“I think it’s time the children were
in bed,” Rachel remarked.
“Then we must rectify the situation at
once!” Randolph agreed. “At this hour
of the evening, you are absolutely right, five year olds should be in bed, but teenagers
can stay up later. Children!”
Derek, Nick and Alex raised their
heads.
“You are now .. fourteen years old,”
Randolph declared. “And, mother ..?”
Rachel looked at him.
“You’re fourteen too,” he smiled.
“Randolph,” William said smoothly, “I think
I’ll go for a walk. I usually do after
supper. Helps the digestion.”
“Very well,” Randolph agreed. “Maybe you’d like to check in on the living
dead while you’re about?”
“Of course,” William smiled.
He forced himself to stroll from the
dining room. Anything more would have
been suspicious. At least he had a
reason now to go upstairs. Richard was
like a ghost – he appeared anywhere when least expected. William wanted to have a plausible story in
place for when he did. Randolph had
just furnished him with one.
He didn’t go to the attic,
however. He couldn’t do anything there
to help Merlin. He wasn’t sure what he could do, if he was honest. William went to the private wing and,
specifically, to Derek’s bedroom. He
wasn’t sure what he’d find there but there must be something. The only other place was the control room,
and William couldn’t get in there. His
security access had been long revoked.
The one bright spot in all this was that Randolph couldn’t get in there
either.
At least, he amended, not yet. William was certain that, before the
inevitable end came, Randolph would force Derek to give him access.
Why he would want access, William didn’t know.
Randolph Hitchcock was widely known to be an ex-member. He couldn’t return. He didn’t appear to want to return. There again, there was that icy sanity of
his to be remembered. Randolph had said
he’d escaped the clutches of the Legacy, and he had also said he felt he was on
the outside looking in at what might have been. And, with that damned bowl, he could do just about anything he
wanted. Visit each Legacy house,
starting with London, and, before too long, he could have the entire
organization crippled and on its knees.
Not even William had wanted that.
William was only manipulative, he wasn’t cruelly sane.
The humiliating spectacle in the
dining room made him feel sick and absolutely furious. It was well known – and Rachel would have
been the first to agree with him, if she hadn’t been a teenager more concerned
with make up and boys – that rage could be a cleansing power for good. Unfocused rage, no. That turned inward. But focused rage, rage given a purpose, a
goal, yes. Great changes could come
about, driven by the white hot furnace of a thundering fury.
William hoped he would find something
in Derek’s room to spark a reaction in his one-time friend. He would
have used Randolph Hitchcock and his thirst for revenge to hurt Derek, it
was true. Derek had forced a mortifying
retreat on William Sloan in front of every Legacy Precept, and that still
irritated like a splinter deep in the thumb.
But hurt was one thing, degradation and abuse, that was another. Derek could recover from hurt. This debacle would lodge in his memory for a
good many years, unless William found something, some small thing, to spark the
rage. It might not be enough to break
the spell – it hadn’t with William – but it might just be enough to make Derek
start fighting back.
*****
“You think my eyes are pretty?”
Nick nodded. “Yeah. I do.”
Rachel smiled shyly. “I like your eyes as well. You got a girlfriend?”
Nick squirmed uncomfortably. “I’m not into girls, not really. I mean, I like ’em, but I’m more into
automobiles. I like stripping engines. An’ my old man .. he says I should focus on
school.”
Rachel pouted. “But you should have a girlfriend too. Good lookin’ guy like you … ”
He blushed. “Get outta here.”
“I’d be your girlfriend,” she smiled,
easing closer. “You ever kissed a girl
before?” she teased.
“Not in the way I think you mean,” he
answered.
“Wanna try?”
“Sure, if it means you’ll back off an’
leave me alone.”
She slapped his arm. “That isn’t nice. I don’t think I’d wanna let you kiss me now.”
“Then why ask?” Nick demanded. “That’s what I don’t get about girls. One second, they’re okay, an’ the next,
they’re all over you, an’ then .. they get moody.”
Rachel huffed and turned her back on
him. Derek and Alex were getting cozy,
and, if Nick wasn’t interested, Rachel thought she’d try breaking up that
developing friendship instead.
“Can I go to my room, sir?” Nick asked
Randolph.
“Not just yet, son.”
Nick flung himself onto a chair and
stared at the table. “Can I have a cup
of coffee?”
“Of course.”
“Gee, you’re being pleasant for once.”
Randolph casually leaned forward and
slapped Nick around the head. “Watch
your mouth, Nicholas.”
Nick glared at him but said nothing
more. Fourteen years old for him had
been Hell on Earth.
“So you think I’m pretty,” Alex
blushed.
“I think you’re beautiful,” Derek
replied. “The girls in my boarding
school .. leave much to be desired but you …
A creature from myth, surely.”
“Well, hello,” Rachel purred, sitting
down next to Derek. “Are you into dark
haired girls or are blondes more your scene?”
“I saw him first,” Alex hissed
coldly. “Butt out.”
“You don’t have to fight over me,”
Derek said. “We can be friends, the
three of us.”
Alex crossed her legs and folded her
arms. “Sure, why not? We were getting along great till Little Miss
Pushy stuck her nose in.”
Rachel’s eyes widened. “Little Miss Pushy? An’ who are you? Little Miss High an’ Mighty?”
Alex let out a howl and launched
herself at Rachel. Derek dove backwards
out of the way.
Randolph Hitchcock laughed in delight
as the two women fell to the floor and started clawing at each other, pulling
hair and spitting insults. He laughed
so much, his ribs ached.
Derek came to sit beside Nick and
engage in boy talk. It was safer. Soon, they were engrossed in the innocent
intricacies of the internal combustion engine, the catfight completely ignored.
“This is .. simply wonderful,”
Randolph cried, wiping tears from his eyes.
“Ah, Alicia, I wish you could see this … ”
*****
His journal would be locked away. Searching for that would take far too
long. William went thru the contents of
the nightstand and found nothing of use.
He straightened and looked around the bedroom, feeling frustration start
to nibble at his patience. Somewhere,
there had to be something. The bureau
in the corner had revealed very little.
He went to the fireplace, scanning along the mantle. Behind a postcard – from Rachel, mailed from
Rome – William found two folded pieces of notepaper. He drew them out and quickly unfolded them.
They were both covered in Derek’s
fluid handwriting. The first appeared
to be a list of items with certain numbers jotted alongside. Eight, sixteen, and thirty two. He read the list and realized this must be
the prediction encoded in the Bible which Randolph had mentioned.
Well, he mused, it is all here.
DR.
RH. Used summer, two thousand
one. Weapon of destruction. Death will follow death. Secret energies. Enemies will be swept away.
From the first times. The three
shall become one.
I can’t really argue with any of that,
but I could apply another interpretation to some of it. But that is so typical of Randolph’s breed
of sanity. He couldn’t see it turning
out any other way. However .. I can.
He turned to the second sheet and this
made him straighten slightly, a small frown on his forehead.
It wasn’t the first part, it was the
second and one sentence in particular.
A message, from the other side.
The A in a circle had to be Alicia.
What had caught his eye was ‘don’t believe your own lies’.
William nodded slowly. Not very much, but, maybe, just enough. Now he had to find a way to get Derek away
from Randolph long enough to pass the message on.
*****
“Girls, girls,” Randolph chided. “Let’s not fight like two alley cats. You’ve been brought up to be ladies. Come, a little decorum, if you please.”
Alex pushed Rachel away and glared at
her them calmly rose and resumed her place at the table. Rachel got up as well, smoothed her skirt
and her hair and sat down, carefully leaving a space between her and the other
woman.
“What shall we do next?” Randolph
asked. “Postman’s knock? Spin the bottle? Sardines? Russian roulette?”
“I’m kinda tired,” Nick said.
“No.
You’re not,” Randolph told him.
“None of you are tired. Do you
hear me?”
They all smiled and nodded.
“Let’s play .. hunt the enemy. Derek, you are the enemy. A very dangerous individual. These others will arm themselves and hunt
you. Just like going hunting in the
woods. Let’s make you all .. twenty
years old. And, Derek, you must have a
handicap or it wouldn’t be fair. You
don’t know this house at all. Everyone
else, you know it very well. I shall
count to .. fifty. Run along.”
Derek got up, his eyes wide and uneasy
as he looked around.
“One.
Two. Three. Four.
Derek, the guns have live bullets.
Five. Six. I’d run quickly, if I were you. Seven.
Eight.”
Derek fled.
“Where d’you think he’ll hide?” Rachel
asked coldly.
“Guest wing. Lotta empty rooms,” Nick answered tersely. “I’ll go get some weapons for you.”
“Don’t take too long,” Alex said. “This enemy … ” She shook her head.
“Right. I’ve heard he’s a very dangerous individual,” Nick agreed.
“Nineteen,” Randolph said cheerfully,
leaning back in his chair. “Twenty … ”
*****
Derek raced around a corner and a hand
clamped onto his arm. He struggled
violently and managed to claw the fingers away but his other arm was grabbed in
turn and a hold re-established on the first.
“Derek,” William said calmly. “Derek, can you hear me?”
“You don’t understand! They’re hunting me! I’m dangerous!” Derek hissed. “And I don’t know where I am! Let me go, I have to escape!”
William briefly closed his eyes. “Derek, can you hear me?” he repeated.
“Of course I can hear you! I’m not deaf.”
“Then listen to me. Calm .. down.” He watched a fast breath being sucked in and a mouth opening to
argue. “Don’t believe your own lies.”
Derek stiffened in his grip, his eyes
becoming unfocused.
That’s right, William urged. Find yourself, your true self. See thru the veil, thru the shadow. Find your way back to the light …
Derek shuddered. “William ..?”
“Yes.
We need to talk. What’s this
about a hunt?”
“The others, they’re hunting me. Live ammunition. He told me .. I don’t know this house at all, but I do. It’s vague but I’m sure I remember it.”
“You grew up here. Come with me.”
“You know a safe place?”
“Nothing’s guaranteed, but I’ll see
what I can negotiate for you.” He
carefully released his hold and Derek didn’t bolt. He wasn’t exactly calm either but he followed at William’s side
as he led the way up to the attic. “Do
you have any idea what’s going on?”
“No.
It’s a blur.”
“Does the name Randolph Hitchcock have
any special meaning to you?”
“Of course.” Derek glanced sideways.
“He’s behind this, isn’t he? Right from the start. Everything I did to try to stop him only
made it worse. I played into his hands. Not only me .. but the others as well.”
“Not only them,” William
remarked. “I’m affected too.”
“You?” Derek sounded astonished.
“But how? How could you be so
stupid?”
“How could you?” William retorted, a
slight edge to his voice.
He pushed open the door to the attic
and gestured for Derek to go up.
“But what is it?” he asked as he
climbed.
“An enchantment. Go on thru,” William invited, switching on a
flashlight. “I wouldn’t say the bowl
was originally meant to be used as it has been here – ”
“The bowl?”
“A copper bowl.”
“Hugh had one,” Derek recalled. “In the kitchen.”
William sighed as he closed the door. He pushed another chair under the
handle. “That should keep them out, for
a while anyway.” He led Derek over to
the far corner where Merlin was sleeping on her make-do mattress. He gazed down at her. “She never deserved this.”
Derek crouched down beside her. “I’ve never seen her ill before.”
“She’s dying, Derek. I wouldn’t try to touch her,” he added
quickly. “Joe once told me .. they have
defenses. If they’re ever badly wounded
and alone in a hostile place, certain .. protective measures automatically kick
in. It gives them a chance to heal
themselves without being mutilated. Of
course, she can’t heal, not while the cause of her sickness is still close by. All she’s doing is waiting for the end.”
“Then why are we here?” Derek inquired
hotly.
“Because I’m a manipulative bastard,”
William replied with a slight smile. “I
thought you already knew that. If the
others do find us, it’s possible we can use Peri as a shield. Her defenses may defend us as well. It’s the best available option.”
He shrugged. “If she could, she would protect us. You, anyway. I’m hoping
that, even unconscious, she’ll do what she can. For now, however, we’ll just stay here. We need to talk. For one
thing, Hugh isn’t Hugh. He’s someone
called Richard. He works for
Randolph. He brought the bowl into the
house with him. He has used it to
enchant you, one by one. Randolph used
it to enchant me. I’m still under that
spell. So are you. The effect is .. like being in a permanent
hypnotic state. He just has to say the
trigger words and you receive new instructions, and you obey them. Like this hunt you spoke of. Alicia, however, gave you a way to break the
conditioning. It can’t free you from
the enchantment but you’ll know what’s true and what isn’t. Start repeating to yourself, all the time,
don’t believe your own lies. It’ll keep
you free.”
“If you’re affected as well, how do
you know all this is the truth?” Derek frowned. “You may be doing exactly what he wants.”
William paused. “I’m not sure. I don’t feel like I’m obeying instructions .. but then I never
felt I was obeying instructions when I was.
I think the answer has to be that I’ve played my part and now I’m just
here to enjoy the show. He told me how
he’d tricked me. I’ve seen him use the
bowl on Rachel, so I understand the method.
So .. maybe, while I’m still under enchantment, I’m aware of it. I wasn’t, before.”
He studied Derek’s face. “I’m sorry, Derek. I never wanted this. What
you did, in London last year, I don’t think I could ever forget it, but I can
forgive. After all, it was
justified. It was payback but honorably
done. In time, possibly, I would have
sought my revenge but not like this.
This is underhand. It’s
trickery. It involves others who
shouldn’t be involved. You deserve a
better run than that.”
Derek smiled fleetingly. “Thank you, William. It’s honest.”
William smiled too. “I never exactly lied to you, Derek. I just never told you all the truth. When I was younger, yes, I was ambitious. With age .. I have found that ambition isn’t
so wonderful. I think I lost out on a
great deal by sacrificing my friends.
The world can be a cold place when nobody really cares about you.”
He paused for a moment. “Randolph, of course, doesn’t care about
anything. I’ve had the opportunity to
observe him, and … Dr Corrigan,
unfortunately, isn’t quite herself either but I’m sure she would mostly agree
with my semi-professional diagnosis. He
isn’t mad, Derek. He’s gone thru
madness and emerged on the other side.
He’s the same man, physically.
But, mentally, he’s all sharp angles.
He has a type of sanity which is extreme. You have to admit, this plan of his to gain his revenge once and
for all .. it’s masterful. Only a mind
that detached from reality and yet so utterly sane could devise such a
plan. For my part, under the
enchantment, I told him how Carl Chang brings his little mysteries here for
investigation, and I told him about Merlin, who she is, what she is. I told him that Joseph had been killed in an
accident, and that he’d worked here.”
Derek’s eyes darkened. “Did Randolph arrange to have Joseph
killed?” he demanded.
“I don’t think so. He just took advantage of it, with my
help. I regret that, more than words
can say.”
“You couldn’t help it. You didn’t know.”
“Nevertheless, it is something I must
live with.”
“He sent the artifacts to Carl and
Carl brought them into the house. But
we had already determined they were some kind of magic weapon.”
“Aimed at Peri .. who is your
shield. Randolph knew, thru me, that
she would avoid contact until she was ready or until the situation deteriorated
sufficiently to warrant her being here.
To make sure she stayed away, I went to visit with her. I watched her. She, naturally suspicious of why I had just arrived on her
doorstep, watched me. And, in that
interval, Richard arrived with his magic bowl.
The situation had deteriorated so Merlin came back. By that time, you, Mr Boyle, and Ms Moreau
had been put under enchantment and ordered to assemble the weapon. Peri is immune to the enchantment. You’re immune to the weapon. With her safely removed, and dying, and you
all under control, the way was safe for Randolph to make his return .. and have
his revenge completely unimpeded.”
“My God … ” Derek whispered. “How can we stop him?”
“For now, I don’t think we can,”
William replied. “His grip on this
situation is too strong. The only way
to .. stop him is to unravel his plan.”
He looked down at the sleeping woman.
“Free her. She will free
us. Until then, we can’t stop him. We can only slow him down, thwart him, make
him angry .. because then he will start to make mistakes. He’ll loosen his grip. Then we can act.”
“And the others? They don’t know any of this. They’re looking for me, William, with live
ammunition.”
“Then, my friend, you had better stay
here. I will try to find them and talk
with them. It’d be wiser, I think, to
say it once so I’ll try to get them together.”
He smiled quickly. “The three
shall become one.”
William winked. “Barricade the door after I go.”
*****
Pete sniffed and hunkered down
again. He checked the time. Forty five minutes to go before blast
off. By now, he had come to the rather
definite conclusion that Rachel’s part of the plan had gotten screwed
over. It would be down to him.
Stay focused, Pete. You’re the ace up the sleeve. You don’t have clearance to go in there but,
by God, you are about to earn it.
Even the best laid plan in the world
couldn’t cope with a wrench in the mechanism.
In this particular case, the wrench was called Detective Pete Miller,
Second Class. He could almost hear it
squealing in protest right now. He
grinned tightly.
Fire spirits in love with people. Magic.
Lunatics. Life was certainly
interesting around Rachel Corrigan.
*****
“Should we split up?” Alex asked.
“I wouldn’t,” Nick replied. He was on point. “This guy could pick us off as individuals. If we hang together, even if he gets one,
the other two can bring him down.”
“I .. really don’t feel comfortable
with this,” Rachel remarked. “I wanna
be a doctor. Shooting people – ”
“He’s out to kill you,” Nick cut in
fiercely. “Good defense is a strong
offense.”
“I guess that depends on your
definition of offensive,” she retorted.
“And I find carrying a gun an’ hunting a guy personally offensive.”
Alex shook her head. “I don’t like it either but, if it comes
down to my life or his, I know which side I’m supporting.”
“This level’s clear. Let’s go up to the next one,” Nick ordered.
*****
Randolph filled a glass with vintage
port. “I’ve enjoyed this evening
tremendously, Richard. I can’t tell you
how grateful I am to you for making all this possible. Without you bringing the bowl into the house
.. I wouldn’t be here.”
He sipped his drink and savored it
before resuming his place at the table.
He sighed.
“But I am growing very tired now. I’ve had my revenge. I’ve humiliated Derek Rayne. I’ve watched him crawl about the floor as a
child. The man responsible for my
beloved Alicia’s death .. will soon die as well, and at the hands of his
colleagues .. which is fitting. I am ..
entirely innocent of any part in his death – the same excuse he gave when he
washed his hands after Alicia was murdered.
All that remains for me to do once I have viewed his corpse is to order
those left to turn on each other. Mr
Boyle will be the survivor because that’s in his nature. He is a hunter killer by training, Legacy by
choice. Yet even he will perish when I
order him to shoot himself.”
Randolph smiled briefly. “Rather a lot of .. tidying up for you to
do, I’m afraid, but at least we will not be disturbed. That’s the beauty of being on an island, you
see? No neighbors to summon the
police.”
“Indeed not, sir,” Richard
agreed. “Well, if there’s a lot of tidying
up to do, I had better make a start now with the supper dishes. With your permission, sir?”
Randolph waved a languid hand. “Yes, of course.”
“And the bowl, sir?”
“Will leave with me in the
morning.” He looked around but didn’t
really see. “This house, as much as it
is truly splendid, holds too many memories for me. I could never live here.
We’ll arrange the bodies in the foyer and lock up when we go. For now, though, leave the bowl downstairs
with the weapon.”
“As you wish, Mr Hitchcock.” He picked it up and carefully carried it to
the door. “Should I bring Mrs Boyle’s
body down from the attic, sir?”
“If she’s dead by the morning, I
suppose it’s the least we can do. Lay
her beside her husband. My Alicia ..
never had that chance.”
Richard wisely said nothing. When Randolph Hitchcock grew maudlin, it was
a wise man who kept his mouth shut and stayed as far away as he could.
*****
“Don’t shoot!” William laughed,
holding up his hands. “I’m unarmed.”
Nick’s breath left his lungs in a rush
as he pointed his gun at the ceiling.
“What’re you doing here?” he demanded.
“There’s a dangerous man on the loose.”
“Oh, that is very true, Mr Boyle. I would even go so far as to say none of you
truly know how dangerous Derek Rayne could be.
But he is not the enemy you seek.”
“What’s he talking about?” Alex
whispered, frowning.
William decided to try something. “The Eye,” he said.
They shook their heads. “What?” Rachel queried.
William sighed briefly. “It was worth the attempt. No matter.
The complex route is often the more emotionally satisfying, even if it
does take a lot longer. Today has
certainly proved that for one man in this house. I need to speak with you.
All three of you.” He watched
them look uneasy and hesitant. “And
sooner rather than later.”
“We don’t take orders from you,” Nick
replied.
“Really. And from whom do you
take them, Mr Boyle?”
“My platoon commander.”
“And is he here? Have you seen him?”
Nick hesitated, glancing round at the
others.
“Yes, and that is another rather
strange development, isn’t it?” William remarked. “Do you usually undertake strictly covert missions with
women? The last I heard, and I believe
it is still valid information, women are not permitted in the Teams.”
“What’s going on here?” Nick insisted.
“May I ask .. how old you think you
are?”
“Twenty,” they chorused.
“If only it were possible,” William
smiled. “We need to talk. You’re in very real danger, and it’s a lot
different to the danger you think
you’re in.”
Nick still hesitated but then he
nodded. “Okay.”
“In here,” William said, opening the
nearest door. “And, please, try to keep
your voices down.”
They clustered in behind him. The weapons were slipped into pockets, the
safety catches on.
“I want to try another
experiment. It worked with Derek. It may work with you as well. Don’t believe your own lies.”
Alex and Nick frowned. Rachel shook her head. William waited, watching them.
“Stay focused,” he attempted.
“I can’t believe I let myself get
suckered in like that,” Rachel whispered.
“Hugh did it,” Nick muttered.
“I was in the foyer and .. he said
something about some bowl,” Alex murmured, dredging up a memory.
William smiled broadly.
“I hate to tell you this,” Rachel
said, “but Hugh isn’t Hugh. The real Hugh Satterley is in a police
morgue down in San Bruno.”
“Then who’s the guy here?” Nick
frowned.
“His name’s Richard,” William
replied. “He works for Randolph
Hitchcock.”
“Who met the real Hugh at the airport after
Derek met the false one,” Rachel added.
“And he killed him.”
“So why are we acting like a group of
crazy people?” Nick demanded.
“Magic, Mr Boyle. You’re all under an enchantment.” William watched this sink in and be carried
forward.
“He wants his revenge,” Alex breathed.
“He tricked us into putting the weapon
together to take down Peri,” Nick muttered, appalled.
“He wants Derek dead,” Rachel
concluded, “and he’s using us to do it.
He’ll be entirely innocent of murder.”
“Not only Derek,” Alex said on a half
laugh of disbelief. “Us as well. If he can order us to kill someone we know
an’ trust, he’ll order us to turn on each other.”
“And the last one standing will be
ordered to take their own life.
Hitchcock will walk away scot-free,” Rachel said in disgust.
“He’s messing with my head,” Nick said
angrily. “I only just got it
straightened out.”
“Well done,” William
congratulated. “I hardly had to say a
word. The specifics .. they can be
covered later. For now, remember, you
are still under the enchantment. He can
order you to do exactly as you’ve figured out.
But there is a chance for us all.
Remember the phrase ‘don’t believe your own lies’. He can tell you what to do but, providing
you stay angry and you don’t accept what he tells you, you can resist. That will make him angry, and that will force him back into the real world.”
“He isn’t insane,” Rachel
commented. “Nor is he delusional. He’s .. tapped into the real world but he’s
detached from it. It’s almost like – ”
“He’s gone thru insanity and come out
the other side,” William suggested.
“Yes, exactly,” Rachel nodded. “His is a .. cold, sadistic sanity. He has everything under control, physically,
literally. He has no reason to get
angry and so he’s very calm. It means he
can devote all his attention and energy into exacting his revenge. He’s like a puppet master. Sitting back, pulling our strings. If we start showing resistance, he’ll have
to act outside his plan. That’ll
unsettle him, make him lose control.
The danger there is that he’ll start giving orders we can’t resist.”
“Such as?” Nick asked in a hard
voice. His self control had been his
rock for years. The thought of having
it forcibly taken away made him coldly furious.
“Shoot yourself, now,” Rachel replied. “There’s no room to maneuver around an order
like that.”
“So
.. how can we resist an’ make him mad without leaving ourselves wide open?”
Alex asked.
“Pretend,”
Rachel said with a small shrug. “For
instance, we’re supposed to be hunting Derek.
We’re not doing that but we can pretend we are. If he gives us some new instruction and it
isn’t something immediate, we go along but we don’t do it.”
“My
advice, for what it’s worth,” William said, “is to stay together. Derek’s belief is strong because Alicia’s
message was directed at him. You three
are gaining the benefit by association.
To keep the benefit, you three need to stay as one unit.”
Alex
nodded slowly. “The three shall become
one.”
“Exactly,”
he smiled.
“And
what good does that do?” Nick wondered.
“We should be trying to break this spell.”
“I
don’t think you can, Mr Boyle,” William remarked. “Randolph knows how to do it, but he won’t. The only other person who could isn’t in a
fit state to do anything right now.”
“Peri
…” Rachel murmured. “Where is she? Kat said she was very sick.”
“She’s
dying, Dr Corrigan,” William said, glancing at Nick. “You can’t do anything, none of you, not even to make her more
comfortable. Derek’s with her right
now. We can only pray she can hold on
long enough for us to .. gain a little latitude in our actions.”
Rachel
nodded, then blinked. “What’s the
time?”
“Just
past ten,” Nick replied. “Why?”
“Peri
just has to last out for another .. twenty five minutes.”
“And
what happens then?” Alex inquired.
“Well
.. hopefully,” Rachel responded, “the cavalry’s gonna show up.”
*****
Richard
had returned and silently cleared away the dishes. Randolph Hitchcock sat alone in the dining room, at the head of
the table. In Derek’s place. In Derek’s house. Surrounded by all Derek’s possessions. He had it all. Everything
he had dreamed about and hungered for was right here. His.
It
tasted like ashes. It felt hollow. All these years … Waiting, planning, hoping, yearning …
It
had been a plan worthy of the gods themselves.
Nothing had gone wrong. Nothing. It was as if, somehow, he’d slipped in and put down invisible
tracks for each one of them to run along, given them a script to follow inside
their heads.
And
yet .. even with the ultimate act of vengeance so close at hand, Randolph
Hitchcock still felt the worm of jealousy turn treacherously in his heart. It made everything a mockery, a sham. A victory, yes, not even he could deny it,
but a horribly shallow one. Not worth
having. Not worth celebrating. It wouldn’t give him peace. He began to suspect that nothing ever
would. Not even death.
For
a second, he was immersed in the real world and his façade crumbled. His eyes filled with tears at the pointless
waste of time. Time he could’ve used to
research, to discover, to do all the things he’d wanted to do with his
life. Wasted. Fled into yesterday with no hope of ever getting it back.
I’m
an old man, he realized. And I’ve done
nothing with my life.
Then
the second passed and his thoughts, as always, turned to Alicia. His driving force. His reason for living.
The source of his terrible, burning rage. If she hadn’t died – been killed, savaged, torn apart – his life
would have been so different. He would
have had children, a family. But she had died. And the only reason she had died was because she had insisted on
coming with them that night. Or,
rather, with Derek.
I
begged her to stay behind. Pleaded with her. But, no.
She was with me, yet she wanted to be near him. He is
to blame. He deserves to die .. in exactly the same way she did.
I
may be an old man but I’m not too old to remember how to read. There’s a library here. My books
now. I can summon something up from the
bowels of Hell. I can use the Eye of
Thoth to bind it to my will. And it can
finish the job.
Then .. yes. I will finally have peace.
Continue to Chapter
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