A group of a dozen sturdy young men sat in a Stone Clough tractor shed. They looked up as the imposing frame of George Metcalfe blocked the light.
"Tonight, lads," George said. "Are you ready?"
Everyone nodded and grunted confirmation.
"What about reprisals?" Les Norton wanted to know.
George pulled a scornful face. "What about "em?"
"They might send a shadow-monster to terrorise us," Les objected. "They"ve tried it before."
"There"s a rumour they"ve created one that can kill at a touch," Hal Wenham complained. "What if it"s true?"
"It"s all lies." George made a dismissive gesture. "Those things have no more power than ghosts in the sunlight. What matters is physical strength. We have that. All they"ve got is phantoms. No more dangerous than a picture on a TV screen."
Les and Hal g
