feeling,' Valentin commented. 'I have a suspicion maybe the Devil's in Manhattan.'
'So what's new?'
'That maybe he's coming for us.' As if on cue there was a knock at the door. Harry jumped. 'It's all right,'
Valentin said, 'he never knocks.'
Harry went to the door, feeling like a fool.
'Is that you, Byron?' he asked before unlocking it.
'Please,' said a voice he thought he'd never hear again.
'Helpme. . .'
50He opened the door. It was Dorothea, of course. She was colourless as water, and as unpredictable. Even before Harry had invited her across the office threshold a dozen expressions, or hints of such, had crossed her face: anguish, suspicion, terror. And now, as her eyes alighted upon the body of her beloved Swann, relief and gratitude.
'You do have him,' she said, stepping into the office.
Harry closed the door. There was a chill from up the stairs.
Thank God. Thank God.' She took Harry's face in her hands and kissed him lightly on the lips. Only then did she notice Valentin.
She dropped her hands.
'What's he doing here?' she asked.
'He's with me. With us.'
She looked doubtful. 'No,' she said.
'We can trust him.'
'I said no! Get him out, Harry.' There was a cold fury in her; she shook with it. 'Get him outl'
Valentin stared at her, glassy-eyed. 'The lady doth protest too much,' he murmured.
Dorothea put her fingers to her lips as if to stifle any further outburst. 'I'm sorry,' she said, turning back to Harry, 'but you must be told what this man is capable of-'
'Without him your husband would still be at the house, Mrs Swann,' Harry pointed out. 'He's the one you should be grateful to, not me.'
At this, Dorothea's expression softened, through bafflement to a new gentility.
'Oh?' she said. Now she looked back at Valentin. 'I'm sorry. When you ran from the house I assumed some complicity . . .'
'With whom?' Valentin inquired.
51She made a tiny shake of her head; then said, 'Your arm. Are you hurt?'
'A minor injury,' he returned.
'I've already tried to get it rebandaged,' Harry said.
'But the bastard's too stubborn.'
'Stubborn I am,' Valentin replied, without inflection,
'But we'll be finished here soon -' said Harry.
Valentin broke in. 'Don't tell her anything,' he snapped.
'I'm just going to explain about the brother-in-law -'
Harry said.
The brother-in-law?' Dorothea said, sitting down.
The sigh of her legs crossing was the most enchanting sound Harry had heard in twenty-four hours. 'Oh please tell me about the brother-in-law . . .'
Before Harry could open his mouth to speak, Valentin said: 'It's not her, Harry.'
The words, spoken without a trace of drama, took a few seconds to make sense. Even when they did, their lunacy was self-evident. Here she was in the flesh,
perfect in every detail.
'What are you talking about?' Harry said.
'How much more plainly can I say it?' Valentin replied. 'It's not her. It's a trick. An illusion. They know where we are, and they sent this up to spy out our defences.'
Harry would have laughed, but that these accusations were bringing tears to Dorothea's eyes.
'Stop it,' he told Valentin.
'No, Harry. You think for a moment. All the traps they've laid, all the beasts they've mustered. You suppose she could have escaped that?' He moved away from the window towards Dorothea. 'Where's Butterfield?' he spat. 'Down the hall, waiting for your signal?'
52'Shut up,' said Harry.
'He's scared to come up here himself, isn't he?'
Valentin went on. 'Scared of Swann, scared of us,
probably, after what we did to his gelding.'
Dorothea looked at Harry. 'Make him stop,' she said.
Harry halted Valentin's advance with a hand on his bony chest.
'You heard the lady,' he said.
'That's no lady,' Valentin replied, his eyes blazing. 'I don't know what it is, but it's no lady.'
Dorothea stood up. 'I came here because
'So what's new?'
'That maybe he's coming for us.' As if on cue there was a knock at the door. Harry jumped. 'It's all right,'
Valentin said, 'he never knocks.'
Harry went to the door, feeling like a fool.
'Is that you, Byron?' he asked before unlocking it.
'Please,' said a voice he thought he'd never hear again.
'Helpme. . .'
50He opened the door. It was Dorothea, of course. She was colourless as water, and as unpredictable. Even before Harry had invited her across the office threshold a dozen expressions, or hints of such, had crossed her face: anguish, suspicion, terror. And now, as her eyes alighted upon the body of her beloved Swann, relief and gratitude.
'You do have him,' she said, stepping into the office.
Harry closed the door. There was a chill from up the stairs.
Thank God. Thank God.' She took Harry's face in her hands and kissed him lightly on the lips. Only then did she notice Valentin.
She dropped her hands.
'What's he doing here?' she asked.
'He's with me. With us.'
She looked doubtful. 'No,' she said.
'We can trust him.'
'I said no! Get him out, Harry.' There was a cold fury in her; she shook with it. 'Get him outl'
Valentin stared at her, glassy-eyed. 'The lady doth protest too much,' he murmured.
Dorothea put her fingers to her lips as if to stifle any further outburst. 'I'm sorry,' she said, turning back to Harry, 'but you must be told what this man is capable of-'
'Without him your husband would still be at the house, Mrs Swann,' Harry pointed out. 'He's the one you should be grateful to, not me.'
At this, Dorothea's expression softened, through bafflement to a new gentility.
'Oh?' she said. Now she looked back at Valentin. 'I'm sorry. When you ran from the house I assumed some complicity . . .'
'With whom?' Valentin inquired.
51She made a tiny shake of her head; then said, 'Your arm. Are you hurt?'
'A minor injury,' he returned.
'I've already tried to get it rebandaged,' Harry said.
'But the bastard's too stubborn.'
'Stubborn I am,' Valentin replied, without inflection,
'But we'll be finished here soon -' said Harry.
Valentin broke in. 'Don't tell her anything,' he snapped.
'I'm just going to explain about the brother-in-law -'
Harry said.
The brother-in-law?' Dorothea said, sitting down.
The sigh of her legs crossing was the most enchanting sound Harry had heard in twenty-four hours. 'Oh please tell me about the brother-in-law . . .'
Before Harry could open his mouth to speak, Valentin said: 'It's not her, Harry.'
The words, spoken without a trace of drama, took a few seconds to make sense. Even when they did, their lunacy was self-evident. Here she was in the flesh,
perfect in every detail.
'What are you talking about?' Harry said.
'How much more plainly can I say it?' Valentin replied. 'It's not her. It's a trick. An illusion. They know where we are, and they sent this up to spy out our defences.'
Harry would have laughed, but that these accusations were bringing tears to Dorothea's eyes.
'Stop it,' he told Valentin.
'No, Harry. You think for a moment. All the traps they've laid, all the beasts they've mustered. You suppose she could have escaped that?' He moved away from the window towards Dorothea. 'Where's Butterfield?' he spat. 'Down the hall, waiting for your signal?'
52'Shut up,' said Harry.
'He's scared to come up here himself, isn't he?'
Valentin went on. 'Scared of Swann, scared of us,
probably, after what we did to his gelding.'
Dorothea looked at Harry. 'Make him stop,' she said.
Harry halted Valentin's advance with a hand on his bony chest.
'You heard the lady,' he said.
'That's no lady,' Valentin replied, his eyes blazing. 'I don't know what it is, but it's no lady.'
Dorothea stood up. 'I came here because
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