The Kiera Hudson Prequels 2 by Tim O'Rourke Page B

the opposite side of the room was another table, this was smaller. On it, those in the group had placed the cakes and the sweets they had brought for Splitfoot’s young spirit guide. I put the cake I had made on it. Kevin Barker brushed up against me as he placed the box of cookies he had brought with him onto the table. I noticed that the lid was open and I caught a whiff of almonds.
    I went back to the large table and sat down next to Kiera. Barker sat in the spare chair on the other side of her. Including Splitfoot, there were thirteen of us gathered around the table in the near dark room. I guessed the darkness added to the whole illusion and gave camouflage to the trickery that was about to take place. I looked at Kiera, who was staring up the table at the psychic. The light from the solitary candle before Splitfoot lit up his face in gold and orange glow. It was Halloween all right, and he was the pumpkin. His face was plump and round and his eyes were small and dark. Bags hung beneath them in deep folds. He had thin, wispy, black hair that hung from the side of his head like rattails. The room fell into a hushed silence. The bartender appeared from the shadows and passed around a scarlet sack made from velvet. The old men and women gathered about the table placed ten and twenty pound notes into the bag as it was handed to them by the bartender. Was he part of the scam, too? I wondered.
    The bag reached me and I took two twenties from my pocket and placed them into the bag. I paid for Kiera. Okay, it was money I had taken from the cookie jar in my mother’s kitchen, but it was the least I could do. After all, Kiera had paid for me to stay at the Railroad Inn back in Ripper Falls. I handed the bag to Kiera and she, in turn, handed it to Barker. He placed his money into the bag and then handed it to the bartender. The bartender left the room, closing the door behind him. I glanced around and could see that the door was the only way in and out of the room, apart from the window in the wall behind Splitfoot, and that was closed too. If a little girl really was going to appear, she had to be in the room already, and I didn’t believe in ghosts any more than Kiera did.
    The room was so silent I could hear the howl of the wind as it bashed against the side of the ancient pub. Then when the sound of my own heartbeat had become almost deafening, Splitfoot spoke.
    “ Welcome,” he said. His voice was soft, calm – almost soothing. “Please join hands around the table.”
    I felt Kiera’s slender fingers curl around mine.
    Stop it, Tom!
    My other hand was suddenly gripped. I looked left to see one of the elderly ladies had taken hold of my hand. Her hair was snow white and her face lined with age. She winked at me and I gently squeezed her fingers with mine. I glanced to my right again and saw Barker take hold of Kiera’s free hand with his left.
    Splitfoot raised his head slowly. Seeing that all of our hands were joined, he said in that dreamy voice, “Whatever happens. Please don’t break the circle. To do so might break the connection with Alice. It might scare her.”
    He was good. This was going to be worth every penny of my twenty pounds. Splitfoot let his eyes close and he slowly tilted back his head. I could hear his breathing and it sounded laboured, like he had just taken a long run. The flame before him flickered, threatening to go out, then swelled with light again.
    “ Are you there, Alice?” Splitfoot said in that oh-so soothing voice. “Come out of the shadows if you are there, Alice. There is no need to be afraid. The people gathered around this table have come to connect with you. You have no need to fear them.”
    The flame flickered again as if caught in a draught. Splitfoot lowered his head, but kept his eyes closed.
    “ There you are, Alice,” Splitfoot whispered. “I can see you now.”
    I felt the old woman grip my fingers again. I glanced in the direction Splitfoot was facing but couldn’t