And he was crying. That too.’
Her father turned and dropped to a crouch, hugging her. His eyes were wet. ‘Harry didn’t say goodbye to us. Only to you. Do you know something? That has been hurting me more than anything, all these years.’
‘Perhaps he didn’t expect to be gone very long.’
‘He was dying,’ James Keeton said. ‘He must have thought he was protecting my feelings by not saying goodbye. He was dying …’
‘How do you know?’
‘I just do. There was something about him, those last few weeks … something resigned.’
When Tallis thought about Harry, she couldn’t imagine him as dead and cold in the ground. She shook her head. ‘I’m sure he’s still alive. He’s just lost, that’s all. I’m sure he’ll come home to us.’
Her father said kindly, ‘No, darling. He’s in heaven now. We shall all have to come to terms with the fact.’
‘Just
few
ordinary people could go there. Only heroes. Knights in armour went there. They always took their dogs, enormous hunting dogs, and they pursued the great beasts of the Underworld, the giant elks whose antlers could scythe down trees, the huge, horned pigs, the belly-rumbling bears, the man-wolves which walked on their hind legs and could disguise themselves as dead trees.
‘But sometimes, when one of the hunters tried to get back to his own Castle, he couldn’t find the holloway, or the stones, or the wood, or the cave … and he became trapped there, and ever more ghostly, until his clothes were like ragged grave-shrouds on his body, and his swords and daggers were red with rust. But if a man had a good
friend
, then the good friend would go and rescue him.
If
…’ she added with a final dramatic flourish, raising the wooden mask to her face and imitating her father’s jokey growl, ‘
if
… the Hollower would allow it …’
Eight years old and she had shamed his ‘raw haunch ofcow’. James Keeton stared at his daughter in astonishment.
‘Where on earth did you get all that from? Gaunt?’
‘It just came to me,’ she stated honestly.
She was without doubt her grandfather’s girl. Her father smiled and conceded defeat.
‘Did you enjoy the walk today?’ he asked by way of changing the subject.
She stared at him, then nodded. ‘Why didn’t you come with me? Into the wood?’
Her father just shrugged. ‘I’m too old to go gallivanting around in woodland. Anyway, there was a KEEP OUT sign up. Can you imagine what would happen to my business if I was prosecuted for trespassing?’
‘But the
house
was there. You came all that way to see the house, and then gave up! Why?’
Keeton smiled awkwardly. ‘KEEP OUT signs mean what they say.’
‘Who put the sign up?’
‘I have
no
idea. The Ryhope estate, I expect.’
‘Why didn’t they rescue the house? Why did they just leave it? All overgrown, all run down. But it still has furniture in it. A table, a cooker, a desk … even pictures on the wall.’
Her father stared at her, frowning slightly. He was clearly astonished by what she was telling him.
‘Why would they do that?’ Tallis persisted. ‘Why would they just leave the house to be overgrown?’
‘I don’t know … I just don’t know. Really! I have no idea. I have to admit, it seems very strange …’
He went over to the window and leaned heavily on the sill, looking out into the clear evening. Tallis followed him, thoughtful, then determined.
‘Did Harry go to that house? Is that where Harry went? Is that where you think he died?’
Keeton drew a deep breath, then let it expire slowly. ‘I don’t know, Tallis. I don’t know anything any more. He seems to have told you far more than he ever told me.’
She thought back to the evening when Harry had said goodbye to her. ‘I told you everything I remember. He was going away, he said, but he would be very close. He was going somewhere strange. Someone had shot him with an arrow … that’s all I remember. And he was crying. That too.’
Her father turned and dropped to a crouch, hugging her. His eyes were wet. ‘Harry didn’t say goodbye to us. Only to you. Do you know something? That has been hurting me more than anything, all these years.’
‘Perhaps he didn’t expect to be gone very long.’
‘He was dying,’ James Keeton said. ‘He must have thought he was protecting my feelings by not saying goodbye. He was dying …’
‘How do you know?’
‘I just do. There was something about him, those last few weeks … something resigned.’
When Tallis thought about Harry, she couldn’t imagine him as dead and cold in the ground. She shook her head. ‘I’m sure he’s still alive. He’s just lost, that’s all. I’m sure he’ll come home to us.’
Her father said kindly, ‘No, darling. He’s in heaven now. We shall all have to come to terms with the fact.’
‘Just
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