Silas and the Winterbottoms

by Stephen M. Giles

  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.

  As 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 realise 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. ‘It is a sign of character.’

  ‘Where are my cousins?’ Milo demanded. He thrust the book towards 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 Silas!’ he shouted. ‘I won’t let you.’

  ‘I suspect you are right, child,’ admitted Silas.

  Milo looked into the smouldering darkness of his uncle’s eyes. They glowed menacingly like two fiery 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. 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 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 scent of 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. 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 six metres 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 alligator, some five metres long, moved quickly inside, its thick legs tracking mud along the damp floor. Two smaller alligators that were snapping at a chicken carcass slunk away as the larger beast 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 jaws cracking open. It lunged forward, clawing rapidly towards Adele and Isabella.

  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 the haze began to lift. He tried to get up, pulling 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 which curled into a vent at the base.

  ‘There is no point in struggling,’ came the familiar voice of his uncle. 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,’ his uncle declared. ‘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 apologise 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. ‘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 yours, 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 all is 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 honoured, 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 amber liquid which he carefully poured into 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,’ said 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 towards Silas and the doctor.

  ‘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 gruesome contraption!’

  ‘Well, well,’ said Silas brightly, ‘so you are my assassin. How marvellous! I did not think you had it in you, Mrs Hammer; cutting the elevator cables 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 children who never did you any harm – it’s monstrous!’

  ‘Come now, Mrs Hammer,’ said Silas, moving slowly towards 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 have 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 . . . 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, a trail of blood quickly forming 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,’ said Mrs Hammer firmly. She pointed the blade at Dr Mangrove. ‘Free Milo now, Doctor!’

  Obediently Dr Mangrove hurried towards the chamber, reaching over to unbuckle the first restraint. Just then a series of terrified screams tore through the basement.

  Mrs Hammer instantly recognised the voices.

  ‘Adele!’ she cried, looking out towards the tunnels. ‘Isabella!’

  With fury in his black eyes Silas charged forward, knocking into Mrs Hammer with the full weight 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 and scooped 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.

  ‘What have you done to those girls?’ she demanded to know. ‘Which tunnel are they in?’

  Thrusting his hand against the back wall of the laboratory, Silas hit a small switch. Without warning a row of bars shot up from the floor in front of Mrs Hammer. The thick beams knocked the knife from her hand, sending her plummeting to the ground as the bars rose swiftly to the roof. In seconds the unconscious housekeeper was caged in the corner like an animal.

  ‘We have wasted enough time,’ hissed Silas, turning back to the Soul Chambers. ‘Let us begin immediately!’

  With a hideous grin Dr Mangrove turned a gauge on the control panel. A low hum filled the laboratory as the dome-shaped hatch closed over Milo, locking into place.

  With the chamber sealed, the boy’s screams could no longer be heard.

  ‘It’s coming for us!’ hollered Isabella. ‘It’s coming!’

  As the gigantic alligator clawed furiously along the damp tunnel, it let out a loud hungry growl revealing rows of jagged teeth. Picking up speed, the beast’s tail lashed the tunnel walls as it drew closer to the girls.

  ‘We have to do something!’ shouted Adele, her heart pounding like a hammer inside her chest.

  Tearing down the tunnel, the alligator was barely three metres from them when Adele, acting purely on instinct, stepped forward and kicked a large chicken carcass at the alligator. The plucked bird shot into the air and hit the reptile square in the snout with a thump. The dark beast growled, snapping furiously at the chicken, and then dropped from its haunches.

  ‘Good thinking, Cousin!’ cried Isabella.

  ‘He’ll try again,’ said Adele, catching her breath. ‘You can be sure of it. If only we had something sharp to cut these restraints.’ She pulled roughly at the straps on her wrist.

  Isabella let out a squeal. ‘Cousin . . . Cousin, I may have something!’ she cried.

  Pulling against the chains, Isabella turned her hips until she was able to slide a hand into her back pocket. Adele watched as an array of stolen property was hastily pulled out – a letter opener followed by a polished gemstone, then two pocket watches, a tie clip and, finally, some shiny toenail clippers.

  ‘Toenail clippers?’ gasped Adele. ‘You stole toenail clippers?’

  ‘They’re solid gold!’ snapped Isabella as she released the safety latch. ‘Besides, I only borrowed them.’

  Further down the tunnel the large beast turned towards them again, snarling furiously and lashing its tail about. Pushing on its thick stumpy legs, the reptile jumped onto the backs of several other alligators, clawing over them to get at the girls.

  It broke into a run.

  ‘Hurry, Cousin!’ cried Isabella. ‘Lean towards me so I can free you!’

  With trembling hands she began to cut through the thick leather restraints. The predator snapped hungrily as the first restraint was cut away. Frantically Adele grabbed a length of chain as the alligator lunged at her legs. She jumped back and swung the chain wildly, lashing the beast’s snout. The reptile’s flesh split open and it groaned loudly, dropping back.

  Without a second to spare, Adele grabbed the clippers from her cousin and finished cutting herself free then did the same for her cousin.

  Overcome by fury, Isabella grabbed two large pieces of water buffalo and hurled them at the reptiles.

  ‘Back off, you hideous beasts!’ she shouted.

  But the beasts did not back off. Instead, as if responding to a silent battle cry, they suddenly charged forward as a pack, dozens of hungry alligators in a battalion bearing down on a common enemy.

  Fearing that all hope was lost, Isabella shut her eyes and let out a blood-curdling roar.

  It was then that Adele remembered the grille she had spotted earlier.

  She raced forward, heading straight for the stampeding pack. The beasts pounded the damp tunnel floor, climbing over one another to get the first bite.

  ‘Cousin, come back!’ cried Isabella.

  Just inches from their hungry jaws, Adele spotted what she was looking for. Swiftly she pulled on a rusty lever set into the tunnel wall. It resisted her pull but she gritted her teeth and yanked it down. The steel gate above d
ropped like a curtain, puncturing one of the alligators through the jaw barely an inch from her foot. The pack of beasts came to a sudden stop, crushing against one another as they hit the gate.

  Running to her cousin, Isabella hugged her tightly. A mixture of relief and exhaustion overwhelmed them both.

  Suddenly Adele pulled away. ‘Milo,’ she said. It was all she needed to say.

  Nodding in agreement Isabella grabbed her cousin’s hand and together they raced down the darkened tunnel, praying they weren’t too late.

  A DEATH IN THE FAMILY

  ‘In just a few minutes you will be reborn,’ promised Dr Mangrove as he lowered Silas’s frail body into the empty chamber. ‘As you know, the process is brief. The first minute will prepare your soul for transference. After that, the exchange will happen rapidly. At last you will be free of this dying body.’

  Silas grabbed the doctor’s hand. ‘I will never forget all that you have done for me, Dr Mangrove.’ His eyes pulsed with exhilaration. ‘And this is just the beginning, dear friend. Next it shall be your turn. We will find the Panacea and you shall be free. With my fortune and your genius we will be unbeatable!’

  The doctor nodded hungrily.

  ‘And if anything were to go . . . awry,’ whispered Silas, ‘you know what to do.’

  ‘Plan B,’ said Dr Mangrove, settling his patient into the chamber. ‘I will see to it.’

  He turned the gauge. The domed hatch began to close over Silas.

  ‘The next time we meet,’ said the doctor, ‘you will be Milo Winterbottom.’

  ‘Indeed,’ whispered Silas as the hatch sealed shut. Turning his head he looked through the thick panels of glass to the second chamber and saw his nephew struggling against the restraints, the veins in his neck bulging. Milo caught sight of his uncle and screamed at him. Silas grinned back, basking in the warm glow of victory.