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."Hewouldn't feel safe while resting, even in the hive.But Jack isn't going toknow it.I'm afraid that we're going to have find it ourselves.""We are, huh?""Yes." Lyris's eyes narrowed, "And I'm willing to bet that I know whereone entrance is.""The sado's love nest," Roman guessed."Makes sense, doesn't it? He'd have wanted to spend the night withCaitlin, not traveling to and from the city.He wouldn't have anythingconnected directly to the hive.His lair would be someplace remote,hidden.Probably not the cemetery, but someplace nearby.""So, we go back to lovely Toujours Perdrix?" Roman jacked in hisportable computer and lifted the lid."Yes, I'm afraid so.""Tonight?" Roman asked.He knew the answer."He's more likely to be out and about at night.""So are the other nasties.""I know, but I'd really rather not visit when he's in residence.Call me acoward, but I'm not certain I could rifle his effects for clues with himsleeping nearby.And that's assuming he does sleep during the day.Hemight not.His being a goblin could change things.""If that makes you a coward, then so am I," Roman agreed.Heshuddered."I don't think I could do that either.If Quede and I nevermeet, it will still be too soon." He looked at his laptop."Well, there'snothing useful here from Jack.He says he's sending a care package&timed to arrive tomorrow at two p.m.at the UPS station.So, I guess we goin as is.""Sorry.""Don't be.This isn't your fault.We'll leave as soon as I finish my set atthe club.If you're still tired, why don't you try and catch another nap whileI'm gone?""I'm okay," Lyris said.Then she smiled."Anyway, it's my turn to cook.""You cook? Why didn't you say so before?" Roman laid a hand over hisheart.He was careful to keep what he was really feeling out of his voice:"I've found the girl of my dreams at last!"Lyris looked down quickly, perhaps sensing that he was telling her thetruth and not knowing how to react."Maybe you should reserve judgmentuntil you've tasted things.I said I cooked, not that I cooked well.""Darn.There's always a catch," Roman complained.Chapter ElevenThe kudzu epidemic had gotten worse, perhaps because of all the rain, andpoison sumac had also taken up residence in the cracks in the walls.Itstriplets of leaves dripped with clear poison that stung when it touched theskin.Lyris could hear her grandmother saying, "Leaves of three, let it be."Somewhere in the world there was probably someone who would find thisscene attractive, but he'd have to be a connoisseur of death,disintegration, and decay.She and Roman didn't bother with the upstairs floors this time.Quede'slair would be underground.It took some effort to push through the vines,but they soon found what they were looking for.The door to the basement was a tantalizing dare, old, huge, and heavy.Its old lock looked like it had rusted shut a decade ago, but someone hadrecently installed a new one.Fortunately, they had not installed newhinges at the same time, and the wood around the old hasps was rottenenough to dig through with a soupspoon."Goblin sloppiness triumphs again." Lyris began to draw back her leg,preparing to give the thing an experimental kick, when Romaninterrupted."Please, allow me.I'm good at this," he said.Slashing out, he gave abrutal kick that would have made a mule proud.The spongy door broke in half.A second kick had Lyris and Roman justoutside the opening and staring down the dark, uneven stairs.Lyris kepther eyes open and tried not to think about spiders.Or Quede.Or that itwas dark and tight and gravelike in there."What's wrong?" Roman asked."Did I mention that I'm just a little bit claustrophobic?""Uh, no.How claustrophobic?""Just a little.I'll be fine."Lyris stepped through the broken door and started down the stairs, veryaware that they were probably below sea level.The walls held most of thegroundwater at bay, but cold fluid was everywhere, in pools on the floor,glittering on the rough walls that ran green with slime, bubbling out oftiny crevices, and rushing softly, slyly, in the distance beyond theirflashlight."A subterranean river?""He's got to have some way to travel below-ground between here andthe city.Why not a river? Goblins like the damp.""I guess.It's just a little Phantom of the Operaish."They stepped deeper into the room, and Lyris looked around.It took amoment for her to make out the gray lumps on the floor.There was noway to know when the gruesome slaughter or slaughters had takenplace, but it was long enough ago that no vibration of the horror was leftin the air and the ghosts had all departed."I wonder if they'll ever turn into mulch like a body should.They looklike rubber or something.""Messy eater," Roman commented."But then, being goblin as well asvampire, Quede would want his pound of flesh.And bone," he joked."I know he's a vampire and a goblin& but how can he stand this? Imean, these are the deadest-looking people I've seen," Lyris whispered,eyes moving quickly about."It's like more than their lives were sucked outof them.And this place is awful worse than I expected.The very earth isdead and rotting.No wonder there are no goblins around.Only the lifelesscould tolerate such a state of affairs.""Well, you know what the real estate people say.Location, location,location.This is a perfect getaway for the undead." His voice changed tothat of a broker: "With the beautiful stench of death, new owners are sureto thank King Quede of New Orleans for all the work he's put in on thisunique fixer-upper." Roman's voice returned to normal."At least, I'mdoubtful these people left instructions in their wills to have their remainsdumped here under this rotting mansion.They were brought.""Whatever," Lyris said."I'm not blaming the dead.Let's move on.There's nothing useful here.I don't think anyone has been in here for along, long time.Let's do this and get out!" She turned and walked towardthe low, arching tunnel on the far side of the room."Look, I wouldn't count on that.Just because these bones feel old, itdoesn't mean that '" Roman began to lecture.Suddenly, Lyris's way was blocked by a wall of flesh.The creature whostepped in front of her had almost no space between its eyebrow andthere appeared to be only one and its hairline.Lyris stared in shock at the shallow, ridged brainpan and tried to makehasty judgments about what to do.Normally, she would have offered toshake hands with a stranger, but this time she was not inclined to do that.She had always prided herself on being broad-minded and accepting ofother species, but it was difficult to remain nonjudgmental when the thingopened its mouth and gave a whiff of its blood-clotted breath.The suddenappearance of an Uzi, which it pointed at her, pretty much decided Lyristhat this wasn't one of the angels and it was okay not to want to be friends."Come now," it ordered."No." The word was a denial, not a refusal.Lyris knew she should move run, lash out, do something but the sight of the Uzi moving toward herchest paralyzed her.Trolls did not usually use guns.It was like having ahorse or dog suddenly pull a knife.In other words, it was abnormal andher brain didn't know how to react.It took Roman a commendably shorter period of time to reach thissame unhappy conclusion, and he responded more appropriately.Lessthan three seconds after the gun appeared, Lyris was thrust aside and thevillainous troll was dealt a deadly kick to the head.Its skull reshaped as itsfat neck broke like a stalk of wet wood.Having fallen to the floor herself,Lyris had a plain view of the troll's remodeled head hanging at an oddangle as he crashed to the earth.She stared for a moment, stupidly waiting for something to happen."Are you okay?" Roman asked."Yes," she said, even before she knew it was true.Then: "I think so."After a blow to the head, basic consciousness returned first [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]