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N-O-T N-O.

'Even when you ask the right question the bastard won't answer it seems,'

Josh said. 'What is your name?'

The planchette remained stuck where it was.

'Please tell us who you are?'Joan asked plaintively.

'I command you to tell us your name, 'Josh ordered.

With a tiny jerk the pointer began rolling again. D-E-D.

Josh demanded, 'Is that your name or your condition?'

When nothing happened Joan said, 'Are you dead?'

U D-E-D. U D-E-D. U D-E-D.

Meg yawned suddenly. Well this is exciting. My guess is we're in contact with a defunct budgerigar. Or possibly a dead tape recorder.'

'Maybe he's trying to tell us his name,' Tommy offered. 'Uriah Ded. Uncle Ded. Ulysses S. Ded.'

'Maybe he's threatening us,' Josh said.

"Threatening us?' Tommy snatched his hand away from the board. 'How do you mean threatening us exactly?'

Meg took her finger off the planchette more deliberately. 'It's saying "you are dead" you mean?'

'That's what it sounds like to me.'

'If it is a threat,' Joan said in a small voice. ‘it's aimed directly at me.'

'Why do you say that?'Josh asked.

Oh it's always about you, isn't it,' Meg said. It's always about Joan.'

'I asked the question,' Joan said.

Tommy leant forward into the light and pushed the hair away from his forehead. 'Josh was asking questions.'

'It was me who said: are you dead,' Joan said.

'Oh my God, look,' Meg gasped. 'Look at the planchette.'

The pointer had begun rolling on its own. It moved across the board slowly at first, then more and more rapidly. U D-E-D U D-E-D U D-E-D. As it raced back and forth, more and more frantically - U D-E-D UD-E-D UDE-D UDED

- Meg, Tommy and Joan watched transfixed. Only when Josh leant in from the darkness and snatched the planchette from the board did they react.

"That was amazing,' Tommy gasped. 'Did you see that? That was amazing.'

'Why did you stop it?' Meg asked. 'It was'

'Amazing,' Tommy said.

'Amazing,' Meg agreed.

'You shouldn't have done that,' Joan said.

'It was bollocks,' Josh said flatly. 'Some sort of trick.'

Joan said, 'Put it back on the board.'

He plonked the pointer back down. 'It's as phoney as that crystal ball.'

Joan said, 'Is it me? Were you threatening me?'

Once again the planchette began to roll all by itself. H-E-L-L. It stopped when it had indicated the second letter L.

'Hell yes? Hell no?' Tommy asked.

'Are you in hell?'Joan asked.

The pointer moved to the letter O and stopped.

'Are you in hell _ o _ hello?'Josh said. 'You're not going to fall for that are you? Somebody's having a laugh.'

'Hello,' Joan said, showing no sign of seeing any humour in the situation.

"What is it you want to tell us?'

The pointer moved again. C B-A-L-L.

'What's that supposed to mean?' Meg asked.

'See ball?' Tommy suggested.

Meg said excitedly, 'The crystal ball. It's talking about the crystal ball!'

Josh said, 'Don't you think it would be a good idea to try and find out who it is who's doing the talking?' He moved closer to the table so that he was back in the pool of light. He was frowning with concern, or it might have been contempt. 'There's something deeply dumb about all this.'

But Joan was already peering intently into the small globe of clear glass.

'What can you see?' Tommy asked.

'Can you see anything?' Meg asked eagerly.

'Of course she can't see anything,' Josh sneered. 'It's an oversized marble you pair of pillocks - what do you expect her to see!’

'Shut up!'Joan hissed furiously, not looking up from the crystal ball. 'Shut up, shut up, shut up! If you're too thick to appreciate what's going on here just shut the hell up will you and stay the hell out of it!'

Josh grunted, 'Screw you.' He shook his head and sighed. 'I'm the stupid one? Yeah right.' He shifted back from the table so that his face was once again hidden by the darkness.

'Grease monkeys lack imagination,' Meg murmured, not unkindly. 'It's in the genes unfortunately.'

'Is there anything in the glass?' Tommy asked.