The Secret of Stranglehold Hall
A Naitabal Mystery
The snowstorm howled as the shadowy figures fought their way up the sloping track. There was a brief respite as they entered the belt of trees, but as soon as they emerged into the open again, their bodies were rocked and battered by the furious blizzard. The taxi driver, barely visible in front of them, suddenly stopped. He pointed and turned, then shouted, but the wind hurried away with his words like a thief.
NAITABAL: A wild species of human, aged about 10
| Language: | Used by Naitabals to confuse enemies and adults. |
| Oak: | An oak tree suitable for habitation by Naitabals. |
| Territory: | Territory controlled by Naitabals — marked as "N.T." on most maps. |
| Naitagonia: | Any foreign soil in England occupied by Naitabals. |

When Charles Criddle built Stranglehold Hall in 1832, he hid a secret within its walls and inside the minds of his seven children. It was to be passed down the generations, to be revealed only if the house itself was in danger.