Liz was no fool. This whole thing had 'set-up' written all over it. For all Annabelle's claims to have found a conveniently-placed map carved on a wall, Liz wasn't convinced for a moment. Something fishy was going on. Her one consolation was that Annabelle, through her caginess, had surely earned herself a spot in the purifier.

Their route, supposedly the only way to the purification chamber, had brought them close to the looping passages she and Lucy had explored earlier, before they'd run into Jen. Thankfully, this had brought them out of the catacombs. Liz hadn't liked those narrow tunnels one bit. What was more, they weren't alone in here. Sarah's news that the blob was somewhere in the building had prompted reactions ranging from nervous excitement - Jen and Lucy, to worried indignation - Liz and... well, mainly Liz, though word was that Sarah had been less than pleased when she'd found out.

Liz cast a wary glance over her shoulder. It's out there somewhere.

A sharp turn at a t-junction brought them to a vaulted stone hall lit by imitation torches. As long as a tennis court but less than half as wide, its high walls were lined by arched ranks of sandstone pillars. It was a dead end.

I knew it. I knew Annabelle couldn't be trusted.

At the hall's end stood a gargantuan effigy, a golem-like statue that rose twice the height of a man. It looked to have been sculpted from the rock itself. Soulless black eyes glared from a wolfish head framed by jutting horns, while taloned hands grasped a huge cauldron at a precarious angle. Below it an ornate chair glittered like crystal. Liz's sharp eyes spotted a hinge at the statue's elbow, making it horribly apparent what that urn contained. This demonic gargoyle was, for all intents and purposes, a glorified gunge tank.

Most of the team crowded by the entrance, muttering in hushed tones. Liz, however, elected to linger beside Sarah. If recent form was anything to go by, imitating Sarah was the surest way to stay clean.

Lucy's voice rose above the hubbub. "I don't see a way through. Annabelle, you sure this is the right way?"

Annabelle remained adamant. "Positive."

"Hang on, I see something," said Lena, who stepped into the hallway and pointed to a spot just beside the statue. "There, see? A door."

What? But that's only... Squinting, Liz noticed a patch of stonework a shade lighter than the rest. Oh, so there is. "You spotted that awfully quickly," she remarked. Without her glasses, too.

If Lena noticed the suspicion in Liz's tone, she hid it well. "We found a few like it upstairs. Seems this whole place is full of them."

Lucy peeked from side to side before venturing into the chamber. "There's no handle," she said, "maybe there's some trick to opening it?"

As though in answer, a growling rumble rolled through the hall. Amber dust filtered from the gargoyle's snarling mouth, the spiralling motes glimmering in the torchlight. A split-second of feedback betrayed the speaker in the statue's stone maw, and then it spoke. Liz found herself grinning. She'd expected a bestial roar, but the voice that emerged was that of an amiable young woman.

"G'day there, girls. Nice of you to finally show up."

Jen wasted no time in interrupting. "Kirsty, is that you?" Even with the distortion effects being applied, Kirsty's bubbly tones were unmistakeable.

"Not right now it isn't," was the chirpy response, "right now I'm the voice of the Palace Guardian, and let me tell you - this is my stern voice, so you know I mean business. Nobody's getting any further 'til the proper offering's been made."

Sarah arched an eyebrow. "Offering?"

"Yep, offering. Here's how this is going to work: you've got five seconds to get everyone behind the red line. Five, four-" There was a moment of confusion before Liz spotted the crimson band marking the hall's threshold. Squeaks of alarm alerted Lena and Lucy, who scurried back with moments to spare. "Good," Kirsty continued. "Right, here's the fun part. See that chair, the one that just happens to be right under a ginormous great cauldron? I need a volunteer to come up and take a seat, but the rest of you have to stay behind the line. Any takers?"

Shrinking back, Liz studied her toenails and tried to look inconspicuous. It was rather obvious what would happen to whoever sat in that chair. As it turned out, she needn't have worried. Lena was beginning to ask a question when Nikki gave her a quick prod, the resulting stumble taking her across the line.

"Nice one," trilled Kirsty, "looks like we've found our girl."

Realising what had happened, Lena's almond-shaped eyes widened. She looked accusingly at Nikki, who wrung her hands in mock sympathy while trying her best not to grin. "Bad luck, Lena, did you just get volunteered? Too bad - I know how that feels. But don't worry, it's not like you're gonna get totally covered in slime or anything. That could never happen."

With a jovial groan Lena shot Nikki a pretend glare, shook her head at the silliness of it all, and then walked up the aisle. Nervous fingers twiddled the black strings of her bikini, and upon reaching the chair she sat, fidgeted a little, and peered up at the statue. With a deep breath she stretched out her legs, and while smoothing her shining black hair noticed a rectangular recess beside her feet.

"What's that for?"

"You'll find out," Kirsty replied ominously. "But before we go any further, I reckon it's only fair to warn you..." Liz's ears pricked as a rattling trundle sprung up. It was coming from somewhere far behind them. "You've attracted some attention," Kirsty went on. "Something's coming. Something big. I think you already know what."

Oh no. The girls exchanged glances as the sound began drawing closer. Something hefty was on the move. "The blob," mouthed Liz, her voice barely a whimper.

Kirsty was enjoying this. "Better make this quick," she sang. "It knows where you are... and it's on its way."

*****

Accepting her fate, Lena reclined in the chair and studied the room with an air of curious detachment. One way or another, this was going to be messy. She'd barely listened to the rest of Kirsty's instructions, but apparently the others had to collect the three pieces of a jigsaw and set them into the nearby recess, where etched markings gave a clue as to what the finished puzzle should look like. Lucy had been confident that she'd seen similar designs on the walls of some galleries she and Liz had discovered, and the two of them had duly set off in search. Now Nikki, Annabelle and Jen were lined up at the hall's end as though about to run a race, the plan being that they would take any found fragments, dash the length of the hall, and set them in place. Apparently once the puzzle was complete, the door would open - but not before the statue tipped the contents of its urn all over her. Lena wasn't entirely clear on the logic behind this last part... presumably the palace guardian just really hated jigsaws.

Nikki pointed to the seeping lilac splashes that clung to her bronzed figure and cherry-pink bikini, then to the cauldron looming over Lena's head. "Consider this payback," she called, flashing that dazzling smile again.

Lena realised she was nibbling her lower lip. Nobody knew how long they had before the blob appeared, but already Sarah was pacing back and forth, her glances at the doorway becoming ever more frequent.

"It's coming," muttered Annabelle. The splats of custard that dotted her body had thinned, slowly becoming translucent, but the little brunette still seemed tenser than usual. Her blue bikini looked to have been recently refastened in secure double-knots.

At that moment, and to Sarah's obvious relief, Lucy appeared at the entrance bearing an oversized jigsaw piece. Lena couldn't help but smirk; she and Lucy were very much on the same wavelength, and the long-haired beauty was clearly having fun. Indeed, no sooner had Lucy passed the fragment to Nikki than she was off again, beaming all the while.

Nikki wasted no time. Dark hair streaming behind her, she bounded between the pillars toward Lena, who sat back and adjusted her meagre attire in readiness. Events had assumed an almost dreamlike quality. It was impossible to take anything seriously, herself least of all. It was then that Lena noticed the rows of bud-like protrusions on each pillar. In a flash she realised what was coming. Nikki's head flicked left and right - she'd seen them too - and for the briefest of moments their eyes met.

Lena smiled and winked.

Gunge surged forth in foaming pink spurts, springing from the columns lining the hall as though they were punctured hoses. Each spray was strong enough to reach almost to the opposite wall, and in a flash the space between the pillars became a slime storm. Lena threw up her arms and cheered. She might be doomed to a gunging, but at least Nikki wouldn't get away clean. A cringing grin bloomed on the American's face as she twisted, vivid spatters blossoming all over her. Buffeted by the sprays, strands of rapidly-dampening hair clinging to her shoulders, Nikki's gait devolved to something between a skip and a drunken totter, yet still she came on, pointing at Lena and laughing her defiance.

"Think this'll stop me? Pah! You're getting slimed, girl!"

Syrupy sludge pelted Nikki mercilessly, turning her limbs slick with goo even as quivering pink fronds met across her front and back, weaving together like the ties of a bodice. Still undaunted, Nikki surged forward, bursting through hails of flying muck, and slammed the fragment into place.

With a carefree giggle Lena sat forward to study her bespattered teammate. "What was that about payback?"

Panting and with wet strands of hair stuck across her face, Nikki peeked up, smirked, and in a flash was sprinting back to the entrance, where Lucy and Liz had reappeared. On seeing them, Lena gulped. They had arrived almost simultaneously from opposite sides of the junction, and each carried a jigsaw piece. That makes three. Lena peeked up at the urn looming overhead.

The sight of Liz running was hysterical in itself. For some reason Lena imagined Liz's regular mode of transport to be a sedan chair borne aloft by a team of footmen, which would explain why, for all her elegance, she had a run so girly as to verge on self-parody. Chin held high, blonde hair bobbing, Liz pranced along with an arm crossed demurely over her front. That little white bikini clearly wasn't designed for jogging in.

Both runners paused on catching sight of Nikki, exchanged a quizzical look, and then raced up to the archway where Jen and Annabelle waited, ready to charge into the spraying gloop. Nikki, however, got there first. "Sorry," she called, snatching both pieces, "but I owe Lena this!"

Lena was laughing even before Nikki danced back into the firing line. It was like her companion was trying to run through a carwash. Nikki staggered and yelped, hissing pink jets crisscrossing her body, but still struggled onward. Nothing was going to stop her now, and Lena knew it. The spouts faded once Nikki neared the throne, where she halted for breath, glistening rivers seeping down her toned stomach. Her cheeky grin soon returned, and an expectant hush fell as she took the last few steps. Lena watched raptly, chest heaving in anticipation.

The second piece slotted into place with a decisive click.

A creak from the statue sent Lena's fingers digging into the armrests. Goosebumps rose on her arms. When that last piece goes in... Nikki, however, wasn't quite done toying with her. Straightening, she waggled the final fragment. "So, Lena. You ready for this?"

Lena shuffled back in her seat, looked up, and nodded. "Bring on the gunge!"

There was a blur at the corner of her vision. Suddenly Nikki was bolt upright, face frozen in astonishment, as a green nimbus exploded from her back. With one hand stifling a yelp, Lena watched as slick torrents began spilling over Nikki shoulders and snaking down her chest - where arms now appeared, wrapping beneath her breasts. The jigsaw piece clattered to the ground.

A low purr overlaid Nikki's baffled murmurs. "Surprise," cooed the ghoul.

*****

Liz could only stare, aghast. Before her very eyes, a ghoul had stormed through the wall as though it were paper and pounced on poor Nikki. What everyone had taken for solid stone had been nothing but a wax-like screen stretched over an arrow-slit alcove. Who knew how long the ghoul had been hiding there, waiting to strike? Liz took an involuntary step back. How many more are there? This hall had room for another twenty of those cubbyholes. They could be overrun in a matter of seconds.

Somebody grabbed her hand and pulled. "Quick, follow me!" cried Lucy, who was already fleeing back the way they'd come. "It's an ambush, we have to get out!"

Liz called for Sarah and the others to follow, but a tug from Lucy stole her voice away. Before she knew it she was being led at a scampering pace through twisting corridors. "Where are we going?" she whispered, barely able to keep up.

"Somewhere safe," Lucy replied. Dancing nimbly along the gloomy corridors, she spared a quick glance back. "I think you were right about Annabelle."

*****

The intruder's arms coiled tight about Nikki, whose struggles sent then wheeling in circles. Tall and svelte, with the figure of a ballerina, the ghoul was somehow able to whisper friendly taunts into Nikki's ear even while practically riding piggyback, her tied-back strawberry-blonde hair bobbing wildly. From her chair, Lena clapped her approval and craned forward for a better look.

Spying the others' stares, Nikki grimaced. "Little help here?"

Jen and Annabelle had been temporarily spellbound. Now they looked at each other, nodded, and charged into the hall. They'd covered only a few yards when a series of startlingly loud snicks resonated around them. They froze, expecting the sprayers, but instead a plate-sized duct opened near the base of each pillar. A growling gurgle rose like approaching thunder, causing even Nikki and the ghoul to pause their wriggling to watch.

Annabelle winced. "I think we're in for it now." Yet no sooner had she spoken than the gurgling ceased.

"Ha!" crowed Jen, "looks like the trap didn't-"

The top of each pillar twisted like a bottle cap. Despite being safe in her seat, Lena flinched at the horrid screech of grinding metal. Rich blue slime spilled out from the ducts, turning the middle of the hall into a seething swamp.

"-work."

With gunk slurping around her ankles, Annabelle crinkled her nose and swivelled carefully. Gooey mulch oozed between her toes and sucked at her soles, but somehow she kept her balance. This was more than could be said for Jen, who flapped uselessly before slipping sideways into the muck. Her initial shriek turned quickly to another of her infectious giggles as she propped herself on one elbow, looking embarrassed as the bluey-pink concoction clung to her side and dripped lazily from her breast.

"Graceful," Annabelle remarked. "Hang on, where's Sarah?"

Jen rolled into a sitting position, slime squelching where it engulfed her bikini bottoms, and looked back toward the entrance. There was nothing but empty space where Sarah had been, but then a familiar face peeked out from behind a pillar. "Here I am. That was close."

How does she do it? Lena couldn't help but marvel at Sarah's reflexes - she hadn't even gotten her feet wet. Jen sighed. The odds of Sarah ever getting messy seemed to recede moment by moment.

"Still here, you know," teased Nikki, who promptly screamed with laughter as the ghoul's wrist-sprayers activated. A ragged green 'x' appeared across Nikki's front, the spouts streaking upward and shattering against her bosom in welters of spinning globules.

Then another patch of wall erupted. With a sound like tearing cellophane, a second ghoul clawed her way through a wax-screened alcove directly opposite the first. Fresh faced and slight of build, with sparkling blue eyes and a mop of silky dark hair, the newcomer scanned the room in an instant before rushing headlong at Annabelle. With arms held out for balance, Annabelle was powerless before the custard that strafed her hips and collarbones, birthing serpentine flows that slopped down her legs and chest like stringed beads. She gathered her wits just in time to sidestep a flying tackle, but in the process lost her footing and went stumbling to her knees. The ghoul flew past, skimming through the swamp as though scoring a touchdown, while Annabelle, thinking quickly, snatched at her foe's ripcord. In the blink of an eye though, the ghoul had rolled and grabbed Annabelle's arm. Then, with a deliciously evil smile, she pulled. Caught off-balance, Annabelle sprawled onto her opponent, the resulting burst of custard soaking her neck and shoulder. Sitting up, the ghoul chuckled wickedly and gathered the squirming contestant into her arms.

Finding herself sat sideways on the ghoul's lap, Annabelle let out a startled squeak as custard splurged from spongy panels on the ghoul's costume. The left triangle of her bikini top seemed to disappear, baby blue overwhelmed by buttercup yellow. The ghoul draped an arm over her shoulder, holding her in place while raining gunk into her jiggling cleavage. There was no escape.

Seeing the ghoul's other sprayer moving above her head, Annabelle said pleadingly, "Come on, you wouldn't?"

Bright eyes glimmered with gentle reproach. "Do I really need to answer that?"

Annabelle's eyes squeezed shut as custard came pouring down.

*****

There was no time to think. Liz simply followed Lucy, who held tight to her hand while skipping through the looping chain of passages. Scenes of messy mayhem lay emblazoned the walls, at once a promise and a taunt, while the dull rumble of the approaching blob sounded worryingly close.

She tried to slow down, but Lucy kept tugging her onward. "Lucy, wait. We should go back for the others."

"There's no time," was the breathless reply. "Quick, we're almost there." Liz made to argue, but thought better of it. After all, why should she risk getting messy just to help them, especially after what they'd done to her in the gatehouse? Just because they'd walked into Annabelle's trap didn't mean she had to.

After the next turning, Lucy halted. "This is it. I found this place earlier, right before Jen showed up."

Liz glanced dubiously about. The stretch of passage looked no different to any other... until Lucy reached out and tapped the wall. There, concealed amid carved figures, was a button. She stepped back as a camouflaged doorway yawned open, but before she knew it Lucy had ushered her inside.

White light embraced her. Liz advanced a few paces, sapphire eyes blinking in the sudden glare, until she realised she was in a circular booth. Opalescent walls curved in like an hourglass, creating a ring-shaped shelf at roughly elbow height. Set into this shelf were a series of sunken basins, each full to the brim with pink or yellow ooze, and between these basins stood heaped stacks of cream pies. Speechless, Liz began backing away... but shuffled straight into Lucy, who'd lingered at the doorway, blocking the exit. The door closed with a wistful sigh as Liz twisted round.

"Going so soon?" Lucy's tone was all innocence. The bright light brought coppery hints to her shining brown hair, which she brushed back with dextrous fingers before adjusting her little gold bikini. She looked Liz up and down, hazel eyes gleaming. "What, did you think I'd forgotten? Before, when me and Annabelle were begging to be let into the gatehouse?"

Liz shifted uneasily. "Um... Now Lucy, we're on the same side."

"Are we?"

No, it's not possible.... Confusion turned swiftly to shock. "Oh my God, it's you! You're the traitor!" Liz flinched back, but there was nowhere to run.

Lucy's lips had curled into the faintest of smiles. She reached casually to the back of her neck, tracing the knot there. Satisfied that everything was secure, she reached sideways, her fingertips alighting on the shelf's rim. The smile broadened.

"Why now?" moaned Liz.

Lucy shrugged. "Seemed a shame to waste somewhere like this. Besides, Annabelle's already had her revenge. Now it's my turn." Fingers wrapped around the base of a pie.

Despite knowing it was useless, Liz tried to talk her way out. "But... but you'll get covered too!"

A puzzled look crossed Lucy's features. "Of course. That's half the fun."

"No, no wait a second!" Liz hunched and turned sideways in a vain effort to avoid the hurled pie that squelched against her side, sending creamy blobs sailing across her back. She barely had time to grimace before Lucy struck again, Liz's appeal for calm dissolving into a girlish squeal as custard sprayed her arms, which she'd raised, palms outward, in an attempt to shield her front. With a kittenish laugh, Lucy dipped a hand into a bowl of neon pink goo and swished it beneath Liz's defences, spreading a slimy arc across her lower stomach.

Much to her own surprise, Liz retaliated, though she was still protesting even when the pie left her fingertips. The throw was feeble, but at this range she could hardly miss. "Now you're getting the hang of it," cheered Lucy, a desultory blob of custard now clinging to her hip.

The brunette's response was immediate, and Liz yelped again as more gunge pelted her, some squirming between her arms and threading her hair. It was appalling to think what she must look like. A custard pie broke against the side of Liz's head with a colossal splat, the muck leaving a shadow at the edge of her vision, though the look of startled indignation it provoked reduced Lucy to fits of tittering.

"Oh yes?" Liz said, trying to sound defiant, "well take that!"

Lucy lurched back in surprise. A cream pie had planted atop her shoulder. Buoyed by her success, Liz paused to rearm. The momentary gap in her defences, however, was all the opportunity Lucy needed. Pink ooze sloshed up Liz's front, speckling her face with grape-sized globs that tasted of raspberry sauce. Even worse, the shock of the gunging made her fumble the counterattack, which did nothing but add a few flecks of cream to Lucy's thigh.

Lucy, unlike Liz, was making no attempt to shield herself. Not that she had much need to. The flow of gunge between the two girls was utterly lopsided, and Liz's thoughts veered between horror and exhilaration as she resigned herself to the inevitable: she was going to get drenched. It was strange, one side of her - the rational side - abhorred the thought of getting messy... yet something else, something deep in her subconscious, whispered for her to let go and join in. She'd felt this strange, almost primal impulse when she'd gunged Annabelle back at the gatehouse, and was determined to suppress it.

And so Liz jolted and whimpered, her foe sliming her with virtual impunity, while the two halves of her psyche battled it out. Reduced to peeking through latticed fingers, she watched Lucy douse her with wave after glutinous wave. Attempts at swatting the stuff away left her palms and forearms coated, but there was no stopping it. Foamy tendrils collected in her hair. Slime flowed in rivers over her sensational curves, while a syrupy mix of gunk-laced cream channelled slowly through her bikini top and rolled toward her navel. Things were, in short, not going well.

"I'm feeling way too clean over here," Lucy noted with what sounded like admonishment. It was true, compared to Liz she was practically spotless. Other than the paltry few hits Liz had landed, the act of hurling gunge had left Lucy with sopping wet hands and glistening trails along her wrists, which dripped to form scattered constellations on her legs.

Already the brunette had snatched up two more pies. Cowering, Liz babbled objections while her teammate feinted left, drawing a clumsy block that she evaded with ease, and then skipped diagonally forward to slam-dunk a pie atop Liz's head, where it perched like an absurd beret.

"It's not fair!" groaned Liz, a tide of whipped cream creeping down the side of her face.

Giggling lyrically, Lucy flicked back her hair. "You can't win," she chirped, "but don't worry, losing's just as fun."

Liz's retort was swallowed by the next pie, which took her full in the face and was followed almost instantly by a rush of slime. Floundering helplessly, Liz brought a hand to her chest to try and release the muck gathering in her top. Shifting layers of cool gloop slithered over her, even as Lucy's carefree mirth echoed accusingly in her ears. The sensible, responsible voice in Liz's mind wanted to scream in outrage, but all she could manage was a playful yelp.

"C'mon, Liz," urged Lucy, "you can do better than this. Mess me up!"

Keep it together, Liz. Stay calm, this is all just - argh! The arrival of yet another pie, accompanied by a titter from Lucy, interrupted her thoughts. Right, that's it.

Before Liz knew it, she'd lowered her defences and reached sideways, hands cupping as they sank into bowls of slurping muck. Though briefly taken aback, Lucy's eyes twinkled as she mirrored her pose, and for a long moment the pair made eye contact. Liz's attempt at steely determination wasn't helped by the wobbling glacier of whipped cream sliding down her cheek. Cocking her head, Lucy smiled approvingly. Then, as though by some unspoken signal, both women flung up their arms.

Slime flew everywhere. Strands of Liz's hair shivered where some whizzed past her cheek. With eyes closed and teeth clenched, she felt it spatter slick and creamy upon her skin. Pawing at her wet midriff succeeded only in smearing the gunk still further. Too late she remembered how messy her hands were. Her eyes opened to a scene adorned with liquid ribbons. All was quiet save for sighing breaths and dripping goo. A blob of custard fell from the curve of Liz's bikini and landed with a soft splat on her big toe. Much to her surprise, she was buzzing, the indignity dwarfed by a sense of towering satisfaction once she caught sight of Lucy, whose gorgeous figure was at long last dappled pink and yellow.

At first Lucy seemed mystified, but by the time she looked up at Liz she was beaming. "About time," she declared.

Reaching for another pie, Liz realised she was smiling.

*****

The hall was a tumult of movement and colour. Perched rigid on the gleaming throne, a vat of slop poised above her head, Lena watched the chaos. Her teammates' combined ineptitude was glorious to behold. Sarah dithered at the entrance, torn between the urge to help and the desire to stay clean, while in the hall itself Jen had given up trying to stand - the floor around her was awash with slippery blue gunk - and instead crawled toward Annabelle, who was perched sideways on a ghoul's lap.

"Could really use a hand here," called Nikki, her voice thick with cathartic laughter. "Anyone?" She shimmied comically, but nothing seemed able to shift the ghoul clinging like a limpet to her back.

"Actually kind of busy right now," Annabelle replied, the words blowing specks of custard from her lips. Practically her entire left side was a solid mass of yellow.

With an exaggerated sigh, Nikki looked beseechingly to the woman on her back and gestured at Annabelle. "Would you?"

The ghoul - rather considerately, all things considered - angled her arm and fired. Annabelle squeaked in shock, back arching as jade gloop burst between her shoulder blades. Nikki's smirk promptly disappeared beneath a buttercup barrage when Annabelle's ghoul returned the favour.

Lena surveyed the scene. Is this the elite team that'll defeat the Splatter Dome? Somehow I doubt it.

Again gunge began issuing from the pillars, hydraulic hisses heralding frothy blue miasmas, though the volumes were thankfully a mere fraction of what had come before. There seemed no discernible pattern, but a few random squirts lashed Jen's back before she made it to Annabelle and sat up, grinning whimsically. "Sooo, how're things?"

"All under control," Annabelle deadpanned. "But as you're here...."

Nodding, Jen reached for the drawstring at the ghoul's collar. Utterly unconcerned, the ghoul simply planted a hand on Jen's thigh and shoved. There was little force behind it, but with the ground so slick it was enough to send Jen sliding back, shins fishtailing in the muck. Panicking, Jen grabbed hold of the ghoul's outstretched arm, then beamed with pride once she'd realised what she'd done. Their foe, whose other arm was wrapped around Annabelle, was now incapacitated. Seizing the opportunity, Jen pulled herself closer - but then paused, confounded by her adversary's knowing smile. Too late she realised her mistake. She was in a crawling position, the ghoul's hand mere inches below her chin, when slime blasted from the woman's wrist. The yellow muck shot through Jen's cleavage, skimmed her stomach, and burst with a wet splat across her thighs.

"Ha-ha, got you!" The ghoul smirked, and was about to return her attention to Annabelle when she noticed Jen still doggedly hanging on. A second salvo failed to dislodge her. She tried shaking her arm, but to no avail. The look of triumph began to fade.

Seeing her chance, Annabelle shuffled in close and, amid spurts of goo, reached for the ripcord. Grasping the prize, her lips pursed beside her foe's ear. "Gotcha."

A howl tore the air. The ghoul's bodysuit bulged violently as all its pressurised gloop was released - inwards at first, then sluicing from sleeves and ankles, until finally it burst through specially designed apertures, showering Annabelle and Jen's victory celebrations like so much champagne.

As the vanquished ghoul skulked away, Jen knelt up and punched the air, gunk dripping from her curvaceous figure. "Whoo! Go Annabelle!" She gestured toward Nikki. "I think we're still needed though."

Wringing custard from her hands, Annabelle gave a mock sigh. "Honestly, must we do all the work around here?"

"Looks like." Lifting her head, Jen projected her voice down the hall. "Don't worry, help is on the way!"

Amid sarcastic mutterings from Nikki, Jen and Annabelle clasped hands and tried to help each other up. Soon they were squeaking and giggling, their feet sliding uncontrollably on the slimy floor. A sudden squirt from a nearby pillar almost toppled them, the mess striking Annabelle's lower back and prompting a fit of ticklish laughter.

"In your own time, guys," called Nikki.

"We're getting there!" Annabelle countered, trying desperately to find her balance. "Just...er... give us a minute." The pair see-sawed drunkenly, each attempt at steadying themselves serving to unbalance the other, until at last Annabelle took charge. "Okay, on three: one, two, three." Finally, pressing their fronts together for mutual support, they made it to their feet, where they remained in a kind of wobbling hug.

"Yay us!" Jen enthused.

Annabelle gave a wry smirk. "Elegantly done. Now we just have to walk on this stuff."

"C'mon, we've done the hard part. How tough can it be?"

"Alright then, here goes...."

Hand in hand, they took a cautious step forward - and promptly went flat on their backs, tangled together in a giggling mass.

At the hall's end, Nikki shook her head. "Great job, team."

*****

It was no good. Liz had been adamant that she would remain sensible, but second by second her reservations were crumbling. Her brief stand had only galvanised Lucy, who turned out to have been holding back during their previous exchanges. Reprimanding herself for her immaturity, Liz tried again to reason with her tormentor, but Lucy just smiled, stepped forward, and emptied cupped handfuls of pink gunk over Liz's head.

"Sorry Liz, were you saying something? Oops, look, you've got pink on you. Don't worry, I can fix that."

"No, really, I-" Liz's words became a gasp as Lucy planted a pie onto each of her hips in quick succession, then another pair on her flanks - the cream splurging across her chest. She could only watch as Lucy finished the job, sandwiching her head and smearing the pies until they melted into a seeping mass.

"There you go. Can barely see the pink now."

Speechless, Liz gazed blankly while Lucy looked her up and down, tittering at her handiwork. It was then that Liz felt her shoulders loosening. Lifting a gunk-sheathed hand, Liz studied it absently. Was it really her under all that mess? With each passing moment she felt somehow lighter, her motions smoother, more relaxed. She realised with annoyance that she was enjoying herself. In another second the annoyance passed.

"It's okay, really," Lucy continued, "there's no need to thank me."

"Oh, but I insist."

The change in Liz's tone gave Lucy pause, and then she was reeling back, pink gunge exploding across her front. She was already grinning when Liz stepped in to pie her. Creamy mush spurted through Lucy's brown hair, feeding a mini-avalanche that slalomed off her shoulders. It was as though someone had lifted a burden from Liz's back - one she hadn't known was there until it was gone. Taking a meaningful pace forward, she stood tall at the centre of the booth. There would be no more cowering.

Wiping her eyes and tossing her head to dislodge the worst of the mess, Lucy straightened. "Hah! Okay, not bad, but is that the best you can do?"

"Let's see."

Fun-filled squeals filled the air as the bikini-clad pair cut loose. With barely two feet separating them, there was nowhere to hide, and now neither made any attempt at shielding themselves. Rivers of slime swept down their torsos, muck sloshed around their ankles, yet still the mess flew thick and fast. Liz no longer knew what she was doing. Gunge was splashing all over her, oozing and dripping and pouring and squelching. Feeling barely in control of her own hands, she reacted on purest instinct. Gloop zipped back and forth. Lucy paused to sweep back her hair, only to erupt in giggles when Liz darted in to slather her with whipped cream.

After a peek down at the goop sliding down her front, Lucy looked up at her, her eyes shining with glee. "Haha! See? I knew you had it in you."

Wow, did I just do that? Guess I'm better at this than I thought. The contemplative pause cost Liz two quick pies to the face. Eww. Okay, less thinking, more sliming.

Seeing Lucy about to throw a third pie, Liz ducked and thrust one of her own upward. It burst above Lucy's navel in a shower of lemon petals. Falling blobs speckled Liz's back as she twisted to rearm, but Lucy had begun giggling again, pawing at her stomach and giving Liz time to drape her with dribbling sashes of pink gunk.

Lucy gave her an admiring look. "Ha! Where'd all this come from? You're a natural."

Liz smiled graciously before sending a pie hurtling into Lucy's cleavage, the thick yoghurt forming a star-shaped splash. The tempo had shifted. Instead of gunging Liz almost at will, now Lucy too was getting properly messy, her stunning figure and gold bikini slowly disappearing beneath the slop. The supply of mess on the shelf was dwindling, however. Things were coming to a head, and the outcome still hung in the balance.

Seeming to sense this, Lucy turned, giggled as mess spattered her comparatively clean back, and called out, "If anyone's listening, Liz and I have had a chat, and we've decided things are nowhere near mucky enough in here. You couldn't help us out, could you?

"Wha-what? What was that?" Liz felt her shoulders tense again. She peered up, waving urgently at where she thought the cameras might be. "Hold on, I never said that! Ignore her!"

An ominous series of creaks and gurgles moaned all around them. Lucy peeked round excitedly before turning back to Liz. "Wow, they're actually doing it. I didn't think they would." She looked up again. "Thanks guys!"

With the gurgling growing louder, Liz's objections became increasingly shrill. "Stop, there's been a mistake!"

Lucy gave a satisfied grin. "Sorry, Liz. You're good, but let's see how you handle this."

Beams of pea-green slime leapt from the walls, slanting diagonally downward to douse both girls. Liz had her arms raised in mid-protest when the first of it hit her, sweeping smooth and glossy across her back. Inclining her head so as to keep her eyes open, she shuddered. On and on it came, green torrents banding her front and saturating her hair. More hissed from spouts concealed in the shelf itself, making both of them jump, and for a moment Liz's sensible side threatened to resume control. But then she saw Lucy. Eyes closed, hands at her hips, her opponent was still grinning even with gunge splattering all over her. For a moment Liz felt something almost like envy.

Why did she do it? She's getting it just as badly as I am. Unless she thinks...

That was it. Liz had spent most of the contest trying to hide, whereas Lucy plainly had no qualms about getting messy. She must've expected Liz to be cowed by the rush of gunk, leaving her easy pickings. Liz wasn't quite sure whether she ought to feel affronted or not.

Then it hit her - in a contest like this, Lucy's exuberance was both her greatest strength and her one weakness.

Before Lucy could open her eyes, Liz reached in and hugged her, being sure to rub great handfuls of gloop onto her foe's back in the process. Caught off guard, Lucy gave a surprised yelp, but then that look of mischief returned. Within moments two pies had slapped onto Liz's back. Streams of green gunge, thinner now, still shot from nodes all around them as the pair writhed, slathering one another with whatever came to hand. Liz was absolutely covered now, and was getting messier with each passing second, whether from the sprayers or from Lucy's desperate fumbling. Yet despite everything, her heart was singing. The tide had turned.

Lucy was having tremendous fun, both gunging and being gunged, but this itself was her undoing. With each splash and splatter her giggle became that little bit more uncontrollable, until eventually she was wobbling on her feet, virtually paralysed with mirth. Finally she ceased resisting altogether, able only to stand there, laughing helplessly, peering through sodden strands of hair while Liz used her as target practice.

By the time the green sprays eased, Liz had all but exhausted the shelf's supply of mess. Lucy slumped against her, head shaking in giddy disbelief. "Oh my God, you're beating me. You're actually beating me!"

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that," Liz whispered, "after all, I hear losing's just as fun as winning."

Hearing her words turned against her, Lucy giggled and rested the side of her head against Liz. They were practically embracing now, their slippery forms sliding over one other until Lucy drew back. With bright eyes fixed on Liz, she rested her elbows on the encircling shelf, took a deep breath, and nodded sheepishly. Accepting the invitation, Liz hooted in triumph and turned the last of the pies and slime on Lucy, who wiggled her hips and looked upward, biting her lower lip in an effort not to burst out laughing again. Flows of yellow, pink and green traversed her contours with varying degrees of haste, while here and there puffs of whipped cream crept like icebergs on a psychedelic sea. Planting the last two pies near the knots of Lucy's once-golden bikini bottoms, Liz chuckled wickedly and guided them upward, the cream spurting across her companion's midriff until the bases began to crumble. They made it almost to Lucy's armpits before disintegrating into a gooey splurge.

Tossing back her head, Lucy leaned against the wall and let herself slide into a sitting position, her feet carving furrows through the debris on the floor. "Look - ha-ha - look what you've done to me!"

With wet strands of hair swaying pendulously across her face, Liz folded her arms and looked down. "Give up yet?"

Lucy's nod brought a quavering column of green gunk crashing onto her. Liz watched proudly, trying to ignore the pear-sized blobs deflecting onto her shins. Lucy's mirthful whimpers rose in pitch as the slime domed off her head, surged though her top and then pooled briefly in her lap before spreading across her thighs. Once the downpour had faded to oily dregs that fell in fits and starts, Lucy wiped her eyes and glanced uncertainly about.

"Now there'll be no more of this silliness," pronounced Liz.

Rivulets streamed from Lucy's arm as she made a mock salute. "Aye sir."

"And you're not really the traitor, are you?"

"Hee, you got me. No, I'm not the spy. I just wanted to have a gunge fight."

Liz's expression softened. She gestured at herself. "Mission accomplished."

"I guess so." Again Lucy peered up. "So... am I eliminated now?"

Slightly perplexed, Liz glanced upward. "Hmm, well you got the green stuff, but isn't there usually an announcement? I think you're okay. Here, let me help you."

"Thanks."

Magnanimous in victory, Liz helped her opponent up, though the urge to drop her back into the ankle-deep sludge was almost overwhelming. Once Lucy had her balance, she reached round and opened the door, sending collected slime spewing into the passage beyond. "We should see what's happened to the others," Liz said.

"I suppose," Lucy replied, still rather dazed.

"After you."

Before following Lucy from the booth, Liz glanced back. They left behind a scene of devastation, the floor awash, the walls defaced by vibrant splashes. Liz was in much the same state. It was odd, she'd dreaded something like this happening, but now that it had... Feeling strangely relaxed, she rejoined Lucy, and hand in hand they paraded down the corridor, coloured footprints trailing in their wake.

*****

The blob sounded awfully close now. Beneath the statue, Lena clapped raucously as the remaining ghoul, her war paint smudged and her face dotted with gooey freckles, gave Nikki another helping of jade slime.

Noticing Lena's obvious delight, Nikki jabbed a finger in her direction. "Just so you know, I'm totally blaming you for all this."

A few yards away, the cavalry were coming to the rescue, the cavalry in this case being a couple of gunk-spattered young women in bikinis. Jen and Annabelle were still on their knees, chortling at their own incompetence. Left fending for herself, Nikki craned in an effort to get a look at the ghoul, who held her waist with one arm while using the other to spray the concave curve of her side. There was an unmistakeable glint in Nikki's eye - she was up to something.

"If you want something done right...." In a motion that resembled a ballroom dancing move, Nikki seized the arm at her waist, twisted free and coiled back, leaving her face to face with the ghoul. In a flash Nikki grabbed her foe's other arm and angled both nozzles safely away. "Hah! Didn't see that coming, did ya?"

The ghoul's voice was utterly deadpan. "Oh no, whatever shall I do?"

Nikki's eyes were narrowing in suspicion when gunge lanced from her opponent's wrists. Shooting directly up, the mess reached halfway to the ceiling before gravity took its toll, the geysers unfurling like palm trees before raining back down. Unsure what to do, Nikki ducked and shimmied amid hails of green gobbets. There were no good options - if she let go the ghoul would just spray her from point blank range. Jen and Annabelle were getting close, but at the rate they were going that wasn't saying much. She looked beseechingly to Lena, who grinned.

"Sorry, Nikki, I'm meant to stay in the chair. Rules are rules."

Then, out of nowhere, Sarah appeared. She must have crept along the side of the hall, using the clean patches between each pillar as stepping stones. Now, with an almost predatory speed and precision, she popped up behind the ghoul, tugged the ripcord, and skipped away. Already celebrating, Nikki released her foe's hands and dashed for cover, but plenty of gunge still doused her back once the ghoul's costume began erupting. Watching the redhead writhe and totter, Lena felt a pang of sympathy; a defeated ghoul got seriously messy. That didn't stop her chuckling, though.

The ghoul, milking her big moment somewhat, raised her arms and began staggering theatrically. Seeing this, Jen cried out to her, "Quick, get Sarah!"

Sarah looked mortified, but she was in no danger. Courtesy of a gentle nudge from Nikki, the ghoul - now a human fountain - was already sliding on her knees down the hall. No doubt realising what was intended, she made sure to steer herself towards Jen and Annabelle, who recoiled amid showers of green goop.

Once she'd regained her composure, Sarah gave Jen a sharp look. "Nice. I'll remember that." The tone sounded harsh, but Lena caught the flicker of a grin that followed. It was then that she noticed the two bedraggled newcomers.

"Sorry we're late," said Liz.

"We got a bit distracted," Lucy added.

Lena realised her mouth had dropped open. Liz and Lucy were an absolute state. "What in the world happened to you two?"

A smile passed between the gunge-covered pair. "A few ghouls tried to creep up behind us," said Liz. "We dealt with them."

"Did y'all bring a barbeque with you?" asked Nikki.

"A what?" It was a few seconds before Liz noticed the dry ice billowing around her shins. She and Lucy turned in unison - and then jumped with fright. There, at the t-junction behind the entrance, the wall was opening. Vapour billowed forth. "Run! Run now!"

Lucy did as she was bidden, but then stopped short. "Why has no-one opened the door?"

Lena gasped. In all the excitement, she'd totally forgotten about the jigsaw... and the cauldron. She sat up urgently. "Where'd the last piece go?"

"It's here somewhere," said Annabelle, her hands skimming over the sludge-covered floor. Jen was about to do likewise when Annabelle sat up, brandishing the all-important fragment. Moving on hands and knees, she scrabbled to the recess beside Lena.

"Stop!" Lena cried.

"Huh, why?"

"I think Nikki wants to do this."

At first Annabelle seemed perplexed, but then she glanced at the statue and smiled knowingly. Standing, she presented the fragment to Nikki as though it were a priceless relic, then backed away to watch the show. Behind them a hulking shape was emerging from the gloom.

Sarah was practically hopping on the spot. "What are you people doing? Just hurry!"

Pushing sodden hair behind her shoulders, Nikki crouched before the recess. Lena watched with bated breath. Conflicting emotions swirled through her mind, a carousel of fear and excitement, shame and jubilation. It felt like being on a speeding jet in those few tremulous seconds before lift-off. She was about to be gunged. Even with the blob almost upon them, Nikki took her time. Lena could hear her heart thumping. Her chest rose and fell with rhythmic regularity, her breathing fast and shallow. The caramel hue of her skin, a vestige of the Far Eastern ancestry on her mother's side, was especially noticeable against the crystalline throne. Already she was picturing the dark urn pitching forward to drench her. Wonder what colour it'll be?

Nikki peeked up at her. "Hey Lena, you know what time it is?"

Grimacing, Lena played along. "Er... no?"

The last piece clicked into place. Nikki's eyes twinkled. "Slime time."

Here we go. It was an effort for Lena not to duck as a creak sounded above her, followed by a rasp of scraping stone. The statue's elbow began to bend, and slowly, in juddering starts, the amphora tilted. Lena's grip tightened on the armrests, but just then a thought arrived. Kirsty never actually said it was gunge up there. The statue jerked a little further. Maybe it's water? And further still. Or confetti? A viscous blob landed in her long black hair. Eww! Or not...

More drops spattered onto her forehead as she shifted, murmuring in anticipation, and then at last the cauldron tipped. Thick and smooth, the gunge crashed upon the crown of her head, coming at such speed and consistency as to dome out in a rippling wave. Lena's world turned orange. It was like being inside a bubble. A wall of gunge fell only inches in front of her face, splashing into her lap and pouring down her legs. More gushed down the throne's backrest, where it rebounded from the seat to engulf her black bikini bottoms, while languid flows seeped through her hair and slid down her temples. All sound became muffled, but her teammates - Nikki in particular - were plainly enjoying this.

Within that little bubble, Lena's torso and most of her face remained strangely dry. She must have sat straight and dipped her head when the gunge crashed down. For some reason it felt a bit like cheating. Now though, the dome was drawing in, slippery wetness painting the bulging triangles of her bikini top, then the tip of her nose.

Well I'm going to get covered anyway, may as well give the others a show...

Taking a deep breath, Lena closed her eyes and sat back. Straightaway gunge coated her face and gushed down her front, the force sending locks of hair spilling behind her shoulders. She turned her face from side to side, feeling the torrent wash over her. The weakening column devolved from one solid spout to a scattered hail which, if anything, felt even messier. A sudden surge tugged at her top, and for an anxious moment Lena worried it might give way. Luckily she'd taken extra care when fastening the knots, which held fast.

The laughter grew more distinct as the gunge eased off. The stuff even had a faint whiff of citrus to it. Blobs the size of actual oranges still splattered atop her head and shoulders as she straightened and wiped her eyes. Her entire front was plastered, the sludge so thick that even her jet-black bikini had been buried. The faint outline that remained was the only indication she wore anything at all. Beaming, she glanced up - and clapped her hands together in jubilation on catching sight of Nikki, who apparently hadn't thought to step back after completing the puzzle.

With orange patterns now adorning her long legs, Nikki shook her head. "Seriously, am I just a slime magnet or something?"

"Looks like," replied Lena, pushing a tide of gunk off her lap.

Once again Kirsty's voice emanated from the gargoyle. "Good going, girls. Looks like you made it just in time. A deal's a deal." With another scraping rasp, an arched exit appeared to the statue's left. "Until next time."

Its monstrous outline highlighted amidst billowing mist, the blob had almost reached the hall's threshold. No sooner had the portal opened than Sarah was through, still maddeningly clean. The others followed hurriedly, though Nikki paused to help Lena out of the chair. Once they were both standing, Lena gestured to the ramshackle puppet. "Not exactly speedy, is it?"

Nikki smirked. "Maybe not, but you should see what happens when it gets you." As though to illustrate her point, a tentacle-like appendage twitched, emitting a stream of pink syrup. Much of it fell short, but enough splashed around their ankles to send them scurrying through the arch - which, Lena noted with relief, was too narrow for the blob to fit through.

So we're safe, at least for a little while. Now about this purifier....

Lena allowed herself a stealthy smirk. Things were about to get interesting.

*****

In the control room, Kirsty stepped away from the microphone and strolled to the main viewing screen, which took up most of the wall. A long control panel stretched before it, manned by Belle and a few other surprisingly youthful technicians. Behind them the man in black slouched on a leather chair, Joanna at his side, while a few of the more experienced ghouls lurked in the background.

"I'd say that went well," Kirsty remarked.

The man looked thoughtfully at the screen. "I'd say so," he drawled. "You've got them right where we wanted them. Well done."

"No worries. They're a fun bunch."

"Indeed they are. One of the best we've had."

"So what happens now?"

"Good question. Joanna, what happens now?"

"Now," Joanna replied confidently, "we know exactly where they're heading, and Amber and Chloe managed to slow them down long enough for us to get prepared."

Kirsty grinned. "A trap."

"Got it in one."

"Can I help? I mean, I'm already changed and everything." Although she'd donned a t-shirt and shorts, Kirsty gestured to the straps of the bikini she wore underneath.

After a moment's pondering, Joanna nodded. "Sure. There's plenty to go round. There aren't normally so many contestants at this stage in the game."

"There'd be one less," the man interjected, "if you'd have let me eliminate Lucy."

Joanna's eyes took on a devilish sheen. "I already told you - Lucy's mine. Anyway, you can see how much fun she's having. Let her stay a little longer." Striding to the door, she waved for Kirsty to follow. "C'mon then, I'll fill you in on the plan."

Before she went, Kirsty turned to the seated figure. "Can't you at least tell me who the traitor is?"

The corners of the man's mouth curled ever so slightly. "I thought you'd have worked it out already. No sense ruining the surprise now, everyone'll know soon enough."

Kirsty took a last look at the screen. Not long now.

To Be Continued....