grunting, he swung the bat low, as hard as he could, hoping the doll had not gotten too far away and that he'd be able to hit it.
No such luck.
Still laughing, the figure hurried down the dark hallway, blending in with the shadows against the sideboard, disappearing into the gloom.
'Damn!' he said.
He looked up, and on the far wall, in a dim half circle of what appeared to be reflected moonlight, he thought he saw a shadow.
The shadow of a girl.
Doneen.
Beckoning him.
He'd gone back into his room after that, locking his door, and although he dozed off eventually, he tried to stay awake all night, and what little sleep he did get was troubled and intermittent. He was as tired when he woke up as he had been the night before.
Daniel walked into the dining room.Billingsly smiled cheerfully at him and, lifting a silver pot, said, 'Coffee?'
The butler had laid out an elaborate breakfast on the oversized banquet table, and Daniel sat down at its foot, nodding his acknowledgment.
He felt like shit. Billingsly , by contrast, was in peak condition. If yesterday he had accentuated the spookiness of the House with his pale, cadaverous appearance, today he complemented it with his visible robustness.
He was no less creepy for his newfound vigor, however, and improved health only served to emphasize those things that were so disturbing about him in the first place.
Daniel looked from the rejuvenated Billingsly to his own enervated reflection in a mirror above the sideboard.
The dichotomy was too striking not to notice.
Maybe Billingsly was a vampire. Maybe the butler was feeding off him, sucking the life out of him for his own nourishment.
No. More likely, the butler's health was connected with that of the House. And now that the House was getting charged back up, oldBillingsly was receiving a power boost as well.
Billingsly smirked at him as he poured his coffee. 'I trust you had a pleasant evening?'
Daniel smiled sweetly up at him. 'Couldn't have been better.' He sipped the hot drink. It tasted wonderful.
'So why didn't you recruit new people to live in the House? I assume that's what you did before. I know my family didn't live here for generations.'
'No, they didn't. But they knew why they were here, they knew what they were doing. They were recruited by the previous occupants, specifically selected to maintain the barrier, and they did so, following all of the rules and rituals bequeathed them by their predecessors.' His expression hardened suddenly, and the change in expression was so quick and complete that Daniel nearly spilled his coffee. 'As you remember, Danny boy, breakfast is promptly at six. No later. You will be allowed to slide today, but tomorrow ...' His voice trailed off, an implied threat.
Daniel's heart was pounding, but he feigned nonchalance, tried to keep the tremble out of his hand. 'Your daughter,' he found himself saying. 'She predicted my mother's death. And she was somehow involved with it.' His eyes metBillingsly's . 'I thought you were, too.'
The butler shook his head. 'No.'
'Then why did you force us to stay, me and my dad?'
'As I told you, the House needed occupants.'
'But you knew she died?'
'I did not know how.'
'A doll, a doll made out of dust and lint and gum wrappers, shoved itself down her throat and strangled her.'
The butler's voice remained even. 'I did not know that.'
'You didn't know that I was making one of those dolls, too? You don't know that my son saw her and she taught him how to make them, as well?'
'She was obviously trying to keep you from the House, trying to remind you of what had happened and scare you away.'
'And you? Tony said he saw you, too.'
'I was trying to entice you back.'
'And you knew nothing about her? This is all news to you?'
Billingsly nodded.
Daniel angrily grabbed a bagel, dug into the eggs and sausage on his plate. Billingsly moved unobtrusively around the table, refilling Daniel's coffee cup, taking dishes back to the kitchen, and it was only after Daniel had finished his breakfast that the butler finally asked a question: 'Have you had sex with this . . . being?'
'No.' Daniel was firm. 'She wanted me to, but I refused.
Like I said, that's why I left.'
Billingsly nodded. 'I don't know who or what this child is, but I assure you that I have never seen her, and until now I've been entirely unaware of her existence.'
It was true, Daniel thought. He had never seen the two of them together. He'd just assumed Doneen was Billingsly's daughter.
Or perhaps she'd told him that.
'Apparently, she was successful in her efforts to drive you away from the House,' Billingsly said. 'And, indeed, that weakened the barrier. I assume that was her goal, to open the border.' The butler smiled reassuringly.
'But if she was here, she is gone now--at least in that guise. You have come back, the House is once again returning to its intended state, and all attempts to thwart the House in its intended purpose have failed.'
'My son saw her,' Daniel reminded him. 'I think I've seen her, too. And I thought I saw one of those . . .
dolls in the window when I drove up. I'm pretty sure she's still around.'
Billingsly smiled again, and this time there was some thing predatory in the gesture, an intensity and cold unnatural fierceness completely unlike any human expression.
For the first time, Daniel thought, he was seeing the real butler, and he could not look upon the sight, he had to turn away.
Billingslyplaced his coffeepot back on its tray and surveyed the table. 'Are we all finished with breakfast?'
he asked innocently.
He was acting as though nothing was wrong, as though nothing unusual had occurred or been discussed, and Daniel wasn't sure if that was good or bad.
'I think so,' he said.
'Very well. Dinner is at six sharp. You may eat lunch or not, as is your wont, but you must appear for dinner.'
His eyes were hard. 'On time.'
'What am I supposed to do all day? Can I leave, go shopping?'
Billingsly laughed, and for the first time there seemed to be real humor in it. 'I'm afraid not.'
'What then?'
The butler began walking around the table. 'Whatever you want. This is your home now, explore it. Get to know it.'
'I do know it,' Daniel said. 'I spent half my fucking life here.'
Billingsly smiled. 'I think you'll be surprised.'
There was nothing threatening in either Billingsly's words or his tone of voice but Daniel still felt chilled.
'I don't want to be surprised,' he said softly.
