Rugby Rebel by Gerard Siggins Page A

Historian Competition, and you probably had a very good reason to borrow the key, so here it is. You will look after the key, won’t you? We would like it back when you’re finished.’
    Eoin slipped the second key into his pocket and thanked Brendan before exiting through the front door.Again he was startled to see Kevin and Brian standing outside.
    ‘Well, what do you think?’ he asked after the door closed behind him. ‘I’ll bet you any money the key fits the secret doorway.’
    ‘Well, I think you’re probably right,’ said Brian. Kevin nodded, too.
    ‘Did you see the exhibition they had about me in there?’ he asked. ‘It actually felt a bit embarrassing. There was a report saying I was too serious – what rot! They even had one of my school copy books with my scribbles all over it.’
    Eoin laughed. ‘I suppose I’d better be careful that all my schooldays stuff is safely locked in the attic before I ever get famous!’
    The three wandered down the street. Eoin said hello to a funny-looking gentleman who doffed his straw boater hat and waved as they passed.
    The ghosts disappeared after Eoin got onto the train, which was now packed with people travelling home after work. He felt the key poking into his leg and wondered what lay behind the mysterious doorway.
    As he walked up the drive to Castlerock, Mr Finn opened a window and called out, ‘Mr Madden, can you come up to see me, please?’
    Eoin waved in reply, and jogged up the steps.
    Mr Finn had a small office on the first floor where he was researching the history of the school. The desk was a jumble of stacks of books and papers that resembled the Manhattan skyline, and in between them Eoin could just about see the elderly teacher.
    ‘Eoin, what is this all about?’ he asked, ‘The Belvedere archivist phoned to tell me of your visit.’
    ‘I found a key in the grounds here, sir, and well, I was led to believe that it had something to do with that school,’ he began. ‘And sure enough when I went into town to Belvo we discovered that it opened a chest. Inside the chest was another key, which I think could fit the lock in the door in the secret chamber under our dorm.’
    ‘I’m still not sure what you’re talking about at all, Eoin,’ Mr Finn said. ‘But I do love an adventure and I suppose there’s no harm in trying the door.’
    The two walked up the stairs to the dormitory, where they found Alan lying on his bed reading a zombie comic. ‘Hello, Mr Finn,’ he said, jumping to his feet.
    Eoin waved a key at him and grinned. ‘I think I have it,’ he told his pal.
    The boys combined to open the trapdoor, and Eoin switched on the torch which lit up the room belowwith a yellow, flickering light.
    ‘The torch is running low, Mr Finn,’ he explained. ‘We’d better hurry.’
    Eoin led the way down, followed by Mr Finn and Alan. He went straight to the door and found the lock.
    ‘Here goes,’ he said, gently pointing the key into the lock and twisting. The lock groaned, and Eoin gave it another twist.
    ‘It may be rusted,’ said Mr Finn. ‘Here, let me try?’
    But just then Eoin grunted an extra effort and the lock responded with a loud ‘ clunk ’.
    The torch faded just a little more as Eoin looked back at the teacher.
    ‘Will I open it, sir?’
    ‘Go on, you’ve come this far. Be careful though, there may be little furry creatures running around in there!’
    Eoin pushed at the door, which was stiff and required some extra shoulder, but once it moved it swung open with a creak.
    It took him a couple of seconds to get used to the dark, and he realised the torchlight was almost spent. There was some light coming from the wall to the right, where an ancient window frame was allowing some of the evening sunlight through. He stepped carefully over to it, unsure of what was underfoot.
    ‘My, oh my,’ said Mr Finn, following him into the chamber. ‘This is a bit like what those archaeologists who discovered Tutankhamun’s tomb