The BMW skidding on the gravel outside the manor house before it finally lurched to a halt. Three young people alighted and sprinted madly up to the front door.

Frank Hardy was the first to reach the entrance and reached forwarded eagerly to pull on the heavy latch. As his fingers touched, the sound of a gun exploding caused him to jump back. Mark jerked like a puppet on a string and Kiwi covered his ears and lowered his head, grimacing. An eerie quiet enveloped them - even the songbirds had been rudely silenced.

After several seconds, Kiwi's and Frank's combined gazes fell on their English friend, dreading his impending reaction. He seemed frozen in time, his arms slightly up from where they had been flung when he'd jerked. It didn't take more than a second for him to completely lose it and start screaming Helen's name at the top of his lungs and smash his fists against the woodwork.

They heard a muffled shout from inside, it sounded like ‘MARK!?…HEL…’ but was over as quickly as it had begun, replaced by the sound of struggling.

"Helen?…Helen is that you?" Mark yelled and resumed his banging, "leave her alone Billy you coward!" he loudly demanded. Frank seized him by the shoulders, and tried to pull him forcibly back, but he was strong and violently resisted. Finally, the American was forced to put his arms around his friend, pinning his biceps to his sides and physically lift him kicking off his feet. Turning, he plonked him down into his New Zealand friend's waiting grasp and commanded loudly, "WAIT THERE!"

Ignoring the sounds of Kiwi and Mark wrestling behind him, Frank tried the door latch – unsurprisingly, the entrance was solidly locked. He inspected the door for a second before standing back, lifting his leg and delivering a power kick against the side of the sturdy lock. Although the door didn't open, he heard a satisfying 'crack' so gave it another try. On the third attempt the door sprang inward and Frank as good as fell into the foyer.

Billy could be seen at the top of the stairs, hauling his niece along the balcony with his hand over her mouth. The last they saw as she was dragged around the corner of the landing was Helen looking pleading and angry at the same time, and Billy staring at Frank, his eyes dancing with confusion.

Mark tore free of his New Zealand friend, leapt over Frank and went up the stairs two steps at a time yelling choice words at Mr Forester as he went. "MARK...WAIT!" the other two yelled in unison. The New Zealander zipped past his American friend and followed after the younger Randall brother.

Although there had been no further shots and they hadn’t see the pistol, they couldn’t be positive that Billy wasn’t still in possession of it – he could even now be waiting in ambush for them, and Mark could be running straight into a dangerous trap.

Kiwi’s long legs caught up with his shorter friend just before he rounded the bend and was able to pull him to a dead stop by his shirt. Frank was with them seconds later and laid a hand firmly on his shoulder. "Billy could have the gun, we’ve gotta be careful," he explained in a low voice. Mark hesitated, opened his mouth, changed his mind and nodded his understanding.

Stepping passed his English friend; Frank put his back to the wall and shuffled toward the corner. Dipping sideways, he stole a quick look around the corner and then drew his head in quickly. Frowning at the other two he looked back again, this time their heads joining his – Mark at the bottom, Frank in the middle and Kiwi up top. Before them was a short, dark wood paneled corridor, at the end of which stood a grand father clock – no doors, no entrances, no nothing!

"Mates, what on earth…" Kiwi started to say but was suddenly interrupted by the sound of ghostly voices - one voice male, the other unmistakably Helen.

"Where’s that coming from?" Mark asked, the hairs standing up on the back of his neck, "the noise seems to be all around us."

Frank cocked his head on one side, listening, "no, not all around us - through the walls," he corrected, "start tapping for hollow spots guys, I think this place has a secret passageway!"

They split up, spread themselves down the hallway and starting rapping on the paneling, the sound of their tapping joining the sound of the gradually fading voices. Suddenly Kiwi shouted out in surprise causing the other two to run across to him.

"Listen!" he insisted and tapped the wall from left to right, the noise was dense and low at first and then suddenly sounded lighter and hollow. Inspecting the paneling they could see a ridge outlining what could be a concealed doorway.

"Nice one, Kiwi," Mark congratulated and joined Frank in running his fingers around the edge to see if there was a way to open it. Kiwi ran his hand across the top where the other two couldn’t reach. Unable to open it that way, they started pushing and pulling on the panels to see if one of them slid open – nothing.

"This is frustrating!" Frank commented and stepped back to take a look at a distance. His attention was taken by the grandfather clock, which wasn’t ticking and looked out of place. On a whim, he strode forward and opened the case. Shoving his forearm inside, he delved about until his hand reached the top of the pendulum. He could feel a mechanism of some sort at the top, a mechanism that had no right being in a clock. He gripped the pendulum and tugged in downwards, there was a soft swishing noise and the door suddenly sprang silently open behind them.

Kiwi and Mark spun round. "COOL!" the New Zealander shouted in excitement.

"Not only a useful timing device, but also a clever door knob," Mark commented and stepped through the opening, "this is like being in Narnia!" Although he was still frightened for his friend, against his better judgement, he was starting to enjoy himself.

Frank took his penlight out of his pocket and led the way through the cobwebbed and dusty corridor. It was completely dark inside with a ceiling no higher than six feet, which meant the New Zealander was forced to lean over. This caused him to trip a couple of times and stumble against Mark.

Eventually, Frank pulled up short, the other two walking into him. "This is the end of the line guys, there must be another door here somewhere." As if to answer his question as to which side the door would be, they heard Helen scream shrilly to the left of them.

Mark jumped at the sound and banged his forehead against something jutting out of the wall, "Owch! What was that?" he asked. Upon investigation it proved to be some sort of metal lever. "Looks like I’ve found the key," he announced and jiggled it until it dropped downwards. There was a louder grinding noise this time and the wall swung inwards forcing their backs against the wall behind them. They saw the opening lead out onto some tightly spiraling, well worn, concrete steps – similar to the ones Kiwi and Rob had climbed at Kenilworth Castle.

"Come on!" Frank urged upon hearing Helen scream again – this time from above them and sounding more panicky.

Kiwi and Mark followed him up the staircase as quickly as possible. It was difficult to move at speed, as the steps were wide on one side, but extremely narrow on the other. The young men knew it could be all too easy to slip and loose one’s footing - a tumble down these stairs could prove fatal.

They seemed to circle up and up into infinity before they finally rounded the final bend and came out into the sunlight. Stepping through, they found themselves on the roof of the mansion in what was almost a fortress/tower. If they’d had the time, they could have admired the view, unfortunately, the view they were looking at was a scary one.

Billy was crouched on top of the crenellated/castle shaped outside wall – one hand firmly gripping a flagpole for support. His other hand was clutching the back of Helen’s T-shirt at the shoulder, holding her in a sitting position, also on top of the wall. She was leaning perilously back and looking fearfully down at the three-story drop spread out below, one hand gripping her Uncle’s wrist tightly, the other clasping the top of the wall. As Billy saw them come through the door, he pulled her further outwards, causing her to gasp loudly. "Stop it!" she stammered.

"Get back Alex," he warned, "or else my lying niece goes over the side."

"I keep telling you, I’m not lying! That’s NOT Alex, it’s my friend Frank!"

"She telling you the truth," Frank assured him with his palms placatingly up, flanked at the shoulder by Kiwi and Mark, "I’m not Alex, I’m Frank from America – Joe’s brother…take it easy." The narrowing of Billy’s eyes was the only response he received, so he dared another step forward. Instantly, Helen’s uncle pulled her back again. One leg went up in the air and for a second the three of them were expecting Helen to go completely over.

"OKAY…OKAY…" Frank yelled jumping back, "…we’ll stay away – take it easy!"

Billy smiled "There’s a good boy. Now, here’s the deal…myself and Helen are going to climb down the side of the building on the metal ladder that’s bolted to the front of the building. Any attempt to follow us, will result in Helen finding out if she can fly. Once we get down to the ground we’re driving out of here…which reminds me…who has the keys to the BMW?"

"They’re still in the car," Mark as good as growled.

Billy flashed a smile of confidence at them and started pulling himself upward, lifting Helen up by her shirt at the same time. She put her heal against the brick work and slowly stood shakily erect next to her uncle, her face ashen in the sunlight, his supporting hand now the only thing for her to cling to. She looked downward again behind her, fear obviously pinning her eyes to the ground far below her, preventing her from looking back at her friends.

"Helen! Don’t look down," Kiwi was thinking helplessly, wishing telepathy was an option. Watching her was making him feel giddy and sick.

Billy started to re-negotiate his hold on the flagpole, causing it to sway slightly as he readied himself for the climb. "Perfect…" he congratulated himself, "…now, if the three of you don’t mind, me and Helen are going to…" he stopped, as there was a resounding crack. All the men looked at the pole and saw it was starting to crack at it’s weakest point where it was bolted to the brickwork, Helen was still frozen in place.

"Don’t move!" Frank advised and started to come forward.

Billy wrenched his eyes from the pole long enough to throw a warning glare Frank’s way, "I think you’re mistaken, I told YOU not to move, and I meant it – stay back. Come on Helen, move it!" he snapped.

She tore her eyes away from the view and looked defiantly at him, "no!"

"No?" he asked stupidly.

"No! Let me down, I’m not going anywhere with you!"

Mark’s mouth dropped open, "Helen, don’t be stupid, just go with him," he shouted, "the flagpoles about to come completely away!"

And then, as if by magic, it did just that. With a groan that had an almost human quality to it, the wood snapped completely and with a scream, Billy went over backwards still grasping onto the pole. As he was still holding Helen, she went over at the same time and they both dropped out of sight - the fluttering of the flag the last thing they saw. They could hear Billy’s screams all the way down.

Mark bellowed "NOOOOO," and ran forward, making a grab into thin air, where Helen had been precariously balanced just momentarily before. There was a short pause, followed by sickening thud far below them.

No one moved, they all stood there mortified and motionless on the spot, no one wanting to make the first move and look over the side.

"Can someone PLEASE give me a hand here…" called a disembodied voice suddenly, "…and QUICKLY!"

Mark glanced back bemused over his shoulder at the other two and then peeped tentatively over the side. "Joe?" he asked.

Frank ran forward and stood next to Mark, "Joe?"

Kiwi joined him, "Joe?"

"Yeah JOE! Quit the name calling and give me a hand, my shoulder’s being wrenched from the socket!"

Five feet below them, Joe was hanging onto a metal ladder, probably the very ladder Billy has been planning to use as an escape route. He was clinging on, his arm wrapped around the iron at the elbow, rather than relying on just his hand strength. His other arm was hanging down and Helen was swaying on the end of it, her back to the wall and her eyes screwed tightly shut. He had her around the wrist and visa-versa.

"I’m NEVER going on a fair ground ride again!" she muttered, "and bungy jumping is DEFINITELY out. That was by far the most scariest thing that’s ever happened to me – I was really flying," she babbled in her panic, "please don’t let go Joe!" she pleaded.

"I’m not gonna let go."

"Don’t!"

"I’m not gonna."

"Just don’t!"

"Not gonna!"

"See you don’t!"

"I won’t!"

While Joe and Helen’s word game was progressing, Frank was readying himself to rescue his brother and friend, "okay guys, grab an ankle each and lower me over the side."

"I don’t think so," Mark disagreed.

"Come on Mark, we don’t have time for nerves!"

"Me? Nervous? I’m insulted! What I mean is that I’m the lightest, so I’m going over," he replied.

"See what you mean," Frank agreed, "be my guest…"

"Don’t let go Joe!" they heard Rob shout from below.

"Oh for pity’s sake!" Joe muttered.

Kiwi snickered as Mark was tipped up and, with his friend’s holding him securely, lowered down. His fingers inched closer and closer until he was finally able to take his friend by the wrist and forearm. "Okay Joe, you can let go now…" Mark instructed, trying not to think about the height he was at. All at once he was swinging free with Helen’s complete weight pulling down on him. He looked down at her, she looked up and him and he winked.

Less than thirty seconds later they were both back on the roof of the mansion, lying on the ground. Another few seconds after Joe was sitting down next to them, rubbing his shoulder and grinning, Helen gripping his and Mark’s hand in thanks.

"Is everyone alright?" they heard Rob shouting again.

Kiwi looked over and gave the thumbs up to his friend who was staring up, one hand on his ribs, the other shielding his eyes from the sun. For the first time Billy’s crumpled body registered with him, lying at the foot of the house with Rob above, the remnants of the flagpole lying next to him with the flag itself over his face – Kiwi assumed the older Randall brother had placed it there as a mark of respect.

A black taxi was parked just a little away from the BMW with a cab driver leaning against it. At his feet was what Kiwi could only describe later as ‘his steaming two hour old dinner’.

***

A lone trumpeter played: "Paaaaarrrrrp….parp….parp… paaaaarrrrrp… paaaaarrrrrp…" went Mark, miming a trumpet and making what he hoped were the correct mournful sounds.

Rob turned to him and raised an eyebrow disapprovingly.

Kiwi laughed.

Helen nudged her friend sharply with her elbow and turned back to watch what Frank and Joe were doing.

Only a few days previously they’d all been standing on that very roof, Helen’s life literally hanging by a thread. Billy was now no more, and Helen now owned the big house. As an act of respect, they’d had a new flagpole made and were ceremoniously raising a new standard – the Conroi du Burm’s re-enactment group coat of arms.

After much bickering and confusion the two boys finally managed to get the piece of cloth attached and the rope threaded correctly through the fittings.

"Okay," said Joe eventually, "it’s ready for launching - that the right phrase?"

"Well…no…not really, Mate but carry on," Kiwi said with a wave of his hand.

"Drum roll…" Frank demanded.

"Drum roll?"

"Drum roll!" he said firmly.

Mark and Kiwi jumped in with gusto, slapping their thighs as fast as they could, followed by Helen who suddenly started to see the funny side of it. Rob rolled his eyes and joined in rather half-heartedly.

Frank pulled on the rope and the flag made it way up the pole, the wind catching it and setting it flying and flapping noisily, as it reached the top a loud cheer went up.

"I re-name this house Conroi Court!" Joe yelled above the cacophony of noise. "God bless her and all how sail in her…and…erm…that type of thing," he said, his voice winding down in his confusion.

"Never mind Joe, we know what you mean, Mate," assured Kiwi.