full black attire including a black felt hat. He was humming another hymn now. It sounded like ‘Rock of Ages’.
Julius and Emily stayed out of sight until he lumbered by.
‘Did you see ’is face, ’iggins?’
‘Yes, I did. Come on,’ said Julius.
Julius jumped out onto the path in time to see the clergyman step out of the forest and into the sunshine. The light was so bright it seemed to subsume him, turning him into a black-coated shimmer, that grew smaller and smaller as he walked away.
Julius stepped into the sunshine and shaded his eyes.
‘Don’t stop, ’iggins, we’ll lose ’im,’ Emily said.
Julius grabbed her arm and pulled her back. ‘Wait.’
Emily twisted impatiently. ‘Wot?’
Julius pointed to the ground. ‘Look. Soulcatchers.’
Small red orchids were growing up through the grass all around them. Some were only inches from their feet.
‘Do you notice something, Emily?’
‘No. Wot?’ she said, shading her eyes, too.
‘They’re all leaning towards us,’ said Julius. ‘It’s like they’re watching us.’
Julius held Emily to stop her from moving. ‘Remember the soulcatcher in the kitchen,’ he whispered.
Emily nodded. They stepped as slowly and cautiously as frightened snails into the clearing where the soulcatchers thinned out. The orchids tilted their petals, as if keeping them in sight. But none of themtried to pull itself out of the ground.
Julius breathed a little easier.
‘I fink they’re all right,’ Emily whispered.’ She gingerly approached one.
‘Be careful,’ said Julius. ‘Don’t touch it.’
‘Why not?’
‘I don’t know,’ said Julius. ‘But Rapple was terrified of one of those, even when it was in a cage. So I think we should be too.’
Emily squatted down. ‘’ello, little fing,’ she whispered. ‘You wouldn’t ’urt me, would you?’
Julius leaned over her shoulder. ‘They’re not as wild as the ones in London,’ he said.
Emily held her hand out as if the soulcatcher might be a dog who wanted to sniff it.
‘Careful,’ said Julius.
‘I know,’ said Emily.
As her hand came closer the soulcatcher’s tendrils slowly lifted and reached out to her. Emily drew back. ‘Friendly little fella, ain’t ’e.’
‘We shouldn’t be out in the open,’ said Julius. ‘They’ll see us.’
‘Who’ll see us, ’iggins?’
‘I don’t know.’
Up ahead they saw a row of native huts. When they got closer they saw that they were spread along a riverbank. Some of the huts stood over the water. They were all built on stilts with ladders leading upto the doors. The clergyman was nowhere to be seen.
Nothing moved. The village was silent. But flame-red flowers grew out through the doors and windows of the huts and up through the roofs, and across the ground. They even entwined themselves around the stilts. The whole place had the feel of a giant funeral wreath.
A memory stirred in Julius’s mind. Something in Darwin’s diary about a damned village.
‘This is the Village of the Soulcatchers,’ he said. ‘We’re in Brazil, I think, in the jungle.’
‘I ain’t never been to a jungle before,’ said Emily. ‘Where do you fink everyone is?
‘Did you see a painting in Darwin’s diary?’ said Julius. ‘Of red flowers, growing from a man’s face.’
Her eyes lit up. ‘Yeah, I seen it. It’s just like that cove who just walked past. But ’e ain’t got so many.’
‘We need to be very careful, Emily,’ said Julius.
‘You already said that, ’iggins.’
Before Julius could reply there was a shriek further along the shore and a man’s voice called out angrily. He stepped out from the forest pulling a small boy by his arm. The boy screamed and struggled as he was dragged towards a jetty. The man shouted something, as if trying to call for assistance. Julius could not understand what he said.
Emily leapt up. Julius grabbed her and pulled her back.
‘Wait,’ he said.
‘Oi.’ Emily pushed him away. ‘This
Julius and Emily stayed out of sight until he lumbered by.
‘Did you see ’is face, ’iggins?’
‘Yes, I did. Come on,’ said Julius.
Julius jumped out onto the path in time to see the clergyman step out of the forest and into the sunshine. The light was so bright it seemed to subsume him, turning him into a black-coated shimmer, that grew smaller and smaller as he walked away.
Julius stepped into the sunshine and shaded his eyes.
‘Don’t stop, ’iggins, we’ll lose ’im,’ Emily said.
Julius grabbed her arm and pulled her back. ‘Wait.’
Emily twisted impatiently. ‘Wot?’
Julius pointed to the ground. ‘Look. Soulcatchers.’
Small red orchids were growing up through the grass all around them. Some were only inches from their feet.
‘Do you notice something, Emily?’
‘No. Wot?’ she said, shading her eyes, too.
‘They’re all leaning towards us,’ said Julius. ‘It’s like they’re watching us.’
Julius held Emily to stop her from moving. ‘Remember the soulcatcher in the kitchen,’ he whispered.
Emily nodded. They stepped as slowly and cautiously as frightened snails into the clearing where the soulcatchers thinned out. The orchids tilted their petals, as if keeping them in sight. But none of themtried to pull itself out of the ground.
Julius breathed a little easier.
‘I fink they’re all right,’ Emily whispered.’ She gingerly approached one.
‘Be careful,’ said Julius. ‘Don’t touch it.’
‘Why not?’
‘I don’t know,’ said Julius. ‘But Rapple was terrified of one of those, even when it was in a cage. So I think we should be too.’
Emily squatted down. ‘’ello, little fing,’ she whispered. ‘You wouldn’t ’urt me, would you?’
Julius leaned over her shoulder. ‘They’re not as wild as the ones in London,’ he said.
Emily held her hand out as if the soulcatcher might be a dog who wanted to sniff it.
‘Careful,’ said Julius.
‘I know,’ said Emily.
As her hand came closer the soulcatcher’s tendrils slowly lifted and reached out to her. Emily drew back. ‘Friendly little fella, ain’t ’e.’
‘We shouldn’t be out in the open,’ said Julius. ‘They’ll see us.’
‘Who’ll see us, ’iggins?’
‘I don’t know.’
Up ahead they saw a row of native huts. When they got closer they saw that they were spread along a riverbank. Some of the huts stood over the water. They were all built on stilts with ladders leading upto the doors. The clergyman was nowhere to be seen.
Nothing moved. The village was silent. But flame-red flowers grew out through the doors and windows of the huts and up through the roofs, and across the ground. They even entwined themselves around the stilts. The whole place had the feel of a giant funeral wreath.
A memory stirred in Julius’s mind. Something in Darwin’s diary about a damned village.
‘This is the Village of the Soulcatchers,’ he said. ‘We’re in Brazil, I think, in the jungle.’
‘I ain’t never been to a jungle before,’ said Emily. ‘Where do you fink everyone is?
‘Did you see a painting in Darwin’s diary?’ said Julius. ‘Of red flowers, growing from a man’s face.’
Her eyes lit up. ‘Yeah, I seen it. It’s just like that cove who just walked past. But ’e ain’t got so many.’
‘We need to be very careful, Emily,’ said Julius.
‘You already said that, ’iggins.’
Before Julius could reply there was a shriek further along the shore and a man’s voice called out angrily. He stepped out from the forest pulling a small boy by his arm. The boy screamed and struggled as he was dragged towards a jetty. The man shouted something, as if trying to call for assistance. Julius could not understand what he said.
Emily leapt up. Julius grabbed her and pulled her back.
‘Wait,’ he said.
‘Oi.’ Emily pushed him away. ‘This
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