It was an irrational fear, she knew, but the hour was late; the cafe otherwise deserted, and her gut told her that there was something very wrong here.
She hoped they would quickly drink up and leave.
They spoke Russian then, although none of them looked to be natives of the country. It was a language Ajda knew fairly well, after summer studies in Saint Petersburg and two years rooming with a family near Brighton Beach in America before returning here to the city. But the strangers couldn’t know this, and they spoke freely in front of her.
Or perhaps they simply didn’t care.
“All right, my dear,” one of the men said, turning his gaze to the woman. “The floor is yours. What’s so important you had to drag us here at this hour?”
He was statuesque, dressed in impeccably tailored clothes. He reminded Ajda of the many American businessmen she’d seen on television.
“I’ve just returned from Manasseh,” the woman told him. “I have some disturbing news.”
Ajda tried not to listen. Their business was not hers. And as she tucked the tray under her arm and turned away from the table, she attempted to distract herself from their conversation with thoughts of Ferid and his promise to marry her.
But it didn’t work. The strangers, like most tourists, were speaking much louder than good manners dictated, and Ajda’s curiosity had been piqued. The place the woman had spoken of-Manasseh-was not familiar to her, although she had long been a student of geography.
Was it a city? A country?
Ajda had a vague memory of hearing the name before, but associated it with a king of some kind. Something she had learned in school, no doubt.
“Don’t keep us in suspense,” another of the men said. “What is this news?”
He was the oldest of the group, but he dressed like a much younger man, in a leather jacket and jeans-an aging rock star, wearing sunglasses at night. He was sitting next to the woman, and he casually reached over, running a hand along the small of her back. An intimate gesture that made Ajda shiver with revulsion. The thought of being alone with this man repulsed her.
The woman, however, didn’t seem to mind. Far from it.
“
A long silence followed, and Ajda made herself busy wiping a nearby table, chancing another glance in their direction.
All eyes were on the woman.
And who could blame them? She was beautiful. Exotic. Ethereal. Not that Ajda made a habit of admiring other women. But there was something about this one that compelled it.
At the moment, however, these men weren’t interested in her beauty. Only in the words she had spoken.
“Ridiculous,” the third man said. He was German, with the somewhat stiff, controlled bearing of a military man. He struck Ajda as someone who would take great pleasure in inflicting torture. “Their lot ended generations ago. Who told you this?”
The woman hesitated again. “No one of consequence. A laggard. A drunk.”
The businessman raised an eyebrow. “One of your playthings, no doubt. Is he . . . committed yet?”
The woman shook her head.
“Then why believe him?”
“It’s complicated. But I have my reasons. You think I’d waste everyone’s time if I didn’t?”
“What I think is that you tend to be an alarmist, my dear, and I’m not interested in listening to your cries that the sky is falling. But even if it’s true,
Sunglasses turned to him. “Don’t be naive, Radek. I’d think you, especially, would understand the threat of unseen enemies.” He looked at the German now. “And you, Vogler, you know better than anyone what lurks behind an innocent face and a charming smile. Our last few attempts have failed spectacularly, gentlemen, and I think it’s time we let Bel-” He stopped himself, glancing at Ajda, who kept busy behind the counter. “It’s time to let our sister here have her chance.”
The woman looked at him appreciatively, even lasciviously. Ajda shuddered at the thought that these two might be related.
The businessman gestured dismissively. “Look around you. The world is in chaos and we’re closer than ever to realizing our goal. The fourth moon approaches, and a handful of true believers can’t do anything to stop us.”
“The fourth moon is useless to us if we fail to find what we’re looking for.”
The businessman scowled. “That’s your particular obsession, my friend. You put too much stock in ancient rumors. For all we know, they’re nothing but lies designed to distract us from what truly needs to be done.”
“We’ve had this argument before,” Sunglasses said. “But even the execution of their so-called savior didn’t give us the power we need.”
The German snorted. “Proof that he was as mortal as the rest of them.”
“But if those ancient rumors are true, the Telum will change the game. And I thought we all agreed what our first priority is.”
The businessman shook his head. “I made no such agreement. I see no reason to abandon the tried and true in hopes that a fairy tale might bear fruit.”
The woman leaned toward him now.
“Tried and true?” she said incredulously. “Like the Crusades? The Black Death? World War Two? Your efforts have fallen short time and again, Radek, and the sooner you put that ego of yours in check, the better off we’ll all be.”
The businessman flicked his gaze toward her, his eyes cold with contempt. “I’d advise you to watch your tongue, my dear. If you think I’d hesitate to cut it off, you’re sadly mistaken.”
“You’re certainly welcome to try.”
Ajda watched in horror as the two stared at each other, neither willing to look away.
“Enough,” Sunglasses said. “These petty disputes only serve to divide us, and we can’t afford that now. If
The German looked doubtful. “What makes you think they’ll be any different than the others of their kind? We’ve tried working with them before.”
“It only takes one.”
“Assuming you can find any of them.”
The woman smiled now. “This is why I summoned you all to Esau.”
“Oh?”
She gestured toward the window. “The auction house across the street. My friend seems to believe the owner is one of them. A rancid little beast named Ozan.”
“And he knows this how?”
“He’s a student of our world. Seems to know more about it than I do myself. And despite his failings, his intellect is quite formidable. He could be useful to us.”
The businessman glanced at the other two men, then smirked at her. “It’s quite obvious you have a soft spot for this pathetic creature.”
She studied him coldly. “Now whose tongue is in danger?”
“Let’s get back to the problem at hand,” Sunglasses said, then turned again to the woman, once more stroking the small of her back. “I assume you’d prefer to handle the matter?”
“I think it’s only fitting, don’t you?”
“How so?” the businessman asked.
“You’ve all had your chances to prove yourselves. Now it’s mine. And even if this Ozan creature fails to give us what we need, he’ll no longer be an obstacle.” She smiled. “By the time I’m finished, none of them will.”
Sunglasses looked at the others. “There you have it then. You two can continue doing what you so love and leave the rest to us. Are we all in agreement?”
