Page 35 of Tattered Huntress
I sneaked a look at Hugo’s face. Whatever curious, indecipherable expression he’d been displaying earlier had been replaced by a bland mask. ‘Perhaps treasure hunting is not for you,’ he said smoothly.
Humphrey was far too jovial to take offence. ‘Perhaps, old chap.’ He chuckled. ‘Perhaps.’ He grinned at Eleanor. ‘We should lay off the cocktails in the next leg.’
Eleanor touched her head and groaned. ‘I think that would be a great idea.’ She turned to me and added with mock sternness, ‘And you, Daisy – from what I’ve been hearing you should stay away from monsters.’
Chance would be a fine thing. I felt a warm glow that there was no trace of suspicion from Eleanor; I liked her a lot and I didn’t want to lose her good opinion, whether I merited it or not. ‘Do we know anything about the next location?’ I asked, keen to change the subject.
Humphrey flicked a hand towards the far wall where two of the hotel staff were setting up a projector. ‘I suspect we’re about to find out,’ he said.
Chapter
Fourteen
Sir Nigel’s face flickered into view. ‘Is it working?’ he asked somebody offscreen. ‘Can they see me?’ He listened to the response then beamed at the camera. ‘Good morning, treasure hunters! Congratulations to Hugo Pemberville and the Primes for locating the first part of the key so quickly! Almost all of you solved the clue and worked out where to go, proving your worth and indicating that this will be a fabulous competition.’
Several heads turned towards Humphrey and Eleanor. Neither of them appeared fazed, but I reckoned they were the only team that hadn’t deciphered the first part of the clue we’d been given in Northumberland. To be fair, with hindsight some might think that drinking cocktails in a country pub was the better move; it beat lassoing giant snakes followed by an interrogation from the local police.
The screen flickered and the sound took on a tinny quality. ‘John Thurgood’s team have sadly pulled out due to injury, so there are fewer of you than before, but I am confident, that the remaining teams are evenly matched. You are all still in the running to find the Arkaig treasure!
‘I also wish to add that both the police and I have investigated the events involving Thurgood and his team mates yesterday and no rules or laws have been broken.’ His voice hardened slightly. ‘Nobody deserves to be disqualified and nobodywillbe disqualified. Not at this point.’
Oh. Clearly, at least one of my fellow treasure hunters had contacted him to request my removal. I grimaced but Eleanor took my hand underneath the table and squeezed my fingers. She was more intelligent than she let on.
I gave her a brief smile to let her know that I genuinely appreciated her support, then I sat straighter. With Hester, Otis, Humphrey, Eleanor and Jamila, I’d already gained my fair share of allies – everyone else could take a running jump.
I felt Hugo’s eyes on me and I tilted my chin towards him defiantly. His expression remained the same but he raised his coffee cup to me before taking a sip. Cumbubbling arse. Maybe he’d decided that the best way to trip me up wasn’t to attack me verbally but to confuse me. I resolved to pay him no more attention.
Sir Nigel continued, ‘There are eight teams still in the running and they all have an equal shot at finding one of the remaining key parts. It is important to me that the competition continues to be as fair as possible. The next part is in a particularly remote location and you will all receive the same help to reach it.’
At least half the people in the room started to murmur. I didn’t; something about Sir Nigel’s words made me suspect that this key part would be extraordinarily difficult to find.
‘The British Museum has tracked it to Smoo Cave near Durness in the Scottish Highlands,’ he said.
Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted the twins grabbing their phones so they could search for the cave. Next to me, Eleanor frowned. ‘I’ve been to Smoo Cave,’ she whispered. ‘It’s atourist attraction. I don’t see how the key part could have remained hidden for almost three hundred years when people have been traipsing through there in their thousands.’
Humphrey nodded. ‘You’re right, my dear. I suspect there’s more to this than meets the eye.’
Across the table, Hugo raised an eyebrow. ‘Smoo derives from the Old Norse word for hiding place,’ he said.
I tried – and probably failed – not to look too interested at this titbit of information.
Sir Nigel was still speaking. ‘Many of you will have heard of Smoo Cave and will know that, while it is a sea cave, it is also partially submerged thanks to freshwater streams that trickle in from overhead. One of these freshwater passages, believed for decades to have been permanently blocked, leads to a far larger network of caves that I do not think anyone has explored in more than two hundred years. The only way to access the secondary cave network is by unlocking an old sorcerer’s underwater rune that bars the way.’
He pulled a face. ‘That is what wethink, but it is not a theory that has been tested and we don’t actually know what lies on the other side of the magical blockage. Divers have located the rune but it has not yet been opened.’
He paused. ‘I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that this section of the hunt could prove incredibly dangerous. The secondary cave system may be underwater or blocked by debris that has fallen in the centuries since the Jacobites walked there. There might be dangerous creatures dwelling in those dark reaches.’ He raised his shoulders expressively. ‘We simply do not know. There is no dishonour in not proceeding into the cave – nobody’s life should be lost in the pursuit of old gold.’
I shuddered. I suffered occasionally from mild claustrophobia – but I’d almost been eaten by a giant snake so I couldn’t let a dark cave worry me. In fact, despite the frisson of anxiety, Ifelt a ripple of excitement at the thought of treading where few others had ever been. This was what treasure hunting should be about – the perilous thrill of the unknown.
Goosebumps rose on my arms and I realised that my fear of confined spaces hadn’t dampened my excitement at seeing this hidden cave network. I glanced around the table. Humphrey and Eleanor both looked nervous, but Hugo’s expression mirrored mine. It was a shock to think that we felt the same. This wasn’t about the key or the gold, it was about exploring somewhere new and mysterious. I shivered in anticipation.
‘If you decide to continue into the unknown,’ Sir Nigel said, ‘we shall convene at the entrance to Smoo Cave in twenty-four hours’ time. I have engaged the services of a skilled sorcerer who will unlock the rune so all the teams can proceed. Everyone will be on a level footing when they enter the cave network but,’ his eyes gleamed, ‘only one team can gain the next part of the key. The competition is still on – and it is heating up.’
Somebody coughed on the other side of the room. The solo hunter – the bearded man whom I’d almost approached on the first day – had stood up. ‘Do we have to wait twenty-four hours?’ he asked. ‘Or can we try to get in on our own?’
I gave him a closer look. If he thought he had the ability to unlock an old rune, he must be a sorcerer. My stomach tightened. Those sorts of skills could lead him to the key part before the rest of us got anywhere near it.
Sir Nigel grinned. ‘I thought you might ask that, Boonder. You are certainly welcome to try and break the rune, but it’s taken me a while to find a sorcerer capable of doing it. You might find it harder than you think.’
