The Trials of Seven
By: ChocolateEclar
Disclaimer: I do not own, nor am I receiving any profit from, the story this fanfic is based on. The Great Diana Wynne Jones has the pleasure of owning Archer's Goon.
Claimer: I simply own the plot and my personification of Archer, Shine, Dillian, Hathaway, Torquil, Erskine, and Venturus's parents, Matri and Agustivo Destinatus and their home planet, Caliga.
To MaidM: Can do. The last chapter was my favorite as well so far… Thanks again!
Chapter 4: Danger Looming
"WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
"Argh," grumbled a six-year-old Erskine, sitting up in bed so fast he banged his head on the headboard. He was already quite tall with a messy clump of fair hair atop his head.
"What the…?" yelped Torquil. He was holding his ears and squinting at the door.
"AHHHHHHHHHH!"
"Is that…?" mumbled Erskine.
Grunting, Torquil hissed, "It's Venturus." He cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "Mother! The baby!"
His mother was at their bedroom door by then, rubbing her eyes with her knuckles. "I'll make a bottle. You two be good big brothers and settle down Venturus," she sighed.
Torquil and Erskine each climbed out of their own beds and out their bedroom door. Erskine was as tall as the other and very solid. He was wearing a long stained gray tee shirt for pajamas, while Torquil was in wide, soft blue striped pants and a white tee shirt.
Shuffling miserably, Torquil was followed by Erskine into Venturus's room down the hall. The infant was wailing and thrashing about in his wooden crib. He was adorned in pale blue with a light layer of flaxen tresses atop his head.
"Come on, you, stop crying!" snapped Torquil.
"Only baby, Torquil," pointed out Erskine, peering through the bars at their little brother.
"What do you know?" retorted Torquil. Frowning, Torquil did pick up the screaming baby and pat his back though.
Venturus let out a little sigh and tugged on Torquil's ear. "Ow! Ow! Leggo, you!" yelled Torquil as Erskine snickered.
"You laugh but you try to hold him," Torquil complained dramatically. He handed the baby to Erskine and chuckled as Erskine fumbled to get a more comfortable hold of Venturus.
Their mother appeared at the door then with a baby bottle. Venturus, who had been drooling on Erskine's shoulder, held out his chubby arms to Matri and gurgled. Matri sat down on a chair in the corner of the room and fed Venturus with the bottle. Torquil and Erskine sat at Matri's feet, sleepily leaning on each other.
In the morning, Agustivo found them all snoozing together. Erskine was sprawled out on the floor, and Torquil was leaning against the wall. Baby Venturus was curled up in his mother's arms, while she slept slumped in the chair.
Agustivo just smiled and left them be.
If ever Howard felt like he had one foot in the grave, it was when Phoebe Preston was near. It occurred a lot because they were at the same secondary school and passed each other in the halls frequently. It was an unsettling feeling that made the hair on the nape of his neck prickle. It wasn't an attraction either. That was something Howard was sure of. It was simply a…sense of foreboding. Yes, that was it.
Phoebe was as tall as he was, which was strange enough. Most people at the school were a bit shorter than him. She had a mop of wavy black tresses and clear cerulean eyes. After asking around, Howard discovered she was three years older than him and in her last year at the school. Rumor had it that she was going to attend Cambridge after she graduated.
What is it about her that bothers me? Howard asked himself one day in October. He could see her in the far corner of the assembly hall showing off her new red purse. He looked away when the assembly began, but eyed her occasionally. It led several of his friends to tease him later about having a crush on the most popular girl in the school.
Howard ignored them and thought about Phoebe. He was still thinking about her when his friends left him for their homes, looking frightened, and he was alone. He looked up to see why they had gone and spotted Ginger Hind. He was sitting on a low brick wall in a grimy old brown leather jacket with his ginger hair bright against the faded red bricks. He peered levelly at Howard from his freckled face before saying with a grin, "Don't tell them I'm not in a gang anymore. I like watching them run."
"You haven't changed," said Howard with a shake of his head.
Ginger hopped off the wall and shrugged. "Not being in a gang is a big enough change for me. You been all right? I haven't see you in months."
"Yeah," Howard replied truthfully. "Just feeing a bit wonky lately is all."
"Yeah?" asked Ginger as they walked together to Howard's house. "Well, if you want, I was thinking about that spaceship and I was wondering if you'd like to come to my house tomorrow and plan one out together."
Howard's eyes widened in surprise. "Sure," he answered as they reached Upper Park Street. "Right after school?"
Nodding, Ginger stopped and turned to go. "I'll meet you in that same spot tomorrow, 'kay?"
"Okay," Howard said. They went their separate ways home and soon were out of sight of each other.
It wasn't long after reached his house that a booming knock rattled the front door. Awful arrived at the door first, opening it and peering around. "What are you doing here?" she said, laughing, as Howard came up behind her. He pushed the door open and let his jaw drop.
"Nice to see you lot too," Erskine said with a slight smirk. He was in his old leather jacket, looking very sunburnt.
"Why are you…?" Howard mumbled, letting Erskine inside.
"Have a bit of a problem," Erskine replied.
"Who? Us or you?" questioned Howard.
"Both," grunted Erskine going into the kitchen and taking up the usual large amount of room at the kitchen table.
"Goody!" shouted Awful, skipping in a circle. "Goody! Problems!"
"Won't like it, Awful," Erskine claimed.
"Well, what is it?" asked Howard, sitting across from Erskine.
"Surprised you didn't feel it," Erskine said. "Everything's shifting for something. Didn't worry too much though until I got this." He handed Howard a letter written on shiny gray parchment. Howard unrolled it to see familiar slanted letters written in green ink. He glanced up with wide eyes at Erskine who said, "Gets worse. Surprised you didn't get one though. Hathaway and Torquil did."
"I can't read it," said Awful, pausing in her bouncing for a moment to peer over Howard's shoulder.
"Course not," said Erskine. "Not written in English."
Awful made a face and began to skip again. Howard frowned and started to read:
Dear Erskine,
It has been a long time since we have spoken. From now on you and the others will be monitored closely. We decided upon this after noticing what you, Hathaway, Torquil, and Venturus had done to Dillian, Archer, and Shine. If we deem it an unjust action on your parts and a violation of your exile, we will reverse it and bring Archer, Shine, and Dillian back to your place of exile, Earth.
"WHAT?" Howard yelped.
"Gets even worse," Erskine mumbled. "The lying…" Erskine continued to mutter a curse.
"Nice," said Awful appreciatively.
Howard read on:
Please do not take this as a threat or any act of ill will. We simply want what is best for all of you.
Your parents,
Agustivo and Matri Destinatus
Supreme Councilman and Councilwoman
Of the High Union
"Well," Howard murmured after rereading the letter, "it looks like we're in trouble."
"Parents will reverse the spaceship, Archer, Dillian, and Shine will come back, and we'll all have to live in the past with Hathaway or get our heads blown off," Erskine explained.
"Pretty much," agreed Howard. Shaking his head, he added, "Haven't they done enough without killing us?"
"Must've just gotten that promotion from High to Supreme recently to make them feel they can do something like this," Erskine grumbled.
"What are we gonna do?" asked Awful, still prancing around the room.
"Plan on discussing this with Torquil and Hathaway tonight at the cathedral if that's all right with you, Howard," Erskine stated,
"It should be," answered Howard.
"I want to come!" shouted Awful.
"Wizards only," teased Erskine with a grin.
"That's not fair!" hissed Awful.
Howard started to laugh but stopped abruptly as a thought struck him. "How are they watching us?"
A/N: Well, there you have it. Another chapter! Don't forget to review now!
A/N 2: Next chapter: The four younger siblings of the seven discuss the future in the cathedral. What will the future bring if the elder three return? Well, that's easy. It's just as Erskine said, "…we'll all have to live in the past with Hathaway or get our heads blown off."
Yep. That's pretty much it.
A/N 3: 'Til next time! Bye.