be Felport’s first chief sorcerer, displaced in time. The immortal Beast of Felport itself . And, of course, I have your hero, Nicolette, locked in the most potent cell I possess, at the center of a cube wrapped in bindings of order – the witch Elsie Jarrow. You would be amazed at what some of these people are willing to do when you dangle the prospect of freedom before them. So, no – I won’t be needing your services. Good luck with the rest of your miserable, pointless lives.” The doctor started to close the door.
Nicolette stuck a boot in the way, and Dr. Husch made a noise of distaste and opened it again. “Do you want to lose a foot along with your arm, woman?”
“We want in,” Nicolette said. “If nothing else, we can help wrangle the crazies. Besides, don’t bullshit me, there’s no way you can let Elsie Jarrow out, you’d never be able to control her, she’s too – ”
“I am well aware of her condition – indeed, as her doctor, I know far more about her situation than you do. As I said, your services will not be needed. Why hire Vasari when you can work with Michelangelo?”
“I’m going to assume that’s an insult,” Nicolette said. “Like ‘why listen to Rush when you can listen to Led Zeppelin?’ But I don’t mind – I’m not fit to touch the hem of Elsie Jarrow’s garment. But that just means I’m even more eager to lend a hand. Let us join in. What could it hurt?”
“My chances of success,” Dr. Husch said.
Nicolette laughed. “Not bad, Doc. Being disfigured has given you a sense of humor. But what’ll really hurt your chances of success is me going to Marla and telling her what you have planned. And sending word to a few of the reigning sorcerers – I don’t think the Chamberlain or Hamil would be happy to hear you’ve decided to switch your patients from art therapy to murder-for-hire. That’s the kind of thing that could seriously impact your funding at the next meeting of the council, don’t you think? Or maybe you want to get locked up in one of your own cells?”
“You would help Marla? Protect her from me? Even though you want her dead?”
“Doc,” Crapsey said. “This is Nicolette. You can’t trust her to do anything . Messy unexpected stuff just makes her more powerful. She’s got a roulette wheel instead of a soul, you know?”
“Hmm. What makes you think you can escape the grounds of this estate?”
Nicolette drew a small hatchet with a curved blade the color of the moon from behind her back, and held it up to catch the light. “I did a little looting while I was running around with Crapsey and the Mason. I found this beauty in one of Viscarro’s vaults. It’s sacred to some moon god, I forget his name, but the point is – it is awesome . All those years I was jealous of Marla’s cloak, and her dagger of office, and now I’ve got an artifact of my own, and Marla doesn’t have any . Anyway, sure, sic your orderlies on me, whatever – if you feel like getting chopped into fucking little bits again.”
Dr. Husch didn’t move. You could have cut the tension with a knife. Or a really terrifying axe.
“Look, we want the same thing,” Crapsey said, holding up his hands in a gesture he hoped was soothing. “There’s no reason for us to fight. Just let us help. We can lend a hand.”
“Three hands, even,” Nicolette said.
To Crapsey’s surprise, Dr. Husch snorted with laughter. “Fine. I can see you won’t go away. I suppose I could use people to carry boxes and fetch coffee. But you take orders from me , understood?” She turned and started into the Institute, then paused, and called back over her shoulder, “You can come inside now.”
“No trying to lock us up, Doc,” Nicolette said, stepping in.
“I wouldn’t worry,” Dr. Husch said. “Haven’t you heard? Nowadays, it’s fashionable to let the inmates run the asylum.”
A MOTHER’S LOVE
“I can’t wait .” Death smelled of cut lemons and tarnished metal. “We
Nicolette stuck a boot in the way, and Dr. Husch made a noise of distaste and opened it again. “Do you want to lose a foot along with your arm, woman?”
“We want in,” Nicolette said. “If nothing else, we can help wrangle the crazies. Besides, don’t bullshit me, there’s no way you can let Elsie Jarrow out, you’d never be able to control her, she’s too – ”
“I am well aware of her condition – indeed, as her doctor, I know far more about her situation than you do. As I said, your services will not be needed. Why hire Vasari when you can work with Michelangelo?”
“I’m going to assume that’s an insult,” Nicolette said. “Like ‘why listen to Rush when you can listen to Led Zeppelin?’ But I don’t mind – I’m not fit to touch the hem of Elsie Jarrow’s garment. But that just means I’m even more eager to lend a hand. Let us join in. What could it hurt?”
“My chances of success,” Dr. Husch said.
Nicolette laughed. “Not bad, Doc. Being disfigured has given you a sense of humor. But what’ll really hurt your chances of success is me going to Marla and telling her what you have planned. And sending word to a few of the reigning sorcerers – I don’t think the Chamberlain or Hamil would be happy to hear you’ve decided to switch your patients from art therapy to murder-for-hire. That’s the kind of thing that could seriously impact your funding at the next meeting of the council, don’t you think? Or maybe you want to get locked up in one of your own cells?”
“You would help Marla? Protect her from me? Even though you want her dead?”
“Doc,” Crapsey said. “This is Nicolette. You can’t trust her to do anything . Messy unexpected stuff just makes her more powerful. She’s got a roulette wheel instead of a soul, you know?”
“Hmm. What makes you think you can escape the grounds of this estate?”
Nicolette drew a small hatchet with a curved blade the color of the moon from behind her back, and held it up to catch the light. “I did a little looting while I was running around with Crapsey and the Mason. I found this beauty in one of Viscarro’s vaults. It’s sacred to some moon god, I forget his name, but the point is – it is awesome . All those years I was jealous of Marla’s cloak, and her dagger of office, and now I’ve got an artifact of my own, and Marla doesn’t have any . Anyway, sure, sic your orderlies on me, whatever – if you feel like getting chopped into fucking little bits again.”
Dr. Husch didn’t move. You could have cut the tension with a knife. Or a really terrifying axe.
“Look, we want the same thing,” Crapsey said, holding up his hands in a gesture he hoped was soothing. “There’s no reason for us to fight. Just let us help. We can lend a hand.”
“Three hands, even,” Nicolette said.
To Crapsey’s surprise, Dr. Husch snorted with laughter. “Fine. I can see you won’t go away. I suppose I could use people to carry boxes and fetch coffee. But you take orders from me , understood?” She turned and started into the Institute, then paused, and called back over her shoulder, “You can come inside now.”
“No trying to lock us up, Doc,” Nicolette said, stepping in.
“I wouldn’t worry,” Dr. Husch said. “Haven’t you heard? Nowadays, it’s fashionable to let the inmates run the asylum.”
A MOTHER’S LOVE
“I can’t wait .” Death smelled of cut lemons and tarnished metal. “We
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