Erebos (26 page)

Don't tell me about it, Nick thought, please be quiet. Otherwise what am I supposed to do if the messenger asks me about you?

He looked around frantically – was anyone listening to them? No, none of the nearby tables was occupied, and the people who were sitting further away were all caught up in their own conversations.

‘See? You're completely paranoid yourself!' Jamie cried. ‘Why? Explain it to me!'

‘Not so loud!' Nick couldn't help hissing. ‘I'm not paranoid. You just don't get it. It's all very complex and very exciting, but it could easily be ruined, which would be a shame. That's why a few of the people might overreact when someone wants to spoil their fun.'

‘Fun?' Jamie whispered, and held the drawing under Nick's nose. ‘That's fun?' He folded the note up and put it in his trouser pocket. ‘I'm going to give it to Mr Watson. He's been really worried since the incident with Aisha; he's already talked to a few students and he's going to contact the parents soon, too. Perhaps this piece of drivel will help him. Perhaps he'll recognise the writing.'

‘Come on, stop exaggerating!'

Why didn't Jamie get the fact that it was all a game? The very fact that it kept spilling over into reality was what made it so fascinating – but that didn't mean there was even a remote possibility that any of the players would so much as touch a hair on Jamie's head. ‘I'd like to know whether I can count on you if push comes to shove,' Jamie said. ‘Are we still friends?'

‘Of course we're friends. But this scaremongering because of one or two idiots who write pretend threatening letters is ridiculous. Take my word for it. If you give the note to Mr Watson he'll blow it out of proportion and there'll be trouble.'

Jamie touched his hand to his trouser pocket. ‘If the trouble finds the right people, that's okay,' he said, and stood up. Before he went, he leaned down to Nick one more time. ‘Sure you don't want to get out? Drop it. Nothing good will come of it – somehow I just know it.'

Nick shook his head. ‘You're making a much bigger deal of . . . this thing than you need to. I enjoy it, it's an adventure, you know?' ‘You can't even come straight out and say it's a game.'

Nick stared at him angrily, but didn't say anything. What did Jamie know about the rules – being discreet was just what you did. If he'd accepted Erebos from him and taken a look at it, he would be equally as enthusiastic!

‘Emily would be glad too if you dropped it. She said so.'

‘Emily should just keep on looking after Eric,' Nick blurted out, ‘and not interfere in my business.'

Jamie exhaled noisily. ‘Shit, Nick,' he said, turned and left.

CHAPTER 15

Only three tables were occupied in Cafe Bianco, and there were no familiar faces at any of them. Nick heaved a sigh of relief. The shared trip on the Tube had already been hard work, with Brynne rabbiting on endlessly. Now they'd have a drink together, Nick would pay for Brynne's cola and then he'd be out of there, off home. For the next quest, he'd be a Seven.

‘ . . . was in a complete state yesterday. I think she got the worst of it in some fight.'

Who was she talking about again? Nick inquired, and got a searing look.

‘Weren't you listening to me? Zoe, the fat girl in Year 7. She howled so much that snot was running down her face.' Brynne pulled a disgusted face. ‘Then Colin whispered something in her ear and we got some peace.'

Colin seemed to be sticking his nose into everything these days.

A waitress with three lip piercings took their order. To Nick's surprise, Brynne ordered a beer.

‘I love beer, don't you?' she cooed.

‘Hmm,' Nick said, and looked away. How long did he have to sit here before the messenger would count it as a proper date? The five minutes he'd completed so far were presumably not enough. Damn.

‘Colin is such a cool guy,' Brynne said, feigning contemplation. ‘Almost as cool as you, Nick.'

A pained sigh escaped Nick, which he tried to make up for immediately with a wide smile. He was to
make sure she felt comfortable
, that was the deal. Let's see whether Brynne would feel comfortable even on thin ice.

He checked again to see whether there were any familiar faces among the patrons. No. So it was worth a try.

‘I'd like to know,' he said slowly, ‘what name Colin is playing under. Do you have any idea?'

‘Come on, Nick,' Brynne said and put a hot damp hand on his arm. ‘I'm not that stupid.'

‘What do you mean?'

‘I'm not going to break the rules. It always comes out and then it gets ugly. You know that.'

Nick resisted the impulse to pull his arm away.

‘But no-one can hear us here.'

‘You never know.'

The drinks came, and Nick managed to discreetly shift his limbs out of reach.

‘What do you mean, it gets ugly? You get chucked out. Of course that's a major pain, but —'

‘Have you ever been there when they come to get a traitor?' Brynne interrupted him. ‘I have. They took him away and . . . executed him. That happens to everyone who goes over to Ortolan's side.'

She sipped her beer without taking her eyes off him. Nick lowered his gaze into the dark depths of his cola glass.

‘Do you know who Ortolan is?' he asked. ‘We can talk about that, can't we?'

‘Can you see a fire?'

She'd obviously completely lost it now. ‘Fire? What are you talking about?'

Instead of answering Brynne pulled a scrunched up note out of her bag. ‘I mostly keep the rules with me. See, it's written here: During the game you can converse around the fires.'

She got a lighter out, and made a little flame leap up. ‘Now all we have to do is play,' she whispered, and drew her finger along the back of his hand. The feeling was pleasant as long as Nick ignored the fact that Brynne was causing it. He shut his eyes.

‘I can imagine that Ortolan might be a magician,' Brynne whispered close to his ear. ‘Or a dragon with three heads. He's certainly very strong. The players in the Inner Circle are getting special training so that they'll have a chance against him later on.'

If it weren't for Brynne's harem perfume, Nick could have imagined that it was Emily stroking his hand. Straight away the thought caused him pain, because an image of Emily and Eric followed in its wake. Nick opened his eyes. The lighter was still burning and Brynne was looking at him expectantly. No, I'm not going to kiss you.

‘Well, let's wait and see,' he said aloud, and reached for his glass. Brynne appeared unsure for a moment, but she pulled herself together straightaway.

‘What was up with Jamie today? Did you get a load of the look on his face? . . . I mean, his face is never a pretty sight, but today . . .' She gave Nick an arch look. ‘Did he tell you what his problem is?'

‘No.'

‘Ah. I thought you two were so close. But you're not, are you? I'm glad. He's annoying.' Make her feel comfortable, Nick repeated. Feel comfortable, the silly cow.

‘And he's not a gamer either. Have you seen how he's always hanging around with Eric? Colin always calls him Sushi. I already explained to him that sushi is actually Japanese, but he thinks it's hysterical anyway. Now Eric has hooked up with Emily apparently, that boring frump. Honestly. Colin says he's never met anyone so lame. Never opens her mouth and always looks as though her guinea pig has just carked it.' Brynne burst out laughing. Feel comfortable . . . he's supposed to make her feel comfortable. ‘It's probably a matter of taste who you think is lame,' he said, and forced a smile onto his face. ‘Colin and I mostly like completely different girls.'

This time Brynne was the one who didn't answer. Nick suspected that the penny had finally dropped, but he wasn't going to worry about that right now. He was still chewing over the fact that Eric and Emily were supposedly together now. Was it true? And if so, how did Brynne know about it? Too bad he couldn't ask her. Too bad he'd tried to lure Emily into Erebos. He could kick himself.

‘I wonder if we're missing something important?' he murmured when the silence got painful.

‘There's always something important,' Brynne said. ‘No matter when you enter or leave, you're always going to miss something. I get nervous about that too. I hope they're not announcing the date for the next Arena fights right now.'

‘Were you there for the last ones?'

She pursed her lips. ‘Are you sure that you're not trying to trick me and then dob me in afterwards? You know what the rules are. If I were to tell you I was there, that I fought twice and won a level, then it would be easy to figure out who I am. Or who I'm not. The messenger explained it to me. He takes it all very seriously.'

‘Yeah okay, fine.'

‘Are you actually glad that I gave you Erebos?' she asked, without looking at him.

‘Sure. Of course. It's incredible.'

Brynne pushed a strand of hair behind her ear with exaggerated slowness. ‘Don't you sometimes think it's scary?'

Damned scary. ‘Oh, it's fine. I think it's meant to be like that.'

‘Yes.' She twisted her glass between her hands, first one way, then the other, then the first again. ‘I only wish I could understand how it reads my mind.'

Reads her mind – that was an exaggeration, Nick thought as he travelled home on the tube. Brynne had got out at the previous station, but not without first giving him a hug and pressing a kiss right next to his mouth.

The game certainly couldn't read his mind. Or at least not all of it. If you ignored the inexplicable fact that it had given him a Hell Froze Over shirt for loyal service. And it had talked to him about Emily even though he'd never mentioned her.

The train doors slid open with a hiss, and Nick got out. It was getting dark outside; hopefully dinner would be ready when he got home. He certainly couldn't afford to wait ages for it; he'd neglected Erebos for far too long already.

A Seven, Sarius. You carried out my instructions. Here is your reward.' ‘

The messenger points a bony finger towards one corner of the dark vault they're standing in. It resembles the cellar of The Final Cut, but it's not as big, and it looks as if no-one's been in here for years. Spider's webs stretch between the vaulted walls, and small greenish mushrooms are growing in the corners.

Sarius finds a new sword and high boots with metal toecaps in the spot the messenger indicated. The sword shimmers golden; Sarius almost gets the impression that light is radiating from it.

‘Thank you.'

‘And thank you. Is there any news you would like to report to me?'

Sarius hesitates. He's not going to say anything about Jamie's plans concerning Mr Watson, no way. Should he mention the threatening letter with the gravestone? Better not. He drags something out of his memory that both Jamie and Brynne have told him about.

‘Apparently a girl named Zoe went to pieces recently. I didn't hear much about it though.'

‘It would interest me more to know what Eric Wu is up to,' the messenger says. ‘I would be pleased if you could devote more attention to his activities. According to everything I have learnt, he is not well-disposed to us. Now go.'

Sarius makes his way outside with mixed feelings, through a tube-like passageway that leads out of the cellar. He has absolutely no desire to watch Eric sticking to Emily like glue. What will be next? He's been out with Brynne, and that was bad enough.

The dark passageway is getting wider; it ends at a torch-lit wall with an open door that leads outside.

Finally, Sarius thinks, and stops that same instant, rooted to the spot.

The wall! He goes back a few steps in order to make sure. No, there's no mistake.

Someone has painted a picture on the wall that takes up almost its entire surface. It resembles an old mural of the type often found in churches – a fresco. The picture shows two people sitting at a table with their heads together. The girl has a burning cigarette lighter in one hand; the other is lying on the hand of the boy who is sitting opposite her. He is very tall and his long dark hair is tied back into a ponytail that hangs down his back . . .

Someone must have taken a photo. There's no other way, Sarius thinks. And we look like lovers.

He turns away, stumbles through the door into the open. He feels strangely naked and threatened. Even though it's only a picture. Something in him is afraid that one day this life-sized picture could be hanging on the wall at school.

* * *

‘LordNick found a wish crystal.'

‘Wicked! Did he say what he's going to do with it?'

‘No, of course not. He's not stupid.'

The bunch of players sitting around the fire is made up almost entirely of familiar faces: Drizzel, Feniel, Blackspell, Sapujapu, Nurax, and – like a guest of honour somewhat separate from the others – BloodWork. The ruby-red ring is swinging conspicuously on a chain around his neck, identifying him as a member of the Inner Circle.