Whispering Nickel Idols Part 37

He dropped the crossbow. It discharged. The bolt whizzed away, ricocheting off brick walls.

I said, "Go home, Teacher. Better still, go somewhere where Rory won't look for you. Lay low. The Sculdytes won't last out the week."

"You broke my nose!"

A good pop in the snot locker has a way of clearing the mind behind. "You're right. And if you don't want it getting uglier, disappear."

Anger and humiliation hadn't abandoned Teacher, but his nerve had. He limped away, holding his nose, glowering.

Saucerhead hadn't said a word or done a thing. He glowered back. He was not in a good mood. He'd have bloodied somebody if he'd had the strength to do anything but keep on putting one foot in front of the other.

Teacher kept moving. Melondie and her friends buzzed him, kept him going. Singe collected the crossbow. "d.a.m.n! This thing is heavy."

"Dump it in the cart. It's illegal. We don't want to attract any attention."

A sense of foreboding came over me as we approached the house. But I didn't see even one obvious watcher.

62.

The Dead Man's glee was almost malicious. He couldn't believe I'd enjoyed such complete success. But, boy, was he eager to capitalize.

Singe and I got our captives, our cargo, and Tharpe inside as fast as we could. Dean even lent a hand. Then he grabbed the cart's tongue and took off downhill. I gawked.

I sent him. He was doing nothing useful. Come inside, please sent him. He was doing nothing useful. Come inside, please.

Uh-oh. He was being polite. That's never a good sign.

You will find yourself dealing with the Watch if you do not cease dallying immediately.

Now he was seriously impatient.

With cause. We were about to be visited by Captain Ramey List and his shadows. Both henchmen now wore complete new uniforms.

I got in and closed the door. Old Bones told me, Something big is happening. Captain List is the only body the Watch can spare for a stakeout Something big is happening. Captain List is the only body the Watch can spare for a stakeout.

"There'll be a big dance with the Outfit. Going on already, I think. Because of the material we provided." I had to get a copy to Belinda still. I'd been too sick or too busy to figure out how. "Did you pry anything useful out of our guests?"

Absolutely. I understand much of it now. It all ties together through the people involved. None of whom are pulling in the same traces. But I see that residual weakness is about to bring on a collapse. Take a nap.

"I can last awhile. With your help."

I do not have the attention to spare. Mr. Tharpe is injured. We will not be able to get a physician past the Watch anytime soon do not have the attention to spare. Mr. Tharpe is injured. We will not be able to get a physician past the Watch anytime soon.

I let it drop. You can't win with b.u.t.terb.u.t.t. And fatigue was about to overwhelm me.

Captain List hammered on the front door. He bellowed nonsense that would amuse the neighbors. His best effort was embarra.s.singly feeble compared with those of the Green Pants guys.

"I'll just park it in my chair. You need to know what I got from Buy Claxton. Poke around when you get time."

Vaguely, as I drifted off, I heard Saucerhead groan.

The Dead Man couldn't read my mind and control Tharpe's pain, both. He must have been using all his mind power to control the Ymberians and deal with Captain List. List's essential nature would make him try to win himself a name.

I slept.

63.

I wakened. There was something in the air. Cooking smells. And a girlie fragrance suggesting something tastier.

Something tastier arrived with a steaming tray.

Clearly, Captain List had gone away.

An agent from the Unpublished Committee came. Captain List was needed for a secret a.s.signment that could be handled only by one of the top members of the Watch. Director Relway and Colonel Block were tangled up in obligations they could not shed. It was critical that this a.s.signment be handled immediately.

I chuckled. "And he took the bait. Along with the hook, the line, and the pole."

He did.

"I love it." I felt good despite my fresh collection of bruises. "It's got to be something that will end up with Ramey List embarra.s.sed in a big way."

The possibility bubbled in the back of Mr. Scithe's mind.

I gave Tinnie a peck on the cheek and a suggestive leer a foot to the south, then prepared to pile into an equally beautiful omelet. "I thought you had what I had, darling."

"I do some. But mostly I was just tired."

But I think it more likely that Captain List will die an heroic death.

"Really? Do they hate him that much?"

Mr. Scithe came on behalf of Director Relway, not Colonel Block. Mr. Relway, you may have noted, has simple, direct ways of handling personnel problems. This time because he sees an opportunity to end a threat to the Watch.

"Morley and Relway ought to be pals. They think a lot alike."

One would murder the other within hours. That sort of personality does not tolerate itself well in others.

He was right, of course. "What do we know now that we didn't know yesterday?" I gave Harvester Temisk the fisheye. He remained terrified. Chodo appeared to be napping. Even guys in wheelchairs need to sleep.

We know the Bledsoe drew the Ymberians to TunFaire. The Bledsoe is the mother lode of despair. Their nickel idols acc.u.mulate despair. The idols they installed in the Bledsoe walls are connected by sorcery to smaller companion pieces in their headquarters. Which always has been that place where you found Mr. Temisk and Mr. Contague. They plan to scatter the charged idols in areas where they intend to proselytize. You found one of the smaller sort on our guest deacon. The intent is to broadcast oppressive despair-which the priests of A-Laf will dispel, inside their temples.

"I see. And those wouldn't be located where the prospects don't come equipped with plenty of money." Truly, you are possessed of a deep, humming streak of cynicism Truly, you are possessed of a deep, humming streak of cynicism. "Am I right?"

Probably more so than you think. When the cult of A-Laf fell into the hands of fundamentalists-aided by Mr. Contague, remember-the brains in charge were not motivated entirely by spiritual fervor. Mr. Contague worked hard to install his allies. Nevertheless, they did not join forces with Mr. Contague-though, as we know now, they helped advance his career by eliminating human obstacles. Eventually, the Ymberian end forgot its connection with the TunFaire underworld, except at the most shy level. Eventually, the Ymberian end forgot its connection with the TunFaire underworld, except at the most shy level.

"Until they came to town, eh?" A baby cat bounced into my lap.

The kitten put its paws on the little table by my tray. He sniffed. And eased his nose ever closer to my plate. Never glancing back like he might actually need permission. Like, "I am the cat. The cat rules. All else exists to attend the cat."

The little tyrant hadn't gained an ounce since his arrival.

The kits have realized that the scary men are harmless. For the moment. They are incurable optimists. They cannot remain frightened long. The optimism of A-Lat is a major contributing cause of its conflict with A-Laf. Which might seem unusual, A-Lat being the Queen of the Night. But that does not make her a dark G.o.ddess in all her aspects. Her princ.i.p.al aspect is the feminine. Be that as it may, it is not our concern. We must concentrate on those problems that have caught us in their web.

"Go," I said. I pushed the cat aside. He paid no attention. He went right back to sticking his nose in my plate.

Some weeks ago Mr. Temisk became aware of the arrival of the A-Laf cultists. They, of course, were unaware of Mr. Contague's state. Knowing the balance of obligation tilted toward Mr. Contague, Mr. Temisk contacted Ymberians. He invoked their obligation, as he did yours. The cultists knew him as the interlocutor for Mr. Contague, so he continued in that role.

"How did he kill all those people? And why?"

Ah. Now it becomes convolute.

"Uh-oh. That's what you hear when somebody is fixing to make an excuse for somebody." I couldn't imagine him doing that for anybody but himself, though.

We are not amused.

"Leave that alone." I flicked the kitten's nose.

"Don't do that." Tinnie snapped. She'd come to check my tea. Carrying a tray. I was buying breakfast for my guests.

"We've got to figure a way to make money out of this, Old Bones. I'm feeding half the city."

We will profit. Though perhaps not in cash money.

"No chickens. No moldy bread. No spoiled sausage. No skunky beer. I don't take payment in kind anymore." As I raised my teacup, I spied a glint in Chodo's eye. He was awake. "Where were we?"

I was about to inform you that circ.u.mstances surrounding the deaths of those who burned are more complicated than it would appear. Mr. Temisk is, indeed, responsible. But was not, at first, aware that he was responsible. However, once he understood that there was a connection between the fires and his visits to Mr. Contague, he remained willing to send personalities like Mr. Billy Mul Tima to their ends was about to inform you that circ.u.mstances surrounding the deaths of those who burned are more complicated than it would appear. Mr. Temisk is, indeed, responsible. But was not, at first, aware that he was responsible. However, once he understood that there was a connection between the fires and his visits to Mr. Contague, he remained willing to send personalities like Mr. Billy Mul Tima to their ends.

I'd had my suspicions about Temisk but hadn't had information enough to work it all out. Maybe if I hadn't been sick all that time.

We would not have discovered the truth without bringing Mr. Temisk here. There is no evidence outside his mind. He has been clever about leaving no traces. Miss Winger has been on Mr. Temisk's story for days and has yet to find anything even circ.u.mstantial. Mrs. Claxton was his sole loose end. Which he has had no opportunity to tie up. He felt he did not dare leave Mr. Contague alone with the Ymberians.

"He's a lawyer. They're naturally crooks."

The Dead Man was not amused. Maybe he was a lawyer in another time and place.

"So Brother Temisk was behind the burning deaths? And he did it for his pal?"

In essence. But it is a bigger story. Mr. Temisk, despite protests to the contrary, has solid contacts inside the Contague household. Which could be true for Mr. Sculdyte as well. Mr. Temisk suspects that Mr. Rory Sculdyte knew the truth but was abiding an opportunity to make best use of the information.

"I'm guessing Chodo's been drugged. Systematically and continuously. I'm thinking he would've recovered by now otherwise."

True. He has been drugged regularly. But he would not be in command now if he had not been fed those drugs.

I grunted. Tinnie had her back to me. She was bending over the subject of our conversation, spoon in hand. I couldn't concentrate.

Mental sneer. Mr. Contague's interior is scrambled. He is mad in a deeply sinister way. Ultimately, he is more responsible for the combustion deaths Mr. Contague's interior is scrambled. He is mad in a deeply sinister way. Ultimately, he is more responsible for the combustion deaths.

"Can you get to your point?"

No. More amus.e.m.e.nt.

I dragged my attention away from Miss Tate long enough to pull the kitten off my plate. There were several of those in the room now, all over everybody. Including the scary people. One perched on the Ymberian deacon's shoulder, was.h.i.+ng a paw. The deacon knew. He was apoplectic.

The Dead Man noted my interest and was amused yet again. That should crack the final barriers in his mind. If his heart does not explode first That should crack the final barriers in his mind. If his heart does not explode first.

"The combustion deaths, partner?"

Mr. Temisk's agents in the Contague household told him they thought Miss Contague might be poisoning him.

"Might?"

There is some ambiguity. Someone else might be guilty.

"Doesn't Chodo know?"

He was drugged.

"Gah!"

Wait! There is madness there, as noted. Extreme and dark. Worsened by the drug. Mr. Temisk's contacts identified the poison. Mr. Temisk searched for an antidote.

"Which he found. And which has something to do with people catching on fire." I was making intuitive leaps left and right. Maybe the fever left me psychic.

Yes. Be still. Mr. Temisk's contacts informed him that Miss Contague came to town once or twice a month, and more frequently in times of crisis. Her father accompanied her. Always. She would not trust his care to anyone at home.

"With good reason, obviously."

Obviously. When she did come to town Miss Contague secreted her father in a tenement her family owns on the north side, on the edge of Elf Town. Mr. Temisk knew the building because he handled its acquisition and management. Mr. Contague operated his early business out of there. Once he knew Miss Contague's routine, Mr. Temisk acted.

To conceal his role, he hired alcoholics to sneak in and medicate the man in the wheelchair with the antidote. These men received one-quarter payment beforehand and the balance afterward.