After another act of rebellion against his
cruel Master, Joff has been kicked out of
the workhouse and taken by Captain
Moran, a cold and sinister young man,
to the Baron’s castle – a dark place of
dark tales. Joff has heard that the
Baron is determined to keep his enemy
at bay, whatever the cost. Now Joff
finds himself locked in a room with some
of the children who disappeared from
the workhouse. But why is the dark-
hearted Baron so afraid, and how will
Joff escape an inescapable place?
J
off looked at the massive clock
face, which filled the torch-lit
room from floorboards to ceiling.
Cogs turned behind it, linked to a
giant key mounted in a metal box.
Horizontal rods protruded from the
key. Pushing these, turning the key
anti-clockwise, were three
workhouse children who had
vanished years ago. His sister
Aileen . . . was she here somewhere?
“Deniel! What’s going on?” Joff
demanded. “We must get out!”
Deniel shook his head. “The
Machines catch you. They . . . hurt.”
Joff glanced around the room. A tiny
hatch in the stone wall. Metal panels
fixed to the windows. No other way
out.
“Why are you turning that key?”
“If it stops, the enemy comes,” said a
girl called Kirra. “The Baron knows if
it slows down. He comes . . . the
Machines . . .”
“You’re a Turner now, until you die,”
said Deniel. “Help us. We’re one
down. Remember Cavin? The
Captain took him away today. He
collapsed . . . couldn’t go on.”
18
“No! There must be a way,” said Joff.
“Is Aileen here?”
“She’s a Watcher – in a tower,
watching for the enemy,” said Kirra.
“The Master said you were defiant,”
the Captain sneered. “But you’re
broken already. How disappointing.”
Joff gritted his teeth.
Joff’s heart leapt. “And who is this
enemy the Baron is so desperate to
stop?” “Oh,” added the Captain, “I regret to
inform you – your sister is badly
injured. The Machines.”
“Judgment,” whispered Deniel. The hatch slammed shut. Joff’s heart
jumped. Aileen! Something inside
him woke up. Choice made, he
abandoned the key and ran to the
door, pummelling it with his fists.
“Judgment?”
“The Baron made some bad choices,”
said Kirra. “Now he’s nearing the end
of his life, and he’s afraid.”
“Aileen!” he yelled.
“Rumour says he did a deal with
something evil and powerful,” said
Deniel. “Judgment will come for him
at midnight, but as long as this clock
never reaches midnight, he’s
untouchable.” “Come back!” said Deniel. “We’re
slowing down! He’ll come –”
“His life is stretched. His mind has
gone,” said Kirra. “The Machines!” pleaded Kirra.
“Joff,” said another girl called Elissa.
“We’ve no choice. Please – help us.
Turn.”
How could he refuse? He began to
turn the key. Occasionally one child
slept or ate the bread and water that
Captain Moran shoved through the
tiny hatch.
“Where’s my sister?” Joff demanded
at first, but the Captain with the
scarred face never spoke. He just
stared at Joff before shutting the
hatch.
Days and nights blurred and defeat
began to creep icily and steadily into
Joff’s mind. The others were right. It
was hopeless.
While Elissa slept, the hatch opened
and bread was pushed through. For
the first time, Joff didn’t meet the
Captain’s steely gaze.
Joff kicked the door.
“No!”
“No!” said Joff. “We’re getting out!
This place is poison. I’m finding
Aileen.”
Anger rising, shoulders heaving, he
looked at his friends.
Nothing.
“Who’s with me?” he shouted.
Deniel stepped away from the key
and went to Joff. In the hall next
door a distant alarm bell rang. Kirra
followed and quickly woke Elissa.
The door flew open and in came the
Baron.
“Tick, tock!” sang the Baron, his
voice wavering with rage. He pulled
behind him a strange machine
mounted on four wheels and with a
trailing chain. With nervous energy,
he slammed the door behind him but
Joff saw it bounce off the chain and
stay ajar. The Baron pumped up and
down on a lever and the machine
sprang into action.