Phoebe Harkness Omnibus
Page 75
“Out of the city. Travelling,” she clipped. “Look, I’m not here to answer your questions. I’m only here at all because he asked me to be and I respect him.”
She put emphasis on this, clearly indicated her opinion of my respect for her noble Clan Master.
“It’s a walled city,” I argued. “He can’t leave it. And why would he? Why now, what for? He didn’t say anything to me.”
She looked down her nose at me. “Why would he? You’re not his confidant.”
I regarded her for a second.
“You don’t know either do you,” I said flatly.
She shrugged, a fraction too carefree to be convincing. “I don’t question him. Look…” She breathed air down her nose. “I know what you did, for the vampires, and the Tribals. I don’t like you, Doctor Harkness. But, you saved more than you know. He wanted me to tell you that.”
I turned to walk away, still trying to figure out how Alessandro had left the city, and where the hell he had gone. “Well, message delivered,” I said grimly. “His blessing is as ever a warm and snuggly blanket.”
“He also said you need to be careful,” she called after me. “You scratched at something, Doctor, and he said that…well, that things are in motion now. I don’t know what that means.”
I considered her begrudging warning.
“I’m always careful,” I shrugged. “It just doesn’t seem to do me any good.”
I left her standing in the shadows of the courtyard.
No one had come and cleaned my flat for me during the week I’d been out for the count. Damnit.
I looked forlornly at the bowl of shrivelled fruit on my kitchen counter. The few bananas were black as coal, the oranges shrivelled. The dragonfruit I’d bought was still hale and hearty looking. Perhaps it was immortal. I still had no idea what to do with the damn thing.
I closed all the curtains against the drawing night, flicking on the lights and feeling extremely tired for someone who’d just slept for a week. My answerphone was blinking. I had one new message. I wavered, wondering whether I could just ignore it. I wanted to be alone. My thoughts were a mess. Wondering what Scott had been talking about, about the things to come. Had I done the right thing? I’d killed a man. I felt numb about it. My hands were shaking a little though as I waved them over the machine, making it bleep. I dropped myself into the ancient and lumpy but incredibly comfortable armchair. The voice on the machine was very familiar.
“Hello, Doctor Harkness. If you’re listening to this you’re probably back in the land of the living now.”
I stopped rubbing my eyes with the heels of my hands and listened. It was Chase Pargate.
“You probably have more questions than answers, which I know is bloody annoying, but that’s just the way of it, I’m afraid. Further down the rabbit hole. No doubt by now Cabal have whitewashed the whole episode and it never officially happened. I remember their methods fondly from back in the day. I’m surprised they didn’t burn the power plant down, but then Cabal never did throw away anything they could find a use for. They’re incredibly thrifty that way.”
He laughed a little down the line.
“Of course when things are surplus to requirements, well…look what happened to me.” He paused. “Let me give you some advice, Doctor. Whatever you do, make sure you stay…useful.”
I sat up and stared at the machine. This was the third person since I’d awoken who had told me to watch my back.
“If you’re wondering what happened to Bacon’s manuscript, it’s mine now. Let’s just say it has a lot more uses than making walking faceless disease bombs.” He sounded pleased with himself.
“Everything turned out just dandy. I’m very much in somebody’s good books right now. You should come out and visit us sometime, if you ever get curious.”
The little red light flashed like an eye as he spoke through the machine to me. “We’re just in the woods, my friends and I. You wouldn’t believe what else is hidden out here. No wonder they discourage people from exploring. Wear a red hood, and whatever you do, if you do come, be sure to stray from the path.”
There was soft music playing in the background on the recording, wherever Chase Pargate was speaking from. It took me a moment to place it. “I have a friend of yours here with me too. He was pretty beaten up, but honestly, love, you’d be amazed what you can come back from these days. Trust me, I’m speaking from experience.”
The music, I realised, was Prokofiev. Peter and the Wolf.
“It’s a funny world, doctor darling. I’m sure we’ll meet again in it, probably sooner than you think. Cabal are not the only ones keeping a close eye on your rising star. Personally, I was impressed by your pluck, I have to say. You are, in so many ways, very like your father.”
I glared at the machine. What…had he just said?
“I’ll have to give him your regards, when I finally track him down,” Chase said merrily. “Oh I know, I know, he’s dead right? Silly old Chase, babbling on. But then so many people are dead. I’ve never let it hold me back. Goodnight for now.”
The message ended with a long rude beep. I sat stock still, staring at the machine. I dimly became aware that my fingers were gripping the arms of the chair so hard I was leaving dints in the leather.
Chase Pargate knew my father?
There was a moment’s drawn out silence in my flat, where I briefly wondered if my life could get any more complicated.
It was broken by a loud, wet bang. From my bedroom. I jumped in my chair, and then closed my eyes, wincing, as realisation dawned.
Brad the rat, my one faithful companion, unmediated and un-Epsiloned for over a week now, had just exploded in his cage like an egg in a microwave.
Dr Harkness will return in Pale Children: a Phoebe Harkness Novel
Follow the author on Twitter: @j_r_fahy_tweets
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