Lapsewood and the Marquis stood by the door to the Vault, listening to the clinking sound of the keys signifying the approach of the guard.
‘Remember the plan,’ said the Marquis. ‘We turn to Ether Dust, then, as soon as you see a crack in the door, fly. You head upwards, I shall go down. Whichever one of us gets out will return to release the other. Good luck and Godspeed. Let love of liberty lead us onwards.’
They could hear the cover in front of the keyhole being moved to one side and the key being quickly inserted. Lapsewood watched the Marquis turn to Ether Dust and was about to do the same when he heard his own name spoken.
‘Visitor for Lapsewood?’ said Sergeant Brinks.
Lapsewood froze. He had a visitor. The key turned, unlocking the door. A crack of light appeared. The THWACK of Brinks’ Beater bringing the Marquis down with a thud reminded Lapsewood too late about the plan. The door swung open to reveal Sergeant Brinks standing over the Marquis’s body. Next to him, dwarfed by the Enforcer’s size, stood Grunt.
‘Grunt?’ said Lapsewood.
‘My old friend,’ he replied, offering his hand. Lapsewood took it, feeling so grateful to see him that he didn’t even mind the dampness of his palm.
‘You’ve got two minutes,’ said Brinks. ‘Inside, though.’
He pushed the Marquis and Grunt inside unceremoniously and slammed the door shut behind them.
‘Some accomplice you turned out to be,’ grumbled the Marquis.
‘I’m sorry, but you see, I know this man,’ said Lapsewood.
Grunt looked at the large door that had closed behind him. ‘Sergeant Brinks?’ he shouted.
‘Don’t worry, Mr Grunt,’ replied the Enforcer, his voice muted by the thick door between them. ‘I’m not going anywhere.’
‘What are you doing here?’ Lapsewood asked.
‘Alice told me what had happened.’
‘Alice knows I’m here?’
‘Yes,’ replied Grunt, ‘I wanted to come because of all the kindnesses you showed me when I started the job. It’s quite a step up, but I’m working my way through the backlog now.’
‘Working your way through it?’ said Lapsewood, dismayed that Grunt was succeeding where he had failed.
‘Colonel Penhaligan says he’s delighted with my work,’ said Grunt, grinning.
‘Delighted?’
‘That was the word he used. Delighted. Imagine that. I don’t think anyone has ever used that particular word in reference to me before. I certainly never heard my wife use it and she was a woman blessed with a rich and colourful use of the English language.’
Grunt mopped away the gunk that had seeped over the top of his neck scarf. Lapsewood looked away in disgust but the Marquis seemed fascinated by the whole thing. ‘Hanged, eh?’ he said.
‘Yes, sir,’ replied Grunt. ‘Newgate.’
‘They would have done the same to me, you know, if I hadn’t picked up some rather interesting infections that saw me off first.’
‘One minute,’ shouted Brinks from the other side of the door.
‘Grunt,’ said Lapsewood, grabbing him by the lapel and instantly regretting it, seeing the effect it had on the flow of grey goo from his neck. He released him. ‘You need to get me out of here. I need to get back to London. I need to find whoever is exorcising spirits and stop them.’
‘Exorcising? I don’t know anything about that, but I don’t think you’ve much chance of visiting anywhere,’ said Grunt.
‘No,’ said Lapsewood, thinking fast. ‘But you have.’
‘Me?’
‘Yes, you. Take a leave day,’ said Lapsewood urgently.
‘A leave day?’
Lapsewood spoke quickly. ‘Yes. Go to London. Go to St Winifred’s School in Whitechapel and get the other copy of the London Tenancy List off Doris. Once you have that you’ll be able to use it to track down a Rogue ghost boy by the name of Tanner. He travels with a pack of spirit hounds.’
‘When I open that door again,’ cried Brinks, ‘don’t even think about trying to escape, Marquis.’
‘Rogue ghosts? London? Spirit hounds?’ said Grunt, sounding panicked. ‘No . . . I don’t have the forms . . .’ He frantically mopped away at the top of the scarf.
‘This is more important than forms,’ said Lapsewood, grabbing him by the lapels and succeeding in increasing the flow of gunk. ‘You need to find Tanner and tell him that the Black Rot must be stopped. I have reason to believe that left untended it will draw something from the Void.’
‘The Void?’ exclaimed Grunt.
‘Oh yes, that’s what happened in Paris,’ said the Marquis.
The door creaked open.
‘Tell Tanner he needs to get ghosts into the infected houses by whatever means necessary,’ said Lapsewood. ‘That’s the only way to stop it.’
‘Whatever means necessary,’ repeated Grunt.
‘Yes – and Grunt, say please.’
Sergeant Brinks stepped inside, his Beater at the ready. ‘Time’s up. Mr Grunt, either follow me or you’ve found yourself a new home.’
‘Good luck, Grunt,’ replied Lapsewood.
Grunt looked at him uncertainly before following Sergeant Brinks out.
‘Charming fellow,’ said the Marquis. ‘If you forgive the lack of personal hygiene, that is.’