The Four Realms (22 page)

She forced herself to breath slowly, to think about things rationally.

"What's done is done," she said aloud.
 
Nothing she could do would change that.
 
She had no choice but to get up and face the music.

"If you're big enough to go and do these things," she said to herself, reciting her mother as she dressed, "then you are big enough to accept the consequences."

By the time she was at the bottom of the cellar stairs, she was quite calm.
 
She would tell them the truth, that she'd been upset that no-one seemed to be taking Ernest's death seriously, that she suspected the elves were involved somehow.
 
She didn't expect them to understand, but at least they would know the truth.

She was therefore surprised to find only Joseph waiting for her on the other side of the gateway.
 
She tried to look round him, to see if his large bulk was obscuring the Abbot or the inquisitor, but he was alone.

"I haven't told anyone," he laughed.

"Well, of course," Maureen lied unconvincingly.
 
"I knew you could be trusted, Joseph."

"So..."

"So what?"

"Tell me about it.
 
Tell me.
 
Where did you go?
 
What did you see?"

Maureen hesitated a second, wondering if it would be wise to tell him.
 
No, she thought.
 
He'd been good enough to keep her secret, the very least she owed him was an explanation.

So she told him everything, about going to Ernest's flat, how she'd lied to get in, how she'd run into the elf, and how someone had saved her.

"Who do you think it was?" Joseph asked.

Maureen shrugged.
 
"I have no idea," she said.

"Well, what do we do now?"

"Now?"
 
Maureen seemed taken aback.
 
"Now we do nothing.
 
It was a stupid thing to do and I was lucky I wasn't caught, killed or something worse."

Joseph raised his eyebrows.
 
"Nothing?"
 
he questioned.
 
"You suspect that the Friary is covering something up, you sneak into Ernest's house and discover an elf... who attacks you!
 
And you want to just leave it?"

"Joseph, I'm a little old lady in her eighties.
 
I'm not Cagney and Lacey."

Joseph shrugged.
 
"Oh well, if you don't want to come along."

"Come along?" Maureen queried.
 
She was starting to feel a bit short with Joseph.
 
"What are you talking about?"

Joseph looked either way before leaning into Maureen and saying, "The disease."

"The disease?
 
What disease?
 
Joseph, you're making no sense."

The troll sighed.
 
"I was not supposed to say nuffin'"

"Says who?"

Joseph paused for a second, before swallowing hard and saying, "Ernest."

Maureen was aware that her mouth was hanging open.
 
She was a mix of emotions at the moment, but above all of them she felt hurt. Of all the people, Ernest could have confided in, he chose Joseph instead of her.
 
It shouldn't matter, she thought.
 
Joseph seemed like he was completely trustworthy - surely he must be if Ernest trusted him - it was just she'd always thought she'd meant more to Ernest than that.
 
She fought back the sudden urge to cry.
 
No Maureen
, she told herself,
show some control
.
 

She wanted to ask Joseph why Ernest had chosen him and not her, but she realised that could be construed as anti-troll, and she didn't like to think that she was capable of racism.
 
But if truth be told, at that moment, she resented Joseph - hated that a troll was considered a better confidant than herself.

"Why?"
 
she found herself asking.

"This is why I didn't want to say nuffin'" Joseph replied.
 
"I knew you'd get upset."

"I'm not upset," Maureen lied.

There was silence for a second before Maureen picked the conversation back up.
 
"What disease?"

"It's the wizards," Joseph whispered.
 
"They're losing their magic."

"Losing their magic?"
 
Maureen was thoroughly perplexed.

"Yes, loads of them.
 
One moment they're fine, next time you see them, they seem a bit disorientated and are unable to cast any spells."

"They're unable to remember them?"

"No, they try and cast them and nothing happens."

"How odd."

"Oh it's worse than that," Joseph continued.
 
"Everyone knows that relations between elves and humans are at an all-time low.
 
Ernest told me Rofen doesn't think we have enough wizards to defend the city if they attack."

"Is it that bad?"

Joseph nodded.
 
"It's an epidemic.
 
That's why he asked Ernest to look into it."

"Ernest?
 
But his speciality was the gateways."

"Rofen seemed to think that mana was leaking out the world, and that some of the weaker wizards are the first to find it."

"Leaking?"

"Yeah.
 
I mean, your world has no mana, perhaps our world is going the same way."

"Oh dear," said Maureen thinking about the impact of all this.
 
"And you think Ernest was murdered because..."

Joseph shrugged.
 
"I'm just someone he confided in.
 
I don't have any answers."

"And the notebook?"

"He took it with him.
 
Carried it everywhere he went.
 
Sorry, I would have told you, but I didn't know you'd sneak in."

"What about Rofen?
 
Can he be trusted?"

Joseph was quiet for a second before mumbling, "he was one of the few who knew what Ernest was up to.
 
They'd been keeping it very silent.
 
Worried it might cause panic if people found out."

"So why did he tell you?" Maureen almost regretted it as soon as she said it.
 
Almost.
 
Either way, Joseph didn't seem to flinch at the insult.

"Dunno," he shrugged.
 
"Guess he couldn't tell any of the uninfected wizards for fear of starting panic.
 
Who else could he have confided in?"

Me
, thought Maureen.
 
He could have confided in me
.
 

"So, if you don't know if you can trust Rofen, what do you plan to do?" she asked.

"See if I can find your elf."

"Joseph, they tried to kill me," Maureen said, realisation of the danger she'd actually been in only now starting to grow on her.
 
"It's not your job to get to the bottom of this."

Joseph shot her a glare, and for the first time Maureen could see why trolls could be so frightening.
 
That big, dumb, gentle face, wrinkling into lines and angles.

"Who else is going to do it?" he shot at her.

Maureen sighed.
 
They were getting angry at each other for no reason.
 
They were on the same side.

"I'm sorry, Joseph," she sighed.
 
"These last few days have been difficult."

Joseph's face softened into the one she knew best; that big gormless smile.
 
"It's alright, Maureen," he replied.
 
"They've been difficult for everyone."

"How do you plan to find the elf?" she asked, finding herself slowly being sucked in.

"Larry McNally's.
 
It's a club in the centre of town.
 
Very popular with the elven community.
 
As good a place as anywhere to start."

Maureen looked out the covered walkway to the world beyond the covered walkway.
 
Did she dare another adventure into Venefasia?
 
She'd vowed after the last one that she'd never do something so stupid again, but with Joseph by her side she felt a lot safer.
 
It was stupid and dangerous, she knew that.
 
It wasn't the right thing to do, but the nagging feeling that someone had murdered Ernest for a reason ate away at her stomach.
 
Who was left to defend Ernest’s memory now?
 
Just Joseph and her.
 

She sighed, knowing she was making another reckless decision.
 
"Just let me get my bag and I'll be right with you."

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO - Narrow Escape

Darwin's first waking moment was of Nanny Voodoo stepping over him on the lounge floor.
 
Cassidy had moved off the sofa in the night and was now snuggled into his arms, sleeping how they normally slept on the streets.
 
Then he heard the knock at the door, and couldn't be sure if that was the first time he'd heard it that morning.
 
Bleary eyed, he saw the silhouette of someone against the curtains, making their way into the back garden.

Nanny Voodoo hissed at him.
 
"You have to go."

Suddenly he was awake, as the door knocker banged again.

"One moment," Nanny Voodoo cried out.
 
"I'm just getting dressed."

Cassidy stirred at this and Darwin found himself clamping a hand over her mouth.

"Shhh!" he whispered in her ear.

With someone at the front and someone making their way round the back, what exit strategy did he have?
 
No way into the sewers, though he suspected that round this area they wouldn't be big enough to escape through.
 
Maybe he could fight his way out, but he wasn't exactly sure who or what he was up against.
 
Had they traced him here, or was this something different entirely?
 
No time to think, Nanny Voodoo said he needed to go, and that's what he'd do.

The bathroom.
 
There was a small top window that opened, not by a lot, but big enough for Cassidy and him to squeeze through.
 
It was on the opposite side to the path the silhouette had walked down, just a fence and beyond that the neighbour's garden path.

He said nothing, just pointed at the bathroom.
 
Cassidy nodded and he removed his hand from her mouth.

Luckily, they'd made the choice to change back into their newly laundered old clothes last night.
 
Darwin was glad to finally have some clothes he could actually breathe in, and he guessed Cassidy was the complete opposite, preferring something a little more secure than a dress three times her size wrapped round her.
 
Either way, Darwin was thankful that they didn't have to waste time getting any more dressed than putting on shoes.

A quick scan and check of pockets ensured they had everything, before darting into the bathroom.
 
Darwin was careful to ensure that if anyone was looking in from the back of the house through Nanny Voodoo's bedroom window that they wouldn't see them.

He carefully opened the bathroom window and was disappointed when it didn't hinge open as far as he'd like.
 
This was going to be tight.
 
He helped Cassidy up onto the sink and began pushing her through the gap.

"Over the fence into next door," he whispered as she threw her rucksack on ahead of her

He could sense Cassidy's fear and apprehension but give the girl credit, she didn't do her normal thing of complaining and protesting, just struggled on in silence.

With her out it was his turn, although if she'd only just managed to squeeze the gap, no idea how he was going to do it.
 
He managed to get his head and shoulder but got stuck at the chest.
 
He reached out for the neighbour's fence with his fingertips, tried to push with his feet against the sink.
 
Something went clattering to the floor.
 
He winced.

The door hammered again.

"Wait a goddamn minute," Nanny Voodoo yelled out.
 
"I have to get dressed."

Darwin pushed again, felt the rotting wood of the window frame, give a little under the pressure. Then he was moving forward, on over the fence, trying to use his feet to ensure the window closed gently as he tumbled head first onto the neighbour's pathway beyond.

Cassidy helped him up.

"What now?" she whispered.

"Just trust me," Darwin replied, putting his arm over her shoulder.
 
"Hold my hand."

She did as she was told and together the two of them walked down the passage to the main street.
 
He could feel Cassidy tense up but gave her hand a little squeeze as if to reassure her.
 
I know what I'm doing
, he thought.
 
At least I hope I do
.

He opened the gate and then started sauntering across the neighbour's front lawn, away from Nanny Voodoo's house.
 
He afforded himself a look back to try and see who it was that was so determined to speak to Nanny Voodoo.

He was a small man, wiry hair and scraggily beard, shirt half untucked.
 
Yet still, there was something not quite right about him.
 
The man turned to look at Darwin.

"Was'up," Darwin said with a flick of his head and a street slang accent.
 
"You gotta bang really loud.
 
The old dear's a bit deaf."
 
He tapped his ear with his finger.

"Thank you," said the man.

"S'alright," Darwin replied, turning his back to the man, but continuing down the road at the same slow, lazy speed.
 
Do not give them any reason to suspect you, Darwin thought.
 
He'd walked down this road to the T-junction at the end a thousand times, but never had it felt so long.
 
He couldn't be sure if the person at the door was a colleague of the man, the thing, they killed in the library, but he was taking no chances.
 
Probably just someone wanting to read the gas meter, he tried to reassure himself.