Made to Pay: Eighteen

The Green Man drove the car to a little bridge, just the other side of Aberystwyth, pulling in by a half-derelict set of farmbuildings. He opened the door and got out, leaving Sian on her own. She watched him go through the mirror, before at last deciding to follow him. Removing the jacket in an effort to further disguise her appearance, she ran after him down the long private road.

The road ended by the sea, where a big house, sheltered by a wall, looked out over a long, sloping beach. It seemed that no a sould was there. Except for the lonely figure in Green who stood on that beach, looking out to sea, the wind blowing back his long overcoat.


"What's the matter?" Sian spoke breathlessly, as soon as she reached him.


"I took her here after ... after it happened." The Green Man spoke in a whisper. "I often found her out here, looking at the sea. Now that I've collected payment for her, it felt right to come here."


"You were expecting something to happen, weren't you?" Sian held his arm. "Expecting she'd snap out of it, be girl she was - the girl you loved?"

The Green Man said nothing for a very long time. When he spoke, he seemed far more distant than before.

"Once," he told her soberly. "Once did hope that. But that hope faded a long time ago. Do you know what true love is, Sian Rule? True love travels on to its goal, even when hope is gone. Maybe she will never know just how much I loved her, but that really doesn't matter. What matters is that justie has been done."

Sian nodded, a lump in her throat. She looked out on the waves, a tear rolling down her cheek.

"It's done." The Green Man nodded. "They have been made to pay the debt they owe to justice and to vengeance. Thank you for your part."

"Any time."

Sian Rule returned to the car, leaving the Green Man alone with the wind and waves.

Made to Pay: Seventeen

Sian Rule was silent as the Green Man led her through the halls of the nursing home, shoes echoing on the marble floors. Her heart was in her mouth. She hardly dared to think, let alone speak. And the grandeur of the house only impressed that thought on her further.

The nurse stopped by a great oak door.

"She's in here," the nurse spoke to the Green Man. "If you want to be alone...?"

"The girl needs to see her too." The Green Man sounded most emphatic. With that, he opened the door.
Sian had not known what to expect, but whatever it was, she had not expected anything pleasant. A drip, a life-support machine, a whey-faced creature who cringed from them, perhaps.

What she found was a tall, airy room, filled with flowers. And the blonde woman wore a pretty print dress. She was barefoot and had been looking at the window. She turned at their approach, a smile breaking out on her still lovely face.

"You've come to see me again!" There was something missing from the voice, but Sian could not deny that it was a nice voice. "And dressed up!"

That was interesting, Sian reflected.

"And I've brought a friend." The Green Man indicated Sian, who could not help but blush.

"She looks like me," the girl smiled.

"More than you know," the Green Man told her gently. "I'm here with news for you. Good news."

"You're taking me to the beach?" the girl asked breathlessly.

"Not quite." The Green Man spoke softly. "The men who hurt you. The men who put you here. They're dead. I made them pay for what they did."

The girl who had been Sparrowhawk smiled. For a moment, Sian saw steel in those limpid blue eyes, a spark of recognition passed between the two women. And she turned back to the Green Man.

"Thank you." She spoke the words with a calm sincerity, before moving towards the Green Man. He embraced her, and she hugged him, her head on his shoulder.

Then the steel was gone, as if it had never existed.

Made to Pay: Sixteen

The early morning mist hung about the Cardiganshire hills. As the Green Man's car moved along the winding roads, the girl in the Sparrowhawk costume, now without her mask, leaned forward, trying to see through the mist.

"Where are we going?" she asked eagerly. "Is there a master mind that we don't know about - someone who needs to have dark vengeance visited on them in spades?"

"No." The Green Man's voice was grave. Not that that was a change in his normal mood. "But there is one more thing that I must do before this case is closed. We are on our way to pay in full that debt I owe to a very brave young lady."

"But where..." she began haltingly.

"There." The Green Man pointed through the mist. Sian Rule could just make out the haunting shape of a mansion, great and grey, towering above the Trees.

The Green Man's car passed slowly up the drive. Suddenly, the student knew just where they were.

"She's here, isn't she?" She turned to the Green Man, eyes wide.

"That's right." The Green Man stepped out of the car. A uniformed nurse came out to meet him.

"We weren't expecting you..." she told the masked man. "It isn't...."

"I know," the Green Man told her. "But I've got news for her. How is she?"

"The same as ever," the nurse told him, as Sian Rule joined them. "She hasn't spoken for three days and just stands by the window, looking out at the woods."

The Green Man nodded, and let the nurse lead him inside. Sian followed, her heart beating faster with anticipation of meeting the woman whose clothes she wore.

Made to Pay: Fifteen

The Green Man stepped into the light, his gun held ready. The men cowered, releasing the figure of Sparrowhawk. Her breathing quickened, eyes wide, she looked less impressive than when she had attacked. Still, she adopted a fighting stance, watching the men.

"That night, in the shadow of the chapel," the Green Man spoke slowly, "you damaged Sparrowhawk beyond recovery. And I swore revenge."

"You were with her?" Gwynn gasped. "I didn't know you..."

"I loved her," the Green Man told her, "and she wanted to protect me. Wanted so much that she put herself in the way of danger, thinking I wasn't ready to face you. Now I am, I assure you." He lowered his gun, until Gwynn was looking down its barrel. There was not a trace of hesitation in his eyes.


"And the girl?" Gwynn looked across at the trim figure of Sparrowhawk.

"One of your own students," the Green Man replied. "She agreed to help after she heard what had happened to Sparrowhawk."

"Listen," Gwynn spoke swiftly, "you have no love for this country any more than another. These carriers are weapons, weapons that..."

"William Gwynn." The Green Man cut him off brutally. "It is not for spying that I kill you, nor out of love for any country that I pull the trigger. My opinions of those are my own. It is for destroying a brave girl that I kill you now. And it is out of love for her that I pull the trigger."

The big gun roared, and the impact of the bullet sent Gwynn flying. A second shot, fired while he was in the air, made a large hole in his head.

The others made to escape. Sparrowhawk leapt on them, flying fists sending men to the ground all around her. The Green Man joined her, holstering his gun. Soon, the elegant room was full of unconscious people.

"Call the Police." The Green Man walked out, past a shocked-looking maid. "Tell them the Green Man has collected payment."

Sparrowhawk shrugged, as she ran out to join the Green Man under the stars.

"Paid in full?" she asked curiously.

"not yet." The Green Man looked up at the stars. "But almost. Are you ready to follow me one more time?"

"Forever, Green Man," the blonde bombshell replied with cheerful confidence. "Where to now?"

Made to Pay: Fourteen

A swift blow from the gauntleted fist of Sparrowhawk was more than enough to knock the man into the middle of next week. He fell against the wall, and Sparrowhawk was only just able to keep him from making a serious noise as he fell. She grabbed the gun from his nerveless fingers and emptied it. The clip went into the fireplace. Moving stealthily, she crossed to the door, a heavy oak item that must have done something to shut out the sound of walloping. She slowly depressed the door handle, listening carefully. What she heard was a lot of talk in a foreign language. She waited for an opportune moment at which to make her presence known. However, a trace of movement, seen out of the corner of her eye, spoiled that plan. Turning, she dealt a man a kick to the jaw. sending him sprawling across a sofa. Another movement, this time from the doorway caused the intrepid lady to turn.

The sub-machine gun she found pointed at her persuaded her to raise her hands in surrender. Still, her eyes flashed, as she was led into the room where the spies and traitors were gathered. There, the leader, William Gwynn, waited for her, smiling.

"We meet again." He stepped forward. "You know, I never expected to see you again. I was sure you were dead."

"Well, you were wrong, weren't you?" she glared at him defiantly.

"I wonder..." the lecturer shook his head. "The body is the same, but the manner is different, more immature. Can it be that another is using the name and reputation of Sparrowhawk, knowing that I would be drawn to her, that I would have to meet her, to know that she was dead?"

"You are not wrong, William Gwynn." A deep, chilling voice spoke from the shadows. "But it will do you no good. You have already signed your death warrant. All that remains for you is justice."

Made to Pay: Thirteen

As darkness fell across the park and gardens that surround Nanteos, lights flicking on in the elegant mansion, a few large cars pulled up outside, bearing all the hallmarks of hire cars. Large and luxurios, these were no ordinary cars, and the people they brought were no ordinary visitors (not that a luxury hotel ever has ordinary visitors). These men kept their heads bowed, as they hurried inside, being met by other guests, men who wore bulges under their armpits.

The Green Man put down his binoculars, smiling with grim satisfaction.

"They're here," he turned to the lurking figure of Sparrowhawk, who looked a little cold, in comparison to the hatted and coated figure of the Green Man.

"So?" Sparrowhawk's eyes widened, showing very white in the gathering gloom.

The Green Man moved forward, putting away the folding binoculars. Sparrowhawk moved to his side. Together, they moved towards the mansion, the Green Man drawing his gun from his coat. For her part, Sparrowhawk clenched her fists. Slim and lovely under the moonlight, she moved forward, the Green Man slowing in his advance. She paused, looking back.

"You have to go first," he hissed. "I shall be behind you."

Sparrowhawk crouched, moving to the garden doors. Removing a pick-lock from her belt, she opened the door and slipped inside.

"Hey!" she started. There, mere inches from her, was a man with a gun. And his fingers were tightening on the trigger.

Made to Pay: Twelve

The mansion of Nanetos stands in beautiful grounds, a little way outside Aberystwyth. For generations it was home to the Powell family, who supplied MPs and High Sheriffs of the County. But their hopes died with the heir to the estate in the mud of the Western Front. Today, the house is a luxury hotel, much used for weddings and the like, as incontestably the most magnificent building in the Aberystwyth region. It was also the place designated as the rendezvous for the spies and their masters.

And that explains why Sparrowhawk was standing in the woods across from the lawns, leaning on the railings as she watched the elegant mansion. Across from her, looking the other way, was the impassive figure of the Green Man. He checked his gun, keeping a watch on the road as he did so.

"You're sure they won't change the drop point?" Sparrowhawk sounded nervous, blue eyes wide.

"They can't." The Green Man laughed grimly. "The sub has been maintaining radio silence since long before we came on the scene. And they won't risk their airwaves trying to get in contact today. And if they do, my people 'll pick it up."

"You mean..." Sparrowhawk began.

"There are pothers," the Green Man nodded. "But not others who frighten the wicked. And no-one could frighten these people more than someone they thought was dead."

"And what do we do now?" Sparrowhawk asked innocently.

"Now?" the Green Man looked towards the mansion. "Now, we wait."

Made to Pay: Eleven

The gathered traitors looked about them, fear in their eyes. Eyes went to the door, as if the wicked people expected to see the trim form of Sparrowhawk step through it at any moment.

"Why now?" one of the men declared, worried. "When we're so close!"

"Because we are," the leader replied flatly. "We have the information we need. We cannot turn back now."

"And what do we do now?" another asked. "What..."

"We can do nothing," the leader shook his head. "The timetable is in motion. We cannot speed up or delay it. If we run away, they will find us."

Again, there was long silence. People looked everywhere but to the hollow eyes of their leader.

"The operation will go ahead." He spoke softly. "We have no choice. The timetable is in operation." As he spoke, then leader seemed very far away. In his mind, he was in the same place, albeit at the bottom of the hill. But some time ago. Looking down at a fallen figure outside the mighty walls of a great grey chapel.

And he wondered just why she had returned now, after so many years, when he was at the cusp of a triumph.

Outside, on a ledge, the figure of Sparrowhawk waited, listening through a device attached to the wall. She looked out to the sea, shining in the sun. Then up to the cliffs above the town, where she could just make out a figure in green.

Made to Pay: Ten

The next morning, at a room in the tower of the Llandinam building of the University, traitors met together. The mood was grim, as the man in the chair glared at the men sat before her. The pallor in his face indicated that he was a man who had felt a great blow.

"What did you say?" he demanded of the two battered men who had brought the news of the night before.

"We were guarding the room," one spoke softly. "This girl in brown and black leather attacked us."

"She was fast," the other man added. "And someone was with her. "He knocked me out."

"What did she look like?" the leader spoke in a whisper.

"Blonde," came the reply. "Pretty, too. The suit had a sort of bird thing going on."

"No..." the leader breathed, trembling. "It's impossible..."

"What is?" one of the men asked.

"The woman you described," came the terrified answer, "is Sparrowhawk. Just under ten years ago, she broke this organisation wide open. She discovered every secret. Before she could do anything, however, we tracked her down. Here, in Aberystwyth. I was told she was dead."

"And if she's not?" the question was laden with dread.

"Then all of us are."

Made to Pay: Part Nine

The men reached for guns, as the blonde figure moved into the room. A few, however, remained frozen.

"No..." one of the agents breathed. "It cannot be. I saw you killed! You're supposed to be dead!"

"Legends never die," the other door to the place opened to admit the figure of the Green Man, gun in hand. "Or perhaps your supposedly infallible chief never told you that he'd only left Sparrowhawk for dead - did you never check for a pulse?"

"N...no..." the man rose. Sudenly he hade for the door. But the Green Man was too quick for him. The gunshot echoed about the room, as a fine mist of blood rose from the head of the agent. He fell to the ground dead.

The girl in leather joined in the fight, knocking out one of the goons with a pile-driving left to the jaw. Another fell to a high-kick. Together, the Green Man and Sparrowhawk cleared the room in a matter of minutes. Senseless and dead men littered the little room that had until recently been filled with plotters. Removing a Mobile 'phone from one of them, the Green Man dialled a number from memory.

"Hello," he spoke into it. "I know this is British counter-espionage. Do not ask me how I know. Go to a tavern by the bridge at Aberystwyth. You will find there dangerous agents of an enemy power. Why do I do this?" He laughed grimly. "I do this because I seek justice."

And, with that, he turned off the 'phone again, before striding out of the buildings into a town that was slowly waking up, unconscious of the world-shattering events that were taking place in it.

Just as it had been that day long ago, when Sparrowhawk had faced the forces of evil by the Tabernacle. Alone.

Made To Pay: Part Eight

The met in the upper room of a pub, close by the bridge. The room was full of cigarette smoke, indicating that this was not part of the public space of the hostelry, given the recent smoking ban. The air was heavy with the smell of intrigue, as well as stale smoke. The seven men around the table had every appearance of being deep and wicked plotters, some of them with the long hair of idealists (well, layabouts), others with the thin faces and suits of professional agents.

"There will be two days before the submarine arrives," one of the agents told the gathering. "Until that time, the papers are being hidden. And the money remains with our clients."

"Now listen..." one of the long-haired men objected. "We took the risks. You want to wait around, that's fine by us, but after what happened to Stone..."

"Stone was a fool and a sensualist," the agent replied. "You saw what the Green Man said, he killed Stone because of that girl, not because of his activities. Besides, we are safe here."

"Just because it's a small town in the middle of no-where?" another man piped up. "The Green Man can find us anywhere. You know these types..."

"More than you know," came the calm reply. "The chief has this town sewn up. Last time someone got close he was able to have them killed without any come back. Power like that you can't buy."

The man nodded, cowed. His fellows nodded with him, now persuaded by the grim expression on the face of the agent.

"When do we meet the boss?" one asked after a pause.

"You don't," the agent shook his head. "No-one does. Not since Stone showed what sort of a person you runners are. We cannot take the risk that another one of you will draw attention to himself. And next time the Green Man may find out more."

"But you said..." one man rose.

"The boss can't deal with every vigilate comes after us," the agent rasped.

"You know what? you're quite right."

The door swung open, and the men rose, their eyes widening. There, a breeze blowingthrough her golden curls, one hand reaching for a black whip that hung by her side, was the leather-sheathed form of Sparrowhawk.

Made to Pay: Part Seven

The wind picked up, as the Green Man turned back towards the wide-eyed Sian Rule. She thought she saw the glint of a tear in the eye of the legendary figure.

"It has been many years since those events," the Green Man told her. "Without the information lost with Sparrowhawk's mind, I could not know who the wicked men were. But a few weeks ago I made a shocking discovery. I vistied a young man who was responsible for the death of his pregnant girlsfriend. I meant to beat him up, but in the course of taking him to the spot where his abandoned girlfriend had slain herself, he told me that he had friends, powerful friends. Men who had slain Sparrowhawk.

"I beat the truth out of him. He told me that he had worked as a runner for the spy-ring that Sparrowhawk had been chasing. He had been one of the men who had attacked Sparrowhawk. I told him he would pay for that.

"He begged for his life, told me the name of the leader of the ring. A man called William Gwynn, a lecturer at the University. Then I hanged him, for a traitor and as one of the men responsible for the fact that the bravest girl I ever knew is now a pale-faced childish thing who can barely talk and needs help to do anything." There was steel in the voice of the Green Man.

Sian Rule shuddered. This was likely to be very brutal and not a little bit scary.

"But what do I do?" she asked.

The Green Man managed a grim smile.

"You are to play a most important part, Miss Rule," he told her. "You are going to trap this man into a confession. My sources tell me that the plans of the new Roval Navy aircraft carriers have been secretly copied and will be smuggled out of the country through the same route that Sparrowhawk and I were tracking. This time they suspect nothing. And so vengeance will be accomplished."

Made to Pay: Part Six

"I ran up, past the old school, flying across the roads, ignoring cars, even rolling over the bonnet of one car." The Green Man spoke urgently, still looking out to sea. One hand was on my gun. I was looking for any trace of what had happened to Sparrowhawk. Finding Powell Street, a little street, scarcely more than an alley, I ran up it, not adring to think what I might find.

"In the middle of the street, on my left, was a towering chapel, dark and glowering. It looked almost derelict, the black noticeboard peeling, white letters proclaiming 'Y Tabernacl.' There was a monument within railing to one side of the chapel's portico, while a dropped gun lay in the gutter.

"This had to be a sign that Sparrowhawk had been there. I looked for another trace of her, my heart sinking. I looked for the lady I loved, praying that she should not be dead.

"A glimpse of brown leather out of the corner of my eye told me that I had found her. She lay within one set of railings, her lovely form bearing the traces of a terrible assault. Her hard-wearing costume was scored with knife-thrusts, while a pool of blod was forming under her. Blood trickled from her mouth. Only the slow movement of her chest showed she was alive. And her mask was off. I recognised the woman behind the mask, and knew why she had been so careful to hide her identity.

"I was able to hide her identity, as a local doctor treated her. I took her to an isolated house by the sea, outside Aberystwyth. For eight months I did nothing more than look after her. Of course it was without my mask. I knew now who this courageous young woman was, and I could not hide myself from her.

"Although her body healed, her mind remained broken, hopelessly lost. She didn't seem to recognise me. I once found her standing out on the beach, looking out so sea. At last I had to bow to the inevitable. She's still living, at a private nursing home in the countryside. And I still hope that she will recover one day."

"And what does that have to do with me?" Sian asked breathlessly.

Made To Pay: Part Five

The Green Man continued his story, still looking out to sea. Sian Rule was cold, but she willed herself to stay, realising that this was something significant. The connection that the Green Man had had with this remarkable woman clearly went deep.

"The Station had only recently closed," the Green Man went on, "the ticket office had been moved to the only remaining open platform, while the station buildings were abandoned until they were converted to a pub. We established our base there, knowing that the agent was to use the train. We took turns in watching the platform through the window that looked down there. Sparrowhawk insisted on taking the first watch, even though she was clearly exhausted. I stayed awake until she dropped off to sleep, her forehead resting against the glass. I was able to move her from there and put her to bed." There was a real tenderness in the Green Man's voice as he spoke.

"The only people who I saw getting off the train were students and locals. Not one person looked like the picture that Sparrowhawk had given me. Shortly after three, I had to wake up my slumbering lady. She blinked sleepily and tried to get back to sleep, a cute contrast to her usual loveliness.

"But she went to her post at last," the Green Man told Sian, "and I slept. By the time I awoke, the station was filled with the silver sunshine of autumn morning. I rose and looked for Sparrowhawk.

"I couldn't see any trace of my lady," the Green Man shook his head. "For some reason she'd left me asleep while she'd slipped out. I knew that she wouldn't be as crass as to do this just for a walk - something must have happened.

"I left the station silently, the same way I had entered, and hurried to the taxi rank. There was a man there who told me he'd seen my lady run out of the station, followed by a couple of men. She had run off in the direction of Powell Street, one of the little streets that lead off the street that leads to the bridge.

"I knew that she must have been detected somehow, must have decided to lead the enemy away from my position. Knew that she had to be in terrible danger."

Made to Pay: Four

The chill wind of autumn caused Sian Rule to shudder, but the Green man just kept looking out to sea, his eyes on the slowly blinking light by the harbour.

"I went as fast as I could," the Green Man told Miss Rule. "She was afraid, and I knew that this had to be serious." He shook his head, still looking away from Miss Rule. "She met me close to the station. And she was beautiful-more beautiful than I've ever seen her. He golden hair shone in the breeze, as she looked down on me from the fire escape she was holding to. She checked the alley before dropping down beside me.

"She soke softly, telling me that I had to come back to her lodging. I hurried back there with her, and she told me that she was on the track of something big. She had only just realised exactly what it was. The man she had seen seemed to be a drug-peddler, but she had seen him meet another figure, a man connected with an East European state. She had opened his safe and found secret documents relating to new British naval projects. She had been caught and managed to knock out the men, but now she was hiding, hunting them as they hunted her. They were to rendezvous at Aberystwyth, for which Shrewsbury is the railhead from Birmingham. I told her she could count on my help.

"And it was then that she kissed me. The action took me utterly by surprise. Whenever we'd met she'd teased me, but no more than that. She normally seemed distant, unable to draw near to anyone. When she held tight to me and whispered, I knew it was no act..."

Sian Rule felt a tear well in her eye. She shook her head.

"But why are you telling me?" she asked. "What has all this to do with us here, now?"

"All in good time," the Green Man told her. "For now, just know that we arrived in Aberystwyth on a dark night in late October, as the rain caused the rough prom to shine, and the angry waves lashed at the beach. A few drunk students, the girls in worryingly brief skirts, staggered home from the pubs, as we made for the station, which was derelict at the time."

Made to Pay: Part Three

The Green Man looked down on the lights of the town, shining through the gloom. The cold wind of night tugged at his long coat. He seemed very distant to Sian Rule, but she had no desire to escape his presence. The years seemed to hang very heavy on the avenger that night.

"She was called Sparrowhawk," the Green Man went on. "She wore a mask and a costume that stopped men on its own. She carried a bull-whip that she could do anything with. She was a hunter, Sian, and evil men were her prey.

"We met in Monaco. She was after a crime boss from America, and I was after a swindler. The first time we met she told me not to get in her way. The second time I told her not to get in my way. She said nothing, but I found the swindler tied up outside the derelict building I was using as my headquarters.

"We met several times after that, always professionally. I never found out who she was, and she never even asked who I was. Even so, I let her have the number of my private line - the one my agents have."

The Green Man paused for a long time. He looked out over the darkened sea, across to where the lights of Aberdovey and Towyn sparkled on the waves, although the towns themselves were hidden.

"When I got a call from Sparrowhawk saying she was in Shrewsbury and wanted to see me," the Green Man sighed, "I had to respond. I told her that I'd take the next train from London. She promised to wait. Even though she wouldn't tell me what she was up against, I knew it had to be serious. I could hear the worry in her voice."

Made to Pay: Part Two

Sian Rule looked at the mysterious figure in silence for a very long time. She hardly knew what to say. While the unioversity had given very good lessons in how to deal with potential kidnappers and/or rapists, legendary defenders of the weak and smiters of the guilty were quite another thing altogether. So she looked up at the night sky, through the crisp clarity of an autumn night, when the rains have not yet come to Aberystwyth

And the Green Man looked too. He sighed and shook his head.

"The night is beautiful," he told her, "and no-one should ever fear the night. Yet we do. We fear the night because evil has made the night its hiding-place. If you are to find evil in its true colours, night reveals them, and evil becomes known in darkness. Do you fear the night, Miss Rule?"

"I suppose so," she replied. "I was worried when I took this shortcut, but I still took it. Why do you ask?"

"Whenever I ask someone to step into the darkness," the Green Man told her, "I have to know that they respect it, understand it. And fear it. Because what is not feared can too easily destroy."

"Why are you here?" Sian Rule asked, "and what does it have to do with me?"

"I am here," the Green Man told her, "because of a very brave young woman, one who gave her life for others. She was here, a very long time ago. When the world was young."