Above the Vaulted Sky - Page 206

Teague crosses to the new teenager and claps him on the shoulders. ‘What perfect timing,’ he says. ‘A graduation before our very eyes.’

                ‘How did that happen?’ I ask. We’d seen it before, but only with Yates. I’d always put it down to his state of mind. A lifetime of torturing himself for committing suicide had left him depressed and unstable. Our helping him returned him to a more confident state. He was prone to relapses though. I think of his frame in Windermere’s dungeon, and of his face sometimes when he thought he did something wrong.

                ‘Here you are as old as you want to be,’ Teague says. ‘Childhood is such a state of flux as it is, free of our physical forms we can mature in a deeper way than simply growing our physical body. Jacob here has matured in his work, way ahead of his years. So this is how you see him, and how we treat him.’

                Jacob beams at us and then at Teague, his happy teacher.

                ‘Go and see Tarquin with your news,’ Teague says, ‘I’m sure he’ll be thrilled.’

                ‘There’s no need!’

                The deep voice behind us erupts out of nothing. I jump a little. Elle smirks. I wonder how long Tarquin’s been standing there.

                ‘This is truly wonderful, the fourth child this week!’ Jacob looks at Tarquin a little sheepishly. ‘Report to the town hall, young man, we’ll find a place for you.’

                Tarquin looks at the pair of us. ‘This is what I hoped you’d see. Now I hope you’ll be a little more convinced of our lives here.’

                ‘It is remarkable,’ I say. Jacob squeezes past us with a quiet ‘excuse me’ .

                ‘Teague,’ Tarquin says. ‘I came to talk about your request and I must say it’s an excellent idea.’

                I look at Elle and then at Tarquin. Whenever someone says something like this about Teague I’m filled with an enormous sense of dread.

                ‘Teague here is running a singing recital tomorrow evening,’ he says, proudly. ‘Out in front of the town hall. The whole town will be there.’

                ‘That sounds wonderful,’ I say, but I hear the doubt in my voice. Tarquin lets it pass unnoticed.

                ‘So do you think you’d like to teach here with us?’

                ‘Elle has shown interest in my writing program,’ Teague proclaims, clapping a big hand on her shoulder. She flinches under the weight of it.