'Cataclysmic Harmonics'

Afternoon - Thus 13th Sept 1888.

he coach was easy to follow, it made no pretence of stealth. It lead straight to Lord Caverswall's Hall in the midst of Romney Marsh. Cold rain and wind pounded Bing as he watched the men drag the nothing into the Hall, the door slammed behind them.

Between Bing and the house lay an over grown and tangled garden, surrounded by stunted trees and bogs, plenty of cover to worm one's way to the house.

Bing eased himself on to his belly, his rheumatism would play hell later, but it had to be done. Dodging past feral rosebushes and straggling hedges, Bing reached a ground floor window on what appeared to be the disused wing. Mould covered the white walls, inside everything was covered with dust covers. Everything had a air of neglect. Except the observatory perched on top of the building, gleaming brass, even through the downpour.

The catch on the window was loose and Bing could easily ease his pocket knife in and slip it up. Getting over the sill took a bit of effort, but it was achieved without too much fuss. Closing the window behind him, Bing surveyed the decayed splendour of the sitting room.

A bulge beneath one of the dust sheets attracted his attention, a pair of wet cloaks were stuffed under it. Two sets of wet footprints could be seen coming though one of the windows. So there were more people sneaking about than just me.

Somebody was coming down the passageway towards the room. Nimbly Bing darted behind the door and drew his sword. A butler entered, a knife in his hand, glittering in the partial gloom. He started to look around a curious frown on his face. Bing stepped out from behind the door, with the intention of sneaking down the corridor, but unfortunately the butler whirled around and drove his knife through Bing's left arm. Pulling away Bing riposte and drove his slender weapon through the man's leg. Leaping away from the man's backhanded lunge, Bing again pouched and skewed the man through his stomach, only one more thrust was needed before the man collapsed.

"Right you ruffian, what's going on here, who are you, the masons ?"

Through bloody lips the man smiled. "The masons ... yes if you like. They're similar."

"What do you mean ?"

"Like masons, secret. They're gonna destroy the world. You with it, you're all going to die in fire !" The man passed out and Bing dragged him behind a sofa. Then slowly he walked down the corridor, he stopped in a doorway at the end to watch a young woman in jodhpurs try to walk quietly down stairs. Creaks and clicks followed her down and she seemed to be petrified of every sound. She disappeared under the stairs. On a whim Bing followed her down into the cellar, but she had disappeared somewhere in the gloom.

Two voices approached Bing, as he ducked behind a wine rack. A tall gaunt man was speaking to a man with a scarred face.

"Courage my son. You are too impatient de Troyes Jahbulon will be kind to us. He came to me in a dream last night and TOLD me he would today be free."

"You are a comfort Lord. When do we deal with Caverswall ?"

"Soon, Jahbulon will give us a sign. Have you sent the telegram yet ?"

"I was just about to do it, we must be sure the craft is ready to take us to Mars ... " The conversation drags off and Bing advances into the gloom again.

At the back of the cellar is an ornate lift door, Bing calls the lift and slides the door open when it arrives. The elevator clanks down into the depths and eventually stops. With a shaking hand, Bing pulls open the door to reveal an enormous cavern, dominated by an engine. A giant clockwork engine with cogs, struts, pistons, bells, and hydraulic rams. Immense, what could it do ? Bing walks towards it in a daze, but finally becomes aware of some clanging.

The girl appears to be trying to break the machine, snapping wires and cables and unscrewing nuts. Bing makes his way towards her, just as one nut doesn't answer her efforts and her feet slip from under her.

"Allow me madam," he said offering a hand. He pulls her up, despite her weight. Bing doffs his deer stalker. "I see you are on a rampage of destruction. Might I enquire why ?"

"A wampage. O yes I know what you mean. They're going to destroy the world with it. The vibrations you know."

"Most curious. But what is happening over there ?" Bing gestured with his cane, Scar-face and some of his cohorts had descended to the cavern and were approaching a sort of control panel for the infernal device, where they started to tinker. The pair of them were quite exposed.

"Quick we must hide, over there." Bing led the way to a curious metallic pod. It had portholes and was huge although dwarfed by the device beside it. They quickly climbed the border ladder and entered. Inside was very plush, an extensive library ran the length of one wall and astronomical equipment littered the tables.

Shouting from outside attracted Bing's attention. Scar-face was angrily shaking a metal ratchet in the air and shouting obscenities. Then the lift doors clanked noisily open and four men dragged out a white haired haggard figure. He gibbered and ranted pulling feebly against his captors.

"Dower !" Whispered Bing to himself.

"You damned conman," Scar-face yelled across the cavern. "It don't work, we've tried for 'ours with this damn thing; you conned us." He waved the ratchet under Dower's nose. Dower, his eyes lighting up and grinned through broken teeth.

"Ee ha oowoooo. Ha ha ha Ya never switch it on," laughed the deranged old man. "I fixed it see, ya never set that thing free. That monster of my creation. I fixed it see. Ha ha ha ha." Dower collapsed, the giggles taking him.

Scar-face scowled "We'll see about that !" and kicked him in the stomach, Dower convulsed. "Bring down his son. We'll soon get him to fix it."

This pronouncement electrified Dower, who leapt up yelling and leaping for Scar-face. Both of them fell down in a heap, Dower biting and scratching. The guards jumped in and pulled Dower off and thumped him.

"Fetch his son !" spat Scar-face through the blood.

"Nooooooo !" A aspiring wail from Dower. A man left, while Scar-face sauntered over to where the gaunt man and an old well bred gentleman were standing.

"de Troyes you said you'd have the machine working by six. It's nearly seven now. Will I ever have my revenge in those pale worms they call mankind ?" the aristocrat spoke up.

"Easy my Lord," the gaunt man spoke soothingly. "Chiswick, here, knows what he's about, he'll soon have the great machine working. My brotherhood desires the operation of this infernal device, this great cataclysmic engine, even more than your good self. This is what we've been waiting for these past thousands of years," the man's eyes have the glazed look of a fanatic.

"Yes, yes I know that, but you've bungled everything. It took ages to find the regulator, you failed to convert Aubrey and then you let those German's kill him. Negligence. I could have destroyed them all weeks ago."

"Patience my Lord. We'll soon be free of this mouldy Earth. Look, here's young Dower now !" Everything exploded into activity. Four man dragged the screaming, struggling nothing into the chamber, the cogs of the cataclysmic engine started to turn and a hatefully recognisable dwarf in white leather, breathing out wreaths of smoke leapt up from behind some crates. It ran towards de Troyes firing blue bolts from a strange gun. Other guns started up and men fell.

The devilish machine started to boom, as the rams rose and fell, the very floor started to vibrate. Lord Caverswall, you presume; runs towards the pod you're in. He starts to climb towards the steps, when, the girl beside Bing drew a large pistol and calmly shot the nobleman three times in the chest. Bing was so surprised he almost missed the guard trying to get him. Bing thrust his sword deep into the man's guts, then he jumped out of the pod and raced towards the triumphant figure of Spring Heeled Jack. Who was jumping up and down in glee upon the smouldering body of Scar-face, waiving the regulator in the air. Bing lunged in, meaning to skewer the hateful creature. The floor bucked, great rents appeared in the ceiling and chunks started to fall down. The dwarf jumped into the crowd of villains, who were withering under a storm of pistol shots. Jack raced to a ladder set in an alcove by the lift and sprang up it. Bing hot on his heels.

Behind him the great machine slowly pulled itself apart. As he raced to catch Jack, Bing had a glimpse of a man knocked down at the foot of the ladder, a familiar face, but from where ? Bing climbed, but however hard he climbed the dwarf got further and further away. His hands grew slippery with sweat. He finally collapsed at the top exhausted.

The man had been in his club the day he'd had lunch with James ! Most odd.

Bing lurched up and staggered on, the ground quaking beneath his feet. He found himself out in the pouring rain, Spring Heeled Jack no where to be seen and a worried looking police constable approaching him.

"Good evening constable, nice night for a walk in the rain !"