Raven's Gate

trapped underneath a dinosaur skeleton. The ribcage protected me from the falling bricks, and Mrs Deverill dug me out.” He stopped. “You say you’ve read my article. So maybe you can tell me something. How come nobody wants it?”
    Fabian sighed apologetically. “As a matter of fact, that’s the reason why I’m here, Mr Cole,” he explained. “My organization has prevented your story from being published. It is our job to ensure that it never sees the light of day.”
    “What?”
Richard stared at his visitor with anger and disbelief. “You’re telling me that the Nexus—”
    “I am really very sorry. I know it must be extremely frustrating.”
    “Frustrating! Are you out of your mind?” Richard cast an eye over the table and Matt was glad there wasn’t a kitchen knife at hand.
    “We can’t allow your story to get into print, Mr Cole.”
    “Why not? And how did you stop me?”
    “As to your second question, I’m sure Sanjay Dravid already told you. We have a great deal of influence. We know people … in government, in the police, in the Church. We advise them. And in this case we advised them not to publish your material.”
    “Why not?” Richard thundered.
    “Please, Mr Cole.” Fabian could see the fury in the journalist’s eyes. “Let me try to explain.” He waited a moment while Richard calmed down. “Let us start by admitting that your story is completely unbelievable. Witches and phantom dogs? Supernatural creatures called the Old Ones? A boy” – he pointed at Matt – “with some sort of magical power?”
    “It happened exactly how Richard described it,” Matt said, coming to his friend’s defence.
    “Did it? The police have been sniffing around for the last seven days and they have found precious little to support your version of events. It is true that the villagers seem to have packed their bags and gone. And Omega One is now in ruins. But, to give you just one example, if there really had been an explosion there, how is it that no sign of radioactive fallout has been found anywhere in the area?”
    “I explained in the article,” Richard said wearily. “We reckon that all the radioactive particles must have got sucked back into the gate.”
    “Ah yes. Raven’s Gate. That’s the most ridiculous part of all. You write that there was some sort of stone circle that nobody in the world had ever heard of…”
    “Professor Dravid had heard of it,” Matt said.
    “Sanjay Dravid has gone.”
    “Wait a minute.” Richard slammed a hand down on the table. “You’re part of the Nexus. You know I’m telling the truth. So why are you pretending otherwise?”
    Fabian nodded. “You’re right. I thought I’d made that clear from the start. Of course I believe you.”
    Richard’s head was spinning. “So why do you want to cover it up?”
    “Because this is the twenty-first century and the one thing that people cannot live with is uncertainty. Where there is terrorism, people need to know that the police are in control. When new diseases appear, they expect science to find cures. We live in an age when there is no room for the impossible.”
    “But you believe in the impossible.”
    “Yes. But why do you think we have to keep our organization secret? Because people would think we were mad, Mr Cole. That is why. One of our members is a senator in the Democratic Party in America. He would be voted out immediately if he began speaking about the Old Ones. Another is a multibillionaire, working in the field of computer software. She supports us and believes in us, although her shares would plummet if that were known. I have a wife and children. But even they do not know why I am here.”
    He turned to Matt.
    “Although you will not be aware of it,” he said, “the LEAF Project knows that you are no longer in Mrs Deverill’s care. We could tell them where you are. One word from us and you would be back in their custody.”
    Matt’s heart sank. So it had happened, exactly as he had feared.
    But then Richard surprised him. “Nobody’s taking Matt anywhere,” he snapped. “He’s staying here with me.”
    “That is exactly what we have arranged.” Fabian smiled for the first time. “You see? We have already spoken to the right people and it has all been dealt with. We can help you. And you can help us. We can work together.”
    “How can I help you?” Matt asked.
    “I’m afraid your role in this is not yet over,” Fabian replied. “Sanjay Dravid spoke about