Monstrous Races (19 page)

'I can't do that Elli,' he stated firmly. 'He's very good at playing the confused, innocent boy. But he's not you know. He'd been spying and recording. Can you say for certain he's who you think he is? Because I've got three different people who place him as George, the manservant of the Landowners; George who's been sending them sealed letters; George who's made it his business to get close to you.' He looked down at her and saw that she was trembling slightly, aware that the half-hearted conversations all around them had petered out. There was silence between them and she stepped forward to take his hand in hers, feeling the solid flesh and sharp-cut stones of his rings in her palms.

'I really need to speak with him Max,' she said, her voice pure and strong. 'Please trust me.' Max placed his other hand over hers and squeezed it gently.

'You're the one with the stone,' he said finally, shrugging his shoulders and releasing her hand. 'But not on your own. Take the boy,' he said, nodding towards the kitchen. 'And don't believe a single word he says. He's not Whaler any more, he's George. Don't either of you forget that.'

Rufus and Elli walked down the stairs together in silence, the false panel on the wall giving after a series of intricate taps. The secret basement was bright and
surprisingly
airy, and a freshly-
made bed stood to one side with a selection of books and writing materials. A small bathroom was off to one side, and Elli could see the remnants of a meal and a large jug of water. George looked up as though dazed, his dark hair falling into his eyes. He smiled at the sight of them, and saw Elli subtly shake
her head and take a seat. Rufus
remained standing behind her, his features immobile.

'You alright?' he asked sadly, his voice croaking under the strain. Elli struggled to look him in the eye, preferring instead to concentrate on the floor. He picked up his pen and doodled on some yellowing paper. 'My name is George Sanderson, and believe me I have absolutely no affection for either Lansdown. I trimmed his beard and dyed her hair, hardly the work of a master spy is it?' He looked up at Rufus who continued to stare ahead and shrugged his shoulders. 'I have said all this before, but I know nobody believes me,' he added bitterly, concentrating on his drawing.

Elli cleared her throat and looked across at him, watching his pen scratch into the surface of the paper. 'Try it again,' she said softly, picking up another pad of paper and a pen. 'Just talk through exactly what happened. I believe in prison they take your statement. So let's have it, you talk and I'll make notes.' George poured himself some water and Rufus paced around the room, his sombre presence large in the confined space. When he'd finished there was an awkward silence.

'I'm not going to ask if you believe me,' he said finally, his eyes shining and his cheeks flushed. 'But at least know that when I was Whaler I was happier than I've ever been. And don't let your guard down; they're still out there and trying to get close to you. I've given you all of the names that I know but there will be more by now. I've been misdirecting them all over the place, most of them left Brayston on my instruction.' She nodded briskly and stood up, smiling across at him in spite of herself. 'Take care of yourself Elli,' he added sadly.

Rufus exhaled loudly as they left the room, bolting the door behind him and seeing Elli wince as he did so. 'What do you make of that then?' he asked, his keys jangling at his side. 'I'm not sure now, he's still as pathetic as ever.' Elli nodded thoughtfully, keenly aware that he was alone behind a locked door.

'Can he hear us?' she whispered into the dim light, talking at the tall dog-head silhouette in front of her.

'No, it's all soundproofed,' said Rufus. 'Why?'

'Because I want to talk it over with you before we see everyone else. And before I forget, let's get him his harpsichorgan. He might as well practice, there's not much else to do.' She sat on the bottom step and ran her fingers through the rails. 'Can we prove any of it?' Rufus sat next to her, scratching his muzzle.

'Not that I can think of. So he claims he wrote the letters to misdirect the Lansdowns, to send them off all over the place and that's why they've taken so long to reach us. Could be. We'd need to check those letters to be sure.'

'Could you check his lodgings and his workplace?' asked Elli, stretching out on the cold stones. 'You mig
ht find something. He says there will
be an attack from the inside at about the same time as their arrival. Well that makes sense. Shame he doesn't know who'll be attacking, where and exactly when though. Now that would be useful.'

'We're already on red alert,' grumbled Rufus, picking at his fingernails. 'What's next, puce? Mauve? At this rate we won't be leaving this place for days, or you won't anyway. And I was just beginning to do well at Goat Cuisine.'

She looked up archly and ceased tapping on the stairs. 'Do well? By
that you mean you were almost
earning money rather than paying them.
That poor man who had the sushi
sitting on his head, his bald head at that. You know, I've got a sneaking suspicion that numbers were up as they wanted to see what you'd do next.'

'Me?' he asked, his hand on his puffed-up chest. 'What an insult. I'm never anything but professional. And having us unable to attend for a few days, maybe forever, might make that clear to Billy too,' he said, eyes shining in the gloomy stairwell. 'It doesn't hurt to remind your employer of your talents now and again.'

'It does if they include petty thievery and assault with a dead fish.' They paused for a moment, each mulling things over. 'Who's the one in charge?' she asked finally. 'There must be someone who runs this place. Who's the one in charge of Brayston?'

Rufus flinched and rubbed his eyes. 'I'll tell you, but don't even think it. Her name is Sarah and she's the Guardian of Brayston. A mean, petty, harsh mermaid,' he spat out.  'And don't think they're all beautiful and caring with lovely singing voices. As with most things, that's a bare-faced lie.'

'A mermaid?' she asked incredulous. 'A mermaid, as in lives in the sea mermaid? How...'

'Not sure, and I'm fairly certain
that most people who live in Brayston have no idea that she's their Guardian. But she is, and she's as sharp as a tack. She's been here since way before I was born.'

'So you've seen her?' she asked, shaking her head slightly. 'Did you have to go to the sea? How does she run things from there?'

'She's right in the heart of Brayston.
I saw her once when I was young
, and believe me that was enough. Dad had to have an audience with her about something. She's mean and tricky, and a bit frightening. I think I cried all the way home,' he added sadly. 'Her husband was kind though. He gave me a biscuit.'

'Husband?'

'A merman, he was her secretary. I say was. She probably ate him.'

Elli sto
od up and stretched her legs. '
I suppose you'd better go to Whaler's
lodgings to see what you can find. I'm going to retire to my room and think.'

'Right oh
, boss,' Rufus said mischievously, saluting and running up the stairs two at a time. 'And it's George's lodgings,' he called down after her.  

Lady Lansdown giggled again as Gerald ran his hands through her hair, pulling it gently into shape. 'I took the liberty of making up the hair revitaliser myself, if that's to your liking my lady,' he said, his gummy mouth speaking quietly into her ear.

'Of course,' she replied, her eyes closed as he gently teased the curls into shape. 'You do such a marvellous job. However did I manage without you?'

The old man felt a hot blush rising up from his neck and breathed in the giddy scent of her perfume. He shuffled slowly in front of her, bringing a selection of hair-colours with him.

'I was thinking vibrant red, almost copper, with blonde touches here and there and an extra lustrous shining rinse. If that's to your liking?' He watched her girlish joy as she looked at herself in the large mirror.

'Very good, it's never looked so wonderful. Would you like a mint?' she asked, fishing a small bag out of her cleavage. She took his throaty sigh as a yes, and smiled as she looked into his watery eyes.

Lord Lansdown appeared at the door, throwing it open as he no longer knocked. 'We're moving out at mid-day, better be packed and ready to go,' he barked at them, turning on his heel and walking down the corridor. He heard their quiet giggles as he walked but chose not to acknowledge them; life was so much easier now that she had the old man to tend to her.

He paused before a large grandiose mirror and admired himself, watching the stone with fascination, its swirling lights shimmying upon his chest.
Four days, and I'll be invincible. Let the Queen send her army, I'll set an example of them.
Oh Elli, I am so looking forward to meeting you.
He stared intently, his haughty posture and pale skin already ad
ding
a
regality
to his bearing.
He stopped, sure that he could see some slight movement in the corner, a figure standing beneath the window behind him. He looked more closely, recognising the laughing green eyes and deep brown skin. 'No,' he murmured under his breath, as the man waved at him and smiled. He
span
around with his hand clasping the stone; there was nothing there, just a cool breeze from the open window.

He walked over to the spot and licked his l
ips, breathing in the fresh air
and hearing the drone of barked orders and synchronised movements far below. He kicked something and looked down to see a playing card, the Ace of Hearts looking up from the floor. Shuddering he picked it up and ripped it again and again until he could tear it no more. Then he scattered it from the open window and into the wind.

Lord Lansdown continued walking, through the shadowy corridor and down the steep steps, around and around the stairwell until he reached the open courtyard. He saw men, dog-heads and ogres, all united by the hard and bitter looks in their eyes. There could be no mistaking it, they were all mercenaries who were with him for the right price; bandits, thieves and lovers of violence all working together for one common goal, what was in it for them.

A group of large dog-heads and humans sat together nearest to him making little conversation. One sharpened his knife slowly on a leather strap, his eyes never leaving Lord Lansdown, who puffed out his chest and walked past with all the authority he could muster.
In amongst the dregs there's the beginnings of some real talent, some muscle with a willingness to obey authority.

He looked across at the expansive courtyard, wondering for a brief moment where the previous owners of the property had managed to flee to.
So much neater when they relinquish all of this before I have to force them.
He smiled and watched his army marching and lunging and hacking with swords, knives and axes, trampling delicate flowers underfoot and churning up grass.
Soon now. Patience
he thought.

The walk to the Blemmyae Council House had been sour and steep, and Elli clutched Rufus' hand and pulled at the heavy bag to her side. She turned quickly at a sudden noise behind her and saw a small dark head bobbing up to glance at her from behind strangers' shoulders.

She swallowed, clinging tightly to the bag and feeling the reassuring presence of the stone against her chest. 'I'm really not sure about this,' shouted Rufus, his voice barely audible over the noise of footsteps, calls and chatter. She squeezed his hand, ready to jump into the sea of bristling mo
vement
and held on tight. 'Now,' he called, and they both stepped together into the living vortex. Bodies jostled and barged from all sides; Elli kept holding on, through ogres and humans, between gorgadons and nulis. At times her feet barely touched the floor pulled as she was by the tide, but Rufus had hold of her and marched quickly around and around.

She felt her arm being tugged away from the inexorable flow and was hoisted out, strangely calm as she was pulled and pushed towards the outer rings of the individual orbits. They fell through the door together onto a thick woollen matt and sat there for a moment checking their limbs and belongings.

'What was that?' she asked, dusting herself down and slowly standing up. Rufus remained ensconced on the floor with his eyes closed, his satchel at his side and a sandwich poking through the top.

'I can't believe we did that. I'm going to be in so much trouble, you really have no idea. That was the Council House after an influx of very nervous people who are all fleeing Lord Lansdown; I haven't seen it this busy since Eric the Crusader mounted his attack and sent over his troops. It was heaving then
a
s well. I don't think a hastily-
constructed false wall with a lot of quiet soldiers hiding behind it will work again though,' he added pulling himself to his feet. 'Shame really, that was brilliant. You should've seen his face. Right, I suppose we have to go on now,' he shrugged, munching on his sandwich as they strolled through the dark corridor.

Elli tried to ignore the feeling of trepidation that was sitting in her stomach and attempted to concentrate on something else, something other than Rufus chewing and slurping noisily. She thought of the stone and imagined she could feel herself anchored to it by soft, glowing tendrils weaving their way slowly around her. They walked quickly along the corridor, the faces of paintings peering at them as they passed.