Philomena Bucket listened intently as Reggie Upton revealed that he had witnessed someone breaking through Mr Squash’s mystic portal. The interloper sounded worryingly like Tenzin’s description of Dawasandup, the sorcerous lama.
“That’s not good,” she said, after a pause. “According to Tenzin, Dawasandup has sworn to track both him and Durosimi down and drag them back to Tibet, to be sacrificed to some tiger demon.”
Reggie was aghast. “We jolly well can’t let that happen to Tenzin,” he raged. “And although I have absolutely no affection for Durosimi whatsoever, I’m dashed if I’ll allow some sorcerer chap to barge into Hopeless without a ‘by your leave’ and start terrorising the islanders. Why, the bounder needs a sound thrashing, and no mistake.”
“You’re quite right,” agreed Philomena, unsuccessfully concealing the ghost of a smile. “I’m afraid that if Dawasandup is the badass that Tenzin says he is, it will take a bit more than the threat of a sound thrashing to see him off.”
Despite her reluctance to use her magical powers, Reggie had seen enough of them to grasp Philomena’s meaning.
“You mean to play him at his own game?” he asked, already knowing the answer. Philomena nodded. “It’s the only way to help Tenzin,” she said, “and as it’s Durosimi’s battle, he needs to pitch in too.”
“Leave it with me, I’ll talk to him,” said Reggie.
“No,” said Philomena, firmly. “You can make sure that everyone at The Squid is safe. I’ll go and see Durosimi… oh, and if you see Granny Bucket hanging about haunting the place, send her after me.”
To Philomena’s surprise, Durosmi listened to what she had to say without a word of objection. He even nodded in agreement once or twice.
“If Dawasandup was able to break through Squash’s portal without mishap,” he said, “do you really think that the two of us might be enough to see him off?”
“We should throw everything we can at him, and finish things once and for all,” said Philomena. “He isn’t going to give up until he has you and Tenzin at his mercy.”
Durosimi looked at her with new respect. She was suggesting that they should totally annihilate Dawasandup, which sounded like a splendid plan.
“But we really need to let him find us first,” she added, ominously.
The pair did not have to wait too long before they caught sight of Dawasandup. His tall, narrow shape seemed to drift across the ground, like the mist that whispered through the trees. He came to a halt no more that twenty feet away from them, and slowly beckoned to Durosimi, It took a huge effort of will for Durosimi to ignore that unspoken command. Philomena could clearly see the beads of sweat forming on the sorcerer’s brow.
“Stand firm, stand firm,” she muttered.
“It’s just about all that I can do at the moment,” replied Durosimi. “Can’t you distract him, or something?”
No sooner were the words out of his mouth than a shaft of crackling blue light arched through the air and slammed into the lama’s beckoning hand. This was unexpected and Dawasandup scowled at Philomena, flexing his fingers and rubbing his wrist.
“Thank you,” said Durosimi, “however, I believe that you’ve really upset him now.”
Before Philomena could formulate a suitably scathing reply, a glowing orange ball materialised in the air before them, hung there for a second – which felt like an hour – and then exploded with a faint popping sound, knocking them both off their feet. Without standing up, Durosimi skillfully sent a rope of light snaking across the ground, which wrapped itself around Dawasandup’s legs. With a flick of his wrist Durosimi spun him onto his back.
“Now!” he shouted to Philomena, and an instant later a flaming sword hovered inches above Dawasandup’s helpless form.
“Go on!” yelled Durosimi, but Philomena shook her head.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t,” she said. “Not like this.”
Durosimi gave her a withering look. “Well I damned well can,” he hissed and sprinted across the gap to where the lama lay.
As Philomena’s fiery sword faded into the air, Durosimi lunged, wielding a heavy hunting knife. Suddenly he stopped. Emerging through the mist behind Dawasandup was a massive tiger, its great bulk blocking out the light. That did not matter really, as its eyes blazed with a cold, intense fire that cast shadows upon the ground. This was Tagsan, the tiger demon, more huge and terrifying than either Durosimi or Philomena had ever imagined.
The creature roared, and the noise shook the windows of every house on the island. Clasping his hands over his ears, Durosimi dropped to his knees. Extending a lazy paw, the tiger reached out and dragged him across the ground, as a cat would a mouse. Deafened and dizzy, Philomena attempted to toss another lightning bolt towards the demon, but Tagsan stopped it in mid-air, and with a growl turned the bolt around easily, sending it back to Philomena. It hit her hard on the shoulder, spinning her around like a top. Philomena gave a gasp of pain, and dropped to the ground, where she lay perfectly still.
To be continued…