‘We’re going to need matches, as well,’ I said.
‘I have matches,’ said Albert. ‘Lots of matches.’
He reached into the back of the cupboard and brought out half a dozen boxes. Once again, everyone stuck out their hands. Penny moved in close beside me to murmur in my ear.
‘There’s nothing in the oven.’
I looked. She was right. The door to the oven was open, and there was nothing on any of the shelves.
‘So?’ I said quietly.
‘There’s no tansy pudding in the oven, and no sign of one on any of the work surfaces,’ said Penny. ‘So where is it?’
‘Maybe Olivia was holding it when she was taken,’ I said. ‘Or maybe our demon fancied a dessert after its meal …’
‘Don’t, Ishmael!’ said Penny. ‘That’s horrid!’
‘Can we get out of here now?’ Jimmy said loudly. ‘We’ve got everything we came in here for.’
‘Do you really think you’ll be any safer in the dining room?’ said Eileen.
‘Yes!’ said Jimmy. ‘Maybe only by comparison, but still …’
I held the door open for everyone as they filed out, clutching their candles and boxes of matches as if they were life jackets. Or lucky charms. The moment they’d all left, I stepped out of the kitchen and closed the door firmly.
‘Shouldn’t we leave it open,’ said Penny, ‘so we can see into the room?’
‘With the door shut that’s one less direction we can be attacked from,’ I said. ‘One less way the demon can take us by surprise.’
‘You have a very suspicious mind, sweetie’ said Penny. ‘I approve.’
I turned to address the others. They were all standing around uncertainly, not sure what to do with their precious candles now they’d got them.
‘We need to set out the candles at regular intervals,’ I said. ‘Properly spaced, so we can be sure their light will cover all of the dining room. And put the boxes of matches in plain view between them.’
‘Why not hold on to the matches ourselves?’ Jimmy said immediately, always ready to provide a contrary voice.
‘Do you really want to be fumbling in your pockets after the lights have gone out?’ I said patiently. ‘This way we can get to the matches quickly.’
‘You’re very good at thinking things through,’ said Eileen. ‘They must love you in the security business.’
‘Oh, they do,’ I said. ‘Really. You have no idea. Besides … what if one of you were to disappear and take your matches with you?’
‘There you go again,’ said Jimmy. ‘You just had to go and spoil the mood, didn’t you?’
‘It’s been that kind of an evening,’ I said. ‘We’re going to separate into two groups. Albert, you stick with me and Penny. We’ll start at the front door and work our way back. Eileen, Valerie and Jimmy, you start by the bar. And we’ll all meet up in the middle. Spread the candles out, stick together, and don’t take your eyes off each other.’
‘That’s going to make putting out the candles a bit difficult,’ said Eileen.
‘All right,’ I said. ‘Everyone put a hand on the shoulder of the person next to you, and don’t let go for any reason. That will make things a little awkward, but it’s better than suddenly finding out someone isn’t with you any more.’
‘Every times he speaks, my heart sinks …’ said Jimmy.
‘Shut up, Jimmy!’ Valerie said kindly.
‘I’m just saying what everyone’s thinking,’ said Jimmy.
‘Yes,’ said Eileen. ‘But it isn’t helping.’
It took a while, but eventually we had candles set out on various surfaces the whole length of the dining room. Standing upright like slim watchful sentinels, ready to be lit at a moment’s notice. With boxes of matches set out too, ready to hand. We all came together in the middle of the room, and looked around with a certain satisfaction. Just the presence of so many candles was quietly comforting.
‘Let’s light them,’ said Jimmy. ‘Just to be sure they work.’
‘They’re candles, Jimmy,’ said Eileen. ‘There’s not much that can go wrong with a candle.’
‘In this place?’ said Jimmy. ‘How much would you care to bet on that?’
‘How much have you got?’ said Eileen.
‘We’ll light one,’ I said. ‘Just to reassure ourselves. But only one. We don’t know how long they’re good for, and we can’t risk them burning down before morning. One candle should give us enough light to see what we’re doing if the electricity should cut off. And we can use that to light the others.’
‘I’ll light the one on the bar top,’ said Eileen. ‘It’s furthest from the door and the windows, so there’s less chance of a draught blowing it out.’
‘I hate having to think this way,’ said Valerie. ‘Always planning for the worst. It makes me feel so paranoid.’
‘It’s not paranoia if they really are out to get you,’ said Jimmy. ‘And something is. Light the candle, Eileen.’
Eileen walked back to the bar, in an entirely businesslike manner. Jimmy and Valerie stuck close to her, each keeping one hand on her shoulders. They crowded together behind the bar and watched closely as Eileen placed a Victorian-period ashtray on the bar top, next to the candle. She took up the box of matches and, with a certain amount of ceremony, removed a single match. She struck it down the side of the box. And nothing happened.
There was a sudden tension in the room. We all stood very still, staring at the match in Eileen’s hand with a sense of betrayal. A sudden chill ran through me, at the thought that none of the matches would work. Because our hidden enemy was working against us, even in the smallest of things. Eileen threw the useless match away and took another from the box. She set it carefully against the side of the box and struck it. There was a loud rasp, followed by a soft puff as the end of the match burst into flame. Everyone let out a breath they hadn’t realized they’d been holding. Eileen lit the candle and the wick caught immediately, burning with a pleasant yellow light.
Eileen held the candle carefully in one hand and touched the still burning match to the wax base, just long enough for it to melt a little. Then she blew out the match and threw it away. She used the melted wax to stick the base of the candle to the ashtray, to make sure the candle would stand up unsupported, and then stepped back and bowed solemnly to the rest of us.
We all applauded loudly. We were clapping ourselves as much as anything. Pleased that we’d achieved something. We went back to the table and sat down again in our usual places. And it was only then that we let go of each other’s shoulders.
‘All right,’ said Jimmy. ‘What do we do now?’
‘Can’t we take a moment to relax?’ said Valerie.
‘No,’ I said. ‘We need to talk this through. Try to understand our situation a little more clearly.’ I turned to Eileen. ‘That story Thomas told us. About the scholar, the door and the demon …’
‘You really think there might be something to it?’ said Eileen.
‘Possibly,’ I said. ‘Thomas didn’t give us any details, like a date or the name of the scholar. Do you know …?’
‘I never even heard that story until tonight,’ said Eileen. ‘It came as a complete surprise to me. I didn’t even know Thomas had been studying the old Church records. He never said.’
‘What about you, Val?’ said Jimmy. ‘Are you sure you never came across this story in your researches, or anything like it?’
‘Positive,’ said Valerie. ‘It came as a complete surprise to me too. Which is odd … It’s the perfect cautionary tale, and you’d think a story as dramatic as that would have no trouble finding an audience. Unless, of course, the Church powers of that time made a decision to suppress it.’
Jimmy looked at me. ‘Why are you so ready to believe this particular story, when you had no time for the others? And why are you so determined it has to be an alien, rather than a demon?’
‘I find this story easier to believe because it offers some
kind of explanation as to what’s going on here,’ I said. ‘It has an air of history about it. Even though I’m convinced we don’t have the whole story.’
‘But you still believe an alien, rather than a demon, is snatching us away one by one?’ said Eileen.
‘I told you,’ I said. ‘I don’t believe in the supernatural.’
‘Tough,’ said Valerie. ‘It believes in you. And it’ll do whatever it wants with you. That’s the point of these old stories.’
‘Maybe that’s why I won’t believe in them,’ I said. ‘I have to believe that no matter what is out there I can still fight back … I am the captain of my ship and it’s loaded with really big guns.’
‘Why does the demon want to abduct people?’ said Penny. ‘That was never a part of the original story. And why take us one at a time? And only when no one’s looking?’
‘To scare us,’ I said. ‘It’s playing with us, messing with our minds for its own amusement.’
‘Bastard!’ said Jimmy.
Penny looked at Valerie. ‘The face you saw outside the window … You’re sure it was human?’
‘I think so,’ said Valerie. ‘It didn’t look … not human. There was something wrong about it, but I only caught a glimpse and then it was gone.’
We all turned round in our chairs to look at the three windows. There was nothing in them but darkness, and nothing outside but the night.
‘We have to do something to protect ourselves!’ said Eileen. ‘We can’t just sit here talking endlessly, waiting to be taken!’
‘What do you suggest, vicar’s wife?’ Jimmy said acidly. ‘Hold each other’s hands and sing hymns to keep our spirits up? What else can we do? We’ve already searched the whole inn between us, and a fat lot of good that did.’
‘You said there were things in the old stories that could protect us,’ said Eileen. ‘What sort of things?’
‘Well …’ said Jimmy, a little flustered at being suddenly put on the spot. ‘Just the usual. Crucifixes, silver, garlic … All the traditional defences against evil. And we don’t have any of them, do we?’
Albert turned to Eileen. ‘Do you have a crucifix?’
‘No,’ said Eileen.
‘But you’re a vicar’s wife!’ said Jimmy.
‘I never let Thomas bring his work home,’ said Eileen.
‘I have a cross,’ said Penny. She undid the top bottoms of her blouse to show us the silver cross hanging on a chain round her neck. Valerie revealed that she had one too, shining brightly against her dark skin. Jimmy was genuinely surprised.
‘I never knew … You never used to wear one!’
‘People change,’ said Valerie. She gave me a hard look. ‘And I don’t want to hear anything from you about believing in the supernatural!’
‘I wasn’t going to say anything,’ I said.
‘There’s a few cloves of garlic left in the kitchen,’ Albert said diffidently. ‘You can go and get them, if you want. I’m not going back into that room again.’
There was a general murmur of agreement around the table, even from Penny. Which surprised me. I hadn’t felt anything in the kitchen. And if there had been anything, I couldn’t help feeling I should have been the one to feel it. I was the one with experience in such matters.
‘I don’t think we’re going to need garlic,’ I said. ‘It seems highly unlikely that we’re up against a vampire.’
‘Is there anything else in the old stories, Val?’ said Eileen. ‘Anything we can use?’
‘In a lot of the old tales,’ Valerie said slowly, ‘if you make the sign of the cross over a door or window that means no evil can enter a house that way. The entrance becomes blessed, and barred to all dark forces.’
‘But that only works if you have faith in the symbol,’ said Jimmy. ‘Right? The sign doesn’t have any power in itself.’
‘Well, I believe,’ said Valerie. ‘And come on, Jimmy, you’ve got a demon after you! Isn’t that enough to convince you?’
Jimmy stirred uneasily on his chair, then smiled weakly. ‘You think God will accept good intentions?’
‘No atheists in hell holes …’ said Eileen.
‘Damn right!’ said Albert.
‘What about you, Ishmael?’ Valerie said pointedly.
‘I’ll go along,’ I said.
‘Then let’s get started,’ said Penny.
We all rose to our feet a little self-consciously. Penny and Valerie held their crucifixes in their hands.
‘Everyone stay close together,’ I said. ‘One hand on the shoulder of the person in front of you, just like before.’
‘And we should all make the sign of the cross together,’ said Valerie. ‘If we make the blessing in unison, that should give it more power.’
I wasn’t sure it worked that way, but I didn’t say anything. I looked at Eileen and she just shrugged.
‘Start at the far end of the room, by the lit candle,’ I said. ‘Then work our way back down the dining room.’
‘Why are you in charge?’ said Valerie. ‘I’m not even convinced you’re taking this seriously.’
‘Because Ishmael always has to be the one in charge,’ said Jimmy. ‘Haven’t you noticed?’
‘Do you have a better idea?’ I said politely to Valerie.
She shrugged, and sniffed loudly. ‘I suppose we might as well start at the bar, as anywhere.’
I led the way to the back of the dining room, all of us moving in single file with hands clapped firmly on shoulders. I stopped at the base of the stairs and peered up into the shadows. It all seemed perfectly calm and quiet.
‘Maybe we should go upstairs and bless the doors and windows there, too?’ said Valerie. ‘Just in case.’
‘I’m really not keen on leaving the dining room,’ Jimmy said immediately. ‘Far too many opportunities for us to get separated.’
‘The stairway is the only access to the upper floor,’ I said. ‘If we bless the base of the stairs, that should seal them off. So even if something is up there, it shouldn’t be able to come down the stairs to get to us.’
‘Come on, Val,’ said Eileen. ‘Start us off.’
Valerie ran through the correct procedure for making the sign of the cross, just in case it had been a while for some of us. Then she counted us down, and we all blessed the base of the stairs together with our free hands. I didn’t feel any change in the atmosphere, but everyone else seemed to relax a little. We blessed the bar next, Jimmy muttering something about the virtues of holy water and holy wine. And then Eileen insisted we make the sign of the cross over the door to the toilet, because that was where Thomas had disappeared. We all went along, making the sign of the cross more fluently now as we got used to the movements. Jimmy’s blessing was becoming suspiciously theatrical.
We made our way back down the room, blessing each window as we passed it and then the door to the kitchen, until finally we ended up before the front door. To fortify the only real entrance to the Castle, everyone put a little extra emphasis into their movements. And then Jimmy insisted we bless the coat stand holding the door shut, too. Just to be on the safe side.
Once it was all done and over with, everyone started chatting cheerfully. As though they’d just wrapped the inn in spiritual armour. I didn’t say anything, but I did nod to Penny to let go of the shoulder in front of her and back off a way, so we could speak quietly together. The shoulder belonged to Valerie, who was so busy talking loudly about what we’d just achieved that she didn’t even notice. Which was not a good sign. Penny looked at me inquiringly.
‘If nothing else,’ I said, ‘it’s made them all feel a little better. Which is an achievement in itself.’
‘I never asked you before,’ said Penny. ‘Are you at all religious? Do you believe in … anything? Or would that come under your refusal to believe in superstitions?’
‘I believe in a higher power,’ I said steadily. ‘I’ve seen things, out in the field. On some of the cases I’ve worked on, I have witnessed higher a
nd lower powers intervening directly in the world.’
‘You never talked about this before!’ said Penny.
‘It’s not easy to talk about,’ I said. ‘You really did have to be there … And although I have been involved in such situations, I’ve never seen anything to make me feel comfortable about what these powers might be. It was all beyond my understanding. I think that might even be the point. So yes, I believe, but I’m just not sure what it is I believe in.’
‘How very human of you!’ said Penny. ‘But still, after all that how can you not accept the existence of the supernatural?’
‘Because I’m complicated,’ I said.
‘That time we took on the vampire, it recoiled from the cross we shoved in its face,’ said Penny.
‘But did it do that because there was a power in the cross? Or because the vampire believed there was?’ I said.
‘We all have to believe in something,’ said Penny.
Jimmy suddenly realized the two of us weren’t with the group, and shot Penny and me a suspicious look. ‘What are you two muttering about?’
‘Religion,’ I said.
That seemed to satisfy everyone. Eileen shot me an understanding vicar’s wife’s smile. Jimmy looked thoughtfully at the floor.
‘Maybe we should draw a pentacle?’ he said. ‘And then we could all stand inside it for safety.’
‘We should draw it round the table,’ said Albert, ‘then at least we could sit down.’
‘I think that kind of thing’s mostly for summoning demons,’ said Valerie. ‘Don’t we have enough problems as it is?’
‘And shouldn’t it be a pentagram, anyway?’ said Eileen.
‘I never was any good at maths,’ said Jimmy.
‘They’re the same thing,’ I said. ‘A five-pointed star-shaped figure.’
‘How do you know that, Mister I Don’t Believe in the Supernatural?’ said Jimmy, immediately suspicious again.
‘I read about it,’ I said. ‘Dennis Wheatley knew what he was talking about.’
‘We could always draw a simple protective circle,’ said Albert, ‘if you think that would help.’
‘You have to add the right signs and words of power to give the circle strength,’ said Valerie. ‘And I didn’t bring my books with me.’