“Why look who it is! The good Lord hasbrought you back to us.”
“Sit down Doctor please,” said Beryl.
Doctor van Devlin sat down on thechesterfield, placed the tray on a small table and poured out two coffees. Billand Arthur sat in chairs by the fire.
“Let’s get something straight youngman,” said a still angry Beryl. “You are an Apostle, and that means only onething – you use whatever means necessary to fight evil.”
Bill was churning up inside. Heremembered the terrible things that had happened in Underwood, but knew hecould never condone torture and murder. These people were cursed but it wassomething that could be controlled with Vita Dantis. Professor Jarethhad managed to live a normal life for many years. “We’ve just come fromUnderwood. The whole place is crawling with the ‘Devil’s Bane’ as you callthem. But you can’t put an entire village in your cellar.”
“There are other places.”
“They need your help.”
“Mum and Dad! My brothers and sister!”exclaimed Arthur. “You’ve got to help them, please!”
“Have you got Vita Dantis? Wecould round everybody up-”
“We know all about the unfortunatesituation in Underwood and it is in hand. There will be no Vita Dantis.That is not a cure. One missed dose and Satan is back in control.”
“But my family!” exclaimed Arthur,almost standing up in his chair.
“Silence!” snapped Beryl.
Arthur was about to launch into a longplea for mercy but could see that he was wasting his time.
The tense stand-off was broken byDoctor van Devlin. “God has truly blessed us with your timely arrival.”
Beryl turned to Mordred and said, “TheDoctor is right. Go and telephone Professor Nox and tell him to bring theequipment. The treatment is to be done tonight – in full.”
“Very good Madam,” said Mordred,gliding off into the hallway.
She turned back to Bill and smiled.“Don’t look so worried. It won’t be too painful.”
“What won’t be painful?” said Bill.
“You know all about it darling, yourtreatments to aid recollection.”
Bill eyed her with suspicion. “Whatdo you get when I get my memory back?”
“I have told you darling. You have avery important job to do.”
“Nox said I know a secret.”
“You certainly do,” said Beryl. “It'sa great and very powerful secret, lost long ago.”
“Stop speaking in riddles! If I am anApostle like you say I am, then I demand to know Apostle business.”
Beryl pursed her lips and consideredfor a moment. “Around two years ago the British nation suffered a terribledisaster. The most important person in the country, the highest authority inthe land, was bitten and cursed by one of her servants. Of course this was keptsecret from all but the top echelons of government and academia. If it ever gotout it would damage our international relations and bring down one of thegreatest institutions in the world.”
“Who is this person?” said Bill.
“I cannot say. We are sworn tosecrecy. But what I can say is that it changed the work of the Apostlesforever. Obviously this person could not be bugled away and forgottenabout. A cure had to be found. But no work had been done on this since the latenineteenth century. Throughout the twentieth century Dark Paganism was madeillegal, hushed up, suppressed and generally eradicated. So we had a bit of adilemma.”
“It’s the Queen, isn’t it?” saidArthur.
Beryl and Doctor van Devlin glared athim.
“The highest authority in the land,”continued Arthur, “got servants, a British institution. Who else could it be?Who’d have thought it, eh? Our Queen a pagan Arddhu! I hope Prince Philip issafe in bed at night.”
“You will speak of Her Majesty with alittle more respect!” snapped Doctor van Devlin.
Beryl and the Doctor looked at eachother with some embarrassment.
“You are correct,” said Beryl at last.“But if you ever breathe a word...”
“Chill your boots Beryl! I’ll not tella soul.”
They sat in silence for a few moments,with Beryl and Doctor van Devlin sipping their coffee.
“We had a cabinet built,” said Berylat last. “It’s called a Scrinium Regenerationis, which means Cabinet of Rebirth. The subject is placed insideand the cabinet purges the body of the Devil’s Bane. Unfortunately, it provedto be faulty on the test subject.”
Bill remembered thebrass fronted box he’d seen in the laboratory at Brimstone Manor. A cabinet tocure paganism! So that’s what William Whitebeam’s journal is all about…
“We were tasked withcuring Her Majesty for her silver wedding anniversary,” said Doctor van Devlin,“but could not risk putting her inside.”
They were interrupted bya loud knock at the door. Mordred went to answer it. He came back with Frank,who glared at Bill and Arthur, and Professor Nox, who was wearing a long greenand gold kaftan. His thick black beard had been plaited under his chin andsecured with tiny metal rings. His huge domineering presence and thoughts ofthe ‘treatments’ he was about to administer made Bill feel very scared.
“Hello William,” saidProfessor Nox in a deep voice. “I’m so glad we have finally got you, a rabbitin a snare so we might say. We’re not going to pussy foot around any longer. Ihave grown tired of your games. You will have the full treatment, tonight.”
Professor Nox opened alarge suitcase. He took out a belt with many wires attached, a number of metalboxes, straps and a packet of swabs.
“I’m not doing this,”said Bill, watching wide-eyed as the Professor took out a large syringe fromone of the boxes.
“You must help HerMajesty,” said Doctor van Devlin.
“It’s going to happen,” said Beryl,“either voluntarily, or by force.”
“Of course it is William,” saidProfessor Nox. “We have wasted enough time on you.”
Bill watched Professor Nox plug a leadinto a mains socket. The lead was attached to a grey metal box filled withdials and ammeters.
“I said I’m not doing it!” exclaimedBill standing up. Professor Nox placed a large hand on his shoulder and pushedhim back down into the chair with a force that Bill couldn’t resist. Hesnatched the journal out of Bill’s hands then strapped his wrists to the armsof the chair and tied his feet together.
“Leave him
