‘Wait a second; Reynard called himself Bob when we first met and said that it was a clue. Maybe he was hinting that we should go and see Robert Krieg.’
‘It’s a bit of a stretch. I assumed he was hinting at the gargoyles’ relationship with Bobby.’
Hearing Bobby’s name again had a sobering effect on me. Suddenly I remembered why we were here, and it wasn’t to make jokes about the High King. This was serious.
Determination settled within me. I was here to get answers, and I wasn’t going to leave without them.
Chapter 13
Itturnedoutthatthe ogres’ den is in Beaconsfield. I’m familiar with the area; Jess and I went to Beaconsfield High School for girls, plus Jess has lived in Beaconsfield our whole lives. It’s the kind of quiet place you imagine when you think of a town in England. The hottest thing to do there is to go to Bekonscot model village, where there is ice cream, train rides and a lot of miniature models. The town didn’t strike me as the place for hardy henchmen to reside, but perhaps that was the point.
Greg and I stopped outside a house that couldn’t have been more picturesque: an old thatched cottage complete with exposed black-timber framework and cream walls. The front even had roses creeping up a trellis. It wasn’t what I’d expected at all.
‘Remember to bow for at least five seconds and don’t make eye contact for long,’ Greg repeated.
It occurred to me that he might be a little bit nervous. It wasn’t showing in his body language or on his face, but from his previous comments he was obviously convinced that we were marching to our doom. ‘I’ve got it,’ I reassured him. ‘We’ll be fine.’
As if to belie my words, an eerie screech rang out. Instantly, Greg pushed me behind him next to the car and drew a gun I didn’t know he was carrying. He scanned the sky and tensed even more when he saw a griffin careening towards us. He widened his stance and aimed, then waited.
The griffin’s white wings caressed the wispy clouds above us as he headed directly for us. As he came closer, we saw that his claws were tucked up into his body. Greg relaxed slightly; I guessed that this wasn’t griffin attack mode.
He landed next to us with a whump, folded back his wings and let out an avian scream.
‘Bastion,’ Greg greeted him, holstering the gun.
The griffin shimmered and changed into a man dressed in black. His combats and T-shirt were painted on, revealing far too much muscle for your average guy. His dark eyes met mine and he inclined his head in greeting. ‘Lucy Barrett.’
‘Bastion. Have you got our car bugged?’
‘No.’
‘The mansion?’
‘No.’
‘Then how did you know we were coming to meet the ogres?’
‘I was sitting on the mansion’s roof last night when you discussed it. The ogres never meet anyone before 9am, so the chances were that you wouldn’t arrive before that.’
I turned to Greg. ‘We really need to sort out some security on the roof.’
Looking pissed off at himself, Greg nodded. He was head of security; he should have thought of the sky.
I turned back to Bastion. ‘Are you stalking us?’
‘No, of course not. I’m here to keep you alive. If you die, Jess will be sad.’ Bastion thinks of himself as some kind of pseudo-uncle to Jess. When she was younger, he’d watched over her like some kind of deadly griffin guardian angel. As I’m Jess’s best friend, he’s ended up looking after me as well.
I nudged him with my elbow. ‘You like me too. Admit it, you’d be sad if I died.’
He stared at me blandly. ‘I’m here to protect you from insulting an ogre and ending up a pulverised mess.’
‘Because you love me,’ I persisted.
His lips turned up fractionally in what might just have been termed a smile. ‘Refer to the High King as “Your Excellence” at all times. Avoid sustained eye contact. Ensure that you introduce yourself appropriately, and bow for at least five seconds.’
I sighed. ‘Does everyone assume that I’d rock up to an important meeting with a whole new species I’ve never met without doing some research? I’m not to accept any food they offer me, and if I have a drink I must hold it with my right hand. My shadow shouldn’t touch any of the ogres’ shadows. I can read.’
I thought there was a glimmer of approval in Bastion’s eyes but I might have imagined it; it could also have been a glimmer of frustration. Glimmers are hard to read at times. ‘So what? We go in together and I get to do all of the talking?’ I asked him.