The Crystal Code (5 page)

‘Sounds good to me,' Gerald said. ‘What kind of fun?'

‘You Gerald?' Travis asked, thrusting his hand into Gerald's. ‘Good to meet you, sir. Fun, as in these little beauties.' He pointed to a row of five gleaming snow-mobiles beside the hangar. Each had a red sled attached to the rear. ‘It's a bit of a hike to the house, so you may as well go in style.'

The next five minutes consisted of a quick tutorial. Sam managed to roll his snowmobile twice.

Travis led the way towards the house, followed by Ruby, then Alisha, Sam and Ox. As there was only one snowmobile left, Gerald pointed Felicity to the driver's seat and he climbed onto the sled. The ride to the house took them alongside the frozen lake. They crossed a covered bridge and, in the final turn to the front of the chalet, Felicity gunned the engine, flinging Gerald from the sled and sending him airborne into a snow bank. He emerged laughing and covered in snow.

Felicity smiled at him. ‘That's what happens if you're too slow to get to the driver's seat,' she said.

Mrs Rutherford was there to greet them at the front entryway. ‘Miss Felicity, I've put you in with Miss Alisha and Miss Ruby. I hope you don't mind sharing. And Master Oswald—I can't bring myself to call you Ox, dear, no matter how I try—you'll be sharing with Master Sam. Master Gerald, your suite is across from your parents. There's a buffet lunch in the dining hall, and if you need anything, there's a service button in each room. Press one and we'll be there to help you with anything you require.'

A chorus of ‘Thanks, Mrs Rutherford!' rang out. Gerald was on his way with the others to get something to eat when a large hand fell on his shoulder. He looked up to see his father.

‘This way, Gerald,' Eddie Wilkins said. ‘A word.'

Gerald waved his friends on and followed his father into a large library. A tall bank of windows looked onto the slopes outside. Eddie directed his son to a chair near a log fire that crackled and popped in the grate.

‘Having fun so far, son?'

‘You bet, Dad,' Gerald said. ‘We're all going skiing after lunch. The snow looks perfect.'

‘And your friends? They're all having fun too?'

Gerald eyed his father curiously. ‘Uh, yeah. Like I said, we're going skiing after lunch.'

Eddie stared out the window, his hands clasped behind his back. ‘Good. Good. You should go skiing this afternoon,' he said. ‘The snow looks perfect.'

‘Dad?'

‘Yes, Gerald?'

‘Is something the matter?'

Gerald's father picked at some flecks on his trousers and flicked them into the fire. ‘Matter? No. Not really.'

Gerald was not convinced. ‘Dad.'

Eddie looked across at his son. ‘Well, there are a couple of things.'

‘Yes?'

‘We've had some phone calls. The first was from Mr Prisk.'

Gerald braced himself. His family's corporate lawyer loved to pile Gerald with as much eye-glazing paperwork as he could. The last thing Gerald wanted to worry about during his holiday was the inner workings of the Archer Corporation.

‘It was about some business leaders' association called the Billionaires' Club,' his father continued. ‘They've invited you to join.'

Gerald shrugged. ‘Do I have to do anything during the holidays?'

‘No.'

Gerald shrugged again. ‘Fine. Sounds good to me.' He went to get up.

Eddie placed a hand on his son's shoulder, pushing him back into his chair. ‘There is one other little thing.'

But before Eddie could finish there was a cry from behind them. Gerald swung around to see his mother, leaning against the doorframe, as if about to fall into a deep swoon.

‘You've found him,' she cried. ‘Thank goodness.' She swept into the room like a silent-movie starlet appearing on screen, only louder. ‘My darling boy. You're safe.' She wrapped a fur-lined arm around Gerald's neck.

Gerald struggled to get air. ‘Of course I'm safe,' he said through a mouthful of fake ocelot. ‘Why wouldn't I be?'

‘Oh, Gerald. My little soldier. We've just had a call from Inspector Parrott. It's the most terrible news.'

Gerald was still spitting out fur. ‘What? That Mason Green has escaped?'

His mother took in a sharp breath. ‘You know?'

‘It's no big deal,' Gerald said. ‘It's not like Green is going to come all the way out here. We're a million miles from anywhere.'

‘But he was so cruel to you,' Vi said. ‘Not to mention poor Aunt Geraldine.'

‘Mum, he's just escaped from prison. He'll be lying low somewhere.'

Vi cupped Gerald's cheeks in her hands. ‘I so want us to have a nice family Christmas together.'

‘Gerald's on the right ticket,' Eddie said, ruffling his son's hair. ‘The main road is snowed out for the season. The only way in is by helicopter or snow plough. We're as safe here as anywhere.'

Gerald wasn't entirely sure of that but he wasn't too concerned about Sir Mason Green. Green was a fugitive—he'd be keeping well out of view.

Vi gave Gerald's cheeks a squeeze and planted a moist kiss on his forehead. ‘You are my brave little trooper, aren't you.' She glanced at the grandfather clock in the corner. ‘Good Lord! Is that the time? Come along Eddie. We must find Mrs Rutherford and see about preparations for the Christmas Eve feast. Have fun, my dear.' Gerald's mother gave him one last squeeze on the shoulder then hurried Eddie out the door, brushing past Ruby on the way.

Gerald slumped back into his chair and Ruby dropped into the one opposite.

‘Are they worried about Mason Green?' she asked.

‘Not as much as about tonight's menu, apparently.'

Ruby leaned forward and put a hand on Gerald's knee. ‘Don't even think about that horrible man. Greece is on the other side of the world, and there's no way he'd be able to sneak into the US. You've got nothing to worry about.' She thought for a second. ‘At least not from Mason Green, anyway.'

Gerald grunted a half-laugh. They were the first civil words he and Ruby had exchanged since the start of the holiday. ‘Look, about Felicity—' he started to say.

‘Don't talk about it, Gerald,' Ruby said, taking her hand back. ‘What you did was hurtful. Really awful. You made me feel so small.' She paused, and blinked back a tear. ‘And that's not a nice thing to do to anybody. Especially a friend.'

‘I'm so sorry,' Gerald said.

‘And look at the horrible position you put Felicity in,' Ruby said. ‘Inviting her along on a holiday when you've invited me as well. How embarrassing for her.'

‘I didn't think—'

‘No. You didn't think, did you? But lucky for you, Flicka and I get along really well.'

Gerald paused for a beat. ‘You do?'

‘Yes. We had a really good talk last night at the hotel. I filled her in on some of your more annoying personality faults.'

Gerald sensed a slight thawing in the iceberg that had been Ruby. ‘Only some of them?' he asked.

‘Well, it is a long list. But I think between the two of us we identified most of them. She's now aware that “loyalty” and “commitment” might be a touch flaky. And “openness” and “communication skills” could do with some work.'

‘You were very thorough.'

‘I could have filled a notebook.' Ruby said. ‘But for some reason, Felicity still seems to like you. It's beyond me why she does, but at least now she's fully informed.'

Gerald narrowed his eyes. ‘How can I ever thank you?'

‘You can promise that you won't break Felicity's heart,' Ruby said. ‘Because no one should have to go through that.' Gerald looked away to the fire in the grate. ‘Flicka is lovely,' Ruby said. ‘She has promised to take me riding when we get back to London. Lucky for you, after the embarrassing position you put her in, she's a forgiving person.'

Gerald bit his bottom lip. ‘But we're still friends? Even if the sun does shine out of my backside?'

Ruby pressed a knuckle to her eye. ‘That's where Felicity and I differ. I am not a forgiving person. So don't think for a second that I won't make your life a living hell.'

‘Fair enough,' Gerald said, trying to hold back a grin. Relief flooded through him. In her own way, it looked like Ruby was moving on.

‘It's better like this anyway,' Ruby said.

‘What do you mean?'

‘I never liked you that much.'

Gerald wasn't completely sure that Ruby was joking.

Ruby leaned forward. ‘There's a half-dozen ski slopes out there with no queues at the lifts. Mrs Rutherford has fixed a lunch fit for royalty. There's nothing to stop us from having a good time. Come on, before Sam and Ox scoff the lot.'

They set off in search of the dining hall. Gerald knew Ruby was right about one thing. Mason Green had better things to do than risk coming after him. Green wasn't into revenge—that wasn't his style. And what did Gerald have that Green could possibly want?

Chapter 6

G
erald stood in fresh snow as fine as talcum powder and adjusted his boots. Lined up beside him like a centre spread in a sports equipment catalogue were Felicity, Ox, Sam, Ruby and Alisha, making final tweaks to skis and poles, goggles and gloves. Mr Fry and Travis were behind them by the helicopter. Its rotors turned slow circles in the clear afternoon air.

Gerald shifted his sunglasses on his nose. The ski run below them had not been touched that day—it was clean snow all the way down.

‘Just take a care past that stand of redwoods,' Travis said to them. ‘It gets icy close in. Otherwise it's all plain sailing. We've had a heap of snow the past two weeks, and there's more forecast for tonight. If you fall, it'll be a soft landing.'

‘Aren't you coming with us, Travis?' Ruby asked. She was dressed in a pale-blue one-piece ski suit and matching ear warmers. Gerald found himself thinking the colour matched her eyes.

Travis shot back a smile straight from the ‘after' photo in an orthodontist's waiting room. ‘Not this run. Old Fry and I have to do some avalanche prevention over in Cooper's Bowl. We're going to drop a few explosive charges from the chopper to break up the snow banks. Don't want them to build up too much.'

Gerald tried not to smile at his butler's reaction to being called ‘Old Fry'.

Sam clapped Ox on the shoulder and nodded at the clear run below. ‘Come on, Ox. Let's show them how it's done.' They snapped their boots onto their snowboards and took off. ‘See you girls at the bottom,' Ox called back. ‘That includes you, Gerald!'

Gerald watched as his friends swooped down the slope, carving swathes across the white blanket of snow, hooting and laughing as they went. He wanted to try out his new snowboard as well, but he'd agreed to go skiing with Felicity instead. He muttered under his breath.

Alisha settled her goggles over her eyes. ‘Ruby and I are going this way,' she called, pointing to a run with her ski pole. ‘Don't be too far behind us, lovebirds.' Then she whispered something to Ruby and they both set off, giggling. Gerald stared after the pale-blue ski suit as it disappeared around a bend.

He muttered again.

‘Don't mind them, Gerald,' Felicity said, breezy as ever. ‘They're just jealous. Tragic.' She heaved on her poles. ‘Race you to the tree line,' she said, and was gone.

Gerald watched as Felicity swept across the slope, elegance in motion. She was an excellent skier. With a grunt, he pushed his poles into the snow and took off in pursuit.

Felicity was a good eighty metres in front of him, making long, graceful arcs. Gerald set a more direct path towards the trees. If he was stuck skiing with Felicity instead of snowboarding with his mates, he wasn't about to be shown up.

Tucked into a ball, his poles under his arms, Gerald cannoned down the mountainside, skis carving through the powder. His legs juddered and bounced but he was gaining. Crisp wind slapped his cheeks as the sheer exhilaration of downhill skiing spread through his body like a rampaging virus. Then his head filled with a mountain-sized sense of horror as he realised he was going way too fast and the trees were getting close. He leaned hard to the side, trying to lift his skis for a hockey stop. But the powder was too deep. He was flying too fast.

He skidded under the first of the trees. It was like stepping onto an ice rink. Gerald shot forward, one ski in the air, his poles dangling at crazy angles. Branches whipped at him on both sides as he leaned left then right to avoid the massive trunks. His trailing ski snapped free, victim to a stump hidden in the snow. And then Gerald saw it: the biggest redwood in the world. It stood like a chimneystack in a clearing right in front of him. Girth the size of an elephant. As ancient as creation. He couldn't take his eyes off it. And he was speeding right towards it. It was like he was plummeting into a black hole and there was no sense in resisting.

This was it.

His head.

A mighty redwood.

And nothing more.

He closed his eyes.

Felicity swooped. Like an arrow, she shot into the clearing from the side and took Gerald out at the ankles. Skis and poles exploded as they bundled and rolled and careened through the snow in a blur of multi-coloured nylon and ice.

Gerald landed on his back. When he opened his eyes his sunglasses were gone. It was only when his vision cleared that he realised Felicity was on top of him, her pink beanie askew across her face. She looked like an exuberant bank robbery gone wrong.

Gerald blinked up at her.

‘What'd you do that for?' It was all he could think of saying.

Felicity grinned wide. ‘Because that tree wasn't about to step aside for you,' she said. A large dollop of snow toppled from her beanie and splotted across Gerald's forehead. ‘And how would I get my Christmas present with you in traction?'

Gerald considered this for a second. Felicity made a very good point. He thanked her and, as they righted themselves and went searching for lost skis and poles, Gerald thought how close he had come to death. And, considering he hadn't actually bought a present for Felicity, how close to death he would be on Christmas morning.

They spent the rest of the afternoon on the slopes. After a hectic few hours, Gerald found himself sharing a chairlift with Alisha as it took them high into the mountains. It was good to sit back, dangle in the air and take in the view.

‘Flicka is lovely,' Alisha said, breaking the silence.

Gerald pulled his gaze from the sweep of the hillside beneath them and looked across to Alisha. ‘Yeah, she's pretty cool.' He paused. ‘So is Ruby.'

Alisha laughed.

‘What is it?' Gerald asked.

‘You are such a boy, Gerald Wilkins.'

‘Well, yeah. Obviously.'

‘What is it with boys and how they treat girls? You expect us all to worship you like gods, like we're all mini versions of your mothers—'

Gerald screwed up his nose. ‘Eww.'

‘But you don't put in any effort yourself. Ruby thinks the world of you. She really,
really
likes you. And so does Felicity. But you treat them like they're no different from your new snowboard—something fun to play with until the next fun thing comes along. Girls aren't possessions to be collected, you know.'

Gerald shifted in his seat. ‘I never said they were.'

‘Where's the consideration for how others might feel?' Alisha said. ‘Of course, it's nice to have people like you. Everyone likes to be liked. But you need to treat people with respect, Gerald. Just because you can buy whatever you want, doesn't mean you can have it all.'

Gerald couldn't believe what he was hearing. ‘What about you?' he said, turning on Alisha. ‘You must realise that you're an absolute knockout. Just look how Sam and Ox act when they're around you. They can barely string two words together.'

Alisha gave him a knowing smile. ‘I can't help who I am, Gerald. But the difference between you and me is I'm not leading anyone on. I like Sam. He's my friend. And I value that. But I'm not looking for a boyfriend.'

‘Well, how about Ox?' Gerald said. ‘He really likes you.'

‘Yes. I'm his favourite waitress,' Alisha said, grinning.

‘That was an honest mistake.'

‘Yes, so much better than the dishonest ones, don't you think?' Alisha gave the tip of Gerald's nose a gentle poke with her finger. ‘It may come as a surprise to you, Gerald Wilkins, but just because a boy likes me doesn't mean I have to like him back.'

Gerald stared into the vacant sky. He wondered where Sam and Ox were. Life with them was so much easier.

The Christmas Eve feast promised to be a triumph. Mrs Rutherford had excelled herself. She and the kitchen staff had laboured all day to prepare a banquet befiting the luxurious setting. Mr Fry had overseen the decorations and there wasn't a surface or hanging space that hadn't been tinselled, candled or mistletoed. An enormous fir tree brushed the ceiling in the baronial dining chamber. It was covered in ornaments that would put to shame anything in a department store in Oxford Street or Fifth Avenue. The enormous stone fireplace was ablaze and, as if on cue, snow started tumbling outside to greet the first course.

Everyone had dressed for the occasion. Vi was encased in a silk creation from Paris with matching champagne flute, and even Eddie had scrubbed up in a dinner suit.

Gerald, Sam and Ox were milling around just inside the dining room when the girls arrived.

‘Holy cow!' Gerald said.

Felicity walked in first. She was wearing Mason Green's dinner jacket, the sleeves rolled fashionably to the elbows, over a pair of chalk-striped pants. Her hair was pinned up and she wore a simple crystal pendant on a silver chain.

As usual, Alisha was elegance personified, wrapped in a silk sari, a wash of gold, lavender and orange.

Ruby was the last to arrive.

She wore a floor-length off-the-shoulder evening gown of the palest lemon. Her blonde hair was plaited and pinned with a matching flower. She brushed past the boys as if on her way to the dance floor. ‘Nice to see you fellows put in the effort,' she said.

Ox, Gerald and Sam had managed to find clean jeans and matching socks.

Gerald made sure to sit between Sam and Ox for the meal. After an afternoon of having his personality dissected, he needed a break. He comforted himself with seconds of peach trifle for dessert and an extra large hot chocolate with four marshmallows.

‘Feeling a bit hungry, are we?' Sam said, noting Gerald's intake.

Gerald let his spoon drop into the empty bowl, then emitted a belch that sparked cries of disgust from around the table.

‘Condemned man,' Gerald muttered into his napkin. ‘Last meal.'

‘What are you talking about?' Ox said.

With a tip of his head, Gerald beckoned Sam and Ox to lean in close. He glanced ruefully towards Felicity, then whispered, ‘I haven't got her a Christmas present.'

‘No present!' Ox said, way too loud. He shut up when Gerald grabbed him by the collar and yanked his head in closer.

‘No present,' Gerald whispered. ‘And on top of that I've had the benefit of a free character appraisal from Ruby and Alisha, so pardon me if I'm not in the best of moods.'

‘How could you not get her a present?' Sam asked. ‘I got one for Ruby. And she's my sister.'

Gerald held his head in his hands. ‘I know. I meant to get her one. I thought about it every day for a week before we left. But the more I thought about it, the more I couldn't do anything.'

‘Target fixation,' Ox said, nodding wisely. ‘Classic case.'

‘What?'

‘I learnt about it in Assertiveness Training. It's when you get so absorbed in a problem that you feel powerless to do anything about it,' Ox said. ‘You were so concerned about how bad it would be if you didn't get Felicity a present that you didn't do the simple thing and get her one.'

Gerald thought about what Ox had said. ‘Like me and that massive tree this afternoon,' he said. ‘I couldn't take my eyes off it. I knew I was going to hit it but I couldn't do anything about it.'

‘The brain's a strange thing,' Ox said. He helped himself to more apple pie and cream. ‘Sometimes it gets so obsessed with stuff that all sense and reason goes out the door.'

Gerald glanced at the other side of the table, where the girls were chatting happily. Felicity caught his eye and gave him a cheeky wink. She was in the middle of a story that had the others in stitches. Ruby had her chin cupped in a hand, her face brushed with the warm light that flickered from the fireplace behind them. Almost in slow motion, her eyes wandered across to meet Gerald's, and she gave him a smile that had him questioning everything he'd done since the end of summer.

After coffee was served, the dinner guests started to break into groups. Eddie led a bunch of buddies to the billiards room, while Vi gathered a gaggle of friends in the lounge for more champagne and chocolate. The staff descended on the dining room for the monumental clean up. Mrs Rutherford guided Gerald and his friends down a long corridor into the east wing. At the end, she flung open double doors to a wood-panelled games parlour filled with pinball machines, arcade-style video games and even an old carnival shooting gallery with moving ducks and air pistols.

They crowded the doorway, mouths agape.

‘Gerald?' Ox said, his eyes still bulging.

‘Yes, mate?'

‘I love you.'

For the next two hours there was non-stop play. They cranked the music up and Sam established himself as the best shot in the group, pinging ducks with ease. At one point, Gerald snuck out and ransacked the house in search of something that would make do as a present for Felicity. As always, Mrs Rutherford came through. She found a pair of vintage emerald earrings that had belonged to his great aunt. ‘They'll look beautiful on her, Master Gerald,' she said, her eyes misting up.