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Jack Bootle-Cadogan crept through the halls of his stately home, admiring the handiwork of his leader and mentor, Gideon Flynn. He stuck his canine head through the nearest wall. Spylab – nice. The kit was lined up along the walls like the armour ranked along the corridor, sparkling and inviting. Jane Blonde and Trouble were doing a double act, checking off inventory. Scenting his presence, Trouble whipped around.
Jack withdrew his head hastily. Wouldn’t do be found peering in on the guests, uninvited.
He passed the next two SWAGG Sector Rooms without investigating. Tilly’s area was a mystery to him, full of witch and warlock training rooms, broomstick stables and, of course, Matilda Peppercorn herself. Whatever she was doing she was building up a sweat – he could see the blue glow through stone walls a metre thick. She scared him a bit at the best of times. Doubting that this was going to be the best of times, he slid past noiselessly.
Stein’s laboratory lay off to the right, down the half-flight of stairs. Through the tiny window, Jack could see that Stein was entertaining Jack’s own sort-of cousins, Joe and Mindy, by animating one of the mummies from the museum. Mummies were a very familiar sight in Jack’s weird life, so he didn’t stop to watch other than to take in the thrilled expression on Stein’s sallow face – thrilled that he had these powers to make new friends. There was another reason he moved on quickly too, though. The mummy reminded him of someone very dear to him. His oldest friend. The whole family’s oldest friend. With a sigh, Jack shook his head and pulled back from the door.
Then he shook it again. What was that?
His canine hearing kicked in. Someone was in his museum. He’d given it over to the School of Inter-Connecting Energies when they were setting it up, but it was still meant to be locked while it was transformed into a centre for learning about Egyptology and all Jack’s background. Jack himself had the only key, and he hadn’t used it as he’d just stuck his head through the plasterwork from time to time to check in.
Last time, there’d been very little progress. All his Egyptian artefacts had been carefully set aside as space was cleared for some impressive turntables, library shelves and state-of-the-art imaging technology.
Judging by the clanking coming from the castle’s cellars, though, it wasn’t empty any longer.
Not even stopping to think that he might be putting himself in danger, Jack Zipped through several of the rooms reserved for the public and straight through the earth to the tunnel that led from the museum to the crypt.
He entered the room from the back, silent as the ghosts he processed, planning to surprise whoever – or whatever – had sneaked in there.
But instead, it was Jack himself who got the surprise. Something he could never have imagined was taking place in the Lowmount museum. Never have imagined at all, in a million lifetimes …