In this prequel to his Harrowhouse stories, Clegg introduces us to Iris Catherine Villiers, who will, in later stories, be known as Isis Claviger.  Mr. Villiers is called to service in Burma for the British government, and the depressed and reclusive Mrs. Villiers is left to raise her children alone. The oldest son, Lewis, is away at college, and the twins, Harvey and Spencer, and their young sister remain at Belerion Hall, the Villiers'  family estate in Cornwall. The frightening grandfather (known as the Gray Minister) shouts ominous biblical passages from inside his room; and Old Marsh, the gardener, warns the youngsters to stay away from the Laughing Maiden Stone and the Tombs, or there could be a steep price to pay.

In this hair-raising, Gothic-flavored novella, Clegg shows Iris' close relationship with her beloved brother Harvey, as they pretend to be Isis and Osiris from Egyptian myth. Then one day there is a confrontation between Iris and Spencer's lover Edyth Bright, which culminates in Harvey's accidental death as he saves Iris' life; Iris, however, is left with a permanent limp.  She is devastated by Harvey's death, and inconsolable.

While Clegg's Harrowhouse novels and novellas are interwoven, this is a standalone story of what happens when a young girl dabbles with the unknown.  Catherine absorbs occult lore in her grandfather's library to call her brother back from the dead, in a cautionary tale of misdirected and possessive love, the power of the mind, the terror of the world beyond, and the potentially devastating results of involvement with it.

The haunting illustrations by Glenn Chadbourne add to the visualization of this chilling story of the supernatural. Read it at the risk of becoming a Douglas Clegg fan, but lock the doors first, and be sure to leave the lights on.