Chapter Eleven

 

PXI to the Rescue

 

Although Hiram was not in favour of it, he spent the remaining dark hours in the PXI zone with the very nervous professor. Breakfast came as a welcome event. Bernard still insisted on wearing the portable PXI.

“For God’s sake, take that silly thing off your head, Bernard,” Hiram said at the table.

“I am still loath to do so,” he replied. “I mean … well, what if she is still here?”

“Bernie, Bernard,” Hiram said, throwing his arms up in disgust. “There is no she, we agreed it’s an it. And it’s not here or I’d feel it. I still think it’s gas.”

The old professor looked at his companion most suspiciously. “If I begin to act strangely, will you put it back on my head for me?”

With a smile Hiram agreed. “Certainly, now please take it off and let’s act like regular people instead of Halloween exhibits.”

Professor Nightingale gingerly put his hand to the switch. Then, with a flinch, he switched it off. He sighed a great sigh of relief. “You are right, Hammy, she’s not here. It is not here. Now we must plan our campaign. How are we going to fight this thing?”

“I liked the idea you had about trying this device on Hardwick. I could phone him and get him to drive down here. He is supposed to be working for me. I really don’t want to go to Leicester, unless I really have to.”

“I have a brilliant idea,” the prof. said. “I have a friend who lives in Chatteris. It’s not far from here. He’s a hypnotist. If we get your detective friend here, PXI him, then put him under the influence, we’ll get the truth out of him once and for all.”

Hiram smiled. “Now you’re thinking, prof. “Let’s get this show on the road. I’ll call Hardwick as soon as I’ve had my breakfast. If this is a government conspiracy we’ll need all the evidence we can find.”

Terry Hardwick was easy to convince. Money was a great attraction to the private detective and acted like a magnet. He promised that he would be at Bernard’s house in the morning of the very next day. Bernard phoned his friend in Chatteris, Mr Oliver Bottomly. He, too, agreed to be there the following morning. It appeared that all was going well.

Bernard spent the rest of the day working in his laboratory, tinkering with all manner of electronic devices. Hiram made himself useful by preparing the meals and doing a little housework in the kitchen. Neither were affected by the terrible “it”, nor even was there any hint of anything hiding in the dark corners of the house. The day passed pleasantly, without any incident of any kind.

As the sun slowly settled in the western sky, both men began to fear the worst. Though neither felt anything, both became cautious of what may happen as soon as it grew dark. What you don’t see is just as terrifying as what you do see.

“I don’t know why the dark frightens me, Bernard,” Hammy said.

“I agree,” the prof. said. “I would like for all the lights to stay on all night. If it’s okay by you, I would like to wear the PXI while walking around in the evenings, I don’t feel very safe.”

“Very well, go ahead.”

It turned out to be a hot night and the humming of the PXI transformer annoyed Hiram. He found it very difficult to sleep. His thoughts were jammed with ideas of the day. There was no solution and there were many unanswered questions. There was also a sense of excitement about the forthcoming experiments with hypnotism and the PXI.

At breakfast Bernard still wore the portable PXI. “Please take it off,” Hiram asked.

“I would like to keep it on if it’s all the same by you, Hammy.”

“But we don’t want our guests to think we are a house of nuts, now do we?”

“Very well,” Bernard said reluctantly. He reached up and removed the PXI. “How’s that?”

“Great. Now act your age and relax,” Hiram said firmly. “If Morag comes back, I’m sure it’s me she’ll want, not you. I think we’ve become accustomed to the gas, anyway.”

“Yesterday, I finished my fourth PXI. It’s portable, but I think it’s better, lighter and requires less power than the old models.”

“So what’s it for?”

“I thought ... well, I thought we could go back to Craig and have a scientific look at that thing. You know, the plume thing. Perhaps we could blow it up or something violently destructive.”

Hiram laughed. “I don’t think the Laird o’ Craigai Castle will like that at all.”

“But I can’t spend the rest of my life hiding from this thing. Can you?”

“No, prof. I’m on your side. Blowing the thing up is great by me. But I know nothing about explosives and if it turns out to be the government, they’ll be slightly pissed at us for blowing the thing up. Where would you get explosives from, anyway?”

“That’s not so hard. I think I know someone who would do the job for us.”

Hiram breathed out audibly. “The thought of explosives frightens me more than the thought of the laird or Morag. You know, a big bang just might make him real mad at us or could bring hundreds of military or police buzzing in our ears.”

A knock came to the front door. Its abruptness and unexpected noise startled both men.

“Who, could that be?” Bernard wheezed.

“I don’t know. But ghosts and the laird do not knock. I’ll go.” Hiram got up from the table and walked to the door. To his surprise Terry Hardwick stood on the doorstep. “Come in, you’re early.”

“The early bird gets the attention,” he said, walking in and taking off his cap.

“Worm,” Hiram corrected.

“Didn’t wan’ t” call yous all worms.”

“Oh!” Hiram said. “What does the squeaky wheel get?”

Hardwick ignored the potential quip. His quick eyes darted all around the new surroundings, taking in every detail. The professor came to meet them and together they walked into the kitchen.

“Tea, Mr Hardwick?” Bernard asked.

“Great, I’ll take a cup of the old Rosy Lee. So what yah want from me?”

“Well,” Hiram said slowly and trying to pick his words carefully, “if you remember I paid you a deposit to find my girl and my car.”

“If you say so, guv.”

“Well, you obviously haven’t found either. But you did go to Craig, didn’t you?”

“I fink you’re mistaken, guv. I ain’t never bin to no Craig, never.”

“That’s alright, just humour us. You’ll get paid, but only if you go along with us, you understand.”

“Would you like a bite of breakfast?” Bernard asked.

“Great, fanks.”

“Excellent, I am Professor Nightingale. You may call me Bernard. Sit and I’ll get you some food and tea. Did you drive all the way from Leicester?”

“Yeah.” Hardwick sat at the table.

Hiram sat and resumed his breakfast. Silence prevailed for a short while.

“Well, what kind o’ nut’ouse is this?” Hardwick asked.

Hiram looked at him thoughtfully for a few seconds. “Nuthouse? You should have been here earlier. All we want is for you to take part in a simple experiment. You’ll be in no danger and it won’t hurt, and you’ll get paid for it.”

“Like what?”

“The prof. has a gadget that helps people remember things they forgot. All we want you to do is try it out and see if it helps you remember.”

“I ain’t forgot nofin’.”

“Yes you have. You couldn’t even remember that I paid you to find Barbara. I think you found something and somehow someone gave you a dose of amnesia. We would like to know what you found and what they gave you to forget.”

“Well, I don’t believe none of it. But as long as yous pay, I’ll play.”

Bernard put a large plate of sausage, eggs and beans on the table in front of Hardwick with a mug of hot tea. “Help yourself to cream and sugar, Mr Hardwick.”

“Call me Terry.”

“Terry it is,” Bernard said, joining them at the table. “So, you think you have never been to Craig, Terry. Well, we will soon find out, won’t we. Do you remember ever hearing a sound like an express train rushing towards you and yet there’s nothing there.”

Hardwick laughed. “No, should I ‘ave?”

“Well that’s how it affected me,” Bernard said, smiling.

“So why don’t you try this fing on yourself?”

“Oh, I have. It worked for me and for Hiram, we both have perfect recollection.”

After breakfast they all retired to the living room. Bernard showed Hardwick his latest PXI. “This is my photo X-ray interface. It will allow you to be totally calm. All you have to do is put it on your head like a hat. There’s absolutely nothing to fear.”

Hardwick eyed the device suspiciously. “What the ‘ell is it?”

Hammy took the device and put it on his own head. “Here, Bernard, switch it on so he can see that it is harmless.”

Bernard switched it on. “You see,” he said. “All it does is remove any outside interference, like thought waves and such. It just makes you feel good and relaxed. It will help you remember.”

“Okay, guv, I’ll ‘ave a bash.”

Hiram took the PXI off his own head, switched it off and placed the device on Hardwick’s head. “How’s that feel? Are you comfortable?” he asked.

“Yeah, great, so nah what?”

Bernard leaned over and switched on the device. “And now, everything still alright?”

“Yeah, great.”

“Do you feel any different, Mr Hardwick?”

“No.”

“Not at all?” Hiram asked.

“No, nofin’.”

Bernard took it off Hardwick’s head and placed it on his own. He sat silent for a few seconds. The device seemed to be working. He could feel the tranquil, relaxing feeling enveloping his whole body. He switched it off. There was a rush of mental confusion for an instant then it cleared. Again he placed the device on the detective’s head and switched it on.

“Now relax, allow the device to work. You would see a slight change in colours.”

Terry sat quiet trying to cooperate with the scientist, but to him there was no effect at all. “I don’t feel nofin’,” he said. “An’ the light is the same.”

For the time being they gave up the experiment and awaited the arrival of Oliver Bottomly. The conversation drifted away from the Craig subject and concentrated on the latest models of cars on the road. Hardwick was a keen observer and collector of cars ancient and modern.

At length a knock came to the front door. It was Oliver, he had arrived and had parked his car in the street. He was a tall, lean gentleman in his early fifties, with grey hair and horn-rimmed spectacles. After introductions they all retired again to the living room where the experiment would continue.

“Are you ready for another go, Mr Hardwick?” Bernard said.

“Right you are, guv. As long as you’s payin’ I’ll play the game.”

The device was placed on his head and switched on. Oliver thought the situation slightly humorous, but began hypnotic session anyway. “Now, Mr Hardwick,” he said. “I want you to relax, empty your mind and try to think of nothing, but you will hear my voice clearly at all times.”

Hardwick immediately fell into a trance.

“I don’t believe it.” Oliver said. “No one goes into a trance that fast the first time.”

“So what’s the problem?” Hiram asked.

“He went into a trance almost immediately. It normally takes quite a long time, sometimes even days. This man went under straight away. Most unusual.”

“Does it matter?” Hiram asked.

“Well no, it’s just very unusual. Can you hear me, Mr Hardwick?”

“Yes, I can.”

“Good, now Mr Kawalski is going to ask you a few questions. I want you to answer him in full honesty. Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

“Go ahead, Mr Kawalski.”

“Terry, I want you to try to remember what happened that day you went to Craig, up on the Dunbar Common.”

“I drove there in me own jam jar,” he said. His eyes were wide and unblinking.

“Then what, Terry, who did you talk to?”

“I talked to Mr Goodwall. ‘e ‘ad seen the two girls an’ the car. ‘e said they left ‘is shop an’ went to the manor up past the church.”

“Then what did you do, Terry?”

“I drove to the manor meself.”

“And then?”

“Then I drove ‘ome again.”

“What did you see in the manor, Terry?”

“I saw ...” he said and then he put his hands up as if reaching for something. “I saw –”

Oliver suddenly leapt to his feet. “God!” he yelled. “I saw the master.” He clapped his hands to his ears as if trying to block some terrible sound.

Bernard leapt up. “She’s coming, Hammy, she’s coming.” He rushed out of the room in almost blind panic.

Hammy could neither hear nor feel anything. Suddenly Oliver rushed at Terry, who was still sitting eyes wide and expressionless. Hammy intervened. Oliver turned on him violently. For a moment there was a struggle. Hiram managed to knock the hypnotist to the ground. But he wouldn’t stay there. He leapt to his feet and made another rush at Hiram. As the struggle continued Hammy began to hear the terrible sound of the laird coming for him. Just as Bernard had said, it was like standing on a runway with a 747 approaching.

The howling grew louder as Oliver visibly began to transmogrify. His form was taking on the shape of Morag. It looked as though fire sparkled in its eyes. Oliver knocked Hiram to the floor with a good hefty and well-aimed right hook. Then it turned to have another go at Terry, who sat silently oblivious to his surroundings.

Hiram leapt up and rushed at the monster once again. Together they crashed into the china display cabinet, glass and broken crockery scurrying across the polished wood floor. Morag got up apparently unhurt. She turned then menacingly made another dash for Terry. As quick as a flash Hiram grabbed a heavy dining chair and crashed it down over the demon’s head.

For the moment the fight was over, but the sound was becoming unbearable. Holding his hands to his head, Hammy ran from the room and down the cellar stairs to the PXI safe zone. Almost exhausted he flung himself into the zone, where Bernard was standing trembling like a leaf in a stiff breeze.

“What”s happening?” quizzed Bernard excitedly.

Hammy rolled over onto his back and lay on the floor. The terrible mental pressure was gone. “Oh! God!” He exclaimed. “I don’t understand it, but she’s here. I just don’t understand it.”

“Who?” the prof whispered. “Who’s here?”

“It’s Morag, she’s here and she wants Terry Hardwick. I’ve got to get up there and help him. Give me your PXI, Bernie.”

“It’s in the lab,” hissed Bernard between his teeth.

Hiram’s face had blood on it and his right hand began swelling. “I can’t sit here and let that thing get Hardwick, I have to go back.”

“I cannot go with you, Hammy, I can’t hold off that terrible pressure. Please forgive me.”

Hiram stood up, did a quick inventory of his attached body parts and ran back out of the zone. In only a couple of seconds he was back and breathless. “I need the key,” he said, holding out his hand.

“I don’t think you can make it, Hammy. Just bring Mr Hardwick here.”

“No,” he said, taking the key. “I have to get the PXI so that I can take care of Morag.”

Again he rushed out of the zone and ran up the stairs. By the time he reached the landing, the howling began again. Its intensity grew rapidly. Like a madman Hiram rushed to the laboratory, unlocked the door and rushed inside. The cupboard was almost out of focus owing to the pressure of the demon and his hands shook from the terrible howling.

Desperately he tried to put the key in the keyhole, but the laird was slowly taking control of his mentality. At last the cupboard opened. He grabbed the PXI and pulled it over his head. Finding the On switch seemed to take an eternity. He could scarcely see and his vision began fading into darkness. Suddenly the PXI came on with a click. All became restored to normal. The howling stopped, his vision recovered. Hiram slumped against the counter, barely able to support his own weight. The relief was near overwhelming, but the job was not yet complete. Terry Hardwick still had to be rescued and the demon taken care of.

With trepidation, Hiram crept back to the living room where the fight had been. Terry was still sitting wide-eyed and unconscious to his surroundings. Oliver lay on the floor surrounded by broken furniture and glass. Blood trickled from his head, staining the polished wood flooring. Timidly Hiram crept into the room, expecting at any moment to be attacked by Morag or worse.

“Come on, you fool,” Hiram shouted, grabbing Terry’s hand. There was no response, Hardwick seemed frozen to the spot. “Come on, I can’t carry you, you little twit.” He slapped the man hard on the face with no effect.

Hiram was much bigger than Terry. He picked him up and draped him over his shoulder. Struggling, he carried the still-gazing Hardwick to the cellar steps. He put him down then, holding him by the chest under his arms, he dragged the helpless man down the steps to the cellar floor. Quickly he dragged him into the zone of influence.

“Take that thing off his head, Bernard,” Hammy snapped. “Put it on yours and give me a hand upstairs. There’s one more up there.”

“Why? What are you going to do?”

“I can’t leave your friend up there. If he recovers and the laird takes control he might turn the electricity off, then where would we be?”

“Oh! my God,” Bernard exclaimed, snatching the PXI from Terry’s head. “It’s getting kind of crowded down here. This zone was only built for one man, not the whole county.”

Together they walked back up the stairs, both wearing a portable PXI on their heads.

“He’s in here,” Hammy said, walking into the living room.

Bernard stopped at the door; he was shocked and amazed at the devastation. “What’s been going on here?” he said angrily.

“That man tried to kill me and Terry. Come on, let’s get him into the PXI before he regains consciousness and kills the pair of us.”

Hammy took the heavy end and Bernard took the feet. Together they carried the man to the cellar.

“I don’t like this at all,” Bernard said. “I don’t understand it, either. There isn’t enough room for all of us. I don’t even know if there is enough power in this unit to protect us, anyway.”

“Doesn’t matter, you’ve got the portable on your head and so have I. We can survive outside the circle even in a power failure.”

“We can’t keep them captive for the rest of their lives. What are we going to do with them, Hammy?”

“I don’t know, prof. Just give me breathing space, I’ve got to think. First, we should get a doctor to look at Oliver; I think I’ve probably hurt him quite badly.”

“There’s a medical doctor who lives just across the street. Doctor Williams. Other than that there’s a nursing home at the end of the street. Whatever you think best.”

Hiram thought for a moment, looking at the two bodies he had placed in the PXI circle. “If they come round and leave the circle, it will all start all over again. Then there would be two of them and two of us. I think we should get the hell out of here, make a run for it. Do you have a summer home, or a house in the country, or a relative we could go to?”

Bernard scowled. “This is the country and no, I do not have a summer home. I do have a cottage at Heacham, though.”

“What’s a Heacham?”

“It’s a small village on the Norfolk coast just north of Lynn.”

Hammy thought for a few moments. “I could get the doctor or we could take these two sleeping beauties over there. But I’m afraid if we take them out of the zone and they wake up we could be in a lot of trouble.”

“What if the doctor is overpowered by it?” Bernard said. “This is a terrible situation.”

“I don’t know. You stay here, I’ll go. Make Oliver comfortable, make sure he’s breathing.”

Hiram walked up the stairs then remembered he had a PXI on his head. He would look pretty silly walking around the streets with that gadget on his head. He opened the closet at the top of the stairs. In it he found a hat and a scarf. Draping the scarf over his head, he tied it under his chin then put the hat on top. He felt stupid as he walked out of the house.

Directly across the road stood another large Victorian house. The brass plate on the wall said “Doctor H. Williams, MD”. Hiram knocked on the door. A handsome woman in her fifties opened it and glared at Hammy.

“Yes?”

“There’s been an accident over at Professor Nightingale’s house, a man is hurt. Can I speak to the doctor, please?”

“Just a moment,” the woman said and she walked back into the house. In only a few seconds she returned with a black bag in her hand. “Lead the way,” she said sharply.

“You’re the doctor?”

“Yes, lead on.”

Hammy quickly led her back across the road and into Bernard’s house then down the cellar steps. Suddenly she stopped.

“What’s that sound?” she asked.

“Oh, nothing. Quick, hurry, a man is dying.” Hammy hustled her into the zone of the PXI as quickly as possible.