To their left was the entrance to the doll section of the store. It was clear that the sounds were coming from there.

“That’s a relief,” said Constable Peel just as a doll waddled into view and blinked at them. It was about eighteen inches tall, with dark hair. It wore a blue dress and blue shoes. Its eyes were entirely black.

“Mummy,” said the doll, its lips moving to form the word.

“That’s very impressive,” said Constable Peel. “In a creepy way. And it has quite big teeth for a doll.”

“It has quite big teeth for a shark,” said Sergeant Rowan. “Constable, I’d take a step or two back from it if I were you.”

Constable Peel didn’t need to be told twice. More dolls were joining the first. Some walked and some crawled. One doll pushed another doll in a pram. A number of them were armed with knives. The ones that couldn’t talk just cried, but the ones that could talk said things like “Mummy,” and “Bottle,” and “Change me.”

And “Kill!”

• • •

Mr. Karloff had managed to stop running for long enough to call the police. Constables Wayne and Hay, who were out in a patrol car, were now aware that Biddlecombe was in trouble again. There were rumors of eerie noises from the old prison, and strange lights in the abandoned asylum. They had tried to contact Sergeant Rowan and Constable Peel, with no result, so they had locked up the police station and headed out to investigate.

As it happened, their route back to the center of town took them by the battlefield. They paused for a moment and took in the sight of dozens of undead Vikings and Saxons merrily attempting to kill one another and, when that didn’t work due to the fact that they were already dead, contenting themselves with lopping off limbs and heads.

“Let’s just leave them to it, shall we?” said Constable Hay.

“That seems like the best thing,” said Constable Wayne.

They drove away, and did not look back.

XXIV

In Which Nurd and Wormwood Plan a Great Escape

NURD AND WORMWOOD CROUCHED in the darkness of Samuel’s bedroom, watching the activity below. Nurd turned to Wormwood and examined him critically, which wasn’t difficult where Wormwood was concerned. He straightened Wormwood’s costume, and adjusted his hat.

“This plan will never work,” said Wormwood.

“It might,” said Nurd.

“I look ridiculous.”

“Wormwood, you always look ridiculous. Admittedly, you now look slightly more ridiculous, if such a thing were possible. I did not believe it was, but it seems you have just proved me wrong. How do I look?”

“You look ridiculous, too. And it still won’t work.”

“Do you have a better plan?” asked Nurd.

“I have never had a plan in my life,” admitted Wormwood, although he was tempted to add that he was currently trying to come up with his first, because whatever he thought of, it couldn’t be worse than this one.