“You will be free of your terribledeformities and mental degeneration. It’s what you and Rowena wanted more thananything.”
“I don’t think you quite understand howthings have changed, my poor deluded Doctor. After the cabinet had done itswork what would I become?”
“You’d be a man, an ordinary man.”
“In an alien world, knowing nothing ofits customs and culture. I would be as helpless as a new-born babe, a side showfreak. And as you say, Rowena has gone from my side forever.”
“But surely-”
“Something most stupendous hashappened to me, my good Doctor. I now inherit the thoughts, memories andfeelings of those I have cursed. I have just taken the blood of InspectorFerret there and now I know of his Apostle colleagues, of Trident House, of theprisoners they hold. My old club flourishes to this day but I am their mortalenemy!”
“Come back from this madness. I amstill your friend and doctor, I can help you.”
“Og has given me extraordinary giftsfor being her most trusted subject. Behold! I have taken on her form inkinship. She wants all the world be as she is!”
“Good sir you have lost your mind! IamiaDaemonium has made you sick! You are Percy Valentine, squire of Brimstone,a good man.”
“I am squire as is only fit andproper! These people are my underlings, as is the natural order in England, somust do my bidding. You are a great scientist with a formidable brain andmistress Og would dearly love to possess your mind, as once she did.”
Lord Percy advanced on Bill, who tooka few faltering steps backwards and bumped into Professor Jareth, who blockedhis escape. Lord Percy’s fiery yellow eyes burned with a greedy intensity as hegrabbed Bill firmly by the shoulders and bared sharp teeth. Bill smelt rancidbreath as Percy pulled himself slowly towards his neck, dementedly mutteringthe curse in some weird ancient language. Bill understood every word...
Thy bon and blod shall be mine own.
Thy will shall naught be free.
Thy soul is now a cage'd bird.
Death’sknell shall never know thee.
ChapterTwenty - Rebirth
What do friends mean?
What do friends mean?
What do friends mean? Oh yeah.
Is it days just,
hangin’ out?
Or all those crazy things,
you laugh about? Oh yeah.
Is it being,
so very true, so very true and strong? Oh yeah.
Or is it just,
a simple place, one simple place, place to belong? Ohyeah.
Oh what do friends mean?
What do friends mean?
Oh tell me please, what do friends mean? Nah, Nah, Nah,Yeah.
– Extract from What Do FriendsMean?
– By Crocodile, taken from the platinum selling doublealbum Dead of Night, 1967.
Fromout of the darkness came the load clattering of an engine and the sweep of twobright parallel lights. Lord Percy’s eyes grew wide when he saw something largeand orange heading straight towards him. Bill ducked out of the way as thecampervan loomed. It came skidding to a halt and hit Percy square in the chest,knocking him off his feet. The circle of pagans scattered into darkness. Bill staggeredbackwards and saw Arthur in the driver’s seat.
“Don’t just stand there like a lemon,”said Arthur through the open window, “Get in!”
Bill regained his balance and headedtowards the van. Lord Percy was already on his feet and moving to block his escape.Ophelia and Lilith came out of the darkness. Bill got to the van just ahead ofthe three pagans and frantically pulled open the back door. He tumbled insideand was knocked off his feet as the van sped off. He could feel a hand clawingat the back of his head.
Bill struggled to free himself and sawthat Ophelia had also managed to get into the van. She looked very agitated,like an animal trapped in a cage, and was glaring at Bill, baring her teeth.She jumped at Bill and tried to grab him, all the time muttering the curse.Arthur could see what was happening in the rear-view mirror so he swervedviolently, throwing Ophelia off Bill and against the side of the van. He couldsee that she’d bumped her head and was looking a little dazed.
“Hey!” said Arthur, “I’ve got this.”
Bill scrambled forward. He got upfront behind Arthur who indicated a Hex Box and some glass phials on thepassenger seat. Bill worked quickly, switching on the box, opening a phial andpouring the contents into the bowl on top. Then he grabbed the plastic tubeattached to the box and quickly attached the needle.
“I got it from Professor Jareth’sroom,” said Arthur. “I thought we might need it.”
“Good thinking,” said Bill.
Ophelia was up again and comingtowards him. She had a very nasty gash on the side of her head and Bill couldsee that she looked dazed. When she got close Bill jabbed the needle into herneck and guided her down into a seat. After a few seconds confused agitationshe closed her eyes and relaxed. He sat down beside her and held her hand,gazing at her pained face.
“You get her?” said Arthur.
“Most certainly. But she’s got a gashthat looks pretty bad.” Bill looked at the dark blood congealing around theopen wound on her forehead.
“She’ll be okay.”
“I’m still trying to work out,” saidBill, “how you managed to pop up from nowhere.”
“You wouldn’t believe it,” repliedArthur.
“They told me you were taken away.”
“Frank took me to the chapel and putme with those Choral Society freaks, said he was going to make me join. But Imanaged to escape.”
“Beryl said you tried to stop themhypnotising me.”
“Yeah, I didn’t like the look of whatthat Nox dude was doing to you and said so.”
“Well, about what they were doing.”Bill for thoughtful for a few seconds. “I’ve got to talk to you aboutsomething.”
“What?”
“Apparently... I’m a VictorianScientist.”
Arthur wasn’t really listening, he wastoo busy telling his story of the previous night, which he thought was veryexciting. “Anyway, I drove the campervan back to the house, parked up just downthe road and kept watch. I must admit it was a very long night and I nodded offa few times, but next morning coppers turned up and took you off. So Ifollowed.”
“I’ve never been gladder to seeanyone.”
“There’s no way my best mate was goingto get chomped by some mouldy Victorian pagan.”
“Well, you’re not going to believethis but I’m Victorian myself.”
“Anyway, it was hard keeping
