𝐇𝐨𝐦𝐞┃ Anthony Lockwood┃2┃

Chapter Fifty Three - Let The Operation Begin

In the depths of the night, the others returned, having had great success with the eyeless ghost and several other Visitors around the village. Their raised voices preceded them, echoing outside the taproom door. Then they bustled in, George and Kipps bickering contentedly about some minor detail on the map, Holly Munro in the middle of wiping her sword clean with a pretty blade-cloth. They found Lockwood and Nola sitting in near darkness, lit a dull, dark, glowing red by the dying embers of the fire.

"There's no doubt about it." Lockwood said, once he had regaled his story. "We saw the infamous Creeping Shadow. That's about the only thing we can tell you for certain."

"Other than it definitely stirs up the other ghosts." Nola said. "Don't forget that. Its cloak of mist was like a ladle stirring soup. They just came floating to the top as it passed by. Spirits came bursting out of the ground, before following it into the woods!"

"I wish I'd seen that." George said. "That's unique! That's fascinating" His spectacles shone. He sat on a table, swinging his legs under him.

"All the bodies in the churchyard rose up?" Kipps asked. "A spirit for every grave? Or just some?"

"Lots." Nola said. "But not all. But maybe that's how it works when souls are gathered... Lockwood won't like me saying that." She added.

They hadn't just been sitting by the dying fire. They'd been arguing.

"Because it's not gathering souls." Lockwood said irritably. "I don't know what the Shadow is, but it's not some demon or angel visiting on the Day of Judgement. It comes back every night of the week, for heaven's sake! I wish you'd get that stupid cross thing out of your mind."

Nola rolled her eyes. "It's not stupid, Lockwood. It draws the dead out of their graves. You needn't get so huffy just because I disagreed with you for the first time since we bloody met."

"Oh, give it a rest."

"Oo, trouble is paradise." Kipps hummed under his breath.

Nola shot him a ghastly glare. "Piss off, Kipps."

"Hot chocolate, anyone?" Holly said brightly. "Nice and soothing? Mr Skinner's got a stash of sachets behind the bar. Tell you what, I'll just go and put the kettle on."

"Must have been something seriously weird about it." Kipps said. He'd taken off his goggles and now tossed them stylishly across the room to hang from a coat peg. His swashbuckling finesse was only slightly undermined by the red rings they'd left around his eyes. "Must have been weird to have freaked you out, Lockwood. I never thought I'd see the day."

"I'm not freaked out!" Lockwood crossed his arms. "Do I look freaked out to you, George?"

"A triple helping of yes. I'm with Kipps on this one." George blinked and shook his head in unfeigned wonder. "This is a night of firsts."

"Well, maybe James and I are right to be a little unsettled." Lockwood said after a grouchy pause. "Because, its raising of the dead is only one of several strange things about this ghost. The kid was correct in everything he said. The Shadow does trail some kind of smoke, and there do seem to be weird flames licking round its form. It moves oddly too." He sighed. "You ever read about anything like this, Kipps?"

"Never. It's not in any of the histories. Could be something about it in the Black Library at Fittes House. There are all sorts of stuff there..." Kipps stretched back in his chair. "I must say, I'm surprised the Rotwell Institute haven't caught onto this Shadow. They're missing a trick here."

Lockwood nodded. There was a grim light in his eyes. "They certainly are."

The kettle boiled. Holly made the hot chocolate. Kipps went to help her. George raided the cupboards behind the bar, locating crisps and chocolate. A midnight snack was soon in progress at Lockwood & Co's operations desk in the corner of the room.