The Ring of Five by Eoin McNamee Page A
Authors: Eoin McNamee
Tags: Fiction, General, All Ages, Children's Books, Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Espionage, Juvenile Fiction, Action & Adventure - General, Fantasy & Magic, Science Fiction; Fantasy; & Magic, True Crime, Children: Grades 4-6, School & Education, Mysteries & Detective Stories, Schools, Men, spies, Boys & Men, Mysteries; Espionage; & Detective Stories, Boys, Juvenile Mysteries
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chameleons and the like. Duddy's deep voice had a droning quality, and Danny found his mind starting to wander.
"For human beings," Duddy went on, catching Danny's attention again, "this kind of disguise is limited to a handful of people who have what we in the trade refer to as the Quality of Indeterminate Location. Come up here, Cadet Cole."
Dixie stood up and walked to the head of the class.
"Please demonstrate your gift," Duddy said. Dixie smiled and looked a little embarrassed.
"Could I not sing a song or something?" she said.
"Cadet Cole," Duddy warned. "Now, class, watch her carefully." Danny stared at Dixie, who was humming and looking into the air. He could see that Smyck was watching her very closely as well. There was no way she could move without being seen, Danny thought, just as Dixie disappeared! He rubbed his eyes. One minute she had been standing there; the next she was
62
gone! He looked wildly round the classroom. Les was grinning.
"Please come back in, Cadet Cole," Duddy said in a raised voice. The door opened and Dixie came back in, smiling.
"How did you do that?" Danny gasped.
"A variation on what we have been talking about," Duddy said, "and not as big a mystery as you might think. Perhaps not even as big a mystery as someone who looks like a Cherb, but apparently is not." She turned her dark glasses on Danny, who shifted in his seat uncomfortably.
The class ended with Blackpitt proclaiming "Lunch" in a tone that suggested he was looking forward to a good lunch himself. Danny walked back to the main building with Les, Vandra and Dixie.
"Listen," Danny said, "I need to know what a Cherb is. And I want to know why everybody is looking at me in a funny way."
"Cherbs is our enemy," Les said. "Simple as that. They look like you ... well, everyone knows what they look like, but they're as wicked as anything."
"They were part of the Lower World, and we used to get on okay with them, but that's all changed," Vandra said. "They've got soldiers and stuff--all we've got really is Wilsons."
"The Cherbs and us ordinary people lived together forever and ever in peace in the Lower World," Dixie said, "and then they decided to take over."
"We're on the only bit of territory not under the
63
control of the Ring," Vandra added. There it was again, Danny thought. The Ring!
"There are a truce and a treaty, but the truce isn't much good--the Cherbs attacked us last night, and Brunholm lied about it. One of the Messengers was killed!" Les said.
"I didn't know that," Vandra said. "I'm sorry. But it doesn't change things. The peace we have is better than no peace at all."
"By the looks of things, we're not going to have it for very much longer," Les said.
"I don't understand," Danny said. The others looked at each other. "What?" Danny was exasperated. "Is anybody going to tell me?"
"There is an island between the Lower World and the Upper World--the Upper World is your home, where your parents are and everything," Vandra said. "The island is us, Wilsons Island. It's part of the treaty that we guard the Upper World against the Ring of Five and the Cherbs."
"Without us," Les said, his tone deadly serious, "the Ring and the Cherbs would take over. Your lot wouldn't stand a chance."
"As it is, it's only a matter of time. The Ring don't care about the treaty anymore," Vandra said gloomily.
Danny looked from face to face. They were all serious, there was no doubt about that. Once again he found the words resonating in his head. The Ring of Five.
"Some people think we are about to fall," Vandra said, "and if that is true ..."
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"... it'll be curtains for your world," Les said grimly. There was a long silence, which was broken by Dixie.
"Do you think they'll have sausages for lunch?" she said. "I like sausages."
They didn't have sausages for lunch, but they did have steak pie and roast potatoes with gravy. As they were finishing off the last of the pie, Brunholm appeared briefly on the battered old
"For human beings," Duddy went on, catching Danny's attention again, "this kind of disguise is limited to a handful of people who have what we in the trade refer to as the Quality of Indeterminate Location. Come up here, Cadet Cole."
Dixie stood up and walked to the head of the class.
"Please demonstrate your gift," Duddy said. Dixie smiled and looked a little embarrassed.
"Could I not sing a song or something?" she said.
"Cadet Cole," Duddy warned. "Now, class, watch her carefully." Danny stared at Dixie, who was humming and looking into the air. He could see that Smyck was watching her very closely as well. There was no way she could move without being seen, Danny thought, just as Dixie disappeared! He rubbed his eyes. One minute she had been standing there; the next she was
62
gone! He looked wildly round the classroom. Les was grinning.
"Please come back in, Cadet Cole," Duddy said in a raised voice. The door opened and Dixie came back in, smiling.
"How did you do that?" Danny gasped.
"A variation on what we have been talking about," Duddy said, "and not as big a mystery as you might think. Perhaps not even as big a mystery as someone who looks like a Cherb, but apparently is not." She turned her dark glasses on Danny, who shifted in his seat uncomfortably.
The class ended with Blackpitt proclaiming "Lunch" in a tone that suggested he was looking forward to a good lunch himself. Danny walked back to the main building with Les, Vandra and Dixie.
"Listen," Danny said, "I need to know what a Cherb is. And I want to know why everybody is looking at me in a funny way."
"Cherbs is our enemy," Les said. "Simple as that. They look like you ... well, everyone knows what they look like, but they're as wicked as anything."
"They were part of the Lower World, and we used to get on okay with them, but that's all changed," Vandra said. "They've got soldiers and stuff--all we've got really is Wilsons."
"The Cherbs and us ordinary people lived together forever and ever in peace in the Lower World," Dixie said, "and then they decided to take over."
"We're on the only bit of territory not under the
63
control of the Ring," Vandra added. There it was again, Danny thought. The Ring!
"There are a truce and a treaty, but the truce isn't much good--the Cherbs attacked us last night, and Brunholm lied about it. One of the Messengers was killed!" Les said.
"I didn't know that," Vandra said. "I'm sorry. But it doesn't change things. The peace we have is better than no peace at all."
"By the looks of things, we're not going to have it for very much longer," Les said.
"I don't understand," Danny said. The others looked at each other. "What?" Danny was exasperated. "Is anybody going to tell me?"
"There is an island between the Lower World and the Upper World--the Upper World is your home, where your parents are and everything," Vandra said. "The island is us, Wilsons Island. It's part of the treaty that we guard the Upper World against the Ring of Five and the Cherbs."
"Without us," Les said, his tone deadly serious, "the Ring and the Cherbs would take over. Your lot wouldn't stand a chance."
"As it is, it's only a matter of time. The Ring don't care about the treaty anymore," Vandra said gloomily.
Danny looked from face to face. They were all serious, there was no doubt about that. Once again he found the words resonating in his head. The Ring of Five.
"Some people think we are about to fall," Vandra said, "and if that is true ..."
64
"... it'll be curtains for your world," Les said grimly. There was a long silence, which was broken by Dixie.
"Do you think they'll have sausages for lunch?" she said. "I like sausages."
They didn't have sausages for lunch, but they did have steak pie and roast potatoes with gravy. As they were finishing off the last of the pie, Brunholm appeared briefly on the battered old
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