Part 10 (1/2)

”No, I suppose not,” Jupiter agreed. ”It is hard to act with composure when in the grip of fear. Still, such a picture would have done much to solve our problem.”

Pete and Bob waited. Jupiter had had three days in bed to think, and he must have done a lot of thinking he wasn't telling them about yet.

”You see,” Jupe added, ”your adventure was very unusual in one respect. The Phantom of Terror Castle actually appeared to you before sundown.”

”It was sundown inside,” Pete told him. ”It was darker than a black cat in a coal mine.”

”Nevertheless, the sun was still s.h.i.+ning outside. No one else has reported any manifestations before night-time. Well, let's see what the other pictures tell us.”

He picked up the one of the suit of armour.

”This armour,” he said. ”It looks fairly s.h.i.+ny, not rusty.”

”It wasn't very rusty,” Bob told him. ”Only in spots.”

”And these books and pictures in Mr. Terrill's library. They don't look very dusty.”

”They were a little dusty,” Pete said. ”Not smothered in it, though.”

”Mmm.” Jupiter took a long look at the skeleton in the mummy case. ”This skeleton. A most unusual legacy.”

At that moment, the whole trailer that contained Headquarters seemed to s.h.i.+ver.

A piece of iron stacked outside slipped and rattled against it. An extra loud blast from Mr. Jones's new pipe organ had almost lifted them off the ground.

”Wow!” Pete exclaimed. ”I thought it was an earthquake!”

”Uncle t.i.tus doesn't know his own strength when it comes to playing a pipe organ,” Jupiter commented. ”If he's going to keep on like that, we might as well break up this meeting. But before we do, here's something for you.”

He handed each of them a long piece of chalk. It was like the chalk they used in school, except that Pete's piece was blue and Bob's was green.

”What's this for?” Pete asked.

”For marking trails with the signature of The Three Investigators.” Jupiter took some white chalk and drew a big ? on the wall.

”That means,” he said, ”that one of The Three Investigators has been here. The white colour tells that it was the First Investigator. A blue question mark would mean Pete, the Second Investigator, and a green one would mean you, Bob. If I had thought of this sooner, you wouldn't have got lost in Terror Castle. You could have marked your trail with question marks and followed them back.”

”Yeah, you're right,” Pete said.

”Observe the simplicity of it,” Jupiter told them. ”The question mark is one of the commonest signs. If someone sees a question mark chalked on a wall or a doorway, he thinks some child has been playing, and forgets it. Yet to us, the question mark will convey an entire message. We can use it to mark a trail, indicate a hiding place, or identify the home of a suspect. From now on, never be without your special chalk.”

They promised they wouldn't, and Jupiter got down to the meat of the meeting.

”I telephoned Mr. Alfred Hitchc.o.c.k's office,” he said. ”Henrietta told me that tomorrow morning he is meeting his staff to decide whether or not to go to England to film his picture in a haunted mansion over there. That means we have to make our report to him by tomorrow morning. Which means ”

”No!” Pete yelled. ”I won't do it! As far as I'm concerned, Terror Castle is haunted and can stay that way. I don't need any more proof.”

”While lying in bed thinking,” Jupiter went on, ”I have reached certain conclusions that must be tested. And we have to work swiftly to report to Mr. Hitchc.o.c.k in time.

Therefore, you must both get permission to stay out late tonight. For tonight we make our final a.s.sault upon the secret of Terror Castle!”

Chapter 14.

A Ghost And A Mirror TERROR CASTLE loomed in the darkness above Jupiter and Pete. There was no moon, just a few stars to relieve the ebony blackness of the canyon.

”It won't get any darker,” Jupiter said, his voice hushed. ”We might as well go in.”

Pete carried the new, extra-powerful torch he had bought out of his allowance. His old one was still there, up in the library.

They walked up the broken steps and across the tiled terrace. Jupiter limped slightly, favouring his tightly taped ankle. Their footsteps seemed very loud in the darkness. Somewhere a small animal was frightened out of its hiding place and went streaking away from the beams of their torches.

”Whatever that is, it's a smart whatever-that-is,” Pete said. ”It's getting out of here.”

Jupiter did not answer. He had his hand on the front door and was tugging. It wouldn't budge.

”Lend a hand,” Jupiter said. ”The door's stuck.”

Pete grabbed the big bra.s.s handle, too. Suddenly something gave. The bra.s.s handle came off in their grasp. Together they tumbled backwards and fell in a heap on the files.

”Oof!” Pete gasped. ”You're lying on my stomach. I can't move. I can't breathe.

Get off quick!”

Jupiter rolled over and got to his feet. Pete stood up, testing himself for broken bones or dislocations.

”I guess I'm still all here,” he said. ”Except my good sense. I left that at home.”

His partner was examining the bra.s.s door handle under his torch.

”Look,” he said. ”The screw that holds the k.n.o.b to the rod that goes through the lock came loose.”

”Been a lot of traffic through here the last couple of weeks,” Pete muttered.

”Maybe it just wore out.”

”Hmm.” His stocky partner's face was set in a thoughtful scowl. ”I wonder if it could have been loosened.”

”Who'd do a thing like that?” Pete asked. ”Anyway, we can't get in so we might as well go back.”

”I feel sure we can effect an entrance elsewhere,” Jupiter said. ”Suppose we try one of those French windows down there.”

He moved along the front wall of the building. Half a dozen tall French windows faced directly on to the terrace. The first five were securely locked. But the sixth was open half an inch. Jupiter pulled. It opened easily, like a door. Behind it was impenetrable darkness.

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