'Where'd you get all this from, Tom?' a man from the back of the room called out
'Me ole Dad,' was the reply, 'and 'e got it from 'is dad afore 'im, who got it from 'is dad afore 'im, who got...'
'Yeah. Well suppose this is what's happenin' right now. How d'we get rid o' the curse?'
There's only one way as I can see.' Tom Southgate thrust out his bearded jaw and glared at the whole company. 'We gotta get rid o' these bastards from out of that bloody blockhouse. Drive 'em away. Worse if we have to. We'll know no peace until they're gone from the marshes. Alive or dead!'
The going seemed even heavier than on the previous day as the party trudged across the soft saltings. Only Professor Lowson seemed tireless, as though some invisible force was driving him on. Time and time again Gavin had to quicken his own pace and help Liz along in order to keep up with him.
It was shortly after ten o'clock when they saw their excavations of the previous day a hundred yards or so ahead.
'Well, there she is!' Lowson shouted.
Liz halted. She felt a desire to run. Anywhere. Just to get away from this dreadful place and the horrors which it held. Gavin turned to her.
'Perhaps you'd better stop here,' he said. 'Sit down in the sun for an hour or two. I'll go on ahead with the Professor.'
She shook her head.
'No.' She forced a smile. 'I've come this far and I'll not leave you now. I'd sooner stick with you.'
They caught up with Lowson. The pile of mud still stood on the spike-grass like a miniature pyramid. Beyond it lay...
The smell of seaweed was strong in the air today, and Gavin breathed deeply until a sudden thought struck him. They shouldn't have been able to smell it. Instead this pleasant tangy aroma should have been nullified by the putrifying stench which would cause them to retch and vomit.
The air was fresh and sweet.
Gavin joined the Professor on the brink of the pit Liz hesitated and stood back a yard or so. They looked down.
Thick black oozing mud. A couple of inches of water which had failed to seep away. Apart from that... nothing!
'My God!' Lowson sank to his hands and knees and continued to peer into the empty hole. Here and there were faint traces of the greyish-green slime, disappearing fast. Nothing else.
'It's gone.' Gavin's expression was tense and strained. The Slime Beast has gone! '
'Well,' Gavin turned to Lowson, an expression of triumph on his face, Tm calling the tune now. Prof. I've given you your chance. Now there's only one course left open to us. There's a dangerous beast on the rampage. It's already killed once. The chances are it'll kill again unless something is done. I'm going right back to Sutton to inform Chief Inspector Harborne and then to telephone my colleagues at the British Museum.'
Professor Lowson looked at him for some seconds and then burst into peals of laughter. His mirth was uncontrollable, insane almost Bent double he cackled until a coughing fit finally turned his complexion a deep scarlet, then finally he spoke.
'You poor, poor fool!' His words lashed at Gavin with a venom which hitherto the young man had not suspected from this eccentric old man. 'Are you out of your mind? Even the police, who half suggested some horrific creature, will not believe you. They are seeking a homicidal maniac. Where is your proof? This slime melts into nothingness after a time. See, only traces remain hi this pit. In an hour they will be gone. Just because you claim to have seen this ... this Slime Beast as you call it You and Liz.. .'
'And you I' snapped Gavin angrily.
'Me?' The other was indignant. 'Me! I shall deny all knowledge of it Pure fantasy on the part of two very highly-strung imaginative people. You fool. Do you think I'm going to let a chance like this slip through my fingers?
The greatest scientific discovery of all time. Almost within my grasp! Do you think I'm going to step down so that others can take the credit?'
It was Gavin Royle's turn to laugh.
'You're the fool.' he retorted. 'You're the one who's living on fantasies. The Slime Beast has gone, man. It's on the rampage. You'll never get a chance to study it.'
'Oh no?' Lowson was more rational, scheming. 'I intend to find it, my friend. If I have to search the whole of this earth. I'll find it, somewhere. Furthermore, you two are going to help me. Go to the police and I'll have you put hi an asylum! You forget one thing. I am Professor John Lowson the greatest archaeologist in Britain, maybe the world. You two are nothing. A couple of kids helping me. Do you think your story would be believed against mine?'
'You might be one of the greatest archaeologists alive today,' Gavin snarled, 'but you're also a selfish scheming bastard! OK, so you hold the trumps. It can't do much without proof, I'll admit. Furthermore I'll help you locate the Slime Beast. But ... when, and if, we find it, don't rely upon either of us to go along with your schemes. I want to find it to safeguard mankind. For no other reason. If I can find a way to destroy it I will.'
They looked at each other in silence for some moments. Then Lowson nodded.
'On those terms then,' he leered, 'we are united. We are doing no good here obviously so the sooner we start back the better.'
CHAPTER FIVE
GAVIN and Liz ate their supper in silence. Professor Low-son had shut himself away, once they arrived back at the blockhouse. He had not emerged since.
'Do you really think we shall see the Slime Beast again?' Liz asked as she began clearing the table.
Gavin shook his head.
'I wouldn't like to say,' he murmured. 'I wonder just where it's hiding out. After all there isn't a lot of cover on these salt marshes and mud-flats. It's either got to submerge itself hi the mud or be seen. Tomorrow we shall spend the day tramping up and down hoping to spot where it might have buried itself, but it's going to be hard work. Perhaps you'd better take the Land Rover into Spalding and spend the day there.'
'Not a chance.' Her mind was made up. 'Where you go, I go. No arguments.'
Gavin did his best to improve the security of the door before they retired for the night. Not that it would keep the Slime Beast out—just hinder it. Make a noise. He also saw that he had an ample supply of newspapers and a box of matches at hand.
'Anyway,' a sudden thought struck Liz as she pulled off her blouse and began unfastening her bra. 'Just supposing we do find the Slime Beast. What do we do? I mean we haven't got any weapons of any sort have we?'
'No.' Gavin smiled. "But if our theory is correct it sleeps by day. If we can locate its hiding place I'm going to telephone the police straight away, no matter what your uncle says. We'll get the army in to deal with it then. Of course that'll be the end of my association with the Professor but I can't help that'
Liz shook her head.
'Once he gets an idea in his head there's no shifting it. He never forgives and he never forgets.' She stood there, naked to the waist, blushing with pleasure as his admiring gaze centred on her breasts and remained there. He stepped close, kissed her and fondled her. His fingers began searching for the fastenings on her faded jeans. Slowly he began to slide them down.
Crash! They both recoiled in alarm as something heavy struck the outside of the boards which covered the narrow slitted window.
'What the hell!' Gavin pushed Liz to one side. With trembling fingers she pulled her trousers up again.