DEEP WATERS

CHAPTER 12 - Rob

Madge flew south across Manchester, over grey roofs shiny with rain, crossed the Mersey, slowed down over Abney Park and landed in the front garden of 16 Cherrytree Close. She squeezed some rainwater out of her skirt and fluttered up to ring the doorbell.
“Aargh!” shouted Gary, as he opened the door and saw a wet fairy six inches from his nose. “Oh, hello, Madge. Do come in,” he added politely.
Footsteps thundered down the stairs. Laura had pricked her ears up when she heard her dad say, ‘Madge’.
“Oh, wonderful! Did you see them, are they all right, did they send any messages?”
Sally popped her head round a door, took one look at Madge and went to put the kettle on.
“Hello, Laura,” said Madge. “Yes, I saw them. I’ve got pocketsful of letters and oceans of news.”
Laura squeaked with delight, and dived past her dad, to go and tell her friends.
“Put a coat…never mind,” said Gary. “I think we may be about to have some visitors.”

It wasn’t long before Sally’s house was full of people. The sprites hadn’t forgotten anyone, there were letters for them all. Gary was in a bit of a daze.
“I’ve got a letter from an elf,” he muttered to himself. “I’m never going to get used to this, never.”
Everyone enjoyed the sketches Clover had drawn for Aesculus, scenes from their life on camp; Hogweed playing football, Rose in the gym, Dan climbing ropes, Clover herself snuggled up in her bunk, and Ace and Will sweeping snow. Aesculus got very cross. Madge had expanded them so the others could look at them, and he wanted them back.
“Make pictures little again!” he demanded.
“You do it,” said Madge.
“Don’t know how.”
“Look at one - very carefully - then think hard. See it the size you want, in your mind. Go on, have a try.”
Aesculus looked at her dubiously, but he had a go, and screeched with delight when he managed it. Everyone clapped, and Aesculus started jumping round the room, proud to bursting of his new skill. David groaned.
“Come here, Aesculus,” said Madge. “That was very good! But you mustn’t shrink anything without asking first if you may. D’you understand? Ask David first.”
“Ask David? Like, not play outside, till ask David first?”
“That’s right.”
He jumped off again, happily.
“Thanks, Madge,” sighed David.
“What’s the matter?” asked Madge quietly. “Has your letter worried you?”
David looked around the room, at everyone laughing and talking.
“They’ve only told the bad news to me, haven’t they?”
“It looks like it. I’ll come and talk to you later, when it’s quiet. Leave your window open.”

“I wish they hadn’t done it,” he said. “I don’t want them risking their lives to be friends with us!”
“I understand,” said Madge. “It must be hard not to feel protective when we’re all so much smaller. But try to think of it like this - Ace and Will are twenty-seven, they’re fit and strong, they’re trained soldiers and they’ve got every right to take risks for what they believe in.”
“Well, yes, it does sound different when you put it like that. But a war! Is that right, there’s really going to be a war?”
“Unless a miracle happens, yes. I think so.”

“Then your Allies must be ready, too. I’ve had an idea, Madge. I want to try to get all the Allies in touch with each other. How many are there, d’you think?”
“No-one knows. Parliament doesn’t publish information like that. But it’s a wonderful idea, David. How would you do it?”
“I’d start on the Internet. Make a website, with the sign.”
“I can tell you about a few others. Here, and in Norway. Names and addresses.”
“That’s great. And we know one place where there must be some - where the murdered sprites came from. Where was it?”
“I did hear, at the time, but I can’t remember. But that will be easy enough to find out. I’ll have the answer for you by morning. And I’ll tell them, in Norway, about your idea. I’m not sure I understand websites, but I daresay Will does.”
“To be honest, Will worked it out before I did,” smiled David.
“You have your own talents,” said Madge, flying down from the window ledge to look more closely at David’s paintings and drawings propped against the wall.
“Are these what you drew for your exam? They’re beautiful. Why do I like that so much? Oh! Oh, I see what you’ve done.”
“It was crawling around with Aesculus that gave me the idea. Things look so different from a few inches off the ground.”
“A sprite’s-eye view of a tree,” said Madge. “Yes. It’s perfect. That’s just how we see things. When do you get your results?”
“Not till August. If I do well enough in Art, Mum’s going to let me do it at College. But what are you doing next, Madge? Have you got a new job?”
“Yes, I have to go to Liverpool. Listen, David, if Phil turns up here, try to persuade him to come and see me. He’s the one I’m most worried about, now. None of them really realise what they’re up against, and getting elves to take danger seriously is hard enough at the best of times.”
“I had noticed,” smiled David. “I’ll try.”


As they were speaking, Phil was curling up to sleep under a bush at Evesham Station, after another long day of searching. It was where he felt most at home in this strange place, further south than he’d ever imagined, let alone been. He hadn’t seen any other sprites at all, and he hadn’t seen the slightest sign of Rob. He slept fitfully, uneasily, constantly waking from half-remembered dreams. It was as if someone was trying to tell him something, but he couldn’t quite make it out, wasn’t quite tuned in.
When the first train of the morning slid importantly out of the station, Phil jumped quietly across the deserted platform and found a left-behind drink that was still quite hot. Then he criss-crossed the town, as he had done for so many days, checking his messages. He’d chalked the same message on walls all over the place, ‘Rob Royden, if you see this, wait here’, concentrating on bus-shelters and covered archways, anywhere a homeless person might take a little shelter. But once again, there was no-one there.
Time after time his heart sank. He checked along the riverside, where trees and water might have tempted his friend, and looked carefully around every oak tree. He searched the parks, and the orchards around the town, where plums and apples were growing. Late in the day, he climbed wearily up Green Hill, his eyes roaming round in search of anyone who looked lost or lonely. He sat down beneath the monument.
“It’s no use,” he whispered sadly. “He’s gone. Just look how many roads there are out of this place! He could have gone anywhere. I’ll never find him, never. Oh, Rob, where are you?”

His head sank onto his knees in despair. He knew Rob wasn’t there, but he just didn’t know what to do next. He sat like that for a long time, but then looked up, quickly. He’d heard voices. Elf voices. Two elves were walking towards him across the grassy hilltop.
“Who are you?” one of them demanded.
Phil stood up. At least they’d be someone to talk to.
“My name’s Phil. I’m not stopping. I’m looking for someone, that’s all. Someone who’s lost.”
“What, an elf?” said the other one. “That’s terrible. What does he look like?”
“That’s the trouble,” said Phil. “At the moment, he looks like a human.”
Phil didn’t see the quick look they gave each other. He was gazing down at the town.
“You’re in luck, then. Finding people is our job. What makes you think he’s here?”
“You won’t believe this, but he was kidnapped. Brought here, transformed, and abandoned.”
They were both grinning at him, and slowly Phil realised something was wrong. Badly wrong.
“So it is you. You’re coming with us. You’re the little rat who betrayed his gang.”
“What if I am?” said Phil, thinking fast. “That’s not against the law. Are you police? You don’t look like it. Where’s your wristbands?”
They both spat in disgust, and grabbed Phil by the arms.
“We’re not the stinking army. You betrayed a friend of ours, and soon you’ll be very sorry you did. Come on, march!”
Oh, great, thought Phil. Special Brigade. Now what?

What would Ace do, he wondered, and the answer came to him. Lull them into a false sense of security. He relaxed his arms, and stopped struggling.
“If I can’t find Rob, I don’t care what happens to me,” he said, and walked sadly between them, with his head down.
After a while, he could feel the tightness of their grip getting looser, very slowly, as they relaxed.
“Where are you going?” asked Phil listlessly.
“To the nearest Hollow Hill, for now. Someone who’s in prison because of you, worked out who you really are. And where you would have gone. So now we know your real name, Phil Royden, we can find out what else you’re wanted for.”
Oh, this is getting better and better, thought Phil. I hope no-one’s found out about those forms yet. If they have, I’m dead. I’ve just got to escape. If they aim for the station, I might just be in with a chance.
It was the station. They bundled him onto the south-bound platform, and hid behind a pillar. One of them was watching the humans, alert in case they had to move. One was watching the track, looking out for a train. Phil raised his head a couple of times. He was careful to look dejected, but each time his eyes eagerly scanned the electronic arrivals screens. The next train on this platform was 16.42. But on the north-bound platform, it was 16.38. All he had to do was jump across the track.

It was a long jump, but he thought he could do it. And he’d better wait until the train had started moving, to be sure they couldn’t follow him. As the train pulled in on the other platform, Phil let himself sag even more miserably, though his mind was tight with concentration. He listened for the doors slamming shut, and the sound of the train beginning to move off. Suddenly, he jerked into a huge jump, tearing his arms from his captors’ surprised grasp, and landed smack on the train roof. He was winded, but he couldn’t resist cheekily waving goodbye. Ace would have done, he felt sure.
His hands gripped the roof tightly as the train gathered speed. His long hair streamed behind him, and his spirits soared. He’d escaped! He wasn’t sure where he was going - Worcester, probably - but he was on a train, and that was enough fun in itself. Phil loved trains as much as Will did. He thought back fondly to the months he’d lived at Chester Station. What company the trains had been, how their cheerful comings and goings had given a pattern to the day. Then his heart gave a great leap, and he let out a screeching yell.
“Chester, you idiot! Rob’s gone to Chester! He hasn’t a clue what I’ve been doing - he’s looking for me!”

He wasn’t tired any more, he wasn’t thirsty, he was on fire. He’d solved his mystery, and he knew where to go. And how to get there was no puzzle to Phil. When his train arrived at Worcester, he jumped on another to Birmingham. That was a huge station, but Phil wasn’t daunted. He watched and listened until he knew which platform he wanted, and the train was so empty he felt safe hiding inside a carriage. It was very late when the lights of Chester Station came into view. Phil looked around him, gladly. It felt like coming home.
He’s here, I know he is, Phil thought. There was hardly anyone about. The station staff were locking up, closing things down for the night. Phil crossed the roof and went down into the street outside. A taxi was standing with its engine running, and a sheet of newspaper was blowing about in the wind. Phil flitted from shadow to shadow, then stopped dead, his heart pounding. There was someone asleep in a doorway. Someone in ragged clothes, that Phil recognised. He’d made them.

He breathed a deep sigh of joy and was about to wake him, when he had a thought. It was safe to transform people back, while they were asleep. Will had done that for Ace. He was brimming with energy, he knew he could do it. The skin, so much lighter than his, the pale brown of an acorn. The strong hands, the streaks so straight and solid, the kind, dark eyes. They were still closed, though. Phil knelt down by Rob, now an elf again, and very lightly stroked his face with one finger, to wake him up. Rob’s eyes fluttered, and he smiled at Phil.
“Dreaming,” he said. “Always dream I’ll find you. Good dream.”
“It’s not a dream, Rob,” said Phil. “You’ve found me. And I’ve found you. Look, it’s over. You’re an elf again.”
Rob yelled with shock, and they dived for cover as the taxi driver peered curiously in their direction. They both started laughing then, just looking at each other. Then it tippled over into tears, tears of joy, as they flung their arms round each other, re-united at last.
They talked for hours, wandering happily around the deserted station, then fell asleep in the long grass opposite Platform Two. When they woke up, Phil went foraging, and found a real treat, half a can of coke. They sat in the sun, talking again, trying to catch up on all the news.

“It’s like more’s happened to us in the last year than in the rest of our lives put together,” said Rob. “And Dahlia’s really in prison?”
“Yes, and half our people with her.”
“And all thanks to you. What you’ve done is just awesome. I didn’t deserve it, Phil. I let you down, and I’m so sorry.”
“No, you didn’t. No way. It’s me that should be saying sorry, for ever thinking you could have done it. And I did, Rob. I really believed you had.”
“What it is, neither of us was thinking straight. If I’d had my wits about me, I’d have noticed sooner you weren’t there, and got away before Dahlia even thought about locking me up. But it had only been a couple of weeks since our trees were killed. We weren’t ourselves.”
“You might be right there. But I can’t believe I wasted so long at Evesham. I should have known you’d come here.”
“You weren’t far behind me. It took an awful long time to get here.”
“And you walked all that way? Even as a human, that’s very impressive.”
“It was interesting, being a human for a bit. They’re a lot nicer than I thought they were. D’you know, some of them gave me things. Food, sometimes, or money to buy it with. So kind.”
“What’s it like, eating?” asked Phil curiously.
“Horrible,” Rob shuddered. “You don’t want to think about it. But to be honest, I didn’t walk every step of the way. One day, I got a lift. On the back of a motorbike. Oh, Phil, that was brilliant. Even flying couldn’t be better.”
Phil laughed. “Yeah, I can just see you with a motorbike. I remember you fixing Mrs. Simpson’s lawnmower for her, up to your elbows in oil and grease.”
“She was good to us. It was nice to help her. But so many people hate them! I didn’t realise how bad things were.”
“Parliament won’t rest until we’ve cut ourselves off from them completely.”
“Yeah…I don’t know how to say this, Phil, but d’you think we ought to be doing something about it? Don’t laugh, but I was wondering, you know, if we ought to go and join the army.”
Phil did laugh, joyfully.
“Now that I’ve found you, there’s nothing in the world I want more. You serious? Good. Shake on it, we’re going. I’m so glad you want to go too, because I sort of promised I would.”
“Listen to you! Where’s all that shyness gone? You’ve changed a bit, Phil. And you look so different, too. How come you’ve got long hair?”
“Ah, well, that’s another story. For seven months, I lived further down the line, at a wildside in Cheadle. I learned so much there…they gave me the courage to come and find you.”
“Who were they?”
“An awesome army major called Madge Arley, and loads of nice humans, and the Moseleys. It was all of them, and you’re going to meet all of them some day, but mostly it was Ace and Will. They’re twins, and they are just something else…”

Phil told him all about it, and Rob felt very humble.
“So you could have gone already, and with people like that? But you came to find me, instead?”
“You bet! And I told them they’d have to watch out when we arrived. I can’t wait to see them again. We have to get our team together, join up with Lily and find Camellia. But I need to go to Cheadle first, Rob. I have to let them know I’ve found you, and we’re OK. D’you want to come, or d’you want to stop off at Delamere on the way?”
“ ’Course I’ll come. I want to see this place, and meet them all. Anyway, d’you think I’d let you out of my sight again?”
“Listen, oak-brain, I don’t need looking after. Think I’m too small to take care of myself, do you?” grinned Phil, and pounced on him.
In a moment, they were rolling around, scrapping. Rob won, of course, like he always did, but that didn’t matter. It felt good. Just like old times.

Rob watched and listened in wonder when he got to Cheadle. To be greeted so warmly, by so many humans, as if he was a long-lost friend, was amazing enough, but to see Phil so happy and confident with them was astonishing. And yet, he was still himself.
He’s grown up, that’s what it is, he thought. Perhaps I have, too. It’s been a hard year, but I wouldn’t go back.
When David tried to persuade them to go to Liverpool, Phil wasn’t very impressed.
“Madge just wants to bully us into lying low,” he explained. “We can’t do that, there’s too much to do!”
“But they’re still after you, Phil!”
“Oh, I know. They nearly got me, two days ago. Dahlia must have worked out who I really was. But I escaped, didn’t I?”
“They know your real name?” gasped David. “You’d better read this.”
He showed them Ace’s letter, and Phil looked a bit thoughtful.
“So they know about the forms, then. Well, it was bound to come out one day.”
“You don’t sound very surprised.”
“Well, I knew about Special Brigade, and the murders, when I signed them. I didn’t say anything, because Madge didn’t, but honestly, David, everybody knows that. Everybody except the Moseleys, that is.”
“You knew! You knew all along! Bonkers. I knew Ace couldn’t tell the difference between brave and daft, but I thought you could. Was he always like this?” he asked Rob.
“No,” said Rob, “and yet, you know, it was there. Just waiting to come out. But I can’t go to Liverpool. Not yet. I didn’t jump off that train, I fell off it. I didn’t realise how out of condition I am. I can’t go anywhere easily until I can jump properly again. I have to get fit.”
“That’s a point,” said Phil. “So how about this for a plan? I’ll go to Liverpool, and see what Madge wants. You stay here, and get fit. Get loads of exercise.”
“On my own?”
“Oh, no,” grinned Phil. “There’s someone here you haven’t met yet. It’d do him the world of good to spend a week or so with another elf, he’d learn a lot. Where is he, David?”

David grinned.
“That’s a brilliant idea. That’s the only thing that worries me, that he spends too much time doing human things. He’s watching television with Adam.”
“Watching television! How can he? Elves can’t do that!”
“He can. I don’t know how. Maybe because he started so young.”
“Flipping heck. Have you told Ace and Will?”
“No chance. They’d go mad. I’ll give him a shout. Aesculus! Come here a minute, will you?”
“What, David? Was watching Spiderman!”
“Never mind Spiderman. Say hello to Rob. He’s Phil’s friend, and he’s coming to stay with us for a while.”
Aesculus rushed to Phil and hugged him, then turned and stared at Rob, his eyes wide.
“Very big elf,” he said.
Rob crouched down, and smiled.
“Is that better? You’re a horse chestnut, aren’t you? Well, I’m an oak. That’s why I’m tall. You’ll be tall too, one day.”
“Taller than Ace?”
Rob didn’t know the answer to that, but Phil did.
“Oh yes,” he laughed. “Much taller. I bet he’s really looking forward to that.”

David was trying not to laugh. He hadn’t realised it mattered so much to them, differences in height that to him seemed too tiny even to notice.
“Listen, Aesculus,” he said, “how would you like to go off with Rob for a few days? Do lots of elf-things?”
Aesculus wasn’t sure. They’d warned him so much about not talking to strange elves, he was feeling a bit confused.
“Phil come too?” he asked.
“Yeah, all right,” said Phil, understanding. “I’ll come for a day or two. You’re important, too. I want to see how good you’re getting at jumping.”
“Better than I am at the moment, I’ll bet,” groaned Rob.
He tried to jump onto David’s window ledge, and only just managed it.
“Hey, “ he said, looking out, “what a tree. That’s the most beautiful horse chestnut I’ve ever seen, anywhere. Fantastic.”
Aesculus jumped up to join him.
“That’s my tree,” he said proudly, though of course Rob had already guessed as much. That was why he’d said it.
“Is it? You lucky elf. Will you show it to me properly?”
“Yes. I show you my tree. Come with me, Rob, let’s go now.”


A few days later, Phil finally found the place he was to meet Madge, a dank-looking garden behind a house in a shabby street. There wasn’t a tree in sight, but the hard earth had a fine crop of flower seedlings, where someone had valiantly planted and watered. Madge spotted Phil straight away when he arrived.
“Phil! Still alive, then. Good. Are you on your own? Did you find Rob?”
“Yes, Madge. I found him. But I’ve left him in Cheadle. He’s not fit, so he’s gone off with Aesculus, to get a bit of exercise, while I came on here. It’s a bit of a dump, this, isn’t it?”
“It’s heartbreaking. The poor little mite. You should hear her talking to her seeds. But they’ll grow for her, all right. I’ll make sure of that. But how are you? Is everything all right now?”
“Everything’s wonderful. He’s changed, Madge. He’s suffered so much, he seems older and wiser, but nothing’s changed between us.”
“Well, you’ll have changed too, you know. It hasn’t exactly been easy for you, either.”
“I suppose not. I bumped into a couple of heavies from Special Brigade the other day. Got away, though.”
“Good gracious. Where was this?”
“Evesham. Yes, they know who I am, now.”
“Oh, drat them. I was hoping they wouldn’t find that out! Did David show you Ace’s letter?”
“Yes, but it wasn’t a big surprise. I’m not a Moseley, remember. I was educated.”
“So you knew? I did wonder. How on earth are we going to keep you safe?”
“Now listen, Madge, I’m not hiding! I’ve got work to do. Think how many lost people there still are! Camellia, for one, and Primrose, too.”
“You don’t have to worry about that! The army’s on to that. Trained people…Heather herself is looking for Primrose.”
“Well, OK, that’s different. She’ll do better than I could. But Camellia - no way. How could I possibly show my face in Norway with one of our own fairies still missing? D’you think Ace would have gone if Clover was missing?”
“She’s that close?”
“Yes. That close. I have to, and if I didn’t, Rob would.”
“I understand,” Madge sighed.

Phil relaxed. Madge might be a bit of a fuss-pot, but she knew there were some things you just had to do, no matter what.
“Will you tell them, Madge, in Norway, that I’ve found Rob? Can they do messaging now?”
“Clover can. And so can Ace and Will. Yes, I’ll tell them for you.”
“I wish I could do it, and speak to them myself,” sighed Phil. “It seems so long until I’ll see them.”
“Well…goodness knows you deserve it. It’s highly irregular, but you’re practically in the army already, so I’ll do the best I can for you. What’s the time? About three, I think, so it’ll be four, there. That’s often a quiet time of day.”
Madge sat still, with her hands on her lap, focussing her thoughts, concentrating on the Tree, and on who she wanted to speak to. She thought very gently at first. Ace was very inexperienced, and she didn’t want to startle him if he was in a precarious position, on a rope or halfway up a rockface. But she was in luck. Ace was a bit bored, and tuned in straight away.
Ace, Major Arley.
Oh, hi Madge! How’re you doing?
I beg your pardon?
OK, OK, good afternoon, Major.
That’s better. I’m in Liverpool, and so is Phil.
Phil! Oh, cool. Did he find him?
Yes. They’ve had a hard time, but all’s well.
Brilliant. Tell him I’m so glad, and we’re really looking forward to meeting Rob.
Phil says, ‘Is Will there?’
Well, not exactly. He’s sort of, inside, and I’m sort of, outside. He’s a bit busy at the moment. I’m just keeping lookout for him.
Why? Are you up to something you shouldn’t be?
I s’pose you could put it like that. But taking the broad view, it’s all for the good of the cause in the end…
Ace Moseley, where exactly are you?
Outside the restricted materials storeroom.
And Will’s inside it? What’s he after?
You won’t tell, will you? Silicon.
I won’t ask what for. I probably wouldn’t understand the answer anyway. Just tell me one thing - does Gran know what you’re up to?
Oh, not officially. He didn’t say we could. But he did sort of wink a bit. But what’s the message? Tell me, and I’ll pass it on.
It’s about Aesculus. Apparently he can watch television with no ill-effects. Phil wants to know if Will knows why, and if he thinks Aesculus is doing himself any damage.
He can watch television! Oh, the jammy little effort! Oh, that is so not fair…oh, rats, here’s a guard coming…I mean, excuse me, Major, can you get back to us?

Madge had made her house behind a heap of bricks overgrown with nettles. It was rather a gloomy spot, but once they were inside, it looked exactly like her house on Wildside.
“I always do them the same,” she told Phil. “Helps you feel at home when you’re always on the move. Let’s have some tea while we wait.”
She gave them half an hour, then this time, tried to contact Will.
I reckon it’s psychological, not physical, said Will.
Explain in words of one syllable, please, Will.
Well, we know goblins can do it. And now we know babies can. What’ve they got in common? Simple thought processes. They can, because they don’t think they can’t.
So there’s no danger?
Shouldn’t be. The only danger is that he might grow out of it. But Ace reckons if it’s all in your mind, you should be able to beat it, and he’s looking forward to trying it.
Rather him than me. And did you manage to nick what you wanted?
Yep. General Széchenyi’s going to get her computer after all. We’ll just have to keep it secret. But I need something to do in Advanced Maths, it’s getting boring.
Hmm. What’s the penalty for illegal technology?
Five years, isn’t it?
Roll on the day when we can rip up the law books and scatter the pieces in Wielkopolska Lake.
This’ll bring it nearer, Madge, I promise you. How’s David?
Glad his exams are over, and working on a new project. He’s trying to get in touch with all the other Allies.
Brilliant! Have you told him he might be the last one ever?
No! Because he won’t be!
That’s the stuff. Take care, Madge.

“Cheer up,” Madge told Phil. “It won’t be long, really, before you’re there too. And it’s not everyone who gets a message from the Commander before he even arrives.”
“What do you mean?”
“The Army Council were extremely concerned about the disappearances. They know who put a stop to it, in Delamere. Commander Biagioni herself gave me this message for you. ‘Tell him, please, Madge’ she said, ‘that we are very grateful for his efforts, and that if he and his friends should wish to join the army, no-one will receive a warmer welcome’. And she gave me something for you. Hang on while I find it, it’s in my basket.”
“Why on earth do you fly around with that thing, Madge? Wouldn’t a backpack be easier?”
“I suppose so, but I’ve got used to it now. Old-fashioned, I know, but that’s me. Oh, here it is, good. Right, stand up then, and look smart. I’ve never given anyone a medal before, so I hope you’re not expecting a speech.”
“A medal!” said Phil. “You’re joking!”
“ ’Course I’m not joking.”
Phil stared as she opened the box and showed him the beautiful medal. Then she gently lifted it out and pinned it to his jacket.
“For courage, Phil,” she whispered. “For outstanding courage.”