“Don’t you wave that hook at me,” says Eels, with ice in his voice. “Remember how you were when I found you? Nothing more than a foggy patch in that stinking cave – cursed to linger on for ever, but growing fainter by the year. I’m giving you the chance to make things right again. All you have to do is keep your side of the bargain, and fight the monster while I grab the egg.”

The Boathook Man lets out a long, breathy hiss.

“But it is … it is … invincible.”

“You don’t have to win, you fool!” Eels shouts. “We’ve been over all this. You just have to keep the creature busy. Once I have the egg, it will all be over.”

“It will kill you,” says Boathook Man. “Like it killed my crew. My fine, brave men.”

“It has a weakness,” says Eels. “It can be destroyed.”

“But … this weakness … we do not know it.”

“If Peter Parma could find it, then so can I,” Eels snaps. “It can’t be too complicated. He even put it in his stupid book!”

“We have his book…” gasps Boathook Man. “Yet still we do not know.”

Even from up here we can hear Eels grinding his teeth. “Only because precious Peter removed that page. Curse him!”

“Then we should delay,” sighs Boathook Man. “Wait till next year. Find … the missing page.”

“No!” Eels shouts. “I’ve waited long enough. I deserve the egg! I’m damned if I’m going to let that bleeding heart Peter stand in my way, even from beyond the grave. We carry on as planned. Once I have the egg, I can use it to find the creature’s weakness.”

“I thought this too…” The Boathook Man’s voice breaks a little. “All those years ago. But I failed. And was cursed for ever.”

“Enough of your whining!” Eels brings his fist down on the desk. “It’s not my fault you didn’t have the wit or the will to use the egg properly. But with its power, I will be able to know anything, to do anything! I’ll use that power to destroy the malamander. I’ll put a dozen harpoons through its stinking fish guts before it can even spit. Then the egg will be mine for ever.”

“And … the others?” gusts the voice of Boathook Man. “If they come … to stop you?”

“Oh, don’t worry about them.” Eels gives a snort of contempt. “I’m not going to let a couple of do-gooders get in my way. I have plenty of harpoons, and the sea will quickly dispose of the bodies.”

FEAR AND VAPOUR

SUDDENLY, THE IDEA of creeping back downstairs past the study door doesn’t seem very appealing. I look at Violet, who is pointing upwards.

The third flight of stairs in Sebastian Eels’ house is narrower than the others. We creep up and find an attic floor with lower ceilings.