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When they had gone, the brothers called the pugs and they all sauntered out for a walk. Their love of the water drew them naturally to the sea and they scrambled down the path in comfortable silence with Michael reaching up to give Walter a hoist to the ground. For a moment, the man held the pug up and arced him about in the air. Then he gently dropped him onto the sand. The pugs looked about for Charles but everything was quiet. The group walked along the very edge of the water till they all were hungry. As they were turning back, Michael said to his brother, ‘I think the time has come for the family to gather round.’
‘Have we done what we were sent out to do?’ asked Andrew mildly.
‘Don’t know,’ answered Michael who knew they hadn’t, ‘but we’re happy enough.’ And when Andrew was silent, he added, ‘Perhaps we should ask the pugs.’ He looked back over his shoulder and stopped dead. The pugs had not turned back and they stood at a distance rooted to their respective spots and looking at something the brothers could not see.
At their end of the sand, the pugs were watching a procession. It wound along the coast road heading for the house. The men who rode in front were finely dressed and mounted on glorious horses; farther behind came carriages escorted by cavaliers laughing and chatting with the ladies within. At the very end of the procession was a coach with mounted guards all around and a magnificent coat of arms on the front door. A face peered from the window. It was an imperious face: too thin but with blazing eyes and a curl of the reddest hair was lifted by the breeze.
‘Who is it?’ whispered Walter.
‘A queen,’ murmured Mac, ‘a queen from long ago.’
‘From the time of our young spirit,’ added Iggy.
‘I think,’ said little Walter quietly, ‘that our family should come back very soon.’
The procession wound out of sight but not before the queen from long ago had spotted the pugs with her sharp eyes. She gave a wave of her hand and the three bowed with deep reverence.
‘Don’t call to them,’ said Andrew softly to his brother, ‘they are seeing wonders.’ And the brothers waited patiently until their pugs turned round and trotted up to them.
‘Who has come?’ asked Michael.
Mac reported that a queen with red hair was headed for the house.
Michael asked if this was yet another time period and was reassured when Mac guaranteed that all the spirits had lived in the same long ago.
As they turned back, Mac passed along Walter’s opinion about the family. Andrew was quick to approve. Somehow there was work for Bess here and he was anxious for her to come and do it. Later that evening the pugs went out to look for the gulls before the light failed. One swooped low and cried out, ‘Any message for Penzance?’
‘Yes,’ Iggy called back. ‘We need to know if the family is ready to travel.’
‘No puppies yet,’ shrieked the gull. ‘Joe sent word they are due any time now.’
‘Please let us know the moment they appear,’ Iggy insisted. ‘We have need of the family as soon as they can travel.’
‘Done,’ yelled the gull and flung himself upwards.
Mac began to grumble but Iggy turned quietly and said, ‘We’ve no idea what the family can do and things are unfolding.’
‘What about the box? The one Uncle Thomas brought,’ asked Mac.
‘Bessie will read it and. . . .’
‘Bessie must come,’ said Walter suddenly. ‘Bessie must meet the dark girl and overcome her.’
The brothers looked at each other. ‘How?’ asked Mac.
‘That old queen will bring fear into the house. The dark girl will bring treachery. Bessie will overcome by love.’
‘Then,’ said Mac who didn’t usually listen to puppies, ‘we’d best go back and see that poor young spirit. She may be needing us.’
CHAPTER 6 IGGY AND THE OLD QUEEEN
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