Had me a little bit worried there for a moment, sweetie, murmured Molly.
Droods are trained to withstand mental challenges, I said loudly and confidently. Because we are, but it had still been a bit too close for my liking.
You dare defy me? whispered Crow Lee. You dare?
Were you bullied as a child? I said. Did they make your life hell at school? Is that what this is all about? Because this whole Most Evil Man bit strikes me as just so much overcompensation.
Crow Lee turned his burning hypnotic gaze on Molly. Kill him! Kill him!
Molly just laughed at him. Oh, come on. You have got to be kidding. I m the wild witch, remember? The laughter in the woods and the lightning in the storm? Frankly, I m offended you even thought that would work.
She brought the bottle of gin to her lips, took in a good mouthful and then leaned forward abruptly and sprayed the whole lot across Crow Lee s face. The stream of neat gin burst into flames as it left her lips, and Crow Lee screamed shrilly, like a small child, as flames leapt up all over his face. He wiped them away quickly with his bare hands, burning them too in the process, and jumped to his feet. His face was scalded bright red where it wasn t flushed with rage, and his eyes were already puffing shut. He snapped his fingers imperiously at Mr. Stab.
Do your job, old monster! he said fiercely.
Rid me of these nuisances!
There was a pause. Mr. Stab didn t move a muscle. In his cold, calm voice he said, Regretfully, I cannot. I fear you overestimate my abilities.
Crow Lee stared at him blankly. Do as you re told, damn you! Kill them! Kill them both!
I can t, said Mr. Stab. They re a Drood and a Metcalf, and I m just an ill-made monster. It s a wise monster who knows his limitations.
Crow Lee took control of himself, with an obvious effort. Drops of steaming gin were still falling from his burnt chin.
I know there is a history between you and them. That should make it easier. That s why I hired you!
Look at the Drood s torc, said Mr. Stab.
Look at his armour.
Crow Lee stopped and then stared at me for a long moment before nodding slowly, grudgingly. Ah yes. I do See what you mean. Well, then, Eddie and Molly, we ll do this little dance another day. When I m better prepared.
He gave us both a sly self-satisfied smile and snapped his fingers loudly. And just like that he was gone. The oversized armchair was empty, and Mr. Stab no longer stood beside it. There wasn t even an inrush of air to fill the space where they d been. It was as though they d never been there.
No! said Molly. You can t do that! He can t do that, Eddie!
I think you ll find he can, I said.
And he has.
The bastard said Molly. I was all fired up and ready to go, and he just runs away?
Well, I said. You don t get to be the Most Evil Man in the World by playing fair. Or fighting when you re not sure the odds are in your favour. What did he mean about my armour, Molly? What did he See just then?
He must have realised you re wearing rogue armour instead of what he was expecting, said Molly, but she wouldn t look at me while she said it.
Mr. Stab surprised me, then, I said, tacitly agreeing to change the subject. I did try to kill him when he killed Penny, but I didn t even come close. I never knew he rated me that highly. Or you, to be honest.
He wasn t scared of us, said Molly.
I think he was just showing us professional courtesy.
Would you do the same for him?
Hell, no. I ll kill him dead the first chance I get.
Good, I said. Because I think he s cut us as much slack as he can. Do you really think he wants to die? You ve known him a lot longer than I.
He s always moped about his condition, said Molly. But if he really wanted to be released from his curse, he would have found a way by now. It s just a pose, a show he puts on in front of company.
He was your friend, I said.
Once upon a time and long ago, said Molly.
I saw myself as a monster, so I went looking for others to keep me company.
What changed that? I said.
She smiled at me. You did, idiot.
Ah, I said. Yes.
That was a prearranged teleport spell, said Molly, changing the subject yet again. So carefully set in place even I couldn t See it. Preprogrammed to take him and Mr. Stab out of here at a moment s notice to a preselected destination. Very professional stuff.
Could he still be here, somewhere in the club? I said.
No. That had all the hallmarks of a long-range teleport. Probably all the way back to his country manor house in Surrey. She looked at me thoughtfully. Could you track him through the Merlin Glass? Go straight after him?
Possibly, I said. But you could bet good money that if we did, we d be walking into a trap. God alone knows what kind of protections and reinforcements he d have waiting for us there. This is a man who believes in planning ahead. Remember the private army? No. We ll go after him, but only after we ve taken some time out to work up a proper plan.
I said we needed a plan.
And you were right.
But we can t afford to give him time to prepare for us, Eddie! His country bolt hole is just crawling with booby traps and hired killers and full-strength nasty surprises! He has defences you wouldn t believe!
It can t be that bad.
Yes, it can! I ve seen it!
There was a pause then as I looked at her thoughtfully. And you know this how?
Because, said Molly reluctantly, I ve been there. More than once. I did business with Crow Lee back in the day.
What? You worked with the Most Evil Man in the World? And you never thought to mention this before?
Don t judge me! Molly said hotly.
Don t you dare judge me! My parents were dead, murdered by your family! I was desperate to avenge them. Ready to work with anyone who could promise me help or weapons to use against the Droods! Crow Lee was very understanding, very helpful.
Yeah, I said. I ll just bet he was.
What about you? You went looking for help when your family made you rogue. You were ready to work with monsters, too!
Yes, I said. But I found you.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Molly and I still weren t talking to each other when we left the Establishment Club, so it was just as well there was a distraction waiting for us. The Regent of Shadows had sent us a nice new car, along with one of his agents to explain why. I took my time looking over the car, and let the agent wait till I was ready to talk to her. The car was big enough that it took me a while to walk around it; a great red beast of a car, with white stripes, gleaming chrome and high tail fins. A classic of its kind from when Detroit dinosaurs roamed the earth, and about as conspicuous in London traffic as a piranha in an aquarium. I finally sat on the bonnet and gave the Regent s agent an equally thorough inspection.
She smiled back easily, a very cool and poised middle-aged lady, still good-looking in a never heard of Botox
