by Vered Ehsani
“What about other dead people?” I asked. “Can they be brought back?”
Now it was Koki’s turn to frown. “This isn’t a charity, Miss Knight. We’re certainly not going to go around resurrecting everyone and their mother.”
“I don’t want my mother resurrected,” Gideon said.
“But is it possible?” I insisted as Gideon flapped about in anticipation.
“No,” Koki said as she eyed me. “Liongo’s body was carefully preserved. In the eventuality that we found a willing sorcerer with sufficient power to perform the operation, we would have available his mortal vessel.”
“I see.” Pausing, I glanced at Kam who seemed preoccupied. Nearby, Gideon was sulking at the unfavorable response. “In any case, I don’t believe Lilly is in a condition to assist you, nor will her family allow it.”
Anansi screeched while Koki chuckled and said, “They may not have a choice in the matter.”
Briefly closing my eyes, I steeled myself for what I was about to propose. While I wanted nothing to do with their politics, I couldn’t sanction these oversized insects to use my cousin for this or any purpose. Resolved, I fixed a firm stare on two of the Spider’s eight eyes. “You shall have to be satisfied with me.”
Koki stepped forward, her tall, lithe form casting a shadow over me. “Let us be clear on the matter,” she purred. “Liongo will be summoned, one way or another. If you are unable, then we shall encourage Lilly to assist us.”
I was under no delusion what form the encouragement would take. “I’ll manage somehow.”
“Indeed you shall,” Koki said, leering at me.
“Koki, train her,” Anansi said, his high-pitched voice scratching against my nerves. “Train Miss Knight.”
“Won’t that be delicious,” she replied as she licked her lips.
“He can’t be serious?” Gideon demanded.
“Yes,” Anansi hissed. “Serious.”
“I think he can see me,” Gideon said as he skulked behind me.
“If fail, I come to Nairobi,” Anansi added. “I come for Lilly.”
That promise informed me of the truth more than the entire conversation had. If Anansi was willing to travel to Nairobi to see Lilly, then the situation was dire and her role in it was critical. Koki’s gloating expression, Anansi’s unblinking gaze and Kam’s determined nonchalance couldn’t disguise the sense of expectation they were all experiencing.
Despite my reservations, I stared up at Anansi. “I won’t fail.”
Chapter 18
SAVING LILLY FROM the ordeal of interacting with Koki and of entering Mrs. Cricket’s world — the World of Shadows — had unfortunate, albeit intriguing, consequences for me, I mused. It would embroil me in the tussle between the Society and the Law for geopolitical dominance. By assisting Anansi to raise up an unknown paranormal from the dead, I would be pitted against my former employer. Worse yet, I’d have to train with Koki. The mere idea of voluntarily spending time in her presence disturbed me to my core. That we would be collaborating was deeply repugnant.
These considerations consumed me as I followed Kam up the forested hillside and down the rocky slope of the mountain to where Nelly dozed. He didn’t pause once, and I suffered from the speed at which he moved over the treacherous terrain.
“What is the nature of Liongo?” I asked, hoping he might slow his pace in order to answer. “Is he a good sort?”
Kam widened his strides.
I attempted another approach. “What was the cause of his demise?”
His only response was a twitch of his shoulders. All he provided me was the view of his tense back and his restless hands clenching and unclenching with every step. His evident perturbation only added to my own disquiet. What about Liongo bothered Kam, apart from the minor detail of being dead? Despite my best efforts, I received no answer, and we parted ways without a word.
Thus I arrived at the cottage, flustered, unsure what I should do and sensing that in fact I had no choice. Mr. Timmons being absent, I resolved to visit Lilly, if for no other reason than to assure myself that she wasn’t venturing into Mrs. Cricket’s world. Yet how had Anansi detected her baby’s powers, if not through that dark and ephemeral place?
I found Lilly lounging on a couch on the veranda outside her room. It was a pleasant situation, shaded from the elements and yet open to the cool, sweet-scented breeze, the songs of birds and insects, the rustle of leaves and the swish of grass. Despite the delightful view of the savannah afforded by the veranda, Lilly seemed disinterested and devoid of her characteristic vibrancy. She didn’t so much as stir when I approached her chair, and I assumed she was asleep. Only as I turned to go, my purpose frustrated, did she call out to me.
“Stay.”
Relieved to find a companion with whom to share my uneasiness, I sunk into a canvas camping chair and eyed her feet that were propped upon a cushion. I was struck by their paleness and squinted. Her energy field was robust, far more vibrant than I’d ever seen it, and I could only marvel at it. Then a quaint notion struck me: was the baby producing the increased energy?
“Are they swollen?” Lilly asked, peering at me through slitted eyes. “I can’t abide such grotesqueness.”
“No, they seem perfectly petite,” I reassured her and refrained from mentioning the enhanced vigor of her energy. “I visited Anansi today.”
“That overgrown bug?” she asked in a disinterested tone.
“Yes, and Koki was there.”
This spurred her into a semi-upright slouch. “Well, I am relieved she didn’t devour another hand.”
“Indeed,” I said. “It would pose a grave inconvenience, for my metal hand isn’t particularly adept at holding my teacup. I have quite a collection of cracked and chipped cups.”
“Oh, the horror,” Lilly drawled. “What did they want?”
Studying her profile, I replied, “Your baby.”
In one motion, Lilly sat fully upright and swung her legs off the couch to face me. “They what?” Her eyes sparkled with outrage.
“Well, I’m pleased to see I have your attention,” I said and explained what I’d learned during the morning’s meeting.
“Why should we be involved?” Lilly asked, pouting. “We’ve nothing to do with any of this.”
“They disagree,” I said. “As far as they are concerned and unless we prove otherwise, we are the Society, even if we’re not part of its machinations. I fear if we don’t assist Anansi in his crusade to destroy the Society, we could be next. Regardless of our sentiments on the matter, it seems we are to be embroiled in this conflict.”
“When does this training commence?”
The wolf energy in my hand brightened. I mentally scolded it and ordered it to remain where it was. “She’ll be here in a day or two.”
We sat in silence, each mulling over what it could all mean and how to respond. A small red bird landed on the nearby side table, searching the tea platter for any crumbs that may have remained from a recently devoured scone. Its tiny beak pinged against the metal.
Clearing my throat, I said with some delicacy, “I would very much like to know if you’ve been dilly dallying in Mrs. Cricket’s world.”
“I don’t see what that has to do with you,” Lilly said with an offended sniff.
“Oh, Lilly,” I groaned. “You have, haven’t you?”
“I see her there,” Lilly whispered, leaning toward me, one hand on her belly. “Bee, she’s marvelous.”
“Who?” I demanded, for she couldn’t be describing Mrs. Cricket as marvelous. Macabre, yes. Then again, Mrs. Cricket’s energy had been drained by Mr. Timmons, so it was unlikely that Lilly had encountered the evil woman.
“My daughter,” Lilly replied, her smile suffused with awe. “That’s how I first discovered I was with child.”
Remembering the entity I’d encountered there a few days ago and how familiar its features had seemed, I asked, “She wouldn’t happen to look like you?”
“And
what’s wrong with the way I look?”
“Nothing, of course,” I hastily said.
“I should hope not,” she huffed.
“But whatever induced you to enter there in the first place?” I asked, appalled at her disregard for the inherent dangers of the World of Shadows.
“Why should you have all the fun, Bee?” she asked, her pout returning. The expression reminded me of Lilly when she was younger and had thought only of the present moment and what jolly diversions it might provide her.
“That place isn’t fun, Lilly,” I said, wanting to shake some sense into her. “We really don’t know anything about it.”
“Speak for yourself,” she retorted. “Grace is teaching me—”
“Grace?”
“My daughter,” she said, her smile beatific as her hands stroked her midsection. “She’s already learned everything Mrs. Cricket ever knew. My clever girl.”
“Really,” I said, my stomach convulsing around whatever I’d had for breakfast.
“Yes,” she replied with maternal pride, “and even though I asked her not to, she’s gone off to explore even further.”
“Your child’s manners are atrocious,” Gideon whispered as he appeared before us.
“She’s not even born,” I protested.
Gideon clucked in mock disapproval. “That’s a terrible excuse.”
“And how would you know?” Lilly asked as she narrowed her eyes at him.
“You can see him?” I asked and frowned at the rhetorical nature of the question. “Of course you can, but since when?”
“Since Grace appeared,” Gideon replied for her.
“You always were a troublemaker,” Lilly grumbled.
“Well, I’m not the one getting absorbed by that place,” he replied, grinning. “If you don’t take care, you’ll turn out just like Mrs. Cricket except without an impressive automaton to possess.”
“Do you have anything useful to say?” Lilly asked, clearly not expecting a response for she angled her back to Gideon.
Still grinning, he ensured he had the last word. Before vanishing, he declared, “Only that Koki has found a passage into the World of Shadows. As we speak, she’s attempting to enter in order to search for Grace.”
With a salute and a chortle, he sank into the ground.
Chapter 19
AS ALARMING AS Gideon’s pronouncement was, more perturbing was Lilly’s reaction. I’d anticipated a certain maternal concern and a flurry of nerves with perhaps an outpouring of tears. Instead, Lilly lay back and closed her eyes.
“Lilly, I realize you must be terribly distraught,” I ventured.
“Not now, Beatrice,” she said, her eyes flickering under her lids.
“Surely,” I began.
A cry issued from her cherub lips. She sat up and scowled. “Beatrice, I’m trying to sleep.”
“Your ability to sleep under any circumstance is highly commendable,” I said, my eyes widening, “but surely you would want to share this news with Tiberius. Perhaps we can track down that godly miscreant Kam and discover a way to hide Grace.”
Her lips pursed, and an eyebrow arched primly, Lilly stared at me. “I intend to enter the World of Shadows and track down Koki myself, assuming she’s there.”
Unnerved by both her intentions and her steely gaze, I said, “And then what?”
Her response was to settle back into a pillow and place her hands over her midsection.
“Lilly, and then what?” I insisted.
With a satisfied smile that was far too angelic for her next statement, she closed her eyes and replied, “Grace and I shall remove her from our lives.”
Impressed by her bloodthirsty sentiments and skeptical about her ability to carry out her murderous ambition, I said, “While I applaud your motivation to protect your offspring and to rid us all of that foul demon, there is the small matter of her husband who might not appreciate the premature demise of his wife.”
Then again, when I’d admitted to Anansi that I had cut off one of the Mantis’ legs, his reaction was to laugh. The experience had confirmed my already abysmal opinion of talking insects. However, loss of limb was slightly more tolerable than loss of life, and the Spider might respond differently should we manage to squash his wife. Could we really afford to offend one of the most powerful beings on the continent?
“Lilly, did you hear me?” I insisted.
No further comment was forthcoming from her, and she ignored my protests and words of great wisdom. After a few minutes, I abandoned my efforts and searched for Tiberius, but he was with Mr. Timmons and Lord Hardinge at a meeting with Crown officials to discuss the railway project. Father was in such deep slumber that my gentle and not-so-gentle nudges did little more than to cause him to frown in his sleep. I could only hope that Koki had failed to enter the World of Shadows.
Restless, I left the mansion and set off for the barn where I found Jonas conversing with Nelly. The little brown nag was doing a fine job maintaining a semblance of interest in whatever he had to say. I suspected her attentiveness would wane considerably once she’d consumed the contents of the bag hanging around her muzzle.
“What could possibly interest that horse apart from food?” I asked as I entered the barn.
I was gratified by the startled expression on Jonas’ wrinkled face as he spun about. More often than not, it was he who managed to sneak up behind me. As he spluttered a response, I spotted Zawadi sitting between Nelly’s ears. “Ah, that makes more sense. I thought the Abatwa didn’t enter buildings?”
Disgruntled, Jonas slouched and kicked his bare foot onto the dirt floor. “They only avoid those with stone floors,” he grouched, his tone accusing me of all the evil caused by building homes with stone underfoot. “You be wanting Nelly, Miss Knight?”
Without waiting for my response, he set about saddling my horse. For her part, Nelly eyed me, her stare reproachful, and the speed of her chewing increased. Zawadi waved at me.
“Indeed,” I replied as I waved in return. “I think I shall visit Dr. Ribeiro’s new clinic.”
Jonas peered over Nelly’s back, his eyes narrowed at me.
“Did you hear that he received sixteen acres for services rendered to the Crown and colony?” I continued, seeking to provoke Jonas into conversation. I was not disappointed.
Frowning, he demanded, “And did the British make the land themselves? Where is this gift coming from?” Before I could respond, he muttered, “Your queen, she is not so generous for she gives what isn’t hers to give.”
Smirking, I acknowledged his point. “Be that as it may, Dr. Ribeiro has a parcel of land and is building a new clinic.”
It was Jonas’ turn to gloat. “Do you know who is helping him?”
When I admitted my ignorance, Jonas refrained from enlightening me. The twinkle in his eyes and the smugness of his smile only added to my suspicion that I might not be overly thrilled with the answer.
A few minutes later, Nelly carried two passengers, for Zawadi remained on her perch, a few hairs of the horse’s mane wrapped around her waist. Nelly settled into a pleasant cantor in the general direction of town, the gentle rays of the sun showering the land in a golden glow. The rains had multiplied the bounty of the greening earth, and all manner of birds and insects filled the grass-scented air with their tweets and songs.
Zebra herds had swollen with new life as well, and the babies tottered around their mothers with such sweetness that I could only hope the lions weren’t nearby. On horseback, I was not perceived as a threat, so the grazing zebras merely flicked their ears and tails at my passage. A few giraffes strolled past, their heads lifted in a snobbish manner, too proud to gaze down upon a little horse. Even the knobby-kneed baby giraffe didn’t pay us any regard. A family of elephants were taking turns rubbing themselves against a tree, watching me as openly as I studied them.
The muddy ground had lost some of its moisture, so we arrived in town in a state that closely approximated clean and dry. Aft
er asking for directions, we trotted past the outskirts of the destroyed Bazaar and entered a construction site.
“Miss Knight, it is so very delightful to be seeing you here on this auspicious occasion,” Dr. Ribeiro called out to me as he teetered on a ladder, a hammer held overhead.
Taking in the frame of the future clinic, I was gratified to note that the structure seemed considerably more stable than the doctor’s previous edifice. The first clinic was burned down along with the rest of the Bazaar. This, in my opinion, was no great loss as it had been no more than a ramshackle collection of boards and metal sheeting held together with a few nails and a lot of luck.
“I didn’t know your talents extended to construction, doctor,” I replied, remaining in the saddle.
Waggling his head and grinning through his goatee, he replied, “Oh, Miss Knight, they are not extending in that way, not very much at all.”
My optimism over the soundness of the structure diminished accordingly. “I see. I’ve been informed you have some assistance. Surely they have some experience then?”
“One is hoping so, Miss Knight,” he replied, full of cheer as he gestured with his hammer toward a man I hadn’t previously noticed. The implement flew from his grip and sped toward the other man’s head. Before I could cry out a warning, the man swiveled around and stepped out of the way in one smooth movement. The hammer clattered against a stack of bricks.
“Oh, bother,” I muttered as Yao grinned at me.
“Miss Knight,” the firefly vampire greeted me in his silky voice, his bare chest gleaming as if recently oiled. “Yao is happy to assist the good doctor. Adze are always willing to help.”
“Yes, happy to rid ourselves of pesky sick people,” a sultry voice added as a firefly buzzed by Nelly and transformed into a woman as beautiful as Yao was handsome.
“No, Yawa,” her brother admonished her while bestowing on us a radiant smile. “We help dying people die more efficiently.”
“As usual, it’s a pleasure to see you both,” I said and turned my attention to the doctor. “As a matter of curiosity, do you have much experience delivering babies?”
