The Turnkey of Highgate Cemetery by Allison Rushby

Author:Allison Rushby [Rushby, Allison]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780763699246
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Published: 2017-08-15T04:00:00+00:00

Flossie and Violet followed the car along the bridge and then through a gatehouse that led into a strange triangular stone courtyard. Flossie realized the castle was formed in the shape of a triangle as well.

In the courtyard, another guard opened the door of the car, and the man inside alighted. He was tall and wore glasses, and by the way everyone around him saluted him with one arm outstretched, Flossie could tell he was important. Very important indeed.

He proceeded through a door held open by yet another guard and into the interior of the castle. He walked quickly, intent on his destination, and Flossie and Violet had to almost run to keep up. As they went, Flossie noticed the wood paneling and the carpets and tapestries upon the walls. Violet touched one of the tapestries as they passed by.

Another bad feeling — Flossie could see the horror written on Violet’s face.

“This doesn’t belong here,” Violet said, her hand pulling back abruptly. “I think it might be stolen.”

They reached a doorway and the man passed through it, but Flossie grabbed Violet and held her back in case Viktor Brun was in the room. The pair checked the area carefully. When there was no sign of him, they entered.

It was a spectacular room, circular with twelve stone pillars around the perimeter and long, thin windows on the outer walls behind. A huge round oak table sat in the middle of the room with twelve seats, punctuated by a special one — a heavy wooden oak chair. It was carved with intricate designs that included swastikas. Only this seat remained empty. The other eleven seats were already taken. The men rose, saluting the man Flossie and Violet had followed inside the castle, and he took his seat in the heavy oak chair.

Silence fell over the room.

The man turned to the person on his right and said something in German.

“He wants to know if Viktor Brun is here,” Violet said. “In the room.”

The man he’d asked, who was short and dark and much older than everyone else in the room, closed his eyes and began to whisper.

“Oh!” Violet gasped, hearing his words. “He’s a spiritualist.”

It took some time before the spiritualist opened his eyes and answered the question he’d been asked about Viktor Brun.

“He says he’s not here yet,” Violet translated.

“But he can’t really know that. Can he?”

Violet hesitated. “Normally I would say no, but the crystal skull might mean that Viktor Brun is more able to be sensed by the living.”

Flossie began to worry. “If he can sense him, won’t he be able to sense us as well?”

Violet raised her eyebrows. “Perhaps, but what could he do about it?”

Flossie’s eyes moved to the doorway. The spiritualist might not have been able to do anything about their presence, but Viktor Brun was of their world. “And Viktor Brun? Won’t he feel us?”

“It’s possible,” Violet answered, her mouth set in a grim line. “There are many dead here. Can’t you feel them?”

“No,” Flossie said. As a Turnkey, she was only attuned to the cares and needs of her interred.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.