Page 69 of The Neverfear

‘Yes, technically, but only if you had something from each of the Labours of Hercules. That is unthinkable! The golden apple alone, dear sir, would be death to those who sought it!’

Christopher’s whole body was flooded with understanding. It was like waking from a dream into sudden icy clarity.

‘Anya. What if … all this … everything we did … What if it didn’t have anything to do with Irian? And what if it had nothing to do with how valuable the apple is, or the belt or the whiskers?’

Anya was becoming angry. ‘They’re the most valuable things in Glimouria! People kill for them! What’s more valuable than that?’

Her eyes followed his. Teren was sitting in a corner of the tower, tracing strange patterns in the stone with one finger. He looked very young, a smear of dust on his cheek. The certainty darted through Christopher like a bolt of steel.

‘The Immortal.’

It had all been for the Immortal. All of it, right from the beginning. The pieces fell into place in front of him; it was like wiping dust from a picture and seeing it clearly and whole.

‘It was all one piece. It looked like a dozen different things, but it was one.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Astor Morax never cared about Irian. She’s just a decoy. To get Nighthand away from here.’

It had all been a front, a pretence, a game. It had been no more real than the leshoki-Ratwin. It had been a trap, and they had run so eagerly, so keenly into it.

‘Why did Senan bring Teren here?’ he said. ‘Because her father was killed and her mother wounded. Who did that? The Astorian bandits.’

Understanding was dawning on Anya. ‘Oh!’ She looked stricken.

‘Teren and his mother were in hiding with the sphinxes. Morax didn’t know where Teren was, but he knew who he was. So his bandits could find his family, and kill his grandfather. He knew Senan would come out of hiding, to go to her mother.’

‘And he knew that she would leave Teren with Nighthand on Glimt!’ said Anya. ‘She had no other choice. Morax was smoking them out!’ And her mouth become an O of fury. ‘And my father went with her! He made it even easier!’

‘And Morax knew, if his men kidnapped Irian, we would do whatever they told us. So he made us bring him what he needed …’

‘To break through the fendthorn!’ she spat. ‘The fendthorn my father grew and cared for!’

‘And somehow he must have known that if he took Irian, Nighthand would go. She’s the only person in the world he would leave Teren for.’

‘No!’ Anya shook her head, her mouth rigid. ‘No, no, no!’

‘It was nothing to do with us,’ said Christopher. ‘It was nothing to do with ransoms, or apples. All of it was a trap. It was a way to lure every adult off Glimt, and break through the barrier. All of it – everything they’ve done – was for Teren.’

‘And now …’

‘And now they’re coming.’

Anya went to Teren. She crouched next to the Immortal, eye to eye with him. Christopher had no doubt at all that he had understood.

‘I’m sorry, Teren,’ said Anya. ‘We’ve put you in terrible danger.’

Christopher set his eye back to the lens of the telescope. At the prow of the boat was a man. He could see the flash of red hair.

‘That man – Darius. He’s the one who took Irian.’ He thought of the man’s brutality. It shook him into action. Every second the bandits and their vicious weapons and their skill at killing sailed closer.

‘We need the Gardai!’ he said. ‘We have to send a message to Lithia asking for help. Gallia, will you go?’

‘They won’t get here in time,’ said Gallia. ‘They need to mobilise a ship, and the wind is against them.’

‘Go anyway. We’ll hold them off for as long as we can.’ Christopher lifted Teren into his arms and took a deep breath. ‘Anya, can you get Ratwin and Jacques and do a sweep across the palace for weapons? Run. I’ll take Teren and do the same. We meet in the library in ten minutes.’

The Parliament Of Creatures