“Just cool your boots man. I’ll helpwith all that.” Arthur was easily the cleverest boy in Underwood. Theheadmistress at the village school had been very excited when he’d won hisplace at Middenmere. “I’m sure the uni people know all about your… condition.You’ll get special arrangements or something.”
Bill nodded unsurely and consideredhis 'condition'. He was sure a young man with only a few months of memorieswould seem very odd indeed to any fellow students they might meet. They’dcertainly want to be friends with Arthur, but he wasn’t sure about himself. “Ijust hope nobody asks any awkward questions,” he said. Arthur was the onlyfriend he’d told about his dilemma. Mainly because Arthur was the only friendhe had, beside Miss Spital.
“What sort of questions?”
“You know, stuff. It may disturbpeople, especially… girls.”
Girls had been on Bill’s mind a lotlately. He’d started having disturbing dreams filled with slender necks andheaving chests wrapped in tight corsets. Even Miss Spital’s thin, tightlypursed lips had taken on an odd allure.
Arthur considered for a moment thenhis face lit up. “I’ve got loads of stuff you can pinch from my childhood.Riding old nag Bessy ‘round top field back o’ the stable yards or nickingapples out of Farmer Blossom’s orchard. He chased us with his shotgun all theway home but I knew he’d never shoot us.”
Bill wasn’t so sure. “Let’s just keepit our secret.”
Arthur opened his sandwiches andnibbled at one. He noticed Bill giving him a hungry look. “Didn’t your mum makeyou anything?”
“No. My trunk’s in the boot but nofood.”
Arthur handed Bill a sandwich. “I hopeyou don’t mind me saying man, but your mum is so weird. I've never mether, but everyone in the village says so.”
“Shush! She’ll hear.”
It was only then that Arthur noticed awoman sitting up front next to Mordred, but the glass divide was raised and hewas sure she hadn’t heard.
“Didn’t she give you any breakfast?”he added in a quieter voice.
“She did give me one thing, lastnight.” Bill rolled up his shirt sleeve to reveal a small dark tattoo on hisforearm – it looked like a writhing salamander.
“Your mum got you a tattoo as apresent for going to university?”
“Yes. It was very painful. And scary.She said it’ll help me with where I’m going.”
“Like I said, weird.”
Bill sighed in resignation. “I can’targue with that.”
The car left Underwood and sped alonga country lane for a short while until farmers’ fields gave way to houses,shops and parks as they entered the suburbs of Middenmere. This ancient andsprawling city was home to the University of Middenmere and its three colleges.Conatus was oldest and grandest of the three and specialised in Religious andarty matters. Scientiam, to the North, had highly regarded scientific researchdepartments. Virtus, down by the banks of the river Midden, excelled at sport,with rowing a speciality.
The Rolls continued into the citycentre and was soon lost in a maze of busy streets lined with grand town-houses,stone-arched gatehouses, old pubs, civic squares, worthy statues, crumblingmuseums, beautiful old churches and countless rows of half-timbered shops.Eventually it turned up Turpin Street and Arthur and Bill were excited to seethe white-stoned frontage of Conatus College through the iron palisade that ranalong the road. It was an imposing gothic pile, topped with gables and cupolas,set back behind lawns and an ancient tree-line.
“I’ve never seen anything so big andgrand,” said Bill.
“Goodbye hicksville Underwood, we’reuniversity men now.”
The rolls turned under a stone archwayand glided up a gravel drive. Bill and Arthur stared out of the window and wereamazed by what they saw. Many groups of young people wandered to and fro,carrying books and chatting. Every girl had long wavy hair and appeared to bewearing exactly the same outfit: a paisley top and a brightly colouredminiskirt.
“I’ve never seen so many pairs oflegs,” said Bill.
“I’ll bet those girls are dying tomeet a couple of cool young hipsters like ourselves,” said Arthur, grinning ashe wiggled his eyebrows.
Bill nodded unsurely and adjusted histhick black glasses.
The Rolls continued up the drive andBill spotted what he guessed was a group of professors by their age and longblack robes. As the car approached, one woman caught his eye because he saw afaint light shimmering around her head. At first glance she looked perfectlynormal, apart from a bent back and a limp, but as the car glided past he took acloser look and let out a yelp of shock.
She was just like the creature he’dseen at the Manor! The eyes were normal, quite kind and expressive, but at thesame time were yellow and beast-like. Her skin was pale, almost waxy, with redveins that spread like a spider’s web across her checks. The ears were strange– long and pointed like a bat’s – and he got a vague impression of curledram-like horns on her forehead. He blinked and looked again, hoping he wasimagining things, but the bestial vision was still there. He’d convinced himselfthat the horned and yellow-eyed beast he’d seen at the Manor, being led intothe cellar by Beryl, was from his confused and tired imagination. But here wasanother one. And this terrifying creature was one of his future professors!
Bill was breathing hard. “Did you see that?”
“What?”
“The professor. With the weird eyesand the horns. Did you see it?”
“See what?”
“She’s… she’s a monster! One of ourprofessors is a monster!”
“I have no idea what you’re talkingabout.”
“But… the horns, the eyes.”
“I think you need a lie down.”
Bill was about to describe what he'dseen in great detail but realised Arthur would think he’d lost his mind. “Nevermind. She’s gone now.”
The car pulled up outside the front ofthe college near a stone archway that led into the main quadrangle. Mordredopened the door and Bill and Arthur climbed out.
Bill’s mum emerged from the car andgave the boys a smile that showed hint of steeliness. Her hair was soft andcurly and she was wearing diamond drop earrings, a necklace and far too muchmake-up for a woman of her age. She was wearing what she always wore – arobe-like dress covered in signs and symbols.
“Darling,” she said to Bill, “try notto look
