Hisreveries were interrupted by girlish screams. He lent over the stone parapetand gazed down into the dark gloom of the cemetery. Grace had already been madeunconscious and was being carried over a policeman’s shoulder. She was thrownroughly and unceremoniously into the back of a horseless carriage – like thecorpse of a newly hung criminal thrown into a cart to be taken away for burial.
Rosielooked up at him imploringly. “Save me Master!” she called out in desperation.
Hewas high above her and it was dark and wet, but he could see every pore andline of her young and frightened face.
WhenPercy didn’t answer, Rosie turned and began to run away, but one of the policementook careful aim. A moment later she was stopped in her tracks and had fallen,convulsing, with the crackle and spark of electricity dancing on her back. Shewas illuminated like a firework in the darkness.
LordPercy saw a number of policemen point up at him and gather at the church door.He heard a loud echoing thud. He leant over the edge of the parapet anddirectly below could see they were trying to force open the church door,barging it with their shoulders. A few more thuds and the door gave way. Hewatched in terror as they drew their electric rifles and disappeared into thechurch.
Hewas trapped! About to be forced into an agonised unconsciousness by a riflethat shoots lightning, about to be taken away in one of those infernal machinesto God only knows what hell. He looked again at the horseless carriage parkedfar below him and saw Rosie, unconscious, being thrown roughly into the back.The policeman slammed the door and rushed to join his comrades inside thechurch. Percy could hear them down below, whispering, searching for him. Thedoor that led to the spiral staircase was opened. In a few moments they’d beout on the parapet...
Percygot a great and sudden shock when a bolt of lightning came down and struck thetop of the church spire, only fifteen feet above him. This was accompanied bythe huge boom of a thunderclap.
Heheard a quiet voice inside his head...
You can jump down yonder, my sweet Lord, and you will not beharmed...
Percyconsidered the voice and its order to jump but it was a long way down. If hewas injured he’d never escape. Lord Percy clambered over the edge and grabbedonto an ancient drainpipe, but it was thin and corroded and loosely attached tothe brickwork. When it moved under his hand he panicked and began scramblingdown as fast as he was able. He looked up and saw a policeman pop his head overthe parapet and swing his rifle out to take careful aim. Percy’s hand slippedon the wet metal and he fell backwards, away from the spire and out into thenight air. He fell backwards and down into the dark cemetery…
Amoment later his feet we on the ground and he was safe. The whispered voiceinside his head was right! He’d jumped from a great height and had sustained noinjury.
Hedashed off towards the far side of the cemetery, away from the lane that ledthe village. He leapt over gravestones, skipped around mossy ruts and gnarledtree roots – thankful for the acuity of his eyes – and was soon over a stonewall and into the dark cover of Ogden Wood. As he skipped through the knot oftrees he was confident the policemen weren’t following him, was sure theycouldn’t move about with any great speed in such a dark and tangled place. Theground rose sharply and soon the trees thinned and gave way to rockier groundas Percy made his way to the top of Ogden Hill. When he reached the summit, hesat on a cold mossy cairn to regain his breath and ponder his predicament.
Allhis children had been rounded up like cattle and sooner or later he’d berounded up too. Percy’s mind used to be honest and open, he’d been described byhis friend in The Ultorius Apostles as ‘the stoutest and most noble of fellows’but since Iamia Daemonium had taken its sinister hold his mind hadturned cunning and wily. He thought of his recent meeting with the good DoctorWhitebeam, the only other person he’d met from his own time, and wondered howhe could use his erstwhile friend for his own ends. The Doctor had told him theCabinet of Rebirth was rebuilt and working, had offered him to chance to becomehuman. Percy could barely remember what that meant. Was that the price he wouldpay to escape the officers and their mysterious carriages? Part of him wantedit, but his mind had become twisted, contaminated by the terrible will ofArddhu Og. How lost he felt! How wretched!
Therewas a rustle of wet leaves and a dark shape sprung up out of the night. It cameclose to Percy and sat on a gnarled bowl of a nearby tree. Percy looked roundwith a start and was amazed to see his faithful hound.
“WhyClaude old boy, however did you find me?”
Heheard a voice inside his head, but this was not the whispered urges of Og. Thisvoice was quicker, well spoken, masculine, a voice he almost recognised...
Hello Percy old friend. I’ve found you at last.
“Claude?Is that you? What is this devilry?”
It's a very old friend, using a summoning of will to speakingthrough this dog.
“Whatis this trickery?”
Comeand join me and I will show you what you can really be. You have been lost butwe can be reunited.
“Whoare you?”
Come and see Rowena.
“What!How do you know of her?”
I can bring her to this world and you can gaze on her face andhear her voice just as she was.
“Whoare you?”
I have plans to rule this world, not to hide in shadow like acockroach.
