He blinked at her in shock. He was quite surprised that not only had the earl marked his birthday, but he’d chosen it to hide his most valuable treasures. Ian didn’t know what to make of that.
“Well, open it, Ian!” Carl said encouragingly.
Ian smiled and got back to the task of retrieving the key. Carefully he pulled up on the handle, which turned easily, and the door to the safe popped opened. Then he moved the beam of his torch to the interior, illuminating an enormous stack of English pound notes, glimmering gems, and various gold watches and other jewelry. “Blimey!” he gasped at the sight.
“Do you see the key?” whispered Theo urgently.
In the face of so much treasure, Ian had almost forgotten about the key. “Yeah,” he said, spying it toward the back of the safe. “It’s right here—” But as he reached for the key, something awful happened. A series of alarms sounded so loudly that he jerked back and fell off the chair. He toppled to the ground with a tremendous crash and Carl had to help him back to his feet. “Run for it!” his friend shouted as he tugged on Ian’s arm.
“The key!” yelled Theo, stepping in front of them. “Get the key first!”
The sirens continued to wail and all about them they could feel the thunder of running feet as the castle came instantly to life and the earl’s staff hurried to find the intruder. Ian was shaking from head to toe while he worked the chair back against the wall and climbed up to reach inside the safe again. He’d dropped his torch in his fall and had to feel around for the key, but finally, he had it in hand, and at that moment he leapt from the chair and dashed to the door leading to the yard.
“Where’re you going?” demanded Carl. “We should go back through the tunnel!”
“From this side of the castle, the portal’s just through the garden gate!” yelled Ian as he pulled open the door and waved at them to come along. “We can get there faster from here, and we’ve got to reach the gate before they realize we’ve got the key! If they know we have it, they’ll send someone to intercept us!”
“Ian’s right!” shouted Theo above the wailing siren. “Hurry!” she called, and dashed through the opening.
Ian held the door open for Carl, who had the foresight to retrieve the knapsack and torch from the floor before he followed Theo.
Ian was just hurrying out after Carl when the door to the study burst open and an explosion shattered the glass of the French door he was stepping through. Ian ducked low and made a sharp zigzag to his left as another loud explosion rocketed behind him and a clump of grass shot up just off to his right. “They’re shooting at us!” he heard Carl shriek from up ahead.
“Get to the portal!” Ian commanded, making sure to weave his way across the lawn as several additional explosions sounded behind them and more grass flew up in huge clumps from all sides.
“It’s too far!” cried Theo. “We’ll never make it!”
And as if that weren’t enough to deal with, somewhere nearby, rising above the wail of the sirens, a bone-chilling howl sounded in the night and nearly caused Ian to stumble. To make matters worse, that lone howl was immediately picked up by another, equally horrible, and the two haunting choruses reverberated across the land.
Ian’s heart thundered. He couldn’t decide whether it was safer to go back toward the people who were shooting at them or continue their mad dash across the lawn—which would lead them straight into the jaws of the beasts.
“They’re coming up over the wall!” Carl screamed, his voice ragged with fear as he pointed straight ahead.
Ian nearly stumbled again when he caught sight of the enormous black shadow, which leapt easily over the gate they were racing toward. At that instant another explosion sounded from behind him just before a clump of dirt and grass whipped hard into Ian’s thigh.
Making a split-second decision, he grabbed hold of Theo’s arm and pulled her to the right. “This way!” he called, changing course and running sharply toward a large row of hedges on the west side of the lawn.
“Where are you going?” Carl yelled as he came up alongside them.
“To the maze!” Ian said. “We can hide in there until the earl’s men deal with the beasts!”
Behind them it appeared that was already happening. Calls and shouts of “The beasts! The beasts!” were echoing about the lawn, and Ian was at once relieved that no more gunfire was being aimed directly at them, but also terrified that the earl’s men had to contend with two of the ugly brutes. And he was sure there were two, because when he chanced a look over his shoulder, he could see a second black shadow clear the castle wall. With a gulp, Ian sincerely hoped the earl’s men had more guns.
However, he had to focus on reaching the maze and hope that the beasts were far enough away that he could get the three of them safely hidden until they could figure out what to do next.
He realized belatedly that it had been a dreadful mistake to take the garden path instead of the tunnel, but there was no going back now. What was done was done.
With a small dose of relief, Ian reached the garden maze with the others and rushed inside. Theo led the way, which was a good thing, because Ian had not been there for many years. He knew that in recent months, Theo and Jaaved had often visited the maze, sometimes playing there for hours.
He followed her dutifully to the first right turn, then along the hedge for a bit to a left, then another quick left, and finally to an open spot, which had both a right and left exit. In the background was the now nearly constant barrage of gunfire, growling, howling, and commotion. He crossed his fingers that the beasts would be shot dead, but as they made yet another left turn, the gunfire ended, and Ian heard someone say, “I’ve run out of ammunition! Someone fetch me some bullets or find me another gun!” Ian bit his lip. There was a terrified scream then, and the sound of breaking glass. Theo nearly tripped in front of him and he managed to catch her before she fell.
“The beasts are attacking the castle!” Carl said from behind him. And sure enough, there was another roar and several more screams, followed by the sound of overturned furniture and splintering wood.
“We have to get as deep into the maze as we can!” Ian warned.
The hedge maze at Castle Dover was hundreds of years old. It had been built by the seventh Duke of Kent for his bride, and in all that time, the ancient hedges had grown thick and nearly impenetrable. They would not be able to stop a bullet, but they might hold back a monster made of flesh and bone—at least for a little while.
Theo ran on, twisting and turning with each new choice. Ian had no idea how she managed to keep track of such a complicated course, but finally she came to an abrupt stop, panting hard with her hand on her chest. “This … is … it,” she wheezed with a sweep of her hand. “This … is … the center … of the maze.”
The boys tumbled to the ground and lay there side by side, breathing heavily. Ian closed his eyes while his heart thumped loudly in his ears, but not loudly enough to drown out the chaos all about the lawn.
There was still a terrible ruckus happening near the earl’s study, but suddenly a new series of explosions resonated from the northeast section of the lawn, followed by the deafening screech of a wounded animal. Ian’s eyes flew open and Carl exclaimed, “They’ve shot one!”
Ian sat up, straining his ears for any indication that at least one of the beasts was dead. He could hear men shouting, and now a horde of dogs were baying and barking as the earl’s hounds were released into the hunt.
A furious cascade of growls, howls, and baying all but obliterated the sound of the men, but soon more gunfire resounded in the night. Ian, Carl, and Theo held perfectly still while they listened intently, and soon the noise drifted off to somewhere well northeast of their position. “I think they’re all moving toward the village,” Ian whispered.
As if to confirm that, a howl pierced the din of dogs and humans, and it did seem to be coming from the direction of the center of Dover. “Oh, my,” whispered Theo. “I hope they kill those a
wful creatures before they hurt anyone!”
Ian wiped the sweat from his brow. The sirens coming from inside the castle had stopped abruptly, and now they could clearly hear the voices of the members of the earl’s staff who had not joined the hunt. A discussion was taking place somewhere nearby on the lawn.
“I shall alert the earl immediately,” said a voice that sounded like Binsford’s. “I just thank heavens that no one was hurt, although you may want to comfort Miss Baker. She had a frightful scare before we pulled her through the door away from that beast.”
“What about the intruders?” asked a woman, and Ian suspected that it was Miss Carlyle, another of the earl’s staff. “Was anything taken?”
“No,” said Binsford. “I believe the alarm startled the intruders and they left before they could get their grubby hands on any of the valuables. I’ve looked through the safe myself, and the inventory seems intact.”
“How did they find their way in?” asked Miss Carlyle.
“I’m quite certain they broke the glass on one of the French doors and unlocked it,” Binsford replied. “I managed to get several rounds off at them but I’m afraid I blew apart the door in the process.”
“Did you get a good look at them at least?”
“Only one,” Binsford confessed. “A wiry-looking fellow just shy of my own height, I’d wager.” Ian’s brows shot up in surprise. That was exactly how tall he was.
“I don’t expect they’ll be back tonight,” said Miss Carlyle.
“No,” Binsford agreed. “I suspect they’ll take this opportunity to flee Kent, in fact—that is, if they manage to escape the beasts and our men on foot.”
“You say that one of the beasts is dead?”
“Yes,” Binsford confirmed. “It was shot by Robert the hounds man. A bloody good marksman he is. Shot the brute right through the heart.”
Ian felt relief. If one of the beasts was dead, and the other was being chased off by the earl’s men, then he, Theo, and Carl should be safe enough to leave the maze and make their way down to the portal without being seen. Ian was quite certain that every available man was in hot pursuit of the remaining beast.
“Well, we best get back inside and clean up the mess,” said Miss Carlyle, and with that she and Binsford moved out of hearing range.
“We should go while no one’s about and that beast is off at the village,” Carl advised.
“Right,” Ian agreed. Turning to Theo, he asked, “Can you show us the way out of here?”
“Yes,” she said, but Ian noticed that she was shivering and still appeared quite frightened.
“You all right?” he asked.
She gripped her crystal and gave him a vigorous nod. “Fine,” she said, but Ian knew she was lying.
He got up, brushed the grass from his trousers, and moved over to her. “It’s all right, Theo,” he said gently. “The beast has moved off well away from us.”
But Theo’s eyes remained large and somewhat haunted, and her body looked stiff as it was wracked with shivers. Ian dug around in the knapsack and brought out her sweater, even though the evening was warm and balmy. “Here,” he said, handing it to her.
She took it gratefully and waited until Carl had gained his feet before waving at them to follow her. They fell into step behind Theo while she walked them through the maze, and before long Ian was thoroughly lost. “Wait,” he whispered, setting a hand on her shoulder. “Didn’t we already pass this way?”
“No.”
“Are you sure, Theo?” Carl whispered. “Because I could have sworn we crossed that fork ahead of us just a few moments ago.”
Theo looked over her shoulder at them, and Ian could tell she knew exactly where they were and didn’t appreciate their doubtful commentary. “That’s done on purpose, Carl,” she replied. “You’re supposed to think you’re going about in circles, because it’s a maze, remember?”
Ian was about to defend Carl; he was, after all, only asking a question, and Theo didn’t need to be rude about it. But then a light breeze brought the whiff of something all too familiar to his nostrils.
Ian tilted his head and sniffed the air. “You smell that?”
“Smell what?” Carl asked.
Theo tilted her chin and took in a few whiffs. She then whirled around, a horrified expression on her face, and grabbed at Ian’s shirt. “The beast!” she said in a tiny petrified voice.
Carl was also sniffing at the air, and the scent only grew stronger and more pungent. “Oh, no,” he mouthed.
Then, as if the smell of the awful brute weren’t enough to alert them to its presence, from the outside of the hedge came a low, rumbling growl more menacing than any noise Ian could think of.
He pulled Theo close to him and held her stiff and shivering body, hoping she didn’t let go the scream he knew was building up inside her. To his relief, she made not a sound, but buried her head in his shirt and trembled in fear. Ian stared at Carl, whose alarmed expression confirmed that he also thought the beast was only a few meters away.
They could all hear the low whuffs as the beast sniffed along the hedge, and those massive paws thumped the ground with every step. Ian’s heart pounded and he closed his eyes for a moment, attempting to gather his courage. Taking two deep breaths, he opened his eyes again and motioned to Carl to move ahead of them.
Carl shook his head and cupped his ear. “It will hear us!” he mouthed.
But Ian knew that if they didn’t move, the beast would most certainly catch their scent and charge through the hedge. They’d be cut down before they even had a chance to run. Bending low, Ian whispered into Theo’s ear, “We’ve got to keep moving. Can you lead us away from this section? Maybe to the opposite side of the maze?”
For a moment Theo showed no sign that she’d even heard him, but after a bit she gave an almost imperceptible nod, and still clutching his shirtsleeve, she began to tiptoe forward.
Ian grabbed Carl’s arm and pulled him with them. They’d gone only a few paces when another low growl rumbled through the hedge, causing them all to stop. In the light from their torch, Ian could see that Theo was quietly crying and she was shaking so much now that the torch’s beam was vibrating all about the ground. Ian lifted it from her hand and gave her an encouraging nod.
Theo eyed the hedge, where more whuffs could be heard, but started off again, this time leading them through a series of right turns. Soon the scent of the beast faded just enough to let Ian know they were definitely moving away from it, and after another set of confusing twists and turns, they came into a surprisingly open space with a gurgling fountain and a series of animal-shaped hedges. There was also a bench by the fountain and Ian took Theo by the hand and moved her over to it; he was concerned that she was so frightened she might faint. “Easy there, Theo,” he whispered, noting that she was breathing far too rapidly for her own good, and even in the dim light he could see how pale she was.
“What are we going to do?” Carl asked softly.
“Dunno,” Ian said, rubbing Theo’s hands, which were frightfully cold. “Guess we’ll have to stay here a bit and hope the hunting party comes back this way.”
“But what if the beast comes into the maze? What if it follows our scent?”
Ian sighed. Carl was only making things worse with his what-ifs. “I suppose we’ll have to hope that doesn’t happen, won’t we?”
“Ian,” whispered Theo, suddenly clutching at her pendant.
“Yes?”
“Carl’s guessed at it. The beast is here!”
Ian stared down at her and for the first time he noticed through a small gap in her fingers that the crystal she wore was glowing a soft red. He gasped when he remembered Jaaved’s grandfather warning them that her pendant would glow like that when danger was near.
It was then that they all caught the heavy, disgusting smell of sulfur as it seeped its way through the hedges that surrounded them. But because the breeze had picked up slightly, there was no way to tell which directi
on it was coming from.
Ian looked around the small clearing. There were four exits out of the section and he had no idea which path the beast might be following to reach them.
“We should go!” whispered Carl.
“No!” Theo mouthed. “Stay!”
Both of them looked at Ian for the answer and his eyes kept creeping back to Theo’s necklace, which was becoming so red it was beginning to resemble a ruby. Thinking fast, he pulled out his sundial and clicked on the torch. “Sundial,” he said softly, “point to the path out of the maze that takes us away from the beast!”
Immediately, a shadow appeared on the face of the sundial and it directed them to the eastern exit. Ian turned the relic to show Carl and Theo, who nodded at him, and the group set off at a run, with Ian keeping the sundial out in front of him while holding the torch close to the surface.
From somewhere behind they heard a low rumble, and Ian knew that Theo had been right: the beast had caught their scent and was trailing after them. “Hurry!” Carl whispered. “I think it’s gaining on us!”
But it was very difficult to acquire any speed in the maze, because every time Ian went more than a few steps, the dial would point in a new direction and he’d have to turn sharply. Once, he passed a left turn and the shadow he was following vanished for a moment before indicating that he needed to double back. “Blast it!” he exclaimed when he bumped into Theo and Carl as he whipped around.
“S’all right!” Carl said. “Just keep your eye on the dial!”
Ian found the passage and dashed ahead only to nearly stumble when the low, grumbling snarl of the beast turned into a terrible thrashing of hedges. Apparently, the beast was no longer content to follow their scent along the route and had decided to approach them more directly.
“It’s coming through the hedges!” Carl cried.
As soon as he said that, the dial went blank again and changed direction, telling Ian to go back along the way he’d just come. He stopped only long enough to curse under his breath before motioning to Theo and Carl to follow.
The Curse of Deadman's Forest Page 21