Melody of Dimensions

By Leonard Kail

For those of you who have been unfortunate enough not to have read the previous books involving John and Melody Simpson I will endeavour to bring you up to date. John owned a successful photographic business and did a lot of work for the home countries Tourist Boards. As well as being, a successful businessperson John was also involved in a completely different project. Some time ago, Johns Father was seriously ill with a rare strain of leukaemia and was not, expected to live. While John was travelling to his parents house in the Forest of Dean to be with his father, he literally bumped into a wizard from a Parallel Dimension.
The wizard disappeared and then three people from the same dimension appeared and asked Johns help in capturing the wizard who was trying to take over the other world. In repayment for his help, they cured Johns Father and he is now in the best of health. John was, contacted by Merlin, who is the legendry wizard from King Arthurs court and he was, warned about the as they were not what they seemed. He was then, given help to rid this world of all the intruder using a powerful and beautiful ring, which allowed him to perform magic and to defend himself against attack. John was asked by Merlin to help him to keep this world free from the attentions of parallel worlds and was given extra powers to help with this.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Mar 13, 2014
• ISBN: 9781491895719

Leonard Kail

Leonard Kail was born in the city of Bristol in 1940. He spent nine years as an instructor in weapons in the British army, which he left in 1967. On leaving the army, he trained as an engineer and worked in the industry until 1992, when he had to leave due to illness. He later worked as an office manager. He has always been interested in science and started writing ten years ago. He has been married to his wife, Joyce, for fifty-three years and lives in Bristol.

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

The Cornish hotel was doing well since it had, been, upgraded and extra accommodation and swimming pool added, and the English Tourist Board now considered it to be an all year round hotel. A gangster by the name of Roberto Patelli had tried to muscle in and take control of the Hotel nearly two years ago but he reckoned without John and Melody Simpson who made him wish he had never heard of the place. John and Melody Simpson were, made partners in the hotel by the owner, in repayment for the assistance in financing the improvements and handling the advertising.

John owned a successful photographic business and did a lot of work for the home countries Tourist Boards. As well as being, a successful businessperson John was also involved in a completely different project. Several years ago, John’s father was seriously ill with a rare strain of leukemia and was not, expected to live. John was traveling to his parent’s house in the Forest of Dean to be with his father, when he literally bumped into a wizard from a Parallel Dimension.

The wizard disappeared and then three people from the same dimension appeared and asked Johns help in capturing the wizard who was trying to take over the other world. In repayment for his help, they cured Johns Father and he was now in the best of health. It appeared that the all those from the parallel world were in a power struggle and would cause major problems in this world no matter who won. John was, contacted by Merlin, who was the legendry wizard from King Arthur’s court and he was, warned about them. He was then, given help to rid this world of all the intruders, and he was, given a powerful and beautiful ring, which allowed him to perform magic and to defend himself against attack.

John was, asked by Merlin to help him to keep this world free from the attentions of parallel worlds and was, given extra powers to help with this. The last time that he was in contact with Merlin was nearly two years ago and at that time Merlin had told Melody and him to relax for two years as the next problem that required their attention was not for two years. They were, shown a newspaper that gave them some idea of the problem, which was, dated two years in the future and the date on that newspaper was now getting close.

Since the last time he spoke with Merlin John has been assisting scientists to understand a collection of alien machinery, which was left on Earth to assist in space travel and robotics. John was with the assistance of Melody translating the wording on those pieces of machinery to help the scientists understand the workings. The aliens who left the equipment had been, helped to return to their home world by John and Melody and the equipment, which was, left, was, designed to assist the people of Earth to eventually, travel to the stars.

The translation work on the equipment was now complete and Melody and John had just returned from a three-week holiday in Lanzarote with John’s parents and his sister. They stayed in the same hotel that John’s parents had stayed in the last time they were there.

John and Melody had an office to the rear of their house, which they used for photographic contract work in the South of England and Wales the rest of the Country was, handled by John’s Manchester office.

The day after they returned home they decided to have an early night, as they were both tired after their journey home and the work that they had to put in to catch up on their mail. They went to bed at ten o’clock and fell asleep almost at once. John awoke with a start, looked around the room, and saw a shadowy figure standing by the door. He knew that it was not Melody as she was snoring softly beside him, so who was it.

Do not be alarmed John it is I, Merlin I am not here in person this is just an image I sent to invite you to come to my cave in the morning, will that be convenient?

That will not be a problem we have caught up with the mail and were going to have a relaxing day so, a day in Cornwall will be idea.

I will see you and Melody soon.

With that, the image of Merlin vanished and the room was once more quiet. Over breakfast, John told Melody about the night visitor and she asked him why he had not wakened her up. John said that she appeared so peaceful and lovely even in the dark that he did not want to spoil it.

Melody grinned and asked when they would be leaving; he replied that they would go once they had washed up. He said that Melody should leave a note for the housekeeper to let her know what had to be done. Melody and John walked into the hotel at nine thirty and Melody carried a bag in which was a couple of swimming costumes and towels. They walked into the lounge bar, which was quiet at that time of day, as it did not officially open until ten. The barperson saw them straight away and brought their usual drinks straight to their table.

A few minutes after they arrived Pete the major share holder in the hotel came into the bar and joined John and Melody at their table. And what brings you down here today I thought you were on holiday with your parents John?

We arrived back a couple of days ago and we have to see someone down here shortly.

Will you want lunch while you are here?

Melody answered, Yes but make it a cold buffet as we have been eating all the wrong things for the last three weeks.

Pete laughed and said that he would arrange it for two o’clock if that, would be all right. Melody nodded and Pete said that he had a bit of work to do in the office and he would see them later. After they finished their drink John and Melody decided to visit Merlin and after looking around and seeing no one about they, disappeared to materialize instantly in the walled of part of the hotels cellar.

John switched on a small torch, which he had brought with him, and Melody and he walked over to the apparently blank wall and activated a secret door, which opened into a passageway, which led to Merlin’s cave. When they reached the door sealing Merlin’s cave it opened easily as usual and when they entered, they found Merlin waiting for them. Merlin was smiling broadly and greeted them by saying,

"Welcome back it has been a long two years please be seated I have something to show you. After they had made themselves, comfortable Merlin continued.

Before I show you what you might consider a film, I must ask, how did, you enjoy your break.

Melody replied, To be honest we got a little bored at times, we missed the challenge from across the dimensions."

Well I think I may be able to give you something to keep you from being bored first I want you to watch something it is from your last visit.

A picture appeared on the wall opposite and they saw I was an image of their last visit to the cave. They walked into Merlin’s cave to find him seated in his usual chair and reading a newspaper, which surprised them completely.

I didn’t know you had papers delivered here, said John with a smile.

Merlin looked up and asked them to take their usual seats and that he would be with them in a moment. After a couple of minutes, he put the paper down and looked across at them.

Well how is the Knoll project coming on, he asked, I know the Aliens have left but have the scientists found anything interesting among the items left behind?

Everything went well and we had a little trip in their ship, they took us around the Solar System and we had a close look at all the planets. I think the scientists have enough to keep them busy for years to come.

Well I guess you are wondering why I want to see you and why I am reading a newspaper.

That thought did cross my mind; you don’t usually want to see us just to pass the time of day.

Merlin passed the newspaper over to John and asked him to read the story that he had underlined and let him know what he thought of it. John read the story, which was, highlighted and then without saying a word passed it to Melody.

Now that looks nice I have always fancied a trip to Ireland, said Melody.

This is something different from what you have done before and I am going to have to update your rings to deal with it, said Merlin.

As you can see from the story in the newspaper there appears to be a problem in a small village in Tipperary Apparently the locals will not leave their homes after dark. Strange things have been happening in the village and the surrounding countryside. The local Lord of the Manor was not a very nice man and as he owned the majority of the property in the area he was able to charge whatever rent he thought they could afford without forcing his tenants to pack up and leave the village.

Well the Lord died a few months before this story was printed. Apparently he died in mysterious circumstances from what appears to have been mushroom poisoning. It seems some poisonous fungi somehow got mixed in with the mushrooms or was put there intentionally. Well any way before he died he cursed the village and every one living in and around it and from just after a month after his death strange ghostly figures have been, seen roaming the streets. They have also been seen on the Manors estate after dark and several mutilated bodies have been discovered including the local priest who tried to exercise the evil spirits.

What do you want us to do I would have thought a priest would be better equipped than us?

Apparently not as one has been murdered but there is one thing that makes me suspicious and I believe that things are not as they appear. The Lord had only one living legitimate relative and the terms of the will state that Peter Finnegan must spend seven days and nights in the Manor or the inheritance will pass to the illegitimate son of the Lord from an old relationship.

Now I want you to take a look at the front page of the newspaper and tell me what you notice.

John took the paper from Melody and spent a few minutes looking at the front page and then shaking his head handed it back to Melody.

I can’t see anything relating to the story we have just been reading, he said.

I think I know what Merlin is getting at, look at the date of the paper. She said. It is dated two years from now.

That is correct, I want you to investigate it but not for two years, so relax and enjoy your life and I will see you in two years.

With that, he vanished. Moreover, so did the pictures from the wall. John was quiet for a short while and then said, I gather from you asking us to join you here means it is time to take a trip to Ireland. Have you discovered anything else about the problem?

Yes, it appears that this illegitimate son is a nasty piece of work, his name is Trelawney O’Donovan and he lives fairly close to the Manor in a place called Roscrea, the Manor is near the village of Dungar which is the village under siege.

When you say that he is a nasty piece of work what exactly do you mean?

He and his Mother before him have been engaging in the practice of witchcraft virtually all their lives. His Mother used her powers to help the local people with healing potions and advice but her son was a completely different type.

He has used his knowledge to help criminals and has been paid huge sums of money for his services but recently he has come across the Lepricorns.

And what are the Lepricorns; I have heard of them of course but thought that they were a myth, just a story put about to encourage tourism.

O they are far from being a myth, they are from a parallel world and they arrived here several hundred years ago but something went wrong with their portal and they have been stuck here ever since. Luckily, they were able to work out a way to stay in this dimension and they are able to live here and directly affect things around them.

They have kept themselves to themselves up until now but Trelawney has perfected a spell to control them and use them for his own purpose. There are only a dozen of them but he has turned them into nasty creatures.

He is now using them to attack the villagers and frighten the heirs to the Manor away or kill them.

Can the means of their returning to their own dimension be restored?

I believe if you destroyed the portal they would be returned to their own dimension in the same way as all the others but first we must find the portal.

Have you any idea where the portal might be?

It is somewhere between Dungar and a place called Agdulf that is as close as I can get.

We will have to do a lot of searching then, now about our rings?

They are on your hands and they will protect you from Trelawney but you must have them operational at all times.

Surely this will put innocent people at risk.

I have modified the defense and it will operate if you are attacked but will not harm anyone you meet who are friendly. Everything else will work as before but it is more powerful.

John and Melody looked at their rings and they were even more beautiful than before and shone with an inner brightness that was almost blinding.

The glow will fade shortly and it will look as before, the light is there to show me that the rings are now modified.

Sure enough, the glow started to fade and soon the rings looked like normal rings.

One more thing which may help you, discover the whereabouts of the portal. If you come across a Lepricorn and stun it the shock may bring it out of the trance Trelawney has put on it. It may then be able to tell you where the portal is.

CHAPTER 2

Back in the hotel, they discovered that they had been with Merlin for over two hours and it was now twelve fifteen so they decided to go for their swim. They had not seen the new swimming pool and they were impressed. It was indoors and was, made to look like a tropical lagoon. There was also a water slide, which was idea for children as it ended in a shallower part of the pool. At one end, there was a poolside bar, with a dozen tables scattered around and once they were changed, they had a quick dip and then went to the bar for a refreshing drink. The bar person was a young woman who they had not seen before and John gave her his name and asked her to put the drinks on his bill.

She told him that she had only started working there a few days ago and that she would have to check with the owner. John smiled and he was impressed in the way she handled his query but he said.

By all means check with Pete that is the correct thing to do and he will tell you that I am one of the owners of the hotel.

The girl appeared to be embarrassed and seemed confused about what to do and John said.

Jenny, you are doing the right thing, pick up the phone and call Pete. I could be lying to get a free drink, so don’t feel embarrassed.

Jenny smiled weakly and called Pete who told her to give John whatever he wanted and not to worry about the bill. Jenny told John what Pete had said and started to pour the drinks, however John said that she should note whatever they had and he would see Pete before they left. He also congratulated Jenny on being conscientious in checking his identity.

John and Melody settled into a couple of chairs fairly close to the bar and drank there long iced Bacardi and Cokes. The temperature in the pool was about seventy-five and the cool drinks went down well. Half way through the drinks, Pete walked into the pool area and joined John and Melody at their tables. He apologized for the problem with the drinks and said that it was his fault for not telling Jenny who he was. Pete then got up and fetched them two more drinks and one for him.

He then sat with them for a while just talking about how they enjoyed their holiday. John told Pete that they would have to be leaving shortly as they were going to Ireland to do some work and would be leaving in the morning. After saying goodbye to Pete, John and Melody walked out of the Hotel and because there were, many people around the hotel they walked out of the grounds and toward the sea. After walking about half a mile, they found that they were completely alone and so they transported themselves back to their home.

Once back home they packed two cases with enough clothes to last about two weeks. If they were going to be in Ireland for longer, they could always use the local laundry. John looked on the internet and found a hotel, which was close to Dungar; it was, called The Shamrock Inn and was near the village of Fancroft. He telephoned and was able to book a family room for two weeks with an option to extend their stay if they wished.

When John phoned to book the room, he asked if half board was available and was, told that it was so he booked evening meals for the duration and told them that Melody and he would be arriving sometime in the afternoon the following day. He then phoned a car hire company and asked for a car from Shannon Airport to be available from midday the following day. They had decided not to take their car and travel on the ferry what they decided to do was to transport themselves to Shannon Airport and collect the car as if they had just arrived by plane.

Before he had phoned the car company, he had checked on the flight arrivals and there were two planes landing from England between eleven thirty and twelve, midday. John and Melody arrived at Shannon Airport at eleven thirty and materialized in the respective toilets in the arrival lounge. They merged with the people who had just arrived from England and went with them through passport control. They had no luggage so there was nothing to wait for and quit a few people had only hand luggage they were obviously business people over for the day.

Once they had left the passport control, they quickly found the car hire desk and after John had given his name, they were quickly, shown to the car they would have for the duration of their stay. John had chosen a Citroen C 5 diesel, as it was spacious and looked the part for their cover which was that they were photographing places of interest for the Irish tourist board. Before they had left home, John had actually telephoned the Irish tourist board, introduced himself, and asked if they required photographs for their next Tourist guide.

They had heard of him as he had done work for the home countries tourist guides and his company was well known in the commercial photography business. The tourist board had jumped at the chance to have a top photographer on their books and asked him to take photographs of several sites of interest and they would send a list to his hotel within 48hours. They left the airport at about one pm and quickly found the N 18 motor way and from then on to the N 7which took them all the way to Roscrea.

John wanted to have a quick look at Dungar and the Estate of the Lord of the Manor so he left the motor way and drove through the country lanes toward Dungar, but they were to have an unusual experience before they got there. About three miles from Dungar was a lay-by and John pulled in as it was secluded and their car could not be seen by passing motorists. John said that this was the Ideal place to stop while he collected their suitcases. John then disappeared and reappeared five minutes later carrying their suitcases. In the mean time, Melody had opened the boot of the car ready for the cases and Johns photographic equipment, which he carried separately.

Once they had put everything in the boot John left the lay-by and carried on toward Dungar. About a mile, further on the road there was a signpost saying that there were bends for one and a half miles. As they came round one of those bends, they were, met by a thick bank of fog and John could not even see the end of the cars bonnet.

John pulled to the side of the road and stopped the car as it was too dangerous to continue. As he stopped the car a face appeared in front of the car, it was an ugly evil face with large pointed ears and it spoke with a strong Irish accent.

Turn around and return from whence you came, visitors are not welcome in Dungar, the village is cursed and if you stay you will suffer the same fate as the villagers.

A voice in Johns head said, This is only an illusion which is being used to frighten visitors away, Point at the image and say destroy and all will be clear.

John sent a message back, Thank you Merlin.

He did as Merlin said and the image screamed and instantly everything was once again clear and the sun was shining. John told Melody what Merlin had said, and she nodded and replied.

Well it does seem that this son of the old lord has a reasonably amount of power we must keep our defenses up while we are in the area.

John agreed and he then put the car in gear and carried on to Dungar. When they entered the village, he pulled over to the village shop and Melody and he went inside to ask directions to the Manor house.

The woman behind the counter was very pleasant and was happy to give directions and then she asked. Why are you interested in the Manor house are you the new owners?"

John replied, We are photographers and we are taking pictures of interesting sites for the Irish Tourist Board. You say the Manor has a new owner what has happened to the previous owner?

He died about a Month ago from poison so we have been led to believe.

Poison, was he murdered?

No one knows, the cook said that he had mushrooms on the day he died and possibly a poison mushroom could have got picked by mistake, no one knows what really happened.

Was the Lord of the Manor well liked?

He was hated, you see he owns just about every building in the village and has always charged as high a rent as he could squeeze out of the villagers.

He also had a vicious streak and regularly beat his servants and they were too afraid of him to report him to the police. This shop is closing at the end of the week as we cannot afford to continue.

John then asked her if they regularly got fog banks in the area as they had just run into one and that was about a mile before the village. The woman was very evasive and said she had not come across one. John did not pursue the question and thanked her for the directions to the Manor and he purchased a pack of 12 cold drinks before they left.

Driving out of the village, they noticed that everyone they saw and that was not many, looked tired and miserable. Not like the cheerful and friendly Irish people, they have met since arriving from England. When they reached the Manor house they saw that the grounds were surrounded by an eight foot high wall and to the sides wire fencing, there were electrically operated gates set in the wall.

There was a wide driveway leading up to an impressive building which John estimated must be at least four hundred years old going by the architecture though it was extremely well maintained. To the front of the building was a wide turning circle and parking space for at least ten cars. The gate was, closed and they could see a man on a sit on lawn mower cutting the grass on the lawns, which was the majority of the grounds. There were some flowerbeds and a few trees but the grounds were mostly laid to lawns which were obviously well cared for.

To one side of the driveway was a croquet lawn. The perimeter fence was at least eight feet high and must have been quite formidable when it was first erected but now it required quite a bit of renovation to make it effective, as there were several holes and quite a bit of rust coming through the galvanize coating. After a quick look from outside the grounds John and Melody turned round and continued to their accommodation.

CHAPTER 3

John and Melody arrived at their inn at five pm and they were looking forward to their evening meal after their drive and the bit of excitement from the specter that they had encountered just before reaching Dungar. The experience had been interesting but had not, bothered them unduly after Merlin had explained things. The proprietor of the inn whose name was Richard Granger had expected them a little earlier but after they had explained that, they had hit a fog bank that had slowed them down he nodded. He then told them that the evening meal would be ready at six thirty and that a welcome drink was waiting for them in the bar after they had freshened up. John and Melody thanked the proprietor and said that they would be about half an hour so.

John collected the cases from the car and rejoined Melody who was waiting with the proprietor’s wife Bridie and having a little natter. Bridie showed them to their room, which was really quite spacious and tastefully decorated and furnished, it was after all a family room though the extra beds had been, removed and a table and chairs put in the room to replace them. There was also a tray containing tea and coffee and a small bar containing spirits and a fridge containing beer and lager. John thanked Bridie and said that they would see her down in the bar shortly.

The on suite bathroom contained a WC, washbasin and shower cubical and they decided to have a shower and change before going back down stairs. John had his shower first while Melody put their clothes away. After they had both made themselves presentable, they went down to the bar and their welcome drink. The bar was busy which was a surprise because it was still early and when he mentioned this to Bridie who was serving behind the bar with her husband she said that this was usual for this pub as the regulars came in for a quick drink every evening on their way home from work.

Even though the bar was busy there, were still several tables vacant as it was quite large and most of the customers preferred to stand probably because they were not going to stay too long. Melody decided that she would like to sit close to the window because as she said she could watch the world go by. After about twenty minutes, the proprietor came over to them and said that dinner was ready and he led them into the dining room.

The food was good and plentiful though John did not go much on the bread served with the main meal, which was soda bread. He preferred ordinary white bread and so Melody mentioned this to Bridie who was now in the dining room serving the guests and she said that she would make sure that ordinary bread would be available tomorrow. After dinner, John and Melody decided to go for a walk to familiarize themselves with the general area and to see if there was any interesting buildings worth photographing. The area where the pub was, situated was very ordinary and there was not much to be, seen as it was a rural area.

There were a number of old buildings scattered around but nothing that could be, put in a tourist guide that would attract tourists, they would have to wait until the list arrived before they started taking pictures. After about an hour, they returned to the pub, which had quieted down as the customers had presumably returned home. The bar was empty and John thought that they should go too Dungar and see for themselves what the locals were afraid of when they went out at night.

They thought that they had better wait until it was dark as there was more chance of encountering whatever stalked the streets. They left the pub at about nine o’clock and told the proprietor that they were going for a drive and would be back in about three hours John asked him if he had he any objections to that. The proprietor gave him a key and said that it was to the side door just in case they were later than expected.

John thanked him and, he and Melody went to their car and drove away. It was a humid night and so they drove with the windows open to let the night air wash over them and they expected to be, greeted once again to the fog bank and apparition. They were wrong; there was no fog and no apparition but they came upon something else. As they drove slowly, into Dungar, they passed an old derelict church and when they drew level, they heard the sound of a well-known hymn being, sung by a congregation, the song was Onward Christian Soldiers.

John stopped the car and said to Melody, That is a strange song to be sung in a catholic church I think we should take a look, something is wrong here.

Melody agreed and so John parked the car and after making sure the windows were up and the car locked they started toward the church.

I think we should be invisible and have are defenses on, said John, we don’t know what we will find in the church, as it is derelict this can’t be a normal service.

They moved together toward the church John holding Melody’s hand that way they could see each other but they could not, be seen themselves. The windows were, boarded up but they could see candles flickering through the cracks in the boards. The entrance to the church was also, boarded up so they moved around the outside looking for a way in but could not find one.

Right we will transport ourselves in and we had better go to the center of the church as we don’t know the layout.

John used his ring and they were in the church in an instant to find it empty of people but the candles on the altar were burning brightly. They could still hear the singing it was all around them they could even hear individual voices and they did not sound like Irish voices. The hymn ended and then there was silence for a full minute and then a voice rang out clear from the altar,

Let us pray, Brothers and Sisters, let us pray for the people who have been persecuting us because we are not subject to Rome let us pray that they see the light and are able to live in harmony with The Salvation Army and that they understand that we only want to help the poor and underprivileged of this land.

Then there was the sound of gunfire and screaming, the candle light was, diminished and the firing and screaming went on for a full two minutes in the darkness after that and then there was silence.

John went up to the altar but there was no sign of the candles that had lit the scene. Back outside the church, John and Melody got back into their car and carried on into the village.

Well that was interesting I wonder when the massacre took place, perhaps the local pub can supply the answer. Melody remarked. John drove to the village local, which was, called Sean’s Bar and was surprised to see that it was busy which was surprising considering the problems that the village had been having.

John ordered a couple of drinks and asked the barman if he could have a word. The barman said that they should take a table and he would be with them in a few minutes. John asked him if he wanted a drink and he said he would have a half of Guinness and he would bring it to the table. John and Melody found an unoccupied table and settled down with their drinks. After about five minutes, the barman joined them and they noticed that a young woman was now behind the bar.

How can I help you young people, my name is Sean I own this bar.

My name is John Simpson and this is my wife Melody, we are professional photographers and we are taking photos of interesting sites preferably with a story and we noticed as we drove into the village that there was a derelict church which was boarded up. It was obviously no longer used yet we could here singing and saw the flicker of candles through gaps in the boarding.

We stopped to listen and the singing stopped and we could hear a voice though we could not make out what the speaker was saying when suddenly there was the sound of guns being fired and screaming. All this appeared to be coming from the church, then suddenly silence and all was in darkness, have you any idea what could be going on?

Sean was quiet for a few minutes and then said, What you saw is a haunting. About forty years ago a group of Salvation Army people arrived in the village, they built the church you saw themselves.

They tried to help the people of the area who were, and still are being, persecuted by the local lord of the Manor. The son of the lord organized a raid on the church during a meeting with the help of the local priest. This raid got out of hand, weapons were, used, and all the worshipers were, killed. The attackers tried to burn down the church without success and the church has been, boarded up since then. Every year at the time of the massacre, the haunting takes place.

Just then, every one of the customers in the bar got to their feet and left without a word being said by anyone. John and Melody looked on in amazement it was as if they were all in a trance.

What is going on here, Melody asked.

"Everyone must be off the streets by ten o’clock there has been several murders since the lord of the Manor died. He put a curse on the village and so far, four people have died including the local priest who tried to exercise the evil spirits.

The priest by the way was the one who was involved with the attack on the church. The lord of the Manor was the one who organized the attack. After ten o’clock things walk, the streets and they will kill anyone they come across. If I were you, I would get in your car and leave the village as quickly as possible."

With those words, Sean left their table and went back to work clearing up the glasses and other mess in the bar.

CHAPTER 4

John and Melody left the bar without another word to Sean and went back to their car.

Well what do you think Melody should we get out of here as quick as possible like Sean said.

And miss all the fun, we have come here to do a job and I think what is going on here is something that has to be stopped, let’s go and see what these things look like.

I thought you would say that you are always saying that I make you miss all the fun.

Make sure that your defense is on and let us take a walk through the village and see what is causing all this trouble.

Remember John, Merlin said that he had changed the rings so they were more powerful and the defense was permanently on.

They left their car in the car park and John checked his watch, it was five to ten.

These things do not start appearing until after ten o’clock so we will take a slow walk and look for interesting buildings, John laughed.

They had gone about two hundred yards when suddenly, the temperature dropped to below freezing and Melody shivered.

I think something is about to happen, are you all right Melody.

Yes I am a little chilly what the hell, is that?

John looked toward where she was pointing and saw a globe of green light, from the center of the globe stepped four misshapen creatures. They were about four feet tall with heads that seemed to large for their bodies. They had long arms, which terminated in wicked looking talons and they almost touched the ground. They had pointed ears, their mouths were, filled with pointed teeth, and they were naked and male.

They ambled rather than walked and their gate was rather like apes. They saw John and Melody straight away, let out a roar of rage, and charged toward them. John raised his arm, pointed to the nearest of the creatures, and quietly said stun. The creature came to a halt as if he had run into a brick wall and dropped to the floor unconscious; the remaining three turned and ran back to the green globe, which disappeared as soon as they entered it. They left their unconscious colleague where he lay.

Well, let’s see what we have here, said John walking over to the fallen creature and what a surprise awaited them. As John and Melody approached The creature he started to glow and it became so bright that they had to look away, then the glow faded and instead of a grotesque creature there was a man, admittedly a small man but never the less a man and he was fully dressed. He wore green trousers and jacket a yellow shirt and black shoes with silver buckles. He was still unconscious and Melody suggested taking him back to their lodgings where they could question him when he woke up.

John disagreed if they took him back with them the person controlling him would know where they were staying and that could cause problems, not necessarily for them but for the inn. They decided instead to take the little man to the church and John said that he had a couple of torches in the car that could give them some light. Melody fetched the torches from the glove compartment and the two of them transported the man to the church.

Once in the church they carefully placed the little man in the corner of a small room where they waited for him to wake up. Two hours later the little man started to stir and when he sat up, he was completely confused and appeared to be frightened.

Where am I, how did I get here? he said.

You are in the derelict church in Dungar, you and three others attacked my wife and me and I rendered you unconscious.

As soon as you went down your colleagues fled into a green globe and disappeared leaving you where you lay. You were not as you are now but looked like something out of hell and from what you are saying it appears that you have no recollection of what happened.

The little man looked confused and replied.

We must be under a spell as I have no idea how we came here, we always go to sleep when it gets dark as we are not creatures of the night.

"The green globe is a means of traveling anywhere within a fifty mile radius instantly. I think I know who is responsible for making us attack you. A man contacted us some time ago and