Jane stared at the doctor. 'Did I enjoy the show? You can't mean…'
'You didn't really believe all that guff, did you?'
'You're saying it wasn't real?' Jane said, incredulous. 'But the ghosts…the man's son…the thunder…'
The doctor grinned. 'Come backstage, and we'll meet The Great Filador himself.'
Dumbfounded, Jane trailed after the doctor and Eddy via a side door to the nether regions of the stage. Whereas everything in the theatre had been very mysterious and done to achieve a particular effect, everything backstage was rough and unhewn, like a half-built home. There were pieces of walls that appeared to be the fronts of shops and pieces of rooms, but they could be moved and reused for a variety of scenes.
They traipsed down a narrow staircase that took them around the whole circumference of the building. Finally, they reached a small landing and a door to their right. The sign had the words 'Mister Filador' chalked on it. Porter knocked, and a man's voice bade them to enter.
Jane followed the doctor and Eddy into a cramped chamber. Two people were already seated. One was The Great Filador himself, who was looking less great now that he had a glass of wine in hand. The other was a young woman who was wearing only a shift. Jane wasn't sure where to look.
She's almost naked! Jane thought. With men about!
Perhaps The Great Filador and this woman were having a relationship, but Eddy was clearly a stranger. He had the good grace to glance once before looking away. Doctor Porter had clearly seen many naked women in her medical practice. Still, even she was peering closely at the woman's ample bosom.
She must be similarly shocked.
When they'd entered, Filador had been guffawing, but the expression faded somewhat upon recognising his visitors. 'Doctor Porter,' he said, nodding. 'Eddy.' His gaze moved to Jane. 'And a lady—as opposed to the usual gang of rascals with whom these two are typically acquainted.'
'This is Jane Austen,' Doctor Porter said. 'I'm assisting her in a certain matter.'
'I see.' It was apparent he understood as the last vestiges of the grin left his face. 'Lilian,' he said to the young woman. 'I'll send your pay to the Derby.'
'Ta,' Lilian said. 'It'll come in handy. I'm not playing Desdemona till the end of the month, and I've got nothing till then.'
'Oh,' Jane said, realising. 'Desdemona from Othello? Are you an actress?'
'You didn't see my performance tonight?'
Jane was confused. 'No, I—'
Lilian thrust her hand to her breast. 'Simon!' she cried, her voice instantly recognisable. 'My dear Simon!'
'What?' Jane said, staring at her in amazement. 'Lord Ascot? That was you?'
She took a mock bow. 'This week, I'm a Lord. Next week, I'm a lady. Such is life in the theatre.'
Lilian quickly dressed, said goodnight, and left, leaving Jane to feel both incredulous and furious all at once.
She turned to Filador. 'It's all a trick. A lie. Is Filador even your name?'
'Maxwell Filador,' he said. 'But please call me Max. Scottish mother. Italian father. A volatile combination.' He motioned them into seats around the tiny chamber while he removed his stage makeup. Jane perched herself on the edge of what looked like a broken column but was actually made from papier-mache. 'As for it being a trick or a lie, it is neither.' Max wiped some powder away. 'It's theatre. People know they're coming to a world of make-believe. I give them something akin to what they receive at their churches: hope. It keeps them happy, and it makes me some money at the same time.'
Jane frowned, remembering. 'But there was a ghost,' she said. 'The thunder and lightning.'
'Mere enhancements for the audience. The ghost is a boy who plays Juliet in the production on Grub Street. The thunder is just a sound effect. The phantoms racing across the ceiling are delivered courtesy of a new contraption called a magic lantern.'
Max brought down a device from a nearby shelf. It looked like a regular lantern used to illuminate a room, but it had a cover on one side. Max lit a candle, placed it inside, and opened the cover. A ghostly skull immediately appeared on the wall. Without the cinema's atmosphere, it seemed like a cheap trick.
'I see,' Jane said.
'But enough of fantasy,' Max said, seeing the doctor's face. 'It seems that the real world awaits us.'
'I'm afraid our visit is not for social reasons,' Porter said. 'We need your help.' She explained what had brought them here. 'I need you to supply us with some equipment for the mission ahead.'
Max shook his head sadly. 'I wish I could, doctor,' he said. 'But I must remain focused on my work. I've taken too much time away for other purposes. My career must come first.'
Doctor Porter cast her eye around the confined space. 'Of course. You're clearly on the way to becoming one of Britain's greatest thespians.'
The actor clenched his jaw. 'We all have our roles in life. Mine is acting.'
'Are you sure? I once thought of myself as a doctor. Yet now my life is dedicated to eradicating the blood-sucking demons that haunt our shores.'
'I'm sick of bloodshed,' Max said flatly. 'I've given my all for king and country.' He smiled sadly. 'You see what it's left me.'
He tapped on his lower left leg to produce a wooden ring.
Eddy piped up. 'There's no glory in war,' he said. 'No fairness either.'
'Or future,' Max said. 'I wish you well on your quest, but I can't help you.'
Eddy seemed ready to argue the point, but Porter took his arm. 'We can't force a man to see reason. He must see it on his own or not at all. I wish you well, Max Filador.'
Jane and Eddy followed Porter to the landing outside. The doctor stopped them with a hand.
'Max,' she said. 'There's no lighting out here.'
The narrow corridor they'd traversed had been dimly lit with a few candles. These had all been extinguished. The only light was that spilling from Max Filador's room. The actor squeezed past her and peered out.
'That's odd,' he said, frowning. 'Usually, Grimes, the manager, is here till late.' He raised his voice. 'Grimes! Are you still here?'
Silence.
Jane and the others exchanged glances.
'Is there another way out?' Porter asked quietly.
'Well, yes,' Max said, pointing to the darkened corridor behind. 'But I don't see—'
A thudding came from a long way up the stairs. Jane peered up into the gloom, struggling to see the source of the commotion. It gradually grew louder—thud, thud, thud—as if something were tumbling down the stairs toward them. A shape appeared from the gloom and bounced down the remaining stairs before coming to a halt before them.
Lilian's severed head gaped at them with an expression of utter shock.