of your business. For a thief you certainly talk a lot. No wonder
you were caught."
Skinner snickered. "Oh, I see! Found something to hold over you. Saucy
daguerreotypes? I've heard that jaded travelers find the long-limbed boys of
North Africa a delicious respite—"
"Do shut up."
Skinner turned back to Mina, grinning behind his face paint. "Ah, that's
nothing compared to how the League got me, eh Ms. Harker? Hell! Aheh!"
"A sordid business theme is no need to relate, so as Mr. Quatermain said, do
shut up." Her mouth formed a tight rosebud of annoyance. "I have no wish to
revisit it."
Now the invisible man seemed to be pouting, though it was difficult to tell
behind his greasepaint and dark glasses. "Just making conversation, Ma'am, and
Quatermain. Hold onto your pith helmet. If we're all supposed to work together,
and risk our lives together, what's wrong with a little healthy curiosity?"
Nemo brooded, looking at the others with intense dark eyes. "The thief's
question was perfecdy acceptable, Mr. Quatermain. Why are you here?"
"I have been pressed into service to resolve a situation in which you are all
participants," Quatermain said, which answered nothing at all.
"A little testy, Mr. Q," said Mina.
"Please call me by my full name, Mrs. Harker. Let us leave the mysterious
single letters to our friend M, all right? Besides, I doubt if a woman would
measure danger the way that I do."
Mina retorted, "And I imagine you with quite the library, Mr. Quatermain. All
those books you must have read—merely by looking at their covers… ?"
The confines of Nemo's car seemed to be oppressively close. Quatermain felt
defensive. "It is not an assessment I make without basis. I've had women along
on past exploits, and I've found them to be either a nuisance or outright
trouble. At best, they are a distraction."
"Oh?" Mina said. "Do I distract you?"
"My dear girl, I've buried two wives and many lovers. And I'm in no hurry for
more of either."
"Well, aheh, you can send them my way—" the invisible man said, leaning
forward.
"Skinner, shut up," Quatermain and Mina rang out simultaneously.
Nemo sat stock-still, his back rigid in the seat, as if he heard nothing of
the silly quarrels.
Ishmael brought the car to a gliding halt, and the engine puttered and
hissed. "Here we are, Captain. Tiger Bay, East of Limehouse."
Only too happy to be out of the odd looking car, and the company it
contained, Quatermain fumbled with the latch and eventually figured out how to
operate the door. He stepped out and took a deep breath of the damp air as mist
rolled in after the rain. He could smell the mud of the river and fish from the
markets. Warehouses large and small lined the Thames bank. Water lapped eerily
against the nearby docks,
Nemo emerged and waited for Mina and Skinner to join him. They all stood
together in the street.
"Shall I wait, Captain?" Ishmael called from the driver's compartment.
Nemo's eyes narrowed beneath his turban. "No, Ishmael. Bring my Lady to
me."
The first mate nodded and drove away. The evening fog had already begun to
thicken, and people were hurrying home for the night.
Ignoring the invisible thief, Mina primly touched her hair, regained her
composure, and looked about at the buildings. "Yes, this is the place." She
pointed a chalky pale hand toward an ominous house that spoke of ancient,
moldering wealth.
As Thames fog rolled in, the building seemed to groan with menace and the
weight of years of unforgiven sins. Mina looked far from happy.
"That's where we will find Mr. Dorian Gray."
SEVEN
London
Dorian
Gray's
Residence
The door of Dorian Gray's house was a massive wooden barricade with ornate
panels and a heavy brass knocker. The invisible man hung back as the other
League members approached, not out of fear but from lack of initiative; Mina
Harker hesitated for an entirely different reason.
Quatermain looked at Nemo, but the dark captain simply stared
you were caught."
Skinner snickered. "Oh, I see! Found something to hold over you. Saucy
daguerreotypes? I've heard that jaded travelers find the long-limbed boys of
North Africa a delicious respite—"
"Do shut up."
Skinner turned back to Mina, grinning behind his face paint. "Ah, that's
nothing compared to how the League got me, eh Ms. Harker? Hell! Aheh!"
"A sordid business theme is no need to relate, so as Mr. Quatermain said, do
shut up." Her mouth formed a tight rosebud of annoyance. "I have no wish to
revisit it."
Now the invisible man seemed to be pouting, though it was difficult to tell
behind his greasepaint and dark glasses. "Just making conversation, Ma'am, and
Quatermain. Hold onto your pith helmet. If we're all supposed to work together,
and risk our lives together, what's wrong with a little healthy curiosity?"
Nemo brooded, looking at the others with intense dark eyes. "The thief's
question was perfecdy acceptable, Mr. Quatermain. Why are you here?"
"I have been pressed into service to resolve a situation in which you are all
participants," Quatermain said, which answered nothing at all.
"A little testy, Mr. Q," said Mina.
"Please call me by my full name, Mrs. Harker. Let us leave the mysterious
single letters to our friend M, all right? Besides, I doubt if a woman would
measure danger the way that I do."
Mina retorted, "And I imagine you with quite the library, Mr. Quatermain. All
those books you must have read—merely by looking at their covers… ?"
The confines of Nemo's car seemed to be oppressively close. Quatermain felt
defensive. "It is not an assessment I make without basis. I've had women along
on past exploits, and I've found them to be either a nuisance or outright
trouble. At best, they are a distraction."
"Oh?" Mina said. "Do I distract you?"
"My dear girl, I've buried two wives and many lovers. And I'm in no hurry for
more of either."
"Well, aheh, you can send them my way—" the invisible man said, leaning
forward.
"Skinner, shut up," Quatermain and Mina rang out simultaneously.
Nemo sat stock-still, his back rigid in the seat, as if he heard nothing of
the silly quarrels.
Ishmael brought the car to a gliding halt, and the engine puttered and
hissed. "Here we are, Captain. Tiger Bay, East of Limehouse."
Only too happy to be out of the odd looking car, and the company it
contained, Quatermain fumbled with the latch and eventually figured out how to
operate the door. He stepped out and took a deep breath of the damp air as mist
rolled in after the rain. He could smell the mud of the river and fish from the
markets. Warehouses large and small lined the Thames bank. Water lapped eerily
against the nearby docks,
Nemo emerged and waited for Mina and Skinner to join him. They all stood
together in the street.
"Shall I wait, Captain?" Ishmael called from the driver's compartment.
Nemo's eyes narrowed beneath his turban. "No, Ishmael. Bring my Lady to
me."
The first mate nodded and drove away. The evening fog had already begun to
thicken, and people were hurrying home for the night.
Ignoring the invisible thief, Mina primly touched her hair, regained her
composure, and looked about at the buildings. "Yes, this is the place." She
pointed a chalky pale hand toward an ominous house that spoke of ancient,
moldering wealth.
As Thames fog rolled in, the building seemed to groan with menace and the
weight of years of unforgiven sins. Mina looked far from happy.
"That's where we will find Mr. Dorian Gray."
SEVEN
London
Dorian
Gray's
Residence
The door of Dorian Gray's house was a massive wooden barricade with ornate
panels and a heavy brass knocker. The invisible man hung back as the other
League members approached, not out of fear but from lack of initiative; Mina
Harker hesitated for an entirely different reason.
Quatermain looked at Nemo, but the dark captain simply stared
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