He wondered if some lurking pagan hadtaken control of his mind, if this was a trap, but he still grabbed the doorknob and turned it. He opened the door, desperately hoping there was no oneinside, and went through. He was immediately struck by how oddly familiar itall seemed. There were test tubes, a brass microscope, Bunsen burners and glassphials. He then saw something that made his heart pound – the brass cabinetfrom his vision he’d had in Professor Nox's room was there in front of him! Itmeant what he’d experienced was not some fancy from his imagination. Here wasthe actual cabinet. Maybe it had happened in this very room? If it wasall true then what did it mean?
He decided to approach the cabinet tohave a closer look, fascinated. It was about seven feet tall and covered inpolished brass. He opened the door and gazed inside, examining its complexarrangement of pipes and wires. It looked like a person could fit inside, buthe had no idea of its function. He tried to recollect the vision in all itsdetail and remembered the face reflected in the brass door. It wasn’t him – itwas a much older man. Bill felt confused. He shivered and decided he’d lingeredtoo long in Brimstone Manor, the place was starting to give him the creeps. Heneeded to focus on the task in hand: find the journal and Professor Jareth andleave as quickly as he could. He came out of the room and closed the door asquietly as possible.
Bill walked much more quickly now, heknew the book was in the library and wanted to get there without wasting anymore time. He passed a stuffed owl, a mahogany statue of a veiled lady and wasalmost at an archway that led into the Great Hall, when he heard voices. Theycame from where he'd been, behind him and around the bend in the passage. Heguessed it was the two blood soaked creatures who’d been playing snooker. Billbegan to panic. He was about to be caught by a couple of evil pagans, who’dtake turns feasting on his blood and converting his mind. The voices becamelouder and he knew it was only moments until the creatures turned the cornerand saw him.
He moved forward and through archway –Bill knew he’d have to cross the Great Hall to get to the library – but his eyeswidened with shock and he had to suppress a yelp of anguish. He could see thatthe Great Hall was crawling with bikers!
His panicked brain took in the wholescene in an instant. In the centre of the room he saw Arthur’s brothers, Jimmyand Davy, with an older biker, working on a black and chrome Norton – the wheelhad been taken off and they were doing something with the engine. A number of aleather chairs had been pulled up around the massive stone fireplace and eachone contained a sleeping biker. Stretched out languidly on a settle chair was atall figure in black drainpipes and purple velvet jacket – Lord PercyValentine. A girl in purple and yellow was curled up asleep on a chair by hisfeet. A large beast of a dog with black matted fur was sprawled on the hearth.Bill realised it was the same beast that had chased him and Arthur through thewood. One of its massive paws was draped over a thin girl in a whitenightdress. This girl seemed oblivious to danger and was actually snuggled upto the beast like it was a cuddly toy. It was Arthur’s sister Rosie!
He stepped back into the corridor andlooked around for somewhere to hide – the only place he could find was a suitof armour standing against the panelled wall adjacent to the archway. Hestepped sideways and tried to get behind it, knowing it was a terrible place tohide as it didn’t conceal him at all. The voices from down the passageway weregrew louder and he knew the boys were about to turn the corner and find him.What terrible things would they and the others in the hall do to him?
Suddenly, his fevered mind rememberedsomething important. A couple of months ago, one day when he was studying withMiss Spital, he’d been rooting through some old books and found a large folderfull of meticulously drafted plans to Brimstone Manor, dated from a couple ofhundred years ago. He’d studied them carefully, trying to work out places he’dnot seen. As he visualised one of the diagrams he clearly remembered a coupleof faint dotted lines going off at right angles where the West Passage joinedthe Great Hall. This was where he was now! He guessed that dotted lines couldmean only one thing. He began a close examination each of the nearby panels,trying to find some sort of hidden door. The voices were now very close and heknew he only had a couple of seconds.
He pushed on a wooden inlay and itturned slightly, so he pushed it again and heard a click. A portion of thewall, about five feet high and very narrow opened inwards. He’d found thesecret passageway!
Bill rushed inside, finding it musty,dark and very claustrophobic. A spider’s web brushed against his face. Hecarefully pushed the door back into place, trying to make no sound. He couldhear the biker’s voices very clearly, just inches away on the other side of thepanel. He waited, not moving or daring to breathe, as footsteps passed andfaded.
Bill had escaped by quickest piece ofthinking and
