almost as if he’s unaware of—’
The sound of feet came from the hallway outside. The door was thrown open and a dozen
uniformed men stormed in. A bald man led them, dressed in civilian clothing.
‘What’s going on?’ Mr Doyle asked.
‘Are you Ignatius Doyle?’ the man asked.
‘I am.’
‘No doubt you’ve heard of me. I am Detective Inspector James Wolf. I have a warrant
to search your premises.’
‘What?’ Mr Doyle said, astounded. ‘For what reason?’
‘That’s none of your concern.’
The officers with him wore the uniform of the Wolf Pack: blue suits with silver shoulder
pads, holstered guns at their sides. Wolf directed them to check each of the bedrooms,
especially under the beds.
Gloria was furious, but Mr Doyle shushed her.
‘Has anyone been here during our absence?’ he whispered.
‘No-one,’ she replied, then frowned. ‘There was a problem with the gas. A man came
and fixed it.’
‘I’m sure he did,’ Mr Doyle said grimly. ‘It seems we have numerous enemies railed
against us.’
One of the officers returned. ‘It’s just as we were told, sir,’ he said. ‘There are
bomb-making parts under all the beds.’
‘What?’ Gloria shouted. ‘That’s ridiculous!’
Wolf sneered. ‘Sure it is,’ he said. ‘You may have Greystoke fooled, but the evidence
speaks for itself. You’re all members of this Valkyrie Circle—and you’ll hang for
your crimes!’ He pointed at them. ‘Arrest the lot of them!’
The officers pulled out cuffs, jamming them on Mr Doyle and Gloria’s wrists. ‘The
children, too,’ Wolf said. ‘Guilt is guilt, no matter the age.’
Jack had thrust his hands into his pockets. Now he felt something cold and limp in
one. With a certain grim satisfaction, he realised what it was.
‘Certainly, officer,’ he said. ‘Let’s all go down to the— aaaarrgghh !’ His scream
was accompanied by the removal of the dead snake from his pocket. He waved it wildly
in the air. ‘Snake! Snake!’
He threw it into the officer’s outstretched hands. The man screamed and tossed it
into the air.
‘Run!’ Jack yelled.
He and Scarlet bolted through the door as officers pulled their guns and fired at
the dead snake. Mr Doyle and Gloria were wrestled to the ground.
As Scarlet reached the elevator, Jack grabbed her arm, pointing her to the stairs.
‘This way,’ he said.
‘Jack,’ Scarlet started. ‘Are you sure—’
Pushing her towards the stairs, Jack remembered the first time he had raced down
them. It was the day he met Mr Doyle. In that time he had come to admire the detective
as much as his own parents. There was no chance he was involved with the Valkyrie
Circle. Which could only mean one thing.
‘Those bomb parts were planted,’ Jack puffed. ‘It’s the only explanation.’
‘But where did that snake come from?’
‘Where do you think? It was the one that bit you in Spain.’
‘You’ve had it in your pocket all that time ?’
Reaching ground level, Jack and Scarlet leapt over the old drunk who always lay on
the bottom step. His name was Charlie, but that was all they knew about him. He waved
a half-empty bottle of beer at them as they passed.
‘What about Gloria and Mr Doyle?’ Scarlet asked.
‘We can’t do anything about them yet.’
Two police officers entered the front foyer. Jack and Scarlet sped past them just
as the elevator doors open.
‘Get them!’ Wolf yelled. ‘I want them caught!’
The shrill cry of police whistles followed Jack and Scarlet down the street.
They darted down a side lane. A police officer, walking on the other side, heard
the whistles, and stared at them suspiciously.
‘You two!’ he yelled. ‘Stay where you are!’
‘No chance,’ Jack muttered.
The officer gave chase. Jack and Scarlet darted around an old man carrying a pile
of books as he made a grab for them. He missed and books went everywhere.
‘Where are we going?’ Scarlet puffed. ‘The police will have the area shut down
The sound of feet came from the hallway outside. The door was thrown open and a dozen
uniformed men stormed in. A bald man led them, dressed in civilian clothing.
‘What’s going on?’ Mr Doyle asked.
‘Are you Ignatius Doyle?’ the man asked.
‘I am.’
‘No doubt you’ve heard of me. I am Detective Inspector James Wolf. I have a warrant
to search your premises.’
‘What?’ Mr Doyle said, astounded. ‘For what reason?’
‘That’s none of your concern.’
The officers with him wore the uniform of the Wolf Pack: blue suits with silver shoulder
pads, holstered guns at their sides. Wolf directed them to check each of the bedrooms,
especially under the beds.
Gloria was furious, but Mr Doyle shushed her.
‘Has anyone been here during our absence?’ he whispered.
‘No-one,’ she replied, then frowned. ‘There was a problem with the gas. A man came
and fixed it.’
‘I’m sure he did,’ Mr Doyle said grimly. ‘It seems we have numerous enemies railed
against us.’
One of the officers returned. ‘It’s just as we were told, sir,’ he said. ‘There are
bomb-making parts under all the beds.’
‘What?’ Gloria shouted. ‘That’s ridiculous!’
Wolf sneered. ‘Sure it is,’ he said. ‘You may have Greystoke fooled, but the evidence
speaks for itself. You’re all members of this Valkyrie Circle—and you’ll hang for
your crimes!’ He pointed at them. ‘Arrest the lot of them!’
The officers pulled out cuffs, jamming them on Mr Doyle and Gloria’s wrists. ‘The
children, too,’ Wolf said. ‘Guilt is guilt, no matter the age.’
Jack had thrust his hands into his pockets. Now he felt something cold and limp in
one. With a certain grim satisfaction, he realised what it was.
‘Certainly, officer,’ he said. ‘Let’s all go down to the— aaaarrgghh !’ His scream
was accompanied by the removal of the dead snake from his pocket. He waved it wildly
in the air. ‘Snake! Snake!’
He threw it into the officer’s outstretched hands. The man screamed and tossed it
into the air.
‘Run!’ Jack yelled.
He and Scarlet bolted through the door as officers pulled their guns and fired at
the dead snake. Mr Doyle and Gloria were wrestled to the ground.
As Scarlet reached the elevator, Jack grabbed her arm, pointing her to the stairs.
‘This way,’ he said.
‘Jack,’ Scarlet started. ‘Are you sure—’
Pushing her towards the stairs, Jack remembered the first time he had raced down
them. It was the day he met Mr Doyle. In that time he had come to admire the detective
as much as his own parents. There was no chance he was involved with the Valkyrie
Circle. Which could only mean one thing.
‘Those bomb parts were planted,’ Jack puffed. ‘It’s the only explanation.’
‘But where did that snake come from?’
‘Where do you think? It was the one that bit you in Spain.’
‘You’ve had it in your pocket all that time ?’
Reaching ground level, Jack and Scarlet leapt over the old drunk who always lay on
the bottom step. His name was Charlie, but that was all they knew about him. He waved
a half-empty bottle of beer at them as they passed.
‘What about Gloria and Mr Doyle?’ Scarlet asked.
‘We can’t do anything about them yet.’
Two police officers entered the front foyer. Jack and Scarlet sped past them just
as the elevator doors open.
‘Get them!’ Wolf yelled. ‘I want them caught!’
The shrill cry of police whistles followed Jack and Scarlet down the street.
They darted down a side lane. A police officer, walking on the other side, heard
the whistles, and stared at them suspiciously.
‘You two!’ he yelled. ‘Stay where you are!’
‘No chance,’ Jack muttered.
The officer gave chase. Jack and Scarlet darted around an old man carrying a pile
of books as he made a grab for them. He missed and books went everywhere.
‘Where are we going?’ Scarlet puffed. ‘The police will have the area shut down
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