The Dream Weavers by Barbara Erskine (books you have to read txt) 📕

‘I’m sure she will cope.’ Bea reached into her bag for her car keys. ‘I’ll come to you if Emma allows. I want to walk out onto the hill with her. Elisedd has appeared to us both up there. Let’s see what happens. No,’ she interrupted his objection before he voiced it, ‘I won’t let it upset her, I promise. If he should appear, I will know what to do.’

She didn’t wait to say goodbye, heading for her car before he had even scrambled to his feet. He sat still, watching her pull out of her parking space and turn her car round. In a few seconds she had gone.

Thoughtfully he headed back into the pub and reappeared a few minutes later with a second glass of shandy. Then he pulled out his notebook again. He needed to get back to the kids, that was true, but first he had a lot of details to write down before he forgot them, and names to check. The kids would be all right on their own for a while yet. In fact, perhaps the longer he was away the better. They might actually get some work done.

34

‘Dad’s been altering his book.’ Felix sat back and pointed at the screen. ‘Take a look. See. He’s using the review tools so one can see what he’s changed.’

Emma peered over his shoulder. ‘All this red bit?’

‘Yeah.’ He folded his arms. ‘He’s added in a bit about the kings of Powys. Quite a big bit.’

There was silence as she read, leaned forward to scroll down, then read on. ‘Wow.’

‘Quite. Wow. Do you think this stuff is kosher? I mean, it’s quite a different style to the rest of his book.’

Finishing her scrutiny of the extract, she stood back. ‘Some of that sounds a bit like guesswork. Maybe that’s why it’s in red. He’s got to check it.’

‘What do you make of this place, Em? Really.’ Felix stood up and closed the laptop. They trailed into the kitchen. Felix opened the door of the fridge and brought out two cans of cider. ‘You really are experiencing all this stuff? You’re not making it up to get out of the exams or anything?’

‘Get out of the exams?’ she echoed. ‘Hardly. They’re important.’

‘How does it feel when you do it?’

‘It?’

‘Well, what do you call it? Time travel.’

‘I don’t feel anything. I’m just there.’

‘And you were a queen?’

For a moment she looked uncomfortable, then she grinned. ‘What else, bro? I would hardly be a serf, would I!’ Her grin faded. ‘It was a bit scary, actually. I wasn’t her and I wasn’t me, but I was there and I felt lost. Trapped. I was looking out through her eyes so I must have been her. Mustn’t I?’

He didn’t reply immediately, thinking it through. ‘What does Bea say?’

‘She gave me all these exercises to practise being safe.’

‘And have you done them?’

It was her turn to remain silent.

‘Oh, Em!’ He stood up and shoved his hands into the back pockets of his jeans, standing in front of the window much as his father did at home when he was about to deliver a lecture. ‘What is the point of her taking all this trouble if you don’t do it?’

‘I don’t want to be safe!’ she snapped back. ‘Don’t you see? I want to know what happens. What it feels like to be a queen. It’s exciting. It’s like being the star of a fantasy movie all of my own. A queen has servants and soldiers and all those people in that great hall were watching me and I knew that if I clapped my hands they would jump!’ For a second she was on the point of telling him about Elisedd making love to her. She stopped herself in time.

‘I thought you were scared.’

‘At the time, I was pumped, but later when I woke up I was scared. I didn’t know where l was. Or when I was.’

‘And you’re still scared, aren’t you.’

‘I suppose so.’

‘So, you don’t want to do it again. Not deliberately.’

‘I do, that’s the point. But I want it to be on my terms.’

‘Which brings us back to Bea.’ Felix was staring at her reproachfully. ‘She is the only one who can show you what to do and how to control this weird shit you’re involved in. Get real, Em. You’re messing with something really dangerous here.’ He sounded very like their father. ‘You mustn’t try and do it on your own.’

‘I wouldn’t be on my own if you were here.’

‘What! No! Oh no, Em. No way.’

‘You wouldn’t have to do anything except be here revising or whatever. I just don’t want to wake up and find myself somewhere outside miles away. That would be scary. Please, Felix. I looked up sleepwalking and they say not to wake people, just make sure they are safe. That’s all this would be. I’d only be dreaming.’

The look he gave her was one of extraordinarily mature compassion, combined with sheer frustration. ‘As if you’re going to take any notice of what I say anyway.’

She smiled sweetly. ‘I knew you’d understand. And you have to swear not to tell Dad.’

‘Not unless you’ve been carted off in a straitjacket.’

‘I won’t be. You go on. Read or whatever. I’ll be upstairs in my bedroom.’

She didn’t wait to hear any more arguments.

Back in the living room, Felix went over to his bag of books, discarded in the corner since the day they arrived and with a sigh began to sort through them. Perhaps it would be a good thing to give them a quick look. As he opened the first book he stared up at the ceiling uncomfortably but there was no sound from upstairs.

As Bea walked into the cathedral, she found herself shivering. She peered into the shadows. Had Sandra done that to her? Made her nervous and afraid in this most beautiful and serene and safe of places. She had noticed the woman a couple of