Amanda Cadabra and The Hidden Depths by Holly Bell (good book recommendations TXT) 📗

know what happened in the twenty-first century, in a village library?’

‘Well, according to Jonathan’s dream, she seemed to know where he was from. He said he thought she was all-knowing. And aren’t oracles supposed to know about things happening in other times and places and so on? I mean, according to classical writers.’

Amanda looked carefully at Trelawney. Reading facial expressions was a challenge, but she suspected that the one he had now was exhibiting doubt.

‘Look, Inspector, I know it’s not much to go on, but I have to try. I can’t just let Mrs Pagely go to prison when I know she hasn’t done anything wrong!’

This was his thought entirely. Consequently, he replied levelly, ‘In principle, I agree, Miss Cadabra. All right, so say we try this. I gather you imagine you just do your wand thing, go back in time and see her, and she’ll give you a lead. Perhaps. Yes, I can buy that possibility. After all, something of that nature has worked before. Unsettlingly,’ he added.

‘Thank you.’

He refrained from adding that the venture had nearly killed them both. ‘She’s friendly, I take it?’

‘Well, erm ….’ Amanda picked up her mug and drank a little of her tea. ‘Does that really matter?’ she asked, with innocent evasiveness.

Trelawney was not diverted. ‘Yes, it definitely does. If anything were to happen to you, I don’t know how I’d face Amelia, not to mention your grandparents. Or your Uncle Mike. Plus, I’d be losing the chief witness in the Cardiubarn case.’

‘Oh.’

‘So … where’s the rub?’

‘Well …’ Amanda took another careful sip of tea to buy some time. ‘The truth is … that Jonathan thinks she doesn’t like me very much. Or anyone but him really.’

‘Have you and she met before in one of your magical contexts of some sort?’

‘No. It’s just that the last time I went down into the stacks, I had the definite feeling that I wasn’t welcome. In fact, I saw the stacks falling down on top of me! Except it was a vision.’

‘Not auspicious,’ Trelawney remarked. ‘So, what’s going to change her attitude and allow you safe access to her?’

‘Jonathan. She likes him. She may regard him as some sort of acolyte. He could pave the way.’

‘He can time travel?’

‘No, but he’s been there in dreams. I could put him in a trance or to sleep, and he could ask the Oracle to see me. He’d think it was just directed dreaming or hypnosis or something.’

It sounded to Trelawney like a long shot.

‘You’ve done this before?’ he asked. ‘Put someone into a trance and got them to lucid dream in some way or go out-of-body?’

Amanda took time to select a gingernut from the plate on the table before her. ‘Actually, no,’ she confessed. ‘But I found the appropriate spell about an hour ago.’

‘In one of those homicidal Cardiubarn grimoires, I take it?’ he supposed dryly, referring to her grandmother’s inherited and extremely shady collection of enchantments.

‘Yes,’ Amanda admitted.

‘And you’re sure it’ll work?’

‘Well … Granny and Grandpa seem reasonably confident that I can pull it off. As long as I survive to get him back in body and wake him up.’

Trelawney, regarding her with scepticism, enquired,

‘And Mr Sheppard has agreed to this, has he?’

‘Actually, no, not yet. I wanted to speak to you first,’ Amanda replied diffidently, mindful of Grandpa’s advice.

Thomas was not deceived. In his experience, it was when Miss Cadabra was at her meekest that she was most likely to go off and do precisely what she pleased.

‘All right, say I agree to this escapade. What makes you think Jonathan Sheppard, who isn’t exactly the sort to throw himself into the heat of battle, will agree?’

Amanda was now on solid ground.

‘Because it’s to save Mrs Pagely. He’d do anything for her. She’s like a mother to him.’

Her evident faith carried some weight with Trelawney.

‘Hm. So you’re as confident as Mr and Mrs Cadabra that you can effectively perform this spell you’re intending to use on Mr Sheppard?’

‘Pretty much. Well, you know what it’s like the first time you try something like that.’

‘I can’t say I do. This is an awfully long shot, Miss Cadabra. It sounds risky in the extreme to both you and Mr Sheppard. The time would be much better spent surely —’

‘Please. No. Look. You don’t need to be there. You could be off interviewing or something,’ Amanda entreated.

‘Yes. I do need to be there. Look what happened the last time I wasn’t on hand. You nearly di—’

‘Then be there, by all means, Inspector. But I don’t know how the Oracle might respond to an uninvited guest when she’ll probably barely tolerate me.’

Trelawney responded readily. ‘I’ll be your attendant.’

‘Hm. Yes … that should be fine,’ Amanda conceded.

‘Very well. We’re on,’ pronounced the inspector decisively. ‘How do we proceed with this?’

‘I think we have to be in character of some sort. Some kind of old-to-ancient-looking costume. Anything up to 1200 probably. Although you could be wearing livery of some sort.’

‘Trousers, shirt and open waistcoat, cloak of some sort?’ he suggested.

‘Yes, why not? I’ll bring some gear. I’m sure Granny will have some ideas for dressing me up. I can change at the library.’

‘Good. When is this caper on for?’ Trelawney asked wryly.

‘An hour and a half? I need time to find the costume and prepare Jonathan.’

‘Is that going to be long enough?’

‘Yes, an hour and a half, should do it.’

Trelawney was assailed by a last-minute doubt. There were an awful lot of ifs involved in this escapade. It might work if Sheppard was willing to participate, if the spell worked, if the Oracle didn’t exterminate Amanda on sight, if the woman would agree to help.

‘Look, Miss Cadabra. Are you sure you want to do this? There must be another way. It’ll be all right —’

‘It won’t, Inspector,’ Amanda replied passionately. ‘If Mrs Pagely is arrested it won’t be all right. I can’t let this happen to her. She’s Village, and that makes her one of mine. That’s what it means to be a witch.’

‘I