Page 19 of The Neverfear

The woman turned to the red-haired man. ‘Darius. Leave the children and come.’

‘But—’

‘Our orders are to take the woman. Now!’

The two black boats were waiting at the mouth of the alleyway. Darius thrust a cloth sack over Irian’s head and threw her into the boat. The woman shouted an order and almost immediately they were gone.

Ransom

‘Help!’ Christopher roared. ‘Kidnap! Somebody help us!’

A window opened above – a face looked out. It was instantly hauled back, and the window slammed shut.

Christopher ran after the boats, shouting again and again. ‘Kidnap! Call the Gardai!’ But they had vanished into the network of canals where he could not follow. He looked desperately around for a boat but there was none. He turned back to the alley. Ratwin was rising painfully.

‘Nobodies will come. We must get to the centres – there wills be Gardai there.’

Christopher turned back to Anya, who was crouched on all fours like an animal.

‘Are you badly hurt?’ he asked. It had happened so fast, he thought. Catastrophe is swift.

She didn’t seem able to speak, but she shook her head.

‘We need to get help,’ he said. She did not look like herself, and Christopher’s heart, already galloping with panic, raced faster. ‘Anya! Come on. Up.’

He held out both hands to her and she stood, crying out as she did. There was blood running down one of her bare arms.

Jacques landed on Christopher’s wounded shoulder. He gave a short, hard lick at the blood. ‘A kidnap,’ he said. ‘The dirtiest of human crimes.’ His voice was bitter.

‘But kidnappers leaveses a ransom-demand note,’ said Ratwin.

It was as if they had been heard. There was a sudden cry from above and a bronze bird swooped down again into the bloodstained alley. Anya gave a cry that was like a weep, but the bird dropped a rock at Christopher’s feet before launching back into the sky.

‘A stymphalian bird,’ spat Jacques. ‘Dark creatures.’

Wrapped around the rock was a piece of parchment. Christopher unfolded it:

We have taken what is precious to you.

We require the most precious objects in Glimouria in ransom.

There will be three demands.

The first is the easiest. Pluck a golden whisker from each of the three heads of a Cerberus.

If you tell the Gardai that we have taken her, Irian Guinne dies.

If you tell any person or creature, she dies.

If you fail, she dies.

Christopher stared. A terrible sense of unreality had taken hold. ‘If you fail …’ he read again. ‘She dies.’

Anya spoke for the first time. Her voice sounded unfamiliar, rough and harsh. ‘We have to tell Nighthand.’

Christopher tried to impose order on the furious chaos of his body. ‘Yes. Of course we do. Gallia, will you fly ahead—?’

‘Are yous sure?’ said Ratwin. ‘They is mens to takes seriously. That notes says—’