Chapter XXI

Back To Downham

THERE was good news waiting for us back in the tower. Alice hadfound something that she really thought might finally cure Jack."Sent him into another deep sleep, it has," she explained. "But this potion heals the mind rather than the body. I translated it from one of your mam's notebooks -how to mix it, how much of each herb to use. Everything. And all the ingredients were inside the trunk, each one labeled."I can't thank you enough," Ellie said, smiling at Alice warmly."Ain't me you need to thank-it's Tom's mam. Take years to learn all there is in that trunk," Alice continued. "Compared to this, Bony Lizzie knew nothing."Jack continued to sleep until late in the afternoon, and we were feeling really optimistic that, before long, it would be the old Jack who woke. But then we got the bad news.James returned. But he returned alone. The Downham villagers were too afraid to help."I tried my best," James said wearily, "but there was nothing more that I could do. Their courage has deserted them. Even Matt Finley, the blacksmith, refused to leave Downham."The Spook shook his head sadly. "Well, if they won't come to us, then we'll just have to go to them. But I'm not optimistic, James. You got through to them last time, and I felt confident that you'd be able to do it again. But we'll have to try. Tomorrow night is the Lammas sabbath, and we must disrupt it at all costs. No doubt Wurmalde will be with the other witches, and I think that's going to be my best chance of finding and binding her."So, soon after dark, we prepared to return to Downham. We were leaving Ellie, Jack, and Mary behind in the tower, where they'd be safe.

"Well," said the Spook, looking at James, Alice, and me in turn, "I wish there were an easier way. But it's got to be done. I just hope we all come safely through what lies ahead. Whatever happens, one thing is in our favor. This tower is now in our hands, and the trunks and their contents are safe. So at least we've achieved that."My master was right. The lamias controlled Malkin Tower now. With luck, I'd soon be able to return and look through Mam's trunks properly. But first -hopefully with the help of the Downham villagers-we had to face the witch clans and break up their sabbath before the ritual could be carried out. So we left the tower, using the tunnels once more. As we walked north, the wind was blustering in from the west and there was a chill in the air. At Downham -we spent the remainder of the night in Father Stocks's cottage, grabbing a few hours' sleep while we could. Up before dawn to catch the men before their working day began, we wasted no time in calling at each house in the village, desperately trying to rally an army. I accompanied Alice, dealing with the outlying cottages and nearest farms, while the Spook and James concentrated on its heart.We arrived at the first cottage just in time to find its occupant stepping out into the gray dawn light.

He was a farm laborer, gnarled and grumpy, rubbing sleep out of his bleary eyes with the prospect of a long, hard day's work ahead. Even before we spoke, I could tell that he'd give us short shrift."There's a meeting at dusk in the church," I told him. "All the menfolk of the village are invited. It's to plan how we can deal with the threat from the witches. We've got to sort them tonight." Alice's pointy shoes didn't help. The man's eyes flicked suspiciously from them to my cloak and staff. I could tell that he didn't like the look of either of us."And who's calling this meeting?" he demanded.I thought quickly. I could use James's name. Most of them would know him by now, but they'd also rejected his recent plea. The man seemed nervous enough already, and if I mentioned the Spook, I'd probably scare him off altogether. The lie slipped from my lips even before I could think."Father Stocks."The man nodded when he heard the name. "I'll do my best to be there. Can't promise, though -I've a busy day ahead." With that he slammed the door shut, turned on his heels, and set off up the hill.

I turned to Alice and shook my head."I feel bad about lying," I told her."Ain't no use thinking that way," she told me. "Did the right thing for sure. If the priest were still alive, he would be calling the meeting. What's the difference? We're just calling it for him, that's all." I nodded uncertainly, but from that moment the pattern was set and on each subsequent occasion I used Father Stocks's name. It was difficult to judge how many were likely to attend the meeting, but I wasn't optimistic. The truth was, some didn't even bother to answer their doors, others muttered their excuses, while one old man went into a rage:"What's your sort doing in our village? That's what I want to know," he said, spitting toward Alice's shoes. "We've been hag-ridden enough in the past, but it'll happen no more! Get ye gone from my sight, little witch!"Alice took it calmly, and we simply turned and went on our way. The Spook and James had had little more success than us. My brother said that it all depended on the blacksmith. He'd seemed in two minds, but if he did decide in favor of action, then many of the others would follow his lead. When I told the Spook about my lie, he made no comment, simply nodding in acknowledgment.The remainder of the day was spent in anxious waiting. Time was running short. Would the villagers turn up in sufficient numbers to give us a chance? If they did, would we be able to persuade them to act? Then again, would we have enough time to race to Pendle Hill and disrupt the Lammas rituals?

While these thoughts were whirling through my head, I suddenly remembered something else: August 3, two days after Lammas, was my birthday.I remembered the celebrations we used to have back at the farm. When one of our family had a birthday, Mam would always bake a special cake. I'd traveled a long way from such happy times. How could I even think beyond the danger we would face when dark fell? It seemed useless to hope for too much from this life. Such happiness belonged to my brief time as a child, and now that was over.As the sun went down, we waited patiently in the narrow church with its single aisle. We'd helped ourselves to candles from the tiny sacristy and placed these on the altar and in the metal candlesticks on either side of the doorway. Long before the first villager came nervously into the church and took a seat near the back, the sky had darkened to the hue of Horshaw coal. This first visitor was an oldish man who walked with a limp -one better suited to resting his weary bones by the fireside than venturing up onto Pendle Hill to fight a battle that was fraught with peril. Others followed, either singly or in pairs, but even after almost half an hour had passed there were no more than a dozen. Each man removed his cap on entering. Two of the boldest nodded toward James, but without exception all kept their eyes averted from the Spook.

I could sense their extreme nervousness. The men had frightened faces, some visibly shivering despite the mildness of the air, and looked ready to flee rather than fight. It seemed to me that at the first sign of a witch they'd scatter and run.But then, when all seemed lost, there was a murmur of voices from outside in the darkness and a big man dressed in a leather jerkin walked into the church at the head of at least another two dozen villagers. I guessed that this was Matt Finley, the blacksmith. Out of respect for the sanctity of the church, he removed his hat, and as he took his place in the front pew, he nodded to James and the Spook in turn. We'd been standing to the left of the small altar, close to the wall, but when the newcomers had all taken their seats, the Spook signaled to my brother, who stepped forward and positioned himself facing the aisle."We really appreciate that you've all taken the time and trouble to listen to us tonight," James began. "The last thing we want is for you to place yourselves in danger, but we do desperately need your help and wouldn't ask if it were possible to do what's required by ourselves. A terrible evil threatens us all. Before midnight there'll be witches up on Pendle Hill. Witches who plan to loose a great mischief into the world. We need to stop them."If I'm not mistaken, there are witches up on yonder hill already," said the blacksmith. "They've just lit a beacon that can be seen for miles!"At these words, concern tightened the Spook's face; he shook his head and stepped forward to stand beside James.