The Turnkey of Highgate Cemetery

by Allison Rushby

  Flossie sat beside her, unsure. There was so much about this girl she didn’t understand. Perhaps she sensed Flossie’s unease, because the girl began to speak.

  “You want to know why I’m here, don’t you? Why I want to stop him.”

  Flossie nodded. She wanted to know this and so much more besides.

  “The reason is simple,” the girl told her. “I know what he and these men are capable of.”

  Flossie waited for more information.

  The girl gave a small shrug. “Here, I will tell you a story.” She pulled her knees to her chest and hugged them tight before she began.

  “There was a girl once, just like me. Her name was Hana. She lived downstairs from my grandparents, and I used to play with her every Sunday when I went to visit them. We liked to draw together or run around outside. My father and grandfather didn’t like me playing with her very much, but my grandmother would tell them to be quiet — that Hana’s parents were good people. Then, one Sunday, we went to visit my grandparents and something was wrong. My grandfather was very quiet and my grandmother was”— she struggled to find the word —“upset. She argued with my father and grandfather. She told me I couldn’t go down to see Hana.”

  There was silence as the girl closed her eyes, remembering.

  “While my father and grandmother argued, I slipped away. I ran downstairs, and Hana’s family’s door was open. Their possessions were everywhere, and the family was nowhere. I ran back upstairs. I could see something very bad had happened. I knew they were Polish and that they were Jewish, of course. But they had been here so long, I never thought . . .” She shook her head. “They had been sent back to Poland. They were allowed to take nothing. Nothing! Only the clothes they stood in and the very smallest amount of money.” She was unable to continue.

  Flossie reached out a hand.

  “What happened to Hana?” she asked.

  The girl only laughed a grim laugh. “How would I know? You think someone cares? Someone checked? Two weeks after this, synagogues were burned, Jewish businesses destroyed, and men beaten. Thirty thousand people were taken away! I thought then that the Nazis would be stopped. That other countries would step in. But no. No help came. None is coming. I see that now. And what I have told you is nothing, nothing compared to what the Nazis are planning.”

  Flossie waited, sensing the girl had more to say.

  The girl’s eyes, which had been fixed upon the stone floor, moved to meet Flossie’s once more. “Even without his help, they will do terrible damage, but with his help, the world as we know it will end forever.”

  Flossie paused to gather her thoughts. So many questions ran through her mind that she didn’t know where to start. “How have you heard all about this? By listening to him? When he’s at the cemetery?”

  No answer.

  “I still don’t understand, though. Why aren’t you at rest? Why is there no Turnkey? Surely your Turnkey could help you?”

  The girl waved a hand now, agitated. “The Turnkey is so afraid of Brun’s strange powers that he’s gone into hiding. Don’t you see that none of that matters? All that matters now is that he must be stopped.”

  There was so much that didn’t add up here. “You’ve changed,” Flossie said. “When I first saw you, you were scared of him.”

  “Yes, but not anymore,” she replied. “Not now that I understand all that he is capable of. I only have to think of Hana and I know that I must destroy the skull once and for all. It is the only way.”

  “How can you move objects in the living world?” Flossie’s eyes narrowed.

  There was a long pause. “I just can.”

  Flossie didn’t like that this girl was being just as mysterious as Hugo Howsham, but she could have hugged her anyway. Anything not to have to rely on that horrible man.

  “I don’t even know your name.” Flossie held out her hand. “Mine’s Flossie.”

  The girl took it in hers and shook it firmly.

  “Elke,” she replied.

  Before long, the voices rose again downstairs in the Hall of the Dead.

  Something was happening.

  Elke told Flossie to stay where she was and retreated down the stairs. Flossie crawled around to watch her descend. Below, Elke listened in for a minute or two before returning.

  “They’re preparing to leave,” she said.

  “So,” Flossie said, “this is it.” All those notes that had been taken downstairs, when the moonbeam hit the crystal skull — she could only imagine the help that the light of a high full moon in the midst of a sacred rock formation would provide. The information stored inside the skull would be made effortlessly available.

  Elke squared her shoulders. “We should go now,” she said, as if attempting to talk herself into this. “It will take the living men a while to drive there, but we have the advantage. We can go there now and ready ourselves.”

  As the men started up the stairs from below, Flossie offered Elke her keyed hand.

  “Oh!” Flossie exclaimed.

  She had expected to see some small standing stones, the likes of which she’d seen in her own country. But this, this was an incredible sight. The pair were standing on a road that ran between several tall, narrow rocks that soared up toward the sky. The light of the moon shone white and bright, illuminating their sandstone crevices and casting eerie shadows.

  Elke dropped Flossie’s hand.

  “Come,” she said, beckoning her.

  Flossie followed her along the road, the rocks towering above. After a few more steps, they came to stand in front of a large religious carving in the rock face itself, high above their heads.

  Both girls’ eyes were fixed upon it in awe.

  “It’s medieval,” Elke told her. “People have been coming here for a long time. Forever, I imagine.”

  Flossie’s attention had moved away from the carving as she recalled all Violet had told her. “Where’s the altar?” she asked Elke. “I was told that’s where they might place the crystal skull.”

  “Yes, that’s right. It’s up there.” She pointed to the tallest of the stone towers — the one that stood by itself in the middle of the others and had to be reached via a small, rounded, iron footbridge.

  Flossie found the stairs she needed and then she was off, Elke running behind her to catch up.

  The stone stairs were quite wide, but narrowed as the two towers of rock came closer together overhead. Flossie paused midflight, a strange, heavy feeling coming over her. It was almost as if someone were watching her. Was Viktor Brun here already? She could see only Elke. She felt uneasy, the rocks heavy overhead. She had to keep going. Flossie started upward again, the stone steps curving around the side of the wide expanse of rock as they ascended. The girls moved to the point that would lead to the iron footbridge.

  They turned the corner, and the footbridge was before them. Flossie paused at the edge of it. It was a short bridge, rounded and exposed, and the ground felt a long, long way below. There wasn’t time to be scared. One hand on each of the railings, she crossed it, her key clinking — iron against iron — as she went.

  “Over there.” Elke indicated the small rock alcove to their right, only a step or two away from the end of the footbridge.

  Surveying the altar, Elke stiffened.

  “He’s close,” Elke said. “I can feel his presence. This way.” She ran back over the footbridge and crawled into a hiding space in the rock wall on the other side. There was just enough room for the two of them, and from here they had a view of what was going on near the altar. Above, the moon dimmed — hidden by a cloud.

  It felt like hours before they heard the living officers’ voices as they approached. Then they saw them — several of the heavy-coated officers tramping over the footbridge, the silver braid on their uniforms and shiny skulls and crossbones on their hats glinting in the moonlight. Flossie and Elke squashed in together even tighter when they saw the last two men pass by —Viktor Brun and the spiritualist. The spi
ritualist carried the black velvet bag, heavy with its precious crystal contents. Viktor Brun held the skull of the twilight world. They crossed the footbridge, the spiritualist already uncloaking the crystal skull as he went. He lost no time in placing it inside the small alcove, on the altar itself.

  Thankfully, the moon was still behind a large cloud.

  “How are we going to do this?” Flossie whispered to Elke. “Should I distract him while you grab the skull?”

  Elke’s expression was determined. “There’s no rush. He’ll let me near him. You’ll see.”

  “He might know you from the Invalids’ Cemetery. But does he trust you?” Flossie wasn’t sure about this.

  Elke laughed a strange little laugh. “Yes.”

  Flossie pulled back. There was something not quite right about this. She had a bad feeling. “Elke . . .” As she spoke, she saw that the cloud above was moving again. Soon the moon would reveal itself in its full glory once more.

  Both the spiritualist and Viktor Brun were intent on the altar.

  And that was when it happened.

  The cloud passed by, the moon shone down, and the world was filled with light — the kind of which Flossie had not seen since she was alive. It was that blinding sort of light that comes from stepping out of the house on a bright summer’s day. Flossie squinted and held a hand to her eyes as she attempted to make out what was going on.

  When she had adjusted to the light, she noticed that the crystal skull of the living world shone brighter than she had ever believed possible. The colors emanating from it lit up the rock formations in a dazzling display. The twilight skull also shone like a beacon.

  But that wasn’t all there was to be seen. Now the living officers pointed at something, a range of expressions on their faces — shock, fear, awe.

  As one, they pointed at Viktor Brun.

  The living can see him!” Flossie whispered to Elke. “It’s working. The connection between the skulls is far more powerful here. They’ll be able to communicate directly.” The living officers circled Viktor Brun, amazed, terrified, and talking hurriedly.

  With every second that passed by, Flossie’s panic rose. Soon the living officers would get over their astonishment, and they’d move on to obtaining all the information Viktor Brun could give them. That skull had to be destroyed. When Elke didn’t make a move, Flossie began to get up. But Elke only pulled her back down.

  “No! They’ll be able to see us as well. Just stay here a moment. It’s all right,” she said, nodding upward as the moon passed behind another cloud.

  Everything dimmed once more, and Flossie rested her head against the rock, relief flooding her body.

  The men’s voices rang out with confusion, the light from the crystal skull gone, as was their view of Viktor Brun.

  The spiritualist’s voice rang out the loudest, as if hoping to restore order.

  Elke translated. “He’s telling them that soon they will have all the information they need.”

  Everyone stared at the sky, waiting.

  Everyone but Flossie, whose eyes scanned the rock formation.

  She wasn’t surprised that Hugo Howsham was still nowhere to be seen.

  And Elke, what was she waiting for?

  She’d said she wanted to destroy the skull, and now it seemed as though she was having second thoughts. Well, there was nothing else to do — Flossie would have to try to push the skull from the altar herself. Maybe there was a way. Perhaps the strong link between the skull in the living world and the one in the twilight world would enable her to move it? She didn’t know.

  She only knew she had to try.

  Flossie grabbed Elke’s arm. “I have to go now. I can’t wait any longer. I have to try to destroy it. Don’t you understand? I can’t let them have that information.”

  “Not yet. We need to wait for them to be distracted again. Wait for the moonlight. Then we’ll move. I’ll run over and snatch the skull while you distract him.” Elke seemed strangely calm.

  Her thoughts confused and jumbled, Flossie tried to make sense of what Elke was saying. Maybe she was right. If Flossie ran now, Viktor Brun would notice her in a second. If he was distracted by the light of the two skulls, they’d have more time to carry out their plan.

  “All right,” Flossie agreed. Slowly, slowly, the cloud passed by until the light of the moon began to seep through the edges.

  Just as the moon was about to reveal itself completely, Elke clutched Flossie’s hand. Her eyes were wild, the calm of before gone. “Remember me,” she said, whispering no longer. “Remember me. And Hana.”

  Elke pushed past her as the blinding light came once more — even brighter than before, if that was possible. Flossie held up a hand to shade her eyes for a second.

  When she brought her hand down again, Elke was gone.

  Flossie stood, not caring any longer about remaining concealed. “Elke!” she called out as, through the light, she saw Elke running across the footbridge. She was almost at the other side already. There, the officers were pointing again, shocked not only by their view of Viktor Brun in his twilight form but also by seeing two more people from the twilight world.

  Viktor Brun, however, paid their gasps no heed. He was intent on Elke, who reached him without hesitation. When Flossie called out, she noticed that he didn’t seem surprised to see her at all.

  It was almost as if he had been expecting her.

  Standing at the end of the footbridge, Flossie paused, unsure of what was going on.

  “Ah, so you’ve brought her after all,” Viktor Brun said to Elke, speaking in English. He clapped his hands together as if he were pleased.

  It was seeing them standing together, so at ease with one another, that brought Flossie to the awful realization of what was going on.

  Elke calling to her from the Invalids’ Cemetery, bringing her here, Viktor Brun’s lack of surprise on seeing her — it had all been a trick.

  Elke was never going to destroy the crystal skull. She’d never had any intention of doing so. This was all a trap in order to lure Flossie to this place.

  “You lied to me!” Flossie boomed. “You’re on his side. You always were. You lied to me!”

  She expected Elke not to be able to meet her eyes, but Elke’s gaze was level and unrepentant. She didn’t seem the least bit sorry, or as if she’d betrayed her, which made the knife in Flossie’s stomach twist that little bit more painfully. Flossie wondered if it had all been a lie, even the story about Hana. But no, it couldn’t have been. Flossie had seen the expression on Elke’s face as she’d told that tale. She had meant every word of what she’d said. Flossie had felt the truth of the words deep inside her.

  Viktor Brun approached the footbridge and laughed cruelly.

  “So, here she is — the girl who would protect Churchill. Protect all of Britain! How sad that she’s failed just like her father before her. You know, I couldn’t believe my luck when I did some research into who this strange little Turnkey on top of St. Paul’s was and found that the name was one I knew well.”

  Flossie reached out and grabbed the iron railing. So he’d known who she was all that time.

  “Come here, my Liebchen, my darling.” With his free arm, Viktor Brun beckoned Elke even closer, his other arm holding the skull of the twilight tightly.

  Elke leaned into him, flicking her blond braids to the side. He clasped her to him, and an audible gasp came from the living officers present. With his touch and the contact with the twilight skull, they could see Elke even more clearly than before. It was almost as if they were both alive again.

  Viktor Brun looked down at Elke fondly. “All this time chastising me. I knew you would see reason in the end.”

  Finally, Flossie understood.

  Darling. Chastising.

  The last piece of the puzzle fell into place.

  “You’re his daughter,” Flossie blurted out. That was why Elke was able to speak English. She’d mentioned her father had been a Rhodes schola
r. Flossie hadn’t known that Viktor Brun was one, too, only that he’d gone to Oxford with her own father. Other things also made sense — how Elke had been able to exit the Invalids’ Cemetery in the way that she had. How she had called out to Flossie. Why she said it was “impossible” that she return to rest.

  It was impossible because her soul was trapped inside the crystal skull.

  Which meant what she had told Flossie before was true — she could move objects in the living world. Because part of her soul remained there.

  “You’re the other person inside the skull,” Flossie continued. Elke was the younger person. It wasn’t an ancient Mayan soul at all, but Brun’s daughter. Oh, how right Flossie’s father had been, pointing her in the direction of Viktor Brun’s family. Why hadn’t she listened to him more carefully?

  “I thought I’d finished with your father on the North Sea.” Viktor Brun sneered at Flossie. “Then his beloved Britain took my daughter with their bombs, crushing her chest. A slow, horrible death. However, we were lucky in some ways. A slower death gave us time. Only a month before, one of our archaeologists had located a crystal skull and brought it back to the Fatherland. When we knew Elke was unlikely to live, our spiritualist leader informed us that he believed he could capture Elke’s soul within the skull by performing an ancient ritual at death. When he thought he had accomplished this, he then did the same for me when I suffered my fate. It was then that he came up with yet another brilliant idea — to bury the skull with me and then retrieve it in the hope that we might forge a connection between the worlds of the living and dead.”

  So it was as Violet had guessed. They’d buried the skull with Viktor Brun and then dug it up again.

  Viktor Brun saw Flossie’s expression. “You feel ill at ease with my decision? This is nothing compared to what is coming. Your country took my daughter from me — now it’s my turn for revenge. And what a lovely place your little cemetery will make for soldiers’ barracks. How your father would have hated that — enemy barracks built on top of his daughters’ and granddaughter’s graves! There is nothing you can do about it. Don’t you see it’s pointless, your coming here? You can’t stop us now. You can’t touch the crystal skull in the world of the living. It’s beyond you. Ah, it will be pleasing to see those barracks built. And my daughter will be able to watch the spectacle with me. Together forever.” He grinned at Flossie wolfishly. “Don’t you wish your father had had access to such artifacts as our crystal skull?”