"Nope, just to see you were well," he said. "Come on over to the cafe, Carmen's been worrying. Buy you lunch," he added.
"Lunchtime already?" I asked.
"Pretty nearly. Whole town's been wanting to stop by all morning."
"Gratifying," I said with a light smile. "Let me get my boots."
Carmen threw her arms around my neck when we walked in, nearly knocking me over, and then wouldn't let us sit down until I'd shown her my makeshift bandage and assured her that they'd given me all my shots at the hospital. Everyone asked a lot of questions, but I answered evasively and eventually they must have figured out that I didn't want to talk about it.
On the way out, I caught Carmen's elbow as she passed.
"Hey," I said. "You know the kid that's always running around with Lucas?"
"Sure," she replied, with the same distracted look Jacob had given me. "He comes in for a soda sometimes."
"Anything about him ever strike you as a little weird?"
She laughed. "Weird? Nah. He's just one of the town kids, you know."
"I thought he might be from one of the farms."
"Could be. Who is he again?"
I looked at her, frowned, and shook my head. "Don't worry about it. I'll see you later."
"Feel better!" she called after me as I left.
I walked back across the street to Dusk Books and pushed the door open, though I didn't intend to stay long. More people would want to come see me that afternoon, which was fine – but I wanted to be sure Lucas was all right. And I wanted to give him the mask, which sang out almost audibly when I walked into the shop.
How to give it to him was the question. Standing there holding out empty air would look ridiculous, but then so was the entire idea of Nameless. Wrapping it in paper didn't work – believe me, I tried – and it didn't seem right to just sling it into a box or a bag and carry it.
I picked it up from the workbench, turning it over in my hands, and then quickly set it down again when the wooden door to the shop creaked open.
"Christopher?" Michael called, putting his head around the door.
"Come on in," I said, walking back to the counter. "Afternoon, Michael."
"Afternoon," he said, standing in front of the counter, eyes darting down to my hand. "Heard you were hurt. Word going around is you got a dog bite."
I held up my hand. "Nothing serious. Looks kind of gross, though. Caught a stray on a bad day."
"Only stray around here's that big husky," he said. "That the one?"
"Who, Nameless? No," I told him. "Just some dog."
He gave me a searching look. "How's your heart?"
I laughed. "My heart's fine, Michael. How's yours?"
That got me a grin. "Fine too. Better than fine."
"You need anything?"
"No, just wanted to make sure you didn't need us to go find Nameless. Whatever it was, it drew blood – got to put down a creature like that, before it gets a kid or something."
"Long gone by now, I guess – don't think it was local to start with," I said hastily.
"I can put word around if you want. You know Low Ferry."
"Mm. Yeah, I do. I think I'm closing up today – I'd appreciate it if you told folks not to bother Nameless if they see him."
"Sure. Where you headed?"
"Out to The Pines."
"Drive you far as the road goes," Michael offered.
"No," I said, thinking of the mask. "I...think I'll walk. Nice day for it."
He gave me an uncertain look. "Sure?"
"Yeah. I love that walk. Next time though, maybe?"
A small smile. "Sure. See you round, Christopher."
He left, the door banging shut behind him, and I turned back to the mask. This time, when I picked it up, something brushed against my fingers. I almost dropped it in surprise. I looked down, which was stupid, and then brought my other hand up to explore the edge, discovering something dangling next to one of the eye-holes.
A ribbon. Another on the other side.
I almost burst out laughing, but instead I tied the ribbons together and looped them around my hand, letting the mask dangle from my fingers in a way that was almost unnoticeable. I glanced furtively at Dottore, whose leer from above the fireplace was more of a benevolent smile in the daytime, and left for The Pines.
I didn't see many people as I walked, none once I left the main street, and the world seemed still and a little empty. Mask swinging from one hand, I left the asphalt behind and walked out into the fields that divided The Pines from town, the grass still sodden and pocked here and there with snow.
When I reached the kitchen door I knocked a couple of times, waited, knocked again, shouted up to Lucas and then tried the door – unlocked, so I hurried inside. I half-expected to find him dead on the kitchen floor, but he must have cleaned it. There wasn't even any mud on the floor. The sink where he'd thrown up the hemlock was wiped clean too, though I noticed a spot of blood – my blood, I thought distantly – on the edge.
I looked into the living room and did see a body on the couch there, but my first rush of panic subsided quickly when I saw his chest moving – slowly and evenly, deep inhales and exhales. I touched his wrist where it rested on the back of the couch. His skin was warm, pulse slow and even. He was sleeping. I expected him to wake up when I touched him, but he didn't even shift.
The boxes he'd packed hadn't been touched, and the room seemed very bare without his supplies and masks strewn everywhere. I came around to the other side of the couch and sat down on the heavy coffee table, watching him.
"Lucas," I said softly. His hand twitched. "Wake up a little, huh?"
He didn't move. I reached out and ran the tips of my fingers along his cheekbone, down to his jaw, but he just exhaled slightly and slept on.
"All right," I said, almost relieved. "Sleep if you have to. I brought you something..." I set the mask on the table next to me, straightening it so that it rested on its edges, facing him. "Come see me when you want. You know where I am."