The Second Prophecy (Part 1 of the Dragdani Prophecies) (19 page)

“
I must take
Galfead back to the infirmary,” Jaucal said to Delsani. “It seems
that he has fallen for the same Wizardry as poor
Noesod.”

“
The
n go,” said Delsani. “We shall
finish here.”

With that,
Jaucal Phazed back to Dorminya with Galfead, and the rest all
stayed to help Delsani perform the spells to suppress Peter’s
powers. After they did those spells, he also did two more. The
first was to change the color of Peter’s hair, and the other to
change the color of his eyes, for the Council had a spy in the
service of Ulicoth’s lower ranks. She had gathered information that
Ulicoth had hired the services of a Pilasier-knight created from
the cleanest salts of Gecholter, a land well known for the making
of perfect assassins. That was why the Council members had shown up
at the last minute, to be sure that they could make it so if this
assassin were to find its way to Weston Road, he would not be able
to see the likeness between Peter and Dragdani, and perhaps that
could help keep the child alive.

After they
had finished, the Wizards and Witches left for home, all except
Saren, Henkot, and Dorana, who was well warned that if she said
anything about Peter’s true identity, they would confiscate her
talisman while she stayed in the Normal World.

It was decide
that if Peter was to lead an ordinary Wizard life in the Normal
World, it was best that he have no knowledge of Dorminya and no
contact with Wizards and Witches who were not wearing Normal
clothing.

“
All the
spells worked,” said Henkot.

“
Of
course the spells worked,”
said Delsani
defensively.

“
So I guess
this means he’s not the one anymore. Now he’s the Normal One,” said
Henkot.

“
Let’s hope
so,” said Delsani, “for now anyway.”

Helen then
came through the kitchen door. “So that’s it? I mean, he won’t be
able to use Wizard-Elf magic until he’s the right age?”

“
Yes,” said
Delsani.

Chapter Eight

Only a day
had past
, and Helen had just got back
from a meeting at the school she wanted Peter to attend. As she
walked toward the living room, she couldn’t help thinking how the
house felt so empty compared to the previous day. Peter was sitting
on the floor glued to the television watching cartoons. She thanked
Saren for babysitting him while she was gone.

“
It’s no
problem,” said the Wicca. “I told you before, I like spending time
with him.”

“
Have time
for a cuppa?” asked Helen.

“
No, I’ve got
to go. I have to pick up Donna from Hadfold’s. Henkot’s working
late again at the hospital,” replied Saren. “Good bye, Peter,” she
said as they walked through into the kitchen, but there was no
answer; the boy was still clued to the T.V.

“
We could
stop by tomorrow if you want,” said the Wicca, just as the Kitchen
door gently closed.

“
That would
be great,” said Helen happily, for now she had something to look
forward to. She noticed that Saren looked a little run down. “Are
you okay?” she asked as the Witch took her talisman out of her
pocket.

“
I’m just a
little tired. I’ve been running around a bit more lately and
haven’t had that much sleep since getting the position on the
Council,” replied the Witch, a smile now stretching across her
face.

“
You’re on
the Council?” said Helen excitedly.

“
Yeah, I got
the news at the start of the week,” said Saren equally
excited.

“
Why didn’t
you say something sooner?”

“
You know me.
I don’t like to brag.”

“
Who are you
trying to kid? You love to brag!” said Helen.

“
Yeah, you’re
right, but I thought that if I looked tired, you might say
something about it. Then it wouldn’t sound like bragging,” laughed
Saren. “But don’t say anything to Henkot. He’s been working so much
I haven’t had a chance to tell him yet. It would hurt his feelings
if he found out that I told you first. You know what they’re like;
they like to know everything before everybody else.”

“
Don’t worry,
my lips are sealed,” said Helen, putting her finger and thumb to
her lips and gesturing as though she were turning a key. “So when
are you planning on telling him? Just so I know when it’s safe to
talk about it.”

“
Tomorrow,
just before we come round, so act surprised when he tells you,”
said Saren with a wink.

Helen
laughed. “So it’ll be a double celebration. It sounds like a
champagne event,” said Helen. “I’ll have to see what I have in my
wine cellar,” she said in a sarcastic posh voice.

“
Oh, no I
didn’t want to make a big thing out of it. I hope you don’t think
that I was hinting for you to use your money,” said Saren
lowly.

“
Well,
what else is there for me
to do? Henkot has a new job in the Wiz-Wit hospital. You have a
seat on the Council of Wiz-Wit. Of course I’m going to splash out
and celebrate with you. That’s what family is for,” said Helen
happily.

“
Well,
if you’re absolutely sure,”
said Saren.

“
Are you
kidding? I insist! I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

“
See
you tomorrow,” said Saren.
“And I wasn’t
hinting at you.”

“
I
know,”
said Helen. “You’d better go or
soon it will be tomorrow.”

Now that her
friend was gone, Helen felt alone, for apart from Peter, she had no
one to talk to. And Peter was hardly going to strike up a
conversion; he was too busy watching cartoons. Helen sat down on
the floor beside him for a while and watched with him. But to her
surprise, the time flew, and she renewed her love for
cartoons.

She got up
and went into the kitchen. “Time for dinner,” she
thought.

She was halfway though making dinner when
there came a knock on the back door that made her jump. She went
and opened it to find Delsani in his younger look.

“
Don’t do
that! You nearly gave me a heart attack,” she said.

“
Sorry, I
didn’t mean to scare you,” said the Wizard.

“
What are you
doing out there?” Helen asked him.

“
The
council has decided not to
allow anyone to Phaze in or out of your house, as a safety
precaution. So I Phazed in behind a shop down the
road.”

“
Oh, well
aren’t you a little early for your yearly visit?” Helen
joked.

“
Yes I
suppose I am,” said the Wizard.

“
The
re’s something wrong, is that
it? Something wrong with the protection you put on Peter?” asked
Helen fretfully.

“
No, no.
There’s nothing wrong with the spells. I just thought that you
might want to know what was going on with Galfead,” said Delsani
cautiously.

“
I don’t care
about him after what did and said.”

The Wizard
waited for a moment. “Helen, what Galfead did and said was not his
fault. And if you would sit down I’ll explain everything to
you.”

Just then,
there was a small creak. It was the kitchen door. It seemed that
Peter had heard Delsani’s voice and had decided to investigate.
When he appeared, he looked at Helen.

Helen did not
know what to say, as she knew that the Council had said it would be
best if Peter was to have no contact with any Witch or Wizard who
wasn’t wearing normal clothing. She turned to Delsani to ask what
to do and gasped, for standing there was a younger man who was
tall, with no beard, short black hair and a clean pressed suit,
just as he had looked the first time he was introduced to Peter
only the day before.

“
Hi,” the
Wizard said to Peter. He took a step forward and held out his hand,
“Surely you remember me.”

The boy
simply nodded and put his hand in Delsani’s and they shook
lightly.

Helen could not help thinking that Peter’s
hands looked tiny next to Delsani’s large hands.

“
Are
you my daddy?”
asked
Peter.

Delsani was
taken aback by this question, for the thought that Helen had never
told the boy about John had never crossed his mind.

“
Peter dear,
I told you that your daddy is with the angels,” said Helen trying
to fight back tears that had crept up on her.

“
I’m not your
father, but I am your Godfather, Daniel,” said Delsani.

Peter looked at his mother confused by
this.

“
That means
that Daniel can be like a father to you if you like, don’t you
remember?” said Helen. But Peter had forgotten and now seemed more
confused than ever. “Peter, how about you and Daniel watch cartoons
while I cook something for the tea. Would you like
that?”

“
Cartoons?”
said Delsani with a lost expression on his face.

“
Yes
cartoons. Peter will show you.”

Peter was
pulling Delsani’s arm. “Come on,” he said, “hurry up.” Peter did
not care who he watched cartoons with, just as long as he had
company. He did not talk. He would just sit and watch, but he would
know if you made the slightest movement. Then the twenty questions
would start. Most of the time he only did it so whoever was there
would just get sick of all the questions and sit down
again.

Not long
after the boy and the old Wizard sat down in front of the
television, Helen poked her head out from behind the kitchen door.
“Could I drag you away from the T.V. for a few minutes to help me?”
she said to the Wizard.

“
Of course,”
said Delsani.

“
Why?” Peter
asked, disappointed at the idea of watching the cartoons
alone.

“
Don’t worry,
I’ll be back soon,” said Delsani. “Tell me what happens to the
roadrunner when I get back.”

“
Don’t worry.
The runner always gets away,” said Peter, patting Delsani’s leg as
if to reassure him of this fact.

Helen had to put her hand up to her mouth to
stop herself from laughing.

Delsani also
laughed silently. Then he and Helen disappeared into the kitchen
and left Peter alone.

“
Right, what
were you saying before?” asked Helen. “And you better hurry before
your new best friend comes looking for you.”

The Wizard
said nothing to this; he stood thinking trying to recall what he
had already said.

“
Galfead had
confessed to smuggling an un-cleansed letter out of the P.O.N.G.
office in the City Hall. Then taking it into the streets of the
city, endangering the magical community and the population of the
whole Wiz-Wit world, as it is now called.”

“
Pong?”
laughed Helen, “What’s P.O.N.G.?”

“
Postage of
the office of the Neutralizing Governors,” replied the Wizard. “The
neutralizing governors sort out the post going out and into the
city in case they’re cursed, or hexed, in any way.”

“
Ah, now I
get it,” said Helen still smiling.

“
Oh, and you
should know Saren was not the only one to get a new position on the
newly formed Council of Wiz-Wit,” said Delsani. “Berlanin is now
the deputy Grand Wizard, as Galfead was demoted for his part in
what had occurred. The Council had ordered it purely because
Galfead’s crime is seen as very serious. Though he was only
suspended for two months from the Order, for he insisted and still
insists that he had no choice. He told us that the letter called to
him. And I quote: ‘Not in the sense of a voice calling, it was more
like a feeling telling me that I had to have the letter, as though
it were the most important thing in the world. And at that time
that’s how it felt to me. I felt as though the letter was sent by a
friend or loved one, and I had to have it, and nothing else
mattered.’ That was the way he explained it. And although I hate to
admit it I think that he’s telling the truth, for how else could
Ulicoth have gotten to Noesod one of John’s best friends?” said
Delsani.

“
So you think
that the same thing happened to Noesod?” said Helen.

“
Like I
said how else,”
said
Delsani.

The kitchen
door creaked again, and Peter stood holding the door. “You’re
missing it,” he said.

“
I’m coming
now,” said Delsani. “If you don’t need anything else of course?” he
said to Helen.

“
No. The
dinner’s nearly ready. All that’s left to do is set the table. And
I can handle that. Oh god, where are my manners?” said Helen.
“Would you like to stay for something to eat?”

“
YES!” Peter
shouted.

“
It seems
it’s been decided for me,” laughed Delsani.

Peter started
to jump up and down. “HE’S STAYING! HE’S STAYING! HE’S STAYING!” he
shouted with excitement.

Helen was
surprised and at the same time delighted to see that Peter had
taken to Delsani so quickly. Usually, it would take longer for him
to even build up the courage to say a single sentence to a
stranger, never mind wanting them to stay for dinner.