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unexpected. He reached for his inside pocket and pulled out a thin piece of plastic – a bit like a large pocket calculator. The sleek gadget was rather out of place with the rest of Pendelshape’s overflowing store cupboard of dusty books and papers. He gently pressed a button on the device and the cupboard door closed automatically.
    He nodded towards the computer.
    “Best encryption in the world… but it’s no good if you forget to lock the screen.”
    Strangely, he did not seem angry. Instead, he peered at the message from ‘the Benefactor’.
    “It makes no difference now anyway.” He spoke urgently, “But I will explain all that later. Come, we haven’t got long. I hope you two don’t mind… surprises. Step to the back, please.” He ushered them to the rear of the small store cupboard.
    Pendelshape pressed the calculator device in his hand a second time and then, without warning, a slight aperture appeared in the floor. Angus gasped. Jack just stood, gaping. A very narrow, steep spiral staircase led down from the aperture, dimly lit by a blue light, which produced an unearthly shimmer.
    “You can’t get out, so I’m afraid you will just have to follow me. But don’t worry – you’re perfectly safe. Please – on you go.”
    Jack and Angus didn’t move.
    With a little more firmness now, Pendelshape urged them forward. “Please – we have little time. Trust me.”
    Reluctantly, they stepped onto the spiral staircase, quickly followed by Pendelshape. It was some sort of escalator and the steps began to descend automatically. As they dropped beneath floor level, the aperture above them mysteriously closed and after a couple of minutes they came to a gentle halt. Ahead of them was a door. Pendelshape pressed the device again and the door opened. There was a short metal-clad corridor illuminated by the same dull blue light. At the end of the corridor was a large round door, like the entrance to a bank vault – it looked very heavy, maybe it was steel. It had five letters etched on it:
    ‘V I G I L’.
    The door opened silently and Jack noticed that it was at least seven centimetres thick. Next, they found themselves in an oval-shaped room. It was similar to his dad’s workshop at Cairnfield – although there weren’t quite as many books and there was no mess – in fact, it was spotless. Towards one side of the library were two large leather sofas between which a glass-topped table was positioned.
    Pendelshape waved them forward. “Please take a seat, gentlemen. I think I have some explaining to do.” He looked at his watch and then waved vaguely in the direction of a modern fireplace, which suddenly erupted into a roaring log fire. Jack and Angus jumped.
    “Don’t worry – it’s not real…” Pendelshape snorted. “Just adds a bit of atmosphere. Otherwise it can be a bit grim all the way down here.” He clapped his hands. “Now, first things first, would either of you like some tea?” But the two boys were still in shock. “I’m rather partial to Jaffa cakes… we usually keep a few goodies down here, you know, just in case…” Pendelshape moved over to what appeared to be an ante-room to the library. He talked over his shoulder.
    “I should explain where we are. This is a facility of VIGIL. They oversee everything.”
    Jack finally found his voice. “What’s VIGIL?”
    Dr Pendelshape returned to the table with a pot of tea and a plate of biscuits on a large tray.
    “Ah, apologies, of course, I will need to start at the beginning. One forgets how little is known…”
    “Sir, I’m sorry, we didn’t mean to look at your computer…” Jack blurted out. “We were just… waiting for you…”
    “You’re not in trouble,” Pendelshape said firmly and then added… “But I’m afraid you might be, if you don’t listen very carefully to what I have to say…”
    “But, sir…”
    Pendelshape put up a hand to quieten Jack, “Please… just listen.”
    Pendelshape bit into a