Everyone leapt into action. Alfie began going through each of the desk drawers, carefully removing items then putting them back exactly where he found them. Robin sent generations of spiders scurrying from their homes as he looked under the portraits while Madeleine carefully searched through the contents of the glass-fronted cabinets. The headmistresses had quite a hoard of strange and disturbing objects, from statuettes and ornate jars, to a dusty shrunken head that sat on one of the shelves watching their every move.
“Look at this!” Madeleine called as she staggered over with an enormous scrapbook. She held it out to Alfie. “News articles going back to the 1800s. They’re about the rustlers and sightings of a strange creature in the skies over the north east. It’s the dragon! They’ve collected everything ever written about it. They know that’s what has been taking the animals!” Alfie took the book and leafed through page after page of articles on missing animals, strange fires and incidents across the region, including Mrs Emmett’s disappearance.
“It’s all here! Everything the dragon has done. How do they know?” He paused and looked at the others, “and why are they so interested in it?”
“This might sound crazy,” said Robin slowly, “but what if dragons are a bit like dogs? What if they need a master?”
There was a cold silence.
“You don’t think … they’re controlling it?” asked Alfie, hardly daring to consider the possibility.
“No way,” said Madeleine. “Even if they wanted to, how could they possibly control something like that?”
“Jimmy seems to think they’ve got some kind of hypnotic power over everyone’s parents, so why not dragons?”
Alfie’s mind reeled at the terrible possibility. But why would Murkle and Snitch even want to control a dragon? Then he remembered the great wings flapping around the castle at night and Robin’s idea didn’t sound quite so crazy. Had they been trying to use the dragon to find a way into the castle?
“We’ve got to take this and show Mum and Dad,” said Madeleine, grabbing the scrapbook.
“We can’t,” said Robin, trying to pull the book from her hands. “They’d know we had it, and besides, what does it even prove? That they’re interested in strange events?”
Alfie tried to push Robin’s theory to the back of his mind as he took the book from the twins and shoved it back into the cabinet. “Come on, we don’t have time for this. Let’s keep looking.”
As his cousins sprang back into action Alfie sat down on one of the throne-like chairs at the enormous desk and went back to searching through the piles of folders and papers in the desk. He leapt back as he finally opened the last drawer. It was filled with meaty bones like the ones Uncle Herb fed to his sheepdogs. Dragon snacks? Surely they weren’t keeping it anywhere nearby? Slamming the drawer shut, he rested his elbows on the desk, hands clasped over his head. They weren’t going to find the talisman. Murkle and Snitch probably carried it around with them and he had just missed a perfect chance to check Murkle’s pockets. They had been in the office too long already – they would just have to think of another plan.
Alfie stood up to call off the search, but something drew him back. It was as though the talisman was calling to him. He stared down at the desk in frustration. He had been through all of the drawers and even searched underneath them for secret compartments. He ran his fingers over the dark marquetry pattern on the desktop. It was actually quite beautiful for something that belonged to Murkle and Snitch. As his hand passed over the rectangular pattern in the centre, a familiar warmth ran through his fingers – the talisman. It had to be under the panel. He began digging around with his nails, looking for a way to prise it up. The ticking of the clock seemed to be getting louder as time passed but the panel wouldn’t budge. Less than ten minutes and Murkle and Snitch would be back. “Why won’t you open?” he shouted, banging his fist down on the desk in frustration. With a little click, the patterned panel popped open and Alfie laughed with relief to see the talisman sitting inside on a little pile of papers.
“Hey, come and look at this,” said Robin’s slightly muffled voice from behind him. He had unlocked the narrow door and crawled partway inside the clock. Only his bottom and feet were visible. “This is so weird–”
“Come out, Robin, I’ve found it!” said Alfie, fastening the talisman back around his neck.
“Well done!” said Madeleine, joining him and rummaging through the rest of the folder. “They’re going to be so mad, but it’s not like they can admit they stole it.”
“I really think you two should see this,” called Robin. His voice sounded strangely distant as Alfie tried to stop Madeleine pulling everything out of the compartment in the desk.
“Hey, look what else is in here.” She pulled out a handful of photographs. “They must have taken these at the castle before we caught them snooping around.”
Alfie stared. The photos were of the maps Miss Reynard had taken from the headmistresses during the castle-warming party. Various areas of the cellars were circled on the photos and covered with illegible notes and question marks. Alfie’s blood turned to ice. They had been doing some research during their little holiday. “We were right,” he gasped. “They know it’s a key and they really do want to open the trapdoor.”
“Robin!” called Madeleine. “Come and see this!”
Alfie looked around for Robin. Suddenly the door handle rattled loudly and he nearly jumped out of his skin. Madeleine grabbed his arm.
“It’s them!” she cried.
“What do you mean you can’t find your key?” snapped Snitch’s voice from the hallway. “I told you to keep it on a chain around your neck. Use mine.”
Alfie crammed everything back into the folder as Madeleine searched frantically for a hiding place. He could hear a foot tapping impatiently on the stone floor as a key jangled in the lock.
“It won’t work – something is stuck in the lock.”
“Hurry,” snapped Snitch. “That Snoddington brat said that the Bloom boy and his cousins were hanging around here. Maybe they took your key.”
Edward, that little grass! Alfie watched in dread as the key Madeleine had left in the door started to wobble out of the lock.
Heart thumping against his ribs, he looked quickly around the room. There was nothing that could conceal three children.
“Where’s Robin?” he whispered.
“Here,” hissed a voice from the grandfather clock. Alfie whipped around to see Robin’s head poking around the door at knee level. “Get in, quick!”
“There’s no room. We’ve got to get out of here!” whispered Madeleine, pushing desperately at the locked windows.
“Just get in here!” said Robin, urgently. “They’ll have the door open any second!”
Madeleine ran towards the clock as Alfie grabbed the photos from the folder before putting it back on the pile. “Alfie, hurry!”
Without thinking, Alfie flung the photos on to the fire and dashed for the clock as they began to curl up and burn. Robin clicked the door closed behind him with barely a second to spare as Murkle’s key dropped out of the lock and on to the floor.
It was pitch black inside the clock. Alfie reached out his arms and realized that the space was many times larger than he had expected.
“Watch out for the drop,” whispered Robin, guiding his hands to a set of iron rungs set into the wall. “Quick, climb down, it’s not far.” Alfie hurried down the ladder, trying not to shout out as Madeleine stepped on his fingers. It was only a couple of metres to the bottom.
“They’ll see the key and know we’ve been in there,” said Robin. “We’ve got to keep moving.” At that very moment, Alfie heard the office door bang open and Murkle and Snitch’s voices filled the room above.
“Moving where?” asked Alfie, trying to follow the sound of Robin’s voice.
“This way.” Robin click
ed on the little torch he carried on his key chain and raced ahead down the long stone corridor. Alfie dashed after the bobbing light from the torch.
“Where does this lead?” he asked breathlessly as he caught up with his cousins.
“I’m not sure. We’re heading upwards so I guess it leads into the hills behind the school.”
The two boys jerked to a halt as Madeleine grabbed their jumpers. “Listen!” she whispered hoarsely. “They’re in the tunnel too.” Alfie froze and listened.
“We know you’re in there!” Murkle’s voice echoed up the passageway making Alfie’s skin prickle. “This isn’t a safe place for children. We’re not cross with you. Come out now and we won’t say another word about it.”
“Yeah, right,” muttered Alfie.
“You don’t want to be lost for ever in these cold dark tunnels,” added Snitch. “Living with the bats, the rats and whatever else lurks down here in the dark.”
Alfie shuddered as he looked into the blackness beyond the light from Robin’s torch. Every scary film he’d ever watched replayed in his mind. A distant scrabbling noise was coming from far behind them. “They’re coming after us!” he cried.
“Run!” shouted Madeleine, sprinting ahead into the darkness.
“Maddie, wait!” called Robin, not bothering to whisper any more. “Stop running, we need to hide.”
“There’s nowhere you can hide from us,” called Murkle.
“Not in these caves,” shouted Snitch.
The noises behind them turned into advancing footsteps. As Madeleine ran blindly into the tunnels, Alfie and Robin realized that they didn’t have a choice. They began to run.
The tunnel started to wind steeply upwards as Alfie hurtled through the darkness. The ground became uneven and slippery beneath his feet. He felt cold draughts from either side and wondered if there were other tunnels leading into this one.
“We’re in the caves now,” panted Robin as if reading his mind. “Granny said they’re like a labyrinth under the hills. We need to stay on this path.”
Alfie could just faintly hear Madeleine’s footsteps in the distance as they ran as fast as they could, their footfalls echoing wetly as the tunnel became damp and more cavernous.
“Do you even know where you are going?” echoed Snitch’s voice from nowhere near far enough behind. “I wouldn’t run if I were you.”
“At least you won’t be lonely,” cackled Murkle. “Plenty of others have gone missing in here.”
“Ignore them,” panted Alfie, “They’re just— Aaaargh!” His foot caught on something and he fell to the ground, slamming his head so hard his ears began to ring. He felt as if he was underwater as he staggered to his feet, staring dazedly at the thing he had tripped on: a huge cattle skull. A hand grabbed his arm and Robin’s muffled voice begged him to move. The air in front of him seemed hazy as he stumbled forwards, half held up by his cousin. Something wet was running down his cheek. Water? Or blood? He was jolted to a halt as Robin stopped running.
“I can’t hear Madeleine,” he whispered.
They stood in silence at a fork in the tunnel. Alfie realized that Robin was trying to decide which way to go. Murkle and Snitch’s footsteps were very close now. “We’ve got to hide until they pass,” he whispered, swaying dizzily. “We’ll find her later.” He gave a sharp tug on Robin’s arm as he stood like a statue staring down the two passages. “Robin!”
“We heeeeear you,” hissed a voice from the far side of the cavern.
“MADDIE, RUN!” Robin shouted at the top of his lungs as Alfie dragged him across the cavern.
“We seeeeee you,” sneered the other voice.
Alfie dropped down and wriggled along the floor, followed by Robin. They wedged themselves between a crop of large stalagmites and the cave wall and lay still, hardly daring to breathe. Alfie’s head throbbed with pain as he lay there in the dark. He twisted slightly to avoid something sharp that was digging into his ribs and suddenly realized what he was lying on. A mixture of horror and revulsion built inside him and he stifled a cry of disgust. They were surrounded by large animal bones – cows, sheep, even horse skulls. All of them had been picked completely clean. The dragon must live in these caves!
He stayed there for what seemed like for ever. He couldn’t hear anything other than his own blood pounding in his ears. Murkle and Snitch must have passed them by. He hoped that they hadn’t taken the same path as Madeleine. He slowly lifted his head and opened his eyes.
“BOO!”
Alfie screamed as he felt Snitch’s foul breath in his face. Robin grasped at his leg as Miss Murkle dragged him out of his hiding place by the ankles. Snitch grabbed Alfie by the hair and pulled him up until just the tips of his toes were touching the ground.
“You’ve been very busy, haven’t you?” she hissed. “Sneaking and snooping.”
“Peeking and prying,” added Murkle.
Alfie struggled under her grip but Snitch’s strength was incredible. The pain in his head was so intense he felt he would pass out.
“OK! We’ll come back with you,” yelped Robin as Miss Murkle twisted his ear. “But we’ve got to find Madeleine first.”
“Oh, we’re not going back to the office,” said Murkle breezily.
“But don’t worry – we’ll find your sister,” said Snitch. “Now move!”
The sisters dragged the boys towards the branch of the forked passage and took the one that led downwards. Alfie tried to brace himself against the rocky floor but was pulled along behind Snitch as though he weighed nothing at all.
“We know you stole my talisman because you want to open the seal under the castle,” he yelled, sounding much braver than he felt as the pain blossomed in his shoulder and head.
“Oh, do you now?” sniggered Murkle, dragging Robin along beside her. “Well aren’t you the detective?”
“We know you’re controlling the dragon too!” Alfie shouted, hoping to shock them into loosening their grip. At this the two sisters burst into peals of shrieking laughter.
“Yes,” hissed Snitch. “And what are you going to do about it? Other than help us to wake the rest?”
Alfie couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “What do you mean, wake the rest? You think there are more dragons somewhere?”
Snitch roared with laughter. “He doesn’t know!” she screeched. “Nobody told him!”
“Told me what?” shouted Alfie as he pulled back uselessly against her grip.
“What you are living above,” cackled Murkle as Robin wheezed and struggled feebly against the arm she had wrapped around his neck. “What sleeps miles below your very own home…”
“Just tell me!”
Snitch pulled Alfie up by his shirt until they were nose to nose. “A dragon nest,” she spat, her stinking breath making him retch as she dropped him to the floor. He stared up at his headmistresses as they shrieked with delight at the look on his face. Robin caught his eye and shook his head, obviously thinking the same as Alfie. They were stark staring mad. They had to get away. Snitch lurched forward as though she had read Alfie’s mind, catching him in an iron grip and pulling him to his feet. He had no option but to stumble wretchedly forward as the sisters dragged them down into the depths of the caves. A smell of sulphur grew stronger as they went further down. Alfie suddenly realized what was happening – the headmistresses were taking them straight to the dragon.
He dug his heels into the floor of the cave, fighting against Snitch’s grip.
“What’s the matter?” laughed Snitch. “Anyone would think you didn’t want to meet the creature you seem so interested in.” Before Alfie could answer back something large brushed past his leg. He jerked in fright and heard a shriek from Murkle.
“Something bit me! Argh, it’s got my hand! Get it off me!”
Snitch let go of Alfie’s hair and began to shriek in p
ain, the creature must have bitten her too. He reached out and felt Robin’s hands searching for him.
“Run!” he shouted. They scrambled back up the slippery path, then raced back to the bone-strewn cavern, leaving the two screaming sisters behind them. Turning at the fork, they followed the path that led upwards. The distant shrieking had stopped and the sisters were running through the passageways behind them. Alfie could hear a scratching noise like a dog running as whatever had attacked the headmistresses caught up with them. He expected to feel its jaws on his legs at any moment, but to his amazement it ran straight past, giving a series of short, high-pitched barks as though guiding them through the caves as it shot ahead.
“They’re right behind us!” cried Robin as Murkle and Snitch furiously screeched and roared their way up the tunnel. Alfie could barely hear him – everything seemed to be fizzing in and out of focus. His legs started to wobble and he heard his cousin yell, “Come on! We’re not going to make it out!” Alfie clutched at Robin’s arm and tried to speak, but it was too late. He felt himself falling, taking Robin with him as the fuzziness filled his vision and faded to black.
“Wake up, Alfie.”
Robin was shaking him gently by the shoulder. Alfie struggled to pull his thoughts together and wondered why the cold, hard ground was suddenly soft and warm and smelt like sheep. He opened his eyes a crack and immediately shut them again as the sunlight sent a searing pain through his head. He sat up, cupped his hands around his eyes and looked down into his lap as he got used to the brightness.
“Banged yourself up a bit, didn’t you, lad?” said a gruff but jovial voice.
Touching his head gingerly, Alfie found that it was bound up with strips of cloth, as was his shoulder. His eyes watered slightly from the strong but not unpleasant herbal smell coming from the bandages.
“I’ve cleaned up the wound and applied some liniment. Just cooked it up this morning – must have known you were coming.”
Alfie Bloom and the Secrets of Hexbridge Castle Page 15