The Underground City, page 17
“Yes, my name is Kabad. I … I thought you might be lost.”
“We are,” Neil answered. “Thank goodness you came to look for us! Was it Nessie that sent you? Or the prince?”
“No, I came on my own. I was Arthur’s friend when he was here, you see. I liked him and he told me lots of stories about the MacArthurs and Archie and Arthur’s Seat.”
Knowing that Arthur would never have chatted about Archie and the MacArthurs to anyone he didn’t like, reassured Clara. “I think he really wants to help us, Neil,” she whispered.
Neil nodded and although Clara couldn’t see him, she sensed that he agreed with her. “Kabad, we want to speak to Nessie about Arthur but she was so angry with us that we’re a bit afraid.”
Kabad sounded doubtful. “She’ll probably be all right when she calms down.”
“You see, Nessie doesn’t really understand why Arthur left. He was homesick for the hill, worried about his treasure and … oh, lots of other things. I’m sure he wants to come back and see her but I think he’s afraid she might be angry. Could you tell her that?”
There was a silence. “Nessie sometimes eats goblins when she is hungry, or if they make her angry,” Kabad said fearfully.
“Kabad,” Clara said, remembering the goblins’ fascination for their clothes, “if you do what Neil asks then I’ll … I’ll give you my shiny clothes.”
Kabad hissed as he thought of the clothes. Never, in his whole life, had he seen such wonderful things and his heart swelled at the thought of owning them. Of course, he told himself, he would never be able to wear them except in secret, for the other goblins would be jealous and take them from him but … but perhaps he could hide them somewhere safe and take them out to look at from time to time …
Clara felt sorry for the little creature, understanding how much he was tempted. She remembered how she’d felt when she’d first tried on the costume in the dressing room in the Assembly Hall; how excited she’d been when the silk glinted and glittered in the lights.
“I’ll do it,” Kabad said.
“We’ll follow you back through the tunnels, then,” Neil said in relief. “We’re totally lost!”
Kabad’s webbed fingers gripped Neil’s hand and Clara held onto the back of his tunic as they made their way back through the darkness of the tunnels to the main cavern where the torches still burned.
“You’d better stay here just now,” Kabad said, his voice shaky as he steeled himself to talk to the Great Lady.
Peering out from the entrance to the tunnel, they watched as Kabad make his way through a scattered crowd of water goblins towards Nessie. He bowed low to her and Clara crossed her fingers as the surprised goblins crowded round to hear what was going on. Kabad spoke to Nessie at length but from what they could see, she didn’t seem terribly impressed.
“I hope he hasn’t blown it,” Neil groaned.
At that moment, one of the water goblins in the crowd made what was to prove an unfortunate remark about Arthur.
In an instant, Nessie’s expression changed to one of utter fury, and the cackle of evil laughter that had echoed round the cave, quickly died away as the wary goblins realized that they’d overstepped the mark by a couple of miles. Roaring with rage, her tail lashing furiously, she cleared the cave of goblins in seconds. Only Kabad stood his ground and once she had calmed down, Nessie listened to him more carefully.
Minutes later he ran up, smiling his funny, goblin smile. “It’s all right,” he assured them. “Nessie says she didn’t mean to frighten you.”
Neil took a deep breath. “I think it’s okay, Clara,” he said. “Anyhow, we’ll just have to chance it.”
“Well,” Nessie said, looking at them grimly as they came towards her. “I don’t know what you’ve been up to but you seem to have made a bad enemy of the prince.”
Neil and Clara nodded.
“It’s not my business,” she continued. “It’s for you to sort things out with Kalman. But what’s this that Kabad’s been telling me about Arthur?”
“You really mustn’t be angry with Arthur,” said Neil, “I’m sure he likes you, but after the way he left, I think he’s maybe afraid to come back to see you.”
“He was worried at leaving his treasure,” interrupted Clara. “While he was here the last time, someone stole his firestones and Lord Rothlan and his army got into the hill … into Arthur’s Seat.”
“Hmmm!” Nessie said thoughtfully. “Yes, I heard about that.”
“And he was homesick, too. He’s lived with the MacArthurs for hundreds of years, you know, and … well, he missed them!”
“But he had me!” snorted Nessie, rearing majestically and looking thoroughly put out. “Wasn’t that enough?”
“Yes, of course,” Clara said hurriedly, “but you’re not always here, are you?” she pointed out. “You spend a lot of time out in the loch finding fish to eat.”
“The thing is,” Neil said, “that Arthur doesn’t like fish much and …”
“And some of your water goblins weren’t very nice to him …” Clara added, her fingers crossed behind her back.
“All sorts of things worried him, milady, especially his treasure but he didn’t want to mention it to you.”
“He should have done!” Nessie said, sitting up straight.
“He’s really very fond of you,” Neil said.
“The dear creature!” Nessie murmured, “is he really?”
“Yes, of course he is,” smiled Clara. “I’m sure he’d like to visit you again but …”
“But what?” demanded Nessie.
“If you could give him a sign, he’d come at once! To visit you, you know … and it would be nice for us to see him again, too. Why, we could keep one another company while you were out fishing.”
“But Grechan will be here soon to take you to his caves,” Nessie said, “and Prince Kalman wants to hide you from the Sultan!”
“But not from the MacArthurs, milady,” Neil said. “The decision is up to you, though. Wouldn’t you like to see Arthur again and let him explain things for himself?”
Now Nessie was genuinely fond of Arthur and the thought of seeing him again set her heart beating fast. “But how can I get in touch with him?” she asked despairingly. “How can I tell him that I want to see him again?”
Neil unwound the length of striped silk that served as his turban. “If you swim round Loch Ness waving this,” he said, “someone would be sure to see it. You’re really famous in Scotland, you know. The television cameras would be there, everyone would be watching you. You’d be on TV!”
Nessie had been bored for too long to turn down such an inviting suggestion. She’d no idea what teevee was, but it was obviously something wonderful. “I’ll do it!” she said decisively. “Give me the flag!”
“It’s no good going just now, Nessie,” Clara said. “It’s night time and it’ll still be dark outside.”
“Yes,” agreed Neil. “No one will be able to see you until tomorrow morning when the sun comes up.”
“Oh, that’s not a problem,” Nessie said, casually. “I can make today into tomorrow quite easily.”
Clara felt a spinning sensation and looked at Neil who shook his head dizzily.
“There,” Nessie said comfortably, “that’s that done. Now, Neil, give me the flag and I’ll be off! I can’t wait to see my Arthur again!”
Neil handed her the strip of purple and gold silk and they watched in relief as without any further ado, she grasped it in her mouth, slid off the rocky shelf and disappeared below the waves.
30. Nessie flies the Flag
In the huge cavern under Arthur’s Seat, time passed slowly and still there was no news of Neil and Clara.
“Every bird and beast in Scotland is on the lookout for them,” the MacArthur assured the Ranger. “The stags on the mountains, the grouse on the moors and the sea-birds round the coast. They’re all on the alert but nothing’s turned up so far.”
“I know you’re doing everything you can,” the Ranger said, “it’s just that Janet’s making herself ill. She didn’t sleep at all last night!”
“We’ll find them, don’t worry! Even Kitor and Amgarad are out searching for them. They’ve gone over to the west coast and are checking the mountains round Ardray. It’s only a matter of time before they’re found, believe me.”
Although his voice was calm, the MacArthur was nevertheless seriously worried and so, too, was the Sultan, who felt personally responsible for the danger they were in. They were all doing their bit, however. Jaikie, Hamish and Archie were taking it in turns to monitor the crystal round the clock and Casimir and the Sultan had gone to Morven with Lord Rothlan to visit the Lords of the North, hoping that with their help the children would soon be found. He sighed. It was difficult to know what else could be done!
Hope suddenly sprang in his heart, however, as he noticed two of the magic carpets unfurling themselves and setting off across the cavern.
“Whose are they?” the Ranger asked, turning his head to watch them leave.
“One is Sir James’s,” answered the MacArthur, “and I think the other is the one we gave to Lewis.”
“Let’s hope they have some news at last!” the Ranger said, his voice lightening.
Sir James and Lewis arrived on their magic carpets at much the same time. Both had been watching lunchtime television and had seen the same thing. So excited were they that they almost fell off their carpets as they approached the MacArthur and could barely speak so full were they of their news.
“The Loch Ness Monster!” Lewis said excitedly.
“She’s on television!” added Sir James.
“What?” Arthur, the great dragon, sat up straight as the MacArthur leapt to his feet, relief sweeping through him.
“She’s on television,” Sir James repeated. “All the channels are full of it!”
“This morning,” Lewis said, “people driving along the side of the road saw her and phoned Sky News. They’re getting loads of pictures of her! And she wants them to see her! She’s cruising up and down Loch Ness like a … like a movie star!”
Sir James strode over to the Ranger. “That’s not the most important thing, though,” he said gripping him by the shoulders. “She’s got something in her mouth …”
“Purple and gold,” nodded Lewis, his eyes shining.
“It’s part of Neil and Clara’s costume, John. She’s showing us where they are!”
“Thank goodness!” the Ranger said shakily. “I … I must go and tell Janet!”
“Wait a minute, Ranger,” Hamish said, adjusting the crystal. “Don’t go yet. I can find her in a minute. There … there she is! Look!”
Even Arthur lumbered over, his head rearing above them as they crowded round the crystal. Sure enough, there was Nessie! Urquhart Castle loomed in the background as she sailed up and down Loch Ness in all her majesty, carrying a floaty piece of silk in her mouth. Everyone recognized it. Striped in purple and gold, it was part of one of the pantomime costumes.
Jaikie then turned the eye of the crystal towards the shore. The mountains, covered in snow, gleamed in the pale rays of a winter sun and, as he focused on the road, they could see that cars were parked all along the edge of the loch. People swarmed along the shoreline and, not only that, several boats had taken to the water and were venturing up to her.
Lady Ellan, who had seen the carpets streaking through the cavern, now joined them. “Nessie!” she said with a snap in her voice, “and her fine friend, Grechan, I’ve no doubt!” She looked at her father angrily. “We should have guessed, father! They were always Kalman’s friends!”
“Let Nessie know we are watching her,” the MacArthur said. “Some of these boats are getting a bit too close for my liking and she only needs to flap her tail to sink half of them!”
Although it couldn’t be seen in daylight, Nessie felt the warmth of the ray of light from the crystal that held her in its beam and knew immediately that she had been seen by the world of magic. Hoping fervently that it was the MacArthurs who had homed in on her, she tossed her head once more so that the stream of purple and gold silk flew like a flag in the wind and then, in an almighty swirl of water that tossed the boats in a violent surge, she dived below the cold, grey waters of Loch Ness and disappeared.
31. Showdown
The MacArthur looked round the gathering thoughtfully and addressed the Sultan. “I’ve had a talk with Arthur, your majesty. He says, quite definitely, that he has to be the one to rescue Neil and Clara. He … er, says that his Nessie sometimes gets into a funny temper but he thinks he can handle her.”
The Sultan cleared his throat. “Does anyone have any other ideas?” he asked, looking round enquiringly. Amgarad spread his great wings and looked at Kitor. Both birds knew that they could do nothing while Neil and Clara were under Loch Ness.
“I think I should go,” Casimir stood up and bowed to the Sultan and the MacArthur. “Prince Kalman is my son and I must try to make him see reason!”
Lewis dropped his eyes. From what he’d seen of Kalman, he didn’t think old Casimir had much of a chance. No one spoke but their silence was eloquent. Casimir flushed and Lewis sprang to his feet.
“I’ll go with Casimir,” he said, “it’s his right to see his son even if he might not be able to persuade him. I can be the Shadow again, Casimir,” he said, going up and looking into his eyes. “Come on, we make a great team! Remember the Forth Bridge? What a day that was!”
Casimir was touched and smiled wryly. “I couldn’t have chosen a better person to rescue me from the well at Al Antara, Lewis,” he said abruptly. “Thank you, but I don’t want you to be put at risk. The Sultan will tell you that the situation is dangerous.”
The Sultan, his brown eyes watchful, leant forward in his chair. “I think Arthur is right,” he announced. “He should go to see Nessie first and then you, Casimir, should talk with your son. As Lewis says,” he said, smiling approvingly at Lewis, “you are his father and it is your right.”
Sir James rubbed his chin. “Loch Ness is heaving with TV crews and reporters,” he pointed out. “Arthur will be seen.”
The Sultan smiled. “We’ll get the storm carriers to take care of them,” he said, “and with any luck, it won’t be long before you have your children back, Ranger!”
The storm swept in from the north on a roaring, tearing wind. The skies above Loch Ness darkened swiftly from a steely grey to a brownish purple and, given the sudden, total lack of visibility, the TV crews grimaced, packed up their cameras, and, lashed by the storm, headed for nearby Drumnadrochit while the many small boats on the lookout for Nessie, hurriedly made for safety as the waters of the loch rose in black, threatening waves around them.
Arthur came in on the skirts of a black cloud that quite successfully hid him from view and, taking his bearings from the ruins of Urquhart Castle, swooped swiftly down into the icy waters of Loch Ness. Deeper and deeper he dived until he saw the grim, dark opening of Nessie’s caves loom black before him. After that it was easy and swimming strongly he negotiated the series of passages that ran steadily upwards until he finally surfaced in Nessie’s lair.
The water goblins that were there to see his arrival almost had heart failure. Another monster! They streaked into the tunnels and passages for safety and then crowded the entrances to peek out and see what this fearsome new creature was like. Hearing the shrieks and screams that accompanied Arthur’s arrival, Neil and Clara ran to see what was happening, pushing their way through a mass of excited, chattering goblins who by then had recognized Arthur as a friend.
“Thank goodness,” Neil said, relief ringing in his voice, “Arthur’s arrived!”
“It’s all right, Kabad,” Clara said reassuringly to the little goblin who clung to her hand, “it’s Arthur. He’s come to see Nessie! Didn’t we tell you he would?”
Watching from the side of the cave, Neil and Clara saw Nessie and Arthur meet. Arthur flapped his wings and seemed truly delighted to see her again while Nessie, who had forgotten her anger, waltzed about delightedly. The goblins, however, weren’t quite so happy. Accustomed as they were to keeping well out of the way of Nessie’s massive bulk, they were quite frankly finding two monsters a bit of a nightmare to cope with. In fact, they had to be pretty nippy on their feet to avoid being trampled on.
“Neil and Clara said you would come, Arthur!” Nessie said happily. “And here you are!”
The celebrations came to an abrupt halt, however, when a sudden crack and a puff of smoke announced the arrival of Prince Kalman. One look at the prince was enough. He was in a towering rage.
“You fool!” he snapped at Nessie, “you complete and utter fool! Don’t you realize that you’ve given the game away completely?”
“I hope I can invite my friends to visit when I wish,” Nessie said sulkily. “I happen to live here, you know.” Then she added in a stronger voice. “These are my caves, after all! Why shouldn’t I invite Arthur to visit me when I please?”
“That’s why you were out there then, was it?” the prince ground out, disbelief colouring his voice. “Attracting the world! Behaving like a lunatic! Waving a flag! What on earth’s got into you?”
“How dare you speak to my Nessie like that, Prince Kalman,” Arthur said hotly.
Nessie batted her long eyelashes at Arthur and Kalman, to give him his due, winced noticeably at this display of affection. It was really too, too much. Monsters were bad enough at the best of times but there obviously wasn’t a lot one could do with this pair of love-sick loonies! Added to which, he thought warily, one of them was a dragon and although he would have like to have said a great deal more, caution prevailed. He took a deep breath and curbed his tongue.
“Where are Neil and Clara?” he snapped.
As everyone turned to look at them, a horrible silence fell.
