Before Adele could answer, Silas came to a stop just beyond his nieces’ reach. He observed them carefully, a boyish grin spread across his ghostly face.
“Captivity suits you, Adele,” he said crisply. “The fear and anger in your eyes is actually rather beautiful. It almost makes one forget about your hair. And you, Isabella, after so many years of crime, how does it feel to finally be in chains?”
“You deranged skeleton!” spat Isabella. “I may be a criminal, but at least I’m not crazy!”
Gazing anxiously at the trail of raw meat lining the tunnel, Adele said, “Uncle Silas, what are going to do to us?”
“Nothing, child,” Silas told her softly. “I am not going to do a thing.” He sighed. “However, I cannot say the same for my alligators. You see this tunnel connects directly to the swamp and in exactly one hour the gates will open and my alligators will be free to come in—it will be lunchtime, so naturally the poor beasts will be starving.” Silas tipped the box upside down and a pool of animal blood splashed across the tunnel floor. “The meat is just an incentive; you are the main meal, and I am quite sure the reptiles will find you utterly delicious.”
Isabella began to scream wildly. “Help! Someone help us...Please!”
“No one will hear you down here, child,” said Silas.
“You’re a monster,” said Adele softly, her eyes downcast.
Her uncle smiled warmly. “Not for much longer, child.”
Without warning a shudder pushed through Adele and her eyes flew open. A flood of memories, like pages from a book, flipped rapidly through her mind. She recalled being in the storeroom with Isabella and her uncle. Then the floor fell away…the next memory she had was of mumbled voices and movement through the tunnels, the damp walls slipping by. And something else; a flash of light glimpsed through an open door. Inside was a brightly lit room with a pair of glass coffins in the center and a bank of machines along the wall.
Adele gasped. Not coffins—chambers. Two glass chambers!
“I saw it,” said Adele, fear coating each word. She looked fiercely at her uncle. “I saw what you’ve built! It’s the chamber Dr. Mangrove dreamed up all those years ago; the missing chapter from his book. I’m right aren’t I? When I first read his insane theories about cheating death I thought it was impossible.” Adele was shaking her head, her face pale. “It couldn’t be true. Mangrove believed a human soul could move between bodies and that awful contraption is how he…how you plan to do it.” Tears of anger and helplessness crowded her eyes. How cruel it was to finally understand what her uncle was planning now that it was too late to stop him…and too late to save Milo.
“You’re going to steal Milo’s body,” she whispered. “That’s what this is all about, isn’t it, Uncle Silas?”
“Steal Milo’s what?” yelled Isabella, unable to believe what she was hearing.
“It’s an evil thing you’re doing!” said Adele bitterly. “A horrible, terrible, evil thing!”
“Indeed,” agreed Silas. “But utterly brilliant, don’t you think? My body is dying, and I need a new one. Dr. Mangrove’s genius has made that possible.” He raised his hand waving at his nieces. “Farewell, children. Apart from this unfortunate ending, I do hope you enjoyed your time here at Sommerset.”
Turning his chair, Silas taxied down the tunnel, leaving a track of bloody tire prints in his wake. The girls could hear their uncle humming contentedly to himself. At the mouth of the tunnel, he stopped suddenly.
“Oh, and don’t worry about your parents,” he told them. “They will be contacted in a day or two and told that there has been a terrible accident: you two inquisitive girls were exploring down in the basement when you accidentally wandered into the wrong tunnel and oops—eaten alive by a pack of hungry alligators.”
Laughing softly, Silas exited the tunnel with the terrified screams of his nieces ringing in his ears.
22
Trapped
As Milo crossed the entrance hall he felt it—the eerie silence that had settled around Sommerset like a fog. It was as if the entire island was a deserted ship. Hopping toward the front door, he passed the mangled elevator shaft, swinging his broken leg over the cracked stone floor. He was on a mission to find Moses and make him talk. Whatever secrets the old gardener was holding about Silas Winterbottom, it was time he spoke them aloud.
After all, Adele and Isabella’s lives might very well depend on it.
Milo did not believe for one minute that his cousins had been sent home. A rumbling in the very pit of his stomach told him that the girls were still on the island. They were close, he could feel it. But where?
Grabbing the door handle, Milo made a silent vow to do whatever it took to find them. Locked. He tried again. The door would not budge. Milo’s breathing began to quicken as it hit him—he was trapped inside Sommerset House. A prisoner.
“Can I help you, Master Milo?” said Bingle from behind him.
Milo turned his head. “Why is this door locked?”
The head butler was carrying a tray containing a pot of tea and a selection of freshly baked biscuits from the kitchen. He cleared his throat. “Well, sir,” he said, “your uncle felt it best that you stay indoors. Just for today. It’s awful chilly outside.”
“Open this door, Bingle,” said Milo sharply. “Open it now!”
“I’m afraid I can’t do that, sir.” He noticed Milo glancing off toward the drawing room. “You will find, Master Milo, that all of the doors are locked.”
“Where is my uncle?” Milo demanded to know. “I want to see him!”
“The master is taking a meeting in his study,” explained Bingle calmly. He walked toward a circular table in the center of the entrance hall. “You do not look at all well, Master Milo. Let me help you back up to your bedroom.” Carefully Bingle placed the tray on the table. “Yes, I think that is best. Your uncle will come and see you as soon as he is able.”
Bingle turned back to escort the boy upstairs, but he had vanished. Once again, Sommerset House was silent.
***
Hopping up the narrow staircase, Milo ascended to the second floor of the library. He had been searching a good hour or more, going over every inch of the place looking for the secret compartment. Adele had disappeared before she could tell him the exact location, and Milo knew that if he wanted to find a way into the basement, then he would need the blueprints.
Weaving between the towering bookcases he ran his eyes over every shelf. It had to be here somewhere. Turning into the last aisle, Milo immediately noticed the jumble of books still scattered on the ground where Adele had left them. His heart skipped a beat. Adele would never leave books lying around; she cared for them too dearly.
Fast as he could, Milo hopped down the aisle. He saw it immediately. The concealed bookshelf was still wide open. It didn’t take long for him to realize that the books scattered on the floor must be the contents of the hidden vault. Milo sifted through the pile looking for the blueprints, coming swiftly to the last tome. The Science of the Soul by Dr. Mikal Mangrove. He studied the cover closely. This was the book Adele had told him about.
“The soul is a fascinating thing,” said Silas.
Milo gasped, spinning around. The master of Sommerset sat before him. He looked frail, his long hair shielding much of his face, his head bent forward like he was having trouble holding it up.
“I admire your determination, Milo,” said Silas softly. “It is a sign of character.”
“Where are my cousins?” Milo demanded to know. He thrust the book toward his uncle. “Here’s the secret you’ve been trying so hard to protect—you and Dr. Mangrove. I think Adele and Isabella discovered what you were up to, and you removed them just like you remove everything that gets in your way.” Milo pushed his crutches away and lunged forward, gripping the armrests of the wheelchair. “You won’t get away with this, Uncle S
ilas!” he shouted. “I won’t let you.”
“I suspect you are right, child,” admitted Silas.
Milo looked into the darkness of his uncle’s eyes. They glowed menacingly like two bottomless pits.
“I will not get away with it,” said Silas with a faint smile, “but you will.”
A hand came from behind Milo and pushed a rag into his face, covering his nose and mouth. He struggled to pull the hand away, but the grip was too firm. Rapidly the fumes took effect and Milo’s body went limp as he fell into unconsciousness.
Easing the boy’s body to the ground, Dr. Mangrove grinned excitedly at Silas.
“Now we can begin.”
***
When the first alligator clawed its way into the tunnel, Isabella’s scream tore through the place like an explosion. The beast sniffed the air with hungry curiosity. The scattered chicken and water buffalo soon lured others, exciting their senses. The slick dark beasts gradually moved deeper inside the tunnel.
“Help us!” shouted Isabella, her face red with strain. “Someone help! We’re going to be eaten!”
“No one can hear you,” said Adele anxiously, fear stinging her voice. She looked about the tunnel desperately. “There’s got to be a way out of this!”
“Then find it, cousin!” screamed Isabella.
Adele noticed a metal grille secured to the ceiling about twenty feet in front of her. She couldn’t be sure, but it looked like some sort of gate.
“Look,” she said, pointing, “up there—”
“Grrrrrrrrrrrr!”
A fierce snarl vibrated down the tunnel. Both girls looked up as a monstrous-looking alligator, some fifteen feet long, moved quickly inside, its thick legs tracking mud along the damp floor. Two smaller alligators that were gathered around a chicken carcass slunk away from the larger beast as it approached. The huge reptile prowled close to the abandoned carcass, then lunged swiftly, its jagged teeth snapping down on the meat, swallowing it whole.
Both girls screamed, pulling wildly on the chains as if they might tear them from the concrete. Adele began to cry, unable to control the fear pumping through her veins. They were going to be eaten alive!
Suddenly the reptile stopped. Its wet eyes slid around, fixing on them.
“It’s seen us!” cried Isabella, her voice cracking.
“Shh!” warned Adele. “Be quiet. Don’t move.”
Both girls were silent. Completely still.
The alligator seemed to lose interest, turning away. Then, without warning, the beast roared, its fierce jaw cracking open. It lunged forward, clawing rapidly toward Adele and Isabella.
23
The Soul Chamber
Darkness. Darkness everywhere. Then a white light. It stung his eyes. He blinked, lifting his hand to block out the harsh glare…but he couldn’t move. He was strapped down. His arms and legs tightly secured.
“Maestro!” he called out. “Maestro, where are you?”
“Relax, Milo,” a soothing voice told him.
Gradually his eyes adjusted to the light. Milo looked up and saw a man looming over him—his round, hairless face resembled the moon in orbit. He was smiling, his eyes no more than two small slits, his teeth a putrid yellow.
“I am Dr. Mangrove,” he told the boy. “I am here to help you. Do not worry if you feel a little groggy—that is merely the chloroform wearing off.”
Chloroform? Milo struggled to make sense of anything. Then gradually the haze began to lift. He tried to get up, straining against the restraints.
“Let me go!” he shouted, struggling in vain. “Let me out of here!”
Although Milo could not see it, he was strapped inside one of two rectangular chambers placed side by side in the underground laboratory. Constructed of thick glass, the chambers were linked by two large pipes locked into a panel of silver valves at the side of the machines. The panel contained numerous small levers and gauges and each had a timer set at 2.00 minutes. At the end of each chamber was a copper test tube attached to a drip that curled into a vent at the base.
“There is no point in struggling,” came the familiar voice of his uncle. Unable to see above the chamber, Milo turned his head and saw the jubilant face of Silas Winterbottom peering at him through the thick glass.
“We are pioneers, Milo, and today we make history,” he declared passionately. “You see, child, you and I are about to make an exchange. An exchange of souls.” He leaned closer to the chamber wall. “I am taking your body, Milo. I sincerely apologize for the condition of the one you are getting in return. I am afraid it is dying. Still, you will not have to live with it for long, so I do not suppose it really matters.”
“You’re crazy!” Milo shouted. “It’s not possible!”
“Oh, but it is,” said Silas softly. “Dr. Mangrove has kept his body alive for nearly two hundred years—the man is a genius beyond measure. This magnificent machine you are strapped into is his life’s work; he rather poetically calls it the Soul Chamber. Once I take my place in the chamber next to you, our souls will be transferred in a matter of minutes.” Silas smiled. “I’ve been paying such close attention to you these past weeks; you probably thought I found you terribly fascinating. Alas, dear boy, you are rather dull when it’s all said and done. The truth is, I needed to observe you carefully so that I could replicate your tedious little personality—thus avoiding any suspicion once your body becomes my own. You should be honored, Milo, you were always my first choice. Your cousins were merely an insurance policy in the event that you proved unsuitable for the transference. Mercifully, Isabella and Adele are no longer needed. In fact, I would imagine that by now they are rather…dead.”
Like a wounded tiger, Milo let out a colossal roar, his hot breath fogging up the chamber walls.
“Naturally you hate me.” Silas sighed wistfully. “I do not blame you. I am stealing your future, after all. But you must understand that I have to do this. Death is ready for me, but, you see, I am not ready for death. Soon the world will believe I am you, and tomorrow, following the death of Silas Winterbottom, you…that is, I will become Sommerset’s new heir. It is a shame I could not convince you to publicly accept your role as heir apparent, but fear not. Your change of heart will be perfectly believable.”
“You can’t do this!” yelled Milo violently. “Let me out of here!”
Silas shook his head. “Never.”
As Milo strained to free himself, he spotted Dr. Mangrove from the corner of his eye working busily at a panel of computers lining the far wall. Soon the doctor approached the chamber, carrying a small container of honey-colored liquid, which he carefully poured in the copper test tube.
“We are ready,” Dr. Mangrove announced. “Silas, it is time for you to take your place.”
Silas closed his eyes. “At last,” he whispered.
“I’m afraid I can’t let you do that, sir,” declared a voice from behind them.
Standing in the doorway holding a long-bladed knife was Mrs. Hammer. Her hand was trembling and the sharp blade flared under the bright lights of the laboratory. She moved toward Silas and the doctor, waving the knife in front of them.
“Mrs. Hammer!” shouted Milo desperately. “I’m in here, Mrs. Hammer!”
“Mercy! Are you hurt, Milo?”
“No.” He struck the sides of the chamber. “I just want to get out of this thing!”
“Free the child at once,” she ordered, pointing at Silas. “Take him out of that monstrous contraption!”
“Well, well,” said Silas brightly, “so you are my assassin. How marvelous! I did not think you had it in you, Mrs. Hammer, cutting the elevator ropes and so on. I am impressed.”
“Be quiet!” she snapped. “I don’t care what you think of me! When I overheard you and that so-called doctor talking about the children like they were animals in a zoo, I decided then
and there to stop you. You’ve done some dreadful things over the years, sir, and much to my shame, I’ve helped you do them…but I never thought you were capable of this. Hurting these dear children who never did you any harm—it’s monstrous!”
“Come now, Mrs. Hammer,” said Silas, moving slowly toward the housekeeper, “we both know you are not really going to use that knife.” He held out his hand. “Give it to me before you hurt yourself, dear lady.”
“Perhaps, sir, you don’t know me as well as you think,” declared Mrs. Hammer, her lips forming a snarl. “I don’t consider myself a violent woman, but did you know I dreamed up dozens of ways to kill you? Oh, yes. Quiet ways, clever ways, tidy ways. But in the end, I wanted your death to be as black as your heart. That is why I chose the elevator. I cut the cable and prayed that it would become your coffin.” Her lips drew together tightly. “But you managed to save yourself…and more’s the pity!”
“The knife, Mrs. Hammer,” said Silas calmly, moving ever closer. “Give it to me.”
“I told you to get back!” she cried, tightening her grip on the knife.
With a flash of steel, Mrs. Hammer swung violently, cutting across the back of Silas’s outstretched hand. The flesh sliced open, quickly bleeding a trail along his arm. Silas stared at the wound, transfixed by the sight of his own blood.
“You will not harm one hair on that boy’s head,” declared Mrs. Hammer firmly. She pointed the blade at Dr. Mangrove. “Free Milo now, Doctor!”
Obediently, Dr. Mangrove hurried toward the chamber, reaching over to unbuckle the first restraint. Just then a series of terrified screams tore through the basement.
Mrs. Hammer instantly recognized the voices.
“Adele!” she cried, looking out toward the tunnels. “Isabella!”
With fury in his black eyes, Silas charged forward, knocking Mrs. Hammer backward with the full force of his wheelchair. She fell to the ground in the corner of the laboratory, the knife slipping out of her hand. Scrambling across the floor, she reached for the blade just as Silas swung down scooping it up. As he pulled away, Mrs. Hammer grabbed his bony wrist, squeezing it fiercely until Silas was forced to drop the knife. She grabbed it, climbing to her feet.
The Body Thief Page 15
