“Humph, and what’s with her being so young looking? I mean, that’s not usual for a dark witch.”
“Well, I didn’t ask, but I expect she’s screwing someone with the power to keep her young. Some demon or some sort.”
“Hardly a demon, Pulania. From the way she speaks, she’s probably a couple of hundred years old. No demon would be interested in a human girl for that long. She’s screwing something else, a Seelie maybe.”
Oooo, Pulania’s eyes have gone wide. Is Jimmy using his control over time to keep this girl young? It could be him, or it could be any one of dozens of other Seelie males… or females, for that matter. Given that she’s a spy for the Seelie’s being a mistress of one of them makes sense.
“Not worth thinking about,” Pulania whispers after a moment or two, but I can see that she hasn’t quite shrugged the possibilities off.
“We’ll do a once around the circuit and then stop at the Guinness brewery,” she decrees.
“Oh, were you serious about that? There’s no hurry, you know. If you want to see other stuff first, that’s fine.” I’m in no hurry, plenty of time to spread disease, all the time in the world.
I put in the little earbuds the bus conductor gave us, there’s a running commentary about the history of Dublin. Pulania can give them marks for getting it right. After all, she lived through it, I guess I did too, though I don’t remember that. Oh! We didn’t pay to get on the bus, we don’t do that, dark witches, remember?
“Okay then,” Pulania smiles, “once around the circuit and then Dublin Castle. I want to see how the old place has changed.”
We start out at stop 9 on the tour bus. It takes us down O’Connell street, then along the river Liffey, past the famine memorial. We cross the river on the Samuel Beckett bridge, which is kinda cool, cause it’s shaped like a harp.
“Dublin Castle is on stop 24, Lord Edwards street,” Pulania is looking at a map of the tour route. “I don’t remember Eddy having a street named after him. As I recall he died at New Prison, poor soul.”
I don’t know what she’s chattering on about, I’m trying to catch the commentary, but I see that Temple Bar is near stop 24, we can go there for dinner. Then it hits me.
“Hang on, do you mean to say that you knew Lord Edward Fitzgerald, the revolutionary?”
“Well yes,” is Pulania blushing? “We both knew him. After he was hung we left Dublin for the Seelie court. There was no point in staying here after that.”
Huh, well there you go. Pulania had ‘history’ with Lord Edward Fitzgerald. I wonder what that history entailed?
The guy in front of us turns to speak. It’s Jimmy, where did he spring from? Was he here a minute ago?
“Ah, lassies, the queen will speak to you about the Unseelie King.”
“Well that’s good of her,” Pulania answers.
Jimmy turns away, I put my hand to his shoulder to ask where we’ll meet her, but the person turning back to me isn’t Jimmy.
“Oh, sorry, I thought you were someone I know.”
Well ficketty feck! Bloody Seelies, always popping in and popping out. Almost as bad as angels.
Someone taps my shoulder from behind.
“About that,” it’s Master, “you should probably listen to Jimmy and ease off on the evil doing here.”
Like really? My eyes go forward, I’m boiling mad. Will everyone just stop trying to tell us what to do! I turn back to Master to give him a piece of my mind, but he’s gone too.
I look at Pulania, and she raises an eyebrow. “We’re being played. We definitely have some sort of leverage here, otherwise people wouldn’t be trying to coax us away.”
I take that in for a moment, and then smile as I nod my head. We may not know what this game is, but we definitely hold all the cards. They want something, and they’re going to have to pay for it.
“By the way, keep an eye open for any wayward humans that deserve a miserable ending. We still need to kill someone to call Samael.” Pulania’s face is set in a serious demeanor. This is business, angels and Seelies be damned. If the opportunity is there, we’ll take it. Our failed objective is obviously still on Pulania’s mind.
There are loud voices from a group at the front of the bus. “American tourists are fair game,” she adds.
***
The tour bus isn’t that quick, by the time we get to stop 24 the afternoon has slipped on a bit. I can tell that Pulania really wants to see Dublin Castle. I don’t think there’ll be time to do the whole circuit again before they close the place for the evening.
“We should get out here. We can stay the night somewhere in Temple Bar and check out the Guinness Brewery tomorrow, there’s no time to do the whole circuit this afternoon,” I tell Pulania, and to make my point I get up to make my way off the bus. Pulania follows. I think this is a bit of a nostalgia trip for her, but whatever, we can do that.
Ahead of us the group of noisy Americans is also getting off the bus. Bonus! We can kill two birds with one stone. I nod toward them and Pulania takes my drift. We’ll stick to them like glue until the opportunity presents itself. We follow them out the bus to the entrance of the Castle. There’s a ticket booth there.
But why do they call it a castle anyway? It’s more of a big house, or a palace, or something. And… hello, Jimmy is manning the pay booth as we go in.
“You two should go straight to the old Chief Secretary of Ireland offices, off to the side.” Jimmy points the way.
“No. Bugger it. We’re doing the tour,” Pulania answers him, and I can tell she’s a bit pissed off at him. We ignore him, and go through the turnstile. Pulania immediately finds the castle tour that the Americans have latched on to. She has her eye on our prey.
We have to wait a few minutes for the tour guide. What? It’s Jimmy again.
“Dublin Castle was the seat of foreign British rule in Ireland from 1204 until 1922,” he starts off.
Well, that actually sounds pretty knowledgeable. I glance over at Pulania, and she’s steaming.
“Follow me this way.” Jimmy ignores us as he leads the group through several rooms pointing out various historic details. This is putting a real damper on our opportunity to off a couple of loud mouthed tourists.
“People ask about the dark patches on the carpets. That’s actually natural oils from the wool, they’re not stains at all, they’re a sign of good quality woollens. You expect those patches in very expensive carpets.”
If I ignore the fact that it’s Jimmy, I’m actually finding the tour quite good. Where has he learned all this stuff? He must have spent quite a bit of time here. I look over at Pulania again, and there’s a deep scowl on her brow. Her aura is swirling darkly too. Oh Jimmy, you’re in so much trouble, mate.
When we get to the State Corridor, Pulania touches my shoulder and beckons for me to follow her. We push aside a roped off area, and skip out on the tour group, leaving Jimmy behind.
“This is the way to the visitors apartments. We spent a fair bit of time there.” I guess we’re giving up on killing the American tourists, since Jimmy is standing guard over them.
It’s a bit run down in this part of the castle, obviously nobody has stayed here in a while. We skirt around from one hall to another, opening some doors that might have meaning for Pulania, but have none for me. Eventually, we enter a state bedroom. The fittings are old, probably from an older period more than a hundred years back. Pulania sighs when we go in there. She stands there looking at the bed for a while… borrriinnnggg. Gaea save me from this.
“You know, you should really have stayed with the group.” It’s Jimmy again.
“I’ve seen what I came to see.”
Jimmy glances at the bed, but doesn’t comment.
“It would be much appreciated if you could find your way to the old Chief Secretaries offices now,” Jimmy has managed his request without any arrogance or sense of threat. It comes across as a request and nothing more.
“Oh. Okay, if we must,” Pulania
sighs.
Chapter 9: The IDA
Pulania pushes past Jimmy, leading me to the old State departments, which apparently she knows the way to very well. Jimmy doesn’t bother to follow, he seems to be satisfied that we’re on our way. Ha, if he wants to put up with those American tourists he can do him.
The rooms start improving as we draw nearer our destination. I take it that there are no halls of power here anymore, the place is pretty much a museum. However, as we’re travelling down one of the unlit halls there is a room down the end with a crack of light coming from under its door. I assume that’s where we’re headed.
The double doors are about 12 feet high, they’re majorly ‘state-like’ with a Baroque white and gilt look to them. As we approach they open, though no one is there near them. Unlike the dull corridors we’ve just come from, the room we’re entering is filled with light. There are high windows lining three quarters of the room, we’re obviously at a corner of the building, some sort of turret, though it’s still very dark outside due to cloud cover. All the light is coming from a set of electric chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. Yuck, I put my sun glasses back on. Give me gloom any day.
At the end of the room there is a huge wooden desk, again very state-like, and behind it is a thirty something woman in a business suit, glasses and with her hair tied in a very tight bun. She stands up as we come in. I know who she is, but this is a very different to before. It almost seems irreverent.
“Welcome to the IDA.” It’s Áine, but not the Seelie queen in the usual flowing robes that we’re used to seeing her in. This seems to be Áine, the business woman?
“The IDA?” I ask. Because the high Seelie court isn’t here, this is just the one Seelie Queen, who isn’t in her usual flowing robes.
“Yes, the Industrial Development Authority of Ireland. It’s a government agency which develops foreign investment.”
Pulania and I just stand there, stupidly. I’m not sure how we’re meant to react to that. There’s an uncomfortable moment of silence.
“Hum, so… ahh.” I don’t really know what to say.
“So why the charade?” Pulania finishes for me. “What is all this?”
“No charade,” Áine answers, and there’s a smirk on her lips. “The Seelie court has been helping improve the prosperity of Ireland since a certain bit of evil doing that occurred back in the 1980s.”
What’s she looking at me for? Oh, she means me. Well, I guess I was particularly evil back then. I only visited for a few weeks though.
“I didn’t do much.”
“You did enough.”
Pulania is folding her arms, “I find that hard to believe. One dark witch could hardly have triggered whatever you’re doing here. This is major interference with the affairs of humans.”
“We’ve done that before. The Kingdoms of Ireland and Britain have always existed at our whim.”
“Maybe so, but this is way beyond that. This is continued involvement in a modern nation, not some quickie deal with a local king.”
Is Áine blushing? I think she is.
“Needs must.”
“That’s no explanation of what’s happening here. Just how much of Irish prosperity is down to the Seelie court? Is it coincidence that your interference coincides with their improved economy?”
“No coincidence at all. Since the 1980s the Seelie Court has run the IDA, we’ve lead the success story that is twenty first century Ireland.”
“But why?” Pulania persists.
Áine turns away from us, going to one of the windows she points to something low on the horizon. It’s a thunder storm, billowing its way in toward the city. There’s something very discomforting about it.
“We’re trying to stop events like that. This won’t be the first time that evil doing has awoken one of them.”
I look over at Pulania, I have no idea what Áine’s talking about. Does Pulania? Awoken one of what? Her face has blanched. I stare at her for a bit. Why is a bit of a thunder storm causing her so much consternation?
“That shouldn’t have happened,” she murmurs. “Our little duel was pretty small on the scale of things.”
I don’t think Áine heard, her attention is on the storm.
“This is the same one that stirred in the 1980s. She’s been active in the last few months.”
“Nothing to do with us,” Pulania asserts, though I’m not so sure. “If you want us to stop you have my offer.”
Áine’s eyes have narrowed, I think Pulania has given too much away. I don’t understand why, but I’m sure our hand isn’t as strong as I thought. We’re bluffing… well, Pulania is, and I think Áine suspects as much.
Pulania’s arms are crossed, she’s not budging. I like her style, my arms are crossed too, I’m doing supportive bluffing… I guess. Ice bitches together, hooray.
“I want your brother,” Pulania hisses.
“Brother? The Unseelie King is Áines brother?” I didn’t know that.
“Don’t sweat it, we’re not close,” Áine replies. “You can’t hurt him, you’re to hold him only. No torture.”
“Oh, that’s no fun,” Pulania pouts. “We have to have torture.”
“No torture, or no deal. I know there’s something more to what’s going on out there.” Áine nods toward the storm that’s bearing down on us. “You know something about it. I’m not sure you have all the parts for this deal, but I don’t want Arawan to escape either, and I can’t trust that there aren’t those still loyal to him in my own court.”
“Arawan? What sort of name is that? Ouch,” Pulania kicks me.
“He can rest in the Seelie sleep. He’ll be secure, and low maintenance for us.” Pulania lays out her plan for Arawan.
“That would be acceptable, and on your part you may not come back to Dublin ever.”
“Hmm, I’m not agreeing to that. I haven’t seen the Guinness Brewery yet. I mean, I’m not. I may well want to come back here, and if the Irish coven are joining I may have to.” So there.
Pulania is nodding at me. “There’s that, we may need to come back. We can promise no evil doing here for as long as we hold your brother.” Then Pulania’s eyes light up a bit. “You can provide us with a Seelie escort while we’re here to make sure we stick to the bargain.”
“Ha! You just want to spend time with Jimmy. Very well. The bargain is struck. Jimmy will be your escort while you are in Dublin. He will also arrange for my brother to be brought to you.”
Ha, we have dealt with the Seelie Queen and successfully avoided any deal that might screw us into the ground. I’m good with that.
Chapter 10: Seelie interventions
“Well, there’s no point in catching up with the American tourists,” I comment.
“No, none at all.”
Pulania and I have left Áine’s office and are making our way back toward the hop on bus. The realisation that our evil doing in this city is now severely curtailed is already hitting us.
“Aye, there be my two favourite lassies.” It’s Jimmy. “We be having sightseeing and then dinner together I take it?”
Pulania and I look at each other. “I’ve gone off the idea of the Guinness Brewery tour. I mean, what’s the point? My idea of spiking the vats with a virus is going nowhere now.”
Pulania’s eyes go to the sky beyond me. “I think we should leave, that storm is bearing down pretty quickly now.” She seems suspiciously nervous. Looking behind I see high green-black clouds billowing with fury. There are lightning strikes, it’s going to be a heck of a storm.
“Spill, what’s behind that storm that you and Áine seem so concerned about? And what are these creatures that Áine mentioned?”
“Oh, you mean the Elementals? Ouch.”
Pulania just kicked Jimmy really hard in the shin. “Shut up, Jimmy.”
“Elementals, huh?” I must find out more about Elementals. What the ficketty feck are they anyway? Oh that’s right, creatures of pure magik, magiks so strong that they lo
se their sense of self and become a force of nature. Something like that. We need to go back to Pulania’s place, her library is full of books on magik. I can look this up. But why is Pulania trying to hold this back from me?
“I have more questions about that,” I tell her.
“I have to talk to your father first. And Jimmy? You’re not helping, keep your mouth shut.”
“Oh, but doesn’t the black angel appear in your pub in Pittsburgh? I thought that was a refuge for him.”
Jimmy just can’t help himself, I’m sure she’ll swat him for that one… but she doesn’t.
“Huh, hadn’t thought of that,” Pulania replies. “We’d still need to call him somehow though. We still need to kill a soul.”
Jimmy leans against the side of the outside wall that surrounds this part of the castle. “Oo, I think not lassie, I think if you just go there and call him he’ll come. It be that sort of magiks.”
Humph, I guess Jimmy, being thousands of years old, might know a thing or two about stuff like that. He might be right. Sucks all the fun out of a potential evening of evil doing though.
“Oookayy, in that case, we should go to Pittsburgh. Where’s the nearest Faerie path, Jimmy? You know this town better than we do.” Pulania is glancing over at those clouds again, she really does want to get out of here before that storm arrives. A storm caused by an Elemental?
And what was that wave of magik I felt a few days earlier? It was another Elemental, I’m sure of that now. I’m still wondering about those cramps I had though, I wonder what caused them? I mean is that normal for pregnancy? It seemed a pretty big coincidence that whatever that magikal wave was happened at much the same time, and then there was my reaction to it. Even I don’t understand that, it was just so… primeval, it was guttural, like I was protecting something… Tadpole the Invincible? Was I protecting it? And if so, from what?
“I have lots of questions for you, Pulania,” I mutter to myself.
“There be a gas light down the street. You can enter the paths from there. I’ll take you to where it is.”
The Dark Witch and the Elemental Page 4
