Dan and the Caverns of Bone by Thomas Taylor

footfall, somewhere far away, from behind the policemen. In the quiet, as they stop to listen, there’s another and another. Then the police start shouting ‘
Arrêtez!
’ and moving away. That’s our cue. I dart out of the shadows, dare to switch the torch on for just a second, and then rush for the passageway Luci showed me last time we were here.
    There’s another shout, and at least one of the policemen turns his beam onto us as we run, but I won’t slow down for that. I reach the metal grille thatblocks the passage. Two of the bars are still slightly bent, and I manage to squeeze through. Brian is right behind me, and gets through just as the two policemen reach the head of the passage.
    â€˜
Arrêtez! Arrêtez-vous!
’
    But I’m not arrêting for anyone, not now. We pelt down the skull-lined corridor like sprinters in the Goth Olympics, and dart down a side passage, and then another and another. From far behind, there’s an echoing jangle of keys as the men wrestle with the gate in the grill. They get it open, and even crunch a little down the passage, but they must realise we could be long gone by now. The last we hear of them is their nervous voices as they radio in what they’ve seen, whatever that is. And with Brian hidden under the tail of my coat, they may be reporting a strange four-legged creature for all I know.
    â€˜That was mad!’ pants Brian, emerging from the coat. ‘Can we just find your friend now and get out of here?’
    â€˜You know, Bri,’ I say, flicking the torch back on, ‘I like that plan. Let’s do that.’

15

Styx and Stones

    â€˜Luci!’ I whisper-shout at the bottom of my voice. ‘Luci, where are you?’
    â€˜If we weren’t so far into this infernal place, I’d suggest turning back,’ wails Si. ‘As it is, I cannot even remember the way. We are trapped, Daniel. Lost!’
    I wish I could ignore him, but he’s right – I can’t remember the way either.
    â€˜Luci!’
    â€˜What’s that noise?’ says Brian
    â€˜It’s me, trying to shout without making any noise,’ I answer.
    â€˜No, that other noise. Listen.’
    We go quiet. And yes, there is something. Tinny and echoey, all at once.
    â€˜Music?’ I ask.
    I turn the torch on Bri and he’s nodding.
    â€˜It appears to be coming from there.’ Si points, and lights the way with his index finger.
    I know of only one place where we can find music down here.
    â€˜Come on!’
    We run a little further and see the opening of another passage. The music is louder now, and there’s another sound too, one I’ve been straining to hear for some time: running water.
    We turn into the passage, but immediately I put up my hand for the others to stop. Far ahead, I see the faint ectoplasmic glow of a ghost, hovering in the air. And in that glow, someone is sitting huddled in a small paddle boat beneath the archway of the underground river. The portable CD player is in her lap.
    Luci.
    With the spirit of her brother watching over her.
    â€˜Wait for me here,’ I whisper to Brian.
    â€˜What, on my own?!’
    â€˜Nah, Simon’ll keep you company.’ And ignoring Bri’s squeaks of protest, I walk slowly forward.
    â€˜Luci?’ I say as I get nearer.
    She looks up.
    â€˜Dan?’
    â€˜Luci, you can’t stay here. Let’s go, yeah?’
    â€˜I cannot just leave Jojo. He is still here, I can sense him. Why is he still here, Dan, if he… if he really…?’
    â€˜He did,’ I say firmly. The sooner she accepts what happened to him, the better.
    I look over at the spirit of Jojo la Mouche. He looks back, and I can see he’s starting to get it together, to accept what’s happened to him too. He gives me a nod and gestures to his sister and I know exactly what he means.
    â€˜He’s still here because of you,’ I say. I take off my