The Dark Portal

Yet, if only they knew what was truly awakening, deep within the medieval forests...
This article has been distinguished as part of the real world and thus should not be taken as part of the fictional universe of the Deptford Mice books.

“The Dark Portal was my very first book. It began as one tiny drawing of an albino runt who became Oswald Chitter. My desire was to make his world as convincing and frightening as possible. I wanted the reader to believe in these characters and fear for them.”

―Robin Jarvis

The Dark Portal is the first novel in The Deptford Mice trilogy by Robin Jarvis. It was originally published in 1989 as a Purnell book by Macdonald & Company in London. The book was a runner-up for the 1989 Nestlé Smarties Book Prize and was given the Booklist Editors' Choice designation in 2000.^[1]

Dedication[]

For my parents

Book description[]

In the sewers of Deptford there lurks a dark presence that fills the tunnels with fear: Jupiter, a dark god known only by his evil, no one really knows who he is except for his lieutenant Morgan his glowing eyes seen behind a dark "portal" in the tunnel wall. The rats worship him and do his dark bidding.

The Deptford mice, who worship the Green Mouse who brings Spring, are aware of Jupiter's evil presence in the tunnels. One of the mice, Albert Brown, is pulled through a grate into the sewers by the dark enchantments that Jupiter has woven there. He meets a cheeky mouse from the city, Piccadilly, also lost inside the lair of the rats. When Albert is captured by Morgan, a Cornish, piebald rat with a stump for a tail and rings through his ears (none other than Jupiter's lieutenant) and brought to Jupiter, Piccadilly escapes into Albert's home, known as the Skirtings, where he meets a large number of friends.

Firstly, there is Audrey Brown, Albert's day-dreaming daughter who hates Piccadilly for surviving where her father did not. Then there is Arthur Brown, Audrey's plump and funny brother. There is also simple fieldmouse William Scuttle or 'Twit' and his cousin, the sickly albino runt, Oswald Chitter. Along with the old Midship-mouse, Thomas Triton and Gwen Brown, the mother of Audrey and Arthur, they venture into the sewers to banish Jupiter from the world. The Rat God, however, has an evil plan to unleash the Black Death on the world once more, ridding it of humans and enabling him to conquer it.

After a tense-confrontation with Jupiter in this throne-room during which the malevolent deity is revealed to be a monstrous cat, Audrey defeats the Dark Lord by flinging her mousebrass at him. The talisman explodes and Jupiter falls into the water that is rapidly flooding his chamber. The spirits of the many mice and rats he has tortured and devoured then rise up and drag the dark god down to a watery grave. Audrey glimpses her father among the legion of spirits as they depart and despairs, realising that he is truly dead. The sewer floods and the Black Death is destroyed. Thankful that they are alive and resolving to celebrate Jupiter's downfall once they return home, the mice begin the journey back to the surface but as they leave, Orfeo the bat foretells doom...

Plot[]

Prologue: The Grille[]

A community of mice live in an abandoned house in the London borough of Deptford. Their lives are happy, save for their fear of the Grille, an old grating in the house's basement which leads to the sewers. Beyond live bloodthirsty rats who serve an evil, living god known as Jupiter. No one has ever seen Jupiter, and the mice dare not even speak his name.

In spite of the dangers of the Grille, mice are somehow drawn to it by dark enchantments. A mouse named Albert Brown finds himself hopelessly lost in the sewers. He has a wife and two children, and has often warned them to stay away from the Grille. Albert is unable to figure out why he has put himself in such peril.

Chapter 1: The Altar of Jupiter[]

Albert is trying to find his way through the sewers and back to the Grille, panic building inside of him. He fears murderous rats may be waiting for him around every corner. With regret, he remembers that this day is the Great Spring Celebration, when young mice who have come of age are given magical talismans known as mousebrasses. Albert's own children, Arthur and Audrey, will be getting theirs this year, and he will miss it.

As Albert continues searching to try and get back home, he hears faint footsteps around the next corner. With no place to hide, he waits apprehensively until he realises with delight that the oncoming figure is another mouse. The stranger is a cheeky young grey mouse from the city named Piccadilly. He had been part of a foraging party when he had lost his comrades and strayed into the sewers. Piccadilly, used to the cringing, fearful rats of the city, is unafraid until Albert tells him that the rats of Deptford are under Jupiter's control.

Piccadilly comes across a secret tunnel which ultimately leads the unsuspecting mice to the chamber where Jupiter has his lair. As they peer fearfully, they see Jupiter's lieutenant Morgan conversing with the god, whose red eyes are the only thing visible from the dark portal in which he dwells. Jupiter is angry because a digging project has been delayed. He doubts that his subjects truly love him, in spite of Morgan's insistence. Realising that Jupiter is up to something terrible that could affect the whole world, Albert steps forward to a hiding place nearer the portal so he can hear him better, much to Piccadilly's horror.

Having discovered Albert, Morgan grabs him and announces his find to Jupiter. Knowing he cannot escape, Albert takes off his mousebrass and throws it to Piccadilly, telling him to give it to "Gwennie". Piccadilly runs for his life as Jupiter commands that Morgan deliver Albert to him so he can peel him himself.

Chapter 2: Audrey[]

On the morning of the Great Spring Celebration, Audrey Brown is too preoccupied with thoughts of her missing father to be excited about the festivities. Her mother encourages her to eat her breakfast as she has a big day ahead, but Audrey insists she's not hungry. She wonders which mousebrass she will get, hoping it won't be the Sign of the House Mouse like that of her mother as a simple domestic life isn't for her.