Petronella & the Trogot (10 page)

Maalox
sat on the window sill of the spare bedroom and watched them as they reached the ridge. He knew where they were going. The white shield on his chest grew bigger.

 

 

Petronella and Percy were standing on the edge of the enormous pit around the trunk of
The Trogot
. In the light of the full moon, and the lights shining up from the pit, they could see inside the big black hole. All around the walls were steps leading downwards. The underground part of the trunk was also split in two. As if these were the feet of
The Trogot
firmly secured in the soil. On the rugged steps, shadows were digging busily widening the hole.

“Hello, I'd like to ask you some questions,” Petronella called out. Petronella and Percy waited a while. No answer came. She tried again. And again, no answer.

“We must needs goeth down some steps, moveth closer to them. They cannat heareth us from here,” Percy said.

“You're right. Let's go down a few steps and try calling them again,” said Petronella.

Petronella went first. Their feet sank into the steps made of soft wet soil. As they went further down, they could see more and more shadows. Petronella and Percy kept calling out but the shadows went on digging. It then dawned on Petronella that the diggers simply could not hear them. They were deaf. And neither could they speak or see. They slammed their spades against the walls of the pit then dug chunks out. Some tried running one of their hands along the walls to feel where they should start work. But there were no people in the hole. Only these shadows reflected on the walls, in the moonlight. Petronella and Percy went past lots of shadows. So many, that they had lost count.

“We must needs go down further. Until we findeth someone to speaketh to,” Percy said.

So they went down another curved flight of steps until, in front of them, was a huge tunnel cut into the earth. An archway at its entrance. Across the top on the lintel were the words:

 

Ye be about to entereth The Trogot Caves.

No way back beyond this point.

 

They looked behind them. A heavy iron gate had slammed down and blocked the passage they had just walked down.

“We have no choice but to go in,” Petronella said.

“Doth nat be frightened, Petronella. We must needs findeth out where this tunnel leadeth to,” Percy said.

They walked through the archway. Rats were scurrying from one side to another, along the gutters either side of the walls. Petronella screamed. Percy tightened his grip on her hand urging her to go on. After about half an hour's walking, a large clearing opened up before them on their right. It was an underground lake. With water as black as can be, which gently splashed up against a wall of flint.

And bobbing up and down in the waves were some heads. They surfaced and went back down under, as the water moved to and fro. For a few minutes, it wasn't clear what was making the water move. But in the distance, gliding through an archway joining the two caves, they saw a boat coming towards them. At its helm was a ferryman. And sitting in the boat, huddled up tightly together, were a boatload of shadows. When the boat reached the bank where Petronella and Percy were standing, the shadows got out one by one. As each one stepped off the boat,
The Ferryman
hit him hard on the back with his heavy oar to hurry them along. The shadows opened their mouths to scream, but no sound came out. They struggled as they moved towards a pile of spades. They took one each, went to the wall of the cave and started digging another tunnel; next to the tunnel Petronella and Percy had just come out of.

It was as if Petronella and Percy did not exist. The shadows took no notice of them at all. But
The
Ferryman
turned around and saw them. He was walking slowly towards them with his heavy oar still in his hand.

“We have been expecting you,”
The Ferryman
said. “You are Petronella and Percy, are you not?”

Petronella and Percy looked at each other, hardly believing what they had heard. How could anyone have been expecting them in a place like this? They had only made up their minds to go down
The Trogot
that very night.

“Welcome to
Trogot Caves
. Now that you have entered there is no turning back. You must go on until you reach the way out back to Fort Willow. But there is a maze of tunnels and caves under here. All on different levels. You have to go all the way down to the bottom of
Trogot Caves
before you can go back up again and then out into your world.”

“How shall we knoweth where to go?” Percy asked.

“Someone will point you in the right direction. I will now take you across to the other side of the lake, where I've just come from. I need to fetch another boatload of shadows. There you'll find a spiral stairwell taking you down to a lower level. You will be met by a guard and shown the way forward.”

“But we don't want to get into your boat. We saw how you treated those poor creatures. And what about those heads bobbing up and down in the lake?” Petronella asked.

“Oh, you do not need to waste your pity on them. They are souls not human beings. When they were alive, they were evil. They will never leave
Trogot Caves
. All of them are prisoners here for ever. We guards of
Trogot Caves
have orders from
The Trogot
to make their stay as uncomfortable as possible. But you needn't worry. This rule does not apply to you two. You are still alive and as passing guests you will not be harmed. Unless...”
The Ferryman
thought for a bit. “Unless, of course, the prisoners get you. We guards do what we can, but these evil souls are clever. So you must be careful. Now please get into the boat, I have work to do. I spend all my time ferrying new arrivals.”

They obeyed; sat down in the boat. Both ready to be taken to the other side.

“So, do all the evil souls end up here? Do they all get ferried across, then spend eternity digging?” Petronella asked.

“No, they would not all fit here. Eternal digging is only for those who have not committed serious crimes in general. As you go down
Trogot Caves
you will see how other crimes have their own eternal punishment. Now please leave my boat. Go to the end of this tunnel and, as I said before, you will find a spiral stairwell down to the lower level. There will be another guard there to help you on your journey.”

As the two of them got out of the boat they could see another crowd of shadows ready to be ferried across the lake.

 

 

When they were half way down the dimly-lit spiral stairwell, they heard a low rumbling sound. Like the sound made by a monster's empty stomach. The rumbling got louder and louder until it turned into one exploding blast. Everything around them started to shake. They hurried down the rest of the steps, taking them two by two. They reached the bottom just in time before the stairwell tumbled and fell. By now, everything around them was shaking fiercely. Other explosions were coming from a long way off. Petronella was jolted forwards and Percy was tossed into the air. Petronella reached out for him and managed to fling her arms around him and draw him to her, breaking his fall. Rubble shot off the walls onto the ground. Cracks appeared in the three towering stone pillars; they broke and crumbled down. Shattered glass from somewhere up above rained down on them in jagged shards. Petronella and Percy held on tight to each other, both jerked backwards and forwards. Petronella managed to reach for
The Black Box
given to her by
The Hooded Horseman
.
The Black Box
slowly opened and a light shone from it. Suddenly it was all over. Everything was still again. The whole cave was as quiet as a cemetery.

They got up slowly and walked around, the glass crunching under their feet as they went. They came acroos a door. Big, wide, in solid oak. Percy looked up at Petronella, then tried the door handle. It creaked as he pulled it down firmly. Petronella helped him push the heavy door open.

The bright light inside made them squint. Opening their eyes a crack, they saw right in front of them two large greyhounds. Though sitting down, they were taller than Percy. Petronella screamed again. She reached for
The Black Box
...
 

“There's no need for that,” a large man said, entering the cave through another door. He waved his hand around to
The Greyhounds
. They stretched out and lay down making a whimpering sound. “That was an earthquake. One of the many we get down here. I'm sorry; but I have no power over these things.”

“How did you know about
The Black Box
?” Petronella asked.

“All the guards down here in
Trogot Caves
know you are
The Chosen One
, Petronella. We also know that Percy is a Strincas and that you treat him as if he were your own son.”

“What else do you know about us?” she asked.

“We know that The Strincas who were beheaded by Lord Fortesque's soldiers have now gone back to living above ground. Since you two started your journey in
Trogot Caves
, more of them have risen and gone back to the exact places where they once lived in Fort Willow. A lot of today's villagers have left. But the good people are staying and have even helped The Strincas.”

“What else do you know about me?” she asked.

“You have a cat called
Maalox
. He dug up the head and torso of
The Hooded Horseman
and brought them to your cottage. The head is in the coal scuttle and the torso in the snail bunker. He also dug up other bones. The men of Fort Willow found the rest. Nearly all The Strincas who were buried there are out now. I cannot tell you anymore, we have other things to see to.”

“We would like to go home. Can you tell us how we can get out of here?”

“You have already been told by
The Ferryman
that you need to go all the way to the bottom of
Trogot Caves
before you can go up and then leave altogether.”

“How long shall it taketh?” Percy asked.

“That, I cannot say,” answered
The Greyhound Man
.

“Are we the only visiting guests here?” Petronella asked.

“Indeed you are. You are the only ones visiting
Trogot Caves
right now, but others have been on the journey before you. Now I'd like to offer you some food. You will need energy to proceed on your travels.”

He clapped his hands and two female shadows appeared, as thin as paper dolls. They bowed their heads. “Go get the meal that has been prepared for our guests. Quick and be smart about it,” he ordered. Turning to Petronella and Percy, he said: “Please take your places at my table. You are my guests.”

In no time at all, the table was set and the food served.

“Who are the servants?” Petronella asked.

“Oh, two troublemakers. They were servants at Lord Fortesque's castle. Of course, they helped soldiers catch Strincas peasants who were then tortured and killed. There are quite a few of these other women back in the kitchen. I say, each adult needs to stand up against the wicked instead of helping them. Now all these women spies will be here for ever. Cooking, and serving food, but never eating. Eternal hunger is their punishment.”

“But cannat they eateth whilst ye nat be looking?” Percy asked.

“Impossible,” he said. “The tops of their stomachs have been tied up with strong metal bands.”

 

 

It was time for Petronella and Percy to restart their journey through
Trogot Caves
.

“You will now enter a narrow winding pitch black tunnel. Through that door over there,” said
The Greyhound Man
, pointing to a third door in the cave.
“
I will give you a lantern each to light the way. The path is uneven, paved with wood chippings under which beetles breed. I am afraid that the light of the lanterns will make them creep out of the chippings. Wind is pumped into this tunnel from both ends. The wind will be behind you in the first half of the tunnel, and against you in the second half. You will see that the shadows living in there are blown in all directions. At times, they are slammed against the walls and ceiling.”

“What have they done to deserve this?” said Petronella.

“They were the liars, the false people of the world. They spun and wove stories, and now they themselves will be spun and woven for ever,” said
The Greyhound Man
.

“Oh, what terrible punishment that be. How can anyone putteth up with that?” said Percy.

The Greyhound Man
did not answer.

The tunnel was exactly as the man had described it. Petronella and Percy wound their way through the darkness. The rays of light from the lantern shone on some shadows. These were white, unlike the diggers and the servants who were black. But the beetles crawling around busily were certainly black. As black as can be.

Suddenly, one of the shadows wrapped itself around Percy's legs, pinning him to the spot where he stood. Other shadows were whizzing round him. This made Percy drop his lantern and all the oil spilled out. The burning oil made the wood chippings catch fire. The whole tunnel was alight and, as the flames got higher, Percy couldn't see Petronella anymore through the blaze and thick smoke. Petronella could hear him coughing, spluttering and trying to draw in air. Sparks were flying everywhere. The scorching heat was more than the boy could stand. By now, Percy was surrounded by hot smoke. A shadow gripped his throat.

“Hold on, Percy!” she shouted, “Don't give up.”

Petronella got out
The Black Box
and, as it opened up, the fire died down, the smoke cleared up, and the shadows backed off. They were safe. She hugged Percy saying “Don't worry, my dear. We'll be out of here soon.” This was the second time she had used
The Black Box.