though. Instead, he spent countless hours contemplating the Black Lady exhibit, wracking his brain to come up with another idea as to where the key might be hidden, and how to get it.
He refused to entertain the possibility it still lay on the bottom of the ocean. No, it would be close to the book, he was sure of that. The magiks imparted into the key and book ensured they’d remain close to each other.
As for the book, it sat inside its locked box right on the center table, drawing his eyes and relentlessly mocking his impotence.
“Sir, we hates to bother you, but there’s somethin’ we think you ought to hear.”
As he turned towards the two sailors approaching him in the semi-darkness of the room, Gavin did his best to hide his annoyance at being disturbed. No sense taking his frustrations out on them. He’d need their full cooperation when he finally opened the thrice-damned box.
“What is it?”
“We happened upon young Mister Hennessy leaving the building today,” said Anton Childs, the oldest of all the sailors and the closest thing Gavin had to a confidant, as well as second in command. “Thought it a might odd for any of us to go about in the daylight, let alone venture away from that which ties us here, so we took it upon ourselves to follow him.”
Gavin frowned as he considered their words. What could Hennessy be up to? He’d never trusted the boy. His story of stowing aboard the Black Lady because he’d run away from home didn’t seem in keeping with his general demeanor. Oh, he’d worked hard enough in the couple of days before they’d sunk, but there’d been something about him...something that set Gavin’s nerves a-twitter whenever the boy was near.
Boy. Strange to think of him that way, with Blake but two years younger. Two years, but a world of difference between us.
“What did he do?”
“Believe it or not, he met up with a girl. Human, she was, and damn nice on the eyes, to boot.” Childs made an hourglass figure in the air with his hands.
“Ayuh,” agreed Victor Fogg, speaking around his pipe. “I’d show her a thing or two if I were alive.”
“A human? That’s impossible.” Gavin lifted his hands and blue sparks of energy crackled from his fingertips. “What kind of fool do you play me for?”
The two sailors, both twice Gavin’s age, but as afraid of him in death as they’d been in life, backed away. “No, sir, ‘tis no joke.” Childs shook his head. “Human, she was. We saw other humans speak to her, and to Hennessy, as well.”
Through his anger, Gavin felt a new emotion surge forward, something he hadn’t felt since he and others first manifested in the museum.
Hope.
If Hennessy’s somehow found a way to interact with the real world...
Gavin smiled, taking silent pleasure in the fearful way the two men reacted to his expression.
“I think we need to talk to Mister Hennessy.”
Chapter 7
Maya started counting the minutes to the end of her shift when she still had two hours to go. The dinner crowd hadn’t been bad - she’d seen worse for a Saturday night - but it was bad enough to stop her from asking if she could leave a little early. That meant staying until eight-thirty, which meant she’d only have an hour to race home, shower, get dressed, and race back across town to the bowling alley.
She couldn’t even ask to use the car because she still wasn’t old enough to drive after nine. Not that her parents would let her take it. Her father insisted on driving to the bank to make each night’s deposit, even though crime was nearly non-existent in Coronado Bay.
God, she couldn’t wait until she had enough money to buy her own car, even if it ended up being a rust bucket with four bald tires.
Anything was better than asking for rides or walking.
Forty-three minutes. She grabbed a bowl of clam chowder and delivered it to table twelve. With nearly all the tables and booths filled, the noise level in the diner made it
He refused to entertain the possibility it still lay on the bottom of the ocean. No, it would be close to the book, he was sure of that. The magiks imparted into the key and book ensured they’d remain close to each other.
As for the book, it sat inside its locked box right on the center table, drawing his eyes and relentlessly mocking his impotence.
“Sir, we hates to bother you, but there’s somethin’ we think you ought to hear.”
As he turned towards the two sailors approaching him in the semi-darkness of the room, Gavin did his best to hide his annoyance at being disturbed. No sense taking his frustrations out on them. He’d need their full cooperation when he finally opened the thrice-damned box.
“What is it?”
“We happened upon young Mister Hennessy leaving the building today,” said Anton Childs, the oldest of all the sailors and the closest thing Gavin had to a confidant, as well as second in command. “Thought it a might odd for any of us to go about in the daylight, let alone venture away from that which ties us here, so we took it upon ourselves to follow him.”
Gavin frowned as he considered their words. What could Hennessy be up to? He’d never trusted the boy. His story of stowing aboard the Black Lady because he’d run away from home didn’t seem in keeping with his general demeanor. Oh, he’d worked hard enough in the couple of days before they’d sunk, but there’d been something about him...something that set Gavin’s nerves a-twitter whenever the boy was near.
Boy. Strange to think of him that way, with Blake but two years younger. Two years, but a world of difference between us.
“What did he do?”
“Believe it or not, he met up with a girl. Human, she was, and damn nice on the eyes, to boot.” Childs made an hourglass figure in the air with his hands.
“Ayuh,” agreed Victor Fogg, speaking around his pipe. “I’d show her a thing or two if I were alive.”
“A human? That’s impossible.” Gavin lifted his hands and blue sparks of energy crackled from his fingertips. “What kind of fool do you play me for?”
The two sailors, both twice Gavin’s age, but as afraid of him in death as they’d been in life, backed away. “No, sir, ‘tis no joke.” Childs shook his head. “Human, she was. We saw other humans speak to her, and to Hennessy, as well.”
Through his anger, Gavin felt a new emotion surge forward, something he hadn’t felt since he and others first manifested in the museum.
Hope.
If Hennessy’s somehow found a way to interact with the real world...
Gavin smiled, taking silent pleasure in the fearful way the two men reacted to his expression.
“I think we need to talk to Mister Hennessy.”
Chapter 7
Maya started counting the minutes to the end of her shift when she still had two hours to go. The dinner crowd hadn’t been bad - she’d seen worse for a Saturday night - but it was bad enough to stop her from asking if she could leave a little early. That meant staying until eight-thirty, which meant she’d only have an hour to race home, shower, get dressed, and race back across town to the bowling alley.
She couldn’t even ask to use the car because she still wasn’t old enough to drive after nine. Not that her parents would let her take it. Her father insisted on driving to the bank to make each night’s deposit, even though crime was nearly non-existent in Coronado Bay.
God, she couldn’t wait until she had enough money to buy her own car, even if it ended up being a rust bucket with four bald tires.
Anything was better than asking for rides or walking.
Forty-three minutes. She grabbed a bowl of clam chowder and delivered it to table twelve. With nearly all the tables and booths filled, the noise level in the diner made it
Similar Books
