‘This cube’s rubbish.’ Josh threw the Rubik's cube onto the table where it bounced before sliding off, falling to the carpet.
‘If it's rubbish, why do you bother with it?’
‘I bother with it, dear sister, because Rubik's cube is back in fashion at school and I can't afford twelve quid for a new one. So, I'm stuck with this thing I found in Dad's drawer. The damn thing doesn't work. I can't get it to work out.’
‘Is it the cube or is it you?’ Ashley said as she bent to retrieve the cube from beneath the table. ‘Ouch!’ she cried out, dropping it as if it were hot.
‘What's up, Sis?’
‘I got a shock from it,’ Ash replied, looking at her fingers and rubbing them with her thumb.
‘Don't be daft, it's plastic. You can't get a shock from plastic.’ He picked up the cube and tossed it into the air. ‘See, it hasn't zapped me.’ Josh put it on the table. ‘I'll go and borrow Chaz’s cube for a while. I can solve that in less than a minute. I'm going for the school record of forty-two seconds. I won't get near the world record, twenty seconds, that's wicked.’ He strolled out of the door, kicking it closed behind him.
Ashley stood glaring at the coloured cube as it lay on the table, daring her to pick it up. None of the visible sides were the same; its six colours were well and truly mixed. She gingerly reached out and touched the top of it. The tip of her finger tingled but there was no shock this time. Ashley picked up the cube and studied it warily. She tried a few twists and turns. The sides steadily sorted into separate colours. Within seconds she had solved it.
‘There, that wasn't difficult. I don't know what he's on about. If I can do it, anyone can.’
‘Now that isn't actually true, my dear.’ The soft, deep voice came from behind her. Ashley dropped the cube in surprise and spun round to discover an old man sitting in her father's chair. He was not as tall as her father and was much older. His smiling face was wrinkled and blue eyes twinkled above a pair of half-moon spectacles. White hair flowed to his shoulders and a neatly trimmed beard did not quite reach the spotted bow tie. Altogether, he looked like an off-duty Father Christmas.
‘Who are you?’ Ashley stammered, ‘How did you get in?’
‘You brought me,’ he chuckled, ‘or perhaps I should say I brought you. Where do you think you are?’
‘I know where I am. I'm at home, 32 Greek Street, East Drayton, BD25 6XJ. I don't know you or how you got into our house so I think I'll call the police.’ Ashley picked up the phone and had jabbed the nine key three times before she realised that the phone was silent.
‘Calm down, my dear there is no need for you to be frightened. I will not harm you. I should put that thing down, it doesn't work. It's just for show.’ The old man crossed his legs and steepled his fingers before his face. ‘Now, where to begin, that's the question?’ Ashley put down the receiver. She edged around the table, carefully putting its solid form between her and this strange figure who had invaded her house. ‘Perhaps we should begin with introductions; that would be polite. I am Althus, third Mage of the Grantheon. And you are?’
‘Ashley, Ashley Gipson.’
‘I am very pleased to meet you, Ashley, welcome to my home.’ He sprang to his feet and swept his arm to take in the whole room.
‘But this is my home,’ Ashley insisted.
‘Close your eyes for a moment. Go on, humour an old man. I'm not mad, really.’ Ashley reluctantly closed her eyes, gripping the table tightly. There was a draught of warm air rippling around her and the table seemed to jolt in her hands. Her eyes opened in surprise then widened as she took in her surroundings. She was in a room much larger than her own at home. The table, which she still gripped tightly, was of plain scrubbed oak and was littered with old books and papers. The walls around her were of stone with rich tapestries hanging on three of them. There were tall windows in front of her and bright sunlight cast rich patterns onto the table from the vivid stained glass.
‘As I said, welcome to my home. You have been here since you solved the puzzle. I kept the look of the room so that it wasn't such a shock for you but I see from your face that it didn't really work. I should close your mouth, Ashley; it makes you look a little silly.’ Ashley snapped her jaws shut and gulped.
‘I'm dreaming,’ she thought aloud.
‘No, you're not,’ Althus smiled, ‘though you must be forgiven for thinking it. Here, drink this and take a seat. I'll try to explain.’ He handed her a clay goblet which contained the juice of some fruit that was sweet, though she could not identify it. The drink had a calming effect and she sat down in a plain wooden chair, gripping the arm with one hand and clutching the goblet to herself as if it were a lifebelt. She was all at sea and scared that she might drown.
Althus frowned at her, ‘First of all, you are no longer in your own world. Don't worry about that, it's not important at the moment.’
‘Of course it's important,’ Ashley stood and put the goblet on the table. She looked around her as if she might spot some way of escaping from this madman. ‘How do I get home? Why have you brought me here?’
‘I told you, you brought yourself. The moment you solved the cube it brought you into my world. If you had not been able to solve it then you would not be here. Please, sit down and don't worry. When the time is right I have the ability to send you home. Please Ashley, I need your help. This world needs your help. Things are desperate.
‘How can I help? I'm just a girl.’
‘You are not just a girl. You are very special, you must be. You solved the cube.’
‘But my brother does that all the time. He’s one of the best in his school. He can solve it in nearly forty-two seconds.’
‘He didn't solve that cube, did he?’
‘No, he said there was something wrong with it.’
Ashley looked at the cube. Each of its faces was a solid colour; red, green, blue, yellow, white and orange.
‘There is something wrong with it,’ Althus smiled,
‘It cannot be completed by anyone who does not have the necessary skills.’
‘But I told you, he has the skills, he's the best in school.’
‘I don't mean the skills to move the things around; I should imagine anyone could learn that. I mean the magic to make the colours go where you want, even when the cube was made with the colours in the wrong places.’
‘I can't do that.’
‘You did. That's why you are here. I had the cube sent to your world. It was made so that anyone with the magic would be sent straight here. You have the magic. Everyone in your family has it.’
‘Then why didn't Josh come here instead of me?’
‘How old is Josh?’ Althus leaned forward and looked at her closely.
‘He's fifteen.’
‘Describe him.’
‘He's three years older than me and a lot taller. He's very thin with dark hair and lots of spots that drive him up the wall.’
‘Does he shave?’ Ashley looked at Althus, puzzled by his question.
'‘Yes, but not every day. He likes to rub his chin on my face when he needs a shave. He thinks it's very funny. Daddy used to do that sometimes but I didn't mind him doing it.’'
‘So, your brother is quite grown up physically, though he still likes to tease his little sister.’
‘Yes.’ Ashley wasn't sure where this discussion was going.
‘I'm afraid it is too late for your brother to help us. The magic sleeps in those who possess it. It must be woken. It must be woken when they are young if it is to be used. Your parents have the magic in them, as does your brother, but if it is not woken before the quickening, what in your world, I think, is known as ‘puberty’ then it cannot be woken. That is a shame. If the cube had been used earlier we might have had Josh's aid. Still, never mind, we have you and you will help.’ He smiled at her.
‘What is all this about magic? I don't have any magic. I picked up the cube and twisted it about a bit. It came out right and I'm here. I didn't do it on purpose; I don't know how to use this magic.’
‘Let me show you. Look at your drink.’ Ashley glanced at the clay goblet on the table, a golden liquid in a terracotta clay goblet, its rim was beaded and a bird was painted on it in white. ‘I want you to cool your drink. Look at it and think of cool colours. Whatever colours make you think of coldness, think of them and direct your thoughts at cooling the liquid in the goblet.’ Ashley looked at him. He smiled encouragingly. She thought about blue and white; they were cool colours. She tried to picture snow and ice in her mind then she looked at the clay goblet and thought of it in a cold place surrounded by ice, its edge rimed with frost. There was a sharp crack and the goblet splintered. A solid golden ball fell to the table surrounded by shards of terracotta that glistened with ice crystals.
‘What happened? What did I do?’ She cried, putting her hands to her face.
‘Well,’ said Althus, ‘I think you overdid it just a little, my dear. Don't worry, we can teach control, that's not a problem. Do you agree that you have the power?’ Ashley stared at the ball of ice as it began to drip onto the table, dampening its scrubbed surface.
‘Yes, I suppose I must have.’
‘And will you help us? We are desperate, Ashley. Without your help, this world is doomed.’
Ashley looked at Althus, his faced filled with concern for her and fear for the future.
‘I'll do what I can.’ She grasped the old man's gnarled fingers, ‘But you'll have to show me what to do.’
