Jessica Jones and the Gates of Penseron (Excerpt)

by Graham Clews

Book Description: Winner of the 2007 BookAdz Award!

A unique adventure through danger and time, by a young, short stature girl called Jessica, and her brother Jake.

From Chapter Sixteen

When they stepped from the Janus into York , it was dark. Tullus, arms full with the two valises, emerged from under the vine and met Roodi Roodemit head-on. Norman Norman stumbled out shortly after carrying the blanket-covered form of Veleda and the other two bags of treasure. Nobody said a word; they were three figures crossing in the night, it seemed, all caught by surprise. And there it might have ended, were it not for Ravi Ramu.

Jessica’s heart leapt as she recognized Roodi, but it fell just as quicky when she realized he could not know she was present. She watched as Roodi stepped nervously back into the churchyard. He jumped a foot in the air when a hand tapped him casually on the shoulder from behind.

“Mr. Roodemit, I believe,” Ravi said smoothly as the shopkeeper whirled around. “I haven’t seen you since I went to the circus.”

“The circus?” Roodi squinted at Ravi in the dim light cast by the churchyard’s single lamppost. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

“Oh yes, you do.” Ravi winked at Tullus. “I’d like to see that gadget you have in your pocket. The one you used to stop a certain chariot race.”

“Stop a chariot race?” Tullus demanded. “What do you mean?”

“He’s got a gadget that stops things cold when you go through the gates. Just like that!” Ravi snapped his fingers, never taking his eyes off Roodi. “Everything grinds to a halt, and you can move about like you’re in a wax museum. Makes sense, really. I can see it’s a necessity. You never know what you’re going to find on the other side, do you? So you stop everything as soon as you step out!” Ravi snapped his fingers again. “So come on. Where’s the gizmo?”

“Oh, that gizmo!” Roodi offered a weak smile, and thrust one hand inside his jacket, far too fast for everyone’s comfort. “Is this what you mean?”

In the seconds that followed, events moved so fast that Jessica could barely follow.

Roodi’s hand emerged holding the sleek control unit. Tullus and Ravi misunderstood.

Only Jessica, a spectator at the back of Tullus’ mind, picked up on Roodi’s intention to click on the control and disappear. The thought was only a flash, and even at that, it wasn’t until later, when she relived the dreadful episode in her mind, that it became crystal clear. In the meantime, Tullus and Ravi reacted, each in his own way. Ravi threw himself to the ground and rolled sideways. Tullus drew Norman ’s gun from his pocket.

Jessica saw the dull metal glint in the lamplight, and silently screamed a warning. Tullus hesitated, but only for a split second; then the heavy butt of the pistol crashed down on Roodi’s head. The small man crumpled to the ground like an empty sack. The control unit fell to the footpath with a clatter that rang loud in the quiet of the deserted churchyard.

“You didn’t have to do that!” Ravi cried, and scrambled over to Roodi on his knees. He rolled the small body over on its back. “I think you’ve killed him.”

Tullus ignored Ravi and turned angrily on Norman Norman. He thrust the pistol under the big man’s nose and cocked the hammer. Norman gasped, his eyes crossed and bulging. “Next time you try to warn anyone what I’m doing, dingus, I’ll blow your brains out,” Tullus hissed. “Have you got that?”

“I—I—I—”

“I said, have you got that?”

Jessica watched in horror, her mind numb. Norman nodded vigorously, without a clue what Tullus was talking about. “Y-yeah, Tull.”