She watched as he took one careful step forward. He paused, then he took another. Cynan frowned. He was peering round now as though trying to see through a mist. ‘Greetings, my friend.’ Justin spoke out loud at last.
Abi saw the other man’s fist tighten over the handle of his knife.
‘You know there is danger up there at the homestead,’ Justin went on slowly. ‘We are here to help if we can.’
‘He can’t understand what you are saying,’ Abi whispered.
‘He can. Just as you could understand them,’ Justin retorted. ‘The Roman has tricked his nephew,’ he went on, turning back to Cynan. ‘The man lies in wait to kill Yeshua and Mora.’
Cynan backed away a few steps, looking increasingly confused. While holding the knife out in front of him with one hand, he rubbed his eyes with the back of the other.
‘Listen to me, my friend. Beware. Listen to your heart. You already suspect treachery. You must hurry to help them. Mora needs you.’
‘Mora!’ Kier’s voice ripped through the sound of the hissing reeds. ‘Again, Mora! The witch’s goddess! Begone, you foul fiend!’ He was standing so close to them Abi couldn’t believe they hadn’t seen him coming. He had raised his hand and he made the sign of the cross in front of them, then he stretched forward and grabbed Abi’s wrist. ‘Come with me. I can’t let you listen to this pagan mumbo jumbo. You have to be saved!’ He sounded desperate as he dragged her towards him and for a moment she felt herself fall off balance, unable to pull away.
‘Let her go, you fool.’ Justin recovered himself fast. Behind them Cynan had disappeared into the mist. The sun reflected on the water of the ditch and the wind shook the leaves on the pollarded willow nearby.
‘Let me go!’ Abi tried to wrench herself free. ‘You are insane, Kier! Help Cynan,’ she shouted at Justin. ‘Don’t be distracted. Please, help him.’ She was struggling hard now, trying to wrench her wrist away from his grasp but Kier was too strong for her. Slowly and inexorably he was dragging her away from the ditch and towards the hedge behind which was the road.
The two dogs were on them before they realised what was happening, barking wildly as they raced across the field. Abruptly Kier released her. He swore under his breath as the two women appeared by the gate. ‘Don’t think this is the last of it!’ he muttered to Abi. Turning, he walked swiftly down the field away from them.
‘Leave him,’ Justin called. She wasn’t sure if he was speaking to her or to the dogs. Rubbing her wrist, Abi saw Cal and Janet hurrying towards them.
‘What was he doing!’ Cal called as soon as she was close enough. ‘For goodness sake, Abi, are you all right?’
‘I’m fine.’ Abi shook her head angrily. ‘Ignore him.’ She spun round to Justin. ‘What happened?’
Justin shook his head. ‘He’s gone. I’ve lost him.’
‘Who’s gone?’ Cal asked, puzzled.
Justin gave a dry laugh. ‘A visitor from the past, Cal. Don’t worry about it.’
‘There was a ghost. Here?’
‘There are ghosts everywhere, you know that as well as I do,’ Justin retorted. He went over to Abi and took her arm. ‘Let me see that wrist. He hasn’t broken it, has he?’
She winced. ‘It’s just painful.’
‘Do you want us to call the police? The man is a menace,’ Janet put in as Justin gently probed the back of Abi’s hand.
‘No. I just want to keep away from him!’ Abi pulled her hand away. ‘Sorry, that hurts. It’s not broken! I’ll be fine.’ She stared round. ‘Where has Kier gone?’
‘Back to the road,’ Janet said. ‘His car is parked up there in a lay-by. We saw it.’
‘You have to tell the police, Abi,’ Cal went on. ‘This has gone on long enough.’
Abi shook her head. ‘We just need to get on with what we were doing. If he’s gone, then that’s fine. Please, I’m sorry, but this is important.’
‘No Abi,’ Justin said. ‘It’s over. We were there at a particular moment in time. It’s gone. Time moves on. The past waits for no-one. Whatever happened, happened.’
‘No!’ She looked at him in despair. ‘No, we can help, I know we can.’
He looked back at her resolutely. ‘Not now. It’s over.’
‘But – ’
‘No, Abi. I’m sorry.’
‘But there will be another chance?’
‘There might.’ He watched her gravely. ‘What you have to do is learn to observe and listen and then you will know when you can communicate with them. But for now you will have to go back to being a passive observer. I’m sorry, but that is the way it is. It’s to do with the tides.’ He gave her a rueful smile. ‘Not just the tides in the sea, but the tides out there,’ he gestured up towards the sky. ‘Moon, sun, stars, atmosphere, a thousand different possibilities have to coincide to make it happen.’
‘And they coincided just now?’ She was staring at him.
‘For a brief moment, yes.’
‘What a load of bull, Justin!’ Cal said. ‘Leave the poor girl alone. She’s been through enough. Isn’t it sufficient that she can see these poor bloody ghosts without you trying to turn the whole thing into some sort of mystical time warp fest!’
Justin shook his head in despair. ‘You of all people should understand, Cal.’
‘No. That’s enough. She’s a vicar, for goodness sake.’
‘And what has that to do with anything?’ Justin said. ‘Can’t vicars understand quantum physics?’
Abi gave a watery smile. ‘No, to be honest they can’t. At least this one can’t. I just wanted to help Mora.’
‘And maybe you have.’ Justin put his arm round her shoulder. ‘Already you have changed what was and what was to be. You have shaken the waves of time. Who knows, Cynan may have heard us. He may have hurried up the hill a little faster. He may have looked out a little more carefully and he may have warned her what was going to happen.’
She looked up at him. ‘You really believe we can alter the past?’ His arm around her was firm and comforting. Without realising it she had relaxed against him.
He shrugged. ‘I believe in all possibilities.’ He released her abruptly and turned to Cal. ‘I need to go back to talk to Ben. Will you take care of her, Cal? If you need me, ring me on my mobile.’ He turned back to Abi. ‘You, look after yourself and keep away from that maniac.’
Before any of them could speak Justin was striding away across the field and heading back towards the gate.
Abi stared after him, overwhelmed by a sudden sense of loss.
At the edge of the copse Romanus paused and hesitated. ‘Wait,’ he said anxiously.
‘What is it?’ Mora followed him into the shelter of the blackthorn scrub which bordered the track. Her nerves were at breaking point. ‘Did you hear something?’ All around them trees and bushes seemed to cluster together to make hiding places; the birds were wary, she could sense it. Something was wrong.
Romanus shook his head. ‘Let me go ahead and make sure he’s gone.’
She scanned his face. ‘You said you were sure.’
‘And I am. It’s just – ’ He was pale, his eyes darting round them anxiously.
She looked at Yeshua. ‘We should go back.’
He shook his head. ‘Not when we have come so far. I sense no danger here. Not yet.’
‘Not yet?’ Her voice rose to a squeak.
He smiled. ‘We are here for Petra, Mora. She needs to see us.’
She looked at him doubtfully, then back at Romanus. ‘Go, then. Quickly. Make sure your uncle isn’t there.’
Romanus was back within a short space of time. He was smiling. ‘Sorcha saw him go,’ he said. ‘She watched him go a long way down the track. It’s quite safe. This way.’
By the time they got there Petra was lying by the fire, propped against several cushions. Her hair had been brushed and the rugs covering her shaken and straightened. Sorcha and Lydia were standing beside her, their faces anxious as they waited for the visitors. Romanus remained in the doorway as Mora led the way in.
Yeshua went straight to Petra and knelt beside her. ‘You mustn’t be afraid. I’m here to help you.’ He laid his hand on her forehead. She was burning with fever, her eyes bright, the fingers of the hand he took in his were swollen and red. He smiled gently. ‘Do you believe that I can help you, Petra?’
