they broke into cheers. Jamie joined in. He knew that if Scott had been here, he would have found the food. That was how he had always been, scavenging for himself and Jamie whenever anything was needed. The more he thought about it, the more it seemed to him that Scott and Flint were one and the same – just as he and Sapling were more or less identical. It was impossible, of course. But then so was everything else.
The survivors must have been as weary as Jamie but somehow they found new strength. First they made a great bonfire out of scattered weapons, branches from the forest and their own catapult, which they dismantled and fed to the flames. They spread out cloths and carpets in front of the tents. Then they unloaded the wagons and distributed the supplies, making sure the injured weren’t forgotten. Soon what had been a field of death suddenly became the scene of a huge open-air banquet beneath a sky full of stars.
A makeshift table with five folding stools had been set up slightly to one side for himself and the other Gatekeepers. He went over to it. Matt was already standing there, deep in conversation with Inti, but the two of them stopped as Jamie approached. Matt poured Jamie a bowl of wine and passed it across. Inti held out a hand.
“It’s good to be with you,” he said.
Then Flint and Scar arrived. If Scar had been grieving for the loss of Finn, she didn’t show it. She seemed to be in a bad mood. She plumped herself down on one of the stools, poured herself some wine, drank it, then poured some more.
Flint had sat next to Jamie. “Have you seen the stars?” he asked.
Jamie looked up. The whole universe was ablaze. “It’s a beautiful night,” he said.
“I’ve never seen the stars. All my life there have only been clouds.” He craned his neck, gazing into the night. “People used to say that the sky could look like this. But I never believed them.”
Matt sat down. He looked exhausted. Scar poured him a bowl of wine. It occurred to Jamie that the Five were together again. But for how long?
He had lost count of the number of people who had approached him during the day as he made his rounds with the water bottles, but as the feast began, the five of them were left alone. It was as if it had been decided that they should be allowed to rest and – Jamie reflected – they certainly deserved it. They drank more wine and ate soft cheese and some sort of meat with chunks of tough, chewy bread. Jamie was surprised to find he was ravenous.
In another part of the field someone began a tune, playing on a pipe, and a moment later two others joined in with a drum and some sort of single-stringed instrument. The flames from the bonfire leapt up, sparks twisting in the air.
Scar glanced at Matt. “So what happens now?” she asked. “And before you say anything, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have argued with you about Scathack Hill and the rest of it. But how was I to know? You’re just a boy. Nobody even told me who put you in charge.”
“It’s too late to say very much tonight,” Matt replied. “And anyway, I don’t have all the answers – whatever you may think. But there is one thing you need to know right away. We’ve spent our whole lives searching for each other but very soon we will have to part.”
“I had a feeling you were going to say that.”
“The four of us have work to do. But Jamie isn’t from our world. He has to return where he came from.”
Jamie felt a jolt of sadness which he couldn’t explain. He didn’t belong here – he knew that. But nor did he want to leave.
There was a long silence, broken at last by Flint. “He’s not Sapling then,” he said simply.
“Sapling is dead,” Matt replied. “He died at Scathack Hill.”
“Then I killed him.”
“No.”
Flint slammed his fist down on the table, spilling his wine. “You told us to choose,” he cried, and from his voice, Jamie could tell that he was close to tears. “You said one of us had to go and I let him volunteer.”
“It was his choice.” Matt remained calm. “You don’t have to blame yourself.”
“But if he isn’t Sapling,” Scar said, “who is he?”
Matt turned to Jamie.
“I’ve told you all along,” Jamie said. “My name is Jamie Tyler. I live in Nevada, in America.”
“Where is America?” Inti asked.
Matt stood up. “We have so much to talk about,” he said. “Here we are, together at last. The Five. Today we did what we were born to do. We defeated the Old Ones and gave the world a new start. Flint, I promised you answers and you will have them. You too, Jamie. But right now I’m too tired. I’d like to spend the whole night with you, sitting at this table, but I can’t do it. I need to sleep.”
“I, too, am tired,” Inti muttered.
“We won’t be together for long,” Matt continued. “But it isn’t important. A year, an hour or even a minute… all that mattered was that we met. Because in that instant our work was done. That was the end of it. That was the only reason we ever existed. And if we never see each other again, we need have no regret.
Scar stood up next to him and refilled all five bowls. “Whatever you think about fate and destiny and all the rest of it, I want to celebrate,” she said. “I want to remember this moment for the rest of my life. You, me, Inti, Flint and Jamie. We did it together. We are the Five. Let’s drink to that.”
They raised their bowls.
“The Five,” Scar said.
“The Five,” they all chorused. They touched the bowls together, metal against metal, then drank silently.
Matt smiled. “Goodnight,” he said. “We’ll talk again when the sun is up.”
He walked away.
“I go too.” Inti yawned. “Forgive me. This feast may go on all the night… but I cannot. I travelled far today. I must sleep.”
Jamie watched as he walked off a few paces behind Matt. They stopped at the first line of tents and spoke a few words before they parted company, each of them going their own way.
Scar finished her wine. “Matt never tells us anything,” she said with a sigh. “And when he does, we don’t understand it. But we’ve won the battle… and the war. So I suppose I’ll go along with whatever he says.” She held out a hand. “Good night, Jamie. I’m going off to find Erin and Corian. We’re going to have a drink to the memory of Finn. And then we’re going to keep drinking until we forget that he’s gone. I’ll see you in the morning.”
She and Jamie clasped hands. At the same time, she leant forward and kissed him lightly on the cheek. Then she too left the table.
He and Flint were alone.
“I’m sorry,” Jamie muttered. He didn’t know what else to say.
“Don’t be.” Flint sounded worn out. “I’m glad you were here. I’m glad you were sent in Sapling’s place.”
“Me too.” Jamie thought for a moment. He was so tired that he had to struggle to find the right words. “Let me tell you about Scott,” he said. “He’s smarter than me. He’s looked after me all my life. But a week ago, these people came after him. He was kidnapped. I managed to get away. I can see now that it must be something to do with the Old Ones. That must be why they were looking for us. I don’t know where Scott is right now. He may have been killed. I don’t know. I’ve been trying to find him.”
“Could he be here?”
“No. I don’t even know where here is. But you heard what Matt said. This world hasn’t got anything to do with Scott or me. I suppose I will have to go back home…”
Flint got unsteadily to his feet. All around them, the feast was still continuing. Inti had been right. It would go on until sunrise.
“I’m going to sleep,” Flint said. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Goodnight, Flint.”
“Goodnight, Jamie.”
Jamie watched his twin walk away and disappear into one of the tents, knowing in his heart that this was more than goodnight and that the two of them would never see each other again.
