I gave him a baffled look. “I don’t think I follow.”
“Your very presence here means that you’re uniquely qualified in some way for the task you’ve undertaken. That being the case, the killer doesn’t know how close you are to figuring things out — to being able to identify him.”
“Oh yeah, I’m real close on that,” I remarked sardonically. “About as close as Pluto to the sun.”
“Well, the killer doesn’t know that, so he’s seemingly playing the odds.”
I thought about it for a moment. “So essentially, what he’s done is the equivalent of an indicted mobster trying to warn or buy off witnesses or the judge.”
“Exactly.”
“Of course, all of this presumes that you aren’t the killer.”
“Of course,” Rune echoed in agreement.
“Hmmm,” I droned, as a new thought occurred to me. “Doesn’t it concern anyone that you’re a suspect, and I as the investigator am essentially giving you the benefit of the doubt?”
Rune appeared contemplative for a moment, then said, “After Gamma’s murder, it was up to one of us Incarnates to find someone to investigate. I mean, aside from not having the proper skills, there was an inherent conflict in having us investigate ourselves.”
“One of you was — is — the murderer,” I chimed in. “Wouldn’t do to have the killer investigate his own crime.”
“Bingo,” he said with a nod. “Now, with respect to finding someone, I drew the short straw.”
“And you selected me.”
“Yes, for reasons we’ve already discussed. However, we all knew that whoever was brought in was going to have lots of questions — about Permovren, Incarnates, the murder, and so on. It was imperative that they be able to rely on the answers they were being given, which meant pairing them with someone they trusted.”
“Which is how you ended up being my handler for this project,” I concluded, “despite the fact that you’re a suspect.”
“Well, I’m not wild about the term ‘handler,’” he stated, “but that’s essentially it.”
“Isn’t anyone worried that I’ll go easy on you?” I asked. “Cut you some slack because we’re in the Alpha League together?”
“Would you?”
“No,” I declared without hesitation. “Especially not if murder’s involved.”
“That’s my point — that you’re going to do the right thing. It’s something all the Incarnates sensed about you.”
I spent a moment considering that, then said, “But if you all sensed that about me, why is the killer basically offering me a bribe?”
“Because, like bad guys everywhere, he’s assuming that deep down inside you’re like him. That being the case, he’s looking to exploit a vice he believes is fairly common.”
“Which is what?” I asked.
“That everyone has a price,” Rune said flatly.
Chapter 42
After my conversation with Rune ended, I decided to spend a little time at the library researching the two words Cerek had written. Of course, I had no idea where it was located, but Rune was kind enough to simply transport me there with a wave of his hand.
I popped up in the middle of a cavernous room that seemed at least as wide as a city block. The place was populated primarily by elegant ten-foot-tall bookcases that were geometrically spaced throughout (and, as expected, filled with books). In addition to its breadth, the room rose up about four stories in height to a magnificent domed ceiling. Moreover, each floor above me was framed by an ornate wooden railing and looked out over the area in which I was currently located.
Apart from its size, one of the first things I noticed was that the room displayed a certain degree of opulence, starting with baroque architecture in the form of stately columns. There were also florid chandeliers that hung down from the ceiling, and all the furnishings — desks, tables, chairs, and more — appeared to be made of hand-carved wood. In a similar vein, the floor appeared to be comprised of marble tile. Finally, there was beautiful artwork everywhere — everything from paintings to sculptures to ceramics.
I stood there simply admiring the luxurious layout of the library for perhaps a minute after I arrived. I might have stood there longer, but for someone tapping me lightly on the shoulder from behind. Caught by surprise, I spun around and found myself facing a lady dressed in the garb of the castle servants.
I didn’t know where she had come from — hadn’t even seen or heard her approach — but didn’t get any impression of menace from her. She was a handsome woman, maybe forty years old, with brown hair that came just short of reaching her shoulders. Smiling, she gestured toward a nearby desk and chair.
Taking the hint, I walked over to the desk and took a seat. In the meantime, the woman — whom I took to be a librarian of sorts — went to a nearby bookcase and pulled out a large, richly bound tome. Bringing it over, she placed it on the desk in front of me and walked away.
I stared at the book for a moment. It was oversized — approximately a foot-and-a-half in height and perhaps one foot wide. It was also markedly thick, and if I had to guess, I’d say it had at least a thousand pages. Maroon-brown in color, it was hardbound and made from some material I would be hard-pressed to identify. In addition, although it was untitled, it was covered with unusual designs and symbols embossed in gold.
In short, the book was stunningly beautiful, practically a work of art. Moreover, from all appearances, it struck me as being antiquarian, although I was nowhere near knowledgeable enough to guess its age.
I looked around for the librarian, suddenly curious as to why she had placed this particular tome in front of me. (My initial thought was that Rune had somehow reached out and given her instructions of some sort.) However, she had seemingly vanished as swiftly and silently as she had appeared.
With nothing else to do (and with the
