: 5 - A Shining Sword
…His clothes were baggy with lots of lace and ribbons, and his hair was long, black and curly. He looked like some terrible pirate. But although his eyes glinted blackly at Will, his voice became very weary…
In his exploration of the big house Will encounters a huge man who slides to the floor then vanishes. Is he a ghost?
Mary and Brian Tatterfield’s children’s tale is a constant enchantment. Read the next episode in tomorrow’s Open Writing.
The well-illustrated book The Whitley Marble is published by Sarisberie Publishing, The Street, West Clandon, Surrey, GU4 2ST, England.
Once more he found himself chasing them, round the door and down a long dark corridor. Ahead of him lay a flickering pool of light in the darkness, and in the light he could see a long sword propped against a chair, shining.
The light was coming from a room to the left. He slowed down, and nervously called, “Matty, are you there, Matty?”
A huge shadow moved into the pool of light, and a deep voice boomed, “Is that you boy? Come quick, don’t let them find me here!”
Will rounded the door and saw that the huge shadow belonged to an equally huge man, who was leaning against a mantel over a fireplace in which a great fire burned. He was dark and red in the fire glow, like a massive statue that Will had seen from a long time ago.
His clothes were baggy with lots of lace and ribbons, and his hair was long, black and curly. He looked like some terrible pirate. But although his eyes glinted blackly at Will, his voice became very weary.
“Where’s the water, boy?” Can’t you see I need water?”
He held his right hand to his side as if in pain, and looked as though he would slide to the floor. Will stumbled forward to help, but the mighty figure fell, and as he fell he vanished. No sound marked his fall, but little clouds of dust rose wisping into the air.
Will sat shakily down on a chair. All this appearing and disappearing was getting too much for him.
What did it all mean – these things changing and melting all the time, these people who spoke to him, and didn’t wait to hear his answers? Hide-and-seek was fun, and Matty and Jack were nice. But the big man falling was somehow not fun at all, and how could such a huge man just vanish into thin air?
Where they all ghosts, he suddenly thought with a cold shudder? Was this a ghost house? But when he stamped his foot on the floor it was hard enough and his stamp echoed.
Then he remembered what Jack had said about a Black Dick. Was that who the big man was? Black Dick! He wished Jack was there to ask. “If I shut my eyes,” he thought, “maybe they’ll come back. Or better still maybe it will all disappear, and I’ll be back at home with my marbles.”
So he sank wearily back and shut his eyes for a moment, but when he opened them he was in exactly the same place, except that the fire was now ashes in the grate. Above where it had blazed and where the big man had rested his mighty hand was a large mark. A large, red mark, four fingers and thumb! It looked sticky somehow.
Will shot through the door, and blundered through yet another, not caring where he went as long as he got away from that horrible sight.
