Richard shrugged. “It was the ribcage,” he said. “I was trapped underneath a dinosaur skeleton. The ribcage protected me from the falling bricks, and Mrs Deverill dug me out.” He stopped. “You say you’ve read my article. So maybe you can tell me something. How come nobody wants it?”
Fabian sighed apologetically. “As a matter of fact, that’s the reason why I’m here, Mr Cole,” he explained. “My organization has prevented your story from being published. It is our job to ensure that it never sees the light of day.”
“What?” Richard stared at his visitor with anger and disbelief. “You’re telling me that the Nexus-”
“I am really very sorry. I know it must be extremely frustrating.”
“Frustrating! Are you out of your mind?” Richard cast an eye over the table and Matt was glad there wasn’t a kitchen knife at hand.
“We can’t allow your story to get into print, Mr Cole.”
“Why not? And how did you stop me?”
“As to your second question, I’m sure Sanjay Dravid already told you. We have a great deal of influence. We know people… in government, in the police, in the Church. We advise them. And in this case we advised them not to publish your material.”
“Why not?” Richard thundered.
“Please, Mr Cole.” Fabian could see the fury in the journalist’s eyes. “Let me try to explain.” He waited a moment while Richard calmed down. “Let us start by admitting that your story is completely unbelievable. Witches and phantom dogs? Supernatural creatures called the Old Ones? A boy” – he pointed at Matt – “with some sort of magical power?”
“It happened exactly how Richard described it,” Matt said, coming to his friend’s defence.
“Did it? The police have been sniffing around for the last seven days and they have found precious little to support your version of events. It is true that the villagers seem to have packed their bags and gone. And Omega One is now in ruins. But, to give you just one example, if there really had been an explosion there, how is it that no sign of radioactive fallout has been found anywhere in the area?”
“I explained in the article,” Richard said wearily. “We reckon that all the radioactive particles must have got sucked back into the gate.”
“Ah yes. Raven’s Gate. That’s the most ridiculous part of all. You write that there was some sort of stone circle that nobody in the world had ever heard of…”
“Professor Dravid had heard of it,” Matt said.
“Sanjay Dravid has gone.”
“Wait a minute.” Richard slammed a hand down on the table. “You’re part of the Nexus. You know I’m telling the truth. So why are you pretending otherwise?”
Fabian nodded. “You’re right. I thought I’d made that clear from the start. Of course I believe you.”
Richard’s head was spinning. “So why do you want to cover it up?”
“Because this is the twenty-first century and the one thing that people cannot live with is uncertainty. Where there is terrorism, people need to know that the police are in control. When new diseases appear, they expect science to find cures. We live in an age when there is no room for the impossible.”
“But you believe in the impossible.”
“Yes. But why do you think we have to keep our organization secret? Because people would think we were mad, Mr Cole. That is why. One of our members is a senator in the Democratic Party in America. He would be voted out immediately if he began speaking about the Old Ones. Another is a multibillionaire, working in the field of computer software. She supports us and believes in us, although her shares would plummet if that were known. I have a wife and children. But even they do not know why I am here.”
He turned to Matt.
“Although you will not be aware of it,” he said, “the LEAF Project knows that you are no longer in Mrs Deverill’s care. We could tell them where you are. One word from us and you would be back in their custody.”
Matt’s heart sank. So it had happened, exactly as he had feared.
But then Richard surprised him. “Nobody’s taking Matt anywhere,” he snapped. “He’s staying here with me.”
“That is exactly what we have arranged.” Fabian smiled for the first time. “You see? We have already spoken to the right people and it has all been dealt with. We can help you. And you can help us. We can work together.”
“How can I help you?” Matt asked.
“I’m afraid your role in this is not yet over,” Fabian replied. “Sanjay Dravid spoke about you. He thought your appearance was the single most remarkable event of his lifetime.”
“Why?”
“Because he believed you were one of the Five.”
And there it was again. One of the Five.
Matt sighed. “That’s what you keep saying. But what does it mean?”
“Five children saved the world. Five children will save it again. It’s part of a prophecy, Matt. What happened here in Yorkshire was only the start. The Nexus will be called together again and you will have to meet us all. Until then, we ask only that you remain here. And tell no one. We must keep these matters to ourselves.”
There was a long silence.
“That’s all very well,” Richard said. “But how am I supposed to look after him? Since the Nexus knows everything, you may have noticed that I’m out of a job. And shouldn’t Matt be at school? He can’t just sit around here with me!”
“We can easily arrange a local school for Matt,” Fabian replied. “Anything you need or want we can get for you.” He produced a business card and slid it across the table. “As for your living expenses, we can look after that too.” He clicked open the briefcase and took out a thick envelope, which he handed to Richard. The journalist glanced inside it and whistled. “That’s five thousand pounds, Mr Cole. Think of it as a first payment. When you need more, you only need to call.”
Fabian stood up. He held out a hand to Matt, who shook it unwillingly.
“I cannot tell you what a great pleasure it has been to meet you,” Fabian said. “We will meet again in London very soon.” He seemed to be about to leave, but then he turned back and his eyes were troubled. “Perhaps I shouldn’t tell you this,” he said. “But you will have to know eventually and I think my friend Professor Dravid would have wanted me to tell you.” He took a breath. “We believe there may be a second gate.”
“What?” Matt was stunned.
“I live in Lima. In Peru. It is the reason why I was chosen to visit you today. There is evidence that another gate exists in my country. It may be that I will have to invite you there.”
“You must be joking,” Matt said. “I’ve done my bit. I don’t want to know any more.”
“I can understand that, Matt. Just remember – the Nexus is on your side. We exist only to be your friends.” He nodded at Richard. “Please don’t get up, Mr Cole. I can show myself out.”
For ten minutes neither of them spoke.
“Well,” Richard said at last. The cash was spread out on the table in front of him. “At least that solves the money problem.”
“A second gate…” Matt had gone pale. He looked suddenly tired.
“It’s got nothing to do with you,” Richard said.
“It’s got everything to do with me, Richard. I know that now. I thought it was all over when the power station was destroyed. But I was wrong. It’s like that man said – it was just the start.”
“No way,” Richard said. “I mean, think about it for a minute. Do you really believe there’s another circle of stones? And that maybe some other crackpot has gone and built a nuclear power station in the middle of it? It’s got nothing to do with you, Matt. He’s talking about South America. Thousands of miles away!”
“They’ll make me go there.”
“They can’t make you do anything you don’t want to do. And if they try, they’ll have to get past me.”
Matt couldn’t help smiling. “Thanks for sticking your neck out for me.”
“That was nothing. Actually, I didn’t even mean to. It just sort of happened.”
“Well, now it looks as if you’re stuck with me.”
Richard nodded. “I suppose so. It’s a pain in the neck. On the other hand, I haven’t got a job. I might as well
