The weather had turned cold and wet. Peter and Sarah just stood where they were for two or three minutes before they recovered themselves and their wits.
“Good golly!” said Peter at last, “If that’s a demonstration of how the stone works, it’s more like something out of a science fiction movie.”
“Yeah!” said Sarah, “I think we just got ‘beamed’.”
They were silent again and stood right where they had been set down, not moving until the bus arrived about ten minutes later.
Getting on to the bus and searching for their tickets jolted Peter into a semblance of normality. As soon as they both sat down and had arranged themselves to continue the journey to Fishguard, Peter looked at his watch.
“It is five minutes past two,” he said, “if we are very lucky we shall just about make it.”
They were lucky, as it turned out. In their dizzy state neither Peter nor Sarah had bothered to look at the destination posted on the front of the bus. Further enquiries made to the driver established that, not only was the bus going to Fishguard, but it was also going on to Newport. They would be driven right to the drive that led to their cottage. True, they had had to augment their fares, but it was only small change. What mattered was that they would be home for tea.
For most of the journey back, the two children talked little. They were still catching their breath after their journey through the Stone and Peter was pondering on some of the strange things, that had been said to him alone by Gwyn and Anir. Eventually Sarah remarked:
“I don’t know how we are going to get back to Arx Emain by next Saturday.”
“Silly, we shall just have to ask Aunt Myf again.”
“Yes, but suppose she doesn’t want to go shopping in Haverfordwest next week? Suppose Catrin is ill? Suppose…”
“Suppose nothing. You just wait and see Sister mine, just wait and see!” Peter sounded hopeful, “anyway, you’ve changed your tune, haven’t you? I thought you did not want to go.”
“Well,” replied Sarah, rather uncertainly, “if it works as quick as that then maybe we wouldn’t have to stay too long. We could just stay long enough to meet Arthur…”
“Then you do want to go?”
“Well, just as long as they don’t want me to be a spy. OK then, yes, perhaps I do, a little bit.”
Sarah gave in gracefully. The two of them then sat back and enjoyed the rest of their journey home.
At three o’clock precisely, Sarah crept into the kitchen and put the kettle on for Father. Dr. Jones was very pleased to have them safely back again, for like Aunt Myf he had the germ of a suspicion at the back of his mind that Peter and Sarah were up to something. However, on this occasion he was just too busy at the University to find out what that something was. After they all telephoned Mother. Grandmother was improving, thank goodness! Mother told them that although she was getting better, Grandmother would have to be in the hospital for another week at least.
“Then I shall have to see that she settles in at home. Everything all right at your end, Darlings?”
They all assured Mother that it was.
“Everything is just fine!” Father told her and as far as he knew, it was.
Sunday passed quietly. Peter, Sarah and Father joined Aunt Myf, Uncle Tomos and Catrin for morning Church and Sunday luncheon afterwards. Then it was Monday and school again. Tuesday and Wednesday were uneventful, except for an unexpected PE lesson on Tuesday afternoon. This was especially designed to annoy Sarah, who hated anything to do with PE.
“Can’t understand you,” said Peter, over tea at Aunt Myf’s. “Most normal people would much rather play hockey in the rain than do a maths test,” which had been Peter’s fate.
Then on Thursday evening everything changed, for the worse as far as Dr. Jones was concerned and for the better, as far as Peter and Sarah were concerned. The first they knew that something was up, was when Father was very much later than usual coming to fetch them from Aunt Myf’s house. Uncle Tomos had been at home for half an hour and Aunt Myf had offered them supper.
“John, whatever is the matter?” enquired Aunt Myf, when Father finally arrived. “You look just about all in! The children were going to join us in a nice lamb hot pot. There is more than enough for you also. That’s right! Peter, you set your Father a place and Sarah, you go and get another cup, saucer and plate.” Aunt Myf began to ladle out the hot stew.
When everyone was settled, Father thanked Aunt Myf and Uncle Tomos for their hospitality and told them what had detained him.
“Yes, it’s been an awful day,” he said, “half my department is down with gastric ‘flu and we have a weekend of special lectures coming up for people who do most of their degree work at home. Even worse, there are some dignitaries coming to inspect the courses on behalf of their foreign students. We can’t let them down.”
“Will you have to be there?” Peter asked.
His heart leaped! Already he could see the hand of fate, or Merlin, or the Bright Beings who live under the Summer Stars, turning this course of events to their advantage.
“Oh dear me,” he replied, “I was going to avoid being there as much as possible, of course. Not any longer than Saturday morning I thought. Now my second in command has come down with the Bug. I shall have to give all his lectures as well as mine and oversee the others. Not to mention giving the welcoming and finishing addresses.”
“Poor Dad,” said Sarah, patting him on the shoulder, “how can we help?”
“Oh you can help by being good children,” said Aunt Myf immediately. “You don’t have to ask, John. Tomos and I will have Peter and Sarah to stay the weekend and you can pick them up again on Monday night.”
“I’m really sorry, Myfanwy,” said Father.
And that was that! The matter was settled, the die was cast!
As they all left later that evening, Aunt Myf gave Peter and Sarah a big hug. Then she winked at them very purposefully.
“She is suspicious,” Sarah said to Peter, as they packed their weekend bags. It was just before bed time.
“No she’s not,” said Peter, “if she were, she would have said something, you know how she is.”
“Maybe, maybe not, but I still think that she is suspicious.”
“Don’t forget the Ring.”
“I won’t,” said Sarah, going immediately to look for it.
It was where it always was, at the bottom of her jewellery box.
“Anyway,” Peter went on, “on the first point, she can’t suspect anything because she can’t remember any thing about our last little adventure with the Elves. She’s got ambrosia, hasn’t she.”
“Amnesia, loss of memory, you silly boy! And I still say that she’s suspicious!”
They slept. The next day neither of them could settle very much to anything. This applied especially to schoolwork, as both of their minds were full of Merlin and Elves and King Arthur. Simultaneously, it seemed, and without really discussing the adventure further, they had both decided to go on the journey into Time.
Before the children left their classes for the last break, Peter had an idea. It was going to be indoor play again. Out of the window, Peter could see heavy rain with hailstones bouncing on the tarmac in the playground. He made straight for the school library. They had Done Rome and the Romans last year in History lessons.
“Now where is that book?” Peter muttered, “I’m sure Mr. Evans won’t mind if I borrow it for the weekend. Ah! There it is. ‘Everyday Life in Roman Britain’, great! And I’d better take this one too; ‘The Romans in Britain.’ That should do it.”
Although Peter’s class had made a study of the Romans in their history lessons, at the time it had all seemed dreadfully dry and dull. Now that he was about to meet some real Romans, albeit at the decline, if not the fall of their Empire, Peter thought that perhaps a little extra study might be helpful.
Peter took the books and spent the rest of break time reading the first book. When the first bell rang for class again, he stuffed both books into his schoolbag.
Soon, but not soon enough for Peter and Sarah, the afternoon’s school came to an end. It was still raining when Aunt Myf came to collect them. She arrived in the car with Catrin strapped into her car seat, gurgling and smiling. Peter and Sarah were overwhelmingly cheerful. After the journey home and tea, they both did their homework; finishing it all by suppertime. Aunt Myf showed them to the guest room.
“You’ll have to share, unless you want to go in with Catrin, Sarah?”
“No thanks, Aunty. I’ll share with Peter. Even if you do snore, brother dear, it’s better than being woken up at two in the morning with Catrin’s yelling.”
The whole family had supper and then telephoned to Mother. Grandmother continued to improve and Mother said that she hoped to be home very soon. Uncle Tomos had a problem Case at the Police Station and was late home. He had supper late and then disappeared into his study. Catrin was put to bed and Peter and Sarah watched some television. They then prepared for bed.
“Want some cocoa?” Aunt Myf offered, as Peter and Sarah emerged damp and pyjama’d from the bathroom.
“Oh yes please!” they cried, and ran swiftly downstairs and into the kitchen.
It was then that Aunt Myf dropped her bombshell, and Peter and Sarah understood the meaning of the winks. She waited until they were seated at the kitchen table, drinking their cocoa. Then she pounced.
“Right, you two,” she said firmly, looking first at Peter and then at Sarah, “you are up to something, I know you are, and I am going to find out what it is… and there’s no use denying it!” she added sharply, as both children went bright red.
“Come on,” she snapped, “who is going to own up first? Lost your tongues have you? Very well I’ll begin and you can continue the story if I am right. Are you sitting comfortably?”
Peter and Sarah nodded. They felt very embarrassed and totally surprised.
“You’ve been to Arx Emain again, haven’t you?”
They were horrified, shocked to the core, but the pair of them could not deny it. Aunt Myf was right and obviously much smarter than they had thought.
“But I thought you didn’t remember about the Elves and Arx Emain,” Peter blurted out.
“Well, I do,” replied their astonishing Aunt, “my memory returned very nicely thank you, just after we all moved houses last year. I couldn’t forget Anir anyway, could I? He is our cousin!”
“Whaaaat!” exclaimed Peter and Sarah.
“I’m sure I told you before; I used to play round the old stones when I was a girl and Anir used to come there too. He was much older than I of course, and he was already Apprenticed to The Guardian and going through The Tests. Your Mother only saw him a few times. She did not like the Old Places. Too practical by far she was, and anyway, she preferred shopping for clothes more than old stones, so she didn’t often come with me. I learnt a great deal about Arx Emain from Anir, a very great deal. I didn’t see anything of the Elves though, not until you two came here for the summer last year.”
Once more the alarm bell jangled inside Peter’s brain. There it was again, Aunt Myf had just mentioned the words: Apprentice, Guardian and Tests, all in the same breath! How did all these people know what he was thinking? Were they in league somehow? He felt slightly light headed and observed that his hands were clammy with perspiration. He hoped that neither Sarah or his Aunt would notice.
“It’s true Aunt Myf, we did go to Arx Emain…” Sarah was saying.
“And now we are in a bit of a fix.” Peter continued, trying to recover himself from the shock of being forced to think of the unthinkable and impossible again.
He must concentrate on the job in hand.
“We’ve simply got to get there again tomorrow,” he said.
“We promised,” Sarah added.
“Oh really!” exclaimed their Aunt. Sarah wondered if she were cross, but she didn’t look cross.
“Gwyn and Merlin want us to help King Arthur,” Sarah went on.
“Emperor Arthur, don’t forget, he’s a Roman Briton,” corrected Peter.
“King Arthur? Emperor Arthur? If I didn’t know you better, I would think that you were making all this up.”
“Gwyn and Merlin are going to use the Miraculous Stone to send us back to the time of the King-Emperor Arthur, so that we can take him the Ring of Invisibility,” Peter explained, “then he can conquer all his enemies and we can come home.”
“And is it reliable, this Miraculous Stone?”
“Well, Merlin used it to get us back to the bus stop,” said Peter, blushing again because, said like that, it sounded rather silly.
“OK then, and?” Aunt Myf did not look entirely convinced.
“Yes, and Mum and Dad came through it after the battle with Arddu,” Sarah added eagerly.
“Hmmm!”
“We’ve GOT to go tomorrow, even if we just give the Ring to Merlin, we’ve just got to!” they pleaded.
“Do you really have to see King Arthur?” Aunt Myf asked, after thinking for a few minutes.
“We don’t exactly have to,” said Sarah.
“But it would be great!” Peter said, his eyes shining, “just think of it, King Arthur!”
Then Aunt Myf smiled sympathetically. She was weakening.
“I’m almost tempted to come with you myself, I must say!” she said, “if it wasn’t for Catrin…”
As if on cue, Catrin woke up and began to yell. Aunt Myf dashed from the kitchen, having whisked a bottle of baby juice out of the fridge and plunged it into hot water. She then took the jug and bottle upstairs. They soon heard the crying cease. Sarah looked at Peter.
“What do you think? Will she let us go?”
“I bet she does, I’m sure she will.”
“How on earth did she cotton on?”
“I think she has some kind of sixth sense about it all,” said Peter, putting his head in his hands and sighing loudly, “but we have to get the Ring to Merlin. That’s the least we can do.”
The two of them drank their cocoa and stared at the table. Then they stared at each other, then at the table again. Aunt Myf reappeared in the doorway.
“I will take you to Gwyn-ap-Nudd,” she smiled, “of course I will, but I need convincing that the Stone will bring you back, as well as take you to another time.”
“Oh thank you, thank you!” cried Sarah and Peter.
“Does that mean that you are coming with us to Arx Emain?” said Peter, frowning crossly.
“Don’t worry, I’m not about to spoil your fun,” laughed Aunt Myf, “I just want to make sure of the lie of the land. Now finish that cocoa and off to bed. I think you will need all the rest you can get.”
At that moment, Uncle Tomos came into the kitchen.
“What is all this commotion? Why aren’t these young people in bed, Myfanwy?”
“Oh, they are just a little bit excited, Tomos. You see, a friend of mine, who has to do with something concerning the Celtic and Early British History Society, (she meant Gwyn-ap-Nudd!) wants me to make an urgent visit and I have promised that Peter and Sarah may come with me. I am sure it will turn out to be something most worth while. You don’t mind having Catrin again, do you my dear?”
“Not at all, but Myfanwy, I thought that you gave up all that Celtic Society stuff when we were married?”
And Uncle Tomos gave her a very Old Fashioned Look.
“Oh, this is something quite out of the ordinary, I promise you dear. I expect it will be a One Off, so we must go, mustn’t we. We will have an early lunch and go afterwards.”
She patted her husband on the shoulder. Then she turned to the children.
“Goodnight Peter, goodnight Sarah!”
They knew that they were being sent to bed. Glad to escape any more probing questions, they fled up the stairs. They could just hear Aunt Myf inviting Uncle Tomos to have a cup of cocoa, “To soothe your nerves dear. Now do tell me all about those nasty burglaries…”
Their escape made good, Peter and Sarah fell into bed and slept.
The next day had an almost dream-like quality about it. Peter and Sarah packed up their rucksacks very carefully. Peter’s included the books on ancient Rome, a change of clothes some chocolate, a note pad and pen and the teddy that must never be mentioned.
Sarah’s contained some rather more practical items: a Latin dictionary, a change of clothes, a torch, a pair of old binoculars, a packet of glucose sweets and the Ring of Concealment. Uncle Tomos waved them off after lunch. Peter and Sarah felt very nervous.
“Bye, bye, don’t be too long,” he called.
“We won’t,” they replied.
“Well, we might be,” Sarah said to her Aunt.
“You had better not be!” Aunt Myf replied, “make no mistake, I shall be monitoring everything. We shall synchronise watches and ready or not, I will tell Gwyn to bring you back. Also, I shall only let you go on one condition.”
“What’s that?” Sarah and Peter groaned.
“You are only going if Anir goes with you.”
“Ah!,” Peter sighed with relief, “I thought you were going to suggest something really awful.”
“I might, if you mess about,” said Aunt Myf, with surprising gravity. “With Catrin so little, I do not have time for messing about especially on the whims of Elves and children.”
“Don’t be cross Aunty,” Sarah pleaded.
“Well, you could just give Merlin that Ring.”
“Yes, I know but…” began Peter.
“Yes, and I know too! Come on you two, by the looks of things we have arrived. I think that must be your friend Merlin over there.”
Merlin stood to one side of the bus stop, exactly where Peter and Sarah had been left the week before. Aunt Myf managed to park off the road and they all got out. Peter and Sarah gathered together jackets and rucksacks while Aunt Myf locked the car up.
“I do hope it will be safe,” she said, then, “good afternoon, sir,” she said to Merlin.
Merlin bowed low before her.
“I did not know that you would be bringing an older sister,” he said, bowing also to Sarah and Peter.
Sarah giggled. Aunt Myf went quite pink.
“This is our Aunt Myfanwy,” Peter said, by way of introduction.
Merlin then said to them, smiling brightly:
“I am so glad that you have arrived on time. Please follow me.”
He turned away and walked off into the rough scrub land. After a few yards, he stopped, described a triangle in the air with his staff, muttered some strange words and…
“I’m flying,” Aunt Myf thought.
“Wow, it’s the Stone again,” thought Peter and Sarah.
Suddenly, there they all were in the Golden Room that housed the Miraculous Stone of the Elves. The Stone glowed bright green within its niche and sitting on the ornate golden throne that stood before it was Gwyn-ap-Nudd.
“All present?” he enquired, “then welcome, Merlin and friends! Welcome Sarah and Peter! I see that you have Myfanwy with you also. We are honoured, most honoured.”
“Thank you, My Lord Gwyn,” replied Aunt Myf, curtseying, “I have come to see that my sister’s children are properly looked after and that after any adventures undertaken, they are returned safely to their own time.”
“But Lady,” Merlin interrupted, “you have just experienced the Magic of the stone yourself, and survived.”
“Yes,” cried Peter, “and look, look at the time on your watch Aunty.”
Peter had observed before, that the journey to Arx Emain from the bus stop appeared to take no time at all. Being of an enquiring mind, as soon as Merlin got out his staff, Peter had timed the whole event. It took no time at all. The hands on his watch stayed still.
“All right everybody, I declare that I’m impressed. BUT, I have one more condition before I consent to let you go on this madcap adventure.”
“And I want to know what Merlin has brought us from King Arthur,” cried Sarah.
“First things first, little Lady,” Gwyn smiled, “let your Aunt tell me of this condition, although I know it already.”
Aunt Myf blushed.
“I want Anir to go as their protector,” she said.
“Do you not trust Merlin?” Gwyn waved an arm towards the wizard.
“It isn’t that I don’t trust him, really it isn’t,” replied Aunt Myf. “It’s just that I would feel easier in my mind if I knew that Anir was with them. Seeing as how he’s family in a way, however distant.”
“Very well,” said Gwyn. “Anir shall be summoned.”
The Elf Lord shut his eyes for a moment, then said:
“It is done. He will be with us soon. I am sure he will be more than willing to guard you once again. Now then Merlin, you may show Peter and Sarah what you have brought here that belongs to King Arthur.”
The children watched, fascinated, as Merlin felt in various pockets. Finally he produced a small silver ornament. It was shaped like an egg, with a flat bottom on it. At the top a helmeted face showed. The figure was dressed like a Roman legionary.
“Why, it’s a little man,” said Sarah, as Merlin passed it to her.
“I know what it is,” Peter said, when his turn came to inspect it, “it’s a chess piece, isn’t it Merlin. It’s one of the knights.”
“You are quite correct,” Merlin replied, “but let me have it back please. It comes from a very special chess set of which the King is extremely fond. If he knew that I had taken one of the pieces, there’s no knowing what he would do to me!”
“It certainly looks very fine,” said Aunt Myf peering at it, “so you had better take it back at once if it is that valuable, and these two madcaps with you.”
She looked round, to see Aneryn with Anir standing in the doorway. Anir looked ready for action. He was booted and cloaked, with his long, two handed sword at his side.
“Before you ask, Peter and Sarah, I am very glad to be your companion on this very special journey.”
“Anir!” they both cried, and ran towards him.
“Good!” said Merlin, “are we all ready then?”
“Just hold on a second,” said Aunt Myf. “I checked this watch with the news on the wireless this morning. I make it twelve thirty exactly. I want you both back here by five thirty exactly. Six o’clock at the very latest, or Uncle Tomos will be ringing his friends at the police station. It would be very embarrassing for me to have the police searching for us all, just because you were late! It would also mean big trouble for you, so keep an eye on your watches! At six o’clock, if you are not here by then, I shall ask Gwyn to bring you back, and I don’t care what you are doing or what is going on, understand?”
“Yes Aunt Myf,” Peter and Sarah replied sheepishly.
Then Sarah ran to her and gave her a kiss, Peter gave her a hug and they picked up their rucksacks.
“We’re ready now,” they said.
“You stand by me, Myfanwy,” said the Lord Gwyn-ap-Nudd. “Anir, Peter, Sarah, you must go and stand by Merlin, near to the Stone of Gardar.”
As before, Merlin made a triangle in the air with his wizard’s staff. The glowing light surrounding the miraculous object grew stronger.
“Farewell!” called Gwyn and Aunt Myf.
The stone grew large and the portal in its upper third began to widen.
“Good bye-eeeeeeeeeeee!” Sarah and Peter replied, as they were drawn through the Miraculous Stone of Gardar and into the tunnel of bright lights that leads to The Land of Summer Stars.