frighten us off. I went
downstairs to look for Marjorie, and I could have sworn there was someone else
here.”
“Someone else?”
she said, unsettled. “But who?” “Don’t ask me. I’m not
even sure it wasn’t a trick of the light. It looked like a monk or something in
a long robe. First, I thought I saw him in the drawing room, then in the dining
room, but then he just disappeared.”
Anna gently
moved herself away from me. She had overcome her first terror, and my embrace
was a little too intimate for mere nervousness.
“Perhaps it was
Marjorie,” she suggested. “Or did Marjorie see it, too?”
“I don’t know.
I don’t know where Marjorie is. I thought she must have gone to fix the lights.
I went down there and tried the switch, but it didn’t work. I assumed she’d
gone off to replace the fuse. That’s when I saw this person or thing or
whatever it was in the room.”
“What kind of a
robe?” asked Anna. “I haven’t a clue. A robe with a
hood, that’s all. At least, that’s what it looked like.”
“A djellaba?”
“I beg your
pardon?”
“An Arab robe. A djellaba. Or was
it some other kind of robe?”
“It’s no good
asking me, Anna. As far as I’m concerned, a robe by any other name is still a
robe.
Anyway, I could
have imagined the whole thing. You know what these spooky old houses are like.
I think the best thing we can do is forget it. I just want to get that turret
open and get rid of that goddamned jar.”
“I think we
ought to be careful, Harry. This may be a silly plot to frighten us. or something like that But what if it isn’t?”
I peered down
the gloomy corridor toward the sealed turret door. The long tapes that hung
from the brown wax seals were stirring slightly in the evening draft For some reason, looking at that door gave me an empty,
uncomfortable feeling. It was like looking at a door that opened onto nothing
but a sheer drop. I wanted to open it, but at the same time I knew that I might
be irresistibly drawn by my own sense of self-destruction to step through.
I took a
cigarette from my shirt pocket and lit it, “I don’t know, Anna. I only
suggested that someone was trying to scare us because I can’t think what else
it could possibly be. I know it doesn’t make sense.”
“It could be a djinn ,” Anna said simply.
“There’s only
one way to find out There’s a shed round the back
where they keep the tools and stuff. Do you want to come with me? I’m going to
find a crowbar,”
“If you think
I’m going to stay in this creepy place on my own..,”
We walked
silently back up the corridor, then down the stairs, through the drawing room
and the kitchen, and out the back door. Outside, there was a soft warm wind
blowing from the land to the sea, and creamy blue clouds were covering the
stars. We crunched down the gravel drive to the tool shed and opened it up. It
was very dark inside, but I knew where Max always used to keep his
flashlight-hanging up on the right side of the door. Anna stayed close, looking
around at the house from time to time and shivering.
“Are you cold?”
I asked her.
“No,” she
shuddered. “Just plain old-fashioned scared.”
I found the
flashlight, switched it on, and rummaged through the garden tools for a crowbar
or something similar. In the end, I made do with a pick. Swinging the
flashlight, I started to walk with Anna back to the house. I whistled a few
bars of Hi ho, hi ho, it’s off to work we go between my teeth, just to make
myself feel more cheerful.
We went in
through the back door, across the kitchen, and into the drawing room. We were
halfway to the hall when the lights blinked on, and there by the front door
stood Marjorie and Miss Johnson in their black overcoats and mourning hats.
“Marjorie!” I
said. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”
For some
reason, Marjorie didn’t seem very interested or pleased to see me. She turned
to Miss Johnson and said, “Close the door.” Then
downstairs to look for Marjorie, and I could have sworn there was someone else
here.”
“Someone else?”
she said, unsettled. “But who?” “Don’t ask me. I’m not
even sure it wasn’t a trick of the light. It looked like a monk or something in
a long robe. First, I thought I saw him in the drawing room, then in the dining
room, but then he just disappeared.”
Anna gently
moved herself away from me. She had overcome her first terror, and my embrace
was a little too intimate for mere nervousness.
“Perhaps it was
Marjorie,” she suggested. “Or did Marjorie see it, too?”
“I don’t know.
I don’t know where Marjorie is. I thought she must have gone to fix the lights.
I went down there and tried the switch, but it didn’t work. I assumed she’d
gone off to replace the fuse. That’s when I saw this person or thing or
whatever it was in the room.”
“What kind of a
robe?” asked Anna. “I haven’t a clue. A robe with a
hood, that’s all. At least, that’s what it looked like.”
“A djellaba?”
“I beg your
pardon?”
“An Arab robe. A djellaba. Or was
it some other kind of robe?”
“It’s no good
asking me, Anna. As far as I’m concerned, a robe by any other name is still a
robe.
Anyway, I could
have imagined the whole thing. You know what these spooky old houses are like.
I think the best thing we can do is forget it. I just want to get that turret
open and get rid of that goddamned jar.”
“I think we
ought to be careful, Harry. This may be a silly plot to frighten us. or something like that But what if it isn’t?”
I peered down
the gloomy corridor toward the sealed turret door. The long tapes that hung
from the brown wax seals were stirring slightly in the evening draft For some reason, looking at that door gave me an empty,
uncomfortable feeling. It was like looking at a door that opened onto nothing
but a sheer drop. I wanted to open it, but at the same time I knew that I might
be irresistibly drawn by my own sense of self-destruction to step through.
I took a
cigarette from my shirt pocket and lit it, “I don’t know, Anna. I only
suggested that someone was trying to scare us because I can’t think what else
it could possibly be. I know it doesn’t make sense.”
“It could be a djinn ,” Anna said simply.
“There’s only
one way to find out There’s a shed round the back
where they keep the tools and stuff. Do you want to come with me? I’m going to
find a crowbar,”
“If you think
I’m going to stay in this creepy place on my own..,”
We walked
silently back up the corridor, then down the stairs, through the drawing room
and the kitchen, and out the back door. Outside, there was a soft warm wind
blowing from the land to the sea, and creamy blue clouds were covering the
stars. We crunched down the gravel drive to the tool shed and opened it up. It
was very dark inside, but I knew where Max always used to keep his
flashlight-hanging up on the right side of the door. Anna stayed close, looking
around at the house from time to time and shivering.
“Are you cold?”
I asked her.
“No,” she
shuddered. “Just plain old-fashioned scared.”
I found the
flashlight, switched it on, and rummaged through the garden tools for a crowbar
or something similar. In the end, I made do with a pick. Swinging the
flashlight, I started to walk with Anna back to the house. I whistled a few
bars of Hi ho, hi ho, it’s off to work we go between my teeth, just to make
myself feel more cheerful.
We went in
through the back door, across the kitchen, and into the drawing room. We were
halfway to the hall when the lights blinked on, and there by the front door
stood Marjorie and Miss Johnson in their black overcoats and mourning hats.
“Marjorie!” I
said. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”
For some
reason, Marjorie didn’t seem very interested or pleased to see me. She turned
to Miss Johnson and said, “Close the door.” Then
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