The Old Chapel was no longer used for worship. It had been standing derelict for as long as Mrs. Brown could remember. The windows had been boarded up and the altar removed. In its place green-velvet curtains hung from a long brass pole. The pulpit was now a stage.
The two wooden railings that had once separated the altar from the congregation were still in place and gleamed with polish. Deep green ivy twined its way along both rails and fell in long strands down each side of the steps, onto the cracked slate floor.325At the top of the steps, slightly to one side, a stone gargoyle squatted. It was a hideous thing with bulging eyes, long pointed ears, and a wide toothless mouth. Mrs. Brown tried not to look at it.
When every seat had been taken, the man in the elephant jacket closed the door. There was a moment's silence before footsteps could be heard tapping down the side of the hall.
A woman emerged at the front. She climbed the five steps to the stage and turned to face her audience.
Mrs. Brown saw a woman whose age could only be guessed at. She could have been anywhere between forty and eighty. Her hair fell in thin gray strands to her shoulders and a string of ivy encircled her head. There were dark shadows beneath her eyes, her nose was a pale mauve, and her gaunt face was ash gray. She was wearing a sparkling black cloak and a long dress that glimmered as she moved.
"Welcome!" said the woman in the sparkling cloak. "How gratifying to see that so many of you answered my call. For those of you who do not326know me, I am Titania Tilpin.
Like you, I am a direct descendant of the shadow, Harken the Enchanter."
A murmur of approval rippled through the audience. Mrs. Brown joined in. "Ahh," she said.
"As you know," Titania continued, "the shadow managed to return, very briefly, last year.
He might have stayed with us if it had not been for the interference of a wayward boy named Charlie Bone. Charlie and his infernal uncle discovered a spell that sent our
beloved ancestor tumbling back to Badlock, and now he cannot enter our world again because the mirror that assisted his entrance was broken by that same Charlie Bone."
A rumble of dismay broke out in the hall, and once again Mrs. Brown joined in with a disgruntled "Huh!" This time she felt the woman beside her turn and frown in her direction. Mrs. Brown hoped she had not overdone things.
"Don't lose heart, my friends," Titania sang out. "I want to show you something." She walked to the327side of the stage where a large painting stood facing the wall. Seizing the painting, Titania pulled it to the center of the stage. The dark towers and barren mountains of Badlock drew a gasp of admiration from the crowd. Mrs. Brown remained silent.
A curious sound came from the painting. Mrs. Brown could hardly believe her ears. It was wind. Several people in the front row actually clutched their hats as a cold breeze whistled across the stage.
"Behold Badlock!" Titania said proudly. "The shadow painted it himself, and it has an awful power. It can draw into itself any living thing." Before anyone could gasp again, she held up her hand for silence. "And would you believe, THERE IS A BOY IN
THERE" - she tapped the painting - "RIGHT NOW. A boy the shadow is holding for some friends. And, in return, these friends have agreed to help me in my quest, our quest"
- she threw her arms out to the audience - "to fix the Mirror of Amoret, so that the shadow may come back to guide and protect us,328to rid us of our enemies and to rule this land as it should be ruled."
Vigorous applause broke out. A few gruff voices said, "Hear, hear!" Mrs. Brown glanced at her neighbor and clapped politely. The woman with red ringlets appeared not to notice.
She was staring at the stage, where Titania Tilpin had been joined by a tall woman with black hair and a bright scarlet coat. She was holding the hand of a small, fragile-looking boy in a blue jacket. Mrs. Brown instantly recognized Charlie's great-aunt Venetia.
Venetia told the audience that she was there on behalf of the Bloor family, who had agreed to assist Titania in her mission to bring back the shadow. "And now I want to introduce my little treasure," she said, pushing Eric to the front of the stage. "This is Eric, my stepson. He has a truly remarkable talent. It has already been put to use by Mr.
Melmott, the stonemason, whose father was ruined by the lawyer Hector Bittermouse."
She paused while a gruff voice329from the front emitted a kind of growl. "Mr.
Bittermouse has been well and truly punished, I would say, wouldn't you?" She smiled at the growler, and continued, "If any of you have a family score to settle or a grievance unavenged, Eric and Mr. Melmott make a fine team, and they would be glad to help. In return we would welcome your assistance in fixing the Mirror of Amoret. I know there are wizards among you" - her black eyes darted over the faces in front of her -
"magicians, scaremongers, poisoners, shape-shifters, heart-stoppers."
Some members of the audience shifted in their seats, coughed, and blew their noses.
"Perhaps your power has been dormant for too long," Venetia suggested. "Perhaps you are afraid to use it in the present day. But look what Eric can do for you." She grabbed the small boy and pulled him back to stand in front of her. "Eric - the gargoyle."
All eyes turned to the hideous creature crouching at the front of the stage. Eric stared at it. His small330face contorted and a low hum came from him. The gargoyle lifted itself on thin stone legs, lurched down the steps, and stopped at the bottom.
This time the applause was slightly restrained. It would never do to let a small boy's, admittedly impressive, talent go to his head.
Venetia smiled forgivingly. "I'm sure many of you have equally formidable talents. But if you need Eric, you can contact me at number thirteen Darkly Wynd. Now..." She spoke the last word with an expressive sigh. "Titania will treat you to something rather special."
Venetia and Eric stepped aside and Titania Tilpin strode to the center of the stage. You could tell by the excited glitter in her eyes that she had saved the best part of her presentation until the end. She treated her audience to a broad smile, unhappily revealing several missing teeth. And then, from the folds of her cloak, she withdrew a mirror.
Holding it up with a dramatic flourish, she cried, "The Mirror of Amoret"331It was an astonishingly beautiful object. The jewel-encrusted frame sparkled with a thousand colors, and the glass itself, though cracked, had an unearthly radiance. Holding the handle in her right hand, Titania gently laid the mirror across her left palm and gazed into the glass. "We cannot have the count among us yet," she said in a harsh whisper, "but, friends" - she looked out at the audience - "I can reach him."
A profound silence settled on the audience.
Titania's gaze returned to the mirror. "Count Harken," she called in a floaty voice, "I beseech you - favor your humble descendants."
Like everyone else, Mrs. Brown stared at the mirror. What she saw there shook her to the very core of her being. A green mist seeped from the mirror. As it drifted upward, it swelled into a thick, evil-smelling cloud. Titania waved the mirror several times until the cloud parted. She smiled into the glass and held it out to face the audience. The head and shoulders of a man began to form in the glass; he wore a332green jacket and his thick brown hair was touched with gold. His face was so cruel and arrogant, Mrs. Brown couldn't hold back a tiny gasp. The shadow seemed to be looking directly at her; she was sure he could see her.
Mrs. Brown began to feel faint. She put her hand in her pocket and accidentally drew out the bag of chloroform. Having almost anesthetized herself, she suddenly realized her mistake, pushed back the chloroform, and thrust the smelling salts under her nose. Her neighbor jabbed Mrs. Brown's arm and the smelling salts fell to the floor.
"SPY!" shouted the woman with the red ringlets. "FRAUD! IMPOSTOR! ENEMY!"
Mrs. Brown leaped out of her seat and rushed to the door. Several burly figures stood up.