The Enforcer who arrived to take Lapsewood away was a huge-boned bear of a man. He wore a navy-blue suit and a badge with his name on it: Sergeant Brinks. Broad shoulders, bulging arms – Lapsewood wouldn’t have been surprised to find that he had more than five fingers on his huge hands. The cuffs he slapped over his wrists were moulded into the shape of a pair of metal hands connected by a chain.
‘Just try turning to Ether Dust with these on,’ grunted Sergeant Brinks.
‘Please, General Colt,’ Lapsewood protested as the Enforcer led him out of the office. ‘Send someone to find Doris McNally. She’ll explain. She’s at the school in Whitechapel.’
‘Get him out of here,’ barked General Colt.
The door closed behind them and Sergeant Brinks dragged Lapsewood along the corridor and down the staircase. ‘You keep on struggling like that and I’ll be forced to use my Ether Beater,’ he said.
‘There’s been a mistake,’ said Lapsewood.
‘That’s good,’ replied Sergeant Brinks.
‘It’s not good. It means you’re arresting an innocent man.’
‘I’m not arresting you.’
‘You’re not?’
‘Oh no, your actual arrest requires a lot more paperwork. This is a simple detention prior to the application of an arrest. You’ll be held in the Vault until your hearing, when you will either be formally arrested or released, once a full acquittal application has been filled in and verified.’
‘How long will that take?’
‘Oh, not long. What’ve you done, then?’
‘That’s what I’m saying. I haven’t done anything.’
‘The General mentioned something about consorting with Rogue ghosts.’
‘Yes, but only because I needed help.’
Sergeant Brinks took a sharp intake of breath. ‘The chief don’t look too kindly on that sort of thing. My cousin Dawlish is an Enforcer – he says the chief wants all the Rogues locked up, but they’re tricky to catch, see.’ At the bottom of the stairs there was a huge wooden door with metal bolts adorning its edges. ‘Hand over your papers,’ said Sergeant Brinks.
‘I can’t,’ replied Lapsewood.
‘You have no choice. Vault prisoners have to hand over their papers,’ said Sergeant Brinks.
‘I mean, I can’t because I’m still wearing these cuffs.’
Sergeant Brinks laughed. ‘Oh yes. Let’s get them off, shall we?’ From his belt, he pulled out a large silver ring with hundreds of keys on it. He unlocked Lapsewood’s handcuffs and the metallic fingers sprang open. Lapsewood reached into his inside pocket and handed over his papers. Sergeant Brinks took them and then pulled a large key from the keyring.
He pushed to one side the cover which hung in front of the keyhole and quickly inserted the key. ‘The Vault is all made of non-passable materials,’ he said. ‘So a keyhole would be one of the few ways out.’ He gripped the door handle and drew his Beater. ‘Now, you’ll see how this works,’ he said.
He opened the door and a cloud of swirling Ether Dust gushed from the gap. Sergeant Brinks brought his Beater down hard on it, causing it to re-form and a man wearing a white wig, a ruffled shirt and a finely made velvet jacket to fall to the ground.
‘Nice try, Marquis,’ said Sergeant Brinks.
‘One day, Sergeant Brinks.’ The man got to his feet and brushed down his jacket.
‘Not on my watch. Now, I’ll leave you two fellas to get acquainted.’
Brinks shoved both Lapsewood and the Marquis inside and slammed the door shut. The Marquis dived to his knees and put his eye to the keyhole but the cover was back in place. He stood up and offered his hand.
‘Delighted to meet you,’ he said. ‘What brings you here?’
‘Nothing. You see, I’m—’
‘Innocent?’ interrupted the Marquis.
‘Yes, you see it was just a—’
‘Misunderstanding?’ he interrupted again.
‘Exactly, but . . . How did you know?’
‘We’re all innocent, my boy.’ He placed his hand on Lapsewood’s arm. ‘We’re all victims of misunderstandings.’
‘Ah, yes, but you see, I haven’t even been—’
‘Arrested?’
‘Yes, I’m awaiting my—’
‘Your hearing, yes. Once again, ditto. And ditto on behalf of every poor soul locked in this damnable place.’
‘But he said I wouldn’t be here long.’
‘If he had said you would spend the rest of eternity awaiting a hearing that would, according to all evidence, never materialise – if he had said that would you have walked so quietly and placidly into this cell?’
‘Well, I . . . I’m not sure.’
‘Of course you wouldn’t, dear boy. You’d have to be insane. And insanity is something I do have a little experience of. Now, why don’t you tell me all about it?’