Chapter Six
MAKING A DEAL WITH SOMETHING
OLDER THAN THE DEVIL
X X X
Daniel drove slowly through the London streets, and anyone else on the road with any sense got the hell out of his way. Daniel was so tired he could barely see where he was going, and Tina was so tired she didn’t care. One of Daniel’s eyes was stuck shut with dried blood, and he could barely feel the steering wheel under his hands or the pedals under his feet. His whole body was one great pulse of pain. All through the long nightmare drive, Daniel could never give his full attention to the road ahead because he had to keep concentrating on Tina’s harsh breathing at his side. In case it stopped.
Eventually the new Jekyll & Hyde Inc. building loomed up before him, and he hauled the steering wheel all the way over and slammed on the brakes. The engine stuttered and stalled, and Daniel’s hands dropped onto his lap, their work done. Tina rocked limply in the seat beside him, only held in place by her seat belt.
Daniel just sat there for a while, breathing harshly, and then he remembered why he’d fought so hard to get where he was. He snapped his seat belt in two when his numb hands couldn’t work the clasp, and shouldered his door open. He hauled himself out of the car, coughed painfully, and spat a mouthful of blood onto the sidewalk. It felt like more than one thing inside him was broken. The world swayed sickly around him as he worked his way around the front of the car, forcing himself on despite everything his injuries could do to slow him. Because Tina needed him. He managed to open her door, but had to rip her seat belt away when it wouldn’t cooperate. He eased her out as gently as he could, but he must have hurt her anyway because she cried out and tried to fight him. Her eyes were half open, but she didn’t seem to see him.
Daniel got his feet planted firmly under him to make sure he could support her weight, and then got her moving. Tina’s feet dragged as she lurched along, and he was half carrying her by the time they reached the lobby doors. He caught a brief glimpse of their reflection in the lobby windows: two half-dead scarecrows in ragged clothes soaked with blood. Wounded bodies with torn faces. He snarled defiantly back, hit the lobby door with a lowered shoulder, and staggered inside.
Everyone stopped what they were doing to stare in horror at the new arrivals. Battered and bloodied, beaten and broken in every way there was, Daniel had made it back. He stood like a hounded beast brought to bay, his blood pattering steadily onto the polished floor. His determination had brought him this far, because he had to save Tina, but now his strength just ran away, like the last sand in an hourglass. He couldn’t force out another step. Tina hung limply at his side, her head hanging down, only on her feet because Daniel was damned if he would let her go. He peered blearily around the lobby with his one good eye, and when he raised his voice it sounded like the howl of some tortured animal.
“Armorer! Armorer!”
Some of the people in the lobby started forward to help, jolted out of their shock by the anguish in his voice, only to stop immediately when Patricia yelled at them to get out of her way. She came striding through the lobby, and Daniel focused on the gleaming hypo in her hand. The one thing he’d been concentrating on, all the way across London. He allowed himself to feel the first faint stirrings of hope. Patricia came to a halt before him.
“Tina,” said Daniel, forcing the words out. “Help her.”
“Of course,” said Patricia. “That’s why I’m here.”
The armorer blasted Tina in the neck with the hypo, and then moved quickly on to dose Daniel. Lighting surged through his broken body, scouring out all the pain and weakness. His back slowly straightened and his head came up, as the pick-me-up put him back together again. Dried blood cracked and split apart as his eye forced itself open, and the first thing Daniel did was look at Tina. Her legs were slowly firming beneath her, and her breathing deepened and steadied as the light came back into her eyes. She pushed herself away from Daniel, so she could stand on her own. They looked at each other, taking in their tattered state and healed wounds; and then they both laughed—a wild and savage sound, of survival and triumph over everything that had tried so hard to kill them.
Daniel felt like he could punch out a charging bull, and then rip its head off and eat it raw. He flexed his arms and stamped his feet, savoring the feel of a body back in full working order. And yet a small part of him couldn’t help realizing that the healing had taken longer than it had the first time—either because he and Tina had been hurt so very badly, or because they were getting used to the stuff. Daniel hadn’t realized how much he’d come to depend on the Hail Mary hypo, until it was all he could think of on his desperate trip across London. Now he was thinking clearly again, he knew he should have relied on Hyde strength and resources to see them through. He and Tina had been hurt far worse on the rooftop, and they’d come back from that without any outside help.
Daniel nodded his thanks to Patricia, even as he quietly decided he and Tina couldn’t afford to rely on the armorer’s magic pick-me-up. It made them far too dependent on her. He had to wonder whether that had been Patricia’s plan all along, to give her control over him and Tina.
His thoughts were interrupted when Tina whooped loudly, and slapped him so hard on the back he rocked on his feet.
“Damn, I feel good!” she said cheerfully. “How did we get here?” And then she stopped, and looked accusingly at Daniel. “Were you carrying me?”
“Only for a while,” he said. He could tell he was grinning all over his face, and didn’t give a damn.
Tina reached out a hand and brushed away the dried blood on his face, and he did the same for her.
“How are you both feeling?” said Patricia, businesslike as ever.
“Fine!” Tina said immediately. “Couldn’t be better!” Because she could never admit weakness to anyone.
Patricia took a good look at the ragged remains of Tina’s dress, and shook her head.
“I don’t have anything in a hypo that could put that right.”
Tina frowned. “What are you talking about?”
“Aren’t you finding it just a bit drafty?” said Daniel, trying for tact. “It’s only the dried blood that’s holding what’s left of your dress together. In fact, I would have to say there is rather a lot of you on open display, just at the moment.”
Tina looked down at herself, and then flashed Daniel a smile. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”
She threw back her shoulders and took a deep breath, and her bosom thrust itself through the front of her dress. Several young men, and a few young women, blushed fiercely and had to turn away.
“We need to get you both decently covered,” said Patricia. “This is a respectable organization.”
“Since when?” said Tina. She looked at Patricia, still wearing the same black blouse over black slacks, and sniffed loudly. “Like you’re in any position to hand out fashion advice. You’re just feeling outclassed.”
“Let’s try to talk nicely to the woman who just saved our lives,” said Daniel.
Tina tried to pull the rags and tatters of her dress together, and swore loudly as it almost fell apart in her hands. “This was the best outfit I’ve had in ages! Look what those oversized insects have done to it! I want to go back there and kill every one of them all over again!”
Patricia sighed quietly, raised a hand, and snapped her fingers imperiously.
“Joyce!”
A young woman in basic T-shirt and jeans came hurrying forward to stand quivering at Patricia’s side, eager to be put to use.
“Take them to the tailors,” said Patricia. She turned back to the Hydes, and gave them her best long-suffering look. “Once you’ve been kitted out in something suitable, you can come and see me in my office on the top floor.”
“You have an office?” said Daniel. “Already?”
“How else am I going to get things done?” said Patricia. “Now get out of here, and stop cluttering up my nice new lobby.”
She spun on her heel and went straight back to work, firing orders at anyone who didn’t get out of her way fast enough.
“A hard woman to dislike,” said Daniel, “but worth the effort.”
“Trust me,” said Tina, “it’s no effort at all.”
Daniel turned to the young woman standing before them.
“Joyce, isn’t it?”
“Yes sir. Joyce Harper. At your service.”
“Take us to the tailors,” said Daniel, “before we have to start charging people for the free show.”
“They should feel privileged,” said Tina, taking a deep breath and making several people walk into each other.
Joyce sprinted for the elevators at the rear of the lobby. She was almost halfway there before she realized Daniel and Tina weren’t following her. She stumbled to a halt and looked back, confused at being prevented from carrying out the armorer’s orders as quickly as possible. Daniel gestured for her to return and she did so, just a bit reluctantly.
“It’s not a race, Joyce,” Daniel said kindly. “And Tina and I don’t feel like one anyway, after the day we’ve had. Just lead the way at a steady pace, and we’ll bring up the rear in our own time.”
Tina glared at him. “I feel fine! I do not need to be treated like an invalid!”
“We’re making a point,” Daniel said calmly. “First, that it might be wise to pace ourselves for a while, and second; that we don’t run anywhere at the armorer’s orders.”
“Why would we need to pace ourselves?” said Tina. “We’re Hydes!”
“We have no idea what’s in the stuff the armorer has been giving us,” Daniel said quietly. “Or how long its effects will last.”
Tina nodded reluctantly. That answer appealed to her natural paranoia.
Joyce had been listening in with such concentration she was actually leaning forward. When she picked up on the implications of what Daniel was saying, she appeared genuinely shocked that anyone would even think of questioning whatever the armorer proposed.
“Is there a problem?” said Daniel.
“You can trust Patricia!” said Joyce. “She’s the armorer!”
“So?” said Tina.
“She brought us all back together!” said Joyce, bouncing on her toes in her eagerness to get the point across. “She gave us a purpose, and made us feel good about ourselves again!”
“So you worked here before,” said Daniel. “When Edward was in charge.”
Joyce nodded quickly. “You wouldn’t remember me. I was very minor.”
“But you remember us,” said Tina.
Joyce brightened immediately. “Oh yes! We all thought you were so glamorous! Being Hydes, and going off on missions, and fighting monsters! We all wanted to be you!”
“Well,” said Tina, sounding just a little mollified. “That’s more like it.”
“Take us to the tailors, Joyce,” said Daniel. “At a civilized speed.”
Joyce nodded quickly and set off again for the elevators, occasionally glancing back over her shoulder to make sure she wasn’t going too fast. Daniel and Tina strolled after her, smiling graciously on the little people toiling industriously around them. No one smiled back.
“I’m not seeing much hero worship in the general population,” Daniel said quietly to Tina.
“They just need to get to know us better,” said Tina.
“They’d have nightmares,” said Daniel.
“Good,” said Tina.
Normally the Hydes would have sprinted up the back stairs and arrived at the first floor not even out of breath, but Daniel felt like being cautious for a while. He and Tina might have bounced back from the horrific beating they’d taken, but couldn’t help feeling that at some point a price would have to be paid. And it worried him that he had no idea what that might be. There was a certain tension in the elevator, as they all stood quietly thinking their separate thoughts, and then Joyce led the Hydes along an eerily quiet and deserted first floor to the door marked Tailors. Daniel nodded to her graciously.
“Thank you for your assistance, Joyce. We can take it from here.”
Joyce’s head bobbed, and then she was off and running back to the elevator, so she could hurry back down to the lobby and be ordered around some more by the armorer.
“I think our little friend has a crush on Patricia,” said Tina.
“Let’s hope that’s all it is,” said Daniel. “For all we know Patricia has been dosing the workforce with her very own happy-happy, joy-joy stuff. She does seem to have taken charge around here surprisingly quickly.”
Tina shrugged. “If she wants to do all the hard work, let her.”
Daniel looked at the door before them, and then glanced up and down the corridor.
“You know, the tailors appear to be in exactly the same position as they used to be in the old building.”
“That’s odd,” said Tina. “Why would Patricia arrange for everything to be exactly as it was before?”
“We must make a point of asking her that,” said Daniel. “When we visit her in her nice new office.”
He barged through the tailors’ door without knocking, and found himself facing familiar rows of ready-made clothes, in every size and style. Blank-faced dummies showed off all manner of colorful bits and pieces, like guests at some very informal party. Long shelves were stuffed with hats and gloves and every fashionable accessory under the sun, while foam heads modeled a wide variety of wigs. The tailors offered clothes, outfits, and designs for every conceivable occasion, because you never know who you might be sent out to kill.
Daniel and Tina were suddenly ambushed by two very familiar figures: the same grim-faced types who used to work for Edward, still wearing the old-fashioned mourning outfits that always made Daniel think of undertakers. They swarmed all over Daniel and Tina with flailing tape measures, and then ripped off the remains of their clothes with brisk impersonal motions. The tailors dropped the bloody remnants into disposal bags with professional distaste, and then disappeared with them into the shadows, leaving Daniel and Tina standing in their underwear.
Daniel stared after them, turned to say something to Tina, and then stopped. She stood there tall and splendid, and apparently not in the least discommoded, like Diana the Huntress in designer black underwear. Wide-shouldered and richly curved, she looked like a goddess come down to slum it with mortals, just for the hell of it.
Tina looked Daniel over, tall and broad and muscular, in his white jockies and gray socks. Daniel instinctively started to pull in his stomach, and then remembered he didn’t have to. He was a Hyde now.
Tina smiled suddenly. “Not tonight, dear. I have an all-over ache.”
“Same here,” said Daniel. “Our wounds may have healed, but I’m not sure my body believes it. You know, we are lucky to be alive.”
“Of course I know,” said Tina. “I was there. But we’re fine now. Aren’t we?”
“Patricia’s pick-me-up did its usual excellent job,” said Daniel. “But at some point we need to find out what’s in it, and where Patricia gets it from.”
“At some point,” Tina agreed. “But for now, don’t look a gift armorer in the mouth.”
Daniel started to say something, but she stopped him with a look.
“Change the subject.”
“Given that the Bug-Eyed Monsters reduced our old outfits to so many bits and pieces,” Daniel said carefully, “I’m amazed your underwear was able to survive entirely unscathed.”
“I have them specially made,” said Tina. “Because a girl can’t be too careful, when she’s a Hyde.”
The two tailors suddenly appeared out of nowhere, thrust bundles of new clothes into the Hydes’ arms, and disappeared back into the shadows before they could be asked any questions.
“Why do they always do that?” said Tina.
“Maybe they’re shy,” said Daniel.
“Maybe they’re not entirely human.”
“Wouldn’t surprise me,” said Daniel. “Jekyll & Hyde Inc. has always been an equal opportunity employer.”
He put on the new pair of baggy gray slacks, starched white shirt, tweed jacket, some freshly polished black shoes, and a spotted bow tie—though in the end Tina had to tie that properly for him.
“Fumble fingers,” she said, not unkindly.
“It was all clip-ons, when I was younger,” said Daniel. “But, bow ties are cool. The Traveling Doctor said so.”
Tina slipped into a gleaming white pants suit, lavender blouse, and studded black leather choker. She looked at the pair of sneakers she’d been given, and then threw them the length of the room with such force they slammed into the far wall.
“Sneakers?” she said loudly. “Hydes don’t do sneakers!”
There was barely a pause before a pair of white plastic stilettos sailed out of the shadows to land at her feet.
“Well,” said Tina. “That’s more like it.”
She put them on, pointed her toes this way and that to judge the effect, and then nodded briskly. She moved over to a tall standing mirror to admire her new look, and Daniel moved in beside her.
“I’m not sure this is really me,” Daniel said finally.
“Or me,” said Tina. “But needs must when an alien hoard stamps you into the ground.”
“We could always think of our new outfits as disguises,” said Daniel.
“I will if you will,” said Tina.
They took the elevator to the top floor, trying not to wince as it played an easy listening version of Motörhead’s “Ace of Spades” all the way up. The Hydes’ footsteps sounded loud and confident as they strode along the empty corridor, but even though Daniel kept his eyes and ears open he didn’t pick up anything to suggest anyone else had taken up residence on the top floor. He located the armorer’s office easily enough, because it had a big brass plaque on the door, saying Armorer. He looked at it thoughtfully.
“I’m pretty sure this is in exactly the same place as Edward’s office, in the old building. Is Patricia trying to send some kind of message? Meet the new boss, same as the old boss?”
“I’m more concerned with where she got the nerve to put up a brass plaque,” said Tina. “Because there’s nothing that says I’m in charge and don’t you forget it like a brass plaque on a door.”
“I told you she had her own agenda,” said Daniel.
“You think that about everyone,” said Tina.
“And I’m usually right. Come, my dear, let us favor our armorer with the pleasure of our company.”
“Let’s,” said Tina, grinning like a wolf.
They didn’t bother to knock. Tina just kicked the door open, and they strode in. The door rather spoiled the effect by easing to a halt and then closing itself quietly behind them. The armorer’s office was packed with sinfully luxurious furniture and fittings, the carpeting was thick enough to muffle even the most determined of footsteps, and the art on the walls gave every appearance of being the real thing—in a dull and unadventurous sort of way. Daniel didn’t even want to think how much all of this must have cost. Patricia sat behind a sturdy office desk and stared calmly at her visitors, apparently entirely unmoved by their sudden appearance. Daniel arranged himself as comfortably as possible on a visitor’s chair, while Tina slumped down beside him, not even trying to look interested in why they were there.
The first thing that caught Daniel’s eye was the big steel safe he and Tina had dug out of the wall of Edward’s office, in the old building. It had been set down right next to Patricia’s desk, with the door left hanging open—as though to make it clear the safe and all its secrets now belonged to Patricia. Daniel considered it thoughtfully. The only thing of value he’d found in the safe was Edward’s file on the aliens, but given that Patricia had felt the safe important enough to have it transferred to her office, Daniel had to wonder if he might have missed something. Unless that was what he was supposed to think, to keep him distracted and off-balance.
“I like the new outfits,” said Patricia.
Tina scowled at her. “Tell me you didn’t choose them.”
“I never interfere in other departments’ decisions,” said Patricia.
“Yeah, right,” said Tina.
“Play nicely, ladies,” said Daniel, and then stopped talking when they both looked at him.
He sat back in his chair and let them try to out-glare each other, while he gave some thought to the situation. Could Patricia be using the Hydes as her personal foot soldiers, to establish her authority in the eyes of the world? And if that was the case, he had to wonder what would happen when Patricia decided she didn’t need her pet Hydes anymore. He suddenly realized it had gone very quiet in the office, and looked up to find Tina and Patricia staring at him.
“Whatever the question was, I missed it,” he said easily. “Not that it matters. I don’t do questions.”
“We were talking about how an entire warehouse could disappear from Woolwich Docks,” Patricia said coldly. “You were sent to deal with the Bug-Eyed Monsters base, not create a whole new talking point for the conspiracy theorists.”
“We dealt with the insects,” said Daniel. “They are dead and gone and won’t be coming back.”
“But was it really necessary to be so ostentatious?” said Patricia.
Tina bristled. “Things got complicated, all right? All that matters is we kicked major Bug-Eyed Monster arse, and the whole base has gone bye-bye. Game over, and a big tick in the Screw you, aliens column.”
Daniel cleared his throat loudly, to bring Patricia’s attention back to him.
“Since you have all these agents out in the field, informing you on everything that’s going on, perhaps you can tell us where to look for the next alien base.”
Patricia raised an elegant eyebrow. “Are you sure you’re ready to go back to work? You have been through a lot.”
“We’re Hydes,” said Daniel. “We don’t break, no matter how hard the world hits us.”
“I did see the extent of your injuries, before my little pick-me-up did its work,” said Patricia.
“We would have bounced back,” said Daniel. “It’s what we do.”
“And you are the one who keeps telling us that time is not on our side,” said Tina.
“It really isn’t,” said Patricia. “But . . .”
“Put the buts on hold,” said Daniel. “We have work to do.”
“Who’s next?” Tina said briskly. “Greys or Reptiloids? I vote Reptiloids. I could use a new set of luggage.”
Patricia opened a drawer in her desk, brought out a very familiar-looking file, and leafed slowly through it.
“I’ve been studying the information Edward left behind. Did you get as far as the section on the Elder Ones?”
“We didn’t have much time with the file, before we were violently interrupted,” said Daniel.
“Who are the Elder Ones?” said Tina, frowning. “More aliens?”
“The Earth has been visited many times, by many different species,” said Patricia. “So often I sometimes wonder if we’re just one stop on a coach tour. The Big Four are simply the most dangerous new arrivals. The Elder Ones came here long before any of the others. Also known as Lords of the Outer Dark, the Forbidden Ones, and the Unfolding Terror. I’m guessing they didn’t choose those names themselves.”
“When did they arrive here?” said Tina.
“Before human history had even stuck its first toe in the water,” said Patricia. She tapped the page before her with a thoughtful fingertip. “There’s not much actual information here—it’s mostly ancient legends from people trying to get their heads around something that was always going to be too much for them. Basically, the Elder Ones came here from beyond the stars, and possibly from another reality. So huge and powerful our ancestors worshipped them as gods . . . until finally the Elder Ones fell or were forced from power. They’re supposed to be sleeping deep in the Earth, like ancient unexploded bombs. But if they could be safely awakened, they might make useful allies against our current alien threats.”
“The Elder Ones don’t sound like something we should disturb,” said Daniel. “If they’re as powerful as you say, they could pose a greater threat to Humanity than all the Big Four put together.”
“Right,” said Tina. “Once you’ve been worshipped as gods, it must be hard to settle for anything less. And anyway, do we really need allies? Daniel and I shut down two alien bases all on our own.”
“And nearly died doing it,” said Patricia.
“Hydes don’t die,” said Tina. “We just regroup in Hell and come out fighting for the second half.”
“There’s more to it than that,” said Daniel. “It’s not enough to just destroy the alien bases. We have to scare them enough that they won’t even think about coming back.” He switched his gaze to Patricia, and looked at her meaningfully. “Of course, it would help if we had some decent weapons from the armory.”
“Trust me,” said Patricia, “we don’t have anything that could affect the Elder Ones.”
“Something must have prized their grip off the Earth,” said Daniel.
Patricia nodded, accepting the point. “I’ll do some research.”
“In the meantime,” said Tina, “we want weapons that will kick Grey and Reptiloid arse.”
“Guns,” said Daniel. “Something so appallingly powerful and devastatingly nasty that they will wipe the smile off any alien face.”
“When you get back, we’ll take a stroll through the armory,” said Patricia. “And you can help yourselves to whatever takes your fancy.”
“Hold it,” said Tina. “When we get back from where?”
Patricia folded her hands together on the file and leaned forward across her desk. “Like it or not . . . We can’t hope to kick the Big Four off Earth completely, without the help of the Elder Ones.”
Daniel looked at her narrowly. “Are you saying you know where to look for these sleeping ancient alien god things?”
“No,” said Patricia. “But according to Edward’s file, there are people who know, and can arrange contact.”
“Renfields,” said Tina.
“Exactly,” said Patricia. “However, I’m afraid all the file has to offer is an address in London.”
“Of course,” said Daniel. “It would have to be London.”
“How are we supposed to get these Renfields on our side?” said Tina.
“Make them see it’s in their best interests to send the Big Four home, crying their eyes out,” said Patricia. “If being reasonable doesn’t work, feel free to try bribes, blackmail, and threats.”
“That is the Hyde way,” said Tina.
“Offer them anything you think they might want,” said Patricia. “We can decide afterward whether we’re going to deliver it.”
Daniel scowled. “I’m not good at lying to people.”
“That’s all right,” said Tina. “I am.”
The armorer slid a card across the table to Daniel. “This is an address for the oldest gentleman’s club in London: the Albion.” Patricia paused thoughtfully. “I can’t tell you who’s in charge these days. They’ve gone to great pains to stay off the radar. And if my people can’t dig out the truth, they must be good.”
“We are going to have to have a talk about these people of yours, at some point,” said Daniel.
“At some point,” said Patricia.
Tina scowled at her. “Why are you so determined to keep secrets from us?”
“Because not all my secrets are mine to share,” said Patricia.
“We are the heads of Jekyll & Hyde Inc.,” said Daniel. “By right of having killed the previous head.”
“You are the cutting edge of the organization,” said Patricia. “The part that gets things done. I represent the support structure, that makes what you do possible.”
“But you still won’t tell us what we need to know,” said Tina.
“Because you don’t need to know,” said Patricia.
Daniel and Tina looked at each other, and then rose to their feet. They each took a firm hold on different ends of Patricia’s desk and then tore it in two, with a great screeching of rending wood. They then threw the separate halves at opposite walls with such force they cracked the plaster before falling to the floor. Patricia sat perfectly still in her chair.
Tina cracked her knuckles so loudly even Daniel winced, and then smiled brightly at Patricia.
“You work for us, armorer. Not the other way round.”
Patricia looked at her steadily. “Why can’t you just trust me?”
“We have trust issues, when it comes to authority figures,” said Daniel.
Tina took a step toward Patricia, and then stopped as the armorer held up a strange device that appeared in her hand out of nowhere.
“My hypo put you together,” said Patricia. “This can take you apart.”
“And that, right there, is why we have trust issues,” said Daniel.
While Patricia was looking at him, Tina’s hand snapped forward with inhuman speed and snatched the device away from the armorer. She grinned cheerfully at Patricia.
“Want to watch me crush this into pieces?”
Patricia rose quickly to her feet. “That would be a really bad idea. You could turn everything on this floor into ashes.”
“Cool!” said Tina, examining the device interestedly. “Just what we need.” She put the device in her pocket.
“I am on your side,” said Patricia.
“You have an odd way of showing it,” said Daniel.
“We all want to see the big, bad aliens kicked off the Earth,” said Patricia. “I can help make that happen. Any other issues we might have . . . we can work on.”
Daniel and Tina shared a look, shrugged pretty much in unison, and sat down again. Patricia sat down facing them, and everyone ignored the fact that they didn’t have a desk between them anymore.
“There is something you need to know,” said Daniel.
“I’m listening,” said Patricia.
Slowly and carefully, Daniel made a full report on what the Bug-Eyed Monsters had been doing in their base: the human abductions, and what the insects had done with the bodies. Sometimes his voice failed him, and then Tina would fill in until Daniel felt able to continue. When they were done, Patricia nodded.
“I’ll have my people track down the human support structures, and put an end to them.”
“Kill them all,” said Tina.
“That is the plan,” said Patricia.
“I don’t see that we have any further business,” said Daniel. “It’s time we were going.”
“Things to meet, people to do,” said Tina. “You know how it is.”
The Hydes rose to their feet. Daniel gave Patricia one final look.
“I won’t make any deal with the Albion that I’m not happy with. And when we get back, either you supply us with the weapons we need, or Tina and I will break into the armory and take them for ourselves.”
“What he said,” said Tina. “Only with a lot more menace.”
They turned their backs on the armorer and strode out of the office, shutting the door firmly behind them. They then walked a fair way down the corridor before either of them said anything.
“I suppose that went as well as could be expected,” said Daniel. “Do you think she was intimidated, or impressed?”
“Not even a little bit,” said Tina. “We’ll just have to try harder.”
“Her reaction was very interesting,” said Daniel. “Any sane person would have filled their trousers with two Hydes openly threatening them.”
“We do need to get to the bottom of our new armorer,” said Tina.
“When we’ve run out of aliens to kill,” said Daniel.
“Well, that goes without saying,” said Tina. “Are we off to the Albion Club now?”
“Not just yet,” said Daniel. “I think we need to know a little more about what we’re getting into, before we put our heads into the lion’s mouth. I thought I might have a word with my police contact, and see what he can dig up.”
“He’d have to get permission from his superiors just to ask the right questions,” said Tina. “But I know someone who’ll know all there is to know about the Albion, because that’s what he does. Wait till we’re outside the building, and none of Patricia’s people can hear us, and I’ll call him.”
Daniel looked at her admiringly. “You don’t trust anyone, do you?”
“No,” said Tina. “Except you, of course.”
“Nice save,” said Daniel.
X X X
After they’d walked some distance down the street, Tina took out her phone and punched in a number that didn’t officially exist.
“Who is your contact?” said Daniel.
“Alan Diment,” said Tina. “The spy’s spy. Ah;—Alan! This is Tina!” She listened for a moment, and then talked right over him. “Yes, of course I know what time it is, and no I don’t care that I woke you up because Daniel and I haven’t been to sleep at all. Now stir your stumps out of bed, because we need to meet as soon as humanly possible. If you don’t I will come and kick your door in, and after that things will only get worse. This is important. I need information about the Albion Club.” She stopped and listened, smiled briefly, and put the phone away.
“Well?” said Daniel.
“Alan will meet us at a particular bench in Hyde Park,” said Tina.
“Where he will tell us what we need to know?”
“He will if he knows what’s good for him,” Tina said cheerfully.
“It’s good to have friends,” said Daniel.
“I wouldn’t say friend, exactly,” said Tina.
“But you trust him.”
“Not really, no.”
“Then why are we meeting him?” said Daniel.
“Because Alan knows things no one else knows,” said Tina. “That’s his job.”
“Oh,” said Daniel. “One of those. Which department does he work for?”
“Haven’t a clue.”
“Hold everything,” said Daniel. “Why are we meeting at Hyde Park? Is he having a laugh?”
“Alan is not famous for his sense of humor,” said Tina. “Come on—let’s go back and pick up your not-at-all-conspicuous stolen police car, so we can be on our way.”
“Don’t be rude about my car,” said Daniel. “I’m almost sure it drove us back here, when I wasn’t in any condition to.”
“Okay,” said Tina. “That isn’t in any way worrying.”
One reasonably sedate drive across London later—because even though they’d never admit it both Hydes were feeling just a little bit fragile—they ended up outside the main entrance to Hyde Park. Daniel parked the car extremely carelessly, and they went inside.
By now the sun had come up, and it was officially morning. Daniel and Tina strolled along, enjoying the wide-open space and the warm sunshine. The air was rich with the scent of grass and flowers, and it seemed like every bird in London was singing its little heart out.
“I was starting to think the night would never end,” said Daniel.
“It did rather outstay its welcome,” said Tina. “And it is nice to be out and about in the sunlight. We spend too much of our life in the dark.”
“Comes with the job,” said Daniel. “Speaking of which . . . take a look around. Notice anything interesting?”
Tina let her gaze switch back and forth without turning her head. “Rather a lot of people about, for this early in the day.”
“Notice how they have a tendency to drift together, talk quietly for a while, and then break apart and form new groups with other people.”
“All right,” said Tina. “Clearly you know something. Who are these people?”
“Spies, assassins, and all the other twilight souls interested in peddling information,” said Daniel. “Hyde Park has always been a meeting place for people connected to the intelligence game. Because all this space and open air makes it harder to overhear or record conversations. Think of Hyde Park as a clearinghouse for hot secrets and unauthorized gossip, where agents of all kinds can come together to trade insider knowledge. Money and favors change hands, the fate of nations is decided, and everyone gets some healthy exercise.”
“That’s why Alan chose this as our meeting place,” said Tina.
“Wouldn’t surprise me in the least,” said Daniel.
They found the designated bench easily enough, right next to a statue of Peter Pan dueling with Captain Hook. The Hydes sat down and leaned companionably together, as though they were just another couple taking a morning break.
“Where is this friend of yours?” said Daniel, after a while.
“Probably checking us out from a distance,” said Tina. “To make sure we weren’t followed, and haven’t brought anyone with us that he didn’t agree to.”
“You mean he doesn’t trust us?” said Daniel.
“I know,” said Tina. “Shocking, isn’t it?”
Alan Diment finally appeared strolling casually down the path toward them, just another middle-aged man in a smart city suit, enjoying a walk in the park on his way to work. He sat down next to Daniel and Tina and looked out over the view, smiling easily as though he didn’t have a care in the world.
“This had better be important,” he said, without even glancing at the Hydes. “A man my age needs his downtime.”
“You look sharp enough,” said Tina, “for someone who’s just been hauled out of his bed.”
“I am never off duty,” said Alan. “I have to say, you’re both looking very well, considering what happened to you in the Martian and Bug-Eyed Monster bases. After the reports I read, I’m surprised you’re even up and about.”
Tina looked at him narrowly. “Have you got people watching us?”
“Always,” said Alan.
Tina smiled at him. “I’m amazed you have anyone left who’ll agree to go anywhere near me, after what I did to the last batch.”
“I do have to offer them danger money,” Alan admitted.
Tina nodded, satisfied.
“I am very pleased to meet you at last, Daniel,” said Alan. “The man who changed everything!”
Daniel wasn’t sure how to take that. “What did I do?”
“My dear fellow!” said Alan. “You are responsible for the destruction of the monster Clans, and the death of Edward Hyde! You really must tell me how you managed that last one, when you have the time.”
“I was there too,” said Tina, just a bit dangerously.
“Of course you were, my dear,” Alan said quickly. “An invaluable part of everything that happened, I’m sure. My point is that when Daniel appeared on the scene, he knocked over so many dominoes he changed the whole established balance of power.”
“We’re not here to talk about me,” said Daniel.
“We want to know everything you know about the Albion Club,” said Tina.
Alan shot her an admiring glance. “You do pick the most dangerous things to get involved in.”
“Talk,” said Tina.
“Unfortunately, that won’t take long,” said Alan. He crossed his legs casually, and took on a lecturer’s tone. “The Albion was founded during the reign of Elizabeth I, by her Court magician and head spy, Dr. John Dee. The first organized intelligence center in the civilized world. It spent centuries stamping out all kinds of unnatural business, only to find itself left behind in recent years, because of its refusal to embrace the technological advantages of the twentieth century, never mind the twenty-first. These days the Albion is just a watering hole for old spies—somewhere they can sit around and gossip about the good old days.”
“Who runs the Albion now?” said Daniel.
“A very interesting question, my dear Hyde,” said Alan. “The current head is William Dee, latest in a very long line of Dees who have always run the club. Except...this particular Dee has been in place for so long many of us believe it’s merely a code name for a number of people with very good reasons for not wanting to be identified.” He paused, and then looked directly at Daniel and Tina. “There’s only one reason why anyone would want to visit the Albion, and that’s because you’re looking to make contact with the Elder Ones. Something else I know far too little about for my own comfort. There’s never been any solid information on the Elder Ones . . . but if they are still sleeping in the deep, dark places of the earth, the general feeling is that they should be left alone. Children shouldn’t play with gods they don’t believe in.”
“But what are they, really?” said Daniel. “Aliens, supernatural beings, entities that have downloaded themselves from a higher dimension?”
“The truth is probably in there somewhere,” said Alan. “There are many stories about amazing and incredible and appallingly scary things these creatures are supposed to have done, but always set so far in the past that none of them can be confirmed. The Elder Ones have drifted out of history and into legend—and are probably better left that way. Only a fool prods a monster with a stick just to see what kind of noise it will make.”
“Could they be allies, in our fight against the Big Four aliens?” said Daniel.
“If they are what they’re supposed to be, and if you can persuade them to do what you want, it would be like using a tactical nuke to drive a nail into wood.”
“They’re that powerful?” said Daniel.
“At least,” said Alan. “And if you’re not feeling pants-wettingly frightened, I’m not doing my job properly.”
“Any idea where we might go, to look for them?” said Tina.
Alan sighed. “I know I’m speaking because I can feel my lips moving, so why aren’t they listening? No, Tina. No one in my line of business knows where to look, and no one wants to. Let sleeping gods lie, and all that. But if anyone would know . . . it’s William Dee of the Albion Club. His family was supposed to have certain unhealthy connections with the Elder Ones—which only goes to prove that some gods will shag anything. It is possible that Dee might be able to put you in touch with them.”
“Why are you so willing to talk to us about this?” said Daniel.
“Because I am absolutely fascinated to see what you will do next,” said Alan.
“You want the alien bases destroyed, but your bosses don’t want to get involved,” said Daniel. “Because they’re afraid of alien reprisals if you fail. But you’re quite happy to use us, at arm’s length, to get it done for you. And of course if anything should go wrong, we make the perfect scapegoats to blame it on.”
“Couldn’t have put it better myself,” said Alan. He nodded to Tina. “When you’re finished with the Albion we really must get together for lunch, so you can tell me all about it.”
“Have you ever been to the Albion Club?” said Daniel.
Alan stared off into the distance. “They wouldn’t let the likes of me cross their threshold, even if I had a search warrant and a battering ram.”
“I thought you were a man of power and influence?” said Tina.
“Oh, I am,” said Alan. “But the Albion dates back to a time when the spy business was strictly a game for gentlemen. Another reason why they belong in the past. One last piece of advice, my dear Hydes: watch your backs.”
“Are you talking about the Elder Ones, or the Albion?” said Daniel.
“Yes,” said Alan.
“Before you go,” said Daniel. “Who do you work for, exactly?”
“Ah,” said Alan. “That would be telling. Almost certainly no one you’ve ever heard of. They don’t exist, I never came here, we never had this conversation. Have a nice day.”
He rose to his feet and strode off through the park, not looking back. Daniel kept a careful eye on him until he was sure the man couldn’t overhear.
“So that’s your little spy friend.”
“Not friend,” said Tina. “Ally would be closer.”
“He reminds me of my police contact,” said Daniel. “Happy to feed us crumbs of information, in the hope we’ll do their dirty work for them.”
“We’ll just have to find a way to use them to get what we want,” said Tina.
“That is the Hyde way,” said Daniel.
They rose to their feet as though they’d just had enough of the view, and made their way back through the park. And everyone watched the Hydes do it, without actually looking in their direction for more than a moment.
Daniel parked his car highly illegally, in a part of Pall Mal that liked to keep itself to itself. The whole area was the kind of empty that only happens because someone is enforcing it. Daniel and Tina walked down the street until they found a door that deigned to have a visible number, and then they counted their way along to the place they were looking for: a grim and brooding edifice, with three stories of aging stonework and boarded-over windows. The impressively large door had no number, bell, or knocker, just a very discreet brass plaque saying simply The Albion. Carefully positioned to be half hidden in shadows.
“I’m getting a strong feeling of nobody home,” said Tina. “Like everyone just ran away and left the place to look after itself. Possibly because it had accumulated dangerous levels of gloom. I’ll bet even the gargoyles have moved on to another roof.”
“That may be what we’re supposed to think,” said Daniel, “to discourage visitors. What better cover is there, than looking like somewhere no one would want to go?”
He leaned over a small intercom grille set flush beside the door, and then stopped to clear his throat self-consciously.
“I hate using these things . . .”
“You get shy at the strangest moments,” said Tina. “Be a big brave boy, and I’ll let you wear my leather choker later.”
Daniel addressed the intercom in his best confident tone.
“There are two Hydes here, who want to talk to someone about the Elder Ones.”
He waited, but there was no response. Tina pushed Daniel out of the way, and growled at the intercom.
“Let us in, or I’ll kick your damned door right off its hinges!”
There was the sound of heavy locks disengaging, and the door swung slowly back before them. Tina smiled triumphantly at Daniel.
“You just have to know how to talk to these people.”
Daniel stepped cautiously into a wide and gloomy corridor. Something about the atmosphere immediately raised all his hackles, as though he’d just walked into a trap that didn’t care he knew it was a trap. Tina moved quickly in beside him, glaring around her and daring anything unpleasant to emerge from the shadows. The door shut itself firmly behind them, and the sound of closing locks reverberated loudly on the quiet. Tina didn’t even glance back.
“Is that supposed to impress us? We’re Hydes!”
Daniel frowned as he took in the wood-paneled walls, thick carpeting with a dull and repetitive pattern, and the almost suffocating air of authority and privilege.
“This is a gentlemen’s club, all right.”
Tina smiled nastily. “And I can’t wait to do something appalling in it.”
“Try to wait until after we’ve got what we came here for,” said Daniel.
“Diplomat,” said Tina.
It quickly became clear that no one was going to come and meet them, so they set off down the corridor. Daniel’s shoulders hunched despite himself, all his instincts shouting at him that he was in enemy territory. He glanced at Tina, but if her instincts were telling her anything she didn’t appear to give a damn. Daniel frowned, as he realized how dull and muffled their footsteps sounded, as though something in the club’s ambience was suppressing all signs of life.
“There aren’t any portraits on the walls,” he said, just to be saying something. “None of the usual celebrated past members.”
“No paintings at all,” said Tina. “Not even the traditional insipid landscapes. Maybe they sold everything off when times got hard. I’m starting to wonder if this place is just an empty shell.”
“Then who opened the door for us?” said Daniel.
Tina sniffed. “I hate it when you go all practical.”
“Somebody has to,” said Daniel.
They kept walking, but the corridor didn’t seem to have any end. After a while, Daniel started opening some of the doors they were passing, but all they ever contained were echoing empty spaces, bare floorboards, and featureless walls. Rooms long abandoned, because there was no one left to use them. And when Daniel glanced over his shoulder at the front door, it was so far back it was lost in the gloom. Tina stirred restlessly at his side, eager to press on and find someone she could throw against a wall and question.
“It feels like we’ve been walking for ages,” she said, “and we’re not getting anywhere.”
“I’m starting to think we should have left a trail of breadcrumbs behind us,” said Daniel.
“I’d hate to think what might creep out of the skirting boards to eat them,” said Tina.
Daniel shook his head. “You had to go there, didn’t you?”
Tina glowered around her. “You know what? I think we could use a little more light in here, don’t you? Let’s rip some of this nice wood paneling off the wall, pile it up, and make a nice fire.”
“Nothing like a good blaze, to cheer a place up,” said Daniel.
They were actually reaching out to the nearest wall when they heard quiet shuffling feet from somewhere up ahead. A frail old man in an old-fashioned servant’s outfit emerged from the shadows. Bent right over by age and infirmity, his head was so low he had to stare at the carpet rather than at Daniel and Tina. He finally lurched to a halt and forced his head up inch by inch until he could glare at them. His face was heavily lined, and his head retained only a few strands of gray hair, but his sunken eyes were still sharp and fierce. He took his time looking Daniel and Tina over, and when he finally addressed them his voice was cold and harsh, without an inch of give in it.
“Hydes, in the Albion. What has the world come to? Ah well, if you’ve got this far you’d better come and have a word with His Nibs.”
It took him a while to turn around, while his back and joints competed to see which could creak the loudest, and then he set off at a slow, steady pace. His back forced his head down again, but he seemed to know where he was going. Daniel followed after, maintaining a careful distance, shooting the occasional sharp glance at Tina when she seemed to be getting impatient.
Almost immediately, the corridor took a sharp turn to the left, and just like that they were walking along a pleasantly lit passageway. Daniel had to wonder if it would ever have appeared if he and Tina had just kept going on their own. The Albion Club’s internal geometry struck him as intrinsically treacherous. Daniel turned his attention back to the stooped old man shuffling determinedly along in front of him, and raised his voice.
“I’m Daniel Hyde, and this is Tina. Who are you?”
The servant let out a brief chuckle, but didn’t look back. “I’m Fry, the butler. Head cook and bottle-washer as well, these days. And I have to polish all the brass. I am so fed up with brass you wouldn’t believe it. But, since I’m all the staff there is . . .”
“Where is everybody?” Tina said bluntly.
“Dead and gone, mostly,” said Fry. “Hell of a thing, when a club outlives its members. And its staff. There used to be so many spies and field agents stopping off here, to consult some old book in the library, or pick up some weapon no one but us remembered. I can still see them, sitting in their wingback chairs with their brandy and cigars, having loud hearty chats about tradecraft and secrets and the ins and outs of killing bad things. We had an army of staff on call in those days, just to keep up with them. Our kitchens were famous, not to mention our cellars. We had wines laid down no one even remembers anymore. People knew how to live, in those days. Just not for long, mostly. Being a secret agent didn’t make for old bones, particularly when you were going after the kind of abnormal threats the Albion specialized in . . .
“But; the world changed and we didn’t. That was the point of the Albion: to preserve the old knowledge, and the old ways of dealing with things. Because the old ways always work. At some point people will realize that, and remember they need us after all.”
“You really believe people will come back?” said Tina.
Fry let loose his nasty cackle again. “You’re here, aren’t you?”
“Is it just you and Mr. Dee, these days?” said Daniel.
“Pretty much,” said Fry. “There are still a few ghosts lurking around. I told His Nibs, I told him: I’m not cleaning up the ectoplasm. Not with my knees. I should have retired long ago, but as long as His Nibs still needs me . . . We go way back, you see. Him and me. Back to when Intelligence was a gentleman’s affair.”
“You were a gentleman?” said Tina.
Fry shot an unpleasant grin back at her. “Bless you no, miss. I was a gentleman’s bit of rough. You might not believe it now, but I was considered uncommon handsome in my younger days. His Nibs took a fancy to me, and me to him, and he got me this job so we could always be close.” He sniffed loudly. “Job for life . . .”
“Do you still have much to do?” said Daniel.
“You’d be surprised,” Fry said darkly. “And not in a good way. The old place still has its share of secrets. Things that have to be looked after, or locked up—or put down, if they start to get out of hand. And anyway . . . I can’t leave as long as His Nibs is still here. He couldn’t run the Albion without me, and he knows it.”
He stopped abruptly, before a door Daniel would have sworn wasn’t there a moment before. Fry knocked loudly, raising the echoes, with a gnarled hand like a block of wood. He opened the door without waiting for an answer, and then stepped aside to announce the visitors.
“Mr. Daniel Hyde, and Miss Valentina Hyde, to see the Master of the Albion!”
Daniel found that interesting, because Fry shouldn’t have known Tina’s full name. It seemed they were expected. He moved carefully past the bent-over butler and, with Tina all but treading on his heels in her eagerness to hurry him on, entered a warmly lit study. The furniture and fittings were resolutely Victorian—large and bulky and made to last. Dusty portraits of unsmiling faces stared back from the walls, while rows of leather-bound volumes packed the bookshelves from floor to ceiling. The deep carpet was a sharp zigzag pattern of black and red, and soaked up every sound Daniel and Tina made. At the back of the room, behind a sturdy writing desk, sat another hunched figure, dressed to the height of 1920s fashion. The old man nodded familiarly to the servant at the door.
“That will be all, Fry.”
The butler sniffed loudly. “You sure you don’t want me to hang around? They’re ugly brutes, even for Hydes.”
“I can manage, thank you, Fry.”
“That’s what you said back in ’53,” said the butler, “when we were out in Tibet. But I was the one who had to kick the Abominable fellow in the unmentionables, and then throw you over my shoulder and run down the mountainside.”
“That will be all, Fry!”
The butler vanished, snapping out of existence like a blown-out candle flame. Daniel and Tina both jumped a little, despite themselves, and the man behind the desk smiled.
“Yes, he’s a ghost. The last loyal servant of the Albion Club, who wouldn’t let a little thing like dying get in the way of carrying out his duties. Sorry I had to cut him short, but he’d reminisce all day if you let him. Ghosts live in the past. I am William Dee, current Master of the Albion . . . for my many sins. Please, have a seat.”
Daniel arranged himself as comfortably as he could on the stiff-backed visitor’s chair, while Tina slumped bonelessly on hers. Daniel took a moment to study William: a scrawny vulture of a man with a bald head, a gaunt face, and piercing eyes. He smiled briefly at Daniel, as though he knew exactly what was going through Daniel’s mind.
“I really am William Dee, despite all the rumors. I’m older than I look, which takes some doing, but the club looks after those who serve it. And of course I know who both of you are. Welcome to the Albion, Daniel and Valentina Hyde. Killers of monsters, and of Edward Hyde—and good for you. I was also very happy to hear what you did to the Martians and the Bug-Eyed Monsters. Doesn’t matter whether they’re monsters or aliens, you have to stamp them out like cockroaches or you’ll never get any peace.”
“Is everyone watching us?” said Tina.
“Pretty much,” said William.
“You were expecting us,” said Daniel. “Did someone tell you we were on our way?”
“Alan Diment phoned me,” said William. “He’s a good boy. Knows what matters, and what needs doing to get things done. I used to work in the field with his grandfather, back in the day. Just a slip of a lad, but you wouldn’t believe what he could do with a garotte.”
Daniel considered Alan’s age, did the maths, and wondered whether William was pulling his leg. The man looked seriously old, even ancient, but he would have to be . . . Daniel knew William was waiting for him to ask how old he was, so he didn’t. Just smiled easily, and waited for him to continue.
“I won’t keep you hanging about,” said William. “We’re not here for pleasantries. You want to know how to contact the Elder Ones.”
“Are they real?” Tina said bluntly.
“Bless you, little Miss Hyde,” said William. “They’re realer than we are, if the truth be told. The Elder Ones don’t just come from some other world, but from outside our entire existence, and it doesn’t pay to think too much about where that might be. Some things the human mind just isn’t equipped to deal with.”
He paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts.
“We call them the Elder Ones, because all the more accurate names are just too disturbing. They arrived on this world in the dark days, before human history had even got started. Of course we worshipped them as gods—what else could we do? But eventually Humanity put its shoulder to the wheel and started things moving, and somewhere along the line the Elder Ones were forced into the background. Whether they fell or were pushed from their high station is open to question. They sleep now, in the hidden places, waiting for their time to come round again. They speak to us in our dreams.
“They’ve been quiet for a very long time. Powerful beyond anything we can imagine, beyond our ability to comprehend or control. And only a fool would seek to disturb them without the direst need.”
He stopped, and smiled his unsettling smile, as though to say The ball is in your court now. Where do you want to go from here?
“Would the Elder Ones help us against the remaining aliens?” said Daniel.
“There are records of times when they have helped Humanity against their enemies,” said William. “All kinds of powers and dominations have established a presence on the Earth at one time or another, but they are all gone, and the Elder Ones remain.”
“Why do all these aliens keep coming here?” said Daniel.
William shrugged. “Who can say? They’re aliens, and have ways of their own. Presumably, they’re here because they want something.”
Daniel remembered the Martian slaughterhouse, and the living machines of the Bug-Eyed Monsters, and nodded slowly.
“Why would the Elder Ones agree to help us against the current aliens?” said Tina.
“It’s not wise to question the Elder Ones,” said William. “We probably wouldn’t like the answers.”
“Can they be awoken, after such a long time?” said Daniel.
“Of course,” said William. “If you know the right way to go about it.” He showed the Hydes his unsettling smile again. “The Albion is the only place left that still preserves all the old rituals.”
“And you’re willing to help us?” said Tina.
William just nodded. “Don’t worry, my dear, I’m not about to present you with a bill, or a demand for favors. The knowledge in the Albion is here to be used, in times of need. And it would feel good, to prove to the world that the Albion still has a part to play in the great game. But really, I want to raise up the Elder Ones just so I can see what they look like.”
“How long will it take you, to discover the right rituals?” said Daniel.
For the first time, William didn’t meet his gaze.
“I shall have to consult the club library,” he said. “Sort out the exact words. It’s not something you can afford to get wrong. The Elder Ones can be very hard on those they see as being disrespectful.”
Daniel nodded. “Talk to our armorer, Patricia. When you’re ready.”
“Waking the Elder Ones isn’t the problem,” said William. “It’s getting them to go back to sleep again afterward.”
He started to laugh. He was still laughing when Daniel and Tina got up and left the room.
The ghost butler, Fry, was waiting for them in the corridor. He shook his head slowly, as Daniel closed the door on William Dee’s laughter.
“He’s never been all there, where the Elder Ones are concerned. You’d better go. I know how to calm him down. I keep telling him, it’s time he handed the reins on to some younger Dee, let them shoulder the burden, but he won’t hear of it. Keeps saying none of them are up to the job, and who’s to say His Nibs is wrong . . . ? Come with me. I’ll get you out of here. And if you’ve got any sense, don’t come back.”
Fry led them through the club to the front door, waited for them to step outside, and sniffed loudly.
“Don’t call us, we’ll call you.”
And then he slammed the door in their faces. Daniel and Tina looked at each other.
“Do you think anything useful will come of this?” said Tina.
Daniel shrugged. “We’ve done all we can here.”
“Where to now?” said Tina. “Back to the Jekyll & Hyde Inc. building?”
“Of course,” said Daniel. “If we do have to take on the Reptiloids or the Greys without the help of ancient space gods, I want to be carrying something extremely destructive from the armory.”
“Guns!” said Tina. “Really big guns!”
“Well,” said Daniel. “That goes without saying.”