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thankfully out of sight. Despite that, I still felt uneasy. We were supposed to be keeping our distance from each other. The priest outside the cathedral had known the Spook. The housekeeper knew me. What if someone else walked down the alley and recognized us and we were both arrested? Many priests from County parishes would be in town and they’d know the Spook by sight. The only good news was that at the moment they were probably all still in the churchyard.
    ‘That priest you were talking to before, who was he? He seemed to know you so won’t he tell the Quisitor you’re here?’ I asked, wondering if anywhere was really safe. For all I knew that red-faced priest outside the cathedral could even direct the Quisitor to Chipenden. ‘Oh, and there’s something else.
    Your brother’s housekeeper recognized me at the funeral. She was really angry. She might tell somebody that we’re here.’
    It seemed to me that we were taking a serious risk in staying in Priestown while the Quisitor was in the area.
    ‘Calm yourself, lad. The housekeeper won’t tell a soul. She and my brother weren’t exactly without sin themselves. And as for that priest,’ said the Spook with a faint smile, ‘that’s Father Cairns. He’s family, my cousin. A cousin who meddles and gets a bit excited at times but he means well all the same.
    He’s always trying to save me from myself and get me on the path of “righteousness”. But he’s wasting his breath. I’ve chosen my path - and right or wrong it’s the one I tread.’
    At that moment I heard footsteps and my heart lurched into my mouth. Someone had turned into the alley and was walking directly towards us!
    ‘Anyway, talking of family,’ the Spook said, totally unconcerned, ‘here comes another member. This is my brother Andrew.’
    A tall man with a thin body and sad, bony face was approaching us across the cobbles. He looked even older than the Spook and reminded me of a well-dressed scarecrow, for although he was wearing good quality boots and clean clothes, his garments flapped in the wind. He looked more in need of a good breakfast than I did.
    Without bothering to brush away the beads of water, he sat on the wall on the other side of the Spook.
    ‘I thought I’d find you here. A sad business, brother,’ he said gloomily.
    ‘Aye,’ said the Spook. ‘There’s just the two of us left now. Five brothers dead and gone.’
    ‘John, I must tell you, the Quis—’
    ‘Yes, I know,’ said the Spook, an edge of impatience in his voice.
    ‘Then you must be going. It’s not safe for either of you here,’ said his brother, acknowledging me with a nod.
    ‘No, Andrew, we’re not going anywhere until I’ve done what needs to be done. So I’d like you to make me a special key again,’ the Spook told him. ‘For the gate.’
    Andrew started. ‘Nay, John, don’t be a fool,’ he said, shaking his head. ‘I wouldn’t have come here if I’d known you wanted that. Have you forgotten the curse?’
    ‘Hush,’ said the Spook. ‘Not in front of the boy. Keep your silly superstitious nonsense to yourself.’
    ‘Curse?’ I asked, suddenly curious.

    ‘See what you’ve done?’ my master hissed angrily to his brother. ‘It’s nothing,’ he said, turning to me.
    ‘I don’t believe in such rubbish and neither should you.’
    ‘Well, I’ve buried one brother today,’ said Andrew. ‘Get yourself home now, before I find myself burying another. The Quisitor would love to get his hands on the County Spook. Get back to Chipenden while you still can.’
    ‘I’m not leaving, Andrew, and that’s final. I’ve got a job to do here, Quisitor or no Quisitor,’ the Spook said firmly. ‘So are you going to help or not?’
    ‘That’ss not the point, and you know it!’ Andrew insisted. ‘I’ve always helped you before, haven’t I?
    When have I ever let you down? But this is madness. You risk burning just by being here. This isn’t the time to meddle with that thing