my back, sending me stumbling into the parlor.
Freddy was kneeling on the floor with his lantern placed beside. He was staring down at something before him.
“Is that blood?” Dudley whimpered.
“So it appears,” Freddy said without a hint of emotion in his voice.
“Macabre,” Dudley murmured faintly.
“What?” I used my handkerchief to wipe up some of the blood. It was fresh. I’d say no more than an hour. Taking the lantern, I began to search the dust, but there was no dust on this floor. Someone had swept it clean while the entry was left dirty.
“The dance of death,” Dudley whispered.
“I doubt that. If I wagered a guess, I’d say this is animal blood,” I replied as I searched the parlor for any other blood.
“The hell-fire club,” Dudley then said with a moan.
“The what?” Freddy asked sharply.
“It was a club in England for the ups. Hannah’s father spoke of it a few times, but m’mother thought it too vile for my ears. There was also the Friars of Medmenham. Fais ce que tu voudras,” Dudley whispered reverently.
“What does it mean?” I asked as I walked around the small pool of blood.
“Do what thou wilt. It was the motto of the secret society.”
“How do you know all of this?” I asked speculatively.
“Hannah’s grandfather was a member as it were. Pierre told me a bit of their history. Loose screws, her family. The lot of them.”
I would not disagree with him. “Did you find the artifact?” I asked Freddy as I pocketed the soiled handkerchief.
“Hold up the lantern,” Freddy said as he began pulling up a floor board that was nearest to the far wall. Freddy pulled a sack from the hole that the board had been concealing.
Once Freddy had replaced the board, Dudley did a little dance, hopping from one foot to the other while rubbing his hands on his arms. “Can we lope off? This place gives me the fidgets.”
“As you will,” Freddy said. “There’s not much else to be found here.”
“Hand over the holy artifact, moral reprobates,” demanded a voice from the door. Three men stepped into the parlor, between us and the door. They were each wearing a golden snake shaped ring on their forefinger, and if that did not alert me to danger, the knives in their hands did.
“I say, that’s rather harsh,” Dudley spoke up. “We may be second Sunday churchgoers but we’re far from reprobates.”
“Blackguards,” one of them said. “Do not think to trick us with your sorcery. We must cast out the devil before it has a chance to use the holy artifact against us.”
The other two began to chant something low as they moved toward us, and Dudley recoiled into me.
“Uh, Dud, I think it’s time for us to take our leave,” I said, grabbing Dudley’s arm and pressing the handle of the lantern into his hand.
“Huh?”
“Now!” I threw Dudley’s arm forward. Dudley swung the lantern at one of the men’s heads. The men, who I knew were some of Luther’s guards, jumped out of the way, their voices raised in curses. Shoving Dudley forward, he pitched himself into the shoulder of one of the men, knocking him successfully into another and them both to the floor in the entry. Dudley stepped onto the back of one and the stomach of another as he ran for the door. Freddy and I followed Dudley out and we took off at a run.
We ran toward our horses, but a gun firing behind us had us dropping down. The shot went over the horses’ heads and Dudley was on his feet before me, pulling me. With my arm in his grasp, he pulled me with him down the street with Freddy on our heels. Something clattered on the street beside me and I glanced down to see one of their knives.
“Time to pick up the pace, men.” I shoved Dudley’s shoulder to the right so that he would turn. Another knife flew past us as we turned down King Street.
What was before us had us sliding to a halt on the brick road.
Five guards were lined up on the road, with Leo, Sam, and Abe on their knees before
Freddy was kneeling on the floor with his lantern placed beside. He was staring down at something before him.
“Is that blood?” Dudley whimpered.
“So it appears,” Freddy said without a hint of emotion in his voice.
“Macabre,” Dudley murmured faintly.
“What?” I used my handkerchief to wipe up some of the blood. It was fresh. I’d say no more than an hour. Taking the lantern, I began to search the dust, but there was no dust on this floor. Someone had swept it clean while the entry was left dirty.
“The dance of death,” Dudley whispered.
“I doubt that. If I wagered a guess, I’d say this is animal blood,” I replied as I searched the parlor for any other blood.
“The hell-fire club,” Dudley then said with a moan.
“The what?” Freddy asked sharply.
“It was a club in England for the ups. Hannah’s father spoke of it a few times, but m’mother thought it too vile for my ears. There was also the Friars of Medmenham. Fais ce que tu voudras,” Dudley whispered reverently.
“What does it mean?” I asked as I walked around the small pool of blood.
“Do what thou wilt. It was the motto of the secret society.”
“How do you know all of this?” I asked speculatively.
“Hannah’s grandfather was a member as it were. Pierre told me a bit of their history. Loose screws, her family. The lot of them.”
I would not disagree with him. “Did you find the artifact?” I asked Freddy as I pocketed the soiled handkerchief.
“Hold up the lantern,” Freddy said as he began pulling up a floor board that was nearest to the far wall. Freddy pulled a sack from the hole that the board had been concealing.
Once Freddy had replaced the board, Dudley did a little dance, hopping from one foot to the other while rubbing his hands on his arms. “Can we lope off? This place gives me the fidgets.”
“As you will,” Freddy said. “There’s not much else to be found here.”
“Hand over the holy artifact, moral reprobates,” demanded a voice from the door. Three men stepped into the parlor, between us and the door. They were each wearing a golden snake shaped ring on their forefinger, and if that did not alert me to danger, the knives in their hands did.
“I say, that’s rather harsh,” Dudley spoke up. “We may be second Sunday churchgoers but we’re far from reprobates.”
“Blackguards,” one of them said. “Do not think to trick us with your sorcery. We must cast out the devil before it has a chance to use the holy artifact against us.”
The other two began to chant something low as they moved toward us, and Dudley recoiled into me.
“Uh, Dud, I think it’s time for us to take our leave,” I said, grabbing Dudley’s arm and pressing the handle of the lantern into his hand.
“Huh?”
“Now!” I threw Dudley’s arm forward. Dudley swung the lantern at one of the men’s heads. The men, who I knew were some of Luther’s guards, jumped out of the way, their voices raised in curses. Shoving Dudley forward, he pitched himself into the shoulder of one of the men, knocking him successfully into another and them both to the floor in the entry. Dudley stepped onto the back of one and the stomach of another as he ran for the door. Freddy and I followed Dudley out and we took off at a run.
We ran toward our horses, but a gun firing behind us had us dropping down. The shot went over the horses’ heads and Dudley was on his feet before me, pulling me. With my arm in his grasp, he pulled me with him down the street with Freddy on our heels. Something clattered on the street beside me and I glanced down to see one of their knives.
“Time to pick up the pace, men.” I shoved Dudley’s shoulder to the right so that he would turn. Another knife flew past us as we turned down King Street.
What was before us had us sliding to a halt on the brick road.
Five guards were lined up on the road, with Leo, Sam, and Abe on their knees before
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