Free Eldren: The Book of the Dark by William Meikle

when the dissenter turned to him, the big grin fixed in its usual place.
    “I’ve seen this before. It never works unless everybody cheats. Is this your big new trick? I’m not staying here for this.”
    Nick Bayliss was Tony’s rival for Isobel’s attention. Tony knew that if Nick left the rest of them would soon follow, he was that sort of a leader…the first to suggest anything which was liable to lead to trouble, the last to get caught. His mother said he was ‘tuppence short of a bob’ and Tony, although he didn’t understand, knew that it meant that Nick wasn’t one of life’s good guys.
    He trusted his mum’s judgment but he couldn’t see what made Isobel so attracted to the boy. He supposed it was something he might understand when he got older.
    “All right then, if it doesn’t work, I’ll give you all ten pence each.”
    “Ten pence? That’s not going to break your bank is it? If you want me to stay you’d better make it fifty at least.”
    Nick was still grinning at him, that big crazy grin that meant he was onto a winner. Fifty pence was all that Tony had, and if his trick didn’t work he’d have to pay out over three pounds. He was about to pull out when he caught Isobel looking at him, big black lashes fluttering. He felt a warm tingly feeling in his stomach and had to lower his eyes. There was no way that he’d back down with her watching him.
    “Okay then, let’s do it.”
    After they had placed themselves around the prone figure he started the chant.
    “He looks pale.”
    “He looks fat!” A low voice replied and they all burst out laughing. All that is apart from Tony. He was furious.
    “Okay. If you’re not going to take this seriously, I’m off. I’ve got better things to do anyway.”
    He looked round and felt a warm smile of pleasure inside which he daren’t let reach his face. He had their attention again...he was the Magician once more.
    There were several protests, not the least of which came from Isobel. He permitted himself one small smile as he looked across at her.
    “All right then, I’ll try it again. But don’t blame me if this doesn’t work. I told you that you had to be serious for it to happen.”
    He placed his hands on the side of Ian’s head, feeling the heat at his ears underneath the hair.
    “He looks pale,” he began.
    “He is pale.”
    This time they all replied, not quite in unison but the atmosphere of the occasion was beginning to get through to them. Even Nick Bayliss looked like he’s started to take it seriously. Tony permitted himself a quick glance at Isobel but her eyes were closed and she frowned in concentration.
    “He looks ill.”
    “He is ill.” Six voices replied. Nowhere existed except for that room, that moment.
    It’s going to work, he thought, excitement rising in him.
    By now they were all caught in the special atmosphere, so much so that no one noticed the whitening around the lips of the boy between their hands.
    “He looks dead.”
    “He is dead.”
    “Dead?” whispered the head held tightly between Tony’s hands.
    “Sshh!” Tony said, pressing his palms even tighter against the large boy’s ears.
    “We are now entering the World of Illusion.”
    Twelve fingers and one pair of hands lifted but found the body already afloat, bobbing upwards like a helium balloon on a piece of string.
    Tony looked down the double row of faces, a triumphant smile on his face, a smile that was wiped out by the sight of Nick Bayliss. The older boy grinned widely, the same old manic grin, the one he always wore just as he was about to stomp all over you. Slowly, looking at Tony all the while, he removed his fingers from beneath the body. The grin never left his face.
    Time slowed for Tony, like a projector running down. He had a bad taste in his mouth, the taste of cold metal.
    Ian fell stiffly to the ground, head striking a corner of the large boiler with a crack. They all stepped back, first one then two steps and there was a