I could avoid the Silver Gate and the Bane!’
‘I only wish it were so easy,’ said Brother Peter. ‘But it’s too risky. The door is visible from the road and from the presbytery. Someone might see you going in.’
I nodded thoughtfully.
‘Although you can’t use it to get in, there’s another good reason why you should try to get out that way,’ Andrew said. ‘I don’t want John to risk coming face to face with the Bane again. You see, deep down I think he’s afraid - so afraid that he couldn’t possibly win—’
‘Afraid?’ I asked indignantly. ‘Mr Gregory’s not afraid of anything that belongs to the dark.’
‘Not so as he’d admit it,’ continued Andrew. ‘I’ll give you that all right. He probably wouldn’t even admit it to himself. But he was cursed long ago and—’
‘Mr Gregory doesn’t believe in curses,’ I interrupted again. ‘He told you that.’
‘If you’ll let me get a word in edgeways, I’ll explain,’ insisted Andrew. ‘This was a dangerous and powerful curse. As big as they ever get. Three whole covens of Pendle witches came together to do it.
John had been interfering too much in their business, so they put aside their own quarrels and grievances and cursed him. It was a blood sacrifice and innocents were slaughtered. It happened on Walpurgis Night, the eve of the first of May, twenty years ago, and afterwards they sent it to him on a piece of parchment splattered with blood. He once told me what was written there: You will die in a dark place, far underground with no friend at your side!’
‘The catacombs ...’ I said, my voice hardly more than a whisper. If he faced the Bane alone down in the catacombs, then the conditions of the curse would be fulfilled.
‘Aye, the catacombs,’ Andrew said. ‘As I said, get him away through the hatch. Anyway, Brother Peter, sorry to have interrupted ...’
Peter gave a bleak smile and continued. ‘Once you’ve unlocked the hatch, go through the door into a corridor. This is the risky part. There’s a cell at the far end which they use to hold prisoners. That’s where you should find your master. But to get to it, you’ll have to pass the guardroom. It’s a dangerous business but it’s damp and chilly down there. They’ll have a big fire blazing away in the grate and, if God’s willing, the door will be closed against the cold. So there you have it! Release Mr Gregory and get him out through the trapdoor and away from this town. He’ll have to come back and deal with that foul creature another time, when the Quisitor’s gone.’
‘Nay!’ said Andrew. ‘After all this I wouldn’t have him coming back here.’
‘But if he doesn’t fight the Bane, then who can?’ asked Brother Peter. ‘I don’t believe in curses either.
With God’s help, John can defeat that evil spirit. You know it’s getting worse. No doubt I’ll be next.’
‘Not you, Brother Peter,’ Andrew said. ‘I’ve met few men as strong-minded as you.’
‘I do my best,’ he said, shuddering. ‘When I hear it whispering inside my head, I just pray harder.
God gives us the strength we need - that’s if we’ve the sense to ask for it. But something has to be done.
I don’t know how it’s all going to end.’
‘It’ll end when the townsfolk have had enough,’ said Andrew. ‘You can only push people so far. I’m surprised they’ve stood the Quisitor’s wickedness for so long. Some of those for burning have relatives and friends here.’
‘Maybe and maybe not,’ said Brother Peter. ‘There are lots of people love a burning. We can only pray’
Chapter 9
The Catacombs
B rother Peter went back to his duties at the cathedral while we waited for the sun to go down.
Andrew told me that the best way into the catacombs was through the cellar of an abandoned house close to the cathedral; we were less likely to be noticed after dark.
As the hours passed, I began to grow more and more nervous. When talking to
‘I only wish it were so easy,’ said Brother Peter. ‘But it’s too risky. The door is visible from the road and from the presbytery. Someone might see you going in.’
I nodded thoughtfully.
‘Although you can’t use it to get in, there’s another good reason why you should try to get out that way,’ Andrew said. ‘I don’t want John to risk coming face to face with the Bane again. You see, deep down I think he’s afraid - so afraid that he couldn’t possibly win—’
‘Afraid?’ I asked indignantly. ‘Mr Gregory’s not afraid of anything that belongs to the dark.’
‘Not so as he’d admit it,’ continued Andrew. ‘I’ll give you that all right. He probably wouldn’t even admit it to himself. But he was cursed long ago and—’
‘Mr Gregory doesn’t believe in curses,’ I interrupted again. ‘He told you that.’
‘If you’ll let me get a word in edgeways, I’ll explain,’ insisted Andrew. ‘This was a dangerous and powerful curse. As big as they ever get. Three whole covens of Pendle witches came together to do it.
John had been interfering too much in their business, so they put aside their own quarrels and grievances and cursed him. It was a blood sacrifice and innocents were slaughtered. It happened on Walpurgis Night, the eve of the first of May, twenty years ago, and afterwards they sent it to him on a piece of parchment splattered with blood. He once told me what was written there: You will die in a dark place, far underground with no friend at your side!’
‘The catacombs ...’ I said, my voice hardly more than a whisper. If he faced the Bane alone down in the catacombs, then the conditions of the curse would be fulfilled.
‘Aye, the catacombs,’ Andrew said. ‘As I said, get him away through the hatch. Anyway, Brother Peter, sorry to have interrupted ...’
Peter gave a bleak smile and continued. ‘Once you’ve unlocked the hatch, go through the door into a corridor. This is the risky part. There’s a cell at the far end which they use to hold prisoners. That’s where you should find your master. But to get to it, you’ll have to pass the guardroom. It’s a dangerous business but it’s damp and chilly down there. They’ll have a big fire blazing away in the grate and, if God’s willing, the door will be closed against the cold. So there you have it! Release Mr Gregory and get him out through the trapdoor and away from this town. He’ll have to come back and deal with that foul creature another time, when the Quisitor’s gone.’
‘Nay!’ said Andrew. ‘After all this I wouldn’t have him coming back here.’
‘But if he doesn’t fight the Bane, then who can?’ asked Brother Peter. ‘I don’t believe in curses either.
With God’s help, John can defeat that evil spirit. You know it’s getting worse. No doubt I’ll be next.’
‘Not you, Brother Peter,’ Andrew said. ‘I’ve met few men as strong-minded as you.’
‘I do my best,’ he said, shuddering. ‘When I hear it whispering inside my head, I just pray harder.
God gives us the strength we need - that’s if we’ve the sense to ask for it. But something has to be done.
I don’t know how it’s all going to end.’
‘It’ll end when the townsfolk have had enough,’ said Andrew. ‘You can only push people so far. I’m surprised they’ve stood the Quisitor’s wickedness for so long. Some of those for burning have relatives and friends here.’
‘Maybe and maybe not,’ said Brother Peter. ‘There are lots of people love a burning. We can only pray’
Chapter 9
The Catacombs
B rother Peter went back to his duties at the cathedral while we waited for the sun to go down.
Andrew told me that the best way into the catacombs was through the cellar of an abandoned house close to the cathedral; we were less likely to be noticed after dark.
As the hours passed, I began to grow more and more nervous. When talking to
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