The Stones of the Moon

It is mid-July, the time of year governed by Cancer - the Moon's sign. David's archaeologist father is excavating a Roman mosaic found during a motorway construction through Yorkshire. David becomes fascinated by an ancient stone circle on a nearby hillside, but his interest turns to a pervading fear when he touches the stones and gets a powerful electric shock. He befriends Westwood, who has a theory that the stones were used in ancient times to call forth water by chanting till the vibrations hit a powerful resonating note. Hence the name 'weeping stones'. And after centuries asleep, something has re-activated them. This is why David's friend Jane, born under the sign of Cancer, is suffering from toothache, depression and nausea, why the mill river is swelling. David's father dismisses Westwood as an eccentric dabbler, and the townspeople throw him out as suspicious and untrustworthy. But Westwood's theory predicts a catastrophic flood - unless David can convince everyone of the stones' extraordinary force, find out what has woken them and turn the power back ... First published in 1975 by Jonathan Cape Ltd