| “ | In a village like this, its always nice to have some new blood | „ |
| ~ Barker's creepy invitation to Matt |
Barker is a minor antagonist in the first The Power of Five book, Raven's Gate. Barker owns the village chemist.
Biography[]
Barker first appears when Jayne Deverill sends Matt into town to get something from the chemist's. She says its a task he'll enjoy. Matt is already unnerved but he goes. When he gets into town, he meets all the villagers, who stand there eerily laughing at him or observing him like they know something he doesn't. He also meets a few of them like Claire Deverill and the lustful Joanna Creevy. When Matt sees Creevy is carrying a porcelain doll rather than a baby in her pram, Matt is scared and hastily asks Claire where the chemists are. She points him across the square.
Inside the chemists, it's exactly like a dark magic shop. Instead of creams, powders, ointments, deodorants, and generally other things you'd expect to see in a Boots store, there are jars full of poisonous liquids, gases, and urine, and other such items. There is even a severed eyeball of a cow on the reception desk.
When Matt cries out in disgust, Barker enters the room, looking irritated. He is a hairy brute of a man, with hair on his cheeks, head, and lips, and presumably curling down to his neck as well. Barker however seems pleasant enough, but in a sinister way. It's clear from his first introduction he is unpleasant and evil, he leers at Matt and says that the vet requested a severed cow eye, which may or may not be a lie.
Barker relaxes when Matt mentions Jayne Deverill and he says "Ah yes, you must be Matthew then." He hands him the promised package Jayne Deverill wanted and says in a creepy way that it's nice to meet new people in this remote place. However, he says "its nice to have new blood" which is normally meant as a friendly talk but the way Barker says it it's indicating a sacrifice is in order. Matt leaves feeling unnerved.
Barker takes place in the murder of Stephen Mallory later, being one of the witches in the cult.
He returns at the finale when Sir Michael Marsh betrays Matt and takes him to the Omega One power plant to be sacrificed to Chaos, his dark master. Barker has completely changed and dropped his pleasant demeanor. He is now openly villainous and wants to kill Matt. After a speech from Sir Michael to captive Richard Cole about the operation, the ceremony begins and Chaos starts to appear in his interdimensional cell. However, Matt soon realizes his supernatural power and how to control it. He smashes through his bonds and, to Sir Michael's shock, he burns the politician's hand. He then escapes with Richard by breaking Richard's chains. Claire Deverill screams in fury and runs out but she suffocates in the nuclear meltdown and falls dead.
Barker is next to follow, he bellows and races out but has not gone ten steps before he gurgles and falls down dead.