Lair of the Grelgoroth

by Ruth Fox

  “What are they doing?” asked Zach.

  It was at that moment that one woman, who Zach recognised as a member of the Lower East Primary School Mothers’ Club, waved a sign at the Morgensterns’ windscreen that explained what the mob was angry about.

  Monsters Stay Where Monsters Belong.

  Mr. Morgenstern’s lips pinched tightly together. “What’s this rubbish?”

  The crowd surged around the cars. “One, two, three, four—we don’t want to fear anymore!” they chanted. “Block the Wall! Block the Wall!”

  Mr. Morgenstern edged the car forwards about half a metre, enough to put them in view of a podium that had been erected outside of the butcher’s shop.

  Mr. Majewski was standing there and looking very pleased and self-important. His chest was puffed out. His eyes were bulging. His cheeks were bright red, and his chubby arms were waving in the air. “This!” he was shouting. “This is what should have been doing years ago. The Wall should never have been knock down, not even partly. Now we cannot feel safe in our own beds. In our own streets!”

  He seemed to be overlooking the fact that it was only children who’d been taken so far—he was making out that they were all at risk. It was a clever tactic, Zach thought, even as he felt a wave of horror and revulsion that the man whom he had started to hate was inciting the crowd with lies.

  But that was the whole point. Mr. Majewski wasn’t doing this to help anyone. He was doing it because he hated monsters and wanted everyone to blame them for what was happening. That made him feel like he was a hero.

  And, if you looked at the fervent faces of the people in the crowd, he was a hero. They, too, wanted to feel a part of the action, to feel as though they were doing something, to have someone to blame.

  Mr. Morgenstern shook his head. He looked around, trying to spy an exit route, but they were trapped by the crowd.

  “But we won’t be standing for it,” went on Mr. Majewski. “No, we are proud of our city of North Silvershine. We working hard to build this community, and we not letting the monsters tearing that apart!”

  “Hear! Hear!” called the crowd.

  “Our mayor, our illustrious mayor, does nothing. Safety Procedures and Rules—that’s all we can be hoping for from him. Our police force, who are being sworn to serve and protect us, are doing nothing. Nothing! How many monsters having they caught?”

  “None! They’ve done nothing!” shouted the crowd.

  “So I say,” said Mr. Majewski, his growling voice growing louder. “I say that we, my friends, neighbours, my community, that we doing something instead. I proposing that we take it on ourselves. We will be doing what we need to be doing!”

  “Hear! Hear!” The crowd pumped their fists in the air and waved their placards and whistled and cheered. There was an incredible energy thrumming through the air, a sense of direction and purpose. It was frightening.

  “No more kids being taken! No more kids being found with brains sucked out. We can be fixing this, and we will be fixing this!”

  A wail of sirens cut through the cheers. Red and blue flashing lights announced the arrival of the police. Zach could see blue-uniformed cops marching down the street.

  “Attention, people! Please disband, now, please disperse from this area,” said Constable Jenson into a megaphone. “You are disrupting traffic! Please disband immediately!”

  The crowd muttered and grumbled, and there were a few unpleasant words said about “useless policemen,” but soon the traffic was moving again. Morton had slipped his sunglasses on to hide his yellow eyes, and the Morgensterns drove the rest of the way in silence.

  ❖ ❖ ❖

  The North Silvershine security guards were on high alert at Middleview Hills Academy. The guards were lined up at the school entrance, walking kids from cars and buses, as if even that thirty-metre walk proved a risk too great to take.

  An assembly had been called, but the auditorium was less than half full. Those students who had come clustered together and looked around suspiciously, as if expecting to find monsters in every corner. Security guards lined the walls.

  Zach found a few students from their class—Vincent, Zoe, and Drew. They were talking in hushed voices about Hayley Masters. “Her little sister, Maryanne, has Vanished,” Zoe was saying. “Hayley’s really upset. Her mum wouldn’t let her come to school today.”

  As soon as the group saw Monster-boy, all three of them turned and hurried away, choosing seats on the other side of the auditorium.

  Morton said nothing, but Zach was fuming. He found seats near the front, his gaze swivelling left and right like a searchlight; he couldn’t see Ryder or Lex.

  The Principal, Mr. Rivers, did not look at all pleased with the meagre turnout. He took to the stage and harrumphed into the microphone. “Many schools,” he said. “Have decided to close today. They believe the danger to their students too great.”

  He looked around the auditorium.

  “As you can see, Middleview Hills Academy has held open its doors. We will continue to teach our students. It is understandable, though very unfortunate, that many parents have decided to keep their children at home. I can only hope they realise the impact this might have on their education.”

  Zach wondered if he’d considered the fact that other schools had closed because they couldn’t afford security guards to walk their students in from the car park.

  “What about being Vanished?” called Vincent. “And then coming back as a vegetable? How does that affect our education?”

  Mr. Rivers glared at Vincent. “Mr. Myers,” he said. “Middleview Hills Academy takes pride in delivering quality education for all of its students. No obstacle will come between us and the provision of knowledge.”

  “Not even when we’ve got a monster in our own school?” Vincent continued, waving yesterday’s copy of the Middleview Hills Academy News with Morton’s photo on the front page. “Posing as one of us?”

  “That’s quite enough!” Mr. Rivers roared. “The safety of our students is and always has been our primary concern. This is why I will be speaking closely to the student in question after this assembly.”

  Zach glanced at Monster-boy, but his expression was hidden behind his sunglasses.

  Zach wanted to kill Vincent.

  “This is why you will be the future leaders of our society, boys and girls! You have a duty, a duty, yes.” He paused here. “I have a brother, boys and girls. Like me, he is a teacher who has risen to be a school principal. When I decided to open Middleview Hills, I went to the mayor and told him my idea for a brand new school, one where students can have access to the best learning techniques and latest technology and equipment. There were objections from the council over zoning and permits and architecture. But I knew it could be done, with the right tools.

  “So I went to my brother, and I asked him to join me and lend his support. And do you know what he did? He refused. ’It would cost a lot to run a school like that. I think we’d be better off funding the schools we already have.’ He walked away. He took a job at North Silvershine High School. And he gets paid very small amounts of money to work, every day, in that run-down and draughty little building. He didn’t want to take on the challenge, you see. He let his fear of adversity overcome him. And he is still paying for it. I, however, fought on. In the end, I talked the council into letting me zone and plan and build this school. That is why you, my students, will grow into fearless, experienced, responsible men and women. Because you know that with perseverance you can overcome any impediment, face up to any challenge, and emerge victorious.”

  Some of their classes had been cancelled, he went on to say, and some classes would be combined. But they would all continue with their lessons, because that was the Middleview Hills Academy spirit. He dismissed them finally. “Go forth and learn!” he said. �
�Prove to the world the Middleview Hills Academy student is dedicated, committed, and devoted!”

  Zach and Monster-boy shot out of their seats.

  Lex was white-faced and tight-lipped, and clutching a new notebook tightly to her chest like a shield. She walked over to them hurriedly.

  “Did you hear?” she said. “That poor boy. I wonder who found him? They’re not giving out any details.”

  Zach coughed. “Um . . . it was me,” he said.

  “What?” Lex shrieked. Zach grabbed both her glasses, before they hit the floor, and her elbow, so that he could steer her into the hallway, where students were milling around and making a racket. Teachers were trying to gather them together in groups to reschedule the day, but it was chaos.

  “Shhh,” Zach said, handing her back her glasses.

  Lex clamped her lips together and nodded. He could tell she was trying very hard not to speak, and her cheeks turned red with the effort.

  He pushed her through the crowd, making sure Monster-boy was following. “Hey!” came a shout. “Zach—Morton—”

  Ryder was shoving his way past Mrs. Appleby.

  Zach breathed a sigh of relief to see his friend, but Ryder looked tense and unhappy. The expression didn’t sit right on the normally cheerful boy’s face.

  “Ah—ahem—and Morton Morgenstern? I will see you in my office directly, if you please.” Mr. Rivers called from across the passage. Zach’s heart dropped. He’d been half-hoping Mr. Rivers wasn’t serious, that he had just been making a show of discipline, but obviously the principal meant to follow through.

  “I’ll come with you,” Zach said. Ryder and Lex trailed behind but when they reached the office, Mr. Rivers barked at them.

  “This is a private matter, boys—and girl.”

  “Okay, sir,” said Zach, folding his arms defiantly. “We’ll wait outside.”

  Mr. Rivers sucked in his lips, but evidently he didn’t have the inclination to argue with any more students this morning, because he let them take the seats in the reception area.

  The three friends looked at one another as Monster-boy followed Mr. Rivers through the door. The reception area was empty except for one harried-looking secretary speaking softly on the phone. The computers hummed comfortingly, but apart from that, it was quiet.

  Finally, Lex let her questions burst out of her. “Where did you find him? How? What did you do when you saw him? Did you take him to the hospital?”

  Zach looked helplessly at Ryder.

  “There are tunnels,” Zach said at last. “Under the city.”

  Lex’s eyes lit up behind her thick glasses. You could see her mind working on turning this into a story even as she asked the question. “You mean—under North Silvershine?”

  “Under the whole city,” Zach said. “They go under South Silvershine, too, because that’s where I ended up after I found Tommy Granger.”

  Lex had looked excited before, but now she looked positively exhilarated. “Why was he down there?”

  Zach shifted uncomfortably.

  “They’re using the tunnels to kidnap the kids,” he said. “That’s how they get away without getting caught. And yes—” he stopped Lex with a look, “Yes, I know they’re using them, because Morton saw them.”

  “Tunnels,” Ryder said. “If they go under all of Silvershine City, that makes a lot of sense. That night Miranda went missing, she kept bugging me to take her to the Factory to muck around. She’s always asking, but I never would. I think she snuck out that night and went by herself. She pays too much attention to what Max and I do, so she knows how.” Ryder clenched his hands. “They probably grabbed her on the way.”

  “Actually, now you mention the Factory . . .” Zach reached into his pocket, where he still had Monster-boy’s wristband. He pulled it out and held it up so Lex could see. She pushed her glasses up and peered at it, frowning. Zach explained: “It’s the same symbol that’s in the foyer of the Factory. This belonged to Morton’s grandfather. I’m not sure what it means, but I think it’s important somehow. The place where they’re taking the kids—Morton said they have this painted on their sign. He saw it when he was following the monsters that took Ida and Fiona.”

  “He—he—” Lex was flabbergasted. “Really?”

  “We need to make a plan.”

  “A plan? What for?” Lex asked. “Shouldn’t we go to the police with this?”

  “We can’t. We’ve been through this. Firstly, Monster-boy could get in trouble for going back to the South Side and breaking the mayor’s rules. Secondly, if the police go charging into South Silvershine, they could get massacred, and the monsters might hurt the kids. And thirdly—”

  “If the news of where the kids are gets out, everyone who hates the monsters would have a reason to charge in there.” Lex nodded. “Gotcha. So. What was it you were saying about a plan?”

  “We’re going to get into South Silvershine,” Zach said. “And we’re going to find the kids.”

  Ryder’s mouth gaped open.

  “Zach—” he said.

  Lex gave a little laugh. “You’re not serious—are you?”

  When Zach just looked at her, very seriously indeed, she shook her head. “Okay, I mean, that’s great, but you don’t just think you can march across the Wall. For starters, no one knows what it’s like over there. You won’t know where you’re going. You could get mugged—or murdered. Last time I checked, monsters weren’t particularly keen on us humans. Or maybe I should say they’re too keen—on us kids. We’ll just be handing them exactly what they want.”

  “You’re right, Lex. We’ll be giving them exactly what they want. That’s why we’re going to take along our own personal escort,” said Zach. “Someone who will blend right in.”

  At that moment the door to Mr. Rivers’s office opened, and Monster-boy emerged. Zach looked at his adopted brother pointedly.

  The door to Mr. Rivers’s office swung shut with a bang. “They want to expel me,” said Morton quietly.

  “Expel you?” Lex shrieked, then covered her mouth and lowered her voice. “For what?”

  “It’s about perception,” Monster-boy said miserably, clearly repeating Mr. Rivers’s words. “It’s not about me personally. It’s about doing what’s right for the school community. He’s going to call Mr. Morgenst—he’s going to call Dad.”

  Zach punched a fist into his hand. “This is insane.”

  “As insane as your plan to rescue three dozen Vanished kids?” Lex asked.

  “I’m not saying it’s going to be easy. Or . . . safe. It’s kind of crazy. But none of you saw Tommy Granger. He was . . . well, he just wasn’t there. And if they can do that to one kid, they can do it to others, right? They can do it to Miranda.” Zach looked at Ryder as he said her name, and saw his point strike home. “Or Ida.” This time, he looked at Lex, who flinched visibly. “Or Fiona. They can do it to any of us. Unless we stop them.”

  Finally, he held out the wristband to Monster-boy. Morton hesitated. Zach felt bad for using something Monster-boy had said to him in confidence—that he was afraid that doing nothing made him complicit; by implying that, in doing nothing, Morton was just as bad as his fellow monsters. But he had to get them to agree to this, and if he had to use leverage, he would. He couldn’t do it alone.

  Monster-boy reached out and took the wristband, sliding it onto his wrist.

  “When do we do it?” Ryder said.

  Zach breathed a sigh of relief. “We need to act fast,” he said. “Things are getting worse. There’s going to be a war if Mr. Majewski has his way. We need to do it tonight.”

  ❖ ❖ ❖

  They went to class, such as it was; in fact, their science teacher had given up trying to teach anything at all and had popped an old DVD into the player. Morton wasn’t all
owed to return to class, and the others had to go back to class without him. When Zach took his seat, Drew leant over and whispered “So, your brother’s one of those creeps?”

  “Shut up,” Zach hissed back. “Morton’s on our side!”

  Drew threw a pen at him. It missed and hit Vincent. Vincent threw a pencil case at Drew. Mr. Gary yelled at them, and ten minutes later, Drew tipped Vincent’s chair over.

  “That’s enough!” said Mr. Gary. “If you can’t control yourselves, we’ll sit here in silence!”

  He flicked the DVD player off, and by default, the TV switched over to Channel Twelve. Philip Nielson’s face filled the screen.

  “. . . discovery of yet another child. Just as in the case of Tommy Granger, this sudden return of a kidnapped child has police baffled.”

  Mr. Gary realised he should probably have tried this tactic earlier. Everyone in the room fell silent and froze in place, staring at the screen and straining to hear Philip Nielson’s words.

  “You can see behind me the North Silvershine Central Hospital, where the girl was taken.”

  Everyone leaned forwards.

  “This reporter hasn’t been granted access to the Intensive Care ward”—Philip looked very annoyed about this—“but we can reveal that the victim was found in much the same state as young Tommy Granger, unconscious and unresponsive. Whether she will recover fully is not apparent at this stage . . .”

  “I wonder who she is!” Lex said.