Disturbed Earth by E E Richardson

Author:E E Richardson [Richardson, E E]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: fantasy
ISBN: 9781849979009
Publisher: Abaddon Books
Published: 2015-04-06T22:00:00+00:00

SHE AND DEEPAN headed out to the site of the former Maundrell family estate with DC Taylor in tow. “There may not be much left for us to find,” Pierce cautioned as they drove, having read through the pages more thoroughly. “The ruins were in a poor state when the author of this book visited them in the early ’seventies, and they don’t seem to have been considered particularly important outside of the beardy weirdy sect.”

“‘Beardy weirdy,’ Guv?” Taylor echoed with careful pronunciation, as if it was a technical term he might be expected to define later.

“The likes of our druid friends we left back in the station car park,” she clarified. At least she’d been forewarned of the press presence this time, and sent Deepan to fetch the car and bring it round. She wasn’t convinced that young Constable Taylor would manage to make his way through a media gauntlet without freezing up like a rabbit in the headlights.

Deepan gave her a small, wry smile in the rear-view mirror. “I think we call them ‘alternative worshippers’ these days, Guv,” he said.

“We call them a number of things, depending on how much of a pain in the backside they’re being,” she said. “But in fairness to them, they’re generally harmless. Like to wander around sites of alleged ritual significance and prance around soaking up the vibes in the hope they’ll become magical without having to do anything.” She’d rarely known a group like that with enough discipline to actually work any large scale rituals. “They’re the only ones likely to have ever heard of the Maundrell name, let alone come looking for the ruins.”

“Aside from our thieves,” Deepan said.

“Hopefully.” The thieves seemed to know more about Francis Maundrell’s life than this book did—no mention in here of any of the artefacts that had been stolen—so it was likely they were at least aware that the chapel had existed. Her experience said that they would probably want to see it, touch it, stand where Maundrell had stood, even if there was nothing to be found.

So, not so different from the beardy weirdies, after all, really. Everything a matter of degree.

The satnav program on Taylor’s phone chimed in with the instruction to take a right. “I hope that thing knows where it’s going, because we’re out in the back of beyond here,” she said, peering out of the car’s side window. “What was the name of the people that owned the land?”

She heard Taylor riffle papers in the passenger seat. “Er... Rural Treat Cottages, Guv. There’s a farm and two separate sets of holiday cottages. We couldn’t get anybody on the phone.”

“Might not be anyone in residence at this time of year.” There would probably be caretakers, but they’d be concerned with potential squatters in the properties, not visitors to burned-out ruins elsewhere on the land. “We’ll see if we can find anybody at the farmhouse.”

Their knocking received no response, but the woman in the village shop was happy to chat. “Oh, they’ll be in Florida, this time of year, most likely.

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