“Don’t you see?” said Bill when theywere pretty close. “Up ahead.” He looked again and realised it was Lord Percyand his devoted female followers – Ophelia was one of them! She was right nextto Lord Percy, obviously under his spell. Bill was consumed by anger andjealousy.
Suddenly a huge dog loomed up out ofthe darkness, appearing as if from nowhere, bounding onto the bonnet of thecar, barking loudly and gnashing huge pointed teeth. Bill’s heart froze. It wasthe same dog that had chased him and Arthur out of the wood behind the college.He gazed in terror at its ferocious eyes.
Inspector Ferret slammed on thebrakes. The dog slid off the end of the bonnet. There was a huge jolt as theBlack Mariah crashed into the back of the police car. Bill was thrown forwardand hit his head on the seat in front. He felt dazed and his chest hurt.
“Stay here until we sort this out,”barked Inspector Ferret.
Bill could see blood tricking out ofthe Inspector’s nose. The policemen jumped out the car, each taking his rifle,leaving Bill alone. He heard a desperate shout from somewhere behind him, solooked out of the back window. It was dark and the rain was falling, so thingswere pretty indistinct, but the door to the Black Mariah was open and the cabinlight was on so he could clearly see the huge dog inside the cabin, ferociouslyattacking the driver of the van. His arms were thrashing about wildly, but thedog had him round the throat and nothing he did stopped the creature’s attack.
Inspector Ferret and the two policemen appeared beside the cabin door.
“We’ve got to shoot that bleedin’thing!” shouted Inspector Ferret. He held up his rifle, took aim and missed.
One of the policemen unsheathed aknife and plunged it into the top of the dog’s hind leg. It yelped then turnedon his attacker. The policeman tried to slam the door but the dog got out andbegan mauling the young officer. The other policeman was white faced, sweatingand gasping with fear as he gazed at his partner being ripped open. A momentlater he turned and ran away, disappearing into the darkness of the woods. Billthought Lord Percy was going to chase after him but neither he nor the girlsfollowed.
Bill could see that Inspector Ferretwas panicked. Lord Percy was suddenly at his side, and Bill watched him bitethe Inspector's cheek and suck his blood.
The rear door of the car opened andOphelia popped her head inside.
Bill looked into her eyes and felt anoverwhelming sense of despair. He could see no tenderness, not trace offeeling. Her lips were pursed tight and there was blood smeared on her chin.This scary, feral creature with long ears and cured horns was hardlyrecognisable as the girl he loved.
“Ophelia!” he stammered. “It’s me!”
“We have another one here Master, afrightened little mouse.”
“Ophelia! Please!”
Bill was filled with blind panic. Hewas trapped – about to be made bloody, about to drawn into the cult of ArddhuOg, transformed into one of those creatures. But then he remembered he wasn’t reallyBill Blackthorne, the young clueless student, he was William Whitebeam, aFellow of the Royal Society, scientist extraordinaire. It was time to be braveand do something.
“Move back young lady, mostpestilential beast, and let me out!” he said in the most commanding voice hecould muster, “I demand to speak with your master, Lord Percy Valentine.”
Ophelia looked surprised but movedback. Bill edged his way out of the car. The rain fell lightly on his face andhe could hear the patter of raindrops on the leaves of the trees. He heard thedog yelping and turned to see Professor Jareth pull the knife out of his leg.Lilith and Arthur’s sister stood watching, and a young girl he didn’t know.
The pagans moved into a circle andsurrounded him, smiling at this little game of cat and mouse. Bill wastrembling and his heart was pounding but he took a deep breath and looked LordPercy in the eye. What he saw shocked him beyond words. The creature was barelyrecognisable as the man he once knew. His cheekbones had become very aquiline,his forehead was wider and contained two gnarled, curled horns and his skin wasvery strange, like white leather. He had grown a straggled goatee beard.
“Lord Percy, dear sir, it’s me,”stuttered Bill. “Doctor Whitebeam, your good friend from all those years ago.”
Percy curled his lip, exposing pointedyellow teeth. “Do not jest with me sir. Doctor Whitebeam was an older man, youare but a boy.”
Percy seemed to grow impatient, Heturned his head and nodded at Ophelia who bared her teeth with some relish andbegan to creep towards Bill.
“Wait!” he said to Percy in atremulous voice. “Don’t you want to hear about Rowena, dear sweet Rowena? Iknow what happened to her.”
Lord Percy held up a bony hand andOphelia stopped. “Despite my better judgement sir, you have me intrigued. Speaknow before impatience gets the better of me.”
Bill’s throat was dry and his mind wasracing but he managed to say what he wanted to. “After the Apostles killed you,our dear sweet Rowena was overcome with grief. She feared for her own life socame to me for help. We went down to the Unicorn, hoping to catch the earlystage to Middenmere. Unfortunately, in a fit of madness, she cursed and bit me.Then, overcome with grief at the hopelessness of life she went to theunderground mausoleum in Briar Wood to kill herself. I am heartily sorry totell such sad news.”
Lord Percy’s face took on a look ofsadness and for a moment he almost seemed human. “It is you, my dearfriend Doctor William...”
“Yes sir. And I have some good news. Ihave finally completed the great work you set me to do. I myself have beeninside and am cured! The Cabinet of Rebirth, my Scrinium Regenerationis, is over at the Manor,ready for you to enter.”
Lord Percy thought aboutthis for a second. “But why would I
