Shrike stepped toward Primo’s voice. Spyder let her and stood where he was, nervous, but careful not to show any emotion. He simply frowned.
“We understand,” said Shrike.
Primo rubbed his hands nervously and looked at Shrike and Spyder. “There is, um, one more stipulation,” he said, and reached behind an enormous elephant ear plant to pull a hidden lever set into the floor. Gears ground beneath their feet. Pistons hissed and pulleys clanked into action. From the ceiling, a gigantic metal flower lowered itself and opened slowly, like a blossom in the morning sun, to reveal dozens of serrated blades, each longer than Spyder was tall.
“Because of the delicate nature of this commission, if your services are not needed you will not, um, be permitted to leave. Madame Cinders regrets any inconvenience this may cause you.”
Spyder shifted his gaze to Shrike. She hadn’t moved, so he mimicked her indifference.
“We’re ready,” Shrike said.
Primo went and stood beside Madame Cinders’ wheelchair. The old woman hadn’t budged since her entrance. When her voice came, it filled the room, surprisingly strong, deep and clear.
“What is your name, child?” She was addressing Shrike. Spyder looked at her.
“I am Alizarin Katya Ryu.” She gave the old woman the slightest of bows.
“Is that your only name?”
“I’m sometimes called Blind Shrike,” she said. “Sometimes Butcher Bird.”
“Why do you carry the name of a harmless little hatchling?”
“The shrike is a hunter, Madame, though a diminutive one. So am I. The shrike skewers its prey on thorns and continues to hunt. Like the shrike, I hunt until the hunt is over. The name was given to me by those who’ve seen my skill.”
“You’re an assassin, child?”
“Yes, Madame.”
“But you are also a thief.”
“No, ma’am.”
“Did you not eat my figs without asking? That’s thievery.”
“We were led to food and drink by your servant. We assumed the fruit was for your guests,” said Shrike flatly.
“Is it your habit to conduct your life and work based on assumptions?”
“I use common sense. When food and drink are offered by someone asking for my service, I feel free to eat and drink. If I was wrong in this case, if I have offended you, I apologize. But do not forget, Madame Cinders, that it was you who sought out my help. If it is not wanted, then we’ll be on our way.”
“You have a temper, child.”
“Not temper. I simply dislike wasting time, yours or mine.”
The old woman paused. Her head moved, ever so slightly. Spyder stared deeply into the blackness where he knew her eyes to be. “Your companion, does he speak?”
“Only when he has something to say.”
“Tell me, are you a traveler?”
“If you are asking if I am I willing to go where a patron needs me, the answer is Yes.”
“What if the destination is beyond this Sphere? Beyond every Sphere you know?”
“I go where I’m paid to go.”
“Will you go to Hell for me, Blind Shrike?”
“I’m confused, Madame. I’m an assassin. What use would I be to you in a place of the dead?”
“What indeed?” The little pump attached to Madame Cinders’ wheelchair chuffed into life. An inverted bottle of some thick purplish fluid bubbled on her IV stand. She sighed a little as the fluid drained into her. “As a traveler, what can you tell me of Hell?” Madame Cinders asked.
“It’s very far. It is a city underground, or so surrounded by mountains that it appears to be underground. There are many entrances and exits, if one knows the way. Mostly, I know that you want to avoid the place, if possible.”
“Is that all?”
“As I said, Madame, my concern has largely been with living, breathing adversaries.”
“You are not doing well, child. Not well at all. Do you wish to be fed to my little flowers?”
“The question is insulting,” said Shrike.
The old woman was silent for a moment. Then asked, “If you were to go to Hell on my behalf and you met the great beast called Asmodai, what would you say to him?”
“Who, Madame?”
“No questions, please,” said Primo.
“What would you say upon meeting the beast Asmodai?” asked Madame Cinders.
“Good day to you, sir beast?”
Madame Cinders shook her head wearily and turned to Primo. The little man looked at the lever that controlled the metal flower hanging over their heads.
“I would say his name,” said Spyder. He took a step forward so that he was standing next Shrike. Her head snapped in his direction. “If I were wearing something on my head, I would remove it and I’d say Asmodai’s name three times, once to each of his heads. Once I’ve done this, he’ll kneel down and answer all my questions truthfully.”
“And if you met Paimon?”
“I would only speak to him facing the northwest and never, ever look into his eyes.”
“Better,” said Madame Cinders. “Between the two of you, I see one good hunter and one good hunter is all I need.”
The woman made a slight, almost invisible gesture. Primo jerked the lever that controlled the metal flower. Gears ground again and the blades began to retract. Spyder, his stomach knotted with tension, relaxed. Until he heard a click. The flower stopped retracting and the blades sprang open. The metal blossom shot down at them as if fired by a cannon. Spyder couldn’t move. There was nowhere to go and he was mesmerized by the gorgeous meat grinder fall toward their heads.
Something blurred past his eye.
Shrike’s blade was up and out. She hadn’t struck the flower, but had wedged her sword into the central shaft around which the blades spun, jamming the mechanism. When he realized what had stopped, Spyder’s brain he grabbed on to Shrike’s sword, reinforcing her hold on the flower.
Madame Cinders’ deep rasping laugh filled the room. “Better and better,” she said. “You’ve earned the commission.” Primo pushed the lever again and the flower retracted completely, disappearing into the ceiling. By then, the old woman had gone.
EIGHTEEN
A Weapon for Others
Primo took Spyder and Shrike from the greenhouse to Madame Cinders’ private quarters, which was located at the top of the minaret they’d seen from outside the compound.
They climbed a stone spiral staircase that had been worn smooth over centuries of use. Spyder had no idea how Madame Cinders got up and down the tower since it didn’t seem big enough to house anything resembling an elevator. Shrike tugged on Spyder’s arm, holding him back and letting Primo get ahead of them on the stairs.
“Since when are you an expert on demonology?” she asked. “You didn’t even believe in demons until two days ago.”
“My daddy used to say, ‘Just because T-bones are better eating, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t know the zip code of the brisket.’”
“What the hell does that mean?”
“It means, that even a useless tattooist can pick up a few facts that aren’t about girls or ink,” he said. “Jenny was an anthropology major. Studying medieval Christianity. I used to read her textbooks when she was finished. You’d be surprised how hot and bothered a little demon and saint talk gets Catholic girls. I still know Hell’s floorplan, all seven Heavens and which angels rule each one.”
“You saved us back there.”
“That sword trick helped. Someday you’re going to have to show me how that thing goes from a cane to a blade so fast.”
“Stay useful and I will.”
They entered Madame Cinders’ private quarters. The room was dark, as the shutters, which were carved in traditional Muslim geometrics, were closed to keep out the heat. Enough light came through the skylights that the opulence of the room was unmistakable. The walls were hung with tapestries and dark purple velvets. The furniture, a mixture of low Middle Eastern st
yle pillows and benches, was mixed with elegant European pieces and upholstered in rich brocades. Delicate lamps of brass and milky glass dotted the room. Above an Empire-style desk was an oil portrait of a young woman. Her skin was creamy and pale, like liquid pearls, and her hair long and dark. She wore a high-necked turquoise gown of a simple cut, but even in the painting it was obvious that it was of exquisite material and expertly made. In her hands, the girl held a book whose tattered cover and cracked spine indicated its great age and constant use. Spyder wondered if the girl in the picture was Madame Cinders in earlier, happier times. It was hard picturing the wheezing wreck in the wheelchair as a girl, much less a pretty one getting her portrait painted on her birthday.
“Yes, young man,” said Madame Cinders. “A book. That is what I’ve brought you here for.”
“You want us to steal a book, Madame?” asked Shrike.
“The one in this painting?” Spyder asked.
Madame Cinders shook her head, moving the fabric of her hajib slightly. Spyder realized that the awful stench back at the greenhouse wasn’t the exotic plants, but Madame Cinders herself. The heavy incense in the tower couldn’t disguise the stink of her flesh.
“You’re right, I am rotting.” Spyder looked at the woman. He realized that she could read his thoughts. Or was she just picking it up from body language? He resolved to stand completely still and look directly at her.
“Do that, if it comforts you.” Madame Cinders nodded toward Shrike. “She has no such worries, you see. Her world is black and full of secrets buried in darkness and deeper darkness. That’s why she’s so valuable to me. What’s an affliction to some, is a weapon for others.” Madame Cinders paused as her pump started up again. “I know you both have a questions, but let me tell you how the girl in that portrait became the creature you see before you.
“Since the time of the Great Divide, when all the Spheres of the World broke each away from the other, my family has guarded a book. The first book. It contains the true names of all things. Someone with the understanding to use the book could blot out the sun. Turn the oceans to blood. Or close forever the doors of existence.
“The book was stolen from this very room and spirited to Hell by a demon. The same Asmodai I asked you about earlier. Asmodai is known to possess vast and arcane knowledge, so I assumed he had stolen the book for himself. After years of trying, I managed to pursue him into Hell to retrieve the book that was my responsibility to guard.
“In Hell, I learned that Asmodai was now in the employ of a powerful wizard who now makes his home in that dank and depraved realm. It was he who transfigured me from the young girl in the painting to the half-alive thing you see now. All of my strength and knowledge goes into keeping myself alive. I haven’t the power to fight for the book anymore.”
The pump stopped and Madame Cinders seemed to sag for a moment, then sat up straight in her chair, renewed by whatever potion or tincture had entered her dying blood stream.
“I was arrogant,” she said. “Full of pride in my magic and fury at losing the book. I forgot a fundamental law of the universe: that no mortal may look upon Heaven or Hell and walk again among the living. What power the enemy wizard didn’t bleed from me, I used up weaving a spell to escape that horrid place.”
“That’s why you sent for me,” said Shrike. “Not because I’m the best assassin, but because I’m blind.”
“Because you are both, Butcher Bird.”
“I’m not blind. What about me?” asked Spyder.
“You keep her on course, it’s easy to see. She’s a burning fuse. You keep her from burning out. And you can be made blind temporarily, with a simple spell.”
“No way.”
“Then blindfold yourself and hope for gentle winds in the underworld.”
“Excuse me, Madame Cinders,” said Shrike, “I don’t want to be crass, but what will be our payment for performing this service for you?”
“Why, child, I’ll give you back your eyes.”
“Can you fix mine? Make me the way I was before, able to forget all this?”
“It is an odd request and I will not be so rude as to ask why, but, yes, with the book I could do that for you.”
“It’s not enough,” said Shrike. Spyder looked at her. “You’re asking us to go to the most awful place imaginable and face both the legions of Hell and the wizard who almost killed you, a sorceress with more magic than I could ever hope to summon. And our payment is to be nothing more than becoming who we used to be? Madame, there must be something more you can offer us or, despite whatever threats you might care to make, we will have to refuse your offer.” Spyder was surprised by Shrike’s tone, but could tell that she was in full-on haggling mode. The traders in Tangiers had been the same way. It wasn’t the easy-going bargaining of Nepal or Mexico, but a verbal fist fight. Spyder looked at Madame Cinders, waiting for her counter.
“What would be enough, Butcher Bird? Your kingdom back? Revenge on your enemies? Your father?”
“I barely recall my kingdom and my enemies will be damned in time. But to taunt me with my father’s death, I didn’t expect such low behavior from a lady of your standing, Madame.”
Madame Cinders laughed and it sounded like bubbling sludge. “But your father isn’t dead, Butcher Bird. He’s merely mad. Would you like to see him? He’s here, not two rooms away from us.”
NINETEEN
What Men Never Understand
Whirring ahead in her wheelchair, Madame Cinders led Spyder and Shrike to a padlocked room where the walls were padded with thick, stained silk.
Primo unlocked the door. In the darkest corner of the room, away from the light cast by the lone window, a man lay in a fetal position. His gray hair was greasy and wild. With dirty, bandaged fingers he mindlessly picked at the white padding that spilled out from a rip in the wall. The man’s eyes were unfocussed, wide and wild.
From the door, Shrike said, “Father?” She stepped into the padded room, but Madame Cinders put up an arm to bar her. Shrike grabbed Spyder’s shoulder. “What does he look like?”
“He’s a mess,” said Spyder. “Like those homeless guys you see eating out of dumpsters. I’m sorry.”
“He is not in his right mind, child. He is quiet now, but can be quite dangerous.”
Shrike pushed past Madame Cinders and felt along the wall until she found the huddled man. Spyder moved into the doorway, but hung back. He heard Madame Cinders muttering, “Brave girl. Stupid girl. She has to see everything for herself.”
Shrike knelt by the old man and put her hand on his bony chest. “Father? It’s Alizarin…”
The old man screamed and his hands flailed out, knocking Shrike back. Spyder darted across the room and pulled her back to the door. The old man kept on screaming, batting at invisible attackers, kicking at the empty air. Deep scars lined his cheeks where he’d clawed his skin away. He was reaching for something and if he hadn’t been chained to the wall, he looked like he would be clawing past Spyder and Shrike and anything else he could get hold of. What is he trying to grab? wondered Spyder. He described all this to Shrike.
“What’s wrong with him?” Shrike asked Madame Cinders.
“We found him in an asylum in Persia,” she said. “He’s been made mad by a curse, just as you were blinded by one. Only what your father is suffering is much, much worse.”
“What is he fighting? What does he see?”
“He is seeing Hell, child, dwelling in two Spheres at once. His body is here, but his mind is chained below in some abyssal dungeon. What he is fighting off are the demons that torment him.”
Shrike stood facing her father, though Spyder knew she couldn’t see him. Still, he could feel her body shaking almost imperceptibly. She was trying to see him, trying to will his face into her mind.
“There is only one way to restore your father. And that is to free him from the diabolical shackles that keep him bound below. Otherwise, this is his fate until his heart or his mind finally crack for
ever.”
“I understand,” said Shrike, cutting off the other woman. “But I have to ask you again—and I don’t ask this arrogantly, but out of fear that I can’t truly help my father—how do I assassinate spirits? I fight the living.”
“You kill the dead with the weapons of the dead,” said Madame Cinders. “Give it to her,” she told Primo. The little man came forward and pulled a long-bladed knife from an inner pocket of his jacket. He pressed the knife into Shrike’s hand and stepped courteously back. Spyder could see by the way Shrike held the weapon that it was heavier than it looked. The hilt was some kind of black horn inlaid with fine silverwork and a blood red ruby on each side. Shrike slowly pulled the blade from its scabbard, getting the feel of the thing.
“A hellspawn stole from me, so before I left that cursed place I returned the favor,” Madame Cinders wheezed before lapsing into a coughing fit. “That is the knife of Apollyon, also called Abbadon. Do you know of him?”
“His name means ‘The Destroyer’,” said Spyder.
“The Destroyer,” repeated Madame Cinders. “The blade will kill anything in this world or the next.”
“Why would a powerful demon need such a weapon?” asked Shrike. “What aren’t you telling us?”
“Clever girl,” said Madame Cinders. “You see far beyond your blindness.”
“Answer the question, please.”
“Apollyon is a general in Lucifer’s army. He is part of a loyal faction that opposes Asmodai and the ambitious wizard. You see, Hell is in turmoil, Butcher Bird. The devil’s throne is no longer secure. The wizard and his followers are sewing discontent among the other fallen angels. This mutiny has thrown the entire Underworld into confusion. While it makes Hell a more dangerous place to dwell, it also makes it an easier place to enter and from which to escape. I’m asking you be my thief in the land of the dead, but there should still be killing enough to satisfy even a Butcher Bird.”
Blind Shrike Page 8
