she
said, “Holy shit. Why didn’t you ever tell me?”
“They’re very rare, and I didn’t want to worry
you.”
There was something in his face as he said it,
though, that made her think there was more to it than that. She decided not to
press him. He would tell her when he wanted to.
"Why would one be hanging around Liberty?” She paused. “Well,
the high concentration of shades here, I guess. A perfect feeding ground. But
you've gotta admit, what with all the other strange things going on here, it
makes you wonder. What did Ludwig say about it?"
"Nothing, really."
"Damn, but he is acting suspicious. What do
you think? You know more about the kavasari than I do."
"They ...” He passed a hand across his
face. “One killed someone I loved very much, a long time ago. But as to their
role in the greater picture, I haven't a clue. Could Junger and Jagoda be
involved with a kavasari? I don’t know."
“The most powerful immortal involved with two of
the second most powerful? God help us.”
“I’ll drink to that.”
She breathed in a long draught of smoke. Softly,
she said, “Who did you lose?”
He looked at her. “I … don’t want to talk about
it.”
She waited a beat, then nodded. "Well, I've
been doing some thinking. Jagoda said something about more than one
possibility, and he said that in connection with the subject of his employment.
I think maybe the Balaklava are working for at
least two employers. Or at least two different people approached them."
"I've had similar thoughts. It seems likely
that one of those employers was the same one who hired Jarvick. But Junger and
Jagoda had something else going, perhaps a deal from this second person, and
it's that that they carried through today, neglecting the contract from the
first one, the one who hired Jarvick. That one wanted us dead and the Balaklava didn't. If that's true, then someone wants us
six feet under and someone wants us ... harassed, or something. Whatever the Balaklava intended to do."
She suppressed a shudder. "Maybe to put
pressure on Ludwig."
"Maybe. That leads back to the question of
the dissidents."
"Not necessarily. Maybe there's more than
one entity that wants to pressure Ludwig. Maybe for different reasons."
"Maybe one wants him to continue leading Liberty and the other
wants him to step down. And both are using the same method—threatening those
Ludwig’s close to."
"It explains why he's been acting so
weird,” she said.
Ruegger lit a cigarette. “The Balaklava
mentioned Roche Sarnova. It’s possible both they and Jarvick were hired by the
Castle.”
“Jarvick didn’t seem as if he was getting paid
enough. The Castle could have paid him whatever he wanted.”
“Unless they wanted him to bargain with us instead of kill us.”
“That’s a reach. Anyway, so where does the kavasari
fit in? And what’s with the Scouring? And the War?”
“Well—”
Someone knocked on the door. At Ruegger’s
invitation, one of Ludwig's many servants entered. "Master Ludwig is
having dinner prepared. If you're feeling well enough to attend, he'll expect
you on his private terrace in half an hour."
Danielle smiled. "We'll be there. Count on
it.” When the man had gone, she said, “ Now we’ll get some damned answers.”
Chapter 4
Francois Mauchlery looked down from the helicopter as it
swept just above the Carpathians past an outcropping of rock. Crevices,
fissures, sheer facades and crumbling ruins dotted the ragged mountains which
rose like rotting fangs from the jawbone of a monster. He knew each rise and
bump by heart, and loved them all.
Keeping one leather-gloved
hand on his black attaché case, Francois smiled. Blackout curtains, drawn
tightly over the compartment's windows, prevented him from peering directly
into the gaping void below, so he watched the sinking sun through the pilot's
eyes; it disappeared and reappeared sporadically between the mountains.
Slowly, the light drained
from the
said, “Holy shit. Why didn’t you ever tell me?”
“They’re very rare, and I didn’t want to worry
you.”
There was something in his face as he said it,
though, that made her think there was more to it than that. She decided not to
press him. He would tell her when he wanted to.
"Why would one be hanging around Liberty?” She paused. “Well,
the high concentration of shades here, I guess. A perfect feeding ground. But
you've gotta admit, what with all the other strange things going on here, it
makes you wonder. What did Ludwig say about it?"
"Nothing, really."
"Damn, but he is acting suspicious. What do
you think? You know more about the kavasari than I do."
"They ...” He passed a hand across his
face. “One killed someone I loved very much, a long time ago. But as to their
role in the greater picture, I haven't a clue. Could Junger and Jagoda be
involved with a kavasari? I don’t know."
“The most powerful immortal involved with two of
the second most powerful? God help us.”
“I’ll drink to that.”
She breathed in a long draught of smoke. Softly,
she said, “Who did you lose?”
He looked at her. “I … don’t want to talk about
it.”
She waited a beat, then nodded. "Well, I've
been doing some thinking. Jagoda said something about more than one
possibility, and he said that in connection with the subject of his employment.
I think maybe the Balaklava are working for at
least two employers. Or at least two different people approached them."
"I've had similar thoughts. It seems likely
that one of those employers was the same one who hired Jarvick. But Junger and
Jagoda had something else going, perhaps a deal from this second person, and
it's that that they carried through today, neglecting the contract from the
first one, the one who hired Jarvick. That one wanted us dead and the Balaklava didn't. If that's true, then someone wants us
six feet under and someone wants us ... harassed, or something. Whatever the Balaklava intended to do."
She suppressed a shudder. "Maybe to put
pressure on Ludwig."
"Maybe. That leads back to the question of
the dissidents."
"Not necessarily. Maybe there's more than
one entity that wants to pressure Ludwig. Maybe for different reasons."
"Maybe one wants him to continue leading Liberty and the other
wants him to step down. And both are using the same method—threatening those
Ludwig’s close to."
"It explains why he's been acting so
weird,” she said.
Ruegger lit a cigarette. “The Balaklava
mentioned Roche Sarnova. It’s possible both they and Jarvick were hired by the
Castle.”
“Jarvick didn’t seem as if he was getting paid
enough. The Castle could have paid him whatever he wanted.”
“Unless they wanted him to bargain with us instead of kill us.”
“That’s a reach. Anyway, so where does the kavasari
fit in? And what’s with the Scouring? And the War?”
“Well—”
Someone knocked on the door. At Ruegger’s
invitation, one of Ludwig's many servants entered. "Master Ludwig is
having dinner prepared. If you're feeling well enough to attend, he'll expect
you on his private terrace in half an hour."
Danielle smiled. "We'll be there. Count on
it.” When the man had gone, she said, “ Now we’ll get some damned answers.”
Chapter 4
Francois Mauchlery looked down from the helicopter as it
swept just above the Carpathians past an outcropping of rock. Crevices,
fissures, sheer facades and crumbling ruins dotted the ragged mountains which
rose like rotting fangs from the jawbone of a monster. He knew each rise and
bump by heart, and loved them all.
Keeping one leather-gloved
hand on his black attaché case, Francois smiled. Blackout curtains, drawn
tightly over the compartment's windows, prevented him from peering directly
into the gaping void below, so he watched the sinking sun through the pilot's
eyes; it disappeared and reappeared sporadically between the mountains.
Slowly, the light drained
from the
Similar Books
