I lashed out with feet and fists trying to fight off Midnight. However, I was weak and lying on a couch. She was fitter and standing over me. Eventually she grabbed one of my arms and yanked me up.

I continued to resist as she continued to drag me towards the study door. With me under one arm and the ledger under the other. Midnight managed to open the study door and push me out on to the balcony.

Once out on to the balcony I was immediately spellbound by the number of clocks in the cavernous reception hall. Every available wall space was covered from top to bottom. There were clock faces ranging in size from town hall clock towers to wrist watches.

I soon found the melodic 'tick-tock' quite hypnotic. My moment of meditation was abruptly cut short when the bitch, Midnight, pushed me left towards the staircase.

The walls of the hall were not straight, and bowed in and out. The path of the stairs followed the contour of these walls, which made the stairs leading down to the reception area twist and turn creating an 'S' shape. Midnight, poked me in the small of my back with the edge of the...