CHAPTER 11
Once in the field, they looked all round them. There was no-one to be seen anywhere. The sun shone down on an empty expanse, casting long shadows from the leafless trees around the field. It was not as ghostly as at night, but they felt a sense of oppression, probably brought on by the thought of going down the ancient well.
"How are we going to get in?" asked Rodney. "If we just march in from the road, everyone will know what we're doing."
James hadn't thought of that. He was silent. Mandy had the answer, though. "The cottage backs onto this field, doesn't it, just like we do. I expect they have a back gate, as well."
"Great idea!" cried Rodney. "Right, we'll head that way!"
They crossed the tufty winter grass in a diagonal direction, heading just to the right of the church. Sure enough, as they drew nearer they could see that the hedge around the cottage garden had a wooden gate in it.
James pushed the gate. It was firmly shut.
"There's a wooden latch, James!" Mandy pointed out. "Try lifting that."
Feeling rather cross that his sister should be having all the bright ideas - as if he had not had enough to put up with already today - James shoved the latch up, rather harder than he needed to. The gate flew open, and James was catapulted into the overgrown cottage garden.
Since the garden was all round the cottage with no fence between the back and the front, getting to the well was no problem at all.
In the bright light of day, they felt that they were being watched from all directions.
"Let's hope the Vicar's nosey housekeeper doesn't 'do' for him on Saturdays!" remarked Rodney. "We would have trouble explaining this to her!"
"Let's hope Derek hasn't followed us. Was he with Mum when you left, Mandy?" asked James.
"They went Christmas shopping," said Mandy. "So they won't be in for a while. I expect he'll take her out for lunch, since we aren't around."
"Good, so we should have no problems there."
"But it wasn't Derek who watched us last time, was it?" argued Mandy. "He and Mum were together. If he was really bothered about the treasure, or whatever, he wouldn't have suggested you stay with Rodney, where he couldn't keep an eye on you, would he?"
"He's playing a double game," insisted James. "What did he do with his wife, I want to know?"
"It's odd," said Mandy. "You hate him, but he doesn't hate you. Look what he has had to put up with from you, but he hasn't lost his temper with you yet, has he. Can't understand why not, actually. You're such a pain, James!"
"Hey, you two!" cried Rodney. "Stop arguing! Remember what we're all here for. Are we going to do this, or aren't we?"
James and Mandy were brought to their senses. Everyone put down his or her respective bundles and set about sorting out the tools for the job.
They had brought a long and - they hoped - strong rope with them, and they tied this to a tree. This done, they set about opening the well cover with the crowbar. Mandy helped, for the cover was very stiff. It took all three of them to open it right out.
The dank smell rising from the well nearly choked them. It smelt as if it had not been opened for centuries.
Mandy decided it was time to take up her look-out duties and retired to the corner by the churchyard, as before.
The boys took the fluorescent lamp and shone it down the well. The light gleamed back at them from damp stonework, slimy and black with mould. James picked up a stone and threw it in. After a few seconds of silence, they heard a dull splash. They shivered.
"How do we get down there?" gasped Rodney. "It looks awful!"
James leaned over the edge and shone the lamp down further into the depths.
"Look, Rod!" he cried. "There are steps down, starting about a metre down the well. If we get on them, and hold onto the rope, we can make it some way down, anyway!"
They went back to the tree to make sure the rope was secure.
"Mandy, we're going down!" called James.
"I don't think we should shout so much, you know," said Rodney. "Anyone could hear us. That could bring trouble!"
Mandy came up. She looked down the well with an expression of disgust. "Good luck to you!" she exclaimed. "I hope it's worth it. Don't worry, I'll keep watch."
James went first, as it was his idea. Holding on to the rope, the end of which he tied round his waist, he stepped over the rim of the well. Rodney held the rope and fed it out carefully as James abseiled down the slimy wall to the first step. Cautiously he stood on the ancient stone, hoping it would take his weight. It did, although it felt as slimy as the walls. Hanging on to the rope with one hand, and supporting himself on the wall with the other, James worked his way down, first one step, then the other. Rodney held the lantern shining down into the well.
After about a dozen steps, this light was inadequate. James carefully made his way back up.
"I shall need the light, Rod," he called. "Do you feel like joining me down here. It's not too bad, really."
"I'll get Mandy to look after the rope," said Rodney.
Mandy was not too keen on being so close to the action. It made her feel sick and funny looking down that great dark hole, and she told Rodney so. However, she came and held onto the rope, and Rodney joined James on the greasy stone stairs. He fastened his belt around the rope, but had to rely on James helping him down, catching his feet as he swung them over the wall. He had hooked the lantern to his belt as well, facing outwards.
"Shine the lamp on the wall, Rod," said James. "If Abbot William had the same ideas as Abbot Thomas, we should find some markings on the stones."
"How far down?" shuddered Rodney, not liking it one bit, now he was down here.
"Hopefully not too far," replied James optimistically. He was rather enjoying the adventure, almost forgetting about Derek in the excitement.
Hanging onto the rope with one hand, Rodney freed the lamp from his belt with the other and held it aloft. Glittering slime and dampness shone back at him. Down they both went, until they came to a place where there were several steps missing.
"Do you want to chance going on?" asked James, looking into the murky depths.
Rodney looked down, then he looked up. The circle of daylight looked very far away, the smell of dankness and stagnant water was overpowering. "NO!" he said emphatically. "Let's go back up. I don't think there's anything here. Besides, we'll run out of rope!"
James would have liked to go on down, but thought that perhaps his friend was right. He was bitterly disappointed that they had found nothing. "OK," he said reluctantly. "Back we go, then."
Rodney needed no second telling. He was already working his way carefully back to the light of day, holding onto the rope, one hand supporting him on the grimy wall, the lantern back on his belt. James followed, coiling up the slack of the rope as he came.
The lantern turned towards the wall as Rodney climbed, and he suddenly let out an exclamation. "Hey! The wall is sort of different here!"
He unhooked the lantern from his belt and shone it on the stonework, quite low down by the step above the one he was on.
"How d'you mean?"
James came up on the steps to a point just below him, staring at the patch of light thrown by the lantern. Sure enough, there was a slight dent in the wall, as if that part was sunk deeper than the rest.
"It may be just the way the stone has sunk with age," he said, trying not to raise his own hopes too high.
"Maybe. You tap it, my hands are full."
Reaching up, James tapped the stone with the hand that wasn't holding the rope. It did sound hollow. He tapped another stone further down the wall. Did it sound different, or was it his imagination?
Mandy's voice floated hollowly down the well. "How long are you going to be? I'm worried we'll be seen."
"Coming!" said James.
He made a mental note of where the stone was.
"We'll have to come back with the crowbar," he said.
"Tricky job, on these slippery steps," grunted Rodney. As he moved up, he kicked at one side of the stone, just hoping that something would happen. He was rewarded by a slight movement. "Hey, James! This stone moves inwards. Help me push!" He crouched down carefully to push with his hand.
James came nearer still so that he could reach to help. It wasn't easy, pushing with one hand, balancing on the slimy steps. Fortunately, they were quite wide at this point - on purpose?
Under pressure from both of them, the stone began to shift. It turned inwards with a grinding sound, revealing a dark cavity behind it. Rodney shone the lamp in. James craned his neck to see inside. "There's something in there!" he said excitedly.
"Not a toad?"
"Not a toad. A scroll. Or something..."
He reached in, the whole length of the arm that was not holding onto the rope. He had to stretch and groaned with the effort. He was rewarded by the feel of cold metal under his fingers. Grasping his find tightly, he pulled it out.
"Are you coming or aren't you!" called Mandy from above. "I think there's trouble coming. Come on!"
The urgency in her voice stirred the boys to move. Rodney hitched the lantern back on his belt and pushed the stone shut again as best he could. James clutched his treasure tightly, and stuffed it inside his anorak so as not to drop it down the well.
As quickly as they could, they climbed towards the circle of daylight overhead.
