said grumpily, eyeing him through her tufted white eyebrows. ‘If ‘tis Death Cap, there’s no remedy, none at all. Not even in your fancy hospitals.’
‘Aye, not even them fancy hospitals can banish the Dark Angel,’ croaked Vetchling. ‘He’ll come with his burning eyes if ‘tis Death Cap and no use you fretting.’
‘If you can tell me what this mushroom is, I’ll make sure you’re rewarded.’
‘What with?’ said Starling, still sitting by the fire and apparently unconcerned that her son had tried to kill himself. She shifted her great bulk to break wind. ‘What’ll the reward be?’
‘Oh Goddess, I don’t know! What do you want?’
‘Mead!’ she replied. ‘We want mead and we want it for the Solstice. Three bottles o’ good stuff like you lot have up at the Hall. Strong stuff.’
‘Of course. So—’
‘And pastries and cakes, them special ones they make at the Hall for Yule, with lots o’—’
‘Yes, yes – you can have any food or drink you want! Please, Violet, is it Death Cap?’
She stared at him, her crumpled face malignant.
‘No.’
He stared back.
‘Are you sure?’
‘Aye.’
‘What is it then?’
‘’Tis False Death Cap – not poisonous at all. Stupid girl! She should’ve come to me and I’d have given her Death Cap, no mistakes. Old Violet knows.’
‘Aye, sister, you know Death Cap. Stupid girl – Maizie’s daughter, what do you expect?’
‘Bring the mead in the morning,’ said Starling. ‘And a whole basket o’ cakes and pastries. Send it all up with Jay and he can have a drop o’ mead too.’
Clip turned and stared at her, dizzy with relief that it wasn’t a poisonous mushroom. His heart was hammering in his chest now the terrible tense moment of truth had passed.
‘Your son could’ve died tonight, Starling. Don’t you care at all?’
‘No – a dog’s got more sense than him. And at least a dog can bark.’
She smiled at Clip as he stood there staring at her incredulously. As her lips stretched the crooked brown stumps behind them became visible.
‘I remember you when you were a young man,’ she leered. ‘Not looking too good now, are you?’
Violet leant forward in her rocking chair and to his dismay, placed her gnarled hand on his abdomen.
‘Been hurting, has it? If you need something for it, Violet can help.’
‘Aye, Violet can help,’ cackled Vetchling. ‘For a price, mind you. Nice little remedy to take the pain away, sure enough. We know, we understand. A nice little remedy can make you feel good, so you come to us and forget them fancy hospitals when it gets too bad. Old Violet can help.’
The three of them sat laughing as Clip stumbled out of the stinking cottage and out into the starry Solstice Eve. Once more he was reminded of the crones’ power and it shook him to the core. How on earth had they known about the serpent that writhed in his belly?
15
It was dark in the Stone Circle and people were gradually arriving via the Long Walk, adults in their ceremony robes, children in their tunics and cloaks, all wrapped warmly against the early morning chill of December. Everything was ready; cakes and mead set out on the flat stones around the Altar Stone. Rufus stood with Greenbough next to the great bonfire ready to climb up the ladder to the top, although it was not yet time. The pewter pendants were laid out carefully, ready to be presented to the new adults, and the families had come with the brand new ceremony robes they’d prepared. The stones were beautiful with their Yule decorations: holly, ivy, mistletoe, deer and the golden suns, although it was still far too dark to appreciate them. No sign of dawn yet streaking the south eastern skies.
It was a dark, cloudy morning and Greenbough was whispering instructions to Rufus about using the watch and getting the timing just right, for it looked doubtful that the sun’s rays would be visible with such cloud obscuring the sky. It was a shame; nothing beat the magic of the long golden rays hitting the magus as he stood resplendent in glittering gold robes up on the Altar Stone, chanting in the full glory of the Solstice. But it couldn’t be helped and at least they had the watch and didn’t have to guess. The red-haired boy was very nervous, shaking with fear, and Greenbough put a steadying hand on his shoulder.
‘You’ll be fine, lad – take a deep breath and stay calm. Mind your step on the ladder coming down when you’re holding