Robert Charrette - Arthur 01 - A Prince Among Men (30 page)

"What's going on, Doctor?"

"You
'll
see when you get here."

"I'll be there in about an hour," he said, cutting the connection.

An hour? "But we're only a half block away."

"A hedge. You'll note that I didn't mention you or Bear."

"Wise," Bear said.

"Or Trashcan Harry," John said.

"He's in no shape to be useful," Kun said.

"Agreed," Bear said.

They both sounded grim enough to be going off to war. They brought out pistols from holsters under their coats and started checking them.

"But Dr. Spae said she was fine," John protested.

"She might have been coerced," Kun said.

"She didn't sound coerced."

It's best we don't take chances." To Bear, Kun said, cover me, like I showed you?"

Bear nodded.

they opened their doors simultaneously and got out of the car.

"Stay here with Black," Holger ordered.

He and Bear headed down the road.

Like hell.

"You going to be okay, Harry?"

John took the mumbled reply for a yes. Getting out of the car, he followed the other two.

John, is this wise?

No.

Hear and Kun made their cover-and-sprint approach to the house that lay beyond the trees. John waited until they got through the front door before running across the unkempt lawn to join them. They spun on him, weapons pointed, and lor a second he thought they might actually shoot him. They didn't; they lowered their weapons, although Kun's eyes suggested that he did indeed want to kill John. Those eyes were cold enough to make John shiver.

It wasn't as though he had disrupted some vital tactical maneuver. The room was empty of evil nasty villains and nothing looked disturbed. He could hear Dr. Spae speaking conversationally in the next room. Shifting, he tried to see whom she was talking to. Before he succeeded, the two men entered the next room. Since they had abandoned the stealthy approach, he did too, bustling in behind them.

Doctor Spae and a tall, rail-thin figure sat at the table. Spae's visitor was facing her. His silver hair lay close against his head, making his pointed ears prominent. As John entered the room, the man turned, revealing his face.

John gasped.

It was Bennett.

"You!" Bear snarled.

"And a pleasant good morning to you, too, Artos."

Bear started to bring up his weapon. John and Spae both shouted, but Kun acted. He got a hand on the barrel and pushed it aside, retaining his grip to keep Bear from firing. Bear and Kun stared at each other until Bear shrugged and let go of the gun.

"I take it you two know each other," Spae said.

"We've had dealings," Bennett said lightly. "We did not part on the best of terms. A misunderstanding."

"He's a liar," Bear said.

Bennett turned to Spae. "You see, I told you he would accuse me of that. He's almost pathological that way."

"Deal with him at the peril of your soul," Bear said. He stomped out of the room. John heard the front door slam behind him.

John looked around to see how Bear's pronouncement was being taken. Spae was shaking her head, a bemused look on her face. Kun was staring at Bennett, wide-eyed and ashen-faced, as though he were scared of the elf. The man's reaction made John uneasy. Did everyone hate elves? Bennett was looking at John and smiling.

"Ah, John, I'm glad to see you well. Sit down. We have a lot of catching up to do. Things have changed since last we talked."

John sat, feeling Kun's burning gaze on him. A glance showed the man's expression had closed up, locking away whatever emotion he felt.

"You too, Kun," Spae said.

Kun shook his head slightly and made no move.

"Suit yourself," Spae said. Smiling, she turned to the elf. "Now, Mr. Bennett, where were we?"

CHAPTER
18

John stood on the back porch of the safe house, staring out at woods. The trees were dark, entwined shapes, their leaves patches of night prematurely stolen from the deep-blue sky. It was quiet out here, which was okay by him; he could hear I aye just fine, and no one complained about him talking to himself. In a way it was like old times, just Faye and him, talking quietly like they used to. They speculated on what might hide among the boles of those mighty trees, and made guesses as to what strange creatures ran along the ancient branches. In the midst of an elaborate description of the courtship rituals of the Pear-Chested Wallagarber, Faye suddenly stopped and went away.

The back door of the house whined open and the boards of the porch creaked ever so slightly as someone joined John. He knew without looking that it had to be Bennett; no one else walked so softly on the old boards.

Bennett stopped beside John and looked where he was looking. He stared at the trees for a few moments before speaking.

"The woods have a strong lure."

In full daylight you could see the next house over. Even now, you could hear the sound of traffic moving along the road to the west beyond the trees. "It's not like it's the primeval forest."

"Those woods are deeper than you think, if you know the path."

"Which you do, of course."

"Don't sound so bitter. You can learn to walk the path. Soon, I think, you will have an opportunity."

John turned to look at him. "You going to teach me?"

"I am not the best of teachers. There are others from whom you could learn more quickly."

"Other elves?"

"Of course."

John turned back to stare at the trees. "Haven't seen too many around."

"Nor will you. Not yet, anyway."

They stood in silence for a while longer. Clearly Bennett had come out to talk to John, but he seemed in no hurry. John decided to let the elf start things, but the minutes dragged on and Bennett's patience proved greater than John's.

"You want I should start calling you Dad?"

"Without your heart in it, there is no point. Until you find a form of address that is comfortable for you, Bennett will do."

John inclined his head toward the house. "You tell them that you're my father?"

"No. Beyond the fact that it is none of their business, I would not presume to force an end to your relationship with Artos by doing so."

"He calls himself Bear."

"So he does. And he calls you Jack. Do you prefer that name?"

"It's fine."

"Then I shall use it from now on, Jack."

"Suit yourself."

Who was being called what certainly wasn't what Bennett had come to talk about, and they lapsed into silence again. the air felt full of unseen ice, poking and scratching. John really wanted to be elsewhere. He resented Bennett's intrusion, but felt guilty at the same time. The guy was his father. Wasn't a kid supposed to be comfortable around his father?

Irritated at his discomfort, he snapped, "So, what brought you here? You get tired waiting for me to rat on Bear?"

"Not at all," Bennett replied calmly. John thought they were headed for another bout of lockjaw, but Bennett surprised him by speaking again after only a short pause. "Circumstances have changed. As you know from your recent adventure, there are other players in the game now. We no longer have the luxury of time."

Grateful that there was something impersonal to talk about, John asked, "Are you saying Mitsutomo wants Cal-iburn too?"

"I think it likely, and frankly, I would rather see it in the hands of Artos."

"I thought you didn't want him to get it. I thought you hated him."

"Hate is a strong word, Jack, and not one that I would use. He has not told you much of his previous life, has he?"

"No."

"He won't. He is a very mistrustful man. For all the good
you
have done him, he still doesn't trust you. I don't think he trusts anyone anymore. But he's probably not to blame; he's had a difficult life, and been betrayed by more than one person to whom he had given his trust. For now, let me just
say
that he and I are not friends. It is because of our history
that
Dr. Spae thought it best that I not be present while she explained my offer to him."

"What offer?"

"I told the doctor that I will assist her in opening a way to the otherworld, so that Artos may recover Caliburn. If he agrees, we will be leaving shortly."

"Leaving? Who?"
"All of us here. Doctor Spae desperately wants to see the otherworld, whether we recover Caliburn or not, and Mr. Kun will find his duty compelling him to go along as well. Harry will perforce be part of our entourage."

"Our?"

"You sound surprised. Did you think I would return to the otherworld and leave you behind, now that it is possible for you to make the trip?"

Well, yes, actually, John thought, but he didn't say so.

"Or are you just surprised that Harry would be a part of
our
entourage? Though of a base race, he
is
a faithful servant. By serving you well, he has served me well, and he should be honored."

"What about—"

"Your companion Faye? She will join us too, if she wills."

Who wouldn't? The otherworld! Bennett had said that John would take on his true appearance there. It would mean the end of doubts, if it was true. He would see if he really was an elf. He would know if Bennett was just leading him on or was really telling the truth about John's parentage. It was something he needed to know. But—

"I can't go. It wouldn't be right."

Bennett gave him a curious look. "And why is that?"

"I've got to go back to Worcester."

"No, you don't."

"Look, I know you told me she isn't my mother, and maybe she isn't. But she raised me. I owe her, and I'm not as coldhearted as some people; I can't just leave her to the mercy of those Mitsutomo goons."

"I am not blind to your sentiments, Jack. In fact, I find them very noble, and worthy of the prince you are. What I meant was that she is no longer under the control of the Mitsutomo villains. I have arranged for her to be taken to a place of safety."

"In the otherworld?" Could he get to go to the otherworld
and
see his mother safe?

"No. That would not be appropriate."

Maybe Bear was right about elves. "Then where is she?"

Bennett waited a moment before slowly saying, "I think it best that you not know at this time."

Had his mother been rescued, or had she simply changed wardens? "You're as bad as they are. You want to use her too."

"Not at all. And I must say that I am somewhat disappointed that you would think that. Bear has poisoned you a bit, I think. Not telling you her whereabouts is as much for her safety as for your own. You've already spent time in the hands of those corporate monsters and know what they can do. You saw what they did to Harry. Should you be captured again by their agents, they could easily extract her location from you, because your concern for her brings thoughts of her forward in your mind. They can strip those thoughts from you with ease. Once they know her hiding place, they will capture her and use threats against her well-being to force cooperation from you."

It sounded reasonable. Kun had told him that the Mitsutomo people had lied when they told him about his drug abreaction; Kun had said they'd used truth drugs on him. He'd seen for himself what they had done to Trashcan I larry. They
were
monsters. He didn't want to think of his mother in their hands. But was she any better off in Bennett's hands?

But how could he think that his father would be a monster like those people who had captured him?

Too many questions without answers. He tried asking one.

"Why are you doing this?"

"I told you that."

"Let's try that again. Why you?"

"I'm your father, Jack."

"But you didn't rescue me. Bear and Kun did."

"An act worthy of reward."

"You don't want to reward Bear. I heard what you said about being too late to prevent him from waking. The sorceress Nym woke him and you tried to kill her for it."

"You were overwrought at the time, Jack. I think you misunderstood what was happening. I tell you truthfully that I didn't kill her."

"But you tried."

"I concede that it appeared that way. But you should know that she is a mistress of illusion and has made a career of causing men to see almost anything other than the truth. And it is truth that Artos is a dangerous man."

"He says the same about you, only he doesn't use the word 'man.'"

Bennett shook his head ruefully. "He wouldn't. He has a memory that finds it easier to hold the bad than the good. He will probably have even less kind things to say about Nym when he learns who she is."