The Phoenix by Morgan Delaney

Author:Morgan Delaney [Delaney, Morgan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: fantasy, Fantasy & Magic, Humorous stories, humour, Historical, paranormal, Paranormal; Occult & Supernatural, Cosy Horror, Mystery, sisters, Rats, fairy tale, Witches, Science, Science Fiction & Fantasy, horror suspense, cosy, Fantasy literature, Animals, England, funny, Triplets, scientists, Apothecary, Absurdist, Pied piper, demons, Folk Tales
Publisher: Morgan Delaney
Published: 2021-10-07T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 6

The Phoenix Rises…

THE DOGS WERE A BUST from the start. Almost forty came, the pick of the bunch according to Mr Oaten, but they found nothing. They ran up against the same problem as the Alumière sisters: there was no schedule or pattern to the rats’ appearances, and therefore nothing for them to do other than wait. But the scent of the rats was still strong and drove the dogs into a frenzy. They wee’d on everything and snapped at anyone other than their handlers, who found themselves dragged through Kelby’s crops, and after two days he put his foot down – no more dogs on his property. And that was that. It was the best possible outcome. He agreed with the Alumières that further antagonising the rats, which were already functioning under some sort of intense compulsion, was not the best way to deal with things.

Over the course of the following week, Gertrude, Victoria and Colette had been out several times to visit Kelby’s field, but also without success. As the labourers started to harvest the crops, there was a feeling that time was running out. Why this should be a bad thing was not clear, but the sisters felt that it was important to intervene before the rats had completed whatever task it was that had been assigned to them. On Colette’s request, Kelby had fixed a ladder to a tree at the edge of Turner’s field. Jeb joined her in the evenings sometimes, for photography lessons. They learned from Andrew Kelby that the town’s womenfolk passed by more often than usual, or at least more than he would have expected, now that he was on the alert for anything unusual. Gertrude put this down to Jeb’s presence. On the occasion of one of the photography lessons, Jeb was startled by the sudden appearance of De Glube and his young followers and was glad of the protection of the wheat, as he was not properly dressed to receive visitors. The professor passed on with a cheery wave, however. When Colette later questioned her troupe of investigators, they told her that he was en route to a local lychgate, out near Bleddsham, rumoured to feature an inscription by philosopher and alchemist, John Dee himself. She was more interested that he had made a number of other stops and measurements on the way. When he was making his notes was the only time he lost his geniality, insisting the children stay back while he did so.

Victoria meanwhile had turned the focus of her researches from de Glube to Gresstart and his ancestors. Whatever the professor was up to, it was unlikely to involve the rats, while the reverend, despite his public denunciations, seemed not to have mentioned the fact that he knew exactly where they could be found to anyone. The man was up to something.

And Jeb was becoming suspicious of Mrs Sniffacre. The old dear wasn’t herself at all anymore, though she continued to call around to buy animal feed.

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