Pete appeared in the doorway behind them. He had pulled the front door closed, and then, firmly, shut the door to the living room before climbing the stairs.
*What happened to Bill?" Jon asked softly. His eyes were fixed on Alison"s face.
Kate did not look up. *He was attacked. In the woods near here."
*Attacked?"
She went on rubbing Alison"s hand. *He said it was a woman. Two women. We brought him here. But the phones were out. We couldn"t get help." Her voice was shaking; he saw a tear fall onto the blanket. Stepping forward he put his hand on her shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. *Judging by the bruises on his face no one could have helped, Kate. I should think his skull was fractured in a dozen places."
*He said Allie did it." The words were out before she could stop them. She heard both men gasp and at last she looked up. *She couldn"t have done, could she? She couldn"t ... He was a big man. She"s only a child ..."
The room was very silent. The girl on the bed, her face white, her hair strewn damply across the pillow, did not move. Her hand in Kate"s was limp and cold. Kate leaned back against Jon, her eyes closed. She was suddenly so weary she couldn"t move. Alison"s hand dropped from her fingers. For a moment it lay on the blanket where it had fallen, then suddenly it convulsed into a fist. The girl"s eyes flew open. Her voice when she spoke was strong and triumphant.
*Listen," she said. *Listen. The tide is rising at last."
LXV.
When Boudicca swept across the country and burned the city she still called Camelodunum, he was one of the few who managed to escape. Taking his new wife and his child, he rode out of the town in good time and waited in safety as the smoke of rebellion rolled across the country. A spark had ignited the revolt as he had known it would. But it had not been his doing. Claudia"s curse had not touched him. The sacrifice of an unknown, unsung prince to the G.o.ds of a British bog had sunk unnoticed into the mists of time. He was triumphant. Later, when the revolt was quelled and Nion"s tribe had gone, lost in the slaughter of a proud and rebellious people, he would obtain the land.
He asked for the marsh where the wh.o.r.e he had called his wife had died, as a reward for his services to Rome and it was given to him with much more. He grew rich and fat; he bought more land; he owned two villas. He watched his son grow; the boy who had rich auburn hair and eyes of gla.s.s grey like his mother, and once a year he rode east, to the edge of the land and he stood looking down into the marsh, staring at the irises and bog cotton which blew in the knife-blade wind. Others, unseen strangers, still offered sacrifices to the G.o.ds of the marsh a pots of coins, small pieces of jewellery, even weapons. He offered nothing. He did not throw down a rose to commemorate the love which had gone; he did not hurl a dagger to the G.o.ds of hate. He merely stood and stared at the shifting, watery scene glittering in the sunlight, and, before he turned to go, he spat upon her curse.
*The storm is getting worse." Diana turned from the study window, letting the curtain fall. She looked down at the bed where her husband lay. His face was grey with pain. His hands were clawing restlessly at the blanket she had pulled over him.
*Don"t worry. Joe will make it." His voice was growing noticeably weaker. *He"s a stubborn old b.u.g.g.e.r. I can"t see him letting a mere blizzard get the better of him. And the kids will be all right."
Diana forced herself to smile. *I know." She turned back to the window so that he couldn"t see her face. Drawing back the curtain a little she peered once again into the whirling snow. He was out there somewhere. Marcus. She could feel him. Evil. Waiting. Waiting for what? To use them? To draw on their energy? And no door could keep him out. She turned back to Roger. His eyes were closed and she watched him for a moment. The energy was draining out of him almost visibly. Their evil visitor would find no food in him. She shuddered. He was dying. She could not pretend to herself any longer. He was dying before her eyes. She wanted to throw herself at him and hold him, to will her own strength into him, but she couldn"t. She could do nothing but wait and watch. Shaking her head miserably she tiptoed towards the door and let herself out of the study into the cold hall. She could feel the draught blowing under the front door. It was icy; a drift of snow had somehow slipped under the draught-proofing and lay in a white veil across the stone tiles. Closing the door behind her silently she went through into the sitting room.
Cissy and Sue were seated on the sofa near the fire, side by side. Automatically her eyes went to the chair nearest the inglenook where normally in weather like this the two cats would be lying, in a heap of black and white fur. There was no sign of them. Greg was standing in the kitchen, leaning on the back of one of the bent oak chairs. He seemed to be gazing into s.p.a.ce, *How is he?" he asked as she wandered listlessly over to him.
She shrugged. *Not good."
He looked at her hard. *Joe will get through, Ma."
She tried to smile. *I"m sure he will. But I don"t think it will be in time for your father, Greg. We have to prepare ourselves."
He put his arm round her, pulling her close against him. *It was bound to happen one day. We knew he hadn"t got long," he said gently.
She nodded dumbly.
*He always said he wanted to go here and not in hospital."
*I know." It was a whisper.
*Shall I go and sit with him for a bit?" He dropped a kiss onto the top of her head. *You get some sleep; you look completely flaked out. I"ll call you if he needs you."
She nodded. With a glance at the two dozing on the sofa, she went to the door at the foot of the staircase *The moment he needs me, Greg," she repeated softly.
*I promise."
The staircase was cold and the upper floor of the house dark as she climbed wearily up to the bedroom she had shared with Roger for so many years. For a moment she stood in the doorway looking round, vividly aware in some inner part of herself that he would never walk through this door again. On the floor, in the corner, a pathetic reminder that Christmas was barely two weeks away, a pile of presents lay, partially hidden by a rug.
She walked across to the low window and stared out. It was growing light, but the snow was thick now, whirling through the air, blotting out the horizon. In this east-facing bedroom you could usually see across the dunes towards the sea, but today she was conscious of nothing but grey and white a a moving, whirling ma.s.s of nothing. Disorientated, she turned a and stopped short.
The woman by the bed was so clear she could see every detail of her clothes, her hair, her skin, her eyes. For a moment they stood there, their eyes locked together and for the first time Diana knew that Claudia could see her as clearly as she could see Claudia.
*Sweet Blessed Jesus!" The words were out of her mouth before she knew she had spoken. *What do you want?
For a fraction of a moment longer they stared at each other, then Claudia was gone.
*Ma." Greg"s voice from the foot of the stairs was urgent. *Ma, come quickly."
Diana whirled back to the door conscious with some part of her brain that the room smelled of a sweet, sickly perfume. *What is it? What"s wrong?"
*He wants you." Greg hobbled ahead of her towards the study. Roger was lying propped up against the pillows and cushions. He was breathing with difficulty and his cheeks, which for so long had been colourless, had a livid, painful colour to them.
*He"s here, Di," he said slowly. *That b.a.s.t.a.r.d is here, in this room. He"s real."
Diana glanced at Greg.
*Marcus," Greg mouthed. *He"s seen Marcus."
Diana knelt at the side of the makeshift bed and took Roger"s hand. *He can"t hurt you, love."
*Too d.a.m.n right. I"ve nothing for him. It"s the kids he wants. He wants their energy. But he"s not going to get it." He gripped Diana"s hand so hard she winced. *I"m going to fight him on his own ground." The breath was rasping in his throat.
*Roger a "
*He didn"t bargain for that, did he. I"m going after him. To h.e.l.l, if necessary." He looked from his wife to his son and back. *Don"t worry. I"m sane. Dying, but sane. I"ve never believed. Not in heaven or h.e.l.l or G.o.d or Satan until now. But this b.a.s.t.a.r.d has made me realise there is somewhere out there. If his soul can survive there, black as it is, then so can mine!" He laughed weakly and Diana buried her head in the blanket near him, trying to smother her sobs. *I"m going to find out what it"s all about. And if he can come back then so can I. I shall return to tell you."
*Dad a" Greg tried to interrupt, but Roger talked on, his words slurring together now as the drugs took a stronger hold on his pain.
*No, my mind is made up. I am going to find out why she cursed him. She"s here, you know, in the house now. She was his first wife. She"s come to help me. She wants me to find him. I shall get him. I shall win a "
*Dad!" Greg knelt down stiffly on the other side of the bed, wincing as his foot dragged on the ground. *Dad, don"t talk like this."
*Why?" Roger turned and looked at him. His eyes, though unnaturally bright, were perfectly lucid. *After what that b.a.s.t.a.r.d has done to my daughter, you think I am going to let him get away with it?"
*No, of course not, but a "
*But nothing. My mind is made up. I am going after him. A quest. A glorious quest through the realms of the afterlife. How do you like that idea?" He sounded delirious as he laughed again, clutching at Diana"s hand. Then he began to cough.
*Roger a" Desperately she tried to soothe him. *Get some water, Greg, quickly. Roger, darling, please, calm yourself. You"re going to be all right."
*b.a.l.l.s!" The word was gasped through another spasm of coughing. *Do me the kindness of treating me like an adult, Di. I know. You know. Greg knows." He paused, breathless, and sipped gratefully as Greg held a gla.s.s of water to his lips. *Thanks son. Look. Better this way than lingering for months in some G.o.ddam awful hospice. I love Redall. All of it. I was born here. My father was born here. Not many families can say that nowadays. I"d like to think that you or Paddy will make your home here too. This place is in our bones," he smiled grimly. *Who knows, perhaps we are descended from Marcus himself. I"m bound hand and foot to this place a its history is in my blood." He looked at Diana. *What I"m trying to say, love, and making a frightful hash of it, is that I"m happy to die here. And I"m not going anywhere. I"ll still love you, whatever happens. And I"ll stick around. Not to frighten you. Just to watch over you and keep Marcus in line." He closed his eyes, exhausted.
Diana looked up at Greg. Her eyes were blinded by tears. *Greg a" She mouthed his name but no sound came.
Greg was biting his lip. Neither of them said a word as, holding a hand each, they watched Roger"s face lose the colour which had animated it, as he dozed again. Around them the room seemed to grow darker in the candlelight.
*A quest," Greg said at last, trying to keep his voice steady. *I like that idea." He frowned. If it were possible a to travel through time and s.p.a.ce a to treat death as a mere doorway a that would only be comforting if one expected to find angels on the other side.
But Marcus was a demon.
LXVI.
The waves threw off the snow, thundering up the beach in clouds of spray. The sea had reached the soft sand now, the sand which was never covered by the tide, sucking greedily at the ground and spitting out the residue with each successive incursion. Peat and soil swirled and dissolved; sand turned to brown liquid, dispersed and vanished, to be deposited again on a distant sh.o.r.e. In the dune the grave welcomed the first deep wave which seeped into its heart, whisking away a trowel and a brush, tearing at the remaining bones, grinding them, stirring them, flushing out every trace of what had been. Another followed and then another and then the sea overwhelmed, pa.s.sing onwards towards the calm, ice-bound estuary where, long before, the geese had gone, flying inland away from the storm.
Joe stood panting at the top of the track and wiped his forehead with his sleeve. He could barely see now for the weight of snow on his eyelashes; his face was frozen stiff and his tears seemed to turn to ice as the wind whipped them from his eyes. He looked round, exhausted. Two cars were parked at the edge of the road. Drawn up under the trees. Anne"s he supposed; but whose was the other? He walked over to it, and swept the snow off the snow-covered bonnet. Ron"s Land Rover from the pub. He frowned and glanced back the way he had come. Whatever Ron had come for, he had left no trace. His tracks had long ago been covered over.
Wearily he turned up the road and began to trudge towards home. Twice he stopped and looked behind him. A dozen times in the wood he had had the feeling that he was being followed. Each time he had stopped and raised the gun, sweeping it menacingly around at the undergrowth. But there had been no one there. No one at all. Only the silence and the wind and the occasional crash of snow falling from the trees.
It took him another hour to trudge the few hundred yards home, grope in his pocket with deadened hands for the key to the back door, and let himself into the blessed warmth and stillness. The house was very quiet. Stamping the snow off his boots he shrugged himself out of his coat, leaving it where it fell on the kitchen floor and he went over to the wall telephone. Picking it up, he listened. The familiar dialling tone rang out almost deafeningly in his ear.
Nine nine nine.
He had never dialled it before. Shaking his head wearily, he waited for a moment before asking for police and ambulance. The woman on the other end of the line was dubious. *They"ll be with you as soon as possible Mr Farnborough, but the weather is so bad! They"re still forecasting hurricane force winds and blizzard conditions. The helicopter can"t take off. It will be down to the police to try and get through with a medical team."
*Do your best, love." Joe found he had sunk down onto the wooden chair left neatly against the wall. Near him Cissy"s ap.r.o.n hung on the back of the door. He shook his head. *Things are bad down there. Very bad. There"s a man murdered. Another man dying. Please. Help us."
He sat still for a long time after he had hung up. There was nothing more that he could do. He could not go back. He had agreed to wait so he could guide the police vehicle down to the farmhouse. Leaning his head against the wall he closed his eyes wearily.
In two minutes he was fast asleep.
LXVII.
Kate glanced up at Jon as they stood side by side looking out of the bedroom window of the cottage. She still wasn"t entirely sure how or why he had appeared a explanations would come later a but she was comforted and happy that he was there. Behind them Alison was sleeping deeply. Downstairs in the kitchen Pete and Patrick were rummaging in the drawers of the dresser for candles and matches.
Patrick didn"t like being down here. He was acutely conscious at every moment of the dead man lying on the sofa in the next room. Bill who in life had been a genial, popular visitor at Redall Farmhouse was in death a terrifying threat.
They were half-way up the stairs when Alison screamed.
*s.h.i.t, what was that?" Pete was close behind Patrick who stopped dead, his face white. *That was Allie."
*OK, son, I"ll go. You wait here." Pete pushed past him, taking the rest of the stairs two at a time.
In the bedroom Jon and Kate were standing over the bed. Kate had clutched at Jon"s arm a her fingers were white as they sank into his sleeve. Alison was lying on the bed thrashing back and forth as though in pain, her hands clasped to her head. *Mummy!" she screamed again. *Mummy, help me!"
Anne sat down on the bed. She caught Alison"s wrists, trying to pull them away from the girl"s face. *Allie. Allie, please, listen to me. You"re dreaming. Don"t be afraid. Wake up. Allie, wake up." Alison was raking at her temples with her nails. A streak of blood appeared across her forehead, then another. *Allie, don"t, you"re hurting yourself. Please."
Alison did not hear her. They were there again, inside her head. Only this time he was laughing. Gone! Gone under the sea at last! Now you"re forgotten. Forgotten forever, you and your priest lover!
Claudia"s screams inside her head were so loud she thought her brain would burst; pain and anguish swirled about her; a tide of blood washed back and forth behind her eyes, and now, suddenly, there was another voice a a man"s voice a the voice of Claudia"s lover. At last he had come. He was there with them. And he was strong; stronger than Marcus, his fury uncontrollable.
With a groan Alison pulled at her hair, sitting up, rocking back and forth with such violence that Anne slipped off the bed to the floor. *Alison!" She scrambled to her feet. *Can you hear me? Listen!" She grabbed at the girl"s hands again. *You must be strong. Come back to us, Allie. Open your eyes and come back. Whatever it is you"re fighting, you must be strong." She gasped as Alison tore her wrists free and went back to attacking her own face with her nails. *Alison, please!" She looked wildly at Jon. *We"ve got to tie her hands. She"s going to scratch herself to pieces. Please, help me, quickly."
Jon looked round wildly. It was Kate who pulled the belt from her bathrobe which still hung on the back of the door. It took three of them to hold her still, but somehow they managed it, tying her wrists together and tucking her firmly down with the sheets. When they had finished both Anne and Kate had been badly scratched themselves. *She"s as strong as three men!" Anne stared down at the girl who was still throwing herself back and forth beneath the sheets. She rested a hand on Alison"s damp forehead.
Alison did not feel it; she did not know what was happening to her. There was no room for thought inside her head now. No room for her at all. She had ceased to fight them. They had her strength. That was all they wanted.
Jon was shivering. The temperature in the room, he realised suddenly, had dropped violently. Surrept.i.tiously he retrieved his jacket which had fallen to the floor when they put Alison into the bed. *What is it? What has happened to her?"
Kate looked at Patrick who had slid into the room behind Pete. *Marcus has got her." She gave a nervous laugh. *My Roman. Remember? He killed Claudia, who we think must have been his wife, and now he"s haunting us." She looked down at the bed. *He"s possessed her, Jon."
*No!" Anne shouted. *No! He can"t have her. Fight, Allie, fight!" She put her lips close to Alison"s face. *Concentrate, Alison. Think! Think about anything. Use your brain. Fight." She took Alison by the shoulders and shook her gently. *Don"t give in. Don"t let him win. Oh G.o.d!" She threw her hair back off her face with a furious jerk of her head, clenching her fists in her frustration. *I don"t know what to do. I don"t know how to help her! Alison. Listen to me. Fight!"
Pete, like the others, was staring at Anne. His gaze left her face at last and slid down to Alison"s restless form. His mouth had gone dry. He probably looked as bad as the others. They were all white-faced, cold. He cleared his throat. *This kid should be in hospital, Anne," he said at last. *Where will we find the nearest phone?"
Kate shook her head. *The phones aren"t working." Was it her imagination or was Alison calmer now? She stared down, terrified, at the girl"s tortured face.
Shadows.
Whirling shadows filled with hate.
Inside her head Allie stared into the darkness helplessly and saw the three prowling, amorphous figures. She could feel someone"s hands ice cold on hers, hear a voice shouting her name, but she could not react. They were like lions circling their prey: the woman, the two men, hungry in their hatred for living energy to sustain them.
Why me?
Did she cry out loud? She didn"t know, but as her mind rebelled the figures drew back.
FIGHT.
A voice reached her out of the stormy roar of hatred, a woman"s voice. FIGHT ALISON, USE YOUR BRAIN.
Too tired. She was too tired to fight. She was empty. They had sucked her dry.