voice was weak, like when Malevola’s hex had opened his wounds again on the giant’s bridge. “We have no time for diversions; and especially not to somewhere like Tula.”
“But don’t you see, father?” said Phineas, trying to keep the heat out of his voice. “Tula is the key. If we can get the Raglan …”
“The Raglan is nothing,” shouted Grandpa, sitting up despite the pain. “One of Tamlina’s charmstones, no more. If it meant anything, the Congress would have known of it. Am I not right, Murkle?”
Murkle pondered for a moment.
“You are. In all my experience of Shian tales, I have never come across this stone.”
“But the HebShian know about the Raglan,” warned Jack. “And they said we shouldn’t leave enemies like the Tula behind us.”
“The island Shian will squabble and fight, like they’ve always done,” said Murkle coldly. “The Tula Shian have no reason to leave for the mainland.”
“Nobody predicted the Kildashie coming,” urged Jack. “And if they ask the Tula Shian to join them, well … We should destroy them now.”
“Destroy the Tula?” scoffed Murkle. “Have you any idea what you’re saying? You wouldn’t know where to start.”
And I suppose you knew exactly how to deal with Caskill. You were hopeless in that cave.
“But I can help there,” pointed out Finbogie. “Phineas and I have worked on the swords. They’re ready; we can at least take the Tula Shian on.”
“Regardless of that, there is not time,” stated Grandpa firmly. He rose unsteadily to his feet now. “It could take weeks to sail to Novehowe at this time of year. Tula is a distraction; and a dangerous one at that.”
“But father, Iain Dubh was right: the Tula Shian are a dangerous enemy to leave at our rear. And if we get the Raglan stone, that will multiply our chances.”
“Enough! I will not hear of it. We sail for Novehowe. Our task is to persuade Magnus to join us. That’s the key to getting our homes back – and the Stone, and the Chalice. All else is just distraction.”
Grandpa Sandy sat down, quickly weakened by the effort.
He’s wrong, fumed Jack; and we’ve got to get the Tula Shian out of the way. Tamlina knew the Raglan was important …
“Come on, Jack.” Phineas tugged Jack’s sleeve, and the two of them left the room.
“Why’s Grandpa so against us going to Tula, Dad?”
“Time is tight. If we’re to make Novehowe by the solstice, we’ll have to leave soon. But there’s other problems too.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Families, Jack. If anyone ever said they were straightforward, they were lying. One of the reasons your grandfather doesn’t like the idea is because it came from me.”
“Why’s that a problem?”
“It goes back a long way, Jack. You know your Uncle Doonya was chosen as the Stone Watcher over me? I didn’t like that – so I decided to show them.”
“When you went off to find Tamlina and the Grey suspended you?”
“That’s right. I found out that Tamlina had discovered a fragment of the Destiny Stone. I thought if I got that, it would impress your grandpa.”
“Part of the Destiny Stone!? You mean the corner that’s missing?”
“That’s right. It’s only a small piece; but imagine the power that would give you.”
“But if Grandpa had known the Raglan was part of the Destiny Stone, he would’ve told the Congress.”
“Hardly anyone except me and Konan knew about it. He’d found out from Malevola. He wanted to impress Briannan; and I guess I wanted to impress the Congress. We both thought we could get it from Tamlina, and take it home to show it off.”
Jack thought about this for a moment.
“You mean we could actually get part of the Destiny Stone? Why don’t the Tula Shian use it for themselves?”
“They’ll know it’s important, because it was Tamlina’s. But away from the sandstone near Edinburgh it won’t work so well. Just like when it was in London. I’m guessing they haven’t worked
“But don’t you see, father?” said Phineas, trying to keep the heat out of his voice. “Tula is the key. If we can get the Raglan …”
“The Raglan is nothing,” shouted Grandpa, sitting up despite the pain. “One of Tamlina’s charmstones, no more. If it meant anything, the Congress would have known of it. Am I not right, Murkle?”
Murkle pondered for a moment.
“You are. In all my experience of Shian tales, I have never come across this stone.”
“But the HebShian know about the Raglan,” warned Jack. “And they said we shouldn’t leave enemies like the Tula behind us.”
“The island Shian will squabble and fight, like they’ve always done,” said Murkle coldly. “The Tula Shian have no reason to leave for the mainland.”
“Nobody predicted the Kildashie coming,” urged Jack. “And if they ask the Tula Shian to join them, well … We should destroy them now.”
“Destroy the Tula?” scoffed Murkle. “Have you any idea what you’re saying? You wouldn’t know where to start.”
And I suppose you knew exactly how to deal with Caskill. You were hopeless in that cave.
“But I can help there,” pointed out Finbogie. “Phineas and I have worked on the swords. They’re ready; we can at least take the Tula Shian on.”
“Regardless of that, there is not time,” stated Grandpa firmly. He rose unsteadily to his feet now. “It could take weeks to sail to Novehowe at this time of year. Tula is a distraction; and a dangerous one at that.”
“But father, Iain Dubh was right: the Tula Shian are a dangerous enemy to leave at our rear. And if we get the Raglan stone, that will multiply our chances.”
“Enough! I will not hear of it. We sail for Novehowe. Our task is to persuade Magnus to join us. That’s the key to getting our homes back – and the Stone, and the Chalice. All else is just distraction.”
Grandpa Sandy sat down, quickly weakened by the effort.
He’s wrong, fumed Jack; and we’ve got to get the Tula Shian out of the way. Tamlina knew the Raglan was important …
“Come on, Jack.” Phineas tugged Jack’s sleeve, and the two of them left the room.
“Why’s Grandpa so against us going to Tula, Dad?”
“Time is tight. If we’re to make Novehowe by the solstice, we’ll have to leave soon. But there’s other problems too.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Families, Jack. If anyone ever said they were straightforward, they were lying. One of the reasons your grandfather doesn’t like the idea is because it came from me.”
“Why’s that a problem?”
“It goes back a long way, Jack. You know your Uncle Doonya was chosen as the Stone Watcher over me? I didn’t like that – so I decided to show them.”
“When you went off to find Tamlina and the Grey suspended you?”
“That’s right. I found out that Tamlina had discovered a fragment of the Destiny Stone. I thought if I got that, it would impress your grandpa.”
“Part of the Destiny Stone!? You mean the corner that’s missing?”
“That’s right. It’s only a small piece; but imagine the power that would give you.”
“But if Grandpa had known the Raglan was part of the Destiny Stone, he would’ve told the Congress.”
“Hardly anyone except me and Konan knew about it. He’d found out from Malevola. He wanted to impress Briannan; and I guess I wanted to impress the Congress. We both thought we could get it from Tamlina, and take it home to show it off.”
Jack thought about this for a moment.
“You mean we could actually get part of the Destiny Stone? Why don’t the Tula Shian use it for themselves?”
“They’ll know it’s important, because it was Tamlina’s. But away from the sandstone near Edinburgh it won’t work so well. Just like when it was in London. I’m guessing they haven’t worked
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