Now he was getting used to talking, he had quite a pleasant deep voice, with a slight foreign accent. Swedish? Ann wondered. And he did have every reason to be puzzled. There seemed no harm in telling him what little she knew. What do you want to ask? she said cautiously.
He cleared his throat again. Can you tell me where we are? Where this is? He gestured round at the green distances of the wood.
Well, Ann said, it ought to be the wood just beside Hexwood Farm, but it seems to have gone bigger. As he seemed quite bewildered by this, she added, But its no use asking me why its bigger. I cant understand it either.
The man clicked his tongue and stared up at her impatiently. I know about that. I could feel I was working with a field just now. Something near by is creating a whole set of paratypical extensions
You what? said Ann.
Youd probably call it, he said thoughtfully, casting a spell.
I would not! Ann said indignantly. She might look absurd and indecent sitting dangling in this tree, but that didnt mean she was a moron! Im far too old to think anything so silly.
Apologies, he said. Then perhaps the best way to explain it is as quite a large hemisphere of a certain kind of force that has power to change reality. Does that help you?
Sort of Ann admitted.
Good, he said. Now please explain where and what is Hexwood Farm.
Its the old farm on our housing estate, Ann said. He looked bewildered again. The one eyebrow gathered in over his nose, and he leant on his staff to stare about him. Ann thought he seemed wobbly and ill. Not surprising. Its not a farm any more, just a house, she explained. About forty miles from London. He shook his head helplessly. In England, Europe, Earth, the solar system, the universe. You must know! Ann said irritably. You came here in a car this morning. I saw you going into the farm with two other men!
Oh no, he said, sounding faint and tired. Youre mistaken. Ive been in stass-sleep for centuries, for breaking the Reigners ban. He turned and pointed a startlingly long finger at the chest half-buried in the bank. Now you have to believe that. You were standing here, where I am now, when I came out. I saw you.
This was hard to deny, but Ann was sure enough of her facts to try, leaning earnestly down from her branch. I know I mean, I did see you but I saw you before that, early this morning, walking in the road in modern clothes. I swear it was you! I knew by the way you walked.
The man below firmly shook his head. No, it was not me you saw. It must have been a descendant of mine. I took care to have many descendants. It was was one good way of breaking that unjust ban. He put a hand to his forehead. Ann could see he was coming over queer. The staff was wobbling under his hand.
Look, she said kindly, if this this sphere of force can change reality,
couldnt it have changed you, like it changed the wood?
No, he said. There are some things that cant be changed. I am Mordion. I am from a distant world and I was sent here under a ban. He used his staff to help him to the bank, where he sat down and covered his face shakily with one hand.
It reminded Ann of the weak way she had felt only yesterday. She was torn between sympathy for him and urgent worry about herself. Probably he was not sane. And her legs were going numb and needlish, the way legs do if they are left to dangle. Why dont you, she said, thinking of the way she had wolfed down that pan of food, get the force to change reality and sent you something to eat? You must be hungry. If Im right, you havent eaten anything since it got light this morning. If youre right, you must be bloody ravenous!
Mordion brought his skull of a face out of his hand. What sound sense! He raised his staff, then paused and looked up at Ann. Would you like some food too?
No thanks. I have to be home for lunch, Ann said primly. While he was eating his boars head, or whatever he got his thingummy field to send him, Ann was planning to slide down this tree and run run like mad, in a straight line this time.
As you please. Mordion made a sharp, angular gesture with his staff. Before he had half completed the movement, something square and white was following the gesture in the air. He brought the staff down in a smooth arc and the square thing glided down with it and landed on the bank. Hey presto! Mordion said, looking up at Ann with a large smile.
Ann quite forgot to slide down the tree. The square thing was a plastic tray divided into compartments and covered with transparent film. That was the first amazing thing. The second amazing thing was that some of the food inside was bright blue. The third and most amazing thing, which really held Ann riveted to her branch, was that smile Mordion gave her. If a skull smiles, you expect something mirthless, with too many teeth in it. Mordions smile was nothing like that. It was full of amusement and humour and friendship. It was glowing. It changed his face to something that made Anns breath catch. She felt almost weak enough, seeing it, to topple off her branch. It was the most beautiful smile she had ever seen.