Evil Star by Anthony Horowitz

course I have. But there's the money!" He licked his lips and it was then that Matt saw the true horror of Morton's predicament. He was being torn apart between fear and greed. It was a constant battle and it was destroying him. "Two million pounds! It's more than I've ever earned. I can't just throw it away. How would I be able to live with myself? No! I'll sell it. That's what I am. A bookseller. I'll sell it and I'll take the money and then it'll leave me alone."
    “You have to sell it to us," Matt said.
    "I know. I know. That's why I agreed to meet you. Four boys and a girl. They're in the diary. You're one of them. One of the five."
    "Everyone calls me that," Matt interrupted. "But I don't even know Horowitz, Anthony - [Gatekeepers 02] - Evil Star what it means. Ever since I got tangled up in all this, I've been trying to find a way out. I'm sorry, Mr. Morton. I know you want me to prove something to you. But I can't."
    Morton shook his head, refusing to believe what Matt had just told him. "I know about the first gate," he said.
    “Raven’s Gate.”
    “There’s a second gate. It's all in here. .. ."
    “Then give it to me." Suddenly Matt was tired. "If you really want to get rid of the diary and I'm the only person you'll give it to, that's fine. Give it to me. You'll get your money. And then maybe we can both go home and forget all about it."
    Morton nodded, and for a brief moment Matt thought it was all over.
    He'd hand over the package, and he and Richard would be on the next train to . .. wherever. But, of course, it wasn't going to be as easy as that.
    "I have to be sure you are who you say you are," Morton rasped.
    “You have to prove it to me!"
    Matt's head swam. "I've already told you. I can't do that."
    “Yes, you can!" Morton was gripping the book so tightly that his fingers had turned white. He looked quickly around the church, once again making sure they weren't overheard. "Do you see the door?"
    he asked.
    "What door?"
    "There!" Morton twitched his head and Matt looked past him to a strange, wooden door set in the stone wall. What was strange about it? It took him a few moments to work it out. It was too small, about half the size of all the other doors in the church. He assumed it must Horowitz, Anthony - [Gatekeepers 02] - Evil Star lead out into the street. It was set underneath a stained-glass window with gloomy paintings on either side. Looking more closely, he saw that there was something carved into the wood. A symbol. A pentagram. A star with five points.
    "What about it?" Matt asked.
    "It's why I chose this place to meet. It's in the diary."
    "That's not possible." Matt tried to work it out. The diary had been written in the sixteenth century, four hun-dred years ago. Parts of this church were older. Parts of it were quite modern. Either way, how could the monk have known about the existence of a single door?
    "Of course it's not possible," Morton agreed. "But that doesn't matter. I want you to go through the door and I want you to bring me something from the other side. It doesn't matter what it is. Whatever you choose will prove to me that you are . . . who they say you are."
    "What's on the other side?"
    “You tell me. Bring me whatever you find. I'll wait for you here."
    "Why don't you come with me?"
    “You really do know nothing," Morton said. Suddenly his voice was urgent again. "We don't have time to argue. Do as I say. Do it now.
    Or I'll leave and you'll never hear from me again."
    Matt sighed. He didn't understand any of it. But there was no point in answering back. He wanted this to be over. This was the only way. He glanced one last time at the book-seller, then went over to the door. Slowly he reached out, his hand resting on the iron handle.
    It was only now that it occurred to him that although the door was too small for the church, it was perfectly in proportion with his own Horowitz, Anthony - [Gatekeepers 02] - Evil Star height.
    It had been built for a child.
    He turned