A little distance from the wagon, Laughing Jack had made comfortable arrangements for his evening meal.
Bread, fruit, cheese and some sort of sausage lay on a platter near a small camping stove. A plump red sack had been placed in front of the platter, for a seat. All of this was protected from the spray of the waterfall by a huge red and white striped umbrella.
No doubt that umbrella once stood over the market stall of one of his victims, Lief thought.
He realised that his fists were clenched, and forced himself to relax. The important thing now was to find the Belt. Everything else had to wait.
Laughing Jack filled a kettle from the bucket. He lit the stove and set the kettle upon the flames. Then he sat down with a satisfied sigh, and helped himself to bread and sausage.
‘He can still see the wagon,’ Jasmine whispered. ‘We will never get to it unseen, even under Lief’s cloak.’
‘You will if I will distract him,’ Steven answered.
Alerted by the grim tone of his voice, Lief glanced at him uneasily. Dark shadows were moving in the golden eyes. Steven’s brother, Nevets, was very aware of what was happening.
My brother and I have long looked forward to meeting Laughing Jack…
‘Steven, take care,’ he pleaded. ‘Before—before anything else happens, I must find the Belt.’
Steven gritted his teeth. ‘I know that,’ he said.
He stepped out from behind the rock, put his hands in his pockets and walked casually forward.
‘Good evening, sir!’ he called. ‘A fine night, is it not?’
Laughing Jack stiffened. Slowly he turned his head.
‘Did I startle you?’ Steven said cheerily, strolling towards him. ‘I beg your pardon. I thought you had surely heard me coming, but the waterfall is very noisy, of course.’
Laughing Jack made no reply.
Steven paced admiringly around the striped umbrella. ‘Why, you are set up very nicely here!’ he exclaimed. ‘May I join you?’
He sat down on the other side of the stove. Laughing Jack was forced to turn away from the wagon to keep him in view.
‘Now,’ Lief breathed.
He drew Jasmine close to him and wrapped her in his cloak. Together they began to creep towards the wagon.
‘This waterfall is a fine sight indeed,’ Steven said. ‘It takes my mind from my troubles.’
‘Troubles?’ murmured Laughing Jack, leaning forward slightly.
‘Indeed,’ Steven sighed. ‘The cart I use to take my goods to market is quite worn out, and I have no gold to buy another. People say I should sell the jewels my old aunt left me. But I do not want to do that. They have been in my family for generations.’
‘Ah!’ Laughing Jack leaned forward even further. ‘Well, well. What a fortunate chance that we met. I may be able to help you.’
Lief smiled wryly. Steven had all the moneylender’s attention now. No doubt Laughing Jack thought he had found a perfect victim.
The horses did not look around as Lief and Jasmine approached. Blinkers shielded their eyes, and their heads hung low. Straining against their heavy harness, they were trying to lick water from the rock.
Lief’s heart ached for them. After this is over, we will help you, he promised them silently.
As though he had spoken aloud, one of the horses on the far side lifted its head. Fearful that it would make a sound, Lief tightened his grip on Jasmine and slipped quickly around to the back of the wagon.
He eased the door open, hoping against hope that it would not creak.
Steven and Laughing Jack were still talking.
‘There is nothing I like better than helping those less fortunate than myself,’ Laughing Jack was saying. ‘Why I live to do good. And you seem such a worthy fellow. Let me lend you the money for your cart! How much do you need? Twenty gold coins? Fifty?’
‘Fifty!’ Steven exclaimed. ‘Why, with fifty I could put a new roof on the house as well!’
‘All the better!’ cried Laughing Jack. And Lief could almost see his skull’s grin broadening.
The cart door was now fully open. Lief and Jasmine looked inside.
A mattress covered by a glorious patchwork quilt took up most of the floor space. Around the walls, baskets of food and valuable objects of all kinds were stacked to the roof. An empty honey jar had rolled into the corner nearest the door.
But there was no sign of Zerry.
‘Where is he?’ Jasmine breathed.
Lief shook his head helplessly.
Zerry was not in the cart. And he knew that the Belt was not there either. If it was, he would feel it.
He began to close the cart door. As he did, a scrap of paper fluttered from a fold in the quilt and landed on the floor. Jasmine picked it up and glanced at it. Her eyes widened in horror.
She thrust the note at Lief.
14 – Choices
Understanding broke over Lief in a wave of burning heat. He stumbled away from the wagon, hardly knowing what he did. He heard Jasmine gasp out his name, but he did not turn. He could not face the horror in her eyes.
The Belt was gone—gone with Zerry, down, down into the terrible throat of The Funnel. Perhaps only minutes before they arrived.
That is why I can still feel it, he thought. That is why I was so sure…
Blindly he stared at the thundering waterfall, the greedy, swirling water beneath.
Zerry, whatever he had been promised, had only been a puppet—a puppet used ruthlessly by people far more powerful, far more wicked, than himself.
He had just been someone who could steal the Belt. Someone who could carry it safely, as a true servant of the Shadow Lord could not.
Someone who could be disposed of as easily as a scrap of paper or an empty honey jar.
‘So,’ Laughing Jack was saying loudly. ‘All you have to do is sign this paper, my good fellow, and your troubles are over.’
Slowly Lief turned his head to look at the evil man who could kill a boy, amuse himself by tormenting his horses, then calmly sit down to eat his dinner.
Laughing Jack was holding a piece of parchment in one hand and a small money bag in the other. He shook the bag. The coins inside jingled invitingly.
‘I fear I am not much of a one for reading,’ Steven said, staring blankly at the paper.
‘Oh, this is nothing!’ The thin man flapped the parchment casually. ‘Just a few words saying that Laughing Jack lent you fifty gold coins. It proves you came by the money honestly, do you see? You would not like anyone to think you had stolen it, would you?’
‘No indeed!’ Steven said earnestly.
‘Excellent!’ said Laughing Jack. ‘Now, I think I have a pen here…’
He put the parchment on his knee, and bent to look inside his coat.
Instantly Steven glanced up. He saw Lief standing staring at him, and his eyes seemed to flash. Immediately he looked back to Laughing Jack, his teeth bared in a savage grin.
Too late, Lief realised that he had given no sign of what had happened. Steven thought they had found the Belt, and that now he could deal with Laughing Jack.
The moneylender had brought out a large pen and a bottle of black ink. Carefully he took the lid from the bottle, and dipped the pen into it.
‘Now,’ he said, his hand hovering over the parchment. ‘Your name?’
Steven’s grin broadened. ‘Hank Modestee,’ he said softly.
Laughing Jack grew very still.
‘Ah—you have heard my name before, I see,’ Steven said, still in that same, dangerously quiet voice. ‘Perhaps you have also heard of my aunt—Dame Henstoke?’
‘Who are you?’ Laughing Jack hissed.
The next instant, his long legs were kicking out, and the stove and the kettle were crashing onto his enemy.
Pen, paper and ink bottle went flying as he sprang to his feet. He kicked the red bag he had been using as a seat, sending it rolling towards The Funnel. Then he bent double and scuttled towards the wagon like a great, lanky, four-legged spider, so fast that he seemed a blur.