Read Online Strange Conflict by Dennis Wheatley - Free Book Online Page A

person in the world, bless you. Except for tinned things there’s not a scrap of fish in the house; but I can manage the fruit and nuts.’ Marie Lou hurried away to give fresh orders for their dinner while Richard led the men upstairs to park their things and wash.
    When they came down again Richard said to the Duke: ‘Why do you want to sleep in the library? D’you mean to erect a pentacle there, as you did before?’
    â€˜Yes. I thought it would be easier for you to strip the library than one of the bedrooms upstairs and to keep it locked up so that the servants don’t go into it in the daytime. I only wish that I’d had a chance to get into proper training for this business, but every day is precious, so I mean to start tonight.’
    â€˜That’s taking a pretty big risk, isn’t it?’
    â€˜I don’t think so. As the Blacks can’t possibly know yet that we intend to go out against them there’s not the least likelihood of their attacking me on the astral or endeavouring to harm my body while I’m out of it. The trouble will start if I once get on to anything and they happen to notice me snooping about. After all, this is just the same as any other investigation except that it is to be carried out on a different plane. If we were dealing with enemy agents in their physical bodies I should probably get myself a job in the Admiral’s house, and nobody operating there would take much interest in me until they noticed that I was following them or prying into matters which were no concern of mine. A really good detective is rarely spotted until he has his man in the bag, therefore I’ve good reason to hope that nobody will tumble to what I’m up to till I’ve found out what I want to know; and once I’ve done that we should be in a position to take counter-measures. Just as a safeguard I propose that you three should take turns to sit up and watch while I sleep, as all of you know enough to help me to get back to my body quickly if I run into anytrouble, and, in addition, you’ll be on hand in the unlikely event of my being abruptly awakened by a burglar or a bomb.’
    â€˜Right-oh,’ said Richard. ‘Directly we’ve dined we’ll set about clearing the library.’
    Thanks to the Dover soles which Simon had had the forethought to purchase before they left London that afternoon, their simple meal, washed down with water, was palatable beyond their expectations. When they had finished, Richard gave instructions to his butler that on no account were they to be disturbed and they all migrated to the big library.
    The library, octagonal in shape and slightly sunken below ground level, was the principal room in the oldest part of the house. Comfortable sofas and large armchairs stood about the uneven polished oak of the floor, a pair of globes occupied two angles of the book-lined walls, and a great oval, mahogany writing-table of Chippendale design stood before the wide french window. Owing to its sunken position the lighting of the room was dim in daylight yet its atmosphere was by no means gloomy. A log-fire upon a twelve-inch pile of ashes was kept burning in the wide fireplace all through the year and at night when the curtains were drawn—as they now were—the room was lit with the soft radiance of concealed ceiling-lights which Richard had installed. It was a friendly, restful place, well suited for quiet work or idle conversation.
    â€˜We must strip the room of furniture, carpets—everything,’ said the Duke, ‘and I shall need brooms and a mop to polish the floor.’
    The men then began moving the furniture out into the hall while Marie Lou fetched a selection of implements from the housemaid’s cupboard. For a quarter of an hour they worked in silence, until nothing remained in the big library except the serried rows of gilt-tooled books.
    â€˜I would like the room to be gone over