The Demon Collector (9 page)

A prickle of dread had run up Edgy’s spine. ‘What do we do, Mr Janus?’

‘We find Moloch’s body first,’ Janus said, then frowned and chewed his lip. ‘But do me a favour: don’t mention Salomé to anyone. The governors won’t believe us until I have proper evidence and we don’t want anyone questioning your sanity again, do we?’

Edgy shook his head. ‘No, I’ve had enough of people doin’ that.’

Now Edgy rolled over on his bed and sighed. He had never been praised before. No one had ever told him he was useful and now Janus thought he was needed to stop Salomé from destroying the world. Maybe the Society could become his family, like it had Trimdon’s. Edgy smiled.
I won’t let Mr Janus down
.

He flicked through
A Demon a Day
, trying to find any reference to Moloch. However, the book was being obstinate. Every time he turned a page, it seemed to be the same story. With a sigh, Edgy rolled on to his stomach, flattened the page and began to read.

The Hunt

In the early days, when the blue-green world was fresh and sparkled in the morning sun, Satan wandered among the forests, whistling and planning his next outrage against the Lord.

As he stood in a glade dappled with sunlight, the sound of baying dogs shattered his thoughts. A wild boar burst out of the undergrowth beside him and fled through the trees. Soon the bark and howl of the pack grew nearer. Satan’s eyes glowed. There was bloodlust and excitement in that sound and in the bellow of the human voices urging them on.

A pack of hounds surged into the glade, filling it as the sea drowns a rockpool. They leapt around Satan, almost knocking him off his feet. He laughed and stroked the lashing tails as they swished past him.

Three men in furs came close behind. They held spears, sharp and pointed.

‘Forgive my dogs, sir,’ said the tallest and strongest looking of the men. ‘They did not see you in their excitement.’

‘You are gracious.’ Satan nodded. ‘I would have cursed anyone who dragged my dogs from the scent.’

The man merely nodded and smiled back. ‘It is wise to befriend strangers, for sometimes they prove to be devils or angels in disguise. Join us in our hunt, sir, and share the spoils.’

So Satan joined the hunt and after many hours of scrabbling through bushes, clambering over rocks and splashing across streams, they cornered the boar in a narrow ravine deep in the forest. The beast’s sides heaved for breath. Blood streamed down its sides and matted its fur. The men’s eyes glittered dark and deep. They held their spears as steadily as they could.

And Satan watched in envy.

The men closed in as the boar snorted and stamped the ground ready to charge.

Satan knew why this was exciting.

With a last roar of rage, the boar hurled itself forward. The men stood firm, hurling their spears.

They could die, Satan thought. That’s what makes this exciting. They have a game. They have danger. He himself – a creature of light and flame – could never die. Nothing could hurt him.

That night Satan sat at their campfire and shared their meat but it tasted like ash in his mouth. How could he enjoy anything again? For him, everything was so easily gained. To these men, every moment was precious because it could be taken away in a second by the turn of a stag’s antler or a stumble of their horse. That’s what made life sweet.

He took the hunter’s dagger and held it above the flame.

‘I swear that whoever uses this dagger against me shall find that it can take my life,’ he declared and handed it back to the hunter. ‘But whosoever kills me will also die.’

‘I will guard it,’ said the hunter, staring wide-eyed at the stranger at his campfire. ‘I shall keep this dagger a secret. None shall take arms against you, sir.’

‘Oh they will,’ muttered Satan, glancing around at the hunter’s men. Some glanced down, unable to meet his gaze. ‘For men talk. Men boast. Rumours spread. And there will be those who seek the Devil’s Dagger. Those who would gladly die to slay me. Whether for fame and glory or for their weakling God, they will seek that dagger and seek to kill me. That dagger will bring misery to every generation of your family unless you throw it away. For men brag. And none will brag more than those who have supped with the great Satan and lived to tell the tale!’

And with that, he leapt up and ran into the night. Suddenly, Satan felt alive again. Excited. He was mortal – slightly. What a game was this! He could be killed and that made everything sweet.

Edgy frowned. What did this have to do with anything? He turned the book over in his hands. Its cover glittered in the ruddy light. Snakeskin.

A banging at Edgy’s door made Henry bark. Edgy leapt off the bed and swung the door open to be greeted by Sally, pale and serious, arms folded, her head to one side.

‘Look, if it’s about this room –’ Edgy began.

‘Never mind that,’ Sally muttered, giving a cruel grin through clenched teeth. ‘You’re to come with me. The governors want to see you and it’s trouble. I reckon I’ll have me room back within the hour.’

All saint without, all devil within.

Traditional proverb

Chapter Eleven

The Governors

Edgy followed Sally through the silent corridors. Stuffy portraits stared out from the shadows. Henry kept at Edgy’s heel, his ears back, glaring at Sally as she stalked ahead of them. One portrait caught Edgy’s eye. It was filled by a portly-looking gentleman with serious eyebrows and a black fur cloak. The shadows seemed to swirl behind him, shifting somehow as if something lurked there.

Sally glanced back. ‘Don’t gawp at them,’ she snapped. ‘There’s trapped demons in them paintings. Look too hard and the creature inside might leap out and drag you in.’

‘Blimey,’ Edgy said and threw his eyes to the floor. He fell quiet for a while, trying not to look at anything.

‘Oh yeah.’ Sally gave a bitter laugh. ‘Full o’ surprises is the old Society of Daemonologie, I should know. Some charmin’ customers walked these corridors in days gone by, I can tell you.’

Edgy’s stomach turned over.
What are these governors like? What are they going to do?

They stopped at yet another oak-panelled door. Edgy had lost track of the twists and turns of the passages.

Sally drew a breath and knocked twice. A muffled voice bid them enter. Edgy sat Henry down outside and went in.

The governors sat around a long, polished table laden with food. Three men and one woman. He recognised Sokket from their encounter in the exhibition hall, sitting there pulling a sour face at a bunch of grapes. The others were murmuring to Janus, who stood in front of the table. More portraits dotted the panelled walls of this grand room. A large one hung over the glowing fireplace. The sober features of James I stared down at him.

‘The boy, Lord Mauldeth,’ Sally said to the tall, dark gentleman at the centre of the table. She gave Edgy a sharp shove, making him stumble.

‘Thank you, Sally,’ Lord Mauldeth said, looking down his long nose at Edgy. A cat sat on Mauldeth’s lap, as haughty as the lord. ‘Now, boy, tell us your name.’

‘His name’s Edgy Taylor –’ Janus began but a fat, red-faced man sitting next to Mauldeth cut him off.

‘Can’t he speak for himself, Envry?’ the man bellowed, huffing and puffing. ‘He’s got a voice, what?’

‘Very well, Plumphrey.’ Janus inclined his head but Edgy could see flashes of red on his cheeks.

‘My name’s Edgy Taylor, sir,’ he said, his voice sounding dry and squeaky. He felt stupid and small in front of these grand people. Maybe Talon was right and picking up dog dirt off the street was all he was good for. He twitched his head.

‘Can’t you keep still, boy?’ Mauldeth said, as he scratched the cat behind its ears.

‘No, sir. Sorry, sir. It’s just something I do,’ Edgy said, avoiding Mauldeth’s gaze. Edgy didn’t like him already.

‘Probably brought cholera in with him off the street,’ grumbled Sokket, heaving a huge sigh. ‘Or some other malady. Wouldn’t be surprised if we’re all dead by dawn.’

‘Don’t be so melodramatic, Mortesque,’ said the lady next to him.

She easily filled her end of the table, looking taller and wider than any of the men in the room. Her wiry brown hair stuck out in all directions, a wild curly mass that she had obviously tried but failed to contain with pins and bands. She struck Edgy as being brown in every way – brown eyes, brown skin, brown tweed clothes. She reminded him of a huge tree.

‘Don’t worry, Edgy. We’re pleased to meet you,’ she said. ‘I’m sure Envry has a very good reason for ossifying three demons and bringing you into our midst.’

‘He always does, Professor Milberry,’ Plumphrey said, slapping the table, his moustache bristling. ‘That’s the trouble!’

‘Yes, little brother, do tell us.’ Lord Mauldeth’s sharp features twisted into a smirk. He snapped a biscuit in half. ‘Why did you compromise the security of the Royal Society so flagrantly?’

‘I believe the boy may be useful,’ Janus said, ignoring Mauldeth’s accusation. His neck was red too now, Edgy noticed.

‘Hmmph,’ snorted Sokket. ‘You said that about the last one and look what happened to him –’

‘Bernard.’ Milberry’s brow creased into concerned furrows.

‘What?’ asked Sokket, obviously confused.

‘He had a name,’ Milberry snapped back. ‘Bernard Green.’

Edgy’s stomach churned again as he thought of the boy crumpled in the mud of the street.
Bernard Green
.

‘Yes, well. A simple case of carelessness crossing the street,’ Janus said, shaking his head. ‘That wasn’t my fault.’

‘No, it never is,’ Sokket muttered, ‘but someone always ends up dead, don’t they?’

‘That’s not fair,’ Janus said.

The room fell silent for a second. Edgy tried to swallow but his throat felt so dry that he ended up coughing and spluttering.

‘And then there’s the budget,’ Plumphrey said, sitting back heavily in his chair and making Edgy jump. ‘We’ll have to pay for the last one’s funeral, y’know. And then can we afford to feed another mouth? Do you realise the size of the food bill for this month alone?’

‘Yes, well, if you insist on collecting demons of gluttony, then we will be eaten out of house and home, won’t we?’ Janus said. His whole face glowed red now. ‘You only collect them because it’s so easy. All you do is invite them to a slap-up meal and then clap the irons on them!’

‘How dare you?!’ Plumphrey roared, jumping to his feet and knocking his chair backwards. The cat leapt from Mauldeth’s lap. Sokket just shook his head and threw the grapes down in disgust.

‘Gentlemen.’ Milberry held up her hands, casting a shadow over Plumphrey. ‘We should conduct ourselves as fellows of the Royal Society. This is not some public house to brawl in.’

‘Apologies, Anawald,’ Plumphrey coughed. ‘But he’s always mocking my collection.’

‘Envry.’ Milberry raised her eyebrows at Janus. ‘You said the boy might be useful. Tell us how.’

‘Yes.’ Janus straightened his waistcoat down and gave an embarrassed cough. ‘I found the boy, having tracked down Thammuz, Scourge of the Innocents, captain of twelve demon legions.’

Edgy frowned at Janus. He’d never heard Talon described in that way.

‘We are aware of Thammuz’s status,’ Mauldeth cut in, picking up a glass of port. ‘The boy was with him?’

‘He was,’ Janus said, ‘and – what’s more – Edgy has demon sight.’

Edgy stared, blank-faced, at the panel of governors who leaned forward as one and raised their eyebrows at him as if they’d been told he could juggle live canaries.

‘So you can see demons, can you, boy?’ Plumphrey asked, twisting his moustache.

‘I think so, sir.’ Edgy’s voice sounded croaky again.

‘Can you see
all
demons?’ Mauldeth said, rotating his glass and staring at it through the candlelight.

‘Well, I could see Mr Talon, the one you called Tha . . . mmuz, all red like and with horns. He’d get proper angry and beat me, you see, sir.’

‘Well, well, a demon with a bit of respect for discipline at last.’ Mauldeth grinned.

Edgy didn’t see anything funny. He looked away from Lord Mauldeth, trying to ignore the sting of tears in the corner of his eye.

‘And the ones that chased me,’ Edgy said, coughing roughly. ‘I could see them quite plain, sir.’

‘Ah, yes, Janus ossified them too.’ Mauldeth raised an eyebrow at his brother.

‘One thing at a time, Mauldeth. How do you think he’s come by this talent, then, Envry?’ Sokket’s codfish mouth drooped as he sniffed in Edgy’s direction.

‘I don’t know yet.’ Janus shrugged. ‘He’s not a demon himself, so far as I can tell.’

Almost in unison, the panel donned the red-lensed spectacles that Edgy had seen Janus wear earlier. They stared hard, looking him up and down. He coughed and looked at the floor, trying not to meet their gaze.

‘These are Hades Lenses, Edgy,’ Milberry explained, smiling and lifting her spectacles so he could see her warm brown eyes. ‘Some demons disguise themselves as humans – well, as all kinds of things really, cats and goats, even teapots and saucepans. The lenses can see through most glamour spells that demons use. We don’t need them inside the Society as most demons reveal their true nature to us here but outside it’s a different matter.’