hands.' I smiled down at her.
She reached up around my neck and pulled me down for a breathless kiss, then danced away. 'Come on! We've got to tell the Highsmiths.'
I slipped down from the wall and followed after her. When I reached the kitchen she was explaining to the Highsmiths that we knew who had the key.
'When will you be able to get hold of it?' asked Jeff, sipping from a steaming mug of tea.
'As soon as we can get in touch with the person who has care of it,' she told him. 'Except we don't have her number and today is Saturday. The Royal Courts of Justice will be closed.' She looked crestfallen at me.
'Why don't you call her mobile?' suggested James, over a mouthful of pasta.
'We don't have her mobile number,' Blackbird explained. 'I don't even know if she has a mobile.'
'Everyone has a mobile,' he told us, 'even Dad.' This got a wry grin from Jeff.
'Directory enquiries might have the number, but all I have is her name,' Blackbird shrugged. 'It's not enough to get a number.'
We were stumped again. Then I had an idea.
'Mrs Highsmith. I wonder if I might borrow your mirror for a few moments?' I indicated the big mirror over the kitchen sideboard.
'Help yourself.'
I went to the mirror, glancing back at Blackbird. I think she knew what I meant to do, but I recognised the expression of challenge I had seen in the meeting with Claire when I had used the mirror in the Remembrancer's office. I stepped over to the mirror behind Lisa and James, who turned their chairs to watch me.
'I thought you were going to look in it,' Meg Highsmith said.
'I am,' I told her.
I felt for the mirror, dipping below its surface to the grey realm beneath. It was like the other one, still and calm.
I reached within to the well of darkness inside and formed a connection. The mirror turned milky white and the light in the room dimmed. I remembered Claire's face, her neat hair and clipped manner.
'Claire?'
The mirror stayed tense but inert. Then a faint sound emerged, like a stereo that's been left on with nothing playing.
'Claire?' My own voice sounded hollow to me, reverberating in the stillness.
The sound continued. I could feel the connection there, but there was nothing. It was like an empty line.
'Maybe she really doesn't have a mobile phone?' Blackbird murmured into the hollow silence.
I reached over and pressed my palm against the glass. The mirror around my hand took on a pale light spreading outward until the whole mirror pulsed slowly with milky luminescence. Condensation formed on the surface as I pulled at the depths. The light in the room dimmed, the fridge juddered to a stuttering halt and the room temperature dropped about four degrees.
'Claire? Are you there?'
There was hissing, followed by a whine that rose in pitch as if something somewhere were being wound tightly. It twanged like tiny electrical threads were snapping. There was a ticking starting slowly and getting faster and faster until it was a constant buzz and then, suddenly, a ringing tone. The ringing tone was a positive sign, but there was something wrong, I could feel it in the mirror. It felt as if I was over-extended, unbalanced. Cold drops of sweat coalesced on my forehead while the phone rang and rang.
There was a click and a voice echoed around the room. 'Hello? Who is this?'
Behind me, I heard James whispering, 'Neat.'
'Claire? Is that Claire?'
'Yes. This is Claire? Who is this?'
'Claire, it's Niall. We met yesterday. I need to speak to you.'
'I don't know,' Claire said, her echoing voice answering a faint voice in the background. 'I thought it was switched off.'
There was a pause. 'Claire?' Holding the line open was telling on me. I could feel the chill creeping into my hand, numbing my fingers.
'I can't,' I heard her say. 'It won't. Hang on, let me past and I'll take it outside.'
'Claire, can you hear me?' What was she doing?
There was a sound of movement, doors opening and overheard fragments of conversation. I held onto the line, not sure if I would have the strength to reach for her again if the connection failed.
'Hello?'
'Claire. Is that you?'
'This is Claire. Who is this?'
'It's Niall, from yesterday. We met in your office, remember?'
'Oh, Christ. Niall, what are you doing? How are you doing this?'
'I needed to speak with you urgently.'
'Niall. I'm at the hospital. Jerry is here in a private ward.
How did you call me? The phone was switched off because of the hospital and now it won't respond.'
That explained why it was so hard. 'Can you switch it on?'
'I can't do anything with it. What have you done to it?'
'I'll call back in a moment. Switch it on, can you?'
'It won't do anything.'
'Give it a sec. I'll call you back.' I released my hold on the mirror and took my hand away. It shivered as I released it, leaving my handprint outlined with condensation. We watched cold droplets of water run down the glass and coalesce on the edge of the frame. I waited for half a minute and then put my hand back on the mirror. 'Claire?'
This time it rang immediately. Compared to the previous time the connection was effortless.
'Hello?'
'It's Niall.'
'Yes. How did you do that?'
'It's… difficult to explain. Can you talk?'
'Hang on. Let me close the door. I'm in the rest room and you're not supposed to have mobiles on, even in here.'
There was a short pause. 'Go ahead.'
'Is the Remembrancer OK?'
'He's in some sort of coma. They found him after you'd gone, down near the river. He was barely conscious and he hasn't come round since. His wife and daughter are here with him.'
'Do they expect him to recover?'
'They don't know what's wrong with him. They say he muttered something about shadows coming to life when they put him in the ambulance but that was probably just delirium. He's had tests and things and as far as they can tell it's something to do with his heart, but they can't pin it down.'
'What are they treating him with?'
'They don't want to give him anything until they know what they're dealing with. He appeared better after they'd got him to hospital, but then he got worse again overnight. It's like he's just wasting away.'
I glanced at Blackbird, but she just shrugged.
'Listen, Claire, the reason I called you is that we need to get access to the nails for the ceremony? Can you get them for us?'
'I could, but I don't want to leave Jerry.'
'You may have to if we're going to prevent a lot worse happening. Can you get to the nails?'
'If need be. But I don't like leaving him.'
'Don't worry, we'll come to you. Which hospital is it?' If Blackbird could fix my heart, maybe she could do the same for the Remembrancer.
Claire gave me the name of a private hospital that I had last heard reported on the news when one of the royals was ill.
