“That's not the same. You're not-”
“Not real, huh? I don't have feelings like you. And I'm far too polite to say where you came from.”
Letitia rolled her eyes. “I'm getting sick. Could we possibly talk about something else?”
“Like, is Finn going to rescue us soon, or do I have to go and save him? If I were to guess-”
Letitia jumped back from the window, startled, as lightning sizzled on the road outside. Thunder shook the house, rattled all its seams. Fat drops of rain struck the window sweeping muddy rivers down the pane.
“He's out there in the dark,” Letitia said, wiping away fresh tears. “Now he'll never get back. Oh, Finn, I'm sorry for most of the things I've said. Some, I admit, were not on a totally positive plane. I know I'm not perfect, and neither are you. That's good, I guess, because I don't think marriage would work out if you were always wrong, and I was always right.
“Julia, do you think the Hooter persons will be out on a night like this? I went to Mycer Mass until I met Finn, but no one expected you to go if it was storming like this. Julia? Julia …?”
“If you're looking for that mechanical device, you'd better find it quick. I won't have it running loose around my house.”
Letitia gasped, turned around quickly and found the old man standing in the door, standing there watching her with little black eyes and a ghastly toothless grin.
Calabus smiled even wider, clearly pleased with the effect.
“Didn't mean to frighten you, girl. We don't have a lot of knobs in this house. They're inclined to fall off, and that useless servant of mine won't ever put 'em back. If I wasn't cursed with a kindly nature, I'd flay him to the bone, roast every strip of that stinking flesh and make him choke it down …”
“Please,” Letitia said, as her stomach lurched, as everything began to float around. “I beg you not to talk like that, I feel I'm about to be ill. And will you get out of here, I did not invite you in!”
“Don't have to. I can go anywhere I like. Where'd that ugly thing go? I heard you talking to it, know you've got it hid somewhere.”
“She's not hidden at all. She's right here. Aren't you, Julia?”
Letitia frowned. She peered in the closet and under the bed. Under the only chair. She looked at Calabus, genuinely puzzled now.
“I don't know where she is. She was here a moment ago. I expect you frightened her away.”
“Don't try any foolishness, girl, it won't work with me.”
Calabus jerked around, his face the color of plums.
“Squeen William! Get your sorry carcass in here before I bind you with hooks and wire, pour hot coals in your ears and pull out your eyes. Find that lizard thing and get it back here!”
“Yesssss, bes doin' thisss quickly, sssir …”
Lightning turned the room a blinding white, and Letitia saw a ghostly face and sharp little teeth disappear behind the door.
“What-what do you want with Julia, anyway? Why are you telling that thing to bring her here?”
“ 'Cause that's what I came for, pretty. I intend to take it apart, see what it's got inside.”
“Why, you'll do no such thing!” Letitia stared, her heart skipping half a dozen beats. Was this why Julia had so abruptly disappeared? Did she sense, somehow, what the old fool had in mind?
“You lay a hand on her, and Finn will-he'll do something awful, I promise you that.”
“Master Finn's not here. I expect you noticed that.”
“I know he's not here, but he'll be right back.”
“And what makes you think so, my dear?”
Calabus showed her a sly and totally goofy smile, a smile that made her skin crawl.
“What are you talking about? Of course he'll be back.”
“Shouldn't have ever left. Damn fool thing to do.”
Letitia took a breath. “If there's something you're not telling me, you'd better do it fast. I will not put up with this.”
Calabus spread his hands. “Don't know a thing, girlie. Don't have to. I know this town, though. Know there's not a soul with half a wit's gonna be out there after dark.”
“Well, at least those Hooters of yours won't be rummaging about. There's no way they could possibly start a fire.”
“That isn't all we used to start …”
“Just what do you mean by that?”
“Don't mean a thing. Just sayin' there's mischief folks can start, it don't have to be dry.”
“Then why,” Letitia said, “did you say everyone would be in? Why don't you make up your mind?”
“You don't listen real good. I said folks with half a wit. There's plenty of the other kind about.”
Letitia stood straight, rigid as a reed, and spoke as boldly as she could. “If you're finished, you can go. I don't care for your presence in here.”
“I want to see that lizard. I mean to find out what makes it tick.”
“No you don't,” she said, surprised to hear what was coming from her mouth, uncertain how she knew, but certain that she did. She'd caught the man before he looked away, caught the blink and the wary glance, knew at once he didn't want to meet her eyes.
“That isn't what you want, don't try and tell me that. You're after something else, and it better not be what I think it is!”
“Huh!” Color rose to mottle the old man's face, but it quickly went away. “That's my worthless son you're talking about. He's the pervert in the house, not me. I got needs, all right, and I'm sure there's a couple you could fill …”
“Will you get to it? I'd rather listen to the rain, it makes more sense than you.”
“Can I sit?”
“What for? All right, that chair's got three good legs. Don't come near this bed.”
Letitia waited, arms across her breasts, back to the window. Ready, if she had to, to leap through the dirty glass out into the rain. And what was Julia thinking, disappearing on her like that?
“I want to talk to you,” Calabus said, “you weren't wrong in that.”
“First, let's get something straight. If that smelly cook brings any harm to Julia, he'll wish he never had.”
Calabus looked at the floor. “If that man of yours doesn't come back, I'd like you to stay here with me …”
“You what?” Calabus wouldn't meet her eyes, and Letitia was glad of that.
“I don't expect you to fully understand. Not right off, anyway. It'll take a little while to settle in.”
“Get out of here. I'm going to throw something at you. As soon as I can find anything in one piece.”
“It's not what you think. I already said that.”
“And what is it you think?”
Calabus faced her. It seemed to Letitia he looked older and dirtier by the minute, as if the ancient flesh, the shaggy hair, the awful rags he wore were sloughing into dust, even as she watched.
“You've seen my invention down below. I don't feel you were comfortable at the time, but I think you'd come to love it there. You'd throw up awhile, but we can overcome that. There's herbs and potions you can take.
“I did my best to make young Finn see the value of my work. I tell you what, I'm quite disappointed in him. You'd do better, I'm sure of that. You could be a great help to me, girl. I strongly doubt you'll ever get a chance at something as big as this.”
Calabus rested his hands on his knees and showed her a loony smile. “What do you think, dear? If that fellow doesn't make it back-and I surely doubt he will-I could give you a good position here. You can keep this room. That window's the best in the house. I don't get a lot of light in mine.”
Letitia counted to three. Stopped, and counted once again.
“I'm going to be perfectly calm about this. I don't want you coming at me with a piece of that chair. No. I won't stay here with you, I'd just as soon die. And Finn's coming back, no matter what you've got in your head. No offense, and you stay right there, but this is the worst, most disgusting offer I've ever had in my life. Perhaps you can't tell, but I am shaking all over right now.