Episode 10 - Chapter 81

 Small, shiny and, so it seemed, freshly polished shoes, just sat there. I picked them up cautiously, with a single finger and thumb, not really sure what I was holding.

“Be on your guard,” I heard Fiona shout from the living room, “They may have changed their appearance.”

Leaving the shoes on the kitchen counter for a moment, I opened the back door and stuck my head out into the fresh, early morning air. The sky was still dark, a tiny sliver of something brighter struggled to make itself felt over to the East.

“Christ!” I remember thinking, “Have we been at this all night?”

I scowled at the shadows in mum and dad's back garden, unable to decipher any detail at all, just blobs of darkness and darker still. I briefly contemplated taking a walk round the bushes, but felt that might be foolish without a weapon of some kind. So discretion won the day. I returned to the kitchen, locked the door behind me, collected the shows and returned to my wife.

Episode 10 - Chapter 80

 Fiona, finally alone in her in-laws' living room, finds a seat and sits quietly, listening to the sounds of searching coming from throughout the house. There's the thump-thump from the cellar stairs, followed by the sounds of astonishment, as Edward and Oak reach the basement. There's also the quick-fire clatter and banging of her husband in the kitchen, moving from cupboard to drawer to appliance in speedy succession. And of course, there's the more cautious, contemplative thud of two pairs of feet ascending the stairs as Raven and Mary reach the upper floor.

Beyond that, Fiona can hear a gentle hum, the everyday vibration of the house itself, settling into its' new role as somewhere entirely new: a kind of place the world has never seen before, a bridge between what's real and what's not.

And behind all that, not actually heard at all, but still whispering in the deepest part of her brain, the voice of the Angel. She'd managed to tune him out for a while, but now, left in silence, his voice is bright and clear.

“Don't just look for the obvious,” he says, smooth and oily, “They could be anywhere. They could be anything!”

Episode 10 - Chapter 79

 Finally, we'd almost reached the top of the stairs. Despite his words and foreboding demeanour, I couldn't help but think Raven was being overly cautious during that long climb. Though it had probably seemed longer to me, each step accompanied by a pause, because my view ahead was blocked by his broad shoulders.

One stair short of the top he came to a dead stop, looking straight ahead. He made a noise, a kind of “Humph,” but I thought he's said something important.

“Pardon?” I asked, “What did you say?”

“Stay behind me,” he replied sternly, “And don't move until I say.”

As he took the final step, I saw what had caused him such alarm. There, in the middle of the landing, very neatly folded, sat a tiny pair of trousers. Raven stepped forward, brandishing a pencil he'd retrieved from his pocket. I moved to follow him, receiving a stern look for my trouble.

“No,” he said, wagging an admonishing finger, “Just stay where you are.” I did as he commanded, watching as he carefully bent forward to poke at the discarded garment.

Episode 10 - Chapter 78

 At the foot of the cellar stairs Oak stopped, holding his crystal high to cast light into every corner of the room. I was utterly astonished by what I saw, and I had to say as much.

“I don't understand,” I said, “I came down here just a few hours ago. It was a complete mess.” I pointed to a neatly stacked pile of boxes. “They'd all fallen over, half their contents spilled everywhere. I was even trapped underneath that big one. How can it be have gone back to being so tidy, so organised? Nobody else has been down here, not as far as I know. Surely we'd have heard them?”

“You have to understand, Edward,” Oak said, lowering his arm, “This is not your cellar.”

“It's not?” I asked, a bit shocked. “Well what is it, if not our cellar?”

“It is your cellar,” he replied slowly, “But it is also the idea of your cellar.”

I think my frown must have betrayed my confusion.

“It is the cellar of this house as you imagine it,” he continued.

“Yes, I know,” I told him, “But surely the mess should still be here?”

“Only you actually saw it though, didn't you?” he asked. “Not your wife, or son, his wife, or even the man who came to read the gas metre three weeks ago? All those people have an effect on the idea of your cellar.”

Episode 10 - Chapter 77

 “Make sure you're thorough,” Fiona shouted as I left the living room, “Check everywhere.”

So when I got in the kitchen, that's exactly what I did. I started with the food cupboards, since they were nearest the door, shifting packets of cuppa soup and dusty tins of tuna, scouring every nook and cranny for any trace of our wayward midgets. The crockery cupboards came next, pushing piles of plates and chipped mugs from one side to another, leaving no plate or saucer unturned. When I got to the cupboard under the sink I had to fight my way past an avalanche of carrier bags, only to find half empty bottles of bleach and unused scourers. I even searched the kitchen draws, moving piles of tea towels and rolls of cling film.

There was nothing to be found, no trace at all. I turned my attention to the fridge, then the freezer, both of which had no secrets to discover. Finally I came to the washing machine, its' stainless steel drum sparkling and empty, and at last the dish washer. Pulling open the door I saw the rack was almost empty: no plates or cups, no glasses or bowls, but there in the centre, sat all alone, a tiny pair of shoes.

Episode 10 - Chapter 76

 I followed Raven as he proceeded cautiously up the stairs. He paused to examine every step, poking at each riser with his finger.

“Do you think that's really necessary?” I asked, feeling a little bit frustrated. I just wanted to get on with it, you see, get up there and find the little rascals before they could do any damage.

“I have no idea what we're dealing with,” he replied, “Which is more unusual than you might think. In such circumstances, I believe it's better to be overly cautious rather than regret our haste at some point in the future.”

I have to say, I was struck by his candour, and I had to say as much. “That's very honest of you,” I replied, “I got the impression that you people like to appear in control.”

“Usually we do,” he said, pausing to tap the banister, “It helps to cut through the hysteria that often accompanies the situations we are called to attend.”

“But not now?” I asked, feeling a little bit cowed.

“No,” he replied ominously.

Episode 10 - Chapter 75

 I led Oak out of the living room, into the hallway, pausing at the cellar door. It was only as I reached inside to turn the light on that I remembered the bulb had gone.

“Bugger,” I muttered, turning to go back to the kitchen to fetch a torch.

“Allow me,” Oak said, producing a crystal the size of a child's fist from one of his many pockets. He shook the crystal vigorously, held it to his ear, then sniffed it.

“An hour or more,” he said, tapping it with his index figure, “That should allow us plenty of time.”

To my astonishment, the crystal began to glow. At first it held a dull, weak light that barely illuminated his finger tips, but as the seconds passed the light grew stronger and stronger, until it shone with the light of a hundred watt bulb.

“Shall we?” he asked, taking the lead into the dark stairs down to the cellar.

I felt like I wanted to apologize for the mess we'd find down there, despite the fact that it wasn't our fault. I was about to say so, when a quick glance ahead revealed the cellar to be perfectly neat and tidy.

“I think we should proceed with caution,” I said to Oak as I placed my hand on his shoulder, “Something untoward has been going on down here.”

Episode 10 - Chapter 74

 “I will accompany you, if I may?” Oak said to Dad.

“Um....okay,” Dad replied, looking a bit startled and uncomfortable. “It's this way,” he continued, leading Oak out into the hallway.

“I am aware of the layout of your house...” I heard Oak say, the end of his sentence drowned out by the scrape of the cellar door opening. That's not a partnership made in heaven, I couldn't help thinking, there'll be trouble there soon enough.

“Perhaps you and I should search the upper floor,” Raven said to Mum before I could voice my concern.

“What a good idea,” Mum responded, stepping into the hallway. “After you,” she said, at the foot of the stairs, followed by the trudge of two pairs of feet ascending.

Which left Fiona and I, stood in my parent's living room. It was then that I was struck by the alarming notion that I really didn't know what to say to my own wife. Thankfully, it was she who broke the silence before it got too uncomfortable.

“Be a love,” she said with a warm smile, a smile that brought with it an unexpected feeling of relief, “Go and have a quick look in the kitchen, just to be on the safe side.”

So that's what I did.

Episode 10 - Chapter 73

 “Too late for what?” I asked, the alarm and dread I was feeling making themselves at home in my stomach. I should have been getting used to that by then, I know, but each new turn of events felt like a new pit opening.

We all looked to Fiona, waiting for her to reply.

“I...” she started to speak, then stopped, mouth open, a heady cocktail of confusion and frustration danced in her eyes. “I don't know,” she said finally, “There's something going on with them, something I can't quite get a grip on.” She paused, rubbing her face, as if there were a film of dirt covering it, a film that somehow blocked her senses. “Yes, I know,” she continued, presumably in reply to her unseen accomplice.

“I don't know what they're up to,” she told us honestly, almost pleading. “They weren't supposed to be here. Whatever it is they're up to, it can't be good. We have to find them and stop them, before they spoil everything.”

“Well if that's the case,” Edward said, dusting at his trousers with the palms of his hands, “I'll go and look in the cellar.”

Episode 10 - Chapter 72

 I was bent over, hacking my lungs up. We all were, even Raven and Oak. Thick noxious smoke filled our living room, bitter on the tongue and acid to the eye, tears streaming down our faces.

Not surprisingly, it was Raven who recovered first. With a ragged cloth held over his nose and mouth, he strode purposefully to the window, flinging it open. Waving his arms frantically, he walked to the spot Strauss had occupied but a moment before, empty now, no trace of the three midgets or their solitary alter-ego remained.

As the smoke began to thin and clear, I could see him looking at Fiona, eye brows raised.

“They wont have gone far,” she said.

Wiping the tears from my eyes, I saw the cats had also made their exit.

“No?” Raven asked her in reply, “How can you be sure? Might they not have just returned to the Weave?”

“I doubt it,” she told him, “That's not their purpose here. But we should try to find them, before it's too late.”

Episode 10 - Chapter 71

 “M'lady,” Strauss began to reply, “We really have no idea what you're...”

“DON'T!” Fiona interrupted, “Please, just don't. I can see it all around you, something different. Something wrong.”

Even beneath their cowl, Strauss seemed nervous, uncomfortable. “M'lady...” they began again, but were cut short once more, this time by both cats suddenly hissing like mad, their bodies tensing, eerie moans coming from their throats.

“We are sorry,” Strauss said. There was a really loud bang, a bright flash of light and Strauss was suddenly engulfed in a huge cloud of smoke.

“What the blazes,” Dad shouted as smoke billowed through the room.

I couldn't see a thing, not even my hand right in front of me. I heard a dull thump, followed by another, then the shuffling of small feet. “Got you!” Oak exclaimed, somewhere across the room.

“Get a window open,” Mum shouted. I heard the slamming of doors before the smoke got to my lungs and I was forced to double over with coughing fits.

Episode 10 - Chapter 70

 Fiona doesn't really understand what it is she's seeing when she looks at Strauss. Of course she can see the tall thin creature adorned with a cowl and full length cape. Beyond that she sees the three midgets: Larry, Curly and Mo, the self-styled comedy trio, balancing precariously atop each others' shoulders. But beyond that, there's something else, something she hasn't seen before, that her mind doesn't quite know how to interpret. There's a hint of tension in the figure before her, as if all three of them are part of a tightly wound mechanism. And then there's the colour,s as if a cloud of red mist is hanging around them, what a new-age type might call an aura, deep and vibrant and to her, very very alarming.

“What are you?” she asks them, while her hands busy themselves with affectionate cats. To her senses, the cats are just that: two female felines. Fiona knows how they see themselves: tall, thin, regal, beautiful, human. But to her they're just cats: cute, fluffy and totally self absorbed.

“M'lady,” Strauss replies, “We are what we've always been, and all that we've ever claimed to be.”

“No,” she says, “There's something about you, something different.” Suspicion tugs at her mind as she speaks. “There's something you're not telling me,” she says, “What are you up to?”

Episode 10 - Chapter 69

 “No,” Raven replied, “No they don't. A mythology only survives when all its' participants believe in it's truth.”

I didn't understand what they were talking about. I was about to ask, but one look at Raven's face made me think twice. A deep frown had settled over his brow, as if he were suddenly lost in thought. “A Fallacy, yes,” he muttered, scratching at his chin. “But a Dangerous Misconception? Never heard of such a thing. Something's wrong there, very wrong...”

Fiona had her eyes very firmly on Strauss, while her hands were occupied with fussing the cats. Strauss himself, or themselves, whichever it should be, stood still in the corner. Despite that, there was something about their demeanour that made me feel uncomfortable. He, or they, gave off an air of anxiety or nervousness. Which, now I come to think about it, was only to be expected really, what with the way Fiona was staring at them.

“Do you think we'll have to wait long?” I asked.

Nobody replied. For a second or two I actually wondered if anybody had heard me.

“That's a hard question to answer,” it was Oak who finally spoke, “The Council perceives time differently to your kind.”

Episode 10 - Chapter 68

 “Yes? What is it?” Raven asked sharply as the noise abated.

“Since our earliest days mapping the Weave,” the Nomad said, its' voice rich and sulphuric, “My tribe has been loyal to the Forest.”

“That is true,” Raven replied, “What of it?”

“We have always come when called,” the face in the wall continued, “Acted as the Forest has required, in all matters.”

“I have no argument with that,” Raven sighed, “Why do you mention it?”

“We believe we may have found the trail of a Fallacy,” the Nomad told him, “Or at the very least, a Dangerous Misconception....”

“And you wish to take your leave,” Raven interrupted, “In order to hunt it?”

“With your permission,” the Nomad confirmed.

Raven looked at Fiona. While never taking her eyes off Strauss, she nodded. “That's fine by me,” she said.

“Permission granted,” Raven said, but the wall had already returned to normal, no trace of the Nomad anywhere to be seen.

“They really don't know,” Fiona said, her hands still eliciting purrs of satisfaction from the cats, “They have no idea, do they?”

Episode 10 - Chapter 67

 The candle's flame went out, the mound of earth collapsed and water seeped across the table, slowly crawling toward the edge. We were all still there, gathered in mum and dad's living room, but the space felt abruptly empty.

“What happens now?” Mum asked, almost immediately.

Raven looked at her, then at my wife. “Now we wait,” he said eventually.

“Wait?” she asked, already resigned to it, “There's an awful lot of waiting involved with you people.” There were tears in her eyes as she spoke, clearly upset by what had happened. Dad stepped forward, put his arm round her shoulder.

“Come on love,” he said, “This'll all be over soon enough.”

“Will it?” she asked, producing a hankie from her sleeve to dab at her eyes. “How do you know? It seems like all this could just go on forever.”

Before he could reply another rumble filled the room, stoking the unidentified dread I'd been feeling in my stomach. It took me a moment to realise it was the voice of the Nomad, clearing its' throat.

Episode 10 - Chapter 66

 I wasn't happy, I can tell you, not happy at all. But I was biting my tongue, almost literally, so that they could all just get on with it.

Fiona was still talking, addressing these invisible judges, while absent mindedly stroking the cats. All the while she kept a sharp eye on Strauss. “Your decision is simple,” she was saying, “A straight forward choice. Work with the Angel to help people improve the Warp, or join with his master,” she pointed at Strauss once more, “To limit the influence of the Weave by reducing the human population.”

“Or simply do nothing,” Earth rumbled, “And see what transpires.”

“As you say,” Fiona sighed, “You could do nothing. But you might like to consider how well that has worked so far.”

“Before we withdraw to consider our decision,” Air whistled, “Do any of you have anything else to add?”

The room fell silent. After a second or two, I felt compelled to speak, but Edward grabbed my arm, shaking his head.

“Very well,” Air gave one last rush. The candle in the earth well extinguished itself and our living room felt suddenly empty.

Episode 10 - Chapter 65

 “So you are saying,” the voice of Water splashed slowly, “That we should take action now?”

“I don't really see that you have much choice,” Fiona replied. “The Angel and their master,” she continued, pointing at Strauss, “They're going to war. No, actually, they're already at war. That war has already touched the Warp, in more ways than I can possibly say. And it will continue to do so. The only choice the Forest has left is which side to support.”

“What should the Forest care,” Earth rumbled ponderously, “Who has dominion in the Weave? It is neither here nor there to us.”

“Hear, hear,” Fire crackled in agreement.

“You're not listening to me,” Fiona said frustratedly. The whole time she was talking she continued to stroke the cats, keeping a close eye on Strauss. “Their struggle is not for control of the Weave. Such a thing is impossible, they both know that. No, this conflict is about influence in the Warp, and right now the game is wide open.”

Episode 10 - Chapter 64

 “But...” mum started to say, still unsure but feeling a little more reassured.

“It's okay mum,” I told her, hoping to fortify that reassurance, “It's going to be fine.”

“If it's any help,” Raven added, “I believe Oak has found himself far outside his comfort zone, which has lead him to make some irrational and unhelpful comments.” He gave mum a little smile, as if they were sharing a joke only they understood.

Oak began to speak, only to be silenced again, this time by the rumble of the Earth.

“You are sure,” it said, “That we cannot continue as we have before?”

“Well of course you can,” Fiona replied, “If that's what you want. But is that what you want? The slow deterioration of the Forest, the environment, as men continue blindly destroying everything they touch? How many species will disappear before you judge it time to act? And when you finally do, what action will you take?”

Episode 10 - Chapter 63

 Fiona paused, allowing time for her words to sink in. I took that as my opportunity.

“I know that this is important to you,” I said to her, “But I really do have to ask about our house, especially after what Oak said. I don't care if the house is too big for us, it's our home. It should be up to us when we decide to move, not some grumpy old tree.”

Oak looked mortified, I don't know why. Then everybody began to speak at once.

“Let the council consider the evidence,” Raven said.

“Now Mary, let's just see what transpires,” was my husband's contribution.

Robert was saying I should relax, but I missed the next bit, and I think Oak said something quite withering which I didn't catch at all. I just saw his expression change, which was enough for me.

“Quiet!” Fiona commanded, cutting across all the voices, returning the room to silence.

“I don't want to lose my home,” I said, probably sounding quite pathetic.

“And you wont,” she replied, “There's no need for any of this to affect you or Edward. Don't worry, I'll explain it to you later. Just know for now you have nothing to fear.”

Episode 10 - Chapter 62

 “What?” Fiona said, more of a statement than a question, as if she'd just woken from a deep sleep.

It was such a great noise that followed her response: a cacophony of sound as Air whistled, Earth rumbled, Fire crackled and Water rushed.

“Is there more,” Earth ground as the noise dies away, “You would have this council consider before we retire to reach our decision?”

“What?” she asked again, still getting her bearings I thought. “Yes, oh yes. Definitely.” She stopped, took a deep breath, then looked at Strauss with a very suspicious eye. I don't know what she could see beneath his all engulfing robe, but something there kept stealing her attention.

“Well?” Fire demanded as moments began to stretch.

“The Forest cannot ignore the Weave,” Fiona started, her attention snapping back to the room, “That much we all know. Nor can things be allowed to continue as they have, recent history has made that all too clear. The question this council must answer, and the decision it must make, is not whether to engage with the Weave in the future, but how.”

Episode 10 - Chapter 61

 Fiona stood by the table, stroking a cat with each hand. Or was it two girls? It was pretty hard to tell, to be honest, because both seemed to occupy the same space: cat and girl. With one glance you saw two cats, each stretching upwards to meet the affectionate hand. Blink, and the view changed to two girls, Fiona stroking the tops of their heads.

My wife was mumbling meaningless platitudes to the cats as stroked them. “There, there,” she was saying, “There's nothing to worry about here.” But her eyes....her eyes were very firmly directed at Strauss. I couldn't tell what she was thinking, but she looked very, very serious.

Strauss, on the other hand, just stood there. They'd flinched, recoiled even, when the cat hissed at them, but now they just stood still.

“If you have finished tending to your...pets,” the voice of Water splashed, “Maybe you would like to finish addressing this council?”

Episode 10 - Chapter 60

 Fiona steps forward, reaching out to offer her hand to the dark haired cat. The cat itself continues to hiss at Strauss, obviously unhappy, until the hand is but a few inches away. As it gets closer, she turns to sniff it, her nose wrinkling, before turning back to offer Strauss another warning. After that, she turns toward Fiona, pushing the top of her head into the proffered hand.

“There now,” Fiona says as she strokes the top of the cat's head, “There's nothing here to get so worked up about.”

Head tilting from one side to another, the cats stands on all four paws, (and on two legs) embracing the attention. She looks Fiona directly in the eye and lets loose a long, plaintive “Meow.” The second, brown haired cat looks on with envy for a moment, then steps forward to get in on the action. Fiona strokes her with the other hand, until both cats are humming with satisfaction.

“You should...” the dark cat begins,

“...be cautious,” the brown continues,

“Not everybody...”

“...in this room...”

“...is as they seem.”

Episode 10 - Chapter 59

 I was livid. After what Oak had said, I had a good mind to tell everybody to leave, get out of my house and never come back. Raven, Oak, that Strauss creature, or creatures, whatever they were, even my son and his wife: I just wanted them all to go away.

But before I could speak, the cats walked in, both of them, side by side. I say walked, really they arrived doing that funny little scamper that cats do, allowing them to “suddenly” appear at the centre of everybody's attention. The funny thing was, this time you could see both their forms, women and felines, at the same time. Not alternating between one and the other, as they had in the past, but cat and human occupying exactly the same space. It was very disconcerting, even in the middle of all our other troubles.

They jumped onto the table, both of them approaching the mound of earth, noses twitching with interest. They circled it together, occupying opposite sides, tails held high, completely silent. Then the dark haired girl noticed Strauss and dropped into a defensive crouch, hackles raised, hissing.

Episode 10 - Chapter 58

 “What?” Mary exclaimed, “Now just you wait one minute!”

A sudden sharp pain in my forehead brought my hand up to sooth it. At that moment, I would rather have been anywhere but in that room.

“It makes sense, does it not?” Oak continued, oblivious to the fury building behind my wife's eyes. “This house is much too big for just the two of you. Your children are grown now, they've long since left your nest. What need have you for so much space?”

I closed my eyes, still rubbing my head, bracing myself for the tirade that was surely about to follow. So I was surprised when it was Fiona's voice I heard next.

“Nobody needs to move anywhere,” she said, “But you might learn to keep your counsel to yourself.”

I opened my eyes a fraction, squinting through my fingers, to see Fiona addressing Oak, her hand laid gently on Mary's arm.

That was the moment that the cats decided to put in an appearance.

Episode 10 - Chapter 57

 Mum was getting quite worked up and upset by her realisation.

“I know this is important to you both,” she said, addressing Fiona and Raven, “But just because something can happen here, that doesn't mean it has to. We're getting on a bit now,” she glanced at me, “And we certainly don't need all these strange people coming and going.”

Raven started to reply, but mum obviously hadn't finished yet. “Nothing against you, Mister Raven,” she continued, a bit nervous I thought, “You were very polite and helpful when all this started, but I have to say these other so-called Agents of the Forest have been less than ideal guests.”

Her eyes were darting round the room as she spoke, looking at me, Fiona, dad, Raven, even Strauss. In fact she seemed to be looking anywhere but at Oak.

So of course it was Oak who spoke first. “Then maybe,” he said ominously, “It is time for you to consider moving house.”