PD gulped as he and Suspectum stood there, looking into the dark Castle. Why was that door open? Was it a trap? PD looked down to Suspectum, hoping he would want to turn back. Suspectum returned the glance with a set of cold eyes. Gila Monsters were notoriously loyal to each other.
"Well, then. Shall we?" PD spoke these words with an air of nervousness. Suspectum answered only with a nod, beckoning PD to enter first.
Once again, PD gulped as he stepped into the foyer of the house. It was clear that the inside of the house was in even worse shape than the outside.
PD knew the basic layout of the Castle. There were three floors in addition to the cupola on top. He did not, however, know the room layout. This would make their job that much more difficult.
"Do you, um, think it would be a good idea to split up?" PD asked nervously.
"And rissssk lossssing another persssson? I think not," Suspectum hissed. This was the answer PD was hoping for.
There were five doors to choose from, two of which were ajar. They both agreed to search the closed doors first. The room connected to the door farthest on the left turned out to be the dining room. A grand chandelier draped down over the large table, which had a fince coat of dust. Apparently, the last person to use this table was using it as a makeshift desk. At one head of the table, papers were spread out in a disorganized fashion. A pen had been left sitting in an ink well, long since dried up. A wine glass was also on the table, just as dusty as everything else in the room. PD and Suspectum felt there was not much to observe here.
The room adjacent to the dining room was found to be the kitchen. Also searched, nothing was found. It was back in the foyer where the two explorers found, or rather heard, something significant. Immediately after opening the third closed door, which turned out to be a stairwell to the upper levels, they heard footsteps from the floor above. Though it was only for a second, PD was left positively shaken. Even Suspectum, who had done well to hide his emotions thus far, was shivering.
"Perhapssss we should ssssearch the lasssst two roomsss ssssseperately," Suspectum hissed. "The sssssooner we're out of here, the better."
Though PD was dreading the prospect of moving further alone, he had to agree with the Gila Monster's logic. "Alright."
Suspectum raised one pudgy paw and pushed open the door farthest to the right. That left PD to explore the room directly across from the front door. He gave the door a push and it swung open.
He had found the Castle's study. This room contrasted sharply to the other rooms of the house. There was no thick layer of dust. All of the oak furniture was polished to a shine. The large desk in the center of the room had several artifacts laying upon it. An enormous leather chair was behind it. Above the work area, a life-size portrait hung. It was of a man that PD did not recognize. He was a shorter man with darker skin. PD turned to explore the rest of the room. On one side, a small bookcase stood, having several manuscripts upon its shelves. The other side of the room gave way to an ornate fireplace. There was a woodpile nearby, suggesting that someone had been using it.
After a few good minutes of admiring the beauty of the fireplace and the sofas that surrounded it, PD turned to go find Suspectum. Upon looking again at the oak desk, however, he discovered he was not alone in the room.