Devil's Rock - Chris Speyer [69]
‘Wait here,’ Maunder ordered his followers. ‘You, come with me.’
‘Where are we going?’ I tried to sound forceful but my voice shook.
‘Ye’ll see.’
I began to follow Maunder around a boulder that sat like a ball in front of the cliff.
‘I’ll need a fire,’ I said, stopping, ‘to brew the potion that will give you my powers.’
Maunder retraced his steps and stood glaring down at me. Then he turned to his men. ‘Light two of the torches.’
A taper, lighted from a lantern, was held to each torch until it burst into spluttering flame.
‘Give one to me and one to the girl.’
‘Tell your men to leave,’ I said imperiously.
‘I don’t follow your bidding. You’ll do as I say. Last night you did change yourself to a fiend from hell. Heaven knows what dark powers you may possess. These men will wait until we both come out. If you should come out without me, they have orders to kill you.’ And again I heard Crab’s demonic giggle.
Now I saw how stupid I had been. A rogue like Maunder does not survive without being cunning. I was a fool to think he could be tricked so easily. Even if I could persuade him to take the poison I had prepared, I would not escape with my life.
Maunder led the way into the low mouth of a cave behind the boulder, the shadows twisting and leaping in the light from our flaming torches. Once inside, I saw we were in a passage, partly the work of nature, partly hewn by human hands. Soon rough steps climbed upwards and then we entered a chamber with a soft sandy floor. Around the walls were piled sea chests, boxes and oak casks that I assumed contained liquor. Here was Maunder’s treasure trove – that part of the plunder that he hid from Stapleton.
Maunder threw back the lid of one of the chests, revealing silver tableware, ornaments, jewellery, and candlesticks, all jumbled together.
‘Do right by me, maid, and a share of what you see could be yours.’ He slammed the lid shut. ‘Cross me and I’ll slit yer throat!’ He unsheathed his knife and ran his thumb menacingly across its sharp edge. In the confines of the cave, the man seemed huge, taking up all the space, breathing all the air, his monstrous shadow dancing across the rough walls and ceiling behind him. How could I possibly prevail against him? What hope had my puny plan? I was in despair. All was lost. I was too young, too weak, too small. Why was there no one to help me? I felt again my mother’s hand slipping from my grasp. I closed my eyes and saw her gentle, smiling face. Then anger and hatred boiled up inside me. Here was the man who wrecked our boat and caused her to drown. Here was the man who killed both my parents and drove my sister mad with grief. He, Maunder, had done this. He must pay for what he had done!
‘Lay your torch on the floor!’ I commanded.
Maunder looked surprised, but slowly did as he was bid.
‘Sit against the wall.’
I laid my torch by his and placed the pot between them. The smoke began to fill the air, lit eerily by the flickering flames. I tipped the bones and horns from my sack on to the sand then threw off my hood and cloak, revealing, for the first time, my painted face and witch’s hair. I snatched up the skull and leg bone and began to walk slowly around the fire, tapping the bones and chanting the numbers one to ten in Singhalese, hoping that to Maunder it sounded like a mystical incantation. Time to create some phantasms; I would start with a snake.
In my mind, I pictured a huge, writhing python. As soon as I had all the details clear in my head, the serpent appeared sliding across the cave floor. I sent it slithering towards Maunder, who cried out and struck at it with his knife, but I turned it into a hundred crawling spiders that swarmed across his legs. Then the spiders became a cloud of bats that rose up and flapped their leathery wings around his head, forcing him to crouch, striking out in all directions. Next I pictured a snarling tiger that pinned Maunder to the wall. Its roars echoed about the chamber, to which I added my screams as I leapt through the smoke in a frenzied