Julian walked purposefully down the room hoping that his confident stride might so unnerve the group of people that he would get to the far table before they came to their sense, and for a moment or two it seemed as if his bravado would carry the day. The group of people stood as if captured in a freeze-frame of a film, some with their arms raised in ecstasy, some with the words "deus ibi est" dying on their lips, and some doing something rather unmentionable to a parlourmaid in the far corner, whose giggling echoed through the stunned silence. However, with just a few steps to go the shock wore off, and two lusty young men stepped forward and held Julian's arms in a vice-like grip, lifting off the ground so that his feet circled madly in the air. In this manner he was taken up to the table which he now saw was covered in an old felt carpet, on top of which was laid a square white linen cloth, and placed in the centre, a bookstand on which rested an ancient leather-covered volume. Roughly handled, he was put down by the table and in front of a group of three men, still restrained firmly. He noticed, almost in passing, that on the lapel of the dark suits the men were wearing, each sported a small enamelled Alph symbol, and that one of the figures held a small black book in his left hand. The sound of excited voices began to fill the room, but as the man raised the small book aloft it died away to a whisper. He paced around the table and came to a halt in front of Julian. His breath smelt faintly of garlic, and a sliver of lettuce leaf was attached to his upper lip, evidence of a meal having taken place but a short time before. Julian looked up into the man's eyes and became aware of the deadly menace that lurked therein. With sudden knowledge he began to struggle, but the hands held him tight and he was unable to break free. The man stared solidly into his eyes for what seemed an eternity, and then, with a murmured incantation, he placed his right hand on the boy's sweating forehead. For a moment Julian felt nothing but the pressure of the palm against his head, but then, like rising waters, he felt a warm sensation, beginning at his feet and rising up his body. As the warmth reached his head the retraining hands let go, and Julian, realising what was expected of him, had a momentary sensation of floating before he collapsed backwards into waiting arms that gently lowered him to the floor. A frenzied cry of "Alleluia!" broke from the lips of everyone gathered in the Salon, the sound of it penetrating every corner of the ancient house so that the other children, standing in the kitchen, heard it. Breaking like a thunderclap over them, Dick nearly choked on the meatball he had been consuming, whilst Anne clapped her hands over her ears, eyes wide with fright. George uttered an ejaculation as Timmy whimpered and nuzzled the left knee of his mistress. The cry of triumph was swiftly replaced by the sound of numerous running footsteps, and George looked at the others. "We'd better get out of here," she said, and the children hurried back to the door, Dick casting a last longing look at the meatballs and wiping the final trace of gravy from his lips with his sleeve. They had gone less than a dozen paces down the corridor when several dark figures loomed up in front of them. Anne screamed and immediately wet herself for the second time in this adventure. It really wasn't her day.