for reward as he'd obviously expected. The butler was leaning forward on his
chair, and tugging at his collar as though he couldn't breathe. His face was
pale and sweaty, and he looked sick. He lurched to his feet suddenly, clawing at
his throat. Alistair rose quickly from his seat to hold and support him, while
everyone else scrambled to their feet. The butler grabbed at Alistair, fighting
for air, his eyes bulging from his face. Hawk moved in quickly beside Alistair
as Greaves suddenly collapsed, and they lowered him to the floor. His skin was
icy cold to the touch, and he was trembling violently.
'What is it?' said Jamie, his voice cutting through the general babble. 'What's
happening? Is he ill?'
'I don't know,' said Hawk, yanking open the butler's collar. 'Looks more like
he's been poisoned.'
'No,' said Marc suddenly. 'That's not it. Look at him. Isn't it obvious what's
happening? The freak's grown hungry again! He's draining the life out of that
man while we just stand around and watch!' He glared about him as everyone but
Hawk and Alistair backed away from the trembling figure on the floor. 'Leave him
alone, you bastard! Leave him alone!'
'Somebody do something!' said Holly shrilly. 'Don't just let him die!'
Greaves grabbed weakly at Hawk's arm and tried to say something, and then his
breathing stopped and the life went out of him. Hawk searched for a pulse in the
man's neck, but there was nothing there. He closed Greaves's staring eyes and
then looked up at the others and shook his head slowly. Holly was sobbing
quietly, her head pressed against David's chest as he held her tightly. Arthur
patted her shoulder comfortingly, his face pale but angry. Katrina sat down
suddenly, her face turned away from the dead man. Robbie Brennan was staring
intently from one face to another, as though looking for the mark of the killer
in their eyes. Hawk got slowly to his feet, and Alistair stood up with him, the
man's face cold and determined.
'This has gone on long enough,' he said roughly, his words clipped short by
barely controlled rage. 'I'm damned if I'll lose anyone else to the freak. I've
kept my peace till now because I wanted to be sure before I made any
accusations, but I can't keep quiet any longer. If I'd spoken out before, maybe
Greaves would still be alive.'
David gently pushed Holly away from him, and his hand dropped to his sword belt.
'Are you saying you think you know who the imposter is?'
'Out with it,' said Jamie sharply. 'If you've any evidence against one of us, I
want to hear it.'
'Greaves knew who the freak was,' said Brennan. 'He told me earlier that someone
here wasn't the aristocrat they pretended to be. He didn't give me a name,
though.'
'And that's why he died,' said Alistair. 'The freak wanted him dead before he
could identify our imposter. But I'll give you a name: Richard MacNeil.'
There was a flurry of shocked gasps and curses as everyone backed quickly away
from Hawk, except for Fisher who stayed at his side, and Alistair, who stood
facing him. Hawk stood very still, careful to keep his face composed and his
voice even.
'I'm not the freak, Alistair. There's no evidence against me, and you know it.'
'Get away from him, Isobel,' said Alistair.
'You're all crazy!' said Fisher. 'He isn't the freak!'
'You can't be sure,' said Katrina. 'Even the freak himself doesn't know who he
is.'
'Get away from him, Isobel,' said Alistair.
'In case you've all forgotten,' said Hawk tightly, 'may I remind you that the
man we found in the chimney had been dead for some time, long before Isobel and
I got here.'
'We don't know when he died for sure,' said Robbie Brennan. 'You're not a
doctor. Whatever else you are.'
'Besides,' said David, 'the freak could have killed the real Richard soon after
he got here and taken his place, so as to throw us off the track after the first
murder.'
'There's too many ifs and maybes,' said Jamie. 'We need evidence.'
'All right,' said Alistair. 'You want evidence? How about this: He's lied to us
constantly, from the first time we met him. He said he was from Lower Markham,
but none of us ever knew we had any Family there. Marc's from Upper Markham, and
he'd never heard of him. Richard claimed to be descended from Josiah MacNeil,
but I never heard of a MacNeil with a name like that. And according to the
Family History I checked right here in the library, no one else has ever heard
of him either. Richard makes out he's some quiet, book-reading type, but he acts
more like a soldier or a brigand. Presumably from the memories of someone he's
drained. But whatever else he is, he's not true Quality. He doesn't know his
place.'
'And he was right there beside Greaves when he collapsed,' said' Brennan
excitedly. 'Greaves grabbed at Richard when he knew he was dying, and tried to
say his name! We all saw it!'
'This is ridiculous!' said Fisher quickly. 'Everything Richard has said is true!
I ought to know!'
'You can't be sure of anything,' said Alistair. 'It's obvious he's been clouding
your mind right from the start. That's why you've been acting a little oddly
yourself. Now please, Isobel, stand away from him. We have to deal with the
freak before he kills again, and we don't want you getting hurt.'
Hawk backed away, looking quickly around him as Alistair drew his sword. Jamie
and David were already reaching for theirs. Hawk drew his own sword, but without
his axe he didn't like the odds at all. He glanced at Fisher, who raised an
eyebrow slightly and glanced at the door. Hawk nodded briefly, grabbed the
nearest chairs and overturned them between him and the others, then turned and
ran for the door with Fisher close behind him. There was a roar of outrage as
Alistair led the others after them, kicking the chairs out of the way. Hawk
charged out into the corridor, waited a second for Fisher to get clear and then
slammed the door in Alistair's face. He held the door handle tight, pulled a
wooden wedge from his pocket, and jammed it under the door. He'd brought the
wedge in case he needed to ensure his privacy, but it was proving its worth now.
He ran down the corridor to the stairway and started up it without slowing,
taking the steps two at a time. Fisher ran beside him, holding up her skirts to
run more easily.
'Where are we going?' she demanded.
'Damned if I know,' said Hawk. 'I just want to put some space between us and
them. We've got to find somewhere we can hide out for a while and do some hard
thinking. Our only hope is to prove my innocence by revealing the real freak.'
'Not forgetting the spy we came here to find,' said Fisher.
