And there was no September Morn.
He spent half an hour scouring the house for clues. There weren't any. Finally he sat down on a chair in the living room to consider his options.
He'd been sitting there pondering the situation for perhaps five minutes when he heard footsteps approaching the house.
"Who's there?" he said.
Suddenly the footsteps began retreating. He jumped to his feet and raced to the door, just in time to see a feminine figure racing away.
"September Morn!" he shouted. "Wait!"
The figure kept running, and he took off after her.
"Damn it! Wait for me!"
The figure kept ahead of him for perhaps 200 yards, then began slowing noticeably, and finally he was able to reach out and grab her by the arm.
"Stop!" he snapped. "What the hell is—?"
He stopped in mid-sentence as the girl turned to face him. There were similarities to September Morn—the same high cheekbones, the same light blue eyes, the same neck, the same rounded shoulders—but this girl had a stronger jaw, a broader mouth, and was between five and ten years younger.
"You're the sister," said Dante. It was not a question. "Why did you run away?"
"I wasn't sure who you were."
"Who did you think I might be?"
She wrenched her arm free. "I don't have to talk to you!"
"You have to talk to me now or Santiago later," he lied. "I'm a lot more pleasant."
She glared at him without answering.
"What's going on?" continued Dante. "You saw that the door was gone. That didn't frighten you. I frightened you." Still no reply. "But I'm not a frightening guy—at least not until you know me better—and besides, you didn't see me. You were frightened by who you thought I was." He gripped her arm harder. "Suppose you tell me who you were expecting?"
"No one!"
"Let me re-word that. I know you expected to come home to an empty house. But if it wasn't empty, who did you think would be waiting for you?"
"None of your business!" she snapped, trying to pull her arm free.
"I told you: it's Santiago's business, and he has very unpleasant ways of getting what he wants."
"Fuck off! He's been dead for a century!"
"The king is dead, long live the king. He's back, twice as big and three times as deadly. If you don't tell me what I want to know, I'll turn you over to him." He paused. "You won't enjoy it, take my word for it."
"Why should I believe you?"
Dante shrugged. "Okay," he said, pulling her by the arm. "We'll wait for him at your place."
"Stop pulling me!"
"Stop dragging your ass."
She stared at him. "He really exists?"
"I just told you he does."
Another paused. Then: "All right, I'll tell you what you want to know." Thank God for that. I don't know what I'd have done if we got to the house and you hadn't given in.
"Let's start with names," he said. "Mine is Dante. What's yours?"
"It depends on who you talk to."
"I'm talking to you."
"It's Belinda—but ever since my sister got famous, they call me October Morn."
"I take it you don't like the name?" said Dante.
"I hate it!"
"You don't like her much either, do you?"
"That's an understatement."
"She likes you," said Dante.
"She told you that?"
"In essence."
"Then she's an even bigger fool than I thought," said Belinda.
"Next question," said Dante. "Why did you run from the house?"
"I thought it had been broken into."
"One more lie and you can tell your story to Santiago." He continued pulling her toward the house. "Why did you run?"
"I thought they had come for me."
"They?" asked Dante.
"The aliens."
"Tweedledee and Tweedledum?"
"Yes." She came to a stop.
"Why would they come for you?" he asked. "Your sister's the one who's worth all the ransom money."
"I thought she had tricked them," said Belinda.
"Explain," said Dante, taking her hand and once more leading her to the house.
"I told them where we lived, when she was likely to be home, what she looked like, and—"
"You sold your sister out to aliens?" Dante interrupted.
"I didn't take any money!"
"Then why—?"
"Because I hate her!" yelled Belinda as they reached the house and entered it.
"Okay, you hate her and you gave her to the aliens. Why did you run?"
"She's smart, smarter than anyone suspects," said Belinda bitterly. "I was afraid she'd convinced them that she was me and I was September Morn. When I realized someone was inside the house, I was afraid they'd come back for me."
"Where would they have come back from?" asked Dante.
"I don't know."
"How did you contact them?"
"Through an intermediary."
"Who?"
"I can't tell you," she screamed, panic reflected in her face. "He'll kill me!"
"And I'll kill you if you don't," said Dante harshly. "I'm a lot closer to you at the moment than he is. I want you to consider that very carefully."
"If I tell you who, you've got to protect me from him!" whimpered Belinda.
"The way you protected your sister?" he asked.
"She never needed any protection or any help! She was always the smartest and the prettiest and the most popular and . . ." Her words trailed off into incoherent sobs.
"She needed protection from the aliens," said Dante coldly. "It may have been the only time in her life she needed help, and you betrayed her." He stared contemptuously at her. "I think Santiago and I are going to let you live, just so your sister can take her own revenge on you."
"If my sister isn't dead already, she will be soon."
"Don't bet on it," said Dante. He paused. "We're going to rescue her."
"Why?" asked Belinda, the tears suddenly gone. "What did she ever do for you?"
"She saved my life."
A look of fury crossed Belinda's face. "That figures. She's just the type."
"It's an admirable type," said Dante. "Certainly more admirable than an overgrown petulant brat who sells her sister out to aliens."
Belinda glared at him but made no answer.
"I'm still waiting," said Dante after a moment.
"For what?"
"The name of the man who can contact Tweedledee and Tweedledum."
She considered the question. "You'll protect me?"
"I'll let you live," said Dante coldly. "That's enough of a bargain."
She seemed torn, and finally slumped in resignation. "It's Moby Dick."
"Moby Dick?" he repeated. "Someone's really walking around with that name?"
"Yes."
"You know what will happen to you if you lied to me?"
"Yes, goddammit!" she snapped.