Splintered wood and torn wallpaper dropped to the floor as wefeverishly enlarged the hole. As soon as it was large enough for meto enter I stepped over the bottom and squeezed into it letting thewooden splinters harmlessly attack my coat.
Seven
A darkroom lay before me. Light from the room behind showed a path hadbeen made between large boxes. It looked like a storagearea.
Behindme the hole was eventually enlarged enough for Sir Percival and theliaison to enter. Their entrance momentarily blocked the light butI was able to see a ghostly purple image of the boxes in front ofme. Was this a remnant of the aether still inside me? It was usefulas I was able to walk along the path while the two men blunderedabout behind me and the landlady shouted uncouth things about ourparentage.
The pathled to a large windowless door that was closed. Trying the handletold me it was locked.
“Where are we?” asked Sir Percival.
“In what looks like a store-room. There’s a locked door infront of me.”
Behindthe men the light slowly decreased as the landlady pushed thewardrobe back into position. She’d probably get a dustpan and brushand clear our mess up afterwards. Luckily my purple sight made upfor the lack of light and I smiled as I saw both men looking aroundhelplessly.
“Can we force the door?” Sir Percival asked.
Iconsidered the idea. It was probably one that wouldn’t be toostrong as the designers would never have envisaged a lady and twogentlemen tying to exit the room. But forcing it may cause problemsif Tok became aware of us. It behoved myself to open it as neitherof my companions were able to see anything. I also felt it would bebest not to mention my enhanced eyesight, especially in front ofthe liaison and also in case it proved short-lived. Perhaps I couldtry picking it?
“May I borrow your knife, Sir Percival?”
“Certainly.”
He heldit out pointing in roughly the direction of my voice and I tookgreat delight in poking him about his body and apologising for myclumsiness as if pretending I couldn’t see a thing.
Eventually I tired of the game and grabbed hold of his armand felt my way up to his hand even though I could see it clearly.Taking the knife I turned and slid it into the lock hoping it wouldbe a fairly straightforward process. Behind me the liaison and SirPercival were silent so we could hear the muttered cursing andbrushing sounds as the landlady cleaned the mess we’d created fromMr Birch’s room.
Luckilythe lock must have been as old as the Egyptian mummies on displayas, after a short bit of waggling the knife around, it clickedopen. I mentally patted myself on the back as I’d be able to escapefrom the room which was becoming fragrantly stuffy from the two menbehind me. I gently turned the handle hoping it wouldn’t squeak andcracked the door open slightly. The light in the room increased butnot as much as I’d have expected.
QuietlyI moved so I could peer through the crack. We must have been in acurrently unused part of the Science museum as large angularexhibits were covered with tarpaulins to prevent them from gettingdusty before being put on display.
Notseeing anyone I opened the door further and stuck my head out. Thesounds of muffled conversation and high childish voices came fromfurther away. Behind me I heard Sir Percival and the liaisonshuffle closer to the light and fresher air. The largehigh-ceilinged room was empty and I slid round the door and out.Both gentlemen quickly followed with the liaison quietly closingthe door behind us. Now to find Tok.
Eight
QuicklyI headed behind a large shrouded device and pulled my gun box fromits coat pocket home. The box also contained a special set ofgoggles with clear polarized lenses – necessary for protectionagainst my own weapon. I put the goggles on and felt a mite saferagainst murderous mechanical Rockhopper penguins with my gun inhand.
I sawSir Percival check his twin strangely-shaped pistols then replaceone back in its holster, while the liaison loaded his revolver.Both of them put goggles on. Gun at the ready I led the way pastthe shrouded machines. Where would Tok be?
As theroom was currently unused I examined the floor and saw a fainttrail in the dust leading away from the storeroom door. It was theonly clue I had.
Indicating it to Sir Percival we quietly followed it aroundthe room to another closed door with a small sign on it indicatingit led to the basement. Again this one was locked.
Withouta word Sir Percival handed me his clasp knife and, moving my gun onits long strap behind me, I opened it and wiggled the blade in thekeyhole. The museum probably wasn’t expecting anyone to break outof a store-room nor want to examine their basement, so the lock(possibly from the same batch from Ancient Egypt) was relativelyeasy to pick.
Openingthe door a crack I looked in. Darkness met me, but I managed to seethe start of a metal spiral staircase leading downwards. This couldbe a problem as cover would be scarce.
“There’s a spiral staircase but no light,” I whispered to SirPercival.
“There’s nothing else for it, Miss Lovelady.”
I noddedmy consent and slipped past the door with Sir Percival and theliaison following closely behind. As quietly as possible we headeddown the surprisingly warm staircase. My gun led the way pointingdownwards. Luckily, even with my goggles on, my enhanced nightvision was still working so I could see the base of the stairsbelow us where light leaked from another door, but also severalbooby-traps. All of the gaslights around the staircase had beencapped and our footing had been made perilous by the removal ofseveral metal steps. I whispered their positions to my colleaguesafter pretending to have stepped and failed to find myfooting.
Eventually we safely gained the floor and I turned the
