But Frank has seen him, and comes nearer.

‘What’s that note you’ve got?’

‘Nothing. Just nonsense. Go away now, Frank.’

Frank stays where he is.

‘So somebody has been in here while we were out,’ he says in a frightened voice. ‘Freda was right.’

‘No, I don’t believe it. There’s a strong lock, and since it’s not been damaged, then…’

‘But you’ve got a note in your hand that must have just arrived!’ says Frank. ‘You were sitting holding it, like this. I could see that you were afraid of what was in it.’

‘You have no business peeping round doors like that, Frank! You know that perfectly well.’

Frank doesn’t care about that. Only one thing interests him.

‘Have you been sent the note?’ he asks.

‘The note? You said there was a kind of note here. There are plenty of notes here.’

Freda’s face appears behind Frank. A narrow, delicate face that is more precious to him than anything on earth. Now there is shock in it.

‘Have you been sent the note?’ she asks, holding her breath.

‘The note –?’

‘Yes, that note they’re sent. They’re sent a warning.’

She stares as if she can see the darkness seething in around them.

He has the note, crumpled in his hand. He gets to his feet abruptly and threateningly.

‘Be quiet, children! Leave me alone! I haven’t been sent any note like that. And if you’ll go out again I can have my nap.’

They have hardly ever seen him like this, and, terrified, make themselves scarce. He is left alone – there is a buzzing in his ears.

8

The Sentry

The sentry opens up again. The silent van goes past. A tiny slithering sound as the pneumatic tyres suck at and release the floor as they move.

Opening anything is not so straightforward in a place like this. An electric signal flashes, and the sentry plays on a row of switches. Then the steel door swings open and the van proceeds inwards. This is at the centre.

The sentry never catches a glimpse of what is taken past in the curious, tightly closed van. It simply glides along and there is nothing human to be seen. No driving seat or anything similar is visible. The van simply passes. And wherever it passes it leaves a wake of uneasiness. It comes gliding out of the centre and passes everywhere. Hidden eyes stare out of it. All the sentry needs to do is to be at his post when it comes back. It doesn’t usually take very long for it to come back to the centre. Each time the warning lamp flashes before it comes into sight, sent from the van itself – so that the sentry can have everything ready. The door to the secret place is standing open when the van arrives, there is no waiting at the door, it can proceed as intended to its goal.

Only the terrible van uses this door. There are entrances elsewhere for other purposes.