Part 8 (1/2)
A warning! From an old gipsy woman! The boys glanced at each other.
”Anyway,” Mrs. Jones said, ”I finally understood that she had been reading the cards, and three different times they gave her a message for you. It was the same message every time. You were to avoid the letters T.C., or anybody who had those initials. Your accident was caused by T.C., she said, and T.C. would bring you more harm if you didn't avoid them, or it, or whatever.
”I just laughed and told her she was right T.C. stood for 'too careless' and she went away. Poor thing, she looked so old and wild I don't believe she was right in the head.”
With that, Mrs. Jones went back downstairs and left the three boys looking at each other.
”T.C. ” Bob's voice was hollow. ”Terror Castle.”
”It might have been someone Skinny Norris hired,” Jupiter suggested, looking a bit pale. ”Except that Skinny doesn't have that much imagination. Bringing me a dead rat is about his limit.”
”Somebody ” Pete began, ” correction, some thing thing doesn't want us fooling round Terror Castle. First we get a weird warning over the telephone. Then this something uses a gipsy fortune-teller's cards to send us another warning. I think Mr. Something means it. doesn't want us fooling round Terror Castle. First we get a weird warning over the telephone. Then this something uses a gipsy fortune-teller's cards to send us another warning. I think Mr. Something means it.
”Therefore, I propose we vote on whether or not to stay away from Terror Castle, as warned. All in favour, vote aye.”
”Aye!” Bob said.
”Aye!” said Pete. ”That makes a majority vote.”
Jupiter looked at them. ”Do you want Skinny Norris to have the last laugh on us?”
he asked. ”As of now, he's undoubtedly convinced we've failed as investigators. He's getting ready to tell the world so. Therefore, this is when we must act swiftly.
”Also,” he added, ”is it not apparent that these warnings add a new mystery to the case?”
”How do you mean?” Pete asked.
”No one else who investigated Terror Castle received any warnings. We are the first to be warned to stay away from it. This leads me to believe that we must be closer to the solution of the mystery of the strange terror that pervades it than we realise.”
”Even if you're right,” Pete argued, ”what good does it do us? Here you are laid up. We can't do anything until you're on your feet again.”
”That is not entirely accurate,” Jupiter said. ”Lying here last night, unable to sleep, I decided upon another course of action. The two of you must proceed to explore Terror Castle without me, while I lie here and ponder the different mysteries with which we are confronted.”
”Me explore Terror Castle?” Bob yelled. ”Just reading about it is as close to the place as I want to come.”
”I don't expect you to find out too much, of course,” Jupiter said. ”But I hope you will experience the sensations of uneasiness that become extreme nervousness and then turn into sheer terror. Then, if you feel these sensations, I want you to test just how far you feel them.”
”How far?” Pete yelped. ”Last time I felt them from head to foot. From inside out and outside in. All over, in fact. What do you think that my right hand is going to feel nervous while my left hand doesn't?”
”I mean how far from Terror Castle the feeling of terror persists,” Jupiter explained. ”After you depart from the castle, how far away are you when the terror leaves you? That is what I want to know.”
”Last time it was about fifteen miles,” Pete said. ”When I got home and got into bed.”
”This time, if you begin feeling a sensation of fear, distress, terror, or impending doom, I want you to leave slowly, in a dignified manner. Stop at intervals to see if the feeling is going away at all.”
”Slowly.” Pete laughed hollowly. ”In a dignified manner.”
”Perhaps you will feel nothing at all,” Jupiter added, ”as I wish you to go tomorrow by daylight. This time you will explore the building while there is still light.
If you desire to, you can stand just inside the door when night comes, and see if the feeling of fear affects you there.”
”Our pal,” Pete said to Bob. ”All we have to do is stand inside the door.”
Bob heaved a sigh of relief.
”That lets me out,” he said. ”I have to work at the library tomorrow, and the next day, too.”
”I'll be tied down, too, come to think of it,” Pete said. ”It's too bad, but I guess we just can't make it.”
Jupiter Jones pinched his lower lip, putting the gears of his mental machinery into high. Then he nodded.
”In that case,” he said, ”we'll have to change the plan.”
”Just what we've been trying to tell you,” Pete said.
”There are several hours of daylight left,” Jupiter said. ”So you will have to have an early supper and visit Terror Castle today.”
Chapter 12.
The Blue Phantom ”DARN IT,” Pete said, ”when we have an argument, why does Jupe always win?”
”He won this one, all right,” Bob agreed.
There in front of them was Terror Castle, perched on the canyon wall. Its towers, broken windows and covering of wild vines were sharp and clear in the late afternoon sunlight.
Bob s.h.i.+vered a little. ”Maybe we should go in,” he said. ”It's only two hours to sunset. It'll be dark before we know it.”
Pete looked back down the boulder-covered road. Behind the bend Worthington was waiting for them in the car. He had helped Bob over the worst rocks. Then he had had to return to guard the car, according to his employers' orders.
”Do you suppose Skinny Norris followed us this time?” Pete asked.
”No, I was watching behind us,” Bob said. ”Anyway, Jupe is sure Skinny is going to give Terror Castle a wide berth from now on.”
”But we have to prove we have more nerve than Skinny.”
Bob had the camera, and Pete was carrying the tape recorder. They both had torches attached to their belts. Together they climbed up the steps to the big front door. It was shut.
”That's funny,” Pete scowled. ”I'm positive Skinny didn't close the door when we saw him run out the other day.”
”Maybe the wind blew it shut,” Bob said.
Pete turned the k.n.o.b. The door opened with a long scre-e-e-ch scre-e-e-ch that made them jump a little. that made them jump a little.
”Just a rusty hinge,” Bob said. ”Nothing to make us nervous.”
”Who said I was nervous?” Pete asked.