Contents of article "’Beyond the Hedge’ - Chapter 16 Part 2"
’Beyond the Hedge’
The Fairy Queen was drawing a phenomenal amount of power from the Sublime Stars and the positive charge could be felt throughout Corvine. Folk opened curtains and peered through shutters to see what was going on. Their collective fear was diminishing and they began to venture out onto the streets again. Word was spreading about the beacon of stars above the palace and many gravitated towards the harbour.
The Prince of Cobalt-Sibilance placed an enchantment on the Harpie which would prevent her from shape-shifting. Celestina had exhausted that side of her magic and the snake wanted to even the odds. The next time she tried to change, Maligna would revert to her original state.
The Harpie’s desire for revenge was all-consuming and she’d launched her offensive against the Queen before her powers had reached full maturity. The creature who killed Queen Daria had been virtually invincible but Sammy was sure Maligna was not the great sorceress of days gone by.
The Harpie was aware of Celestina’s presence long before she surfaced by the watergates. The Fairy Queen exuded heat like a furnace and the temperature of the water around the sea serpent had gone beyond comfortable and was well on the way to unbearable. When Maligna tried to take to the air as a flying fish, she found herself back in female form, horribly encumbered by her robes which were saturated with saltwater.
The Harpie was furious at being thwarted right under the nose of her enemy, most probably by that irksome, meddling serpent. She looked forward to roasting the snake alive and cutting him into bite-sized pieces on top of his precious sapphire.
Maligna conjured up a wave from the deadly waters off the Island of Long Forgotten Dreams. It moved along the coastline from the northwest past Cormorant Point, sucking greedily at the waters off the Skellid Rocks on its way to Corvine. The wave was already showing its terrifying potential by the time it reached the strait of water between Fractal Reef and the port itself.
Queen Celestina was aware of the crowds gathering round the harbour and knew she had to do something to avert yet another disaster. The townsfolk were unaware of the approaching tidal wave, which was obscured by the promontory and cliff.
The watergates would divert the massive wave away from the palace right into the harbour instead. She had to act fast to prevent loss of life and destruction on a catastrophic scale.
A vast cheer went up when she raised her wand and sent a luminous shaft of ice crystals into the sea. This was followed by gasps of horror from those who could see the massive wave bearing down on them.
The water froze in an accelerating chain of particles until the whole wave was suspended in a shimmering arc over the entrance to the harbour.
Maligna had hoped to conceal herself within the curling plume of water as it swept up over the massive gates and so enter the palace grounds undetected. Instead she found herself running across the frozen sea in full view of the Queen.
Celestina didn’t dare leave the spell in place for long as the whole Whiteraven Sea would gradually turn to ice, causing an environmental disaster. She pointed her wand at the crest of the frozen wave, splitting it into billions of droplets of water which were carried away on the wind and dispersed safely in the ocean far beyond Fractal Reef.
As the ice turned back to water the Harpie tried to dive under the waves. The Fairy Queen hurled a bolt of lightning at her while she still had the advantage but the anklet managed to wrench Maligna out of its path. The Harpie’s hatred for Celestina was interfering with her ability to think clearly and plan strategically. By the time she realised what was happening, she was already seriously disadvantaged.
The Queen’s bodyguards swooped down from the cliffs in an arrowhead formation and Maligna shrieked in horror as eight white-winged rooks began mobbing her.
Their leader sat on the Fairy Queen’s shoulder watching his squadron with immense satisfaction. Revenge was not an emotion to be nurtured until it was all-consuming, as the Harpie was finding to her cost. Vengeance should be treated like a vintage wine; something to be sipped and savoured, not devoured greedily with no care for the consequences.
The birds’ attack was ruthlessly precise and Maligna’s hands and arms were quickly covered in lacerations sustained as she tried to protect her face from their savage beaks. When one of the birds became tangled in her hair it tore out lumps of scalp to free itself.
The weight of her garments finally dragged her down; she no longer had the strength to swim and her ability to breathe underwater was seriously impaired.
This was not how Maligna had envisaged things at all, quite the reverse. She had to rid herself of the robes, a simple spell was all it would take, mere childsplay, but her concentration was shot to pieces and she could feel herself beginning to panic.
The crowds pressed forward as their numbers were increased by other fairy folk rushing to support their monarch. The more they cheered and hollered the brighter the stars shone out from the clifftop.
The Harpie was quick to realise her powers were decreasing due to the positive energy radiating from Celestina’s supporters. She struggled out of the sea onto a small strip of beach tucked underneath the overhanging cliffs.
Maligna screamed her frustration at the anklet for letting her down when she needed it most. It retaliated with white-hot waves of pain that brought her to the ground. The anklet was no longer under her control. She howled in anguish and stumbled into a cave to salvage what was left of her fragmenting strategy.
The Harpie conjured up a set of dry clothes and was grovellingly grateful her sorcery had not abandoned her totally. She sat for what seemed like an age with her head in her hands wondering what she could do to turn the situation around.
The anklet suddenly tightened round her leg and she looked up. The Fairy Queen was silhouetted against the moon at the entrance to the cave.
“Hi,” said the mermaid when she realised Pigsblanket had noticed her sitting beside the starry bow light. A ribbon of magic stars broke away from the rest and formed a bracelet round her dainty wrist. She smiled her thanks. “How’s the rescue going? I thought I might be able to lend a hand.” Samphire flicked her tail impatiently. “Pull yourself together, boy, and stop gawping. Surely you’ve seen a mermaid before?”
“Of course I have but never in miniature.”
“Don’t let my size fool you. I’m supremely intelligent and held in high esteem throughout the Whiteraven Sea and, for that matter, the Firth of Clyde. I don’t suppose you’ve ever been to Scotland.” He shook his head. “It’s your loss.”
Peg Leg landed beside the mermaid. “Hello again, Samphire. I thought your relentless curiosity might get the better of you.”
Her smile was cool, verging on wintry. “Tact was never your strongest point, was it, Stumpy?”
“Nor yours,” said Peg, swaying towards her dangerously. “I enjoy a bit of battered fish, so watch your tail.”
Samphire shrank away from him in mock terror before she exploded with laughter. “They’ll think we don’t like each other if we keep this up.”
“That would never do.”
The mermaid waved her hand in Sandy’s direction. “I’ve seen your father many a time at Irvine harbour. I would have introduced myself but there’s never been the opportunity. How are you enjoying Crawdonia? Your timing could have been better but at least you have an excuse. I, on the other hand, should have cancelled my working holiday but I didn’t want to disappoint my students who are eagerly awaiting the results of my research.”
Pongo nosed his way out from under the cloak and scrabbled to the front of the boat to have a good look at the mermaid. He sniffed her thoroughly and backed off when she playfully whacked his nose with her tail. “Manners, Pongo.”
“My name’s a closely guarded secret,” he teased. “You’re well switched on.”
“There’s no one more so, not even you.”
She wrinkled her nose at him.
“And delightfully modest.”
Pongo was warming to Samphire already.
“There’s far too much jawing for my liking,” said Florin, shaking his tassels. “I’m fed up sitting here on Vince’s lap. I’ll go it alone if there isn’t some action soon.”
“There’s no need,” said Peg, “entertaining though that would be for the rest of us. But you’re right, Florin, it is time we got cracking. I’ve made contact with Gilbert and Leo and they know what’s afoot.” Sandy punched the air and Jamie’s excitement was equally unconfined; he gave a dignified nod. “The next part of the mission is a wee bit more tricky. I would suggest you come alongside to starboard, Pigsblanket. I doubt anyone will notice as they’re flapping around like beached flounders. Getting the prisoners off will not be so easy. Gilbert is one seriously big beast.”
“We’ll just have to create a diversion then, won’t we, Lorimer?” Samphire beckoned to the lobster and swung her tail over the side of the boat. “Let’s boogie.”
Lorimer flipped his goggles on and shimmied across the boat. He flourished his splendid claw and bowed. “After you, gorgeous.”
“They make a lovely couple,” said Pongo with an impudent grin. “Glitz meets glamour.”
The Harpie stared at the Fairy Queen in utter amazement. Celestina looked small and fragile inside her cloak of stars.
The leader of the white-winged rooks watched Maligna closely from his position on Celestina’s shoulder while the rest of the squadron circled outside.
“I suppose you’ve come to crow over me,” she said with a bitter laugh.
“I need to know who you are and why you’re doing this?”
“Your goody-two-shoes mother stood between me and everything I ever wanted, as you do now. I’ve always felt cheated watching your pathetic family squander all that power. It’s a disgusting waste. I hate maudlin benevolence.” Celestina’s eyes followed the Harpie as she walked past her onto the beach. “And I always get what I want no matter how long it takes. You should have destroyed me when you had the chance.”
The anklet engaged with the Harpie who grew in stature until she towered over the Fairy Queen in a roaring manifestation of incandescent evil which tore the air apart and scattered the Sublime Stars to the four winds. The black gold and clovenstone anklet glittered in the moonlight. Maligna raised her arms above her head and lightning bolts shot out from her fingertips across the night sky. Celestina collapsed on the beach as a shaft of darkness pierced her heart.
The frenzied rooks flew at the Harpie but they were no match for her now and she swatted them away as if they were nothing more than annoying flies.
Maligna had locked onto a split-second chink in Celestina’s magic. One tiny lapse of concentration was all it had taken.
The Harpie stood over her. “Not so all-powerful now, Queenie. I’ll take the wand and the hair ornament.” She picked up the crown and placed it on her own head but when she tried to prise Celestina’s fingers open she was struck by a lance of searing white light. “If you want the wand, you’ll have to kill me first.”
“I intend to, make no mistake about that.”
A shadowy form broke away from the rocks behind Maligna and sprang silently into the air. It felled the Harpie with one almighty swipe and trapped her under its massive paws. She cursed and screamed in frustrated confusion as her attacker’s features swam into focus. The beast hissed savagely as it opened its crushing jaws above her head.
“Got it!” yelled Minxie triumphantly as she shot up into the air with the anklet held firmly between her front paws. “I was hoping our surprise attack would force the little monster to relax its grip. Talk about team work. That demon cat impression had me scared, Kizz.”
“And me,” chimed Wainscot, loosening her hold on the cat’s neck.
The wazwatt flew across to Celestina. “I think you ought to look after this, Your Majesty.”
“Dearest Minxie and Kismet, I’m profoundly grateful. That was a close call.” Her voice was heavy with emotion and her breathing harsh and laboured. “You came out of nowhere.”
“Kismet’s ability to match his surroundings was the key, ma’am.”
The Queen stumbled towards the Harpie. As she leant over the prostrate figure a malevolent, predatory entity rose out of Maligna and passed through Celestina’s body. She shivered with revulsion as the amorphous, spongy mass slithered down the beach and slunk off into the sea.
Celestina turned back towards her defeated adversary and found she was looking at her own face. The creature at her feet was the mirror image of herself.
“Salvation is at hand, Leo, how positively splendid. We’ll be celebrating our liberation before the night’s over. I can feel a fireworks party coming on.”
“Let’s hope your optimism is better placed than your previous form with explosives would indicate.”
Gilbert smiled weakly. “There I go again, always getting carried away.”
“Play our cards right and we’ll both get carried away, hopefully to a peaceful place before fireworks were ever invented.”
The gull landed on the sailcloth and surreptitiously slipped underneath.
“Right, Leo, here’s the deal. Pigsblanket is the only one who can row, so he’ll have to stay where he is. We’re going to lower you to the boat in a lobster creel and then we’ll come back for Gilbert. Sounds simple enough, doesn’t it?”
The Giant Rat giggled nervously. “How big’s the creel?”
“Not big enough to accommodate you.”
“I’m a tolerable swimmer.”
“You could be Olympic class before the night’s out.”
“Who’s doing the lowering?”
“Sandy’s the only one with the required amount of arms and legs. I’ll be up in the rigging keeping an eye on things while Samphire and Lorimer prepare to entertain the crew.”
“Who are they?” Gilbert asked, jiggling with excitement. “My head’s in a fast spin.”
“A mermaid and a lobster,” snapped the gull.
“Silly old me, I should have known.”
“And don’t be surprised if Jamie gets involved. Come to think of it, the dog’s likely to stick his oar in too. Before you ask, his name’s Pongo and he’s Pogo Pixie’s pooch.” The Siamese cat’s love of alliteration was rubbing off on the seagull.
Peg zipped off again, leaving Gilbert and Leo choking with laughter.
“Well, tickle me pink, chumlet. It sounds as if we’re the star turn at the circus. Let’s hope the ringmaster doesn’t discover what we’re up to and throw us to the lions.”
“Hold back the elephants and bring on the clowns, is what I say, Gilb.”
The Giant Rat threw caution to the wind along with the sailcloth. “No elephants, I’m glad to report, but the clowns have arrived. There’s a spectacularly attired lobster swinging claw over claw across the rigging with a broom-wielding Bosun on his tail. What a lark!”
“You’re not taking this seriously, Gilbert, are you?”
“And when was the last time you saw a mermaid wearing a balaclava?”
“It’s not that cold, surely?”
“Sorry, just kidding. I haven’t actually seen Samphire yet but, if Lorimer’s anything to go by, we’re in for a treat.”
“Get your head back in here, before someone clocks you.”
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