with surprise. ‘You have it here?’ I said.
The professor nodded. ‘I fished it out of the harbour,’ he said. ‘You did a very good job of finishing it off, Barnaby. Mind you,’ he added, chuckling softly, ‘it wasn’t easy getting it back here – particularly since I also hadan unconscious tick-tock lad to contend with.’
This time, I climbed to my feet more slowly. I paused for a moment to wait for the room to stop spinning.
‘It’s called a black-scaled lamprey,’ the professor explained as he helped me across the laboratory. ‘They’re usually found in the tropical waters of the East.’
He led me to an imposing glass tank at the far end of the laboratory, where the dead creature hung suspended in a solution of pale yellow formaldehyde. I took a sharp intake of breath. Even in death, the lamprey was a formidable sight.
‘This fine specimen probably reached our shores by gripping the hull of a cargo ship with those impressive jaws,’ the professor explained. ‘Its bite is remarkably strong – and, as I say, ferociously venomous.’ He smiled sheepishly. ‘But then I don’t have to tell you that, do I, Barnaby?’
I shook my head grimly, staring once more at those circles of savage hooked teeth that ringed its dark gullet; teeth that had embedded themselves so painfully in my arm. I could also see the savage marks left on the creature’s grotesque head and neck where I’d repeatedly driven home the blade of the axe in my frenzied efforts to escape.
Suddenly, the extraordinary events of that terrifying night came tumbling back to me in a rush. The sea monster, the near drowning – and the hideous apparition I’d seen in the graveyard …
‘PB,’ I began, ‘something else happened that night …’ And I told the professor all about the gruesome events in the Adelaide Graveyard.
He listened with a thoughtful expression on his face until I was finished. Then, refreshing my cup with more of the herbal infusion, he patted me on the shoulder.
‘From what you’ve told me,’ he said, ‘Isuspect that the lamprey’s venom contains a hallucinogen …’
‘Hallucinogen?’ I queried.
‘A mind-altering substance,’ the professor explained, ‘which quite likely made you see things, Barnaby, that weren’t real—’
‘You mean I dreamed the whole thing up?’ I interrupted incredulously.
‘Quite possibly, my boy. Quite possibly.’ The professor smiled. ‘After all, corpses don’t just come to life and dig themselves up, now, do they?’
I had to agree and, although my arm was in a sling and I still felt light-headed, I have to admit I felt a wave of relief wash over me at the thought that Firejaw O’Rourke had not in fact risen from the grave, and that the whole thing had been a hallucination. The professor assured me that the effects of the lamprey’s venom had had ample time to wear off, and that I could dispense with the sling in a day or so. He also apologized fervently forunwittingly placing me in such danger – though seemed extremely pleased at how well his precious Neptune suit had performed.
He handed me an envelope as I gathered my things together and prepared to take my leave. It contained twice my normal fee.
‘As long as you think you’re up to it, Barnaby,’ said the professor, patting me on the shoulder as he guided me back across the laboratory. ‘Perhaps today, though, you might want to leave by the door rather than the window.’
I laughed. It was sound advice which, for once, I decided to heed. You need two arms, not to mention a clear head, to highstack across the city, and the bite from that scaly lamprey had taken it out of me. Having promised to return later in the week, I bade farewell to the professor and set off.
It felt odd being down on the ground with all the other cobblestone-creepers – and,although not as demanding as highstacking over the rooftops, the streets held more than their own fair share of challenges. For a start, there were
The professor nodded. ‘I fished it out of the harbour,’ he said. ‘You did a very good job of finishing it off, Barnaby. Mind you,’ he added, chuckling softly, ‘it wasn’t easy getting it back here – particularly since I also hadan unconscious tick-tock lad to contend with.’
This time, I climbed to my feet more slowly. I paused for a moment to wait for the room to stop spinning.
‘It’s called a black-scaled lamprey,’ the professor explained as he helped me across the laboratory. ‘They’re usually found in the tropical waters of the East.’
He led me to an imposing glass tank at the far end of the laboratory, where the dead creature hung suspended in a solution of pale yellow formaldehyde. I took a sharp intake of breath. Even in death, the lamprey was a formidable sight.
‘This fine specimen probably reached our shores by gripping the hull of a cargo ship with those impressive jaws,’ the professor explained. ‘Its bite is remarkably strong – and, as I say, ferociously venomous.’ He smiled sheepishly. ‘But then I don’t have to tell you that, do I, Barnaby?’
I shook my head grimly, staring once more at those circles of savage hooked teeth that ringed its dark gullet; teeth that had embedded themselves so painfully in my arm. I could also see the savage marks left on the creature’s grotesque head and neck where I’d repeatedly driven home the blade of the axe in my frenzied efforts to escape.
Suddenly, the extraordinary events of that terrifying night came tumbling back to me in a rush. The sea monster, the near drowning – and the hideous apparition I’d seen in the graveyard …
‘PB,’ I began, ‘something else happened that night …’ And I told the professor all about the gruesome events in the Adelaide Graveyard.
He listened with a thoughtful expression on his face until I was finished. Then, refreshing my cup with more of the herbal infusion, he patted me on the shoulder.
‘From what you’ve told me,’ he said, ‘Isuspect that the lamprey’s venom contains a hallucinogen …’
‘Hallucinogen?’ I queried.
‘A mind-altering substance,’ the professor explained, ‘which quite likely made you see things, Barnaby, that weren’t real—’
‘You mean I dreamed the whole thing up?’ I interrupted incredulously.
‘Quite possibly, my boy. Quite possibly.’ The professor smiled. ‘After all, corpses don’t just come to life and dig themselves up, now, do they?’
I had to agree and, although my arm was in a sling and I still felt light-headed, I have to admit I felt a wave of relief wash over me at the thought that Firejaw O’Rourke had not in fact risen from the grave, and that the whole thing had been a hallucination. The professor assured me that the effects of the lamprey’s venom had had ample time to wear off, and that I could dispense with the sling in a day or so. He also apologized fervently forunwittingly placing me in such danger – though seemed extremely pleased at how well his precious Neptune suit had performed.
He handed me an envelope as I gathered my things together and prepared to take my leave. It contained twice my normal fee.
‘As long as you think you’re up to it, Barnaby,’ said the professor, patting me on the shoulder as he guided me back across the laboratory. ‘Perhaps today, though, you might want to leave by the door rather than the window.’
I laughed. It was sound advice which, for once, I decided to heed. You need two arms, not to mention a clear head, to highstack across the city, and the bite from that scaly lamprey had taken it out of me. Having promised to return later in the week, I bade farewell to the professor and set off.
It felt odd being down on the ground with all the other cobblestone-creepers – and,although not as demanding as highstacking over the rooftops, the streets held more than their own fair share of challenges. For a start, there were
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