Faerie Wars 01 - Faerie Wars

by Brennan, Herbie

  'Ah, Silas, my dear fellow, we have need of your little friends.' Chalkhill bobbed his head, trying to see over Brimstone's shoulder. Inside the attic room, trapped lightning spat and crackled. 'Any of them in there? Or have you sent them all back home with your stinky grass?'

  'What's happening here?' asked Brimstone. You had to be careful with Chalkhill.

  'What's happening, Silas, is that Argynnis Paphia has sent this boy to disrupt our latest enterprise. Fortunately Pratellus caught him in the act.'

  'What act?' Brimstone snapped.

  Chalkhill looked taken aback and waved his hands feebly. 'In the act of ... of ... of disrupting our latest enterprise.'

  'He told you that, did he?'

  'Told me what?'

  Brimstone sighed. 'Told you Argynnis sent him.'

  'No, of course he didn't, Silas -- what a silly-billy boy you are! He denied everything. Of course he denied everything. But that's where you come in, isn't it? You and your little friends.'

  'You want me to get the truth from him?'

  'Yes,' said Chalkhill.

  'Very well,' Brimstone said. The turn of events suited him down to the ground. This child was the second person he'd seen since he stepped from the circle, so this child must be sacrificed to Beleth. Once Brimstone made the sacrifice, he could always claim the boy died during questioning. Chalkhill would accept that. He was always killing people himself. It was one of the reasons they'd gone into glue -- the factory was perfect for disposing with bodies.

  Chalkhill blinked. 'You'll do it?'

  'Yes.'

  'You'll turn him over to your little demons?'

  Brimstone nodded. Not so little, but ... 'Yes.'

  'You'll get them to torture him?'

  'Yes.'

  'They'll ...' he licked his lips '... they'll do medical experiments, won't they?'

  Brimstone shrugged. 'Probably.' Demons usually did.

  'When do we start? I want to help,' said Chalkhill.

  Damn! He should have seen it coming. The fat fool wanted to get involved. He was always trying to interfere with Brimstone's demon work. Well, Brimstone couldn't have that, couldn't have that at all. 'Won't do,' Brimstone said shortly.

  Chalkhill looked stricken. 'Won't do? Won't do? Why won't it do? I must help. Tell him I must help, Pratellus. You shan't have the boy unless I can help, Silas.'

  'My dear Jasper,' Brimstone said, trying to put a little warmth into his voice. 'I wasn't trying to spoil your fun -- surely you know me better than that? No, no, I merely wanted to say we couldn't begin right away. There are preparations to make. I have to be sure I call up the right demons. What I would suggest,' he went on easily, 'is that you leave the boy here with me -- Captain Pratellus can stay to see he comes to no harm. You go and have a rest, perhaps have a little drink. Then, when everything's ready, I'll send Pratellus to fetch you so you can join the fun. How would that be?'

  He held his breath, not altogether sure Chalkhill would go for it. The man might look like a beached whale with the IQ of a lettuce, but he had a certain animal cunning when it came to his pleasures.

  Chalkhill was frowning. 'Pratellus can stay with him?' he asked suspiciously.

  'Of course!' Brimstone exclaimed.

  Chalkhill's teeth flared and dazzled. 'Capital!' he said. 'Capital! A rest, a drink. And you will send Pratellus to fetch me the minute it's all ready?'

  'Of course,' said Brimstone kindly.

  'Then I shall leave my little man in your capable hands!' Chalkhill exclaimed grandly and swept off down the stairs.

  Brimstone dismissed Pratellus and both guards the minute they had the boy tied up securely and deposited inside the circle. None of the three made the slightest protest and Brimstone knew exactly why. Pratellus in particular realised which side his bread was buttered. He might suck up to Chalkhill for the little favours of his job, but Brimstone was the one with power, even if Chalkhill was the one with money. Brimstone was the one you kept sweet at all costs. He was the one who could fire you, throw you on the rubbish heap. He was the one who could send a demon hunting through your dreams if you irritated him too much.

  He was the one with a sacrifice to make.

  Brimstone stared at the boy, wondering why Beleth wanted him so much. He was certain in his own mind now that Beleth had somehow engineered this situation. It was all too neat and tidy for any other explanation. The boy's arrival the minute he stepped out of the circle -- even before he stepped out of the circle, now he came to think of it. His position behind Chalkhill so he had to be the second person Brimstone would see. Even the way Chalkhill offered him and the ease with which he'd agreed to let Brimstone take him away. That wasn't like Jasper, not like him at all. It had to have something to do with Beleth. Once you called a demon, you gave it an opportunity to interfere with the world. Small demons just made mischief, but princes could be more subtle. And far reaching.

  Yet why had Beleth chosen this child for the sacrifice and no other? Why had Beleth chosen a child at all? Why not someone of importance, someone rich and powerful? Chalkhill's boy seemed fearfully ordinary. Even his clothes weren't up to much. The breeches looked as if he'd mended them himself -- and none too expertly.

  Brimstone tore his mind away from the puzzle. It was really no business of his why Beleth wanted the boy. Just so long as the demon kept his end of the contract. Oh yes, that was all that mattered. He scuttled across the room for The Book of Beleth and turned to the chapter that described the sacrifice. It all looked simple enough. You called up Beleth in the usual way, then cut the victim's throat. Beleth absorbed the life essence, sealed the contract and took the boy's soul with him back to Hell. Easy-peasy. Once Beleth was gone, the only thing Brimstone had to do was dispose of the body, which would be simple with the glue vats in full production. He wouldn't even have to worry about Chalkhill any more. With Belem's contract in Brimstone's pocket, Chalkhill was yesterday's news.

  He went to the cupboard and found a sharp-edged knife. Then he came back and started to re-fortify the circle in preparation for the calling-up of Beleth. Two evocations in one day! That must be something of a record.

  Pyrgus watched the old man skeetering about the attic room like a sun-dried cockroach and tried to figure out how much time he had left. He couldn't believe no one had searched him. The guards had been too busy beating him up. Captain Pratellus had been too busy playing Good Cop. Chalkhill had been too busy organising fun for himself. And this old boy -Brimstone -- seemed to have other things on his mind as well. As a result, Pyrgus was now quietly sawing at his bonds with the little blade he'd fished from the button-down pocket on the leg of his breeches. It wasn't very sharp, but it would do the job. Providing he had time.

  He wished he knew what Brimstone was really up to. Chalkhill wanted him to call up a few demons to torment Pyrgus and this place certainly looked as if it was ready for a conjuration -- and Pyrgus himself was right inside the magic circle. But Pyrgus had never seen a triangle of trapped lightning before and he didn't like the look of that knife Brimstone had brought into the circle. The old man was about his own business, something even Chalkhill didn't know about. Pyrgus also guessed this was not good news. There were worse things than being tormented by a few minor demons and that knife looked like one of them.

  If he could just cut through the ropes in time, he was certain he could get away. Brimstone looked like he'd been dead for years. He was lively enough for an old boy, but he was frail. Pyrgus reckoned he could outrun him easily, probably even take the knife away from him without much trouble. But only if his hands and feet were free. Until that happened, he was helpless.

  He redoubled his efforts with the little blade.

  Brimstone redrew symbols and lit candles. He glanced at Pyrgus. 'Nearly done,' he said cheerfully.

  'What are you going to do to me?' Pyrgus asked him. He wasn't expecting an honest answer but, if he could keep Brimstone talking, it might give him extra time.

  'Nothing you need
worry about,' Brimstone told him promptly.

  'What do I need to worry about?' It was horribly difficult to tell how far he'd got with the ropes. They certainly hadn't parted yet. But at least Brimstone was talking.

  'Nothing,' Brimstone said. 'Nothing at all. You won't feel a thing. Well, hardly anything.' He turned away from Pyrgus and picked up a large book. 'Now please be quiet -- I have work to do.'

  So much for keeping Brimstone talking. Pyrgus watched with trepidation as he began an evocation.

  Pyrgus couldn't believe what was materialising in the triangle. Like most boys, he'd seen pictures of demons and read about them in his schoolbooks. But they'd all been small creatures, just a few feet high. Bad tempered, admittedly; and dangerous. Put enough of them together and they could strip the flesh from your bones with those sharp little teeth. Some breeds even had magical powers -- they could wither plants and cause all sorts of illnesses. And all of them could get into your mind if you were silly enough to look them in the eye. Even though you wouldn't want one as a pet, they weren't really all that scary.

  But the thing in the triangle was something else.

  It was huge. It was ugly. It was loud. It was smelly. It oozed malevolence and naked power. Worst of all, it was smiling.

  'Aha,' it said. 'You found the boy.'

  'You knew it would be him,' Brimstone said. 'You knew, didn't you? All that business about the second person I saw -- you knew who it would be.'

  'Of course I knew who it would be,' Beleth growled. 'You don't think I'd leave that sort of thing to chance?'

  'Why him?' Brimstone asked. The creature seemed to make him nervous. He was dancing from foot to foot.

  'Show me the clause in our contract that says I have to explain myself to you,' Beleth hissed.

  Brimstone backed off at once. 'Just curious, just curious. None of my business, none at all. The deal's still on, isn't it?'

  'Signed in blood,' said Beleth. 'And sealed once you complete your part of the bargain. Speaking of which ...'

  Brimstone took the hint. 'Yes, yes, I'll do it now. No sense in dragging these things out.' He raised the knife and bent down over Pyrgus. 'Hold still, boy,' he said.

  Pyrgus snapped the ropes around his wrists.

  His feet were still tied so he couldn't run, but he brought the little blade round and jabbed it into Brimstone's hand. Brimstone squealed and dropped the knife. 'You stabbed me!' he exclaimed in astonishment. He looked at his hand. 'I'm bleeding!'

  Pyrgus rolled away from him and tried to grab the knife. He wasn't quite sure whether he was going to use it on Brimstone or the ropes that bound his legs. But he was never to find out because Brimstone moved with astonishing speed for someone of his age and snatched the weapon away just as Pyrgus's fingers closed on it. 'Oh no you don't!' Brimstone said. Pyrgus kicked out with both bound feet and caught him in the shin. For a moment Brimstone stood, arms flailing, then lost his balance and fell half in and half out of the circle.

  'Aha,' said Beleth. 'Freedom!'

  'No -- ' Brimstone screamed. Pyrgus noticed he'd dropped the knife again.

  Pyrgus made no mistake this time. With his feet still bound, he rolled once more and grabbed the weapon. From the corner of his eye he saw the massive form of the demon step out of its triangle. Since there was no way he could fight the two of them, he ignored Brimstone altogether, jack-knifed upright and slashed at the ropes round his legs. The knife must have had an ion edge because it cut through them like butter.

  'Keep away from me!' Brimstone howled.

  Pyrgus leaped to his feet and jumped right over Brimstone as he raced for the door. He couldn't remember if he'd seen Brimstone lock it, but it was the only chance he had.

  'I'm on your side, fool!' the demon growled, apparently to Brimstone. It crossed the room in two huge strides.

  Pyrgus was reaching for the door handle when the huge clawed hand fell on his shoulder.

  The jolt of power that surged through his body felt like trapped lightning. Pyrgus jerked as every muscle went rigid. His momentum carried him forward, but his whole body felt as if it had been seized by rigor mortis so that he toppled forward to fall flat on his face on the floor. Blood gushed from his nose and a loud knocking filled his ears. Behind him he could hear Brimstone wailing like a child. The demon roared. Then everything went deathly quiet.

  For an eternity Pyrgus lay there waiting for the demon to kill him. The knocking noise started up again and he realised it wasn't inside his head at all -- it was coming from the door. Experimentally he tried to move his arm. His body ached from head to toe, but the muscles had started to work again. He rolled over, tasting blood in his mouth, and slowly sat up. The room was a shambles. Bits of trapped-lightning equipment were strewn across the floor and a whole segment of the circle had been torn up and destroyed. The brazier was just a piece of twisted metal. Brimstone lay against one wall, a dazed expression on his face. He looked as if he'd been thrown there like a rag doll. He was cradling his large book in both arms.

  The knocking became a pounding and suddenly the attic door burst in, hinges shattered. Four large men marched through with military precision. Beleth vanished instantly. Brimstone scrambled to his feet. 'Get out!' he screamed. 'Get out! Get out! Who do you think you are?'

  Pyrgus stared. He knew who these men thought they were. Each one wore the uniform insignia of His Supreme Majesty, the Purple Emperor.

  'Where's my boy? wailed Jasper Chalkhill.

  'Shut up!' Brimstone muttered. He was staring at the wreckage of his attic room, still bewildered by the sheer speed of events. One minute he'd been about to bring his greatest plan to glorious fruition, the next his hopes were shattered. Beleth was gone. The boy was gone. All his expensive equipment was broken. It would take him weeks to replace it -- weeks! No matter how much he paid, it would take him weeks! But he still had the book. That was something. And the contract. Although he didn't really like to think about the contract. The contract had a penalty clause.

  'I insist you speak to me! I insist, Silas! I absolutely, positively insist!' Chalkhill stamped a slippered foot in the extremity of his frustration.

  Brimstone sighed. 'They took him away.'

  'Who took him away? Why didn't you stop them?'

  'I didn't stop them because there were four of them and one of me. I didn't stop them because they were the Emperor's Guard. That's why I didn't stop them.'

  Chalkhill blinked. 'The Emperor's Guard? The Purple Emperor's Guard?'

  'What other Emperor is there?' Brimstone snapped. He wished the fat idiot would go away. He needed time to think, to plan. He needed to decide the best thing to do next.

  'What's the Purple Emperor want with that boy?'

  'How should I know? Maybe you should write a letter and ask him.'

  'You're being horrid, Silas. Imagine what a disappointment this has been to me.'

  Brimstone decided on diplomacy. 'To us both, Jasper, to us both. But what was I supposed to do -- defy an order from the Purple Emperor?'

  'They had an order? From the Emperor himself?'

  T don't know if it was from the Emperor himself. Maybe they print out those things by the dozen. All I know is they waved a bit of parchment underneath my nose, then marched him away.'

  'Did you read it?' Chalkhill asked.

  Brimstone stared at him as if he was insane. 'What am I -- a lawyer? These were the Emperor's men!' Actually he was sorry now he hadn't read it. Might have given him some clue to what was so special about this boy. First Beleth wanted him, now the Purple Emperor.

  Brimstone walked across the room and took Chalkhill by the arm. He made a massive effort to put sympathy and reassurance into his voice. 'Look, Jasper, give me time to clean things up in here, then I'll work out some way to get the boy back.'

  'You will?'

  'That boy broke into our premises. He stole several of our cats. Heaven alone knows what other damage he may have caused.' Brimstone nodded soberly. 'He broke the law, Jasper. That
may give us prior claim. I don't know why the Emperor wants him, but we may have prior claim. Even His Supreme Majesty is not above the law. What I'd like you to do, Jasper, is give me half an hour to clean things up in here, then send Glanville and Grayling to my office -- '

  'Our lawyers?'

  'Yes,' Brimstone nodded patiently, 'that Glanville and Grayling. I'll have them prepare a petition -- a legal petition.' He stared at Chalkhill for some clue he was following this. 'A petition to the Emperor, you understand. With a little luck, we could have the boy back here within a day.'

  'You really think so, Silas?'

  'I really do, Jasper,' Brimstone lied.