William Coles

gh the trapdoor. I’d been expecting it to smell damp, but it was quite dry, although there was that mustiness that you often find in old houses. Stooping low, I walked down a few steps before turning to close the door. It was more than a foot thick and made of solid bricks, pivoting on its edge. It was extraordinary; even though the trap-door must have weighed at least two hundredweight, it glided so easily that it might have been made of gossamer.
“Giles took ages on that trap,” said Aspers. “I think he put a sort of veneer on the outside to cover up the cracks. See that lever on the back? Just give it a turn