▁he ▁secret ly ▁keeps ▁an ▁eye ▁on ▁the ▁do ings ▁in ▁the ▁castle , ▁and ▁plays ▁a ▁cru cial ▁role ▁in ▁Ste er pi ke ' s ▁event ual ▁un mask ing ▁as ▁a ▁tra itor . ▁ ▁Mr . ▁Fl ay ▁appeared ▁to ▁cl utter ▁up ▁the ▁door way ▁as ▁he ▁stood ▁revealed , ▁his ▁arms ▁fol ded .... ▁It ▁did ▁not ▁look ▁as ▁though ▁such ▁a ▁b ony ▁face ▁as ▁this ▁could ▁give ▁normal ▁utter ance , ▁but ▁rather ▁that ▁instead ▁of ▁sounds , ▁something ▁more ▁brit t le , ▁more ▁ancient , ▁something ▁d rier ▁would ▁emer ge , ▁something ▁more ▁in ▁the ▁nature ▁of ▁a ▁spl inter ▁or ▁a ▁fragment ▁of ▁stone . ▁Nevertheless , ▁the ▁har sh ▁lips ▁part ed . ▁" It ' s ▁me ," ▁he ▁said , ▁and ▁took ▁a ▁step ▁forward , ▁his ▁joint s ▁crack ing ▁as ▁he ▁did ▁so . ▁His ▁passage ▁across ▁a ▁room ▁-- ▁in ▁fact ▁his ▁passage ▁through ▁life ▁-- ▁was ▁accomplished ▁by ▁these ▁crack ing ▁sounds , ▁one ▁per ▁step , ▁which ▁might ▁be ▁li ken ed ▁to ▁the ▁breaking ▁of ▁dry ▁tw igs . ▁ ▁Dr . ▁Alfred ▁Pr unes qu all or : ▁The ▁castle ' s ▁resident ▁phys ician . ▁He ▁is ▁an ▁ecc ent ric ▁individual ▁with ▁a ▁high - p itch ed ▁laugh ▁and ▁a ▁grand io se ▁wit ▁which ▁he ▁uses ▁on ▁the ▁castle ' s ▁less ▁intellig ent ▁inhabitants . ▁Despite ▁his ▁acid ▁tongue , ▁he ▁is ▁an ▁extremely ▁kind ▁and