The Raggedy Man's Revenge

Extracts from the Personal Diary of Barbara Smythe

Thursday 20^th July

Work was busy but managed to get away so that I could do supper and bath time with Megan and Timothy. They really are a joy and I am going to make sure that this Christmas and New Year we go to Australia to visit Michael's sister. I have cleared tomorrow so I can make plans for us all.

This was followed by a blissful night spent having a lovely romantic meal with Michael on our 12^th wedding anniversary. We went to a lovely restaurant here in Putney; it was marvellously intimate and excellent food.

Friday 21^st July

What a weird day. Went into work today and got a phone call from Dr Eliza Jamison. She requested we meet up at the British Museum at lunch time so I said I'd go along. When I arrived I found Lionel Woodthorpe was present and a lady called Dr Belinda (I missed her surname). Eliza looked well and said that she is still practising, whereas I am led to believe that Belinda is a Doctor in Archaeology.

Eliza was still concerned about the poetry that we read whilst looking for Dr Treadle. Apparently a new section had been added, according to an American poetry specialist, Mavis Enderby. Lionel thought that we should talk to Toby Higginbotham who is a resident at the Wilmarth facility at Broadmoor.

I found myself swept along with Eliza and Belinda to this facility, where we were shown into a room with a video link. We were asked that only one of us speak to Toby so Belinda volunteered. When he arrived, Toby was coming out of being sedated. When he was conscious enough he stated that he had biblically known Mavis through his studies of ancient Mesopotamia and Hyperborian. He knew Treadle when he had been at Oxford but wasn't in the same mix.

There was some talk that Mavis was speaking of some Elders who went underground to escape the Ice Age and other things. Very bizarre! But it didn't end there as apparently 'Squidgicum-Squee' is a reference to the Elders' servants that they made 2 billion years ago (duh humans weren't around) but then the Hyperborians became worried about the servants.

Then we got onto someone called St Barty, a martyr in the Near East who was hung upside down, flayed alive and beheaded. Apparently the Elders' servants used to do this ('to whom', should I ask?) Just as I was ready to quit this, Toby became incoherent and ended up being anaesthetised.

After this but before we headed off, Eliza and Belinda bumped into an acquaintance of theirs called Adam Walters. When we left I headed straight home and threw myself into relieving Anya for the weekend. It was fantastic to get back to some normality at long last. It really was a strange day. It is almost like an episode of the Tales of the Unexpected.

Saturday 22^nd July

Now these are the days that Michael and I always dreamed off when we started planning our family. Today we took the children out to the park, in the heat off the day we had a splash about in our standing pool. This was such a fantastic gift from Michael to us it was real bliss to be in the cool of the pool. We had a lovely BBQ at lunch time as I managed to get the children to bed early as we are heading off to my parents tomorrow. As much as I love being nearer to Michael and my workplace, I do regret that we now have a longer drive to visit them. I am still working on getting my parents to move closer. Oh well, maybe if I stop asking they will come round.

Sunday 23^rd July

We surprised mum and dad and actually arrived by 11 so we were able to go out for a walk on yet another glorious day. Now this is how my life should be. Unfortunately as I was going for a stretch of my legs with Michael and the children whilst my parents had their siesta, I bumped in to St John and this guy Adam I met on Friday. So I had to make sure Michael and the children were away because with St John involved I just knew there was going to be something the matter.

Maybe this is why I really want my parents to move nearer us? I mean there I was having this lovely stroll and what do I find? That Belinda is in Swindon hospital with a stab wound to her stomach! They were not really very coherent about how she received it.

Through my concern for Belinda, I arrange to meet them in the Red Lion at 6.30pm. After much placating I managed to persuade Michael to drive back home with the children as I had a friend in hospital that I had to check was all right. Collected things together for Belinda; met with St John and Adam (not much fun there). Visited Belinda and could only leave the stuff for her as she was still under anaesthesia so left a note giving her my mobile number so she'll be able to get home. Mum and Dad were busy telling about this quirky group that had been there the night before and how noisy they had been and luckily they were okay with Adam staying in the children's room. I love the way they accept me and realise that at times I have no answers to give them.

Monday 24^th July

After breakfast we all headed out. I took my parents on a supermarket run although they say they are happy doing their shopping now over the Internet.

Belinda phones me. I believe that she is really not well as she keeps going on about a caveman having cut open her stomach. I have learnt that sometimes just agreeing is the best thing to do. In the afternoon meet up with Adam, St John and Eliza who come out with some scary goings on - I mean St John and Adam having been the first to find a body that Eliza is going to do the autopsy on!

I am starting to feel that I am living in an X-files episode. There are some things I believe in but a lot of this is as though they have been drug taking. I feel that as a retired officer it is my civil duty to report anything illegal. The boys are convinced that there is a link to Silbury Hill so I decide to let them do whatever they feel they need to do there so that I can just get home.

We went up there just before nightfall so we headed up to the top, something that not many people actually get to do. Adam said he feels the power of the ley-lines and from what I understand they do not run through here so I really think he is on something. St John does his dowsing thing and, not wanting to be on my own, I followed him at a distance of twenty paces so as not to interfere; in what I am not sure.

The mist starts to rise, which the boys claim to be magical as allegedly it is only around here. (It's not magical, this happens often over a number of years.)

When we were near the crest St John says that he saw a human figure near the dome. As we were just thirty yards away I saw the figure get up and run away.

We go up to the dome and there is new scuffing by the side. We can't see anything there but it is clear that something has been thrown under the dome.

When we heard a motorbike arrive we found that we could see the car park; the mist had disappeared. Adam and I went and met up with Eliza to tell her what has happened. Eliza tells us she is convinced the latest corpse is linked to the death of Treadle because of some smelly slime. I feel this is a bit of a jump as we saw what happened to the barrow.

Tuesday July 25^th

Woke up early this morning to make sure that I managed to speak to my hubby before he set off to work. He is okay at the moment with me still being here in Avebury but I could tell from his voice that this absence needs to be kept short. Went downstairs and had a lovely breakfast with Mum and Dad who seem to be enjoying me being here although they do keep worrying that there is something wrong.

Head off to Swindon and picked up the keys to Silbury Hill I have to admit I am feeling quite excited as from a young girl I have always wanted to go inside this site. When I was signing the keys out I had to use a special yellow form that I haven't seen before called a DB21 also had to state why and I wanted them so I mentioned that we had seen someone throwing something down and wanted to make sure that it didn't effect the archaeology.

On the way to the hill pick up Adam, St John and Eliza so that we can be together, as Belinda is still in hospital bless her. The tourists are gathered in the parking area as you can see the next coach of Korean tourists pulling up I really do not know how these people cope with being whist around the UK in a week. I digress we went up the hill and open the grill at the top. There is a yard wide hole through some polystyrene, to a ledge where we can all perch and then there is a ladder down, to what we can not make out. St John is feeling uncomfortably warm inside the dome, we lowered a light down on a rope but this shows that the shaft is a lot deeper than I had previously read it was. But also that where the torch is extremely dark unexpectedly dark compared to my experiences elsewhere. This shed tingles up my spine as why would the literature not tell us the true depth of the shaft.

Adam volunteers to go down the shaft so we all accept his offer. As he climbs down he explained to us that the end of the polystyrene is conical which is very unexpected. As Adam climbs back up the ladder, he stops to catch his breath but also says that he has a really bad feeling. When he reaches the top Adam is completely drenched sweat, so I give him the water and make sure that he gets to sit outside in the sunshine as fresh air always helps.

When Adam is feeling better he explains that there are two metal plates at the bottom which I find shocking as there was no written record of these in the plans. One is laying flat on the floor the other is at a slant as though it has been moved which is kind of impossible I wondered if Adam just didn't notice the floor was sloped there so it was laying on the ground. Adam also said that he could smell the Treadwell creature which I found worrying as I wondered what tricks his mind was playing on him but there had also been footprints on the floor. They must have been left from another time after all this monument has been securely locked.

St John then wants to go down the ladder, as the shaft is already open I figured this was best to let whoever go down as hopefully this way the curiosity of these people will be quenched. As he descends he has the rucksack and a torch attached to he gets to the bottom and looks at the plates. On his way up the ladder when he is 10ft from the top he stops. At first I am annoyed as I think he was stalling, however we soon realised that actually he was having difficulties. Adam climbs down to help him between us all we manage to get them over the top.

Eliza gives St John a shot of adrenaline outside in the sun, whilst I lock up the grill and security grate. I go to put my stuff in St Johns rucksack and find that he has a bronze plate in there, this worries me on so many levels but i decide not to mention anything. We join together; St John is looking an awful lot better. Then we head off down the hill to the car. Once in the car we head into Avebury to the Wagon and Horses for food.

Trouble with good pub food there is always a delay getting the food so St John decided to pop home. When he arrived back he had a note from Jules saying that she has gone to meet Imelda.

Wednesday 26^th July

I head off to get Belinda from the hospital in her four wheel drive. When I arrive she isn't ready to leave she tells me that last night she had a bad dream then woke up, to find that this isn't a dream and that it looks like Treadwell. Eliza was there and knocked the head off the thing with a chair. Apparently the headless creature jumped out the window. Eliza's stitches were pulled and there is an infection setting in. What the hell of we got ourselves into.

St John is already in the hospital grounds trying to track the thing. Which brings us to a lake, St John is convinced that the thing is in the water. We checked with the groundsmen who do not have a boat.

The Head Policeman luckily doesn't buy any of this, I am not sure that I do to be honest, but the policeman gets to walk away shaking his head. Whereas I head off to Argos to get a dingy I am so glad that I am having to buy this in the summer as I am sure that I would get lots of strange looks in winter. Luckily I am in Swindon so I can got to the outward bound shop to buy some pre-stretched abseil rope. Back at the hospital I use the tyre pump to make the dingy ready for the water and the rope is attached ready.

What a sight we must make with a grown man in a dingy being pulled across the lake over and over again. Eventually St John tells us to stop as he is convinced the thing has left the area. The minute St John is out of the dingy is dowsing for water course that the lake empties into but he has no luck.

Belinda has discharged herself so I drive Adam and Belinda in her four wheel drive back to London. All the way back Adam is constantly twittering a way to Belinda about her joining a select group. I can't wait to drop them off as I just want to get back to some normality.

Once I have dropped them at their respective homes I phone home to get a nice bottle of wine in the fridge readily chilled. Then I head back home via hubby's favourite deli's and a lingerie shop that I know he'll appreciate. Needless to say he is very happy to see me and even happier to reacquaint each other. I really so miss him when I am not with him.

Wednesday 27^th July

I do not think that I have ever been so happy to head into the office. Boy was my in box piled high. Through the day i managed to clear a large amount of it but the meeting this afternoon was excellent amount of normality. So much so that I am so pleased to get home from work and see the children. It was amazing to hug them I am determined to stay around the house more. But also to be able to sleep in my own bed with my husband it is so wonderful.

Thursday 28th July

Work is straight forward and the joys of being at home are amazing. Just as I am settling back into my life, Mum is on the phone; the police cars arrived in Avebury at dusk. She says the word from in the pub is that a woman's body has been found in the Kennett.

Friday 29^th July

News of the body has made it onto our intranet. The body has been identified as that of Imelda Harris, the lady attached to the Children of Light. In the local Avebury paper there is a reminder that a body was found near this spot just six months ago. This brings shivers down my spine.

Just after reading these reports, I get called into my Bosses office to explain why I had signed the key for Silbury Hill. I explained how I thought I had seen someone drop something down there, so I went to retrieve it. When he wanted to know what I had found I explained what Adam and St John had told me they had seen (but left out that it wasn't actually me that had gone down to the bottom). He seemed shocked that I had gone, but said that “That was all” in his 'you are dismissed' tone that he uses.

Carried on in my office working through my 'to call back' list and was surprised to be called back in to the Boss's office. But I was very surprised that he has offered me more responsibility, he wants me to be the English Heritage occult officer. He said that people have been using our sites to harm others and he wants this to stop, Also that Silbury will be getting completely filled in within the next couple of months.

In the afternoon I headed off to Dover to oversee the 3D scanning of the Napoleonic tunnels. Whilst there, I received a phone call from Mr Forbush for a debriefing.

Saturday 30^th July

What a delight that a weekend with the family is. Even when the children were arguing on our way to Regent's Park so they could visit the zoo I didn't actually feel annoyed I am just so blessed spending time with the family. Hubby seems so happy at my new reformed zest I have towards our family time I can't blame him really I have been a bit unfair towards him being away so much and the children I know do miss me loads.

Sunday 31^st July

I cooked the family roast dinner today. The children ate everything up. I am not sure that without having watched me cook they would have believed that I had really done the whole meal. To see their faces was a complete delight.

Then to spend time just watching the children play; this is what I thought signing up for English Heritage would allow me more time to do. Where has my plan gone wrong? After the children went to sleep hubby and I enjoyed the jacuzzi what a lovely relaxing weekend.

Monday 1^st August

A slow day in the office, Hooray!!!! Unfortunately ruined by a report in the National Press: a nurse, Sue Mornington, has gone missing from the Royal Berkshire Hospital. She is the lady who bought our old house! Her husband, Greg, makes an emotional appeal on the evening news that whoever has kidnapped her please return her unharmed.

Tuesday 2^nd August

Around Reading there has been strange men hanging around and a call for all women, no matter where they are, to be careful. On this lovely cheery note, hubby and I go to the Proms.

Wednesday 3^rd August

Sue Morning ton's body has been found in the bushes at the hospital. And the nationals are reporting murderer on the loose. Just when I thought finally I could get back to normality I am really starting to feel like my hackles are up.