The Ring of Five by Eoin McNamee Page B
Authors: Eoin McNamee
Tags: Fiction, General, All Ages, Children's Books, Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Espionage, Juvenile Fiction, Action & Adventure - General, Fantasy & Magic, Science Fiction; Fantasy; & Magic, True Crime, Children: Grades 4-6, School & Education, Mysteries & Detective Stories, Schools, Men, spies, Boys & Men, Mysteries; Espionage; & Detective Stories, Boys, Juvenile Mysteries
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by Gabriel's low opinion, "why don't we go outside for lunch. I've, er, come across a bit of grub."
"I've got some things to do," Dixie said, with a mysterious look. "I'll see you later."
Danny looked around. He wasn't sure if he really wanted to go outside, but no one else seemed to be taking Les up on his offer.
"I'll go," he said, and was rewarded with a pleased look from Les.
Danny followed Les out onto the lawn, half regretting his decision as the wind flung a handful of sleet into his face.
"Come on," Les said. "I want to show you something."
Les plunged into the trees opposite the lawn and Danny followed him. It was dark under the trees, and it was a while before Danny realized that they were following an overgrown path. The gravel had grass growing through it.
"I think I'm the only person who ever uses this," Les said, pushing branches aside and holding them to let Danny through.
After about five minutes the path emerged into a clearing. The trees surrounded it, cutting out the icy wind, and pale sunshine broke through so that the air felt warm. In the middle of the clearing was an old summerhouse, its wooden walls faded and its windows cracked and cobwebbed. Les made his way toward it.
The door of the summerhouse was stiff and squeaked in protest when Les put his weight against it, but inside
111
the house was surprisingly warm and dry. It was dusty, and the windows were so dirty they were hard to see through, but there were faded cushions on the window seats, and two battered armchairs arranged in front of a stone fireplace. It smelt pleasantly of sun-warmed planks and wood fires.
"Here," Les said, producing a package from his inside pocket. There were cheese and pickle sandwiches and a large slice of chocolate cake, along with a bottle of lemonade.
When they had finished Danny lay back on a window seat, basking in the warm pool of sunlight coming through the window.
"Good place, this," he said. "How did you find it?"
"I don't remember," Les said.
"What do you mean?"
Les stayed quiet for a minute, then spoke in a low voice, staring out the window.
"When my mum and dad were killed I ran away from our house. I just kept running and running. I didn't know where I was going. Don't even remember that much of it. I was found here the next morning. Wilsons took me in."
Les had mentioned his parents' death before, but Danny had barely registered it. Now he looked at his friend and could see the pain in his eyes.
"What happened?" he asked gently.
"I don't really know," Les said. "The Cherbs came in the night. My mum or my dad must have got me out. All I remember is the Cherbs cheering and the house
112
burning and me running as fast as I could. It was during the Uprising."
"The Uprising?"
"It's what they call the time when the Ring of Five emerged and joined up with the Cherbs. The Ring were looking for control of the Lower World and all. My mum and dad and the other folk there rose up against them. They thought they would win the fight. They didn't. They were put down by the Cherbs, and the Ring got control of most of the Lower World."
"I'm sorry about your mum and dad," Danny said quietly, a sudden wave of homesickness washing over him. His mother and father didn't seem very good at being parents, but he would have given anything to see their faces.
"You want to go home," Les said. "I don't blame you. I probably would too. I suppose Wilsons is my home now. Most of the cadets lost someone in the Uprising."
"Dixie too?"
"Her mum and dad died in the fighting. The Cherbs near broke through into the Upper World. Her mum and dad held out for hours till help arrived. She don't talk about it."
"What about Wilsons?"
"It's kind of all that's left. There's a ceasefire and an agreement that nobody crosses the border into the Upper World. But Master Devoy, he reckons the Ring is only waiting for an excuse to attack."
That name again. The Ring of Five. Danny didn't
113
know anything about them, but every
"I've got some things to do," Dixie said, with a mysterious look. "I'll see you later."
Danny looked around. He wasn't sure if he really wanted to go outside, but no one else seemed to be taking Les up on his offer.
"I'll go," he said, and was rewarded with a pleased look from Les.
Danny followed Les out onto the lawn, half regretting his decision as the wind flung a handful of sleet into his face.
"Come on," Les said. "I want to show you something."
Les plunged into the trees opposite the lawn and Danny followed him. It was dark under the trees, and it was a while before Danny realized that they were following an overgrown path. The gravel had grass growing through it.
"I think I'm the only person who ever uses this," Les said, pushing branches aside and holding them to let Danny through.
After about five minutes the path emerged into a clearing. The trees surrounded it, cutting out the icy wind, and pale sunshine broke through so that the air felt warm. In the middle of the clearing was an old summerhouse, its wooden walls faded and its windows cracked and cobwebbed. Les made his way toward it.
The door of the summerhouse was stiff and squeaked in protest when Les put his weight against it, but inside
111
the house was surprisingly warm and dry. It was dusty, and the windows were so dirty they were hard to see through, but there were faded cushions on the window seats, and two battered armchairs arranged in front of a stone fireplace. It smelt pleasantly of sun-warmed planks and wood fires.
"Here," Les said, producing a package from his inside pocket. There were cheese and pickle sandwiches and a large slice of chocolate cake, along with a bottle of lemonade.
When they had finished Danny lay back on a window seat, basking in the warm pool of sunlight coming through the window.
"Good place, this," he said. "How did you find it?"
"I don't remember," Les said.
"What do you mean?"
Les stayed quiet for a minute, then spoke in a low voice, staring out the window.
"When my mum and dad were killed I ran away from our house. I just kept running and running. I didn't know where I was going. Don't even remember that much of it. I was found here the next morning. Wilsons took me in."
Les had mentioned his parents' death before, but Danny had barely registered it. Now he looked at his friend and could see the pain in his eyes.
"What happened?" he asked gently.
"I don't really know," Les said. "The Cherbs came in the night. My mum or my dad must have got me out. All I remember is the Cherbs cheering and the house
112
burning and me running as fast as I could. It was during the Uprising."
"The Uprising?"
"It's what they call the time when the Ring of Five emerged and joined up with the Cherbs. The Ring were looking for control of the Lower World and all. My mum and dad and the other folk there rose up against them. They thought they would win the fight. They didn't. They were put down by the Cherbs, and the Ring got control of most of the Lower World."
"I'm sorry about your mum and dad," Danny said quietly, a sudden wave of homesickness washing over him. His mother and father didn't seem very good at being parents, but he would have given anything to see their faces.
"You want to go home," Les said. "I don't blame you. I probably would too. I suppose Wilsons is my home now. Most of the cadets lost someone in the Uprising."
"Dixie too?"
"Her mum and dad died in the fighting. The Cherbs near broke through into the Upper World. Her mum and dad held out for hours till help arrived. She don't talk about it."
"What about Wilsons?"
"It's kind of all that's left. There's a ceasefire and an agreement that nobody crosses the border into the Upper World. But Master Devoy, he reckons the Ring is only waiting for an excuse to attack."
That name again. The Ring of Five. Danny didn't
113
know anything about them, but every
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