'Will you now tell us of your relationship with Pryszlak?' he asked, seemingly unaffected.

'Of course. There's no reason why you shouldn't know. Judith and I my name is Lillian, by the way, Lillian Huscroft were introduced to Boris many years ago by Dominic Kirkhope. Dominic knew the sort of games Judith and I enjoyed I could say his knowledge was intimate and he knew we were reasonably wealthy. Boris needed money at that time for his experiments. He also needed people, people of his own kind. If there was an overall characteristic among the members of his specially chosen group, I suppose you could call it "moral wickedness". We were all evil, you see. But we regarded that as a virtue, not a weakness. A quality held by many, but repressed because of the distorted prejudices so-called civilized society had thrust upon us. We found our freedom with Boris. Every sinful act we committed was a step nearer to our ultimate goal.'

She gave a short laugh and looked mockingly at her three captives. 'The police in this country would be amazed how tidy their files on unsolved crimes would become if we revealed the part many of our members played in them. The hardest crime to solve is the one without apparent motive and I'm afraid our dear law enforcement officers find the concept of evil for the sake of evil hard to grasp.'

'I find it somewhat hard to grasp myself,' said Kulek calmly.

'That, if I may say so, is why Boris is a great innovator, while you are merely a mundane theorist. It was a pity you did not accept his offer you may have become as great as he.'

'You said "is". Are you telling me that Pryszlak is not dead?'

'No one really dies, Jacob.'

'The policeman outside is dead,' Bishop said evenly. 'My wife is dead.'

'Their bodies are discarded shells, that's all. Your wife, I believe, is still very active. As for the policeman it's up to him how he continues. It will depend on which were the stronger powers within him. I can assure you, the fact that he was a law enforcer does not mean his powers for "goodness" were necessarily the more dominant. Far from it.'

'What the hell are you talking about?'

'She means there are two invisible powers that control the destiny of mankind,' Kulek explained. 'If you were a religious man, you might label them the Powers of Light and the Powers of Darkness. The Bible refers to them often enough. What we've never realized or, if you like, what we've forgotten over the centuries is that they were scientific concepts, not merely religious imagery. It seems Pryszlak did find a way of tapping that power. He used his knowledge of psychism to find the key. Others have achieved it in the past, only we've never recognized the fact. They probably did not fully realize it themselves. Just think of the tyrants, the mass murderers, the evil geniuses of the past. How did ordinary men like Adolf Hitler gain such incredible power?'

'Excellent, Jacob,' said the tall woman. 'You really could have been helpful to Boris.'

'But what was that key?' Kulek had involuntarily leaned forward and the sharp pain from the knife prick made him move quickly back.

'Don't you know, Jacob? Ah, but of course, you are not a scientist. You know little of the powers of pure energy. Have you any idea of the immense energy in one person's brain? The electrical impulses created by chemical reaction that keeps our bodies functioning throughout our lifetimes? An energy that cannot disappear, cannot dissolve just because our bodies die? An electrical force, Jacob, that can be reached. Its potential is limitless. Have you any concept at all of its collective force?' She laughed again, enjoying the moment, and her companion smiled with her. 'Of course you haven't. None of us has! But we will. Soon!'

'Electrical energy.' Kulek's face had gone deathly white. 'It's not possible. We must be more than that.'

'We are, Jacob. But then energy itself is more than just that. It is a physical thing but, you see, we underestimate the term. The paranormal is perfectly normal. We just need to understand it. I believe that is one of your own doctrines.'

'Matters that today we believe are extraordinary will not be so in the future.'

'Yes, scientific progress will see to that. And the momentum of that progression is increasing. Boris was far ahead of us all, and he had the courage to take the final step to give proof of his discovery.'

'By killing himself?'

'By freeing himself.'

'There has to be more to it.'

'Oh there is, and it was very simple. For a man like Boris, that is.'

'Won't you tell us?'

'I think not. You'll find out yourselves soon enough.'

'Why are you holding us here?' said Bishop. 'What are you waiting for?'

'You'll see. It shouldn't be long now.'

'Is it anything to do with the trouble that's going on tonight on the other side of the river?'

'Yes, it is very much to do with it.'

Jessica spoke. 'What is happening there, Chris? You said on the phone there was a prison riot.'

'All I know for sure is that the police are being kept pretty busy and not just with the riot.'

Kulek sighed heavily and said, 'It's the Dark, isn't it? It's growing more powerful.'

The two women only smiled more meaningfully. 'No more questions,' the tall one said.

Bishop was puzzled. Kulek had just referred to the Dark as if it were some special entity, a force on its own. The Powers of Darkness, he had said before. Was it possible that the night could harbour such adverse potency? Bishop was confused and he forced himself to push the thoughts away to concentrate on the immediate problem. He felt helpless. If he made a move towards the tall woman Kulek would be stabbed in the heart. If he tried for the short woman, he would himself be shot in the head. Their only chance would be the failure of the policeman to report in surely he would have to report back to HQ every so often? But then with all the confusion going on over the other side of London it might go unnoticed. Beside him, Jessica trembled and he reached for her hand again.

'Stop,' the tall woman ordered. 'If you move again, I'll kill you.'

Bishop let his hand drop and tried to smile reassuringly at Jessica. 'I think the waiting is making them more nervous than us.'

'Shut your mouth,' the short woman hissed. 'Why don't we kill him now, Lillian? He's not important.'

'We'll wait. But I warn you, Christopher, if you move or speak again, I will shoot the girl.'

As the minutes ticked by, the tension in the room began to mount. Bishop noticed the short woman kept glancing over at the dome-covered clock resting on the sideboard and then at her companion, agitation plain on her face.

'There isn't much time,' she finally said.

'Just a little longer. Concentrate, Judith, help me bring it here.'

The tall woman's face became damp with perspiration and occasionally her eyes would half-close, the hand holding the gun wavering slightly. The short woman seemed to be undergoing a similar stress. Bishop tensed his muscles, waiting for the right moment.

Suddenly, the one called Lillian took in a sharp breath and then she was smiling again. 'Can you feel it, Judith? It's coming. It knows.'

'Yes, yes.' The short one had her eyes closed as though in a trance, but the knife was still pressed into Kulek's nightclothes.

The tall woman's expression was almost orgasmic and Bishop shifted his weight forward when her eyelids began to flutter. She knew his intentions, though, for her eyes abruptly became sharply focused on him. 'I'm warning you not to move!' The words were almost spat out.

'No!' Jessica and Bishop looked across at Kulek who had cried out. The blind man's hands were like claws around the sides of the armchair and his neck was stretched upwards, tendons standing out like stiffened rods, eyes gazing sightlessly at the ceiling. 'It's so close.'

The short woman began to laugh, her plump, round shoulders heaving spasmodically. The tall woman rose from her chair and approached Bishop, the gun only inches away from his head.

'Now you'll see,' she said, her breathing jerky, sharp. 'Now you'll see the power.'

He shuddered, the tension in the room reaching a peak, but now a stifling oppression seeming to mingle with it. Short gasps were coming from Jessica and he knew she was terribly afraid. And he, too, felt the same fear.

The figure that appeared in the doorway caused the scream that had been building up inside Jessica to finally break free.

23.

Bishop grabbed the tall woman's wrist and pushed the gun away from his exposed face, at the same time driving his clenched fist hard into her midriff. Her shout became a breathless gasp as she bent double and Bishop wrenched the Beretta from her grasp. He threw her away from him as he rose and turned to face the short woman, who was still staring at the figure in the doorway. She realized Bishop's intentions and drew the knife back to give it added thrust when she plunged it into the blind man's heart. But Kulek was faster: he thrust out and she toppled from the arm of the chair, not falling completely, but unbalanced enough to reach out wildly to save herself from going down. She grasped the back of the armchair and Bishop quickly stepped closer, bringing the pistol butt down on her forehead. She let out a yelp and collapsed on to the floor, helped by Bishop hooking a foot under her knee and jerking it from beneath her. He leaned forward and took the knife away, slapping her with fist and gun as she tried to resist.

Jessica ran to her father and held him. 'I'm all right,' he told her, then turned his face towards the door, knowing someone was there even though he could not see.

Edith Metlock looked pale and frightened. Her eyes went from one figure to the next, confused and unable to take in the situation. She slumped against the doorway, her head shaking from side to side. 'I came to warn you,' she managed to say.

'Edith?' asked Kulek.

'Yes, Father, it's Edith,' Jessica said.

Bishop went to the medium. 'You couldn't have arrived at a better moment.' He took her arm and drew her into the room.

'I came to warn you,' she repeated. 'The door was open.'

'They were expecting someone or something else.'

From the floor, her mouth still open and desperately sucking in air, the tall woman stared at the medium. Bishop kept a cautious eye on her, ready to use the gun if necessary.

'Edith,' said Kulek, 'what brought you here? How did you know we were being held by those two?'

'I didn't. I came to warn you of the Dark. It's coming for you, Jacob.'

The blind man was on his feet and Jessica led him over to the medium and Bishop. His voice was full of interest rather than fear when he spoke. 'How do you know, Edith?'

Bishop let her down on to the settee and she slumped back as though exhausted. 'Voices, Jacob. There are hundreds of voices. I was at home, asleep. They invaded my dreams.'

'They spoke to you?'

'No, no. They are just there. I can hear them now, Jacob. They are becoming louder, clearer. You must get away from here before it's too late.'

'What are they saying, Edith? Please try to stay calm and tell me exactly what they are saying.'

She leaned forward and clutched at his arm. 'I can't tell you. I hear them, but there are so many. They're so confused. But I hear your name, over and over again. He wants his revenge, Jacob. He wants to show you just what he has achieved. And I think he fears you, too.'

'Ha!' The tall woman was on her knees now, wary of her own gun that was pointed in her direction. 'He fears nothing! He has nothing to fear!'

'Pryszlak? Do you mean Pryszlak, Edith?' The blind man spoke more sharply.

'Yes. He's nearly here.'

'I'm going to call the police,' said Bishop.

'They can't help you, fool!' The tall woman's face was twisted into a malicious sneer. 'They can't harm him.'

'She's right,' said the medium. 'Your only chance is to run. That's all anyone can do.'

'I'm calling the police anyway, even if it's only to take these two away.'

'It's too late, don't you see?' The tall woman was rising, her eyes gleaming. 'It's here. It's outside.'

The arm that encircled Bishop's throat from behind was plump and powerful. His body was arched back as the short woman brought her knee up against the base of his spine. One hand was reaching for the knife he held.

Jessica tried to force the little woman away from him, grabbing at her hair and pulling, but it had no other effect than to overbalance the two figures and send them crashing to the floor. Bishop tried to twist himself away from the tenacious woman, unable to break the grip around his throat. He raised his elbow, then swiftly drew it back, feeling it sink into her fatness. He repeated the action, using all his strength, and felt her legs flailing out beneath him. The tightness against his throat began to slacken and he renewed his efforts. He managed to turn his body and, because she would not let go of either his neck or hand, the knife sliced across her plump breasts and blood spurted from them. She screamed.

At last he was able to pull himself free and he turned his head, expecting to see her tall companion bearing down on him. But she was gone.

Hands clawed into his face and his attention was drawn back to the squirming woman beneath him. Her chest was now a mass of red stickiness, yet still she fought on, her lips bared to reveal stained, yellow teeth. The sounds she made were like those of an enraged dog and her eyes were becoming clouded. Her struggles began to weaken as the wound sapped her strength; only her will prevented her from collapsing. He pushed her hands away and staggered to his feet, feeling no pity as he looked down on her, her hands still scrabbling feebly at empty air.

'Chris.' Jessica clung to his arm. 'Let's get away. Let's call the police from somewhere else!'

'It's too late.' Edith Metlock was looking over her shoulder at the glass walls behind. 'It's already here,' she said tone-lessly.

Bishop could see their own reflections against the darkness outside. 'What the hell are you talking about?' he found himself shouting. 'There's nothing out there!'

'Chris,' Kulek said quietly. 'Please go and make sure the front door is locked. Jessica, turn on every light in the house, outside lights, too.'

Bishop could only stare wordlessly at him.

'Do as he says, Chris,' Jessica urged.

She ran from the room and he followed. The front door was ajar and before he pushed it closed, Bishop peered out into the night. He could barely see the trees that lined the narrow drive leading to the house. After slamming the door, he pushed home the bolts and turned to see Jessica flicking down all the light switches in the hall. She pushed past him to climb the stairs leading to the rooms on the upper level; Bishop followed.

'In there, Chris!' Jessica pointed at one of the doors leading off the upstairs hall as she disappeared through another. Still puzzled, Bishop obeyed and found himself in a large, L-shaped bedroom. This side of the house overlooked the city and he realized that on any other night, the view would have provided a dazzling display of lights. On this night, though, there was something odd about the shimmering glow. It was as if he were watching it through a moving lacy veil, the lights twinkling and growing faint, then emerging brightly again. It wasn't like fog, for that would have shrouded everything in its rolling grey mist; it was a shifting inky darkness punctured by the brightest of the lights, smothering those more distant, dulling their luminosity.

'Chris?' Jessica had entered the room. 'You haven't turned on the lights.'

He pointed towards the glass wall. 'What is it, Jessica?'

Instead of answering, she flicked down the light switch, then hurried over to a bedside lamp and put that on also. She left the room and he heard other doors opening. Bishop went after her and caught her arm as she emerged from one of the rooms.

'Jessica, you've got to tell me what's going on.'

'Don't you understand? It's the darkness. It's a living entity, Chris. We've got to keep it away.'

'By turning on lights?'

'That's all we can do. Don't you remember how Edith had kept it away that night we found her? She knew by instinct that that was the only way.'

'But how can darkness harm us?'

'It's what it does to people. It seems to prey on weak or evil minds, it somehow makes the badness in them dominant. Can't you see what's been happening? That night at the rest home don't you see how it used their enfeebled minds?' She saw the pain in his eyes. 'I'm sorry, Chris, but don't you see how it affected Lynn? She wanted to kill you again, and so did all the others. They were being directed, don't you see? Their minds were being used. The same happened at the football match in Willow Road itself. Pryszlak has found a way to use the evil lying in everybody's subconscious. The stronger that evil, or the weaker the person's mind, the easier it is for . . .'

'Jessica!' Jacob Kulek was calling from the foot of the stairs.