The Lunatic's Curse (30 page)

Rex was beyond consolation for a long time. All the while Hildred sat beside him, her arms around his shoulders. She could feel his chest heaving and hiccupping. She stroked
his head, the stubble from the shorn part rough against her palm, and murmured softly to calm him. After a while his sobbing subsided and he managed to speak.

‘It was dreadful,’ he whispered. The lantern was burning low by now and Hildred stared hard at his lips to make out what he was saying.

‘You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,’ she said. ‘I can see that it is upsetting.’ But the truth was she wasn’t sure she wanted to know.

‘No, I have to. It’s been a burden to me, a terrible weight. You see, when Father went mad he took a sword from the suit of armour and . . . and he chopped off his hand. It was utterly
ghastly . . . the noise, the blood. Then he screamed at Acantha, “Is this what you want?” and before we could stop him he took his hand and he began to tear at it with his teeth. He was
like an animal. But she just sat and laughed. The housekeeper and the bootboy and the butler came in and they grabbed him. Later, when I told him I didn’t believe he was insane, he said that
his hook was proof of his madness.’

‘Poor, poor man,’ said Hildred. ‘It must have been the toxic fish. Oh, Acantha is pure evil!’

‘That’s why he wouldn’t take me with him. Acantha had already fed him that . . . meat. He used to go to the dinners with Chapelizod and Stradigund. He said it was a disease. I
think he was afraid he might eat me too,’ said Rex. He wiped his face and stood up. ‘Hildred,’ he said grimly, ‘what if I am one too? A cannibal?’

Hildred got to her feet, shaking her head. ‘How can you be, Rex? You’ve never eaten a . . . person . . . have you?’

He looked down at the gold tooth. ‘I ate some of Chapelizod, just a smidgeon, I swear.’

Hildred hoped that Rex couldn’t see on her face the revulsion that was churning her up inside. ‘Is that all?’ She laughed lightly, to comfort him, to comfort herself.
‘It’s no worse than chewing your fingernail.’ Then her logical nature took over. ‘Look,’ she said, pointing at the book, ‘you’ve got the proof we need now,
about Acantha and the others, Chapelizod and Stradigund. Let’s just get out of here. We’ll take the boat.’

Wordlessly and heartsore the solemn pair hurried back through the maze, taking great care to reverse exactly the right and left turns they had taken on the way, until at last they reached the
panel that led into the torture chamber.

‘We’ll just sneak away,’ said Hildred. ‘In less than an hour we’ll be in Opum Oppidulum and we can take the book to Cecil Notwithstanding. He’ll know what to
do.’

She pushed on the panel and it opened noiselessly. They stepped into the torture chamber . . . and walked straight into Gerulphus and Tibor.

Now it has to be said that it was very bad luck indeed that Rex and Hildred bumped into Tibor and Gerulphus at that moment. A few minutes later and they would have been
gone.

You see, Gerulphus, by habit, had come down to the torture chamber earlier and, seeing the padlock on the ground, he had resolved to find out exactly who was responsible. He went straight to Tibor
who denied everything but suspected immediately that Rex and Hildred were involved. With the launch of the
Indagator
so close he could not ignore the fact that they might be up to
something

‘I don’t quite trust that girl,’ he confided to Gerulphus. ‘There’s something distinctly odd about her.’

‘I believe it might be in your interest to find out what they are doing,’ suggested Gerulphus cryptically.

So in a rare moment of collaboration Tibor and Gerulphus went to the torture chamber. As a previous inmate of the asylum, Tibor was well aware of both the torture chamber and the second entrance
to the catacombs.

‘The boy’s father was an engineer, you know,’ said Tibor thoughtfully. ‘It would not surprise me if he can break a padlock.’ He frowned and looked at Gerulphus.
‘You really do remind me very much of the Gerulphus I used to know,’ he said. ‘But he was a much larger fellow.’

‘People change, Dr Velhildegildus,’ replied Gerulphus. And it was at that exact moment, just as a flicker of understanding began to cross Tibor’s face, that Rex and Hildred
chose to appear. All four stood in surprised silence.

Gerulphus spoke first. ‘That’s one of the asylum record books,’ he said slowly, looking at the volume Rex was clutching tightly.

Tibor frowned. Certain things were suddenly beginning to become crystal clear. He looked at Gerulphus, a thin, etiolated man, and began to wonder, to imagine how he might be with a little more
flesh on his bones. He remembered the piles of ash around the place. ‘I thought you said the lunatics burned things like that.’

‘It looks like one got away,’ said Gerulphus.

Rex watched with mounting fear as Tibor closed the cell door and locked it from the inside. He nodded to Gerulphus and in one swift simultaneous movement each man grabbed a child. Tibor took Rex
and Gerulphus took Hildred and it was merely a matter of moments before they found themselves immobilized on the tables, strapped down tightly at their ankles and cuffed at the wrists.

Gerulphus had the book and Tibor stood at the end of the table with his arms folded across his chest.

‘Dear, dear,’ he chided. ‘What a shame it has come to this. And everything was going so well. Didn’t I tell you not to pry, Rex? Why did you not heed my warning? Have you
read the book? No need to answer, I can find out. After all, I have my Lodestone.’ He pulled it from his waistcoat pocket and swung it over Rex’s face teasingly. Rex gritted his teeth
but his heart sank. He knew his weaknesses. He could not fight this. Gerulphus grinned – an odd sight.

‘You, young Rex, you’re no fun,’ said Tibor. ‘I know you can’t hold your tongue, but, Hildred, let’s try it on you.’

‘No!’ shouted Rex. ‘Leave her alone.’

Rex watched helplessly as Tibor stood over Hildred and began to swing the Lodestone back and forth. He tried not to listen to his caressing, silky tones but how could he not? The shadow of the
Lodestone was immense and filled the room as it swung back and forth, back and forth across her. Rex had to look away.

‘Now, my dear Hildred,’ crooned Tibor leaning right over her. ‘Tell me the truth, have you read that book?’

‘No,’ she replied evenly.

Rex was surprised at her cool-headed response. He recalled she had boasted that she was immune to his charms but he doubted her resolve would last much longer.

‘What do you know about me?’

‘Merely that you are a doctor of the mind,’ replied Hildred dully. ‘A renowned one.’ Tibor bristled visibly with pride.

‘And my companions?’

‘Gerulphus is the caretaker and Walter rows the boat. Mrs Runcible is the cook.’

‘Do you know where we came from?’

‘I believe you are from Urbs Umida. I do not know about the others.’

While Hildred so expertly avoided the questions, Rex was battling the urge to blurt out the answers. He began to repeat over and over in his head the poem he knew –

Oh, how I love to wander, wander, wander

Wander, wander along.

And as I go, a-ho-ho-ho,

I always sing this song.

– but he couldn’t get past the first verse. He just couldn’t block out the torment of that mellifluous voice of exquisite temptation. Oh please don’t
let him ask me, he begged inwardly.

‘What about Andrew Faye?’

‘I do not know that name,’ said Hildred in a monotone.

Rex marvelled at her self-control.

‘Hmm,’ said Tibor, staring down at Hildred. ‘She’s a tough one. But a few hours down here will loosen you both up. And, if need be, I have plenty of tools here to aid in
your confession.’ He looked at his pocket watch. ‘Well, Rex,’ he said, ‘as you know, I have to go for a while. There’s a full moon tonight and I must take advantage of
it. Shame you won’t be there to see it. But do not worry; I will be back, after my voyage.’ He looked at Gerulphus. ‘Leave them here,’ he said. ‘They’re not
going anywhere. But you and I, we need to talk.’

And with that Gerulphus and Tibor left. Above the thundering of his heart Rex heard the door being locked and then the rattle of the padlock. He glanced over at Hildred. She was squirming about,
a look of intense concentration on her face.

‘Hildred,’ he hissed, afraid that Gerulphus might be listening at the door.

She didn’t answer, just wriggled some more, and for one terrible moment he thought she might be in some sort of trance.

‘Hildred,’ he hissed again, louder this time, and he saw his spittle fly across the gap between them and land on her face. She started – as much as she could, being so tightly
tied down – and turned to face him.

‘What is it?’ she said. ‘I’m concentrating.’

‘How did you do that, not answer his questions? He even had me going under. His voice is just so hypnotic.’

Hildred smiled at him. ‘It was easy,’ she said. ‘Didn’t you know, Rex? I’m deaf. I can’t hear a thing.’

44

‘That will be all, Mrs Runcible,’ said Dr Velhildegildus curtly, half pushing her out of the study. ‘I do not wish to be disturbed again tonight. Please make
sure that I am not.’

‘Very well, Dr Velhildegildus,’ she said, backing out reluctantly, waving the cup. ‘But I wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t warn you. You can’t argue with the
leaves. It’s been every day this week.’

Tibor tutted with intense irritation as he locked the door.

Gerulphus was waiting by the bookcase. ‘That woman and her damned tea leaves!’ he laughed. ‘A monster, she says, in the dregs! I can’t see it.’

‘In my experience people see what they want to see,’ said Tibor. He went to the window and looked out at the full moon. Perfect timing. He would sort out those meddling children
later, when it was all over. Actually, maybe he would just leave them in the torture chamber for Gerulphus to sort out. He had no more use for them.

‘I must say, Gerulphus, you’ve been very reasonable about the whole business.’

‘Forgive and forget, I say,’ said Gerulphus.

‘Very noble,’ replied Tibor. I suppose the promise of a bag of diamonds always helps, he thought, then said out loud, ‘Shall we go?’

Without further delay Tibor pulled on Gibbon and slipped through the secret entrance, followed wordlessly by Gerulphus, to meet his glorious destiny.

Gerulphus was suitably, if monosyllabically, impressed by the machine, all for Tibor’s benefit of course – after all, he had secretly watched it being built. Tibor, however, was
barely able to contain his excitement as he stood by
Indagator Gurgitis
. The water was now only a few feet away from the machine.

‘Take my Lodestone,’ said Tibor, handing it to Gerulphus. ‘There are magnets in the Re-breather; Rex said it might affect it.’ And, he thought, I won’t be needing it again.

Taking a deep breath Tibor put his hand firmly on the ladder. This was it, the moment he had been waiting for. With this machine he was to discover the secrets of the lake and harvest its
treasure for himself and himself alone. Well, a few for Gerulphus, for his silence, and perhaps he would send something back to Melvyn Halibutte.

It had not been easy for him to return to Droprock Island. It held painful memories. But it was worth it: with
Indagator
and the diamonds, and Acantha, he would be richer than he could
ever have imagined.

Tibor climbed quickly to the top of the craft and dropped lightly into the gleaming metal ovaloid. Once inside hepulled down the hatch, spinning the lock until it was tight. He took his seat at
the controls with gleeful anticipation. The panel in front of him was simple enough: white buttons, shiny brass toggle switches, four small levers and a large central lever on a ball. That was the
beauty of a lever-and-cogwheel-based engine, clean and simple. None of that steam and choking smoke he had heard about. He switched on the Re-breather, waited for the green light, and then for the
second time he pushed buttons and flicked switches to bring about the satisfying thrum of the engine. He flexed his fingers and closed his hands around the main lever. Slowly he pulled it towards
him and in a matter of seconds the whole machine rose smoothly upward, supported by its four long legs.

Indagator Gurgitis
was alive!

Effortlessly and smoothly, on account of the hydrolastic suspension, the deceptively strong legs carried
Indagator
’s weight towards the lake’s edge. Tibor’s heart was
racing as first one leg and then a second stepped into the dark water. ‘Calm yourself, calm yourself,’ he said gently – indeed, was he not the best person to advise himself in
those matters!

In the rear window he could see Gerulphus standing on the promontory holding a stick. He gave him a parting wave as forward he went, watching the water rise higher and higher on the glass, until
finally he and
Indagator
were completely submerged.

Tibor was more than a little relieved when the exterior lights (Rex’s idea – what a clever use of the luminous lichen!) lit up the way ahead, albeit in blue.