instructions.
“But Mister Shah–,” the lead brute protested.
“And I told you not to call me that,” he said, arching an
eyebrow. The darkness seemed to roll forward over his shoulders like a cloak
drawn closer to its wearer.
The effect on the assembly of underlings was immediate.
“Yes… Master,” the first of them sputtered, the word falling awkwardly from his
mouth. “I just thought you were talking to us.”
Ajay Shah delivered a waxen smile to his men. This crew that
Joshua Cain had procured for him was capable, to a point. And would be easily
disposed of when that point was passed. No need to crack the whip too hard.
“I understand,” he said, with as little menace as he could
manage. “Your error was natural. In fact, I spoke only to myself. I feared for
an instant that our host Mister Davies might be… toying with me.”
The thug at the door gave a puzzled look to his two
confederates. “Naw, he’s out right enough. I don’t know how you do it.”
“Indeed.” Shah smiled in spite of himself. He looked once
more at Davies. He was the right age, of the right class. His build was strong.
His mental resistance had been more than might have been expected of the true
weaklings of his social set. As for the face… well, Shah could not trust his
memory on that subject. It might have been him .
That could have proved awkward.
He heard the men at the door shuffle uncomfortably. He
turned back to them.
“You found the wall safe in the master bedroom?” he snapped.
“Yes, Master,” came the reply. “It was all just like you
said. We got the securities from the office, cleaned out all the cash in the
place and found the jewels in storage – we’ve got it all.”
“Not all,” Shah smiled. “There is a hidden chamber behind
the bookcase against that wall.” Shah gestured to his right as he circled the
immobile Martin Davies. “Inside it you will find a crate containing twenty
thousand dollars in gold. It seems that young Mister Davies’ father never quite
trusted the vagaries of high finance. Probably why the family fortune
survived.”
Shah smiled as his minions struggled to open the panel
behind the bookcase, and enjoyed their gasps of astonishment as they learned
that their new master was right yet again. Shah dispelled their questions with
a dismissive wave of his hand.
“It is time we were on our way,” Ajay Shah ordered quietly.
“But Master…,” one of his men protested, “how’re we gonna
fence all this loot? I mean, once this bird wakes up and calls the cops–”
“My dear fellow…,” Shah silenced his man with an icy smile.
“You worry entirely too much.” He moved his hand gracefully before the unseeing
eyes of Martin Davies, and the young millionaire slowly followed, like a fish
on a line. Shah motioned gently towards a chair before the fire and Davies sat
obligingly. “You see, the loss of these items will never be discovered.” Shah
positioned a book open on Martin Davies’ lap, as though he had fallen asleep
while reading by the fire.
Suddenly, Ajay Shah whipped his head around towards the
fireplace, and the fire within blazed to life as though fuel had been thrown
upon it. The log that had been smoldering burst forth with a great cracking
sound, raining flaming shrapnel onto the floor before the fireplace, the carpet
and the chair where Martin Davies sat.
“For you see, gentlemen,” Shah said as he breezed silently
past his astonished henchmen, “Mister Davies never will wake up.”
And with that, the master of the mind and his accomplices
faded into the night, as the flames that would consume the mansion spread. And
all the while, Martin Davies sat silently, staring into the fire with eyes that
did not see.
Twelve
The wind cut across
the high peaks and whipped down into the mountain valley. August Fenwick, now
known as “Two,” staggered under the weight of his burden. Master Rashan had
dispatched him to gather fuel for the fire, no mean
“But Mister Shah–,” the lead brute protested.
“And I told you not to call me that,” he said, arching an
eyebrow. The darkness seemed to roll forward over his shoulders like a cloak
drawn closer to its wearer.
The effect on the assembly of underlings was immediate.
“Yes… Master,” the first of them sputtered, the word falling awkwardly from his
mouth. “I just thought you were talking to us.”
Ajay Shah delivered a waxen smile to his men. This crew that
Joshua Cain had procured for him was capable, to a point. And would be easily
disposed of when that point was passed. No need to crack the whip too hard.
“I understand,” he said, with as little menace as he could
manage. “Your error was natural. In fact, I spoke only to myself. I feared for
an instant that our host Mister Davies might be… toying with me.”
The thug at the door gave a puzzled look to his two
confederates. “Naw, he’s out right enough. I don’t know how you do it.”
“Indeed.” Shah smiled in spite of himself. He looked once
more at Davies. He was the right age, of the right class. His build was strong.
His mental resistance had been more than might have been expected of the true
weaklings of his social set. As for the face… well, Shah could not trust his
memory on that subject. It might have been him .
That could have proved awkward.
He heard the men at the door shuffle uncomfortably. He
turned back to them.
“You found the wall safe in the master bedroom?” he snapped.
“Yes, Master,” came the reply. “It was all just like you
said. We got the securities from the office, cleaned out all the cash in the
place and found the jewels in storage – we’ve got it all.”
“Not all,” Shah smiled. “There is a hidden chamber behind
the bookcase against that wall.” Shah gestured to his right as he circled the
immobile Martin Davies. “Inside it you will find a crate containing twenty
thousand dollars in gold. It seems that young Mister Davies’ father never quite
trusted the vagaries of high finance. Probably why the family fortune
survived.”
Shah smiled as his minions struggled to open the panel
behind the bookcase, and enjoyed their gasps of astonishment as they learned
that their new master was right yet again. Shah dispelled their questions with
a dismissive wave of his hand.
“It is time we were on our way,” Ajay Shah ordered quietly.
“But Master…,” one of his men protested, “how’re we gonna
fence all this loot? I mean, once this bird wakes up and calls the cops–”
“My dear fellow…,” Shah silenced his man with an icy smile.
“You worry entirely too much.” He moved his hand gracefully before the unseeing
eyes of Martin Davies, and the young millionaire slowly followed, like a fish
on a line. Shah motioned gently towards a chair before the fire and Davies sat
obligingly. “You see, the loss of these items will never be discovered.” Shah
positioned a book open on Martin Davies’ lap, as though he had fallen asleep
while reading by the fire.
Suddenly, Ajay Shah whipped his head around towards the
fireplace, and the fire within blazed to life as though fuel had been thrown
upon it. The log that had been smoldering burst forth with a great cracking
sound, raining flaming shrapnel onto the floor before the fireplace, the carpet
and the chair where Martin Davies sat.
“For you see, gentlemen,” Shah said as he breezed silently
past his astonished henchmen, “Mister Davies never will wake up.”
And with that, the master of the mind and his accomplices
faded into the night, as the flames that would consume the mansion spread. And
all the while, Martin Davies sat silently, staring into the fire with eyes that
did not see.
Twelve
The wind cut across
the high peaks and whipped down into the mountain valley. August Fenwick, now
known as “Two,” staggered under the weight of his burden. Master Rashan had
dispatched him to gather fuel for the fire, no mean
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