Ophelia sobbed. “Is this my life now?Do I have to keep injecting that horrid drug? I can’t go back to that place toget more, that man scared the hell out of me. But if I don’t go what willhappen? Will I become like Lilith?”
“Don’t worry. I’ll get more when youneed it.”
“Really?” Ophelia looked at Billgratefully. “And am I going to grow old and frail like the Prof? She said shewas only ten years old than us! Oh Bill, what am I going to do?”
Bill immediately thought of WilliamWhitebeam’s journal. “We’re going to get that book. It’s a cure I just know itis.”
“How often do you need to take thisstuff?” said Arthur, examining the case full of glass phials.
Ophelia gave Bill and Arthur anexhausted look. “I’ve no idea. I think I feel okay now, but how will I be inhalf an hour? Do you take it every day, week or month? I just don’t know.”
She sat down heavily on her bed andput her head in her hands. Bill sat beside her and touched her arm.
“And did you hear about Lilith?” shesaid suddenly, “in the Retreat causing all sorts of chaos. Apparently, a wholeroom of people got cleared out – for their own safety. It’s all round campus,Lilith the crazy, really did go crazy.”
“Have you seen her?”
“No. She’s not in her room and I don’twant to go out until I’ve worked out this Hex Box thing.”
“Do you think she’s gone off to findLord Percy?”
“Who knows?”
“I think we’d better go and seeProfessor Jareth,” said Bill. “At least we can get some advice about using thatmetal contraption.”
“Good idea,” said Arthur, stillfiddling around with the Hex Box.
Ophelia took it off him and put it inthe black bag, along with the Vita Dantis and plastic tube. She slung itover her shoulder and they made their way out the building – passing studentscoming back from the Dizzy Duck after last orders – and headed out across adark field towards the silhouetted spires of College.
“You don’t think Lilith’s prowlingabout?” said Arthur, as they approached the building, staring wide eyed at themany dark shadows cast around the college walls.
They went up through a door and up thestairs that led to Professor Jareth’s rooms. They stopped outside when theynoticed the door was positioned at an odd angle. Bill knocked and it movedslightly.
“Hello,” he said, pushing it open.
It fell backwards and landed with aheavy thud on the Professor’s thickly carpeted floor.
“What the-” said Bill.
“The wood’s splintered here, near thehinges and lock,” said Arthur, examining the frame.
“Someone’s kicked it down!” exclaimedOphelia, rushing inside, shouting the Professor’s name. She searched aroundfrantically, including the bathroom and the bedroom. “She’s not here.”
“Who’d kidnap the Prof?” said Arthur.
“I’m sure it’s the Apostles,” saidBill. “Beryl said she wanted to question the girls, find Lord Percy. And whoput the girls up to reviving him?”
Ophelia noticed something on theProfessor’s desk. “Look at this,” she said picking up a piece of paper. “It’s anote from the Prof.”
The words were scratchy and had beenwritten very quickly but Ophelia managed to decipherer them. She read the noteout loud...
Dear O,
I am being raided, which can only meanone thing. They’ve discovered I’m cursed. I will be taken to Brimstone Manor tomeet the same fate as dear sweet Simon. Please do not follow me. You are alsocursed, which means these terrible people will kill you without thought ormercy. I am so desperately sorry for causing you and Lilith such pain. Myactions were entirely selfish. Keep hidden and have a good and fruitful life.Vita Dantis will set you free.
J.
Opheliathought hard then gave Bill an angry look. “Taken to Brimstone Manor! You saidthat was your home! What’s going on?”
Bill looked flustered as he struggledto speak. “I think they’ve got people locked in the cellar. I’m not reallysure...”
“How can you not know? Didn’t you sayyou grew up there?”
“I did. Well I think I did.”
“What?”
Bill lowered his head and struggledfor a moment. “I think there’s something you ought to know about me. You mayfind it a bit strange.”
Ophelia frowned. “You may as well goahead and tell me because I think you’re very strange already.”
“I can’t remember a thing.”
“What?”
“I can’t remember anything. Notanything at all, past a few months. My childhood, my dad, last Christmas,everything! It’s all a great big blank.”
Ophelia gave him an incredulous look.
“I woke up six months ago in afour-poster bed at Brimstone Manor with a very strange woman called Berylstanding over me. She said it was my eighteenth birthday and that she was mymother.”
“Honestly?”
“But I don’t believe she really ismy mother. I don’t even think it was my birthday. I don’t know who I am orwhere I came from. All I know is that the Apostles are very keen onbringing my memory back. They say I know something very important, apparently,to do with fighting evil.”
“He’s been in Professor Nox’s rooms,”added Arthur, “getting his brain fried with drugs to try to make him remember.”
Ophelia looked at Bill’s miserableface then stepped forward and gave him a hug. “Poor you.”
“You don’t think I’m some sort offreak?”
“Hey,” said Ophelia, “I’m the freakaround here.”
“Despite what that note says,” saidArthur, “I think we should go and rescue the Prof, or at least try.”
“Agreed,” said Ophelia.
“We we’re going to the Manor anyway,remember?” said Bill. “We’ve got to get that journal of William Whitebeam’s. Ifwe could only find a way to decipher it, find a cure... then you’ll be okay.”
“And Lilith,” said Ophelia hopefully.
“And the Prof,” said Arthur. “But howare we going to get to Brimstone at this hour?”
Ophelia had an idea. She searchedthrough the drawers of the desk and pulled out a set of keys, holding them upwith a look of triumph. “I’ve passed my driving test.”
They left college and went over to thecar park at the side of the building. It was quiet and dark, but there was aspotlight on the wall, illuminating the cars.
“Over there,” said Ophelia, pointingat an orange camper van.
They made their way over, checking tomake sure no one was watching. Ophelia opened the side door and put the blackbag inside, and Bill climbed in. Then she got
