After breakfast next morning I locked myself away with Parvon to sort out all the financial arrangements. It took a surprising degree of effort, so that it was almost noon before we were anything like done, but finally he sat up from the table and summed up our plans.
'So my lord king, all credit cards together in an envelope with instructions to pay from accounts held by Adrian's... the letter of explanation you have penned for Mrs Dunbar to be packaged up with the phones and other electronic devices in a stout box and posting to Mrs Dunbar... are you sure about this, sire?'
'Except my laptop. It will not be much use, I know, no wifi in Valonor...'
'A solar charging unit would keep the battery topped up, you could still use it for some things,' Parvon said. 'But I really meant the letter to Mrs Dunbar; will it not simply confuse or alienate her?'
'I hope not; I have tried to steer a course between announcing we are inherently immortal elves and offering a more plausible explanation; we are a subset, a genetic oddity, with inbuilt longevity and pointed ears; I cite a passing similarity to Williams Syndrome, although without the complications. Now. What else? The hire cars?'
'Yes, my king; I suggest they could be left for Seamus to return, once he has taken us all to the ship... Sire? Can it be true, really? We really do have a ship, we are sailing tomorrow, all is in order?'
'Yes, indeed; it is a lot to take in, is it not? By this time tomorrow, I expect we will be underway.'
It was a confusing, anxious time, waiting for a message. Without Cirdan sending word, we were unsure whether we should check out of the hotel that night, or early in the morning. Nestoril spoke with Merlinith and together persuaded everyone it would be a good idea to pack anyway. But several of those who had not gone to Chester the day before were now regretting it, and so I acquiesced to them visiting Birkenhead town centre instead for an hour or two, Seamus driving, Parvon and Triwathon shepherding.
Legolas and Govon had been whispering together and presently announced they would retire to their rooms, ostensibly to pack, but my son had his thumb tucked into Govon's belt at the back, his fingers easy on his hip.
Nestoril caught my eye and smiled as more and more of our couples decided to follow our advice and head for their own rooms, to pack or pretend to, as they pleased.
'I want to go for a walk in the gardens,' she said. 'After all, we're practically ready. And I would like to say farewell to the trees of Middle Earth, in some small way.'
We wandered through the gardens, pausing to place our hands against the trunks of the trees, stroking the bark, whispering to the foliage, saying thank you and farewell.
We had been meandering in the cold, damp air for almost an hour when we noticed Helpful Pam standing in the doorway of the hotel looking out at us.
'She looks worried,' Ness said. 'I suppose she might not understand we were talking about packing, but all our sudden activity... she was hoping we'd be here for longer, I think, and if she's refused other bookings because of us, that's a lot of money to lose...'
'More reparations to make... well, I had better speak to her, I suppose...'
'Let me,' Nestoril said, earning my gratitude. 'I made the booking.'
She waved and smiled and trotted across the grass to join Pam, and by the time I reached them she was midway into an explanation of how we'd had to change our plans and of course, it was a terrible nuisance, and there was no question that our rooms would all be paid for the entire week, and we were not quite certain exactly when we would be leaving, perhaps tonight, perhaps tomorrow morning and, oh dear, it was such a mess...
'I don't understand,' Pam began, but Nestoril, nodding sympathy, began talking before she could finish.
'No, indeed, no more do we, but there it is...' She sighed. 'It really is so vexing, and of course, as soon as we know exactly what is happening we'll let you know, but it may be that we have to just go... if that's the case, we'll leave the keys at reception... would it help if we settled up now?'
'Well... if you wouldn't mind... but...'
'I'll come to reception in a few minutes, then.'
I returned to the function room to wait, passing the time chatting with some of my Silvans, those whom I did not know well; I was interested in knowing more about how they had been living lately, and after a little shyness, they opened up to me, talking about forests in Wales and holiday encampments, outward bound courses and bush craft camps.
'You have done well,' I said, allowing approval to warm my voice. 'But perhaps I should ask; have you decided, yet, whether you will stay, or sail with us?'
The answers came swift.
'Sire, I was ever willing...' and 'At first, I wondered if it was wise... but now I see there may be a place for us there...' Another: 'Against all hope I am reunited with my friend; she is for sailing, and I will not lose her again...'
Only one shook his head.
'I do not know, sire. It seems disloyal, but you have said, we may choose for ourselves...'
'Come and see us off, at least; the rest of you, I ask only that you hold your courage for a little while longer. We have had assurances from Cirdan himself, he has helped many Silvans sail and seen them content in Valinor.'
Even the reluctant brightened at that, and sought to convince their companion.
'Then it must be all right, mustn't it? Come with us, do.'
'And we are following our king, so it will be well. Yes, it will not be the same without you.'
'And our prince is going. And Commander Govon is sailing, and Commander Triwathon.'
'And I, too,' Nestoril said, approaching with a smile. 'I am Silvan, and I am sure it well be fine. Thranduil, if you have a moment, I want you to have a word with Pam about the bill?'
Really, I did not see a problem with paying for longer than we needed, and besides, we would not need money ourselves. But Helpful Pam seemed to not feel comfortable with the idea, and had worked out a compromise which I agreed to after a small token argument.
'We will simply leave the balance in an envelope with her name on,' I told Ness as we headed up to our rooms.
'Shall we see if Legolas and Govon are... busy packing, still?' Ness said, raising an eyebrow at me with a knowing grin.
'It would be safer just to telephone...'
She laughed, and led me off towards my son's room.
With our exceptional hearing, of course we would have heard were Govon and Legolas privately occupied from half way down the corridor and, reassured by the lack of auditory evidence, Ness knocked brightly on the door.
But there was no answer.
'Something's wrong,' she said, 'I am sure of it! Thranduil?'
I pressed against the door, straining to hear.
'The shower is running, that's all, and the bath, too, I think.' I tried the handle and it opened. 'Well, the door is not locked... Legolas? Govon?'
'It sounds wrong!' Ness said, pushing past me and heading towards the bathing room. 'Thranduil, help!'
I hurried after her and stared at what I saw for an infinitesimal fraction of a heartbeat. Govon lay submerged beneath the waters of the bathtub, his eyes closed and a drift of tiny bubbles escaping his lips, the taps running and overflowing onto the floor of the room. Legolas was in the separate shower cubicle under the full force of the hissing water, steam rising, his skin pink from the heat...
I reached into the bath and pulled Govon up and over the side even as Ness pushed into the cubicle and turned off the shower. Govon began to cough and I stepped over him to reach my son, hearing Nestoril trying to rouse him. There were towels, and I wrapped one around Legolas, reaching to grab him from the shower cubicle; as I touched him, he collapsed against me and I bore him off to lay him on the bed before going to see what was wrong with Govon.
Ness had shut off the bath taps and had draped a towel over Govon's back; he was on his hands and knees, heaving and coughing, the floor awash with bathwater.
'I am sorry,' he said between bouts. 'I am so sorry, I was trying to find the song again, I...'
I think I snarled as I left him to Ness' care and went back to my son.
He was lying as I had left him, wrapped in towels, his wet hair sticking to his face and his eyes... closed.
It terrified me.
'Legolas? My son, wake up!'
I patted his cheeks, chafed his wrists and saw his eyes flutter even as he began to shake and rolled away from me.
'Legolas, ion-nin?'
To my horror he began to weep, drawing himself up into a little curled ball of grief while I stroked the wet hair back from his face and pressed the towel against his skin.
'What is it, my leaf, what is wrong?'
He turned back towards me and allowed me to reach out and hold him while he sobbed and shook against me.
'It's all right, I have you, you are safe... what is the matter, what were you doing, ion-nin?'
'I was... was trying to... to... and I did, oh, I did...'
'Govon says they were trying to find the song of the sea,' Nestoril said, her voice reproving as she supported Govon out of the bathroom. 'Thranduil, let me see Legolas...? There, penneth, let me look?'
Govon dropped to his knees in front of me, bowing his head.
'I am sorry,' he said. 'It was all right yesterday, and Legolas said it would be well, but... but I know we should not, and... but we did hear the song, Nestoril, we did...'
'And what did it say?' she asked crisply.
'It said; do not do this, you will be hurt, wait, you will see, you will hear us soon, stop...do not try this again... but it sang it so beautifully, we could not help trying...'
'Oh, Govon!' Nestoril protested. 'How could you? And how could you not take care of your fëa-mate?'
'Yes, I am so, so sorry...'
'No, I told him, I would watch over him,' Legolas said. 'Govon, it is my fault... I... could not resist...'
'Oh, what are we to do with the pair of you?' Ness threw her hands up in despair. 'The bathroom is flooded, Govon, you almost drowned, Legolas is scalded...'
'What? No, no, is he hurt? Legolas, are you?'
Ness folded the wet hair away from my son's shoulders and showed us the spread of angry red skin.
'He is not blistered, thankfully, but I need to get my salve. Legolas, come with me. Thranduil, please take care of Govon.'
He was still bowed on the floor, huddling into shame and guilt. I pulled him up onto the edge of the bed, wrapped the towel more securely around his shoulders, and held him close, as if he was an elfling, my elfling. I suppose he was, in a way.
'I am glad you didn't come to any serious harm,' I said. 'My son would have been devastated... and so would Ness and I. You are almost a son to us.'
'I'm nearly as old as Ness!'
'Really? One could not tell from your behaviour today.'
'I am sorry, Adar-in-Honour, I am...'
'I was attempting to lighten the mood with humour,' I said, my voice dry. 'Come. Get yourself dried, get dressed, I will attempt to clear up the mess in the bathroom. I suppose I will need to find out who is in the room beneath, lest they suffer from the overflow...'
'Adar-in-Honour, I am so s...'
'Peace, Govon. Get dressed. Just do not do anything so stupid again. If you need to hear the sound of the sea, go into the garden and climb up into one of the trees, listen to the leaves rustling. And use your imagination.'
While I was attempting to mop up the bathroom floor with the help of old towels, the outer door clicked open and I heard Legolas' voice, soft and emotional.
'Govon, I promised to watch and I... I let you down. I am sorry, I thought...'
'No, don't, my fair elf! Were you badly hurt?'
Nestoril's voice, then.
'A very slight scald across his shoulders, he will be fine by the morning... Thranduil? Oh, what a mess! You know, I do not think these two should be left by themselves, look at the state of this floor! We will have to report it... I will do so myself, I will say Govon fell asleep in the bath... and is it too much to expect that you two have done anything towards packing?'
The two exchanged glances and shook their heads, giving Nestoril the opportunity to give them a perfectly mundane scold about the importance of setting a good example and, come along then, where were they going to start...?
I exited quietly, leaving Nestoril to cajole and tease and help restore a sense of normality for my son and honour-son while I returned to our rooms; I needed to do something to take my mind of the fright my son and honour-son had just given me.
As a distraction, I opened up my laptop. Parvon had promised to return from the shopping trip with a charger powered by sunlight which he claimed would keep my laptop working, albeit not connected to the internet; the conversation had served to reminded me I had not checked social media for a day or two. I had been concerned lest being visible online might set Peters and Dean on our trail, but now, this close to sailing, and with them still, I hoped, being investigated, I needed to do something...
Although I had no wish to interrupt Cirdan's preparations by calling him, I wanted to try to get in touch, and this seemed an easy way. I sent off a message to him, explaining Legolas' sea-longing was back and Govon was suffering severely, too; what was to be done, when was the earliest we could board?
Then I noticed I had fourteen pending friend requests and only three were from dauntingly proportioned females...
I ran through the profiles, accepting the eleven requests; I found Silvans, yes... but Noldor, also... Little dots by some of the names indicated they were active online, and I sent off messages at once – where are you, are you willing, ready to sail? How soon can you get to Liverpool? Have you phone numbers, may I call?
Within moments replies started coming in; Dorset, Norfolk, Staffordshire, Cardiff, Bradford... How had I missed anyone from so close to Leeds as Bradford? I'd been to Bradford, more than once, in fact...
The door opened behind me and Nestoril came quietly into the room.
'I had a sudden stroke of inspiration and sent Merlinith and Araspen to our boys,' she said. 'They will keep watch for us for an hour... what are you doing there, my dear?'
'I have found more elves,' I said, my voice bewildered. 'And I fear some are too far away to get here in time... yet even if we could delay, I find I do not wish to, not with Legolas and Govon...'
'Of course you do not... but what is to be done...?'
My laptop pinged; a reply, almost incoherent, but with a phone number attached. Then another...
Morfimbes, Arrad, Haeven, Gowesthel...
Of the Silvans, Dolon was in Bradford, and Noruinir in Cardiff. As soon as I had their numbers, I called them.
'Will you sail? Can you get to Liverpool today?'
Yes, and yes... and no, and yes...
By the time I had contacted those six, another three messages and numbers had appeared, and I went through the same process.
'What do you have in mind?' Ness asked.
'Cirdan,' I said. 'If they can get to Liverpool, they can get to Cirdan, or he to them. He can shelter them tonight, with his other passengers. As for the others... Lily and Crispin and Woodford. Parvon's law firm. It is the best we can do. However, Cirdan said it is possible to sail back, he has done so... a last, last push... if Lily can get busy while we are gone, she can co-ordinate elvenkind and have them ready for the last ship. It is our ship, our last ship... but it need not be that ship's last voyage...
My phone rang.
'Cirdan. You have problems, Thranduil?'
Yes. Suddenly, I had eleven new problems. I explained about Legolas, and Govon, and about how I had just found a new cluster of elves. I thought Cirdan sighed.
'It is wonderful, of course. But we should not delay. In fact, hearing this news of your son, I would say, bring your people aboard tonight, at once... Well. Get in touch with your new finds, give them my number. I have... friends, of sorts, who may be able to help. That is, if you will, King Thranduil. This might mean a change of schedule... no, I know what we can do... Pass on my number, tell them to contact me in haste. I will call you back in two hours, by which time I hope I will I have spoken to my engineer about his enclave of elves... The Uinen's Gull will be in the West Float by midnight tonight, whatever happens.'
'Will they be better?' I asked. 'Once they board, will the sickness leave them in peace?'
'It should diminish, and being near to the water constantly, they will become a little immune... we will watch over them. Life jackets, if need be.'
A little easier in my mind, I ended the call and began the process of sending Cirdan's number around, talking, reassuring, explaining, where I could. Lengthy messages through social networking, explaining further, giving contact numbers for those who feared they would not get here in time.
Ness packed and tidied while I went downstairs to ascertain whether the elves participating in the latest shopping expedition had returned. Duinor bore me company while I waited, and we tried to work out the fewest number of trips it would take to get everyone to the appointed meeting place. Using both minibus and car, we thought four trips should do it, with each journey taking half an hour or so.
'Have you given Seamus any instructions yet, sire?' Duinor asked.
'I have tried to keep him out of the arrangements as much as possible... I'll leave it until the last moment, I think.'
'He and I talk, a little, outside of cars and driving and routes and such. I like him but there is something about him... I am sure he understands more than we think.'
'Too late to worry about it now, Duinor. He's been helpful so far. Are you packed and ready?'
'And eager, my king. The waiting, that is the difficult part.'
Yes.
The minibus and a dozen or so happy, laden elves arrived a little after 4 pm, and I called a meeting for an hour later, after suggesting, yes, everything was lovely, and would they please begin putting things away and packing at once... this caused a little rush of excitement and anticipation, and I was glad of Thiriston's stolid presence calming everyone down.
By the time we reconvened, there had been more news from Cirdan; he expected to be able to have his associates gather and bring at least six of our newly-discovered elves to him in Liverpool. Those who seemed too far away to help already had contact details for our nascent support network; Cirdan didn't seem to think it was a problem.
'We have to go,' he told me. 'And we have to go very soon. But... that doesn't mean nobody else can set sail... Bring your people tonight, after midnight. We will be there.'
