Colin and The Revenant

By M. E. Eadie

Is there ever a lack of villains? Not for Colin. In this third installment, Colin finds himself again in the thick of it. Abducted and transported to Faerie, he quickly finds himself at the heart of a terrible plot, a plot to wake a nightmarish creature from another dimension, a creature they call the Revenant. His only consolation is that he’s not alone. With him are his friends, Rhea, Spike, Melissa, Tan and Chloe.
Count Blandicus, the author of this plot, has manipulated events so that Colin will have no choice but to restore the Revenant to full form and then release it. To accomplish each restorative task, Colin and his friends must work with the creatures of Faerie, of which none can be trusted. They also learn that these creatures, known as shifters, are none other than creations of the Revenant itself. However, this is only one line within the web the vampire is spinning. His ultimate plan is to make Grizzelda, Colin’s aunt, his very own.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Adambooks
• Release date: Jan 24, 2013
• ISBN: 9781927586013

M. E. Eadie

Michael lives on an island in the Ottawa River with his six children and wife. Formerly a visual artist, he has turned his attentions to writing. The cover of "A Thousand Kisses Deep," is his own art work.He binds, by hand, his hard cover books. In his opinion it adds to the emotional value of the book.He invites any conversations on the matter of art.

Book preview

Colin and the Revenant

by

M.E. Eadie

* * * * *

PUBLISHED BY:

ADAM BOOKS on Smashwords

Colin and the Revenant

Copyright 2012 by M.E. Eadie

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Table of Contents

Chapter One: Dream

Chapter Two: Waiting

Chapter Three: The Entity

Chapter Four: The Castle

Chapter Five: Zombies

Chapter Six: A dip in the Loch

Chapter Seven: Nighty Night

Chapter Eight: The Script

Chapter Nine: Baern

Chapter Ten: Maestro’s Trap

Chapter Eleven: Instruction

Chapter Twelve: The first Challenge

Chapter Thirteen: Vampire Becoming

Chapter Fourteen: Shifters

Chapter Fifteen: Discovery

Chapter Sixteen: A surprise

Chapter Seventeen: The Keep

Chapter Eighteen: Another

Chapter Nineteen: Ultimatum

Chapter Twenty: No exit

Chapter Twenty-One: The Table

Chapter Twenty-Two: Show down

Chapter Twenty-Three: Werewolf Keep

Chapter Twenty-Four: Getting their bearings

Chapter Twenty-Five: Inbetween

Chapter Twenty-Six: The Keep of The Fifth

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Three Laboratories

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Maestro

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Transformation

Chapter Thirty: Of zombies and pirates

Chapter Thirty-One: Of Revenants

Chapter One: Dream

Drink it! commanded Zuhayer forcing the goblet of blood towards Millicent’s mouth. She shook her head vehemently pressing her lips together to make an unmovable, tight line.

She was older now, a grown woman, but when she dreamed it was as though she were a little child again, a little, helpless child. All her dreams, or more accurately, nightmares, seemed real: the edges of everything taking on a harder, more distinct line. However, some of them seemed silvery and blurred at the edges as if everything was under water. This dream was shockingly clear. All her dreams had one thing in common, her grandfather. In them he was saying strange things and doing strange and frightening things to her. In some of these dreams an acrid black smoke was involved. It was as though the smoke itself was alive and aware of her fear. It sniffed her like a hungry animal. This dream she was having felt real, real enough for her to fight against, even now after all these years...especially now.

Firmly she pressed her lips together. No matter how much the old man frightened her, she was determined not to open her mouth. She did not like the look of the liquid, nor did she like the smell of it. This was her line in the sand. To please him she would do anything, but a doubt was growing in her, a doubt that she would never be able to please him.

Zuhayer stepped back and appraised the little girl as one would gaze upon a challenge, trying to find a way to solve it. He knew a tonal increase in his voice would not work. Anyway, that was beneath him, the first resource of the uninventive. If she would not co-operate…no, he would not think that way, so much had been invested in her future, so much planning. If the project were to fail, the loss would be incalculable. To put her on her true path, he had to get her to drink the blood, the blood that would trigger the realization of all his engineered efforts. He gave her an unctuous smile. How could he explain to her that this was the beginning of a wonderful new future for her, a future of incalculable power. He pulled out a beautiful, ornate ring and held it before her eyes.

Do you like the ring?

Millicent nodded.

I’ll give it to you, and you won’t even have to take a sip, no conditions. It will be a gift, all right?

She nodded her head submissively, eyes wide. Anything was better than drinking. It smelled, but what bothered her was that she knew it was human blood. She had even seen her grandfather take it from a poor woman he had brought to the house. She had been a homeless woman, and through a crack in the doorway, she had seen him fill the goblet, the one he held before her now, with the woman’s blood.

He sensed that his granddaughter was still hesitant about accepting the ring. It had to be received fully, smoothly, without any barrier.

This ring was your mother’s, lied Zuhayer. I think she would like you to have it. Would you like it now?

Millicent nodded.

As he placed it on her finger a metal burr on the ring scratched her skin causing her to flinch away. She stared up at him with frightened eyes.

I’m sorry. He rubbed the ring and her finger. That better now?

She nodded. It did feel better.

Good. One, two, three, and he snapped his fingers.

In a trance, Millicent left his secret laboratory through the false wall that opened up into a dark passageway. Zuhayer watched the tiny form in her white smock leave. She was such a good girl, so intelligent. Her sister’s tendency to be emotional had disqualified her as a candidate, and besides, she did not have that inherent thirst for knowledge that Millicent had. He returned to the lectern upon which rested a large and ancient book. He flipped the pages and paused on a section called Lady Moors. Millicent was far too young for these experiments -- yet, he could imbue her with certain qualities that would make her a great mistress. She had refused to drink the blood, but he had been able to administer it to her anyway. In the ring there was a hidden compartment, which he had filled with the blood. When the ring scratched Millicent, the blood began to mix, beginning the process. The ring would remain with her long after the blood had been absorbed. The ring would always fit her; it was a thing of Faerie and perfect for his purpose. Maybe in time he would…but he was getting ahead of himself, one thing at a time. He would try a few things with his granddaughter and then expand them to other more fitting foils. It was all extremely complicated, but he revelled in it, because it involved great power. Eventually he would need help. He would need to involve Bevis, Bunk and Tellings, much to his regret, but he would only tell them what they needed to know to ensure compliance.

Oh, Millicent, you will indeed be great, greater than you can ever imagine, he said to himself as he continued to study.

Grizzelda woke from her dream, sheathed in sweat. She needed to scream control back into herself, and she would have indulged in it had she been alone. Marcus was still asleep, his large, blanketed from rising and falling gently. She held up her hand to examine the ring on her finger wondering, for the millionth time, if it had indeed belonged to her mother. She doubted it, not because it wasn’t beautiful, but because Zuhayer had been full of lies, and then there was the fact that she could not remove it.

Chapter Two: Waiting

From the highest tower (called a widow’s walk, a black iron railing with wicked spear points that ran around the perimeter) Colin looked out over the grounds of Horwood House. It was his favourite place. Here he could clear his mind and think. Out over the trees, and the roofs of the buildings in Rivertown, he could see the oddly shaped roof of Grandma Li’s pagoda and he wondered about Rhea. He felt lonely even with all the people at Horwood House. With Grizzelda, Marcus and The Circus in residence, the house was fit to burst, and then there was dad. Colin had thought things were going to start working out between the two of them, and then he introduced him to Scarlet, Lady Scarlet. Although the woman was diminutive, she filled up space with a latent power. With jet-black hair and an open smile that hid much, it was hard to tell what she was thinking about. Obviously she meant a lot to his father by the tender and considerate way he treated her. Colin deduced that the relationship had been going on for quite awhile, mostly in secret, and that was the crux of the matter. If his father could keep such an important thing secret…Colin didn’t trust secrets. Things were supposed to be open between the two of them, weren’t they? Lady Scarlet and Frederick were going to get married. What was he supposed to do with that?

Many things had happened rapidly. He had barely gotten a chance to know his mother’s ghost, Silverberry, before she was gone: that made him sad. His aunt, possessed by a Nix, had tried to kill him: a bit disturbing. His great grandmother, Charlotte Horwood, showed up looking for her shadow: a bit disappointing, because she was more Elf than family. Then there was the ghost of Sergeant Peary who had gotten married to Heather (another ghost): he was happy for him even though it meant he would never see the irascible soldier again. He had to depend on his friends because his family was either dead, or from Faerie, or too unpredictable. Hi son, this is Lady Scarlet, we’re going to get married. What was he supposed to do with that? Colin, dear, Marcus and I have decided to get married. Then Sergeant Peary, the confirmed bachelor: Sorry lad, you know how it is. You meet someone that takes your breath away, and you just got to get married. He hadn’t a clue about ghosts being able to marry ghosts. What was he supposed to do with any of it? He wouldn’t have been surprised if Maestro and Grandma Li decided to tie the knot, but the problem was, they were both gone. And on top of it all, he had to go to school, aunt’s orders.

All he wanted was to find someone to talk too, to sort out what had happened, but Rhea had become reclusive, hiding away with her mom at the Pagoda. Colin couldn’t blame her, especially after her mother had spent that time on the back of the Pooka (a shape shifting creature from Faerie). They had almost lost her, but now Bevis was stuck on the creature’s back, forever. Spike was too busy with Melissa, his sister and the Franks (a group of Hunters dedicated to keeping things from Faerie in Faerie).

Then there was everything else. Colin’s mind kept looping over it all, again and again. There were times when he would turn around and expect the Lady Moors to be looming up behind him, claws extended, red lips parting…but it was all in his head. He saw Devonish turning into ashes before his very eyes, and Count Blandicus, bat like in form, swooping down on him. Bevis, in the form of the Logheryman O’Brien, standing on the back of the great black horse, the Pooka, screaming at him, and the Gundyguts were eating everything. And above all, the black box, which had been made of his great grandmother’s shadow. He was opening it again and again, and each time he opened it different things happened. Terrible things. There had been too many ‘what ifs,’ and he had to sort them out. He wanted to ask somebody, yet found himself hiding the questions deep inside. If he could only get hold of Rhea, but she wasn’t returning his calls.

Colin felt the movement of air against his cheek and he swivelled around expecting to see Mable Worthy, one of the Lady Moors standing there. He knew it was a peculiar thought, because her talent, the talent that had been stolen from her and placed in the box, had been returned to her. Mable was still disturbing, but now quite nice. Colin’s eyes settled on the black form of his aunt who had appeared on the Widow’s walk.

Grizzelda appraised him quietly. She had a red rose pinned to her dress right over her heart. Her eyes were wide, but her face maintained that expressionless visage that made so many people nervous. She was looking extremely pale, almost sickly.

Colin, she began and then hesitated, I know we’ve had our differences, but no matter what has happened, I’ve had your best interest in mind.

Why was she beginning with an apology? His aunt rarely apologized for anything. Once she had even been willing to sacrifice him to Zuhayer. To be fair, she was possessed at the time, but still…Colin regarded his aunt and for a moment saw her as a tall, dark, lightning rod for his feelings of frustration. He exhaled his breath slowly and shrugged. No apology needed. I understand.

Grizzelda gave him a terse, difficult nod. Still, there are things I am truly sorry for. When Grandfather Thunder left, I may have over reacted, taken my duties to watch over you, Spike and Melissa too seriously. There are other things, things that concern me…Grandfather Thunder tried to help, but, Zuhayer…

Colin noticed her difficultly. What was she trying to say?

Colin, began Grizzelda again. She moved her hands indecisively, as if she was about to venture into a private, forbidden place. You’ve been wearing black a lot lately…

It matches my mood.

I know. I know, she tentatively touched the rose pinned over her left breast. It doesn’t hurt to add a little colour. She tentatively held out his old multi-coloured knitted cap as an offering, Sarah loved to wear colourful things.

His aunt had never mentioned the name of her sister, the sister she had accidentally killed in a fit of jealousy, his mother. There was no sense in even being angry, all that had been spent on Zuhayer. He just felt sadder, but still, he reached out and took the cap from her, thrusting it deep into one of his pockets. Thanks. Is there anything else? Colin didn’t mean to sound rude, but it came out that way.

Grizzelda was struggling to say something else. This… going to school. I don’t like it any more than you, but Frederick thinks it is a good thing. You’ll make new friends. You’ve got Rhea and Spike.

Colin looked at his aunt unable to hide the exasperated expression that had taken over his face. Since when did she submit to Frederick? Her relationship with Marcus must be making her soft. She was never easy to talk too, and now she was sounding like he was going off to some boarding school. It’s only down the road, right?

After a moment of stiffness his aunt nodded her head. Right, it’s only down the road. It was as if she was trying to believe her own words.

Grizzelda was about to say something else. She was fiddling with a ring on her finger, but just then Spike and Melissa poked their heads up through the hatch.

Thought you would be up here, said Spike glancing at Grizzelda warily. We’ve got to go. School time, ring-a-ding-a ling-time.

Colin looked at his aunt, and although he wanted to push past her, he waited for her to finish what she was really trying to say.

It’s all right, said Grizzelda, you go on. I’ve always enjoyed this view.

Colin slipped past her and followed Spike and Melissa down the winding, circular stairs. At the bottom Spike grinned and opened the ruck-sack he had on his back. At the bottom was a bruised apple, a half eaten sandwich and a package of fire-crackers.

Melissa looked at him disapprovingly.

What, shouldn’t we make a big bang on the first day?

And burn down the school? suggested Colin.

Exactly, said Spike getting more excited. Then he noticed the extremely anxious look on his sister’s face. Her time with Ofelia had made her even more compassionate, but still unable to speak. Don’t worry. I won’t burn down the school. I promise.

On their way out of the house they ran into Lady Scarlet. She was dressed, unlike her name, in white. At first Colin had thought it peculiar, but after a while he began to detest its overuse. Her hair was jet black and her slight over-bite made her look harmless enough, but there was something dangerous, lurking in those dark, black eyes. She insisted her eyes were brown, but they all knew they were black. She clasped her hands together excitedly. Her hair was piled up pretentiously on her head so that she resembled some ancient Roman Lady.

Off to school I see. Isn’t that wonderful?

I suppose, hesitated Colin, off balance by her cheerfulness.

Lady Scarlet had always seemed indifferent. It was interesting how the two of them, Grizzelda and Lady Scarlet, avoided each other: neither seeming to exist to the other.

She reached out and began to fuss over Colin’s clothes brushing them with her hand as though he was covered in lint. She gripped him by the shoulders and stood back to admire him.

You look so much like your father you know, so much like my Amour.

She called Frederick her Amour, Colin thought it was creepy, not because of her expression of love towards his father, but because the dead part in her eyes leaped to life when she said it.

Once away from Horwood House Spike turned to Colin.

That was weird.

Very, responded Colin.

Melissa made a couple of signs with her hands that indicated Lady Scarlet was as unstable as a squirrel without its nuts. They laughed. Colin wondered what his father saw in her.

He remembered the discomfort to which he announced their engagement. Frederick’s right arm was behind his back, fastened around his own left elbow, so he couldn’t escape. He always did that when he was nervous. Colin was reading another one of Grizzelda’s ‘must reads’, a dark book about a boy who gets devoured by a monstrous witch. It was a strange book because there was no happy ending. The boy gets eaten: the end. He looked for the publisher or the date of publication, but found nothing, but it was old, really old.

Colin, struggled Frederick, I have some news…

The Circus had only been at the house for a couple days and he already could sense his father’s restlessness. It was as though a fear of taking root in one particular place was too much for him.

Dad? asked Colin closing the book.

I have someone for you to meet…she’s very important to me…

It was almost as though he was waiting for permission. Colin waited for him to go on. The awkwardness of the moment continued to grow.

Lady Scarlet.

A woman dressed in white floated into the room and joined his father, side-by-side, arms intertwined. He smiled down at the woman; she couldn’t have been much taller than Colin was.

I thought you should be the first to know. We’re getting married…

A bolt of energy went through Colin and he stood up. Why should it matter if his dad was getting married? For some reason it did.

Am I?

Are you?

Am I the first to know?

Frederick seemed to shrink, the happiness draining from his face being replaced by discomfort. No, no, you’re not the first to know, it’s just a term of reference.

Then you shouldn’t use it, if it’s not true, should you? He used the same demanding tone that Grizzelda occasionally used on him in order to make him feel guilty. Then Colin picked up his book and left the room.

I’m assuming, said Spike as they trudged up the hill that led to High View School, "that we’re going to that school."

Colin stopped. Not once did anyone tell them what school they were going to. They were just expected to go to school, so he assumed… You know, I don’t really know.

Melissa’s hands fluttered asking if he had talked to Rhea about it lately.

I’d like to, but Rhea hasn’t been the easiest to get a hold of. Melissa frowned. I’ve tried, but ever since she took over The Pagoda…well, it has been impossible to get through to her.

Well, let’s go and pound on her door until she answers, said Spike.

Colin shrugged and watched Melissa sign. She was on Spike’s side for once. Sure, Melissa?

She nodded.

They changed their direction and started to walk towards Rhea’s. The sudden feeling of doom lurking in the shadows of the early morning followed them.

I don’t like this, said Spike. It all feels off, you know what I mean?

I do, agreed Colin.

Melissa’s hands flew. She had learned a lot during her time with Ofelia, and although she was three years younger than Spike, she was far more mature. She explained to them how everybody was so busy with themselves at Horwood House that they had been forgotten, not on purpose, but still forgotten.

I wish Sergeant Peary was still around, lamented Spike.

I do too. Colin also had the feeling that the ghost was getting on with his new life with Heather, strange that, getting on with life when you were dead.

Well there’s one good thing, said Spike, whatever school we go to, there won’t be any Devonish.

The disturbing image of the fat woman who had been one of Zuhayer’s initial Lady Moor experiments, going up in smoke like a candle, didn’t cheer him up. Spike…

Sorry.

Just then a familiar roaring sound rattled up the road from behind them. The Hunter’s garbage truck, which was much more than a garbage truck, came speeding up the road, a grinning Franky E behind the wheel. The breaks groaned as the big truck came to a stop, its grill only a whisker away. Franky G bounced down from the back and gave them a jovial greeting.

Sure glad we got the breaks fixed.

Spike agreed.

I thought garbage collection was every other day, pointed out Colin jovially, happy to see the Franks. They knew that the Franks, Tom and Sam, were much more than garbage collectors. They were Hunters, set in place to monitor any incursions from Faerie and maintain the integrity of Inbetween. Spike had become one of them, only for a short time, when Tom had been turned, temporarily into a demon, and there had been a vacancy in their ranks.

Franky G, the G was short for Gonzo, continued to give his over-the-edge grin as he approached. The three Franks were identical triplets. No collecting today. We took out the trash a while ago, thanks to you. What are you doing up here?

Grizzelda’s making us go to school, said Colin. The problem is we don’t know which school we’re going to.

Franky G rubbed his head. School? Up here? Your school isn’t up here. It’s back that way.

How do you know? asked Colin.

Everyone knows. What, you mean to say nobody told you we’d be dropping by to give you a ride to school? No, now that’s just irresponsible that is.

We were going to drop by Rhea’s to see if she knew where school was.

Franky G shook his head. She won’t be there. We already gave her a ride. Come on, let’s get going.

Nobody told us. We just assumed… explained Colin in disbelief.

No, really, I was just kidding about the irresponsible stuff. It’s supposed to be a secret. Grizzelda and Frederick know best. Jump on. We’ll give you a lift. Your school is in the other direction. It’s too far to walk.

Somewhat relieved but feeling a bit deceived, they jumped up onto the back of the garbage truck and held on. It was a first time for Melissa on the truck so Spike put an arm around her waist.

Better hang on tight, cautioned Spike. Franky E tends to go around the corners rather quickly.

The engine roared and the tires spun and plumes of burnt rubber rose. The first corner was met with such speed that the truck tipped up on two wheels, crashing back down onto four a moment later.

See what I mean, yelled Spike joyously.

Melissa nodded, her hair flaring out around behind her head like a flag; she gripped the iron rail tighter.

None of them noticed that beneath the sun, Franky G didn’t have a shadow.

The truck continued its helter-skelter ride down the street so fast that the buildings on either side of them began to blur.

Don’t you think we’re going a bit too fast, pointed out Colin. I mean what happens if we run into somebody?

Just then they barrelled down on a small car. It was strange, there should have been some horror on the driver’s face as he faced the onward rushing mass of the garbage truck, but it was as though they didn’t exist. They were going to collide with the car. Just as the grill touched the car’s bumper, it was gone, consumed. The truck gave a shuddering vibration and out behind them popped the car they had just run over.

Franky G shook his head and clapped Colin on the shoulder. No worries. Your school isn’t here, it’s in Faerie and we’ve got special permission. We’ve got to get up to speed or we can’t get there.

The blurring buildings and cars turned into streaks of colour, and then that colour turned into one impenetrable mass of white. Then silence. They were floating. The truck’s engine no longer roared; the wheels no longer spun, they were suspended in white space.

Where are we? asked Spike in whispered awe.

Franky G looked down at his watch. The numbers were counting down. When they reached 0:00 he banged on the side of the garbage truck and Franky E slammed the engine back into drive. Roaring to life the truck plummeted. Their descent made them feel like the bottoms of their stomachs had just dropped out. Their screams terminated when they slammed onto the ground. White flickered back to colour, streaks went to solid objects and finally the truck was blithely rolling along a rutted, partially grass covered path. It was perfectly clear that they had left Rivertown.

It was a strange landscape. The road was no more than two wheel ruts with a mound of grass in the centre. They were on some type of causeway. Surrounding them, on either side of the causeway, were two long expanses of water reflecting the colour of the sky on its placid surface. The sky was a peculiar combination of lavender and pewter, at once full of life and yet brooding because of the absence of it. To one side the distant shore rose up into towering, undulating hills that shouldered the water with an intense weight, and on the other, lower hills ribbed with what looked like paths. It was a sombre, stark mood, because nowhere could they find any evidence, any light section of the sky that indicated there was a sun.

Pretty aren’t they? chirped Franky G indicating the hills. Volcanic. Don’t worry; they’re not active any longer.

Colin didn’t know what Franky G was talking about. He had never seen a more dower or desolated set of hills in his life.

They continued to roll down the road. Not until Franky G got them to lean out and look ahead were they able to see their destination. Far down the causeway was a castle on an island. It seemed to grow out of the very earth of the island itself, as though the stones had arranged themselves in perfect pattern to create its walls and towers. There were different sections to the castle, most of which were pewter grey in colour, except the Keep: A particularly tall circular tower with a cone roof, and it was pink.

A pink castle? said Spike in disbelief. They want us to go to school in a pink castle?

Franky G gave a strange laugh, empty of his usual, carefree tone. It’s blood, mixed in with the harling that makes it pink.

The softening effect of the pink suddenly became sinister.

Oh, was all Spike could manage," as the road straightened out and they lost view of the castle.

The blood of what? asked Colin. You didn’t say whose blood made the castle tower pink.

Didn’t I? asked Franky G a fallacious look on his face. I’m sure I did.

No matter how hard Colin and Spike tried they could not get Franky G to talk any further about the castle, which was unusual for the garrulous Hunter.

Quickly the castle grew in size, looming formidably. The general demeanour of the castle was that of dire foreboding. The towers, joined together by a complex arrangement of curtain walls, battlements and sharply graded roofs, gave the impression of a prison and not a school. There was no light of welcome in the black, blank windows.

You’re certain this is our school? Where are we? asked Colin.

School, right, returned Franky G with a forced laugh, avoiding the question of location by looking busy. He looked different now, as though something dark had crept beneath his skin.

Colin felt a tug on his sleeve. Melissa wanted to say something. He watched her slender fingers flick deftly. Melissa’s eyes were of different colours. While her brown eye signalled compassion, her blue eye warned of justice, now both were full of fear. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. Something was wrong. Franky G gave her an irritated glance, and Colin wondered why. Then it hit him. He didn’t understand what she was saying, which was wrong, because the Franks, the real Franks could understand Melissa’s signing perfectly well.

Where are the other students, the teachers? probed Colin.

No students? They must be inside. We’re a bit early. We’ll be making some more trips. You’re the first batch.

Wait a second. You said you already gave Rhea a ride. What’s going on here? demanded Spike.

The truck lurched forward, spun about and Franky G pushed them. They fell onto the paving stones of the castle’s courtyard and watched as the garbage truck sped back down the causeway. They watched the truck disappear into the fog that had suddenly rolled up from the loch and covered the causeway. This left them cold and shivering. The castle’s walls now rose up over them, massive, threatening, and, strangely indifferent.

I suppose that’s answer enough, said Colin rising to his feet.

Melissa signed.

No, I don’t think that was Franky G either, confirmed Spike getting painfully to his feet.

Chapter Three: The Entity

The forbidden, everything hinged on that, breaking the seal and entering the forbidden prison. Count Blandicus now stood before it, unable to go back. He approached the outer