Grinvill's Tin

16: Temptation

The burning red eye of the evening sun was staring directly down at Erica through a large hole in the side of a roof. Prickles of sweat formed on her forehead. Where was she and whatever was the time? The last thing she remembered was setting off with Hamish to find the Temple. Then it had been midday. But now, she found herself lying on the floor of some sort of half-collapsed barn. Hamish was beside her, but looked as if he was in a coma. His skin looked ghostly and his body was deathly still.

She then started as she saw a most enormous shape lying prone by the stone wall. Slowly, her memory of who it was came back to her. While searching for the Temple they'd been met by a child – but not a human one, a Giant child. He'd come crashing through the dogwood and birch, crushing the woody branches underfoot as if they were clumps of primroses or columbine. He was rather simple, it seemed, and didn't appear to know much about what was happening on Lorna. He'd listened to their story, to the terrible tale of how Lorna was in danger and that time itself could no longer be trusted, and he had declared that he would help them. He would lead them to the Temple and he would protect them if they faced any danger.

She now recalled how they had been making good progress in reaching the Temple. Then, the exact moment they had glimpsed it on the horizon, its silver towers and golden domes gleaming in the noon sun, a strange mist had descended, and they felt the weight of an unnatural tiredness settle. Limbs heavy, thoughts starting to drift despite all their attempts to stay focussed, they had spotted an old barn nearby - the one they were now all in - and they had lain down on the hay bales it contained. But they had only intended to rest for ten minutes, not to sleep for hours.

Erica grabbed Hamish's shoulders and shook them, but he didn't wake. He gave a low sigh, shifted position slightly, and carried on sleeping. She now shouted at him. Whatever was wrong? She prodded hard at Bron's chest and his arms. But he too just carried on sleeping, a blank expression on his enormous face.

Now, peering out from the doorway, Erica could see that the sun had dropped low. Streaks of violent red and burnt orange scored the sky from west to east. The anxiety which Erica felt was physical. The sight of the bloodied lines caused her stomach to contract sharply. She tried again to shake her brother, but still with no luck. She could think of no other option but to finish the last part of the journey by herself: she must go to the Temple and return the Stone alone. As she squinted into the distance, now clear of the strange, sleep-inducing mist, she could make out the fantastical building, flushed in the dying rays of the sun. She hoped that she would arrive before complete darkness fell.

She picked up the rucksack, putting her hand inside to check that the Stone was safely there. All was as it should be. Good. But as her hand brushed past Grinvill's tin, the lid suddenly swung open, banging into her wrist and making her wince. She tried to push it shut, yet it wouldn't close. She took the tin out, wondering what had made it open by itself and brought it nearer to her face. Its base glimmered slightly, catching the ruddy light of the sun, but apart from that, it was empty. No visions appeared - just a plain piece of metal stared back at her.

All at once, however, Erica felt her hand being pulled into the metal casket. Within moments, it was her whole arm. The tin was exerting a terrifying force on her. She was being dragged in, like a fly sucked into a vacuum cleaner. First her arms were hauled in, then her head and shoulders, and after her whole body followed. She could not say whether she shrank, or the tin expanded. It made no difference. She was swallowed up, and the lid of the tin slammed shut.

She was in complete darkness, with no sound from anywhere. Slowly, though, she became aware of a buzz of low voices, and in the distance she saw shivering flickers of light. There was also a dripping sound and a dull banging. Or was that the sound of her heart? She was finding it hard to know what the sounds were or where they were coming from. She concentrated on breathing as calmly as she could and at length was able to distinguish her own heartbeat from the rhythmic sound of waves breaking over rocks and the suck they made as they receded. She was down by the coast somewhere. As soon as this idea occurred, she knew that she was at Incarna's Landing. She had no doubt. She was miles away from where she needed to be.

It was difficult to move. The tin had immobilised her body and limbs. She tried to make sense of the muffled voices coming from a few metres away and, bit by bit, as she strained her ears, she heard snippets of a conversation.

'... is all in place, Incarna,'

'You have done well,' came the reply, 'I am awaiting tomorrow with great anticipation. It will be a celebration such as no other! All the wedding clothes are prepared, and certainly my bride, at any rate, is willing!'

Erica felt a chill travel up her spine at the sound of that voice. As Incarna spoke it was like boiling lava being poured over the sea. It hissed and spat and sounded hot and cold all at the same time.

The darkness which had descended as the tin clamped itself shut was partially ebbing away, and now the sky was a dull grey, throwing a faint light on the scene in front of the cave. Trapped in its deeper recesses, Erica opened her eyes as wide as she might to see what was going on. Who was Incarna's bride? Who could be willing to marry such a monster? But as much as she tried, she could make out very little, just the same dimly flickering lights that she had noticed before. She now imagined these to be flares pinned up along the cliff wall.

She was now starting to hear snatches from someone else, a woman, and then Erica's mouth went dry as she recognised a familiar voice.

'At last, a reel widdin', with none other than yew, my beloved!' came the nasal whine.

Colleen Withy! That was why she had been dressed earlier in the glistening black and green gown - it was her wedding dress.

'But the brats!' she was now saying, 'I don't see why I should share my special day with those kids! It's been such a long wait, to be with yew, my love, why should it be ruined by having them at the ceremony?'

'Ruined!' laughed Incarna, his voice grating the air. 'Ruined! Oh no, my love, you are a fool if you think they will ruin the ceremony. Those mortals will complete it. This is the moment we have been waiting for, cause indeed for my marriage to you. They will bring more power than I have ever dreamed possible. By ourselves us Finfolk will die out. We need their blood to increase our strength. Those 'brats' as you call them will forge the link between us and the Mainland forever, and the powers of the underworld will sweep not just through Lorna, but through all known lands.'

'I tek it, though, that you are marrying me for my charms and beauty? It's been such a long wait,' asked Colleen Withy, trying hard to turn her whining voice into a seductive purr.

'Oh naturally, my angel,' answered Incarna, his voice as full of evil as ever.

There was then the sound of a match being struck, and several more lamps were lit. Erica could now make out Incarna. He was seated on a throne formed from a raised rock, and on either side of him were two lower rocks, also decked out as thrones. In the distance, Erica heard a boat pulling up at the shore. No, it was not a boat, she now saw, but the huge whale creature, rising from the seas, and from it slipped two black figures which swam towards the shore. Black water spidered off their dark bodies as they pulled themselves up to full height and waded to the shore.

She saw that both figures were Finfolk, one a male, the other a female, and both had long thin bodies and long grey faces. These Finfolk were younger, though, than Incarna - perhaps not even twenty years old.

'Welcome!' came Incarna's cruel voice, 'Welcome to your pre-wedding nuptials!'

'Greetings, father,' they said, voices whispering like the waves on the sea-shore. 'We have waited so long for you to find us a human each. Who are they?'

They settled themselves down on either side of Incarna.

'Just wait a bit more,' said Incarna, 'Just wait a little longer till you see who I have lured over from the Mainland. Catching that inquisitive fisherman has been the best idea I ever had. From the watery prison I've held him in, he has willed his children to save him. And so has their blood risen, and thus have they been stirred to interfere. And the goblins, once again, have been such a help. So entertaining that they delivered that old piece of rock with that ridiculous story...'

Incarna threw back his head and laughed. Erica, repulsed but unable to turn her gaze away, stared at a slimy, blackened mouth and slimy, blackened teeth.