Chapter 2

           Notlongafterhismother’sdeparture,CharlesWardbegannegotiatingforthePawtuxetbungalow.Itwasasqualidlittlewoodenedificewithaconcretegarage,perchedhighonthesparselysettledbankoftheriverslightlyaboveRhodes,butforsomeoddreasontheyouthwouldhavenothingelse.Hegavethereal-estateagenciesnopeacetilloneofthemsecureditforhimatanexorbitantpricefromasomewhatreluctantowner,andassoonasitwasvacanthetookpossessionundercoverofdarkness,,transportinginagreatclosedvantheentirecontentsofhisatticlaboratory,includingthebooksbothweirdandmodernwhichhehadborrowedfromhisstudy.Hehadthisvanloadedintheblacksmallhours,andhisfatherrecallsonlyadrowsyrealizationofstifledoathsandstampingfeetonthenightthegoodsweretakenaway.AfterthatCharlesmovedbacktohisownoldquartersonthethirdfloor,andneverhauntedtheatticagain.

           TothePawtuxetbungalowCharlestransferredallthesecrecywithwhichhehadsurroundedhisatticrealm,savethathenowappearedtohavetwosharersofhismysteries;avillainous-lookingPortuguesehalf-castefromtheSouthMainSt.waterfrontwhoactedasaservant,andathin,scholarlystrangerwithdarkglassesandastubblyfullbeardofdyedaspectwhosestatuswasevidentlythatofacolleague.Neighborsvainlytriedtoengagetheseoddpersonsinconversation.ThemulattoGomesspokeverylittleEnglish,andthebeardedman,whogavehisnameasDr.Allen,voluntarilyfollowedhisexample.