The Society of Dread (12 page)

Dr Pyre swept the chamber with a swift gaze. ‘Where is my Fool?’

The faceless man looked at the still garghoul as the crelp carried him towards the stairway.

‘This was no coincidence,’ he growled. ‘The garghoul appears and the Fool disappears . . .’

He began to race up the stairs, roaring at the crelp as he passed. ‘Of course,’ he cried. ‘Spies! Sniff them out, you dogs!’

* * *

The doorway at the top of the steps was unguarded. Theo and Chloe stopped running, their lungs almost exploding with the effort of escaping out of the Crypt.

‘We need to hide somewhere, anywhere, just to get him off our trail,’ Chloe said, looking around desperately.

Theo looked up. There was the long curved conduit he had seen before. This stone pipeline, as large as a London Underground tunnel, was poised far above their heads, supported on a huge pillar of stone.

‘See that pipe up there?’ Theo said. ‘I’ve seen pipes like that – but from the other side – from the top.’

Now he had spotted what he was looking for. In the cave wall opposite the pillar were steps, cut into the limestone, disappearing upwards.

‘Once we’re up above that pipe, I think I can get us to safety!’ Theo said.

Chloe grinned, her face red, her hair in disarray. Reluctantly she threw off her coat
and abandoned it in the ash.

‘Good work, Theo,’ she said. ‘The Candle Man will find a way in the dark.’

Theo felt a frisson, a chill of excitement as he heard these words. With every tired muscle in his legs protesting, he led the way upwards.

Now Theo knew exactly where he was going. A lifetime of being stuck in his lonely room with nothing but obscure books and old charts for company had given him some useful skills.

His memory of the network map and the images burnt into his mind from his perilous arrival down there just a few hours before, combined to help him picture his way out with almost shining clarity.

Up from the limestone staircase behind them came echoes of frenetic slithering.

‘Let’s go!’ Chloe said. ‘Don’t look back.’

Theo struggled upwards. He felt blisters rubbing his heels. His lungs were bursting too. He had done so little running in his whole life, his body hardly knew what exercise was. Through dark, slippery caverns they raced, Theo retracing
his journey with the crelp. Suddenly a roar reached their ears.

‘I can see them!’

Dr Pyre’s voice boomed through the darkness just as he and Chloe stumbled into the cavern he had so desperately sought. The glimmering of the luminous fungus and moulds was faint, and Theo splashed crazily among pools and stalagmites as they staggered to their destination.

‘Stop them, you fools!’ Dr Pyre was not far away now, getting closer every moment.

‘There it is,’ Theo cried.

The capsule station appeared out of the gloom, its elegant silvered dome like a fallen spacecraft on a barren planet. The door was open. Theo led the way inside.

‘It’s really only designed for one,’ Theo said.

‘But we’re both pretty light,’ Chloe said, finishing his thought. ‘Thank goodness for all that millet and greens you eat.’

Chloe stepped into the tube and Theo jumped in after her.

‘No!’ came a terrible roar from Dr Pyre. A bolt of power ripped into the silver dome as the capsule rocketed upwards.

T
he capsule hit the surface and Theo and Chloe tumbled out of its door, surrounded by billowing smoke.

We made it,
Theo thought. Then, through the haze he saw dark figures lined around the walls of the ice house, many of them holding guns.

‘You’re under arrest!’ one figure shouted. ‘You have entered a forbidden area without authorisation.’

Theo’s head was swimming. He saw Chloe put up her hands, moments before he passed out.

‘What’s he doing in there?’

Theo awoke and found himself unable to move. Chloe’s voice had called him back from a deep, sweet sleep that had been far more welcome than the world he had awakened to.

He was lying in some kind of glass-walled cylinder. The purring of a ventilation system breathed air all around him. Both his head and chest were attached to wires. Through the glass he could make out a nurse in a blue dress and Chloe, all in black, standing over him.

‘What are you doing to him?’

The nurse spoke calmly as Chloe peered around at the apparatus holding Theo.

‘Lord Gold has told us to monitor the patient as carefully as we can.’

‘Theo is all right,’ Chloe replied stubbornly. ‘I was with him. He’s just exhausted. But putting him in here could traumatise him.’ She gestured angrily at all the devices surrounding Theo. ‘It’s just like the tube that his evil guardian used to keep him in!’

‘I’ll go and speak to my superior,’ said the nurse coolly, and she rose to depart.

‘What – what happened?’ With alarm, Theo recalled being surrounded by figures with guns.

‘It was the police. When you vanished from
Empire Hall, they searched the grounds and uncovered the ice house. They had the place staked out after that.’

‘Where am I?’ Theo asked.

‘Safe,’ said Chloe. ‘In the headquarters of Project Orpheus, the new police department. You were transferred here a few hours ago.’

‘Orpheus!’ Theo exclaimed. ‘I – I know about that! It’s a police force – set up by an ancient Greek hero – or something . . .’ His voice trailed away. Theo gave Chloe a weak smile. He had only just noticed her impressive new black uniform, with the small silver badge.

Chloe grinned. ‘You’re a little confused,’ she said. ‘But that’s close enough. I’m Orpheus now, too – all signed up and given full security clearance. At last the police are taking the network seriously. This is their medical facility.’ Chloe leant on the big cylinder that was holding Theo. ‘I didn’t know they had a Mercy Tube here.’ She smiled feebly.

‘What are they doing, really?’

‘You passed out,’ she explained. ‘I told them you
couldn’t be examined by conventional medicine, so I suppose they’re doing their best.’

‘Exactly,’ said a friendly voice.

Theo turned his head to see a tall man appear behind Chloe. Theo had an impression of twinkling blue eyes and a kind smile.

‘Police Commissioner Vincent Gold,’ the man said. ‘Your new boss on Project Orpheus.’ He turned to one of the nurses.

‘Get him out of that contraption – right now,’ he said.

He loomed over the pale, exhausted Theo. In contrast to the teenager, the Commissioner was a picture of health, with his bronzed skin, light curls of golden hair, and perfectly cut pale blue suit.

‘Theo needs rest now, not a mad scientists’ tea party.’ He gestured at all the machines surrounding the teenager.

Theo sat up. ‘Is there any water?’ he croaked.

‘That’s the spirit,’ Commissioner Gold said. ‘And bring him some millet and greens,’ he added as a nurse hurried away.

‘Millet . . .?’ Theo was surprised.

‘I’ve done my research – I know all about you,’ the man smiled. ‘Don’t worry, Theobald, Project Orpheus looks after its people – and you, and Chloe here are now all mine.’

Theo thought this must be some kind of joke, so he smiled politely.

‘He means we’re both Orpheus agents now,’ Chloe explained. ‘He decided to offer you a special role with the police – on any terms that you like.’

‘Exactly,’ Commissioner Gold said. ‘So there’s no getting out of that!’ he added with a grin. Theo tried to smile again, but felt confused.

‘We have to get back down in the network,’ Theo said as he was helped out of the cylinder. ‘We’ve seen terrible things down there – Dr Pyre, the crelp, massive machines . . .’

‘Enough!’ cried the Commissioner. ‘Miss Cripps has filled me in already. You, Theo, can add to the tale when you feel strong enough. I’ve prepared a special meeting in two hours.’

‘Two hours? But we have to act now –’ Theo
began. Suddenly he felt woozy, and had to be helped into a chair.

‘Patience,’ the Commissioner said firmly. ‘There is a big challenge to face – but your special skills must be used as part of a plan put together by wiser heads. There will be an attack on the network – and upon our enemy – but it will take place when the
wise heads
–’ here he pointed to himself – ‘are ready. Now get some rest.’

Commissioner Gold strode out of the room, leaving Theo in a daze.

‘Where
are
we?’ asked Theo. He had been given a white dressing gown, which smelled fresh and new. Chloe led him out of the medical section, into a rather dirty, dark corridor.

‘Come and see the wonders unfold,’ she said.

At the end of the passage, Theo saw a big sign on the wall, a red circle with a dark blue strip across the middle. On the strip, in clear white letters, was the name: Down Street.

‘Go on,’ Chloe said. ‘Ask me what it is.’

‘Down Street!’ Theo said brightly. ‘A disused London Underground station, once part of the Piccadilly line between Green Park and Hyde Park Corner.’

Chloe scowled. ‘I forgot you were brought up to be a mine of useless information. Yes – and this abandoned station is now the Orpheus Force’s centre of operations – and a secret way into the network! Come and see!’

Theo gazed wide-eyed at the signs of industry all around him. The disused station was still in the process of being converted. Chloe led him into a vast, low-ceilinged room where technicians were setting up monitors, unrolling reams of cable and unpacking machines from white boxes.

Teams of police officers, all in the same black uniform, hurried here and there, one or two of them casting Theo a curious glance. Lights, still being hastily rigged up by technicians, flickered occasionally, giving a spooky light to the scene. Two men in orange jumpsuits wandered by, wearing helmets with lights on top, and a woman was
darting around with a clipboard checking things.

‘Does – does Inspector Finley know about this?’ Theo asked. Surprised by all this new police activity, he missed the dour but familiar face of the officer he knew.

Chloe’s face fell.

‘Poor old Finley has been taken off the case,’ she sighed. ‘No sign of him anywhere. Commissioner Gold has taken over now. This is a whole new ball game.’

They sat together on a pile of boxes, drinking water from a cooler that was still half-covered in its original wrapping. The cold water tasted delicious after the ashy depths of the network.

They watched as Orpheus officers flitted by on endless urgent errands.

‘It’s all coming back to me now,’ Theo said.

‘Shame,’ replied Chloe. ‘Wish I could forget the crelp. I’ll be having nightmares about them for years.’

Theo looked surprised. ‘I didn’t think anything could give
you
nightmares, Chloe.’

‘Are you kidding?’ she replied. ‘Nightmares come with the Vigilance territory. Can you imagine what it was like, growing up with all this talk of evil societies and smoglodytes being whispered around me? And then not being allowed to talk about it?’ Chloe gave a wan smile.

‘I didn’t let on to my guardians at the time, but it all used to terrify me. Sometimes I just wanted it to go away, so I could be a normal girl and think about princesses and ponies.’

‘Really?’ Theo looked surprised.

‘No, I made that bit up,’ Chloe said. ‘I used to like terrorising Mr Norrowmore’s cat and setting fire to things in his secret lab.’

Theo smiled, then the pair lapsed into silence.

‘It was strange, wasn’t it?’ Theo said suddenly.

Chloe looked at him, amused. ‘Strange?’ she echoed with mock astonishment. ‘After all we’ve just been through! What part did the Candle Man find strange? Narrow it down a bit!’

‘When Tristus faced Dr Pyre, he . . .’ His voice trailed away.

‘I thought Tristus was going to fight him,’ Chloe said.

‘But Tristus is an
asraghoul
,’ Theo stressed the word with great significance. ‘He’s a special kind of garghoul – a kind of teacher, a guide. He said he wanted to help Dr Pyre! But it all went wrong!’

‘Why do you think Dr Pyre called Tristus a traitor?’

Theo frowned. ‘Tristus told me that in the old days, he was awoken by the original Philanthropist. The bad guys expected the garghouls to work for them. But Tristus turned good and sided with the original Candle Man.’

‘Hence, traitor, I suppose,’ said Chloe. ‘Well, I think he’s cool. I just hope we can get down there in time to help him like he helped us.’

Theo awoke. It was half past three in the afternoon, according to the big clock on the wall of the ward. He had been resting – on doctor’s orders – while Chloe went away on a round of briefings.

A nurse stood next to his bed and beside her
was a man in a quaint blue uniform with white piping along the shoulders, wearing a peaked cap.

‘Lord Gold’s chauffeur,’ the nurse whispered. ‘We are honoured.’

‘Ahem.’ The man coughed politely. ‘Lord Gold wishes you to take afternoon tea with him.’

‘Lord
Gold?’ Theo sounded surprised.

‘Our new commissioner of police is also a member of the aristocracy,’ the nurse explained. ‘One of the richest men in the country. He’s poured loads of his own resources into Orpheus. Not everyone gets invited to tea, you know.’

It all passed in something of a daze. Theo watched the outskirts of London roll by the car window, then was driven through what seemed like a tunnel of overarching trees, out to an enormous country estate.

Theo gazed about him in wonder. He had never seen such things before, except in his books and dreams. They drove up a long gravel drive and stopped in front of an enormous white mansion, with gleaming white columns supporting an
ornate arched entrance.

Theo was taken up the steps to the front door.

‘Push the bell and wait here,’ the chauffeur said. He went back to his warm car.

The door slowly opened, and a kind voice invited him to enter. As he crossed the threshold Theo stared in amazement. A cheerful, plump figure in a golden waistcoat and pale grey suit welcomed him in.

It was his old butler, Mr Nicely.