Episode 6 - Chapter 10

“Who'll want to get to me?” Robert asks. “What does it mean to be a wake walker? Where are you?”

“I'm right in front of you,” Tom replies.

“There's nothing there,” Robert says to the air in front of him.

“Do you see the sparkles?”

Robert looks closely, realising that there are motes of glinting dust hanging in the air. “Yes,” he says, “I see that.”

“As I said,” Tom replies, “I take a little time to coalesce.”

“What does that mean, how does a person coalesce?”

“You shouldn't assume I'm a person. As to your other question, all of the Fears will want you neutralised, you're just too powerful.”

Episode 6 - Chapter 9

As he finished speaking, Oak took an acorn from his trouser pocket, which he blew on then shined against his lapel for a few moments. Once satisfied with its shine he placed it in the centre of the map, cup side down.

“Show development to 1800 as yellow,” he said. A yellow line appeared on the paper where the acorn sat, travelling in a straight line to the edge of the paper. Once it had got there, the line began to move around the paper like the hand of a clock. I gasped when a yellow farm suddenly appeared in its wake. I was about to protest about the damage to my map when he spoke. “Relax, Edward,” he said, “These marks aren't permanent.”

The line completed its journey and disappeared, leaving a number of new details on the map. “First half of the nineteenth century,” Oak commanded, “As green.”

Episode 6 - Chapter 8

Oak rolled out both maps across our coffee table, the newer one on top of the old, which he scrutinized intently. After a few moments, he lifted it up, holding it in the air while he looked at the old one. A few moments more, and the first map was lowered, then raised again. Finally he seemed to reach a decision.

“Nope,” he declared, “The oldest better suits my purpose, especially considering your specialism,” He actually winked at Edward when he said that. Winked.

“Oh for heaven's sake,” I said, exasperated with waiting to find out what had happened. “Aren't you going to tell us what you know?”

“I'm going to do better than that,” he replied, rolling the newer map back into a tight scroll and handing it to my husband. “I'm going to show you.”

Episode 6 - Chapter 7

“This one's from around 1760,” I said, handing Oak the oldest map I had. “It's not the original map, of course, that's kept with the parish records. And this is the nineteen twenties one.”

Oak was already unrolling the first scroll of paper as I handed him the second.

“How is it,” he asked, “That a man such as yourself comes to have an extensive collection of old maps?”

“I'm a bit of a buff about local folklore,” I told him, “It helps to know the geography when you're trying to understand a tradition.”

“Well I'm thankful for a local folklore buff,” Oak replied, “Your knowledge may yet be of some assistance to us.”

Episode 6 - Chapter 6

“Not a recent one,” my husband told him, “But I have some vintage maps in the study. I could tell you what's changed over time.”

“They will do splendidly,” Oak boomed, sounding pleased, “Please fetch them at once.”

Edward hurried off to the study, returning quickly with a number of map rolls in his arms. “They're mostly from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries,” he said, “Though I did have one from the twenties somewhere.”

“Show me two,” Oak ordered, “The oldest, and the most recent.”

“Has something happened?” I asked, taken aback by this sudden change in Oak.

“Oh yes, my dear Mary,” there was actually a twinkle in his eye, “Something has most definitely happened.”

Episode 6 - Chapter 5

“On the contrary,” Oak declared, entering the room briskly. “You most certainly do matter, and I must apologise if my manner has suggested otherwise. I am older than I look, and forget that people have feelings.”

“But you don't believe what we've told you, do you?” I responded sharply.

“It's not so much that I don't believe you...” He paused for a moment. “The human memory is an unreliable tool. You move about so much it's hard for you to remember everything, and what you do remember is so very subjective. Part of my role here is to question everything, to find the right thing to do. Please,” he smiled, and it actually felt genuine, “Please don't take it personally.” He looked round the room quickly. “Now,” he continued, “Do you have a map of the local area?”

Episode 6 - Chapter 4

I was straining to hear, well, anything actually, when my husband returned looking rather forlorn. I gave him my expectant, I'm waiting look.

“Oliver Twist has come to talk with Oak,” he shrugged.

I waited, continuing with the look.

“Young boy, maybe twelve,” he told me, “Dressed in the rags of a Victorian guttersnipe, has come to see Oak and talk in an unnaturally deep voice. My presence wasn't required, so now I'm here with you.”

“What do you think of Oak?” I asked quickly.

“I don't like the blighter,” he replied. “He either thinks that we're somehow the problem, or that we don't matter at all. I suppose to him we don't.”