Velvet looked up from his book andgave the Professor a questioning look. When the Professor didn't reply hesighed wearily, opened a drawer in the desk, pulled out a handgun and placed iton the desk.
“No Mister Velvet,” stammered theProfessor, her eyes fixed on the gun. “The phials got broken.”
“What a very stupid... and veryexpensive mistake to make.”
The Professor pulled out a large wadof notes from her pocket and put it down on the desk with trembling hand. “Wejust want two Hex Boxs and two cases of Vita Dantis.”
Vince Velvet chuckled when he heardthis. “Why do you insist on calling it Vita Dantis? That stuff is fartoo expensive for the likes of you. I’m selling Hex.”
The Professor scowled. She’d readabout the history of people like Vince Velvet, scum who preyed on others for aquick profit. The recipe for Vita Dantis was somehow acquired by underworldgangs in the 1920’s and had been sold illicitly ever since. But over the yearsit had been cut down, doctored, made a cheaply as possible and sold undervarious other names. The Professor knew that what she was buying wasn’t VitaDantis in the purest sense and she shuddered to think what Vince Velvet haddiluted it with. There were rumours of abattoirs, funeral homes. But it workedand she had no other choice. It kept her as human as she could be, butsuspected her prolonged use of such a contaminated substance was why she wasarthritic, feeble and old when only in her early thirties. She hated her lifebut what choice did she have? Suffering the curse of dark paganism was bothillegal and immoral.
“I know what it’s called,” said theProfessor. “Can you just get it please?”
Velvet signalled to one of the men atthe pool table, who nodded and went over to a safe built into the wall. Heturned a page in his book and picked up a fountain pen.
“If they’re going to buy then I needtheir names. Anyone not in my book doesn’t leave this room.” He looked at Billwith cold piercing eyes. “Who are you?”
“Bill Blackthorne,” said Bill in afaltering voice, “and this is Arthur Small.”
“And I’m Jane Pettigrew,” saidOphelia.
The man came over fromthe safe with two black bags. He handed one to the Professor and the other toArthur. He then gave each of them a business card with a telephone number onit.
“Ring when you want somemore and you’ll be told a price,” said Velvet. “And if you try to buy fromanyone else you’ll be sorry, very sorry. I know you're students, and theProfessor will tell me where you live.”
Professor Jareth saidnothing for a second. He teeth were clenched and she had gone even paler thatusual. When she realised Vince Velvet was waiting for an answer she said, “Iwill Vince.”
The door behind them wasopened and they were bundled out onto the landing. A moment later it wasslammed shut in their faces.
Arthur breathed a huge sigh of relief.“That was so intense!” he babbled. “I wish I’d thought to give a falsename. And the gun, did you see when he pulled out the gun!”
“It was horrid! Let’s just get back toLilith,” said Ophelia.
“We don’t have much time before shewakes up,” said the Professor, “and it's a long walk.”
Bill was numb with shock. Only a fewdays ago his entire life experience had consisted of slow and careful studywith Miss Spital, time spent with mother in odd conversation and occasionalvisits to Arthur in Underwood. The idea of a place like this, and people likeVince Velvet were so far out of his frame of reference as to be inconceivable.He desperately wished for his memory back, to know who he was and what heunderstood. He felt more lost than ever.
They went down the stairs and backinto the pub.
The mysterious woman was still sittingat her table. She been waiting and was now eyeing them surreptitiously throughher bug-eyes glasses. She watched closed as they walked past and went acrossthe pub towards the exit. As soon as they’d left, she went over to a publictelephone on the wall. The wispy scarf was pulled back, the glasses removed andthe hat taken off, revealing a pale face, soft perm, diamond drop earrings andcopious red lipstick. It was Bill’s mother, Beryl. She picked up the handset,dialled a number and put money in the slot.
“The boy Frank has done some excellentwork. We have found the leader – It’s our own Professor Julia Jareth, a lyingsinner who’s betrayed her sacred vows to the Apostles. She’s one of the Devil’sBane!” Beryl listened to the voice on the phone with mounting anger, her handsgrowing white as she gripped the handset tightly. “Tell me how we failed tosuspect she was in the thrall of Satan, when she was also a trusted member ofour sacred organisation? And now she has dragged the boy and two others into herconspiracies. The boy William! Our most valuable asset!” Beryl wanted to ragedown the phone but had to be quiet in public, so instead talked very slowly anddeliberately. “She must be taken immediately and with great force. Bringher to Brimstone Manor for questioning. I don’t care what it takes, how muchthis pitiful creature suffers, we must not flinch in our duty. We mustfind out where she’s hiding Lord Valentine before it’s too late. BeforeMiddenmere is consumed!”
Beryl put down the phone and clenchedher teeth. She was shaking with rage and her eyes shone with evangelicalfervour. She imagined the noble work she was going to do in the cellar ofBrimstone Manor – raining down God’s gloriously frightful punishments on thatmost traitorous of sinners, Professor Julia Jareth.
ChapterTwelve - Captured
I have solved a most intractable problem. Vita Dantismust be mixed to a certain consistency and delivered at a particulartemperature. If not done then the subject experiences cellular degeneration. Ihave constructed what I call a Hex Box. There is a pump and bellows and it israther big and cumbersome, but I have plans to construct a smaller version, nobigger than a portmanteau…
– Extract from The Journal ofWilliam Whitebeam
– By William Whitebeam, Professor ofOccult Biology, 1872.
ProfessorJareth pulled a Hex Box from out one of the black bags, placed
