'Are you serious? That would make him- '
'Well over 100 years old,' Duglass Evelith nodded.
'Yes. I have often thought about it myself. But it is not a question which one can put to Quamus. He would never answer; and it is quite likely that he would walk out and I would never see him again. But it is interesting to note that there is a Quamus mentioned in Joseph Evelith's diary of 1689.'
I stayed silent. In Duglass Evelith's house, I felt myself to be on strange and almost magical territory. It wasn't altogether a frightening sensation: but I felt that I had to conduct myself with caution. There was great influence here, influence that couldn't be explained in logical or scientific terms, and as long as I behaved wisely, I would probably be able to use it for my own benefit.
'It would be sensible for you to get some sleep now,' said Duglass Evelith. 'I will have Quamus wake you at six o'clock. Over breakfast, I will explain how you will use the dynamite on the David Dark.'
I got up. 'Goodnight, then,' I said. 'And thank you again for putting me up here.'
'A question of mutual interests,' said old man Evelith, and went back to reading one of his books before I could say anything else. It was only when I was halfway up the dark staircase, on the way up to bed, that I realized what I had actually let myself in for. An illegal underwater demolition job, despite the fact that I had scarcely any experience of diving, and no experience whatsoever with dynamite.
Gilly was sitting up in bed when I came in; and there was a warm fragrance of perfume around. She was reading A History of Oceanic Geology. I sat down on the end of the bed, and stripped off my necktie. 'Good?' I asked her, nodding towards the book.
'Riveting,' she said. 'What kept you so long?'
'Old man Evelith and his mouldy old documents. No, I shouldn't say that. He's fascinating, especially when it comes to the occult history of Salem and Granitehead. Do you know what he told me about Quamus?'
'Quamus gives me the creeps.'
'Quamus gives you the creeps? I found out tonight that Quamus is nearly 300 years old.'
'How much of that brandy did you have?'
'Not enough.'
I undressed, washed my teeth, and then climbed into bed. I had already showered once that evening, and the noise of the pipework had been enough to frighten me off showers forever. Rattling, and groaning, and letting out echoing shrieks.
Gilly lay back, and reached out for me, gently parting her thighs. I climbed astride her, kissing her forehead and her eyes and her neck, and then her shoulders, and her soft pink nipples. We made love silently, as if it were a midnight ritual; prolonging each moment until it was impossible to prolong it any more. I looked down, and saw my hardness enclosed by her tight and succulent lips, and fear and anxiety and grisly manifestations seemed very far away, like an off key orchestra playing in another part of the house.
'Maybe I ought to talk to Edward again,' I said, when the lights were switched off, and we lay in the unfamiliar darkness. 'Maybe he won't be so pigheaded after all.'
'You could try. Do you want me to mention it to him?'
I was quiet for a moment, as if I was thinking about it. The truth was, I was trying to allay any possible fears that Edward might have that I would dive on the wreck before he registered it. If Gilly were to go back to him and suggest that he and I should have a friendly discussion about the raising of the copper vessel, say in a day or so, then he would hardly be likely to suspect that I would try to sneak down there while the David Dark was still unmarked and unprotected.
Quamus woke me at 5:55, when Gilly was still asleep. She lay with her hair spread out on the pillow, one breast bare, and I discreetly covered her up before I tiptoed out. My clothes were already laid out for me in the drawing-room, and Quamus whispered, 'Breakfast right away, Mr Trenton.'
When I went downstairs to the oak-panelled dining room, the sunlight was already penetrating the French doors at the far end, and sparkling on the silverware and the Spode plates. There were lightly-scrambled eggs, muffins, and coffee. Mr Evelith had ordered that I should not be served the full breakfast today because I was swimming.
I ate on my own for five or ten minutes, until Duglass Evelith came into the room in a bronze quilted dressing-gown, smoking a small cigar. He sat down opposite me and watched as I buttered my muffin, and then he waved the blue cigar smoke away, and said, 'I hope this doesn't bother you. It's a repulsive old habit of mine; six o'clock every morning. How do you feel?'
'Nervous.'
'Well, good. If you're nervous, then you'll be alert. I'll tell you what we've managed to arrange during the night. Quamus has obtained two cases of dynamite, as well as all the necessary fuses; and all that has been loaded on to the station wagon ready to go. Mr Walcott will be ready for you by the time you reach Salem Harbour, and will sail you out to the David Dark. When you dive, you will take down with you an airlift, and you will use this to excavate a narrow crevice in the silt, right beside the David Dark’s hull. Into this crevice you will pack both cases of dynamite, and you will then swim back to the surface, paying out fuse as you go. The fuse is largely made of magnesium, so it will burn underwater. You will light it, and then retreat from the area as quickly as possible, while the dynamite detonates. According to the preparatory work I have done during the night, the explosion should completely shatter the hull of the David Dark, and blow most of the silt out of the area where the ship has been buried. Now comes the difficult part: you will have to search the sea-bed, almost blind, for a great deal of silt will be clouding the water, and you will have to locate the copper vessel within a matter of minutes. Fortunately, Mr Walcott has metal-detecting equipment, and that should help you find it reasonably speedily. We will be keeping the coastguard away from the area by putting out a false emergency call from further up the coast, off Singing Beach, and we will just have to hope that nobody else gets too inquisitive before we are able to winch the copper vessel up to the surface.'
'What are we going to do with Mictantecutli; once we get him ashore?' I wanted to know.
'That is all arranged, too. A refrigerated truck will be waiting by the harbour, and the copper vessel will immediately be put into cold storage, and driven here. Enid will be preparing all the necessary rituals to keep Mictantecutli under our control; and she should be ready by the time we get back here.'
I looked down at my unfinished eggs. They were stone cold now, and congealing on the plate. I pushed them away, and poured myself another cup of coffee.
'If this doesn't work,' I asked old man Evelith, 'what's the worst that can happen? A $500 fine for setting off explosives? A couple of months in jail?'
Duglass Evelith pursed his lips. Those will be nothing, compared with the fury of Mictantecutli. The worst that can happen, Mr Trenton, is that every grave in Salem and Granitehead will open, and that the dead will rise to massacre the living.'
At that moment, Gilly came into the room, blinking at the sunlight. 'I woke up and you were gone,' she said. 'Does everybody get up this early around here?'
'I have to go to Boston to pick up some research material,' I lied. 'I thought I might as well make an early start.'
Gilly sat down, and Quamus came in to pour her some fresh coffee. He looked across the table at me as he did so, and by the expression on his face he seemed to be asking me whether I was ready to go. I wiped my mouth, put down my napkin, and stood up. Gilly looked at me in surprise.
'You're not even going to have breakfast with me?'
I leaned across and kissed her. ‘I’m sorry. I really have to go.'