The Londum Omnibus Volume One (The Londum Series Book 4)

by Tony Rattigan

  Well, that worked out all right, he thought. He was glad his hunch had paid off. He turned around to find Won Lungh behind him. Won Lungh closed the door and the two men stared warily at each other. Then they both spoke at once, drowning the other out.

  ‘You want some tea?’ asked Won Lungh.

  ‘Can I have some tea?’ asked Cobb.

  There was a long pause and an uneasy silence, which Won Lungh finally broke by saying, ‘I get you some tea.’ He turned and headed off for the kitchen.

  Cobb went back into his office and thought, maybe there’s something to having him around after all.

  He sat down at his desk and picked up the crossword again. Now then, what’s a seven-letter word for fish?

  ***

  Just as a footnote: Never let it be said that the Gods do not pay their dues.

  The monk’s family; although they had to suffer the ignominy of his disgrace, and for a generation were shunned by the rest of the village, found that after a few years their fortunes improved.

  The land that they owned was the most fertile in the valley, the animals that grazed on those fields grew bigger than any others, the monk’s descendants grew to be big strong lads or beautiful young women, who anyone would desire. His family grew to positions of wealth and power in the hidden valley. For as long as the world existed, the debt was repaid to his descendants.

  P. S.

  The things watched the second Big Bang fade away. Then one of them turned to the others and said, ‘Well, that was fun. What do you want to do now? Go down the park?’

  One of them replied, ‘Nah, my mum says I gotta clean out my room.’

  ‘Bummer. So, see you tomorrow then?’

  ‘Yeah, ‘til tomorrow then. Bye.’

  ‘Bye.’

  And then they all faded away.

  THE END

  Hair of the Dog

  Tony Rattigan

  Book Two of The Londum Series

  Copyright © Antony Rattigan 2005

  All rights reserved.

  A rousing tale of love, larceny, werewolves … and whipped cream!

  During a state visit to Albion, the Great Seal of Pils-Holstein is stolen. Private detective Rufus Cobb is called in by Caledonia Yard to recover the Seal and avoid an international incident.

  Meanwhile, a werewolf is stalking the East End of Londum, cold bloodedly killing its innocent victims (and some not so innocent ones).

  Are the two things connected?

  Cobb and Jim Darby are sent to Pils-Holstein by the British Government to put an end to the werewolf menace once and for all but does Darby have his own agenda?

  Stuck between the werewolves on one side and the Jim Darby on the other, with no one to watch his back, Cobb finds that things can get decidedly … hairy!

  Author’s Note:

  No werewolves were harmed during the writing of this book … although a squirrel was mildly inconvenienced.

  Dedication

  This book is dedicated to all the people in the

  No 47 bus queue.

  I’m sorry …

  I didn’t see the puddle.

  Prologue

  Imagine you are holding a new pack of cards. Unwrap them and remove the Jokers. Then spread the pack out in a line in front of you. Each card is almost the same as the one before and the one after it but they are slightly different. The suit is the same but the number on the adjacent cards is one higher or lower. The picture cards are the same as each other but the suits change. The difference is minimal but there is a difference.

  However, the further you go through the pack, the greater the difference is, from the point you started at.

  Now, imagine that each of those cards is a different dimension, a different Universe, similar but not identical to the one next to it. And there are many more than fifty-two in this particular pack.

  That is what the Multiverse is like … countless Multiple Universes running parallel to each other. Some you would recognise, some you would not, for in each of those Universes, the things that shaped your world may not have happened there (and vice-versa). People have lived, wars have been fought and inventions have been … er … invented, that have driven the pace of advancement that may not match the way things panned out in your neck of the woods.

  So while you may be reading this sitting comfortably in your semi-detached in Cricklewood, a hundred Universes over, Captain Lars Felder of the Hyperion Space Command is manoeuvring his Nimwad attack fighter into the final strike position for an attack on a Zykon Death Cruiser. And fifteen Universes over from that, Ug is still trying to figure out how to make that bright yellow stuff that hurts when you put your hand in it but makes you feel so warm and comfortable when you sit next to it on cold nights.

  Let’s visit one of those Universes now, to one of its planets called Earth. (They could have called it something classy like Ariani or Galitrea but no … they called it Earth. No imagination some people.)

  In their time it is the Victorian Era, when a quarter of the world is ruled over by the British Empire that is commanded from the country of Albion, ruled by their King Victor. Let’s go down to it now and see what’s happening there.

  One more thing … before we leave the imagery of the deck of cards, put the Jokers back in the pack. Yes … there are Universes like that too. Places where there is Magick, where strange creatures exist and the world is not as you believe it to be.

  This is one of them.

  Death of a Duke

  The three coaches made their way through the dark, snowy night with only their score of outriders for company. They travelled along a lonely forest road in the small country of Pils-Holstein, high in the Alpen Mountains. The snow had been falling for several hours and it was heavy going for the coaches as they made their way through the shin-deep snow.

  Inside the middle coach, Grand Duke Henried von Pils-Holstein, the ruling monarch of that small territory turned to his wife, Grand Duchess Annabelle and smiled at her. ‘It won’t be long now my dear,’ he told her. ‘About another five miles I reckon. Here, let’s make sure that you stay wrapped up nice and warm.’ He reached over and pulled the animal furs tighter around her.

  ‘Oh Henri, please stop fussing, I’m nice and warm. I shall be glad to get indoors though. This storm is going to last all night from the look of it and I don’t want to get snowed in just a few miles from home.’

  The small party of the duke and duchess, their guards and servants were on the last leg of a journey returning from a state visit to a neighbouring country. When the snow had started falling, it had been too far to turn back and return to their last stop, so after consultation with the duke, the Captain of the guard had given the order to press on.

  Duchess Annabelle lifted the shutter and looked out into the forest. With a gasp of surprise, she let it drop and put her hand to her mouth.

  ‘What is it, my dear?’ asked the duke, concerned.

  ‘I think I just saw something moving in the forest.’

  ‘Something? What kind of someth-’ at that moment the sound of a guards hunting horn as it raised the alarm, interrupted him. The coach pulled to a stop. ‘What the-?’ he exclaimed and raised the shutter to look outside himself. He saw a number of wolves flitting through the trees at the side of the road, a great number. ‘I don’t believe it … it’s a pack of wolves!’ he explained to his startled wife. ‘There’s dozens of them!’

  He looked outside again only to see one of the outriders knocked off his horse by a wolf leaping at him. The hunting horn blew again and there was a cacophony of noise as the soldiers shouted out curses as they were attacked, the women in the retinue began to scream and the horses started to panic.

  Above all the noise, the Captain of the guard could be heard bellowing out orders, in response to which the duke’s coach went forward twenty or so feet until it was alongside the first coach, and then the third coach came up alongside it, thereby effectively blocking access to the duke by putting a coach on eith
er side. If anyone wanted to get to the duke, they would have to go through one of the other coaches.

  Then he had his men dismount and form a ring around the three coaches. They tied off their horses and waited pensively, guns and swords drawn as the first wave of wolves swept over them.

  Dozens of barking, snarling wolves came out of their hiding places in the trees and threw themselves at the duke’s party. It defied belief, wolves rarely attacked humans and when they did it was only small parties of humans and they would follow them warily, picking them off one at a time. But this was a full frontal assault against a large group of heavily armed men.

  The duke’s personal guard fought bravely but as soon as they killed one animal another took its place. It seemed like a never-ending storm of furry destruction. Pretty soon, their spirited defence began to crumble. When they saw this happening, the servants leapt out of the coaches to give them a hand, clutching sticks, umbrellas, knives, anything they could lay their hands on to use as weapons. The butlers and footmen and even the maids stood alongside the soldiers and fought for all they were worth but eventually it was obvious they were being overwhelmed. At this point, the Captain ordered six of his best men to take the duke and his coach and flee, with instructions to protect the duke and duchess at all costs.

  The duke’s coachman who had remained with the duke, responded to the Captain’s order by cracking his whip and driving the horses on and away down the snowy, mountain road, with the six guardsmen catching up and positioning themselves around the coach, two in front, two behind and one either side.

  Those left behind fought for all they were worth and seemed certain to die there on that mountain road but suddenly their attackers lost interest in them and ran off into the night, after the duke’s coach.

  The mountain night echoed with the sound of drumming hooves as the duke’s coach and its six outriders galloped along the lonely forest road with the pack of wolves pounding along behind them … very soon they would be overtaken. The two guards galloping along at the rear of the coach looked back and then looked at each other. Reaching an unspoken agreement they slowed to a halt, wheeled their horses around and waving guns and swords, charged into the approaching pack.

  The sacrifice of the two brave guards brought the wolf pack to a halt as they leapt onto the horses, bringing them down by sheer weight of numbers as the guards fired their weapons and hacked at the fur covered death overwhelming them. The other guards seeing this, also fell back to cover the rear of the coach as it seemed that it would soon be their turn to surrender themselves, to give the duke’s coach a few more minutes to escape.

  This gave the coach a breathing space, a chance to gain some ground and it looked as if they might actually manage to escape when they hit the tree. It had been laid carefully across the road and hidden with snow; it was invisible in the darkness and the falling snow.

  The horses ran into the concealed tree and fell to the ground in a welter of broken, thrashing limbs and screams of agony and terror. The coach hit the tree and flipped onto its side, snapping the shafts that held the horses.

  The coach slid along the ground on its side for some twenty yards or so until it finally came to a halt. The remaining four guards seeing the fate of the coach managed to avoid the trap. They urged their horses over the obstruction and raced to assist their fallen duke. Their horses skidded to a stop at the rear of the coach, as from out of the woods at the side of the track came yet more wolves and brought them down to the ground, where they were quickly dispatched.

  The coachman, who had somehow managed to hang on to the crashing vehicle, was clambering up to the side of the coach that was uppermost, when something huge and dark leapt out of the forest, landing on all fours beside the stricken coach. It was the shape of a man but much bigger, it was covered in hair with a long, vicious looking snout. When it snarled at the coachman it displayed rows of sharp teeth like a dog. Then it stood on its hind legs like a man and reached out for the coachman.

  It grabbed him and sank its teeth into his throat, worrying him like a dog does a sheep. The beast shook him from side to side and then spun him into the undergrowth at the side of the track.

  Out of the snowy woods came two more man shaped wolves. They were covered in hair but they walked upright like men. The one leading the pair was the tallest, the leader, the Alpha male of the pack. The shorter female followed a few paces behind. They had been waiting there with the second group of wolves. It would have been obvious to any objective observer that the first pack of wolves hadn’t been chasing the coach … they had been herding it, driving it before them, into this trap.

  The man/wolf that had killed the coachman, walked back to the screaming horses that were struggling in their reins, trying to break free and with a few swift strokes of its claws, silenced them.

  One of the two creatures that had come out of the forest, the male, walked to the coach and pulled open the door. He reached inside and grabbed Duke Henried by the throat, pulled him bodily out of the coach and held him out in front of him.

  Duke Henried looked into the mad, red eyes that stared back at him and knew he was looking at his own death. The creature’s foul breath washed over him as he struggled to release the hands around his throat. His last thought was that he was thankful that his daughter Yuli was not with them, or she would be slaughtered too. Fortunately she was safe in Albion, in Londum with his sister Mira.

  The creature jerked its wrist, snapping the duke’s neck and then tossed the body aside. The other two man/wolves immediately jumped on it. As they began to dine on the deceased duke, the Alpha male leaned back into the coach. There was a piercing scream, the slash of sharp claws followed by a splash of blood on the inside of the coach and poor Yuli became an orphan.

  The man/wolf reached into the coach once more and pulled out a wooden chest. Putting it on the overturned coach he smashed the lock and opened it. He gave a growl of satisfaction as he saw inside … the Great Seal of Pils-Holstein.

  He leapt onto the coach, lifted the Great Seal over his head with both hands and howled at the moon, the glow of which could barely be seen through the snowy night sky. All the wolves in the forest, pure animal and half man/half wolf, stopped their feasting and gazed at him in fear and awe.

  He jumped down to the ground and replaced the Great Seal back in the wooden chest, put it under his arm and walked off into the woods. As he faded into the night, the other two man/wolves reluctantly ceased dining and followed him until they too were gone. The remaining wolves, the real wolves went back to their feast.

  ***

  Five Years Later in Londum, the capital of Albion.

  Thornton Wells raised his glass, ‘A toast … to new friends!’

  ‘To new friends!’ echoed the others at the table. Sitting with Thornton in the restaurant were Rufus Cobb, who had been married to Thornton’s daughter before she died, Adele Curran, Cobb’s new companion and Amanda Stiverley, one of Thornton’s lady friends.

  ‘Thanks for inviting us out tonight, Thornton,’ said Cobb.

  ‘My pleasure dear boy,’ replied Thornton, ‘my pleasure. I thought it would give us all a chance to get to know each other.’

  Thornton and Cobb knew each other of course, had done for years but Adele had recently come into Cobb’s life and Thornton wanted the chance for them to meet on neutral ground where she might feel more comfortable than at Thornton’s or Cobb’s place, so Thornton had suggested to Cobb that he and Adele might join him in a night out. Thornton had brought Amanda Stiverley along as his companion as Cobb had met her before.

  They had first gone to a Music Hall to see a show and were now seated in a top Londum restaurant. They had dined on a sumptuous meal and were now enjoying another bottle of fine champagne. The alcohol was making everyone relax and any feelings of awkwardness had long died away.

  Cobb was pleased to see that it was going so well. Adele had been understandably nervous at the idea of meeting Thornton, she was after all taking his
daughter’s place in Cobb’s life, but the truth of it was Thornton had long been telling Cobb he should move on and find another woman as it had been five long years since Esme had died.

  Thornton had paid special attention to Adele and soon had her eating out of his hand. Cobb had to admit that Thornton was a real charmer when it came to the ladies and he could have sworn that if he and Amanda hadn’t been there, Adele would have been going home with Thornton that night.

  For his part, Thornton seemed entranced with Adele and why not? She was attractive, intelligent and witty. Cobb was captivated by her so why wouldn’t anyone else be?

  ‘Cobb, why don’t you take Amanda for a spin around the dance floor?’ suggested Thornton.

  ‘Well … it’s not really my thing, dancing,’ Cobb looked at Amanda and shrugged apologetically.

  Thornton looked at Amanda and she stood up and held out her hand to Cobb, ‘Surely you wouldn’t refuse a lady?’

  With a glance at Adele, Cobb stood up and took Amanda’s arm, ‘I know when to give in. You’re obviously desperate for a good laugh so come and watch me dance.’

  As Amanda headed towards the dance floor on Cobb’s arm, she glanced over her shoulder at Thornton. She had taken his hint that he wanted to be left alone with Adele and had helped distract Cobb.

  Thornton topped up their glasses and he and Adele looked at each other for a moment. ‘Well, you seem to have done wonders for Cobb and for that I thank you,’ he said. ‘You’ve given him a reason to live again, I haven’t seen him so happy for years.’

  ‘Was he really that bad?’