“That priest, I know him,” said Ophelia.“We’re been in there, down in the cellar. They keep stuff down there...”
Bill turned his head and found Opheliastanding very close. He looked into her soft brown eyes and felt anoverwhelming urge to kiss her. Instead, he gulped nervously and said, “They’regoing to torture you but I won’t let them.”
“He’s very gallant for a little chap,”said Arthur, grinning at Bill’s awkward staring.
“So how do we get to the Prof?” saidOphelia.
“Wait a minute,” said Bill. “Theydon’t know what you look like, but if they see you with us.”
Frank, Father Figgs and the studentscame out onto the road and walked off towards college.
“How do we know who are Apostles?”said Arthur. “As soon as we show ourselves anyone could grab us.”
“We will have to be sneaky,” saidBill.
When Father Figgs and the others haddisappeared, they walked down the road and turned into the college grounds.There were quite a few groups of students, walking about or sitting on thegrass so they skirted round the edge of the grounds, moving behind trees andbushes. Eventually they got to Conatus College and cut through a side door andonto the quadrangle. Ophelia led the boys through a door and climbed a set ofstairs to the Professor’s rooms. Ophelia knocked and the door opened slightly.Professor Jareth peered out.
“Ophelia?”
“Professor, we need to come in.”
“I see you’ve brought some friends.You know it’s only you and Lilith allowed in here.”
“Please Professor! I’ve got a bigproblem, a very big problem.”
The Professor reluctantly opened thedoor and they went inside. The room was fairly dark because the curtains weredrawn, with the only source of light coming from a brass table lamp. Billlooked round at the writing desk in the corner, the leather chesterfield andthe many books lining the walls. Its gloomy shabbiness reminded him ofBrimstone Manor.
The Professor moved forward and peeredat them with a scowling face. When Bill saw her, he stepped back with a gasp.He could see a shimmering halo of light around her head and eyes that werebright and fiery yellow. Because of Professor Nox he now knew what this meant.She was a Servant of Arddhu Og! They were trapped in a room with a monster!Bill was about to warn the others, to tell them to step back, run for theirlives, but then he realised that Ophelia was right. Someone in the clutches ofthe Og curse would never give them away to the Apostles, and this thin creaturelooked quite old and rather frail.
The Professor hobbled over to a chairby the fire and slowly sat down.
“And how can I help you people?” shesaid in a curt voice.
“Lilith’s been cursed!” exclaimedOphelia. “She went out in the night and was bit by Lord Percy.”
The Professor’s small eyes blazed asshe thumped the arm of her chair with a small bony hand. “What the devil! Howdid he use Mentem Vergentis from such a distance? Why did I trust him tosit tight and harm no one? Fool that I am!” The Professor looked angry. “If yougirls had only done what I asked, got the correct cask. Simon was such a kindand gentle man, this would never have happened...”
She trailed off, eyeing Bill andArthur suspiciously.
“Who are these boys? I hope youhaven’t gone blabbing to every cute lad you happen to stumble upon.”
“No, honestly!” exclaimed Ophelia.“They were the boys were lured to the church. One was our sacrifice.”
“What! Stupid girl! They'll shop us tothe police!”
“No, honestly. I think they deserve toknow what’s going on.”
The Professor studied the boys throughnarrowed eyes. She watched Bill staring moon faced at Ophelia through his thickblack glasses. She thought Arthur looked a little like a startled hamster. Theyseemed harmless enough, but maybe a little too innocent. If Lilith was in thegrip of Og then the Professor was going to need all the help she could get –her broken down limbs wouldn’t be strong enough to contain Lilith's fury. Herheart sank as she thought of this young girl, a promising student with herwhole life in front of her, blighted by the terrible curse, fated to hide inthe shadows, racked with loneliness and the pain of bodily degradation for therest of her life.
“Let’s see her,” said the Professor.“I want to see for myself. Then we can be sure.”
The Professor got up and grabbed herwalking stick off the hearth.
They made their way over to ConnaughtHall as quickly as possible – all the time looking round to make sure there wasno sign of Frank or Father Figgs – but it was slow going with the Professor,who wheezed and gasped and was very wobbly on her stick.
As they passed the Junior Common Room,Frank was sitting with Dean and George watching T.V. He saw the Professor fromout of the corner of his eye and wondered why a Don would be here, then scowledwhen he saw Bill and Arthur coming up behind, helping her along. There was alsoa girl, maybe one of the girls they were looking for? He got up and hid behindthe door until they’d passed, peering out and watching them go down thecorridor. When they stopped at Lilith’s room he smiled to himself. How pleasedthe Apostles were going to be with him for finding the traitors! He scurriedoff as quickly as his portly physique would allow to tell Father Figgs thenews.
The Professor wrapped smartly onLilith’s door with her stick. “Hello in there. Are you awake?”
They heard a strange moaning frominside the room. The Professor opened the door and went inside. The othersfollowed. They found Lilith lying on her bed, wearing her nightdress andgroaning softly – she was in the throes of some terrible nightmare. Her hairwas tangled and messy and her bare feet stuck out the bottom of the sheets,dirty and spotted with dried blood.
“Poor Lilith,” said Ophelia softly.
“You girl!” exclaimed the Professor,banging her stick on the ground.
Lilith’s eyes flicked open and she satup immediately. She gazed at the Professor with a look of triumph.
“You thought you could hide him awayfrom me, tuck him away in that house. But I found him!”
“How
