The TIme of the Jade Spider

By Northern Beaches Writers' Group and Zena Shapter

Fourteen-year-old Fingal O’Grady is convicted of theft and transported to Australia in the 1820s. Almost two centuries later, fourteen-year-old would-be beautician Abigail Harrington finds a mysterious spider amulet and their two worlds collide. When both children are kidnapped they realise they’re in possession of an object with eno

• Language: English
• Publisher: Northern Beaches Writers Group
• Release date: Jan 14, 2017
• ISBN: 9780994487391

Book preview

The Lake of Heaven, China 1809

Mei Mei watched as sunlight flickered on the waters of Tienshi, the Lake of Heaven. Formed in the caldera of an ancient volcano, it was the largest expanse of still water for kilometres around. For three days now, she had been forced to stand here at midday in the bright sunlight, waiting with the rest of the Tong clans for the moment when still water would meet sky, earth would meet fire, and the spider would awaken and choose its Keeper for the next cycle. For three days now, the precious amulet had sat lifeless and unmoving, perched on a rocky altar protruding from the land into the lake, surrounded by mountains so high they touched the clouds.

Still, Mei Mei was fascinated by the spider. She loved its colours — its eight burnished gold legs, its golden body encrusted with brilliant jade gems, the way it seemed to move and stir when the light played on it. These long boring hours had almost been worth it just to gaze upon it. But what Mei Mei really longed for was the chance to see the spider awakened and in all its splendour.

Footsoldiers from both clans of Mei Mei’s Tong family — the Zhi Zhu and the Hue — stood in razor-straight rows, a wide and wary space between them, their swords flashing white as they shifted and moved restlessly, listening as the old Keeper sang his way through the long ritual chant. Still, nothing happened.

She craned her neck and stood on tiptoe to see past the ranks of her own Hue cousins, and caught a glimpse of the Zhi Zhu boy called Jun Tao. The Zhi Zhu were the current Keepers of the spider, and Jun Tao the old Keeper’s son. It was natural and right that the honour should pass to him. At least, that was what Mei Mei had been told. To her it didn’t feel very natural or right. Jun Tao was a nasty bully, cruel to animals and small girls like her.

He saw her looking at him and scowled.

Mei Mei turned her gaze to his father, the old Keeper. He was nearing the end of his chant, his hands raised to the dome of the sky.

We are the Protectors of All Time. We are the guardians of all pasts and futures. We endure to fight seekers of power and wealth, those who with their ignorance would destroy the fabric of time for their own gain.

We are the Protectors of All Time, Mei Mei chanted, along with everyone else. She turned to her cousin Chou, standing beside her, and rolled her eyes. They had said those same words over and over so many times now.

Chou grinned back at her, rolling his eyes too before staring back at the Keeper.

The old man continued chanting. He had shrunk visibly over the last few days. It seemed to Mei Mei that if a wind were to spring up, he might simply float away. As she looked at his upraised hands, she had the strangest feeling she could see through them. She imagined she could see the spider tattoo on the back of his hand, rampant and fanged — the mark of the Zhi Zhu, not the peaceful spider drawing worn by her Hue cousins.

Sun’s fire, he chanted, heaven’s waters, the bolt of the sky — we summon you to your earthly vessel to choose your Keeper from the Zhi Zhu. The power and the honour are ours!

Mei Mei stifled a yawn. The last three days had produced neither fire nor the bolt of heaven and she was starting to think it would never happen. She looked at Jun Tao again and stuck her tongue out at him.

The boy turned pale, and for a moment Mei Mei was confused — why should he care what she did? Then she saw something in the distance, a darkness so black it appeared solid, a roiling thunder cloud that shut down the far horizon and tumbled over the gathering of soldiers and villagers with impossible speed.

Step forward, my son! said the Keeper. The power and the honour are ours!

Jun Tao gulped and hesitated. A bolt of green-tinged lightning smashed into the water, exploding in a cloud of white steam that billowed into spirals as intricate as a spider web.

Now, my son!

Jun Tao stepped forward as another devastating thunderbolt struck the spider like the hammer of a god. The rocky altar exploded in a bright flash. Mei Mei was blinded for a moment. When she regained her sight, she thought she’d been sent mad. The spider was alive and scurrying, almost flying across the emerald grass, its golden legs paler and more lifelike now, and it was heading straight for her.

Her?

She looked over at Chou, meaning to ask him if he was seeing the same thing, but the words died in her throat as a growing warmth seeped into her body, drawing her attention back to the scurrying spider. As its frantic eight-legged scramble drew it ever nearer, the warmth in her body went from nice to hot, then hotter and hotter until she felt a sweat break out on her forehead. She couldn’t speak, she couldn’t move — all she could do was watch as the spider gleamed bright for a moment, seeming to drink up the dim light of the now storm-dark day, then leapt.

Mei Mei cried out. A searing pain, burning hot, erupted on her shoulder where it landed.

Instinctively, Chou reached across to rip it off her shoulder.

Don’t touch it! she cried, but she was too late.

As soon as his hand closed around it, he cried out in agony, then collapsed into a ball at her feet, cradling his clenched fist. Smoke rose from his skin where it sizzled.

No! shrieked Jun Tao. "The power and the honour are ours!