Lockwood & Co: The Screaming Staircase (42 page)

Gibbering Mist
*

A weak, insubstantial
Type One
, notable for its deranged and repetitive chuckling, which always sounds as if it’s coming from behind you.

Greek Fire

Another name for
magnesium flares
. Early weapons of this kind were apparently used against
ghosts
during the days of the Byzantine (or Greek) Empire, a thousand years ago.

Grey Haze
*

An ineffectual, rather tedious
ghost
, a common
Type One
variety. Grey Hazes seem to lack the power to form coherent
apparitions
and manifest as shapeless patches of faintly glinting mist. Probably because their
ectoplasm
is so diffuse, Grey Hazes do not cause
ghost-touch
, even if a person walks through them. Their main effects are to spread
chill
,
miasma
and unease.

Haunting

See
Manifestation

Iron

An ancient and important protection against
ghosts
of all kinds. Ordinary people fortify their homes with iron decorations, and
carry it on their persons in the form of
wards
. Agents carry iron
rapiers
and chains, and so rely on it for both attack and defence.

Lavender

The strong sweet smell of this plant is thought to discourage evil spirits. As a result, many people wear dried sprigs of lavender, or burn it to release the pungent smoke. Agents sometimes carry vials of lavender water to use against weak
Type Ones
.

Listening

One of the three main categories of psychic
Talent
.
Sensitives
with this ability are able to hear the voices of the dead, echoes of past events, and other unnatural sounds associated with
hauntings
.

Lurker
*

A variety of
Type One ghost
that hangs back in the shadows, rarely moving, never approaching the living, but spreading strong feelings of anxiety and
creeping fear
.

Magnesium flare

A metal canister with a breakable glass seal, containing magnesium,
iron
,
salt
, gunpowder and an igniting device.
An important
agency
weapon against aggressive
ghosts
.

Malaise

A feeling of despondent lethargy often experienced when a
ghost
is approaching. In extreme cases this can deepen into dangerous
ghost-lock
.

Manifestation

A ghostly occurrence. May involve all kinds of supernatural phenomena, including sounds, smells, odd sensations, moving objects, drops in temperature and the glimpse of
apparitions
.

Miasma

An unpleasant atmosphere, often including disagreeable tastes and smells, experienced in the run-up to a
manifestation
.
Regularly accompanied by
creeping fear
,
malaise
and
chill
.

Night watch

Groups of children, usually working for large companies and local government councils, who guard factories, offices and public areas after dark. Though not allowed to use
rapiers
, night-watch children have long
iron
-tipped spears to keep
apparitions
at bay.

Other-light

An eerie, unnatural light radiating from some
apparitions
.

Phantasm
**

Any
Type Two
ghost that maintains an airy, delicate and see-through form. A Phantasm may be almost invisible, aside from its faint outline and a few wispy details of its face and features.
Despite its insubstantial appearance, it is no less aggressive than the more solid-seeming
Spectre
, and all the more dangerous for being harder to see.

Phantom

Another general name for a
ghost
.

Plasm

See
Ectoplasm

Poltergeist
**

A powerful and destructive class of
Type Two ghost
.
Poltergeists release strong bursts of supernatural energy that can lift even heavy objects into the air. They do not form
apparitions
.

Problem, the

The epidemic of
hauntings
currently affecting Britain.

Rapier

The official weapon of all psychical investigation agents. The tips of the
iron
blades are sometimes coated with
silver
.

Raw-bones
**

A rare and unpleasant kind of
ghost
, which manifests as a bloody, skinless corpse with goggling eyes and grinning teeth. Not popular with agents. Many authorities regard it as a variety of
Wraith
.

Salt

A commonly used
defence
against
Type One ghosts
. Less effective than
iron
and
silver
, salt is cheaper than both, and used in many household deterrents.

Salt-bomb

A small plastic throwing-globe filled with
salt
. Shatters on impact, spreading salt in all directions. Used by agents to drive back weaker
ghosts
. Less effective against stronger entities.

Screaming Spirit
**

A feared
Type Two ghost
, which may or may not display any kind of visual
apparition
. Screaming Spirits emit terrifying psychic shrieks, the sound of which is sometimes enough to paralyse the listener with fright, and so bring on
ghost-lock
.

Seal

An object, usually of
silver
or
iron
, designed to enclose or cover a
Source
, and prevent the escape of its
ghost
.

Sensitive, a

Someone who is born with unusually good psychic
Talent
.

Shade
*

The standard
Type One ghost
, and possibly the most common kind of
Visitor
. Shades may appear quite solid, in the manner of
Spectres
, or be insubstantial and wispy, like
Phantasms
; however, they entirely lack the dangerous intelligence of either. Shades seem unaware of the presence of the living, and are usually bound into a fixed pattern of behaviour. They project feelings of grief and loss, but seldom display anger or any stronger emotion. They almost always appear in human form.

Sight

The psychic ability to see
apparitions
and other ghostly phenomena, such as
death-glows
. One of the three main varieties of psychic
Talent
.

Silver

An important and potent
defence
against
ghosts
. Worn by many people as
wards
in the form of jewellery. Agents use it to coat their
rapiers
, and as a crucial component of their
seals
.

Silver-glass

A special ‘ghost-proof’ glass used to encase
Sources
.

Solitary
**

An unusual
Type Two ghost
, often encountered in remote and perilous places, generally outdoors. Visually it often wears the guise of a slender child, seen at a distance across a ravine or lake. It never draws close to the living, but radiates an extreme form of
ghost-lock
that may overwhelm anyone nearby.
Victims of Solitaries often hurl themselves over cliffs or into deep water in an effort to end it all.

Source

The object or place through which a
ghost
enters the world.

Spectre
**

The most commonly encountered
Type Two ghost
. A Spectre always forms a clear, detailed
apparition
, which may in some cases seem almost solid. It is usually an accurate visual echo of the deceased as they were when alive or newly dead. Spectres are less nebulous than
Phantasms
and less hideous than
Wraiths
, but equally varied in behaviour. Many are neutral or benign in their dealings with the living – perhaps returning to reveal a secret, or make right an ancient wrong. Some, however, are actively hostile, and hungry for human contact. These ghosts should be avoided at all costs.

Stalker
*

A
Type One ghost
that seems drawn to living people, following them at a distance, but never venturing close. Agents who are skilled at
Listening
often detect the slow shuffling of its bony feet, and its desolate sighs and groans.

Stone Knocker
*

A desperately uninteresting
Type One ghost
, which does precious little apart from tap.

Talent

The ability to see, hear or otherwise detect
ghosts
. Many children, though not all, are born with a degree of psychic Talent. This skill tends to fade towards adulthood, though it still lingers in some grown-ups. Children with better-than-average Talent join the
night watch
. Exceptionally gifted children usually join the
agencies
. The three main categories of Talent are
Sight
,
Listening
and
Touch
.

Touch

The ability to detect psychic echoes from objects that have been closely associated with a death or
haunting
. Such echoes take the form of visual images, sounds and other sense impressions.
One of the three main varieties of
Talent
.

Type One

The weakest, most common, and least dangerous grade of
ghost
. Type Ones are scarcely aware of their surroundings, and often locked into a single, repetitious pattern of behaviour. Commonly encountered examples include:
Shades
,
Grey Hazes
,
Lurkers
and
Stalkers
. See also
Cold Maiden
,
Gibbering Mist
and
Stone Knocker
.

Type Two

The most dangerous commonly occurring grade of
ghost
. Type Twos are stronger than
Type Ones
, and possess some kind of residual intelligence. They are aware of the living, and may attempt to do them harm. The most common Type Twos, in
order, are:
Spectres
,
Phantasms
and
Wraiths
. See also:
Changer
,
Poltergeist
,
Raw-bones
,
Screaming Spirit
and
Solitary
.

Type Three

A very rare grade of
ghost
, first reported by Marissa Fittes, and the subject of much controversy ever since. Allegedly able to communicate fully with the living.

Vanishing point

The exact spot where a
ghost
dematerializes at the end of a
manifestation
. Often an excellent clue to the location of the
Source
.

Visitor

A
ghost
.

Ward

An object, usually of
iron
or
silver
, used to keep
ghosts
away. Small wards may be worn as jewellery on the person; larger ones, hung up around the house, are often equally decorative.

Warning bell

Great iron bells used to mark the nightly
curfew
, and rung at times of serious ghostly outbreak. Erected by the government in many smaller towns and villages as a cheap alternative to
ghost-lamps
.

Water, running

It was observed in ancient times that
ghosts
dislike crossing running water. In modern Britain this knowledge is sometimes used against them. In central London a net of artificial channels, or runnels, protects the main shopping district. On a smaller
scale, some house-owners build open channels outside their front doors and divert the rainwater along them.

Wraith
**

A dangerous
Type Two ghost
. Wraiths are similar to
Spectres
in strength and patterns of behaviour, but are far more horrible to look at. Their
apparitions
show the deceased in his or her dead state: gaunt and shrunken, horribly thin, sometimes rotten and wormy. Wraiths often appear as skeletons. They radiate a powerful
ghost-lock
. See also
Raw-bones
.

Jonathan Stroud was born in Bedford in 1970. After studying English Literature at York University, he moved to London, where he worked as an editor in a publishing firm. He is the author of the best-selling
Bartimaeus
sequence, which is published in 35 languages and has sold 6 million copies worldwide, and also of four other novels:
Heroes of the Valley
,
The Last Siege
,
The Leap
and
Buried Fire
. Jonathan lives in Hertfordshire with his family. He has yet to see a ghost, but is keeping his eyes open.

Buried Fire
The Leap
The Last Siege
Heroes of the Valley

The Amulet of Samarkand
The Golem’s Eye
Ptolemy’s Gate
The Ring of Solomon

www.
lockwoodbooks
.co.uk
www.
jonathanstroud
.com