CHAPTER 10
King Gunness felt uneasy. His lean face was grey and lined with worry. Something was brewing and he didn’t understand what it was and that unsettled him:
That strange boy arriving out of nowhere with the Beachcomber claiming it was the fulfilment of the prophecy of the Bell; his queen distrusting the old man and the boy; and then the Bellmaster and his own daughter defying the Queen. They accepted the Beachcomber's story and they believed boy. And that bothered him. It bothered him, too, that this was all making him look ‑ and feel ‑ less than a king.
Gunness paced the Chamber of State irritably. At least the Bellmaster had given him a breathing space. But where were they now?
And where was that daughter of his?
‘The wretched girl!’ he fumed to himself. ‘Where can she be?’ Dro'Gan, Captain of the Guard, was stood by the main door. Gunness called him over.
‘Captain,’ he ordered, ‘Go check the Bellmaster’s apartments again. See if you can get an answer this time. And if you should see the Princess, tell her I wish to see her! At once!’
Dro’Gan saluted and turned to do the King’s bidding. Hardly had he left the Chamber when Angelina herself appeared through another door.
‘Oh!’ she exclaimed, when she saw the King. ‘Hello daddy! Are you busy?’ Gunness looked at his daughter. She was rather bedraggled. Her robe was soiled and creased, the hem of her garment was wet and her feet were black beneath her sandal straps.
‘Am I busy?’ Gunness seethed; ‘Yes, I’m busy: busy worrying about you! Where have you been?’
‘Oh, just for a stroll around the Palace,’ Angelina replied sweetly.
‘For six hours?’ Gunness arched his eyebrows severely.
‘Well I have been to the library doing some studying, as well.’
The King looked his daughter up and down. ‘Is that where you got your clothes in such a mess?’ Angelina looked down at her garments.
‘Oh,’ she said. ‘I hadn’t noticed that.’
‘We-e-ell?’
‘Oh, yes! I remember! I was walking through the Palace garden when I saw a cat stuck up a tree. I had to cross the flower beds and climb the tree to get the cat down.’
‘Well what a kind girl you are, Angelina!’ cried the King.
‘Oh, it was nothing really,’ Angelina replied.
‘No,’ her father agreed. ‘I’m sure it was nothing.’
‘Why’s that, Papa?’ Angelina looked uncomfortably at her father.
‘Because I’ve only recently spoken to the gardener. He tells me he’s been in the garden nearly all day and he’s had neither sight nor sound of you. So what do you say about that?’
‘Oh!’
‘Now perhaps you’d like to explain again.’
At that moment the drapes across the main door parted and the Captain of the Guard admitted the Bellmaster and his two guests. ‘Perhaps Your Majesty will allow me to explain,’ the Bellmaster interrupted; ‘I think the Princess is protecting me. I’m afraid I allowed the Princess to follow us out of the Palace.’
‘You did what?’ exclaimed Gunness, ‘This is most improper!’
‘Your Majesty,’ the Bellmaster continued; ‘the Princess has been my pupil now for six years. She shows spirit and intelligence: a true successor to the line of Sethmagnus. I know; I can see these things. And I can see that she will serve Your Majesty well in our coming crisis. Please don’t be anxious; the Princess has already served you well today.’
Angelina blinked: She couldn’t see what possible service she had been to anyone.
The King looked sternly at his daughter and then at the Bellmaster. He couldn’t see what service the Princess had been either. And he told them so. ‘And I’m still not convinced that there really is a threat to the Bell!’ he added.
The Bellmaster returned Guinness’s stern gaze. ‘I mean no disrespect, but it would be foolhardy to ignore the possibility of a threat to the Bell.’
‘Then tell me what the threat is then,’ demanded the King.
The Bellmaster paused a moment. ‘Truly, Sire, I can’t yet say.’ He walked across to a window overlooking the courtyard. ‘You look out of this window and what do you see?’ he asked.
‘The courtyard; the city; walls, people ...’
‘Can you see the Ocean?’
‘Why no!’
‘But the Ocean is there?’
‘Well, of course it’s there,’ Gunness replied testily.
‘But you can’t see the Ocean,’ the Bellmaster insisted. ‘No more can I see the danger to the Bell. But I know it’s there. Zedd the Mystic has conjured up a veil of magic against my powers of vision, just as the City walls prevent you from seeing the Ocean. All I have to rely on is my instinct and senses. If Zedd has drawn a curtain around himself and his doings, then you can be sure that there is something momentous going on that he wishes to keep to himself.’
Gunness looked deeply troubled. Angelina went across to him and put her arms around him. ‘What’s the matter, Daddy?’ she asked him tenderly.
Gunness looked down at his daughter then across at the Bellmaster and Barney and Kirlmann. ‘The Eastern Kingdom has prospered from the shores of Fa’Lacree for more than five generations,’ he began. ‘There has been peace and prosperity here and across the realm of the Islands, even as far as the old lands of Seth. We have forgotten the calamitous times that brought Sethmagnus from the old lands to these shores.
‘All we have are legends and lore and a few words inscribed by ‘who knows’ on a bell which has become the talisman of our Kingdom ....’ The King hesitated, lost for a moment. ‘What I’m trying to say,’ he continued, ‘is that perhaps there never was a Battle for Sundown; perhaps Zedd the Mystic was no more than a successful villain who caused the collapse of the Eastern Kingdom by nothing more than piracy; perhaps the Bell is a myth and all the stories were created to embellish the good name of Sethmagnus! After all, who’s ever heard or seen anything of the Ancient of Ancients? And he is supposed to be the Guardian of our Lands!’
The Bellmaster raised an eyebrow at this confession of royal doubt. However, he continued to smile impassively.
‘Are you trying to do me out of a job, Your Highness?’ he asked.
‘Well no!’ the King protested; ‘At the very least, the Bell is an important symbol of peace and stability among the People of Seth. In that respect it is as essential as the crown on my head. I just don’t want to believe that there could be any threat to it all.’
The Bellmaster looked thoughtfully at his King.
‘These are all fair questions, Sire,’ he said; ‘and I’m sure you’re not the only one to ask them. But you can’t bury your head in the sand; doubts and questions will not make the threat go away.’
‘And what about Barney?’ Angelina interrupted.
‘Barney?’ Gunness cast a wary eye in his direction.
‘You must believe that there’s something strange in the way that he came among us? He’s obviously not one of our people; it’s all too much of a coincidence!’
‘So you say, child; so you say.’ Everyone was now looking at Barney and he felt his neck and ears burning hot; and he felt that he had remained silent for long enough.
‘Listen, Your Majesty;’ he said, ‘A few hours ago I was having a pleasant walk along the beach – my beach - before going home to my sisters and my mum and dad. I didn’t ask to come here and I don’t know why I am here. If I’m not back when they expect me, they’ll be worried stiff. I really did get here like I told you all; I really did fall here!’
‘The boy speaks the truth, Sire,’ said Kirlmann Wader, ‘I found him on the beach, just as he says. In fact, thinking about it, there wasn’t a single footprint leading up to the spot where he landed; just a lot o’ fuss in the sand.’
‘You really have no choice but to believe in the Danger, Sire,’ the Belmaster insisted; ‘Very soon now it will be too late.’
Gunness sat down on a high‑backed wooden chair and rested his arms heavily on the armrests. He stared morosely at the floor.
‘You’re right, of course, Bellmaster,’ he said quietly. ‘Much of what I’ve said is because of hurt pride. Kingship has really been little more than a game for me. The Eastern Kingdom and the Merchant Empire of Seth run themselves so well that there is little opportunity for me to exercise true authority. I suppose I feel abandoned by the Ancient of Ancients.’
The Bellmaster looked surprised. ‘Why ever do you feel like that?’ he asked.
‘I’d always imagined that the boy in the prophecy would appear before the heir of Sethmagnus,’ the King lamented: ‘Me,’ he added.
The Bellmaster understood. ‘Ah! I see,’ ‘Look at it this way: trouble cannot far away! Just think back on the history of the Fall of Seth, which I assure you is exactly as it has been told. Zedd has already devastated the old kingdom, and if he succeeds in reaching the shores of Fa’Lacree, then not only will the Bell be at risk, but every life on the Island: especially yours!’
Gunness turned pale.
‘And so,’ the Bellmaster declared, ‘we must gather together every talent under your command! When Barney landed at the feet of Kirlmann Wader, the Ancient of Ancients was bringing the special talents of a Lord of the Shoreline to do your bidding. Kirlmann has his own skills that are essential to the safekeeping of the Bell and the House of Seth: he has a detailed knowledge of the shoreline and the Island of Fa’Lacree. Don’t forget, he brought Barney to you because you are King!’
‘I see; I see!’ Gunness murmured, almost to himself. Then he looked up at Barney and the Beachcomber, from one to the other. Recovering his composure, he stood and walked across to them. He reached out and, to Barney and Kirlmann’s great relief, he shook them both by the hand.
‘Kirlmann Wader and Barney Gulliver,’ he said, ‘I am sorry if my excessive caution meant that I should have made your reception here more courteous.’
‘An honour to serve Your Majesty,’ Kirlmann declared.
‘Thank you, sir.’ Barney added. Kirlmann and Barney smiled widely. But then the door was opened and in walked the Queen with Ben’Almoran, the Lord Merchant Councillor, and the smiles were wiped away. The Queen frowned when she saw the old man and the boy. She turned haughtily to her husband.
‘What have you got there?’ she demanded; ‘I thought you would have got rid of them by now!’
‘No, my dear,’ the King replied calmly but surely.
‘No?’ echoed the Queen.
‘Exactly so,’ Gunness affirmed. ‘They are my guests. Now pray sit down, Banqua, we have a few matters to sort out.’
Ben’Almoran took a half step forward and started to say something but Gunness stopped him with a word and a flash of his eyes.
The Queen looked rather taken aback. ‘What if I don’t care to sit down?’ she asked defiantly.
‘Just be seated, my dear,’ Gunness replied, in a quiet, firm voice, ‘and listen to what I have to say.’
Barney looked at the floor and shuffled his feet in embarrassment.
The Queen sat down, deflated. She listened as Gunness told again the tale of the Bellmaster and explained the prospects that lay before them. As she listened the hardness in her eyes gave way to doubt and concern. Eventually, when Gunness (with some help from the Bellmaster) had finished, the Queen looked up at Barney and Kirlmann.
‘Perhaps I have been a little hasty in my judgement,’ she said grudgingly to them both.
As glad as he was of the Queen’s change of heart, Barney still wasn’t convinced that he had her trust. However, he was able to mutter something in an embarrassed sort of way, that was meant to be, ‘Don’t mention it.’ Whatever it sounded like, the Queen accepted it with a nod of her head. Kirlmann merely bowed silently.
Angelina ran across to her mother and flung her arms around her neck. ‘Oh, thank you Mother,’ she cried. ‘You can trust Barney and Kirlmann you know. And everything will turn out all right. You’ll see!’
‘I must warn you, Princess!’ the Bellmaster interrupted solemnly; ‘The Danger is going to be great and there is no guarantee that things will turn out well. All I can say is that, before things can start to be restored, the boy Barney will have served the People of Seth well. Beyond that, may heaven preserve us all! ‘
There was a hollow silence in the great room, and a nervous churning in the pit of Barney’s stomach, which he thought everyone else must hear. It was the Beachcomber who broke the silence and loosened the knot.
‘What next?’ he asked with plain simplicity. The others looked at him for a moment, so he continued, ‘What next and when?’
‘Good questions; both!’ replied the Bellmaster, at last; ‘But the answer to them both has to be the same: wait and see!’
‘But what can I be doing in the meantime?’ Barney asked.
Gunness stepped forward. ‘Barney Gulliver,’ he cried. ‘We are forgetting our hospitality.’ He turned to the Lord Merchant Councillor: ‘Ben’Almoran,’ he said, ‘You may make yourself useful on my behalf.’
Ben’Almoran gave the King a self-conscious bow.
‘See that quarters are prepared for our two guests. And make it quick!’
The Councillor bowed again and left the Chamber of State. The King then turned to his daughter. ‘Angelina,’ he said, ‘perhaps you ought to show Barney around the Palace.’
Queen Banqua started to protest, but she caught her husband’s gaze and thought better of it. Angelina eagerly took Barney by the arm and walked him over to the main door. ‘Certainly, Father,’ she smiled.
‘Just see that you’re both back for dinner,’ the King added. Then he turned to Kirlmann Wader. ‘Now what of you, Beachcomber?’ he asked.
I think,’ said the Bellmaster, ‘that I will take charge of the Beachcomber for a while longer. There are items I have which I must trust to his care: they will be vital tools in our task. And, by your leave, Sire, we will meet you again with Barney and the Princess, at supper. Perhaps the Princess might be permitted to show our young friend around the Palace? It would be useful for him to get his bearings in case things do get serious.
‘Very well, Bellmaster,’ Gunness answered, ‘We will see you all later. Go safely.’
So the Bellmaster and the Beachcomber bowed low and made their way from the Chamber of State while Angelina led Barney out into the realms of the Palace.
The Bellmaster led Kirlmann back to his apartment. He took him directly to the cupboard by the fireplace. Opening the door, he reached up to a high shelf and took down a round, carved and lidded, ivory box, and a wand. The wand was of jet-black ebony, about half a metre long, decorated at the top with an ivory mast and sail, about the size of a man’s hand. Around its shaft were three gold rings, and set at the base end, in a golden clasp, was a large jewel that sparkled like fire.
‘This is a vessel dowser.’
‘A what?’
‘A vessel dowser. It was created by the Master Craftsmen, in their workshops, within the High Place. See?’ And the Bellmaster pointed out some delicate scrollwork engraved on the rings. ‘These are their marks; you’ll find the same marks on the Bell. And look here; they’re also on the box. ‘
The Beachcomber looked on it admiringly. ‘It’s exquisite,’ he said.
‘It’s practical, as well,’ added the Beachcomber.
‘Why? What’s it for?’
The Bellmaster unscrewed the lid. ‘It keeps these dry,’ he said. The box was filled with golden crystals, about the size and colour of brown sugar crystals, but drier looking, and shinier.
‘Is it some sort of sand?’ asked the Beachcomber.
‘Not sand; mist crystals. These little treasures will be of great help to you. Let me explain how you must use them … And the vessel dowser. And you’d better be emptying your Beachcombing bag; you’ll be needing something to keep them safe.’
In another part of the Palace, Angelina was leading Barney on a journey of exploration. Corridors, galleries and chambers were revealed, rooms and flights of stairs, all with their exquisite yet simple furnishings and drapes. The influence of the sea was indelibly engraved in the decoration of the palace: chair backs and sides were carved with images of sailing ships, fish and mythical sea beasts; similar motifs were woven into the fabric of upholstery, drapes and curtains. And everywhere there were images of the Bell: golden on a blue background. The largest of these was on the flag, which flew high above the courtyard.
Barney watched the flag flapping in the breeze from a turret room at the front of the palace. He and Angelina had climbed to the top to look out over the rooftops of Seth Haven and down on the Silver River, where it poured its waters into the Great Yonder Ocean, through the gate known as the Seaward Gate. The evening summer sun shone warmly, as it moved, unhurried down across the sky, towards the end of the day.
‘Amazing!’ Barney exclaimed. The breeze from the open window filled his nostrils with the familiar smells of the sea. It was hard to imagine that all of this would not last forever. He was so overwhelmed by the wonders around him, in a world that was so alien to his own.
‘Magic,’ he sighed.
‘What?’
‘Magic,’ he repeated:’ All this,’ he said, gazing from the turret window:’ It’s all magic!
Angelina smiled at him. She took hold of his hand and squeezed it enthusiastically. ‘It is, isn’t it,’ she agreed.Barney smiled back, slightly embarrassed. ‘It must be nearly dinner time,’ he said, putting his hand in his pocket.
Gunness paced the Chamber of State irritably. At least the Bellmaster had given him a breathing space. But where were they now?
And where was that daughter of his?
‘The wretched girl!’ he fumed to himself. ‘Where can she be?’ Dro'Gan, Captain of the Guard, was stood by the main door. Gunness called him over.
‘Captain,’ he ordered, ‘Go check the Bellmaster’s apartments again. See if you can get an answer this time. And if you should see the Princess, tell her I wish to see her! At once!’
Dro’Gan saluted and turned to do the King’s bidding. Hardly had he left the Chamber when Angelina herself appeared through another door.
‘Oh!’ she exclaimed, when she saw the King. ‘Hello daddy! Are you busy?’ Gunness looked at his daughter. She was rather bedraggled. Her robe was soiled and creased, the hem of her garment was wet and her feet were black beneath her sandal straps.
‘Am I busy?’ Gunness seethed; ‘Yes, I’m busy: busy worrying about you! Where have you been?’
‘Oh, just for a stroll around the Palace,’ Angelina replied sweetly.
‘For six hours?’ Gunness arched his eyebrows severely.
‘Well I have been to the library doing some studying, as well.’
The King looked his daughter up and down. ‘Is that where you got your clothes in such a mess?’ Angelina looked down at her garments.
‘Oh,’ she said. ‘I hadn’t noticed that.’
‘We-e-ell?’
‘Oh, yes! I remember! I was walking through the Palace garden when I saw a cat stuck up a tree. I had to cross the flower beds and climb the tree to get the cat down.’
‘Well what a kind girl you are, Angelina!’ cried the King.
‘Oh, it was nothing really,’ Angelina replied.
‘No,’ her father agreed. ‘I’m sure it was nothing.’
‘Why’s that, Papa?’ Angelina looked uncomfortably at her father.
‘Because I’ve only recently spoken to the gardener. He tells me he’s been in the garden nearly all day and he’s had neither sight nor sound of you. So what do you say about that?’
‘Oh!’
‘Now perhaps you’d like to explain again.’
At that moment the drapes across the main door parted and the Captain of the Guard admitted the Bellmaster and his two guests. ‘Perhaps Your Majesty will allow me to explain,’ the Bellmaster interrupted; ‘I think the Princess is protecting me. I’m afraid I allowed the Princess to follow us out of the Palace.’
‘You did what?’ exclaimed Gunness, ‘This is most improper!’
‘Your Majesty,’ the Bellmaster continued; ‘the Princess has been my pupil now for six years. She shows spirit and intelligence: a true successor to the line of Sethmagnus. I know; I can see these things. And I can see that she will serve Your Majesty well in our coming crisis. Please don’t be anxious; the Princess has already served you well today.’
Angelina blinked: She couldn’t see what possible service she had been to anyone.
The King looked sternly at his daughter and then at the Bellmaster. He couldn’t see what service the Princess had been either. And he told them so. ‘And I’m still not convinced that there really is a threat to the Bell!’ he added.
The Bellmaster returned Guinness’s stern gaze. ‘I mean no disrespect, but it would be foolhardy to ignore the possibility of a threat to the Bell.’
‘Then tell me what the threat is then,’ demanded the King.
The Bellmaster paused a moment. ‘Truly, Sire, I can’t yet say.’ He walked across to a window overlooking the courtyard. ‘You look out of this window and what do you see?’ he asked.
‘The courtyard; the city; walls, people ...’
‘Can you see the Ocean?’
‘Why no!’
‘But the Ocean is there?’
‘Well, of course it’s there,’ Gunness replied testily.
‘But you can’t see the Ocean,’ the Bellmaster insisted. ‘No more can I see the danger to the Bell. But I know it’s there. Zedd the Mystic has conjured up a veil of magic against my powers of vision, just as the City walls prevent you from seeing the Ocean. All I have to rely on is my instinct and senses. If Zedd has drawn a curtain around himself and his doings, then you can be sure that there is something momentous going on that he wishes to keep to himself.’
Gunness looked deeply troubled. Angelina went across to him and put her arms around him. ‘What’s the matter, Daddy?’ she asked him tenderly.
Gunness looked down at his daughter then across at the Bellmaster and Barney and Kirlmann. ‘The Eastern Kingdom has prospered from the shores of Fa’Lacree for more than five generations,’ he began. ‘There has been peace and prosperity here and across the realm of the Islands, even as far as the old lands of Seth. We have forgotten the calamitous times that brought Sethmagnus from the old lands to these shores.
‘All we have are legends and lore and a few words inscribed by ‘who knows’ on a bell which has become the talisman of our Kingdom ....’ The King hesitated, lost for a moment. ‘What I’m trying to say,’ he continued, ‘is that perhaps there never was a Battle for Sundown; perhaps Zedd the Mystic was no more than a successful villain who caused the collapse of the Eastern Kingdom by nothing more than piracy; perhaps the Bell is a myth and all the stories were created to embellish the good name of Sethmagnus! After all, who’s ever heard or seen anything of the Ancient of Ancients? And he is supposed to be the Guardian of our Lands!’
The Bellmaster raised an eyebrow at this confession of royal doubt. However, he continued to smile impassively.
‘Are you trying to do me out of a job, Your Highness?’ he asked.
‘Well no!’ the King protested; ‘At the very least, the Bell is an important symbol of peace and stability among the People of Seth. In that respect it is as essential as the crown on my head. I just don’t want to believe that there could be any threat to it all.’
The Bellmaster looked thoughtfully at his King.
‘These are all fair questions, Sire,’ he said; ‘and I’m sure you’re not the only one to ask them. But you can’t bury your head in the sand; doubts and questions will not make the threat go away.’
‘And what about Barney?’ Angelina interrupted.
‘Barney?’ Gunness cast a wary eye in his direction.
‘You must believe that there’s something strange in the way that he came among us? He’s obviously not one of our people; it’s all too much of a coincidence!’
‘So you say, child; so you say.’ Everyone was now looking at Barney and he felt his neck and ears burning hot; and he felt that he had remained silent for long enough.
‘Listen, Your Majesty;’ he said, ‘A few hours ago I was having a pleasant walk along the beach – my beach - before going home to my sisters and my mum and dad. I didn’t ask to come here and I don’t know why I am here. If I’m not back when they expect me, they’ll be worried stiff. I really did get here like I told you all; I really did fall here!’
‘The boy speaks the truth, Sire,’ said Kirlmann Wader, ‘I found him on the beach, just as he says. In fact, thinking about it, there wasn’t a single footprint leading up to the spot where he landed; just a lot o’ fuss in the sand.’
‘You really have no choice but to believe in the Danger, Sire,’ the Belmaster insisted; ‘Very soon now it will be too late.’
Gunness sat down on a high‑backed wooden chair and rested his arms heavily on the armrests. He stared morosely at the floor.
‘You’re right, of course, Bellmaster,’ he said quietly. ‘Much of what I’ve said is because of hurt pride. Kingship has really been little more than a game for me. The Eastern Kingdom and the Merchant Empire of Seth run themselves so well that there is little opportunity for me to exercise true authority. I suppose I feel abandoned by the Ancient of Ancients.’
The Bellmaster looked surprised. ‘Why ever do you feel like that?’ he asked.
‘I’d always imagined that the boy in the prophecy would appear before the heir of Sethmagnus,’ the King lamented: ‘Me,’ he added.
The Bellmaster understood. ‘Ah! I see,’ ‘Look at it this way: trouble cannot far away! Just think back on the history of the Fall of Seth, which I assure you is exactly as it has been told. Zedd has already devastated the old kingdom, and if he succeeds in reaching the shores of Fa’Lacree, then not only will the Bell be at risk, but every life on the Island: especially yours!’
Gunness turned pale.
‘And so,’ the Bellmaster declared, ‘we must gather together every talent under your command! When Barney landed at the feet of Kirlmann Wader, the Ancient of Ancients was bringing the special talents of a Lord of the Shoreline to do your bidding. Kirlmann has his own skills that are essential to the safekeeping of the Bell and the House of Seth: he has a detailed knowledge of the shoreline and the Island of Fa’Lacree. Don’t forget, he brought Barney to you because you are King!’
‘I see; I see!’ Gunness murmured, almost to himself. Then he looked up at Barney and the Beachcomber, from one to the other. Recovering his composure, he stood and walked across to them. He reached out and, to Barney and Kirlmann’s great relief, he shook them both by the hand.
‘Kirlmann Wader and Barney Gulliver,’ he said, ‘I am sorry if my excessive caution meant that I should have made your reception here more courteous.’
‘An honour to serve Your Majesty,’ Kirlmann declared.
‘Thank you, sir.’ Barney added. Kirlmann and Barney smiled widely. But then the door was opened and in walked the Queen with Ben’Almoran, the Lord Merchant Councillor, and the smiles were wiped away. The Queen frowned when she saw the old man and the boy. She turned haughtily to her husband.
‘What have you got there?’ she demanded; ‘I thought you would have got rid of them by now!’
‘No, my dear,’ the King replied calmly but surely.
‘No?’ echoed the Queen.
‘Exactly so,’ Gunness affirmed. ‘They are my guests. Now pray sit down, Banqua, we have a few matters to sort out.’
Ben’Almoran took a half step forward and started to say something but Gunness stopped him with a word and a flash of his eyes.
The Queen looked rather taken aback. ‘What if I don’t care to sit down?’ she asked defiantly.
‘Just be seated, my dear,’ Gunness replied, in a quiet, firm voice, ‘and listen to what I have to say.’
Barney looked at the floor and shuffled his feet in embarrassment.
The Queen sat down, deflated. She listened as Gunness told again the tale of the Bellmaster and explained the prospects that lay before them. As she listened the hardness in her eyes gave way to doubt and concern. Eventually, when Gunness (with some help from the Bellmaster) had finished, the Queen looked up at Barney and Kirlmann.
‘Perhaps I have been a little hasty in my judgement,’ she said grudgingly to them both.
As glad as he was of the Queen’s change of heart, Barney still wasn’t convinced that he had her trust. However, he was able to mutter something in an embarrassed sort of way, that was meant to be, ‘Don’t mention it.’ Whatever it sounded like, the Queen accepted it with a nod of her head. Kirlmann merely bowed silently.
Angelina ran across to her mother and flung her arms around her neck. ‘Oh, thank you Mother,’ she cried. ‘You can trust Barney and Kirlmann you know. And everything will turn out all right. You’ll see!’
‘I must warn you, Princess!’ the Bellmaster interrupted solemnly; ‘The Danger is going to be great and there is no guarantee that things will turn out well. All I can say is that, before things can start to be restored, the boy Barney will have served the People of Seth well. Beyond that, may heaven preserve us all! ‘
There was a hollow silence in the great room, and a nervous churning in the pit of Barney’s stomach, which he thought everyone else must hear. It was the Beachcomber who broke the silence and loosened the knot.
‘What next?’ he asked with plain simplicity. The others looked at him for a moment, so he continued, ‘What next and when?’
‘Good questions; both!’ replied the Bellmaster, at last; ‘But the answer to them both has to be the same: wait and see!’
‘But what can I be doing in the meantime?’ Barney asked.
Gunness stepped forward. ‘Barney Gulliver,’ he cried. ‘We are forgetting our hospitality.’ He turned to the Lord Merchant Councillor: ‘Ben’Almoran,’ he said, ‘You may make yourself useful on my behalf.’
Ben’Almoran gave the King a self-conscious bow.
‘See that quarters are prepared for our two guests. And make it quick!’
The Councillor bowed again and left the Chamber of State. The King then turned to his daughter. ‘Angelina,’ he said, ‘perhaps you ought to show Barney around the Palace.’
Queen Banqua started to protest, but she caught her husband’s gaze and thought better of it. Angelina eagerly took Barney by the arm and walked him over to the main door. ‘Certainly, Father,’ she smiled.
‘Just see that you’re both back for dinner,’ the King added. Then he turned to Kirlmann Wader. ‘Now what of you, Beachcomber?’ he asked.
I think,’ said the Bellmaster, ‘that I will take charge of the Beachcomber for a while longer. There are items I have which I must trust to his care: they will be vital tools in our task. And, by your leave, Sire, we will meet you again with Barney and the Princess, at supper. Perhaps the Princess might be permitted to show our young friend around the Palace? It would be useful for him to get his bearings in case things do get serious.
‘Very well, Bellmaster,’ Gunness answered, ‘We will see you all later. Go safely.’
So the Bellmaster and the Beachcomber bowed low and made their way from the Chamber of State while Angelina led Barney out into the realms of the Palace.
The Bellmaster led Kirlmann back to his apartment. He took him directly to the cupboard by the fireplace. Opening the door, he reached up to a high shelf and took down a round, carved and lidded, ivory box, and a wand. The wand was of jet-black ebony, about half a metre long, decorated at the top with an ivory mast and sail, about the size of a man’s hand. Around its shaft were three gold rings, and set at the base end, in a golden clasp, was a large jewel that sparkled like fire.
‘This is a vessel dowser.’
‘A what?’
‘A vessel dowser. It was created by the Master Craftsmen, in their workshops, within the High Place. See?’ And the Bellmaster pointed out some delicate scrollwork engraved on the rings. ‘These are their marks; you’ll find the same marks on the Bell. And look here; they’re also on the box. ‘
The Beachcomber looked on it admiringly. ‘It’s exquisite,’ he said.
‘It’s practical, as well,’ added the Beachcomber.
‘Why? What’s it for?’
The Bellmaster unscrewed the lid. ‘It keeps these dry,’ he said. The box was filled with golden crystals, about the size and colour of brown sugar crystals, but drier looking, and shinier.
‘Is it some sort of sand?’ asked the Beachcomber.
‘Not sand; mist crystals. These little treasures will be of great help to you. Let me explain how you must use them … And the vessel dowser. And you’d better be emptying your Beachcombing bag; you’ll be needing something to keep them safe.’
In another part of the Palace, Angelina was leading Barney on a journey of exploration. Corridors, galleries and chambers were revealed, rooms and flights of stairs, all with their exquisite yet simple furnishings and drapes. The influence of the sea was indelibly engraved in the decoration of the palace: chair backs and sides were carved with images of sailing ships, fish and mythical sea beasts; similar motifs were woven into the fabric of upholstery, drapes and curtains. And everywhere there were images of the Bell: golden on a blue background. The largest of these was on the flag, which flew high above the courtyard.
Barney watched the flag flapping in the breeze from a turret room at the front of the palace. He and Angelina had climbed to the top to look out over the rooftops of Seth Haven and down on the Silver River, where it poured its waters into the Great Yonder Ocean, through the gate known as the Seaward Gate. The evening summer sun shone warmly, as it moved, unhurried down across the sky, towards the end of the day.
‘Amazing!’ Barney exclaimed. The breeze from the open window filled his nostrils with the familiar smells of the sea. It was hard to imagine that all of this would not last forever. He was so overwhelmed by the wonders around him, in a world that was so alien to his own.
‘Magic,’ he sighed.
‘What?’
‘Magic,’ he repeated:’ All this,’ he said, gazing from the turret window:’ It’s all magic!
Angelina smiled at him. She took hold of his hand and squeezed it enthusiastically. ‘It is, isn’t it,’ she agreed.Barney smiled back, slightly embarrassed. ‘It must be nearly dinner time,’ he said, putting his hand in his pocket.
1 comment:
It's been a long time since I saw Barney in action and it's good to see him back.
Seems Barney's caught between Angelina's interest and King Gunness's distrust. What an awkward place that must be.
Thanks for the visit to my site too. Appreciate it.
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