feast for all eternity.”
“The feasting part sounds all right, but what does she want with us? We’re not dead yet.”
“I don’t know,” Lewis answered with a weary shake of the head. “This whole thing just gets worse and worse.”
Greg sensed the despair in his brother’s voice. He put his hand on Lewis’ shoulder. “The fountain in Kinburn Park,” he said confidently. “We’ll find the answer there. Trust me.”
Lewis was unconvinced, but too exhausted to argue. Besides, he had nothing better to offer.
Greg helped him to his feet and they shuffled off in the direction of the park, casting wary glances about them the whole way. At one point they saw a Valkyrie speeding down Canongate Road while they skulked behind a bush of spiky thorns with huge orange berries.
“She doesn’t give up easily, does she?” Greg said.
They entered the park and passed some fairies who were dancing on the grass. Lewis checked that Lindsay wasn’t amongst them. He hoped she wasn’t still cross with them.
Greg led the way with groundless confidence, having convinced himself that he was in control of the situation. The bowling lawn and putting green had been submerged by a lake, where large and unsettling shapes moved vaguely beneath the water. They gave this a wide berth and warily circled an adventureplayground filled with spikes, blades and iron balls. A few goblins were capering there without coming to any apparent harm.
The humble drinking fountain had been transformed into a circular pool, in the middle of which was a marble monument in the shape of a sea god, half man, half fish. He grasped a trident in his right hand and a stream of water gushed from his open mouth.
“Okay, so it’s a fountain,” said Lewis. “But how does that help us?”
“You know, you could be a bit more supportive,” Greg told him. “I’m starting to get into this stuff.”
“Suppose this is the Fount of All Knowledge then,” Lewis conceded. “What do you do with it?”
“It’s a fountain, you idiot. You toss a coin in.”
Greg reached into his pocket and pulled out a pound coin. He stared at it for a second then put it back and fished out a ten pence piece instead.
“If it doesn’t work, there’s no sense throwing money away,” he explained.
He flipped the coin into the air and watched it plop into the fountain. He stared fixedly at the spot where it had sunk. In spite of his doubts, Lewis found himself also watching expectantly.
For a while nothing happened. Then, just as Lewis was about to suggest they leave, the waters around thefountain began to bubble.
They took a startled step backwards, but before they could get safely out of the way, a long, serpent shape, as thick as a tree trunk, shot straight up out of the bubbles. Three metres above their heads, a lizard-like face fixed them with a hostile gaze.
“You’re a long way from Loch Ness,” Greg gasped.
The creature spat something out then flopped back into the fountain, dashing water all over them and soaking their clothes. The coin came twirling out of the air and dropped at Greg’s feet with a tiny clink.
“Well, so much for that idea,” he said, pushing his wet hair back out of his face and retrieving the coin.
“Maybe if you weren’t such a cheapskate…” Lewis began.
He was silenced by the look on his brother’s face. Greg was staring in the direction of the playground and when he turned to look, Lewis saw the reason for his alarm.
The Valkyrie had burst out of the trees and was bearing down on them. She pulled back on the reins and halted her snorting mount only a few metres away from them. She glowered, the way you look at a bug just before you step on it.
“I don’t know who you are,” Greg told her bullishly, “but you’re getting to be a real pain in the neck.”
Lewis made a feeble effort to pull him back as the woman raised an imperious eyebrow. “I am Shona, chief of the Valkyries,” she declared grandly.
“Shona?”
“The feasting part sounds all right, but what does she want with us? We’re not dead yet.”
“I don’t know,” Lewis answered with a weary shake of the head. “This whole thing just gets worse and worse.”
Greg sensed the despair in his brother’s voice. He put his hand on Lewis’ shoulder. “The fountain in Kinburn Park,” he said confidently. “We’ll find the answer there. Trust me.”
Lewis was unconvinced, but too exhausted to argue. Besides, he had nothing better to offer.
Greg helped him to his feet and they shuffled off in the direction of the park, casting wary glances about them the whole way. At one point they saw a Valkyrie speeding down Canongate Road while they skulked behind a bush of spiky thorns with huge orange berries.
“She doesn’t give up easily, does she?” Greg said.
They entered the park and passed some fairies who were dancing on the grass. Lewis checked that Lindsay wasn’t amongst them. He hoped she wasn’t still cross with them.
Greg led the way with groundless confidence, having convinced himself that he was in control of the situation. The bowling lawn and putting green had been submerged by a lake, where large and unsettling shapes moved vaguely beneath the water. They gave this a wide berth and warily circled an adventureplayground filled with spikes, blades and iron balls. A few goblins were capering there without coming to any apparent harm.
The humble drinking fountain had been transformed into a circular pool, in the middle of which was a marble monument in the shape of a sea god, half man, half fish. He grasped a trident in his right hand and a stream of water gushed from his open mouth.
“Okay, so it’s a fountain,” said Lewis. “But how does that help us?”
“You know, you could be a bit more supportive,” Greg told him. “I’m starting to get into this stuff.”
“Suppose this is the Fount of All Knowledge then,” Lewis conceded. “What do you do with it?”
“It’s a fountain, you idiot. You toss a coin in.”
Greg reached into his pocket and pulled out a pound coin. He stared at it for a second then put it back and fished out a ten pence piece instead.
“If it doesn’t work, there’s no sense throwing money away,” he explained.
He flipped the coin into the air and watched it plop into the fountain. He stared fixedly at the spot where it had sunk. In spite of his doubts, Lewis found himself also watching expectantly.
For a while nothing happened. Then, just as Lewis was about to suggest they leave, the waters around thefountain began to bubble.
They took a startled step backwards, but before they could get safely out of the way, a long, serpent shape, as thick as a tree trunk, shot straight up out of the bubbles. Three metres above their heads, a lizard-like face fixed them with a hostile gaze.
“You’re a long way from Loch Ness,” Greg gasped.
The creature spat something out then flopped back into the fountain, dashing water all over them and soaking their clothes. The coin came twirling out of the air and dropped at Greg’s feet with a tiny clink.
“Well, so much for that idea,” he said, pushing his wet hair back out of his face and retrieving the coin.
“Maybe if you weren’t such a cheapskate…” Lewis began.
He was silenced by the look on his brother’s face. Greg was staring in the direction of the playground and when he turned to look, Lewis saw the reason for his alarm.
The Valkyrie had burst out of the trees and was bearing down on them. She pulled back on the reins and halted her snorting mount only a few metres away from them. She glowered, the way you look at a bug just before you step on it.
“I don’t know who you are,” Greg told her bullishly, “but you’re getting to be a real pain in the neck.”
Lewis made a feeble effort to pull him back as the woman raised an imperious eyebrow. “I am Shona, chief of the Valkyries,” she declared grandly.
“Shona?”
Similar Books
