Page 79 of Honour Bound
‘We’re in the right place but the flags are in a slightly different position.’ I grinned. ‘Imagine looking into a mirror.’
He was still confused. ‘I don’t get it.’
‘The flags you can see are an illusion. It’s a mirror image of them.’
Angus’s expression cleared. ‘Oh,’ he said, finally getting it. ‘You mean they’re in the loch.’ His troubled look returned. ‘Under the ice? But…’
‘I know,’ I nodded. ‘It’s dangerous but it makes perfect sense. It is supposed to be a challenge and,’ I lifted my head towards one of the drones, ‘the audience will be hoping for some action.’
Angus swallowed. ‘Why would the flags be under the ice here? Why not at the other end?’
‘Because when you look in the mirror,’ I said serenely, ‘everything is reversed.’
He licked his lips. ‘You didn’t have to tell me about this.’
I patted him on the shoulder. ‘Yes, I did. I’m going to need your help.’
He frowned and I jerked my head towards the rope he was carrying. Suddenly a smile spread across his face. ‘You can’t beat a length of rope.’
We shared a look of mutual understanding. ‘Indeed.’
A few other competitors appeared, pausing to stare at us and look dubiously at the ice before shrugging and picking up speed to head round the loch.
‘How can we break the ice?’ Angus asked.
Tipsania had almost managed that. ‘I don’t think it’s as solid as it looks. If we walk onto it, our weight will probably do the trick.’
He grimaced. ‘That’s what I’m afraid of.’
We waited until most of the other competitors had gone past. Angus even gestured to three of his fellow MacQuarries to go on ahead. When I shot him a questioning look, he shrugged. ‘It’ll look odd if all of us hang around here.’
He had a point. Most of the challengers were still near the flags, trying to puzzle out what was going on. It wouldn’t take them too long to work it out. The longer we could give ourselves, the better.
Now that darkness had fallen, I felt extraordinarily shivery – and with our impending dip in the loch’s frigid waters that would probably get worse. Byron’s other Gift was pyrokinesis and it was tempting to enrol him in this breakaway escapade but I couldn’t get hold of him without drawing the attention of dozens of others. He was probably at the other end of the loch with the cluster of Sidhe.
Angus uncoiled the rope and looped one end round the nearest tree. It wasn’t long enough for both of us; we’d have to do this one by one.
He held it out to me and raised his eyebrows. ‘Ladies first.’
‘You’re giving me the advantage if you let me go first,’ I warned. ‘Once I get my flag, I’m going to the finish point.’
‘Second place is better than anyone expects of me,’ he said. ‘And I’d like to see the look on those Moncrieffe faces when you win the whole freaking Games.’ He dropped his voice. ‘It’s not all selfless though. If your theory is wrong and there’s nothing under the ice, you’ll get a freezing cold dunk while I stay toasty and warm.’
I smiled. ‘I’m not wrong.’
He gestured at the ice with mock gallantry. ‘Go on, then.’
I tied the rope securely round my waist ? I really did not want to find myself trapped beneath the surface ? then took a deep breath and edged out. The ice groaned and it felt very flimsy under my feet. Although I needed it to break so I could fall into the water below, a part of me still hoped that wouldn’t happen. I took another step and another. The ice complained more loudly.
I’d gone about ten feet when something caught my eye beneath the frozen surface. The water was dark but I was sure I’d seen a flag. I squeezed my eyes shut, jumped and landed back on the ice. There was a loud cracking sound and tiny fissures appeared. They weren’t enough; I needed more if I was going to manage my swim. I leapt again, this time smashing down as hard as I could. A few seconds after I landed, the ice cracked loudly. I barely had time to hold my breath before I fell in.
The shock of the water was unlike anything I’d ever felt before. I had scant seconds to do what was necessary before I’d have to pull myself out. While the loch might not have the dank, viscous oiliness of the Lowlands Clyde, I knew that the water here was far more dangerous. I dived under the surface but I couldn’t see a thing. Great. The Carnegies had lit fires to illuminate the fake flags but not used lights to help locate the real ones.
I fumbled for my pocket, my fingers already seizing up with cold, and managed to pull out Bob’s letter opener and rub it against my sleeve. As per usual, he appeared in a brilliant flash of light. It was a risky move – it would have been visible to almost everyone on the shore – but I didn’t have much choice.
Unfortunately, the flash provided by Bob’s appearance was too brief and too bright to help me see. He floated in front of my face in an old-fashioned Victorian one-piece bathing suit with maroon stripes covering him from his neck to his knees. He waved.
My lungs were starting to hurt. I tried to move my hands to indicate that I needed light but he just waved back. Gritting my teeth, I lunged to shake some sense into him. He pulled away at the last minute, his swimming costume transforming into a mermaid’s tail to help him move.
