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“And so much for not drawing attention to yourself. They’re bound to get caught.”
    “It must be nice to know those hexes, though, ’specially as they work better with the Stone nearby,” mused Petros. “Could be useful one day.”
    Jack changed the subject. “Can we try some ice cream? I’ll pay.”
    Leading them towards a kiosk, he put his hand into his pocket. Petros moved in front of him and shook his head.
    “How’re you going to pay?” he asked quietly. “They don’t take silver shillings here. Human money’s different. Didn’t Dad say?”
    Jack dreaded to think how Rana and Lizzie would have teased him if they’d found out. Fortunately, they were too busy arguing about trolls to have noticed.
    “Watch,” said Petros. “It’s not difficult.”
    Petros joined the front of a queue waiting at the kiosk, and Jack saw him take in a couple of deep breaths and cough loudly. To Jack’s amazement, Petros seemed to become a little bigger, more there . The woman standing behind him blinked, and anxiously stepped back a little to create room, as he placed some coins on the counter.
    Petros handed round the ice creams and they made their way towards the esplanade. Jack took a couple of licks, and spat in disgust.
    “Don’t you like it?” said Petros. “Most Shian can’t eat human food. I’ll eat yours. We’re all right because Mum’s dad was human. Speaking of Mum, she’ll be wondering where we are. D’you know who’s coming for lunch?”

    “We must be going,” said their neighbour Festus as the meal drew to a close. “I said I’d show the girls the castle from the outside.”
    As he laughed at his little joke, his daughters Freya and Purdy expressed their feelings with a look of experienced resignation.
    Jack showed them out and traipsed slowly back into the kitchen. Throughout the meal, he had avoided eye contact with his uncle and grandfather, fearful of recriminations after the previous night’s outburst. With the visitors now away, he was predicting a dressing-down. As he entered the kitchen, his grandfather stood up. Jack looked fearfully at him, then at his uncle, but there was no hint of anger on either’s face.
    “Last night didn’t end quite the way I’d hoped, young Jack. But I hope now that you understand a bit more about why your mother left.”
    “I think so. But whenever I asked anyone before, they just changed the subject.”
    “Sometimes youngsters grow up faster than we realise, young Jack.”
    “Grandpa,” began Jack. “Could … could you just call me ‘Jack’? I’m not a kid any more.”
    “Of course. ‘Jack’ it is. And as a mark of how much we think you can handle yourself, why don’t you and the others go up to Keldy to see Ossian? You’ve a few days before you start your apprenticeship. Uncle Hart will make sure you’re safe.”
    “How are we going to get up there?”
    “It’s taken some time, but the Stone’s opening up a lot of the low roads again.”
    “Can’t we stay here?” complained Petros. “There’s nothing to do in Keldy.”
    Although Ossian and his family had visited Rangie many times, Jack had never been to Keldy before. He had heard many stories about the loch, and the strange Shian that lived in the woods. His eyes glowed with excitement.
    I’m going on the low road!

8
Keldy
    Two days later, Uncle Doonya led the youngsters down behind an unoccupied cottage at the bottom of the square. In the corner of the gloomy garden was a mound of earth. Doonya corralled the four youngsters until they were all standing on it in a circle, facing inwards. Jack’s heart began to race.
    “Come along! Put your arms through your bag straps, and hold hands,” said Doonya firmly, raising his arms so that his cloak covered the others. “Otherwise you could end up anywhere.”
    “Just a minute!” called Rana. “We’ve left Nuxie behind.”
    She scampered quickly back to the house and returned two minutes later cradling the small