Hecht headed that way.
Pella streaked past. And was totally disappointed when he found Heris at the door. Who told him, “My feelings are hurt just by being here with you, too, Pella. I need to see your father.”
By now everyone had come to see what was going on. Pella told Heris, “I thought it might be Kait Rhuk. He said he might come… Uh-oh.”
Numerous pairs of eyes bored in. Hecht asked the question. “When did you see Kait Rhuk?” When no answer was forthcoming, “I distinctly recall telling you, more than once, not to leave the house.”
Heris reminded them of her presence. “I can provide a convincing demonstration, Piper. It’s one reason Grandfather sent me.” She produced a shiny brown mahogany dowel an inch in diameter and eighteen long. She found the center of the room, lifted the piece of wood overhead, closed her eyes, and began turning. And singing in a bad voice, words in something like Church Brothen. The mahogany dowel wiggled, wobbled, and writhed.
It vanished in an eye-searing scarlet flash. Two more flashes followed quickly, then one sharp little crack of thunder.
Hecht’s eyes adjusted. Three black silhouettes now decorated three different walls, each near a corner of the room. The shapes were knee-high, nearly as wide, vaguely humanoid but without necks, demonic by the standards of every present or formerly held religion of those in the room.
Something more tangible lay a step behind Hecht. Twenty pounds of already rotting, greenish meat, shedding ribbons of lime steam. Severed extremities, shiny and lizard-belly yellow, lay scattered around the odiferous mass.
Heris said, “Pella, this is what we’re dealing with. The least dangerous of it. When you go out unprotected, things like these go with you. Some could make you look like that green mess if their master ordered it. Like this.” She snapped her fingers. “Piper, you just witnessed a triumph of technical education over an absence of talent. The old people can make a monkey over into a deadly weapon.”
Hecht gave Pella a hard, promising look, but asked Heris, “Why are you here? And how did those things get into the house? I thought the Principat? charmed the entrances against the Night.”
“There are ways to ride somebody through the wards. If that somebody is in a hurry and doesn’t take precautions. Pella.”
Hecht said, “Pella, out there it just might be something a whole lot nastier. Something that could kill you before you knew it was there.”
No? Consent said, “Titus, we have to talk. When we get home.”
That did not sound promising. Hecht said, “You haven’t told me why you’re here, Heris.”
“That was part of it. Clearing the vermin.”
“Please.”
“The same reason I always come here when you’re in town. I’m Grandfather’s messenger. This time, besides getting the bugs out of Anna’s house, he wants me to warn you that you’re about to hear from Serenity. He wants you to be careful. The other old man has gone away again. Though he did sow some confusion before he left.”
As she talked Heris turned slowly, pointing her stick at every corner and shadow. And at Titus, his wife, and all the children. She did not care who might be offended.
Following the path blazed by her surviving male ancestors.
“Nothing got away when I came in. Anna, let’s take a quick look around. There may be more. Pella. Stay away from that.”
Dazed, Anna left the room with Heris. The children and Consents had sense enough to stay put. Titus asked, “What was all that?”
“You saw everything I did.”
Timid No? wrung her hands, gathered her brood, and looked to the men for a cue.
Hecht said, “Pella. Do I have to strap you to get you to leave things alone?”
“I just wanted to see.”
“And what would there be to see if you’d done as you were told? You let those things in when you came back. Boy, there can be real consequences…”
Fierce red light. A crack! that rattled the house. A roar of rage and agony. Anna squealed in terror in the kitchen.
Hecht and Consent headed that way. As though there might be something they could do that Heris could not.
The blonde appeared. “That will be all of them. That was the big one.” She stepped aside, glared at Pella. It was plain there were things she wanted to say but could not in front of the Consents. “Grandfather will send someone to clean up. He’ll probably come himself, to fix it so this can’t happen again.” Pella had begun to wilt. “I’d clean up myself but… He’ll want better information than I can give. Being just a messenger.”
“You did have a reason for coming?”
“I told you. He suspected the kind of problem I just corrected. And he wanted you to know things are happening inside Krois. That you’ll be seeing Serenity and should be careful when you do.”
Hecht was sure there was more but Heris would not broach it in front of Titus.
She said, “Go comfort Anna. Don’t whip Pella. Just make him sit watch on the thing in the kitchen. Sense might penetrate.” She went out the front door into a bright morning. Carefully.
Anna was badly rattled. She stood in a corner of the kitchen, hands clasped between her breasts, staring at a mess like that in the other room but five times its size. It was evaporating. It stank. Hecht wondered if it would be all right to open a window.
Best not. Not till an expert said it was safe.
Anna sounded like a frightened little girl when she asked, “How could that thing be invisible? And not make any noise or smells?” Then, more focused and more determined, “I can’t live like this, Piper.” After a pause, “These things happen because you’re you. And they only happen when you’re here.”
Probably not strictly true but he did not argue. “I won’t be long. I can move to the Castella. If that will make you more comfortable.”
He watched Anna struggle to behave like an adult. She wanted to scream at him for being willing to desert her. Even though she had told him that having him around was intolerable. Only a short time after telling him that she refused to leave this place for any other. Even if moving put her beyond reach of those inclined to deploy the Instrumentalities of the Night against her.
Anna took deep breath after deep breath. Her color improved. The ugliness of anger faded. He knew she wanted him to utter some magic words that would close the situation neatly. He remained silent. This was outside his expertise. He had a Sha-lug’s sense of being a fragment of a larger instrument. He took what was given and did not look beyond. Otherwise, God might find him guilty of hubris.
Anna said, “We’re all counters in a game. We don’t get many choices, however much we whine about the injustice. I’ve never regretted following you here. But sometimes I do miss the quiet old life.”
Hecht took her into his arms. It felt good, having her there. Felt good having put together this makeshift family from human spindrift, all flotsam like himself. Though he had found a blood family of his own, as well.
“We still have company, Piper.”
But not for long. No? Consent had had all the excitement one timid woman dared enjoy in one morning. Titus was apologetic as he followed his wife to the street.
Hecht told him, “I understand, Titus. If I was No? and had three knee-highs to worry about, I wouldn’t want to be around me, either. Well. Look at this.”
Principat? Delari’s coach was approaching, surrounded by outriders armed with firepowder weapons. They wore smoldering slow matches on their hats.
Consent grumbled, “How the hell did he get here so fast?”
“Has to have been on his way.”
Titus eyed him suspiciously. He did not buy that. Not whole, though it had to be true. Something was going on. He was not trusted enough to be taken inside.
“There’s that thing called need to know, Titus.”
“I understand.” But he was not happy. He considered coach and outriders. “They do say he’s a wizard. And he knew there were eavesdropper entities on the premises.”