But none came. Everything was still and dark. He heaved a sigh of relief. Perhaps nobody had heard the noise after all-or perhaps nobody slept on that side of the castle.
He carried the ladder over to the wash-house. It was not very heavy, because it wasn’t very long. Still, it would be long enough, he was sure.
He set it up against the wash-house. It reached almost to the roof. He flashed his torch at the rungs to make sure which were missing. Then he put his torch into his pocket, and with Kiki flying round his head in excitement, he began to climb.
It certainly was a very old ladder! One of the rungs he trod on almost gave way. He hurriedly missed it and put his foot up to the next. He was very thankful when at last he was at the top.
Now to pull himself on to the roof. He managed to get there with a scraped knee and sat panting. Now for the next step-to get to the window above, in the castle wall itself.
The roof of the wash-house was flattish, and Jack was able to make his way on all fours. He came to the wall. He stood up cautiously, feeling it with his hands, and then used his torch again.
‘Blow! The window’s just too high for me to pull myself up,’ thought Jack, in deep disappointment. ‘I can reach the sill with my hands-but can’t get enough hold to pull up my body.’
He wondered if he could use the old ladder again. He crawled back to it. He put his hand down and felt the topmost rung. Then he pulled hard. The ladder seemed a great deal heavier to pull up than it had been when he only carried it level. He tugged and tugged.
It was difficult to get it over the edge of the roof, but he managed it at last. He had to sit and hold the ladder by him for a while, because it had taken all his strength. He felt very pleased. Now he could put the ladder up to the window, and getting in would be child’s play!
He managed to get the ladder to the castle wall, though it was a very dangerous business, and twice he nearly rolled off. But at last he was by the wall, and raised the ladder carefully. It was difficult to find a safe place to put it.
At last he thought he had got it as safe as he could manage. Now to go up. He hoped that the ladder wouldn’t suddenly slip as he was climbing it. That wouldn’t be at all a pleasant tiling to happen!
He climbed up as quickly as he could, his heart thumping. Would the ladder hold? He got right to the top, and was just clambering onto the window-sill when the ladder slipped beneath him.
It slid sideways, fell on to the roof with an appalling noise and then crashed down into the courtyard. NOW there would be people waking up and coming to see what the noise was!
Jack pulled himself right through the window. As he had thought, it had no glass, and probably never had had. He jumped quietly down inside the window and crouched there, waiting.
He waited for three or four minutes, with Kiki fondling his right ear, not making a sound. Then he stood up and stretched himself. He peered out of the window.
No-nobody was about. He could see no lantern or torch flashing, could hear no voices. This side of the castle must be uninhabited then, or surely someone would have heard such a tremendous noise!
Dare he flash his torch to see where he was? He waited another minute and then, hearing no sound, flicked his torch on quickly and off again. But he had seen enough in that second.
He was in a small room, piled with chairs and benches, set neatly on top of one another-nothing else was there at all.
‘Just a store-room for extra furniture,’ thought Jack. ‘Come along, Kiki-we must remember we’ve got to find some other way of getting out of the castle-we can’t get out the way we came in! That ladder is certainly out of our reach!’
He went to the door and looked out into what seemed a corridor. Not a sound was to be heard. It was pitch-dark here, so he flashed his torch on again. Yes-a long stone passage without even a carpet-runner on it. No pictures about. No chairs. This certainly must be a part of the castle where nobody slept.
He went down the long corridor, his rubber shoes making no sound. He came to the end, where there was a window-a round one, with glass in it. He turned the corner and saw another long corridor, high-ceilinged, a little wider than the other, but still very bare.
Halfway down the corridor changed from bareness to comfort. A beautiful carpet ran down it, almost touching the walls each side. A big settee, covered in a golden damask, stood at one side. Great pictures hung on the walls.
‘This is where I’ve got to be careful,’ thought Jack. ‘There’s even a lamp alight on that round table over there-a dim one, it’s true-but still, enough for anyone to see me by!’
He went on. He passed an open door and looked cautiously inside. The light from another lamp just outside showed him what looked like a grand drawing-room. Tapestries hung all round the walls. Mirrors hung there too. A great carved table stood in the middle, its polished surface gleaming softly in the light of Jack’s torch.
He went out into the passage again, and considered what to do. First-in which direction was the tower that Hela had said the children were in? He must go in that direction if he could puzzle it out. He would have to find stairs too and climb them.
He decided to go on down the corridor. He must come to stairs soon, leading up into a tower! He came to another door, wide open. He peeped inside. How grand this castle was! What magnificent furnishings it had!
This room must be a library. It had books from floor to ceiling. Goodness-had anyone ever read even a hundredth of them? Surely not!
A noise made Jack flick out his torch and stand absolutely still. It was a noise in the room he was standing in-the library. It came from behind him-a whirring, groaning noise. Kiki gave a small squawk. She was as startled as Jack. Whatever was it?
Chapter 19
AN ADVENTURE IN THE NIGHT
WHIRRRRRR! Whirrrrrrrr!
‘Ding-dong-ding-dong! Ding-dong-ding-dong! Ding-dong-ding-dong! Ding-dong-ding-dong! DONG, DONG, DONG, DONG, DONG, DONG, DONG, DONG, DONG, DONG, DONG, DONG!’
Jack sat down suddenly on a nearby chair, his heart thumping. It was only a clock chiming and striking! But what a start it gave him! Midnight-exactly midnight. Well-the people in the castle ought to be asleep, that was one thing to be glad of.
He got up and went back to the door. He went down the corridor again, and then, facing him round the next turning, he saw a great flight of stairs-a marble stairway, almost covered by a fine sweep of thick, beautifully patterned carpet.
‘I suppose that leads down to the hall,’ thought Jack. ‘Down to the entrance. Well, that gives me a guide-let me see-if the front entrance is down there-then the tower I want should be a bit further on. Come on, Kiki-down the corridor again!’
And down the endless corridor went the two of them. It was lighted by lamps, and was too bright for Jack’s liking. The doors he passed now were shut. Perhaps they were bedrooms. He certainly wasn’t going to look in and see!
He came to a sturdy oak door set in the inside wall. He paused. The tower ought to be about here. Would that door lead up to it? It looked different from the other doors he had passed. He tried the handle gently. It was a thick ring of iron and as he turned it sideways the door opened.
Jack pushed it wide. Stone steps led upwards, lighted by a dim lamp. He stood and debated with himself. Should he risk it and go up? Yes-he felt sure this was the way to the tower.
He tiptoed up and came to the top. He looked round in surprise. He was on another floor now, and the lay-out here was different from the one below. He was in what looked like a great hall, draped with magnificent curtains. A gallery overhung one end. There was a small platform at the other end, and on it stood music-stands. The floor was highly polished, and Jack suddenly realised what the hall was.
‘It’s a ballroom!’ he thought. ‘My word-what grand dances they must hold here! But now I seem to have lost my way to the tower again. Perhaps there’s another stair somewhere!’