Pandora had stopped once to stare into a shop window, enchanted by her own reflection. This new body she wore was fit and strong, though it was a bit softer than she would have liked. This was the form of a woman who had not lived the life of constant battle and hardship that Pandora had endured for centuries before her imprisonment.
That would change, though. It wouldn’t be long before this body had been chiseled into what she needed it to be.
A car roared past, startling her. She looked over and saw two men engaged in conversation. Neither of them noticed her but she felt a brief flash of recognition at the sight of them. One was Western, the other Oriental. Had the woman — Locke, Pandora thought her name had been — known them?
A moment later, a second car followed in pursuit. This time, Pandora definitely recognized them. They were two of the people who had been at Gravedigger’s side.
Acting more on instinct than anything else, Pandora ran out into the street, very nearly killing herself in the process. A taxi slammed on the brakes, screeching to a halt just inches away from her legs.
“What the hell’s wrong with you, lady?” the driver bellowed, leaning his head out the widow.
Pandora studied him for a moment before asking, “What manner of chariot is this?”
“Say what? This here’s a cab. You know, you tell me where you want to go and I take you there?” He shook his head, looking amused. “Lady, have you been drinking?”
Pandora strode to the passenger side of the car and yanked open the door. She sat down and pointed in the direction of the retreating cars. “Follow them.”
“To where?”
“To wherever they go.”
The driver hesitated for only a moment before giving a shrug of his shoulders. The night had been a bad one for business and he was in no position to refuse a fare. “You’re the boss, lady.”
CRAIG HAD BEEN pleased to discover that Hiroshi had the entire third floor reserved in his use. This meant that the doctor would have his own quarters, which was his preference. There were a number of other men waiting for them when they arrived and Craig had quickly learned that they were others in the employ of Hiroshi. The Japanese man had fallen into planning with them, asking detailed questions about what could be done next.
After being introduced to them all and just as quickly forgetting their names, Craig had excused himself to go to his room. He was exhausted but couldn’t sleep. His excitement made him jumpy, leading him to light up a smoke.
Opening the curtains to his window, he saw that he had an excellent view of the waterfront. It would have almost been beautiful if not for the down-on-their-luck unfortunates who lined the alleyways, most of them drunk out of their skulls. He unlatched the window and pushed it out, allowing the smell of the sea, along with the unfortunate odors of unwashed bodies and urine, to waft into the room.
Puffing away, Craig thought about how he had come to this. He had been a brilliant young academic and numerous universities had courted him upon graduation. If he had been so inclined, he could have joined any of those faculties and eventually risen to the top of his field.
But there was Pandora, always Pandora. From the moment he had first stumbled upon a reference to the true story laying beneath the myth, he had become obsessed with her. He wanted to find out the truth and, if possible, to meet her.
A part of him even became infatuated with her depiction. He had collected paintings, drawings and sculptures related to her. The images had varied widely but he had known that she was beautiful, inside and out.
Pandora had been unfairly blamed for her actions. She had succumbed to curiosity, which was far from the worst sin imaginable. Craig felt sorry for the way her reputation had been besmirched and he understood her drive to redeem it. In some ways, it was the same with Craig himself. His obsession with Pandora had gradually eroded his standing in the academic world and after his desperate attempt to prove himself right had led to an arrest, he had nearly succumbed to despair.
Now that Hiroshi had given him a new lease on life, he wasn’t going to waste the opportunity. He was so close to Pandora that he could almost reach out and touch her.
A hand suddenly reached over the edge of the windowsill, grabbing hold of Craig’s belt. It yanked him forward so that he almost tipped out the window but he managed to grab hold of the wall and hold himself steady.
Locke’s face appeared though there was something different in her expression. Her voice was deeper and huskier as she said, “If you value your life, you’ll help me inside.”
Craig sputtered and then helped haul the woman inside. Her clothes were ripped and filthy. Her fingers and bare feet were covered with grime. “Did you… did you just climb up the side of the hotel?” he finally asked.
“You were followed,” she replied.
“What? By whom?”
“A man and a woman. They work for Gravedigger.”
“We have to go tell Hiroshi…”
Pandora reached out and grabbed him by the wrist, stopping him from turning towards the door. “Who is Hiroshi? Tell me everything. And if you lie, I will know.”
Craig stared at her in confusion. Suddenly something went off in his head like a light bulb, causing him to curse out loud. The look of disgust that flashed across Pandora’s features made him instantly regret his action. “I’m sorry but… this is impossible… You’re not Locke, are you?”
“I came to your room because you were alone and because you looked more intelligent than your friend. Please do not tell me that you’re an imbecile.”
“My name is Doctor Jonah Craig.” Licking his lips, he lowered his voice and asked in an almost confidential manner, “Are you Pandora?”
“Yes.”
“Oh my god!” Craig had to stop himself from shouting for joy. “You have no idea how long I’ve sought you! I’ve dedicated my life to you…”
“Why?”
“Because… it’s hard to explain, really.”
Pandora released her grip on his wrist and gestured towards a chair. “Then sit and tell me everything. I need to know about this strange world and who your master is. I’m assuming that if he is an enemy to my enemy then he may be my friend. But that is not always the case.”
Craig found his seat and looked at her with wide eyes. All thought of sleep had been banished from his mind. “He wants you to help him take over the country… and probably the world after that.”
“He’s a military leader?”
“He wants to be Emperor.”
“As do all men, in one way or another.” Pandora waved her hand dismissively. “Start at the beginning. Tell me of yourself and then of the man you serve. When you are done, I will judge whether or not I wish to meet this Hiroshi.”
CEDRIC PRETENDED TO read a newspaper, sitting in the rather grimy lobby of The Imperial. He had placed a call to Hendry Hall upon arriving, using one of the many phone booths located on the premises, and had been told to maintain their surveillance until Mortimer could arrive to relieve him.
Rather than remaining inconspicuous, Li was very animatedly flirting with several of the hotel’s staff, pumping them for information. Cedric was sure that she’d return with several interesting bits of knowledge but he still felt furious every time he heard her giggle.
He was still stinging from her words in the car. He knew there was truth behind them. Hell, Mitchell had danced around the subject not long ago, when the two men had gone out for dinner.
But love was love as far as Cedric was concerned. Maybe that made him a naïve romantic but he was fine with that. No matter what public relations hit he took from having Li at his side, he’d eventually overcome it through hard work and perseverance. That’s how he’d succeeded in all walks of life before now and he didn’t expect that it would ever need to change.