by Amy Cross
She shook her head.
“Not even below the surface? Do its roots not spread through the ground, disturbing whatever they find? And what happens when the roots of one tree meet the roots of another? Do they avoid one another, or do they compete for the best space?” He smiled. “And so it goes, on and on, wherever life is to be found.”
“But if -”
Suddenly Quillian started coughing again, and this time blood could be seen dripping from between his fingers.
“Are you okay?” Anna asked.
“Let me tell you something about evil, child,” he continued. “There is a fixed and finite amount of evil in this world, and it will always settle from time to time and cause great conflicts.” He turned to her. “Sometimes the evil is dispersed, but sometimes it clumps together into invisible clouds and causes terrible things to happen. The trick, for mankind or any other living creature, is to spot those invisible clouds and either wave them away, or harness their enormous potential. What would you say if I told you that I've seen into the future, and I know that another war is coming in just a few decades, one that some might say will be even greater than this one?”
“My mother says that's impossible.”
“But I've seen it,” he continued. “Glimpses, at least, in my dreams. I've seen bigger, better killing machines, and I've seen vast camps where humans imprison other humans and do the most awful things to them. You will see it, too. You'll be, what, in your late twenties when it breaks out? The perfect age to watch your friends die. Perhaps then you'll look back on this conversation and you'll realize I was right all along.” He paused. “I've fought in a war, you know.”
“You have?” She frowned. “This war?”
He shook his head. “Another, much further away. The vampire war was huge and violent, and it spread across many worlds, but it was never cruel. That's something that distinguishes human wars from the wars fought by other species. Humans have a knack for cruelty, whereas vampires... We kill our enemies with honor. At least, cold-blooded vampires kill with honor. Warm-bloods sometimes betray a few disgusting human traits.”
“Have you killed someone in a war?”
He smiled. “Thousands.”
“I...” Feeling a slight headache coming on, Anna realized that she wanted to get home. She began to gather up the sticks she'd been collecting.
“What are you doing, little bird?” Quillian asked with a smile. “Making a nest?”
“I have to go now,” she told him.
“Back to your mother? Do give the woman my regards. I doubt she feels very hospitable toward me, but perhaps one day she will come to realize that I just did what was necessary. It's the Le Comptes, really, who are to blame for everything bad that happens on this island. Without them, Thaxos would just be another dull little rock in the middle of the Mediterranean. In fact, it might even be unpopulated. This dusty town might have been abandoned. There's hardly much promise for life here, is there?”
Without saying anything, Anna turned and hurried away, leaving Quillian sitting alone on the bench.
“That's right,” he whispered, “run back to your mother while you still have her. One day she'll be gone and you -”
Coughing again, he leaned forward and let blood dribble from his lips. His body was breaking down and he knew it, and he had begun to realize that if he was to recover even a shred of strength, he would have to find some other way to live. Still, he had options and he knew tricks, and he was absolutely certain that there were ways of surviving. He just had to pick one of the many, many options that were open to him.
As his coughing came to an end, he spotted Benjamin Wood making his way across the town square. He frowned, watching as Benjamin headed into the cantina, and then slowly a smile began to cross his face.
IV
Stopping in the corridor, Nixon paused for a moment before turning to look over his shoulder. There was no-one to be seen, but he felt certain that he'd heard footsteps in the distance.
He waited, before heading into the study, slipping around the corner, and then listening. Sure enough, he heard footsteps again, and this time he knew for certain that someone was following him. He heard the footsteps coming closer, and then finally he saw Madeleine leaning through the doorway.
“Boo,” he said flatly.
“Hi,” she replied, clearly a little flustered at having been caught, “I was just -”
“Following me,” he said, interrupting her, “yes, I worked that part out, thank you very much.”
“I wasn't following you.”
“Of course you were. Why wouldn't you be? I'm acting strangely, I'm clearly not telling you everything I know about Edgar, and...” He paused, sensing a hint of pain in her expression. “And you're trying to distract yourself from something that hurts. I know you, Madeleine, and I know you can usually push the pain deep down where it won't show. If it's evident in your eyes, that means it must be very great indeed.”
“Don't try to be perceptive,” she said firmly. “It doesn't suit you.”
“I won't tell you where Edgar is.”
“I know, and that's what's bugging me.” She paused. “Is he still on Thaxos? Can you at least tell me that much?”
“I think you'd have sensed if he'd left.”
“True,” she replied. “Okay, one more question. Is he in control?”
“Control?”
“Does he know what he's doing? Has he got some big plan worked out and he's just leaving the rest of us blowing in the wind while he puts it all together?”
“He...” Nixon paused again, trying to work out how to answer without giving too much away. “He has a plan, yes, but it's not necessarily a good one. It's rather fatalistic.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning I've got a better one.”
“No way,” she replied, following him over to the drinks cabinet. “Don't try to compete with Edgar when it comes to plans. He's the king of plans.”
“And I've been learning from him,” he muttered, pouring himself a glass of whiskey and then another for her. “Edgar's plan is based on a mis-reading of the situation. I know you like to mock me for all the time I spend reading and thinking, Madeleine, but believe it or not sometimes that kind of thing pays off.” He handed a glass to her. “I have a broader understanding of the situation and I know what needs to be done.”
“And Kate dying, was that part of your plan or part of Edgar's?”
“This has to end,” he continued. “Sometimes, the people closest to things are unable to make the final strike, so I'm... making certain sacrifices. It's certainly possible that even if things go the way I hope they will, Edgar's not going to be too happy with me when he returns to the mansion, but that's just a risk I shall have to take.” He took a sip of whiskey before heading over to the window and looking out at the island. “I've not been entirely honest with you,” he added after a moment. “I've not been entirely honest with anyone.”
“I always told Edgar you had shifty eyes,” she replied. “Nixon, don't take this the wrong way, but you're not capable of pulling off a big plan on your own. You need help.”
“Maybe,” he muttered, turning to her. “Yes, you might be right. Still, I can't tell you anything, because then it might leak. I'm afraid you'll just have to remain in the dark for now. I'm a man of science, Madeleine. Perhaps I should never have dabbled in the art of magic.”
“You? Magic?” She paused. “Seriously?”
“Never mind. What's done is done.”
“I hate you,” she said with a frown.
“The feeling's mutual.” He finished his whiskey. “Now, would you like another drink?”
She paused. “Sure.”
“And you can tell me what's on your mind,” he continued, taking her empty glass. “Your demeanor has changed in just a few hours, Madeleine. Something must have happened.”
“It's nothing,” she replied darkly, watching as he poured. “I just learned the truth about how someone se
es me, that's all. And it wasn't pretty.”
***
“I heard about your loss,” Quillian said, stopping next to the booth in the darkest corner of the cantina, “and I thought perhaps I should pay my respects.”
Looking up from his drink, Benjamin stared in horror as Quillian took a seat on the other side of the table.
“I won't bore you for too long,” Quillian continued, setting his beer down. He began to cough, but he was able to hide the blood that came out. “It's just that, as you undoubtedly are aware, I came to know your brother Joshua rather well. For one thing, he was a most excellent hangman. It's certainly not his fault that Ms. Kazakos managed to survive. He was also very good at fetching information for me, I knew I could rely on him to scurry about and get to the truth. I always felt that despite Joshua's more dubious qualities, underneath it all there was a good man, a man with potential, even if this island had a tendency to crush his ambitions. I'm very sorry to see that potential wasted and left to rot on the beach. I would like to try to help -”
“There's only one way you can help,” Benjamin said firmly. “Tell me who killed him.”
“So you can go and administer justice?”
“I have to know.”
“Because you want to gain revenge?” Quillian asked. “Or is it simply that you're scared of the truth?” He paused. “You, too, are a good man, yet you are caught up in the world of the Le Comptes, and I must warn you that humans rarely last long in their company. Death is a constant attendant. For humans on Thaxos, there are two options. Either keep your head down and try to live a dull, boring life, or... Well, let's just say that humans with ambition don't tend to last long around here.”
“Who killed my brother?”
“Please, Benjamin -”
“Do you know?”
Quillian paused again. “Yes. Yes, I do.”
“Was it...” His voice trailed off.
“Madeleine?” Quillian smiled. “I can't imagine how much it must hurt for you to have to even ask that question. How can you profess to love someone, when you believe them to be capable of such evil?”
“Was it her?” he asked, his voice trembling with fear.
“No, it wasn't her.”
Sighing, Benjamin looked back down at his drink. “Then I have wronged her terribly. I doubt she'll ever forgive me.”
“Your brother was killed by Estella Graves,” Quillian continued, watching Benjamin's features keenly and noting the flicker of anger that crossed his face. “She wanted to test her powers, and I gather that Joshua chose the wrong moment to turn up and taunt her. He'd rather made a habit of goading Estella of late, and finally she snapped. His neck, that is. If it's any consolation, his death would have been relatively quick, and in truth, he rather brought it upon himself.”
Benjamin stared at him. “And why are you telling me this?”
“I think a man should know the truth when his brother is murdered in cold blood.”
“I...” Benjamin paused.
“So now what are you going to do?” Quillian asked. “Are you going to go and confront Estella? How do you think that would go? After all, you're merely a man, whereas she is a woman with great powers. You would never be able to hurt her, not in a million years.” He smiled. “Meanwhile, I can tell from your eyes that you don't feel you can go to Madeleine, and Edgar is most certainly out of the picture. So here you sit, Mr. Wood, incapable of gaining revenge for your brother's death. How does it feel to be so powerless?”
“Where is she?” he asked darkly.
“Estella?”
“Tell me where I can find her.”
“So you can try to punish her? She'd swat you aside in a moment.”
Getting to his feet, Benjamin finished the last of his beer. “Forget it. I can find her myself.”
“But you won't be able to do anything,” Quillian replied, watching as he headed to the door. “Not unless you accept my offer of help.”
Stopping, Benjamin turned to him.
“I can give you what you want,” Quillian continued. “I can help you gain vengeance for your brother's death. Estella has been useful to me, but her purpose has been served now. I can also help you gain mastery over Madeleine Le Compte. You can never be with her if your relationship is so unequal, so why not even things out a little?”
“And what would you want in return?”
“I need one thing from Madeleine, and I believe you can get it for me.”
Benjamin paused for a moment. “No,” he said finally. “I've heard enough about you to know that you only care about gaining revenge over Edgar, and I'm not going to do anything to help you.”
“But revenge for your brother's death -”
“I'm not like you,” Benjamin told him. “I'm not going to let a desire for revenge drive my entire life. I'll deal with things in my own way.” With that, he turned and made his way out of the cantina's back door, before stopping in the yard and pausing for a moment. He'd come so close to accepting Quillian's offer of help, and he still felt tempted to go back inside and make a deal, but he knew that by doing so he'd only end up losing Madeleine forever. Looking up at the mansion on the hill, he realized that he had to find some way to make her forgive him for everything he'd said earlier. All that mattered was -
Suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his back, as a dry, withered hand was placed across his face. He tried to turn, but he was already becoming weak and a moment later he slumped down onto the yard's muddy floor.
“Fine,” Quillian muttered, with a bloodied dagger in his right hand, “I offered you a deal, but you wouldn't take it. Now I'll have to find a more direct way to get your help. Not that it matters too much. I wouldn't have kept my side of the bargain anyway.”
V
“But I don't want to go to school anymore,” Anna said, her voice low and soft as if she was on the verge of tears. “Can't I just stay home? Can't you teach me?”
“Like I have time for that,” Jennifer replied as she poured milk into a pan, while glancing at the other pans already bubbling on the stove. “I'm sorry you had a bad day, but tomorrow will be different.”
“The other girls don't like me,” Anna continued. “They say I'm weird.”
“Who says you're weird?” Jennifer asked, turning to her.
“All of them. I even heard the teachers talking about me.”
Heading over to her, Jennifer pulled a chair away from the table and sat down, while looking into Anna's eyes and seeing tears. “What did they say?”
“That I'm not like everyone else. That I'm...” She paused. “They said I've got darkness in my heart, but that's not true, is it? Why would I have darkness in my heart?”
“Of course you don't have darkness in your heart,” Jennifer replied, pulling her close for a tight hug. “Sweetheart -”
Before she could finish, she heard someone entering the shop. Sighing, she realized she'd forgotten to lock the door after closing up.
“We're not open,” she called out. “You'll have to come back tomorrow.”
She waited, but all she heard was a faint creaking sound on the floorboards. Whoever was out there, they were clearly in no rush to identify themselves.
“Wait here,” Jennifer said to Anna, before getting to her feet and heading over to the door. Just before stepping out into the main part of the shop, she grabbed the metal bar she kept for emergencies. “Listen,” she continued, “I really -”
“Hello,” Estella said with a cautious smile, stopping next to one of the nearby sets of shelves. “I hope this isn't a bad moment.”
“Who is it?” Anna asked.
“Stay in the kitchen,” Jennifer told her, stepping toward Estella with the metal bar still in her right hand. “Listen -”
“You won't need that,” Estella said, looking down at the bar. “What good do you think it would do, anyway? If I so wanted, I could tear it out of your hand right now and send it flying across the room, possibly with your hand still attached, or
I could turn it around and use it against you.” She paused. “I'm not here to cause trouble, I'm here to...” Another pause, followed by a frown. “I'm here because I need to talk to someone, and because there's no-one else I can turn to. You're the only one left who both understands my predicament and who won't turn on me, even if I'm not exactly your favorite person in the world.”
“Estella -”
“Plus, I helped you, remember? I helped you with Anna, I took those awful memories from her mind. I didn't do that in expectation of a favor, of course, but I was hoping you could at least stand my presence for a few minutes.”
“What do you want?” Jennifer asked, setting the metal bar down on a nearby table but making sure not to put it too far away. “I'm in the middle of making dinner.”
“Have you ever been in love?” Estella asked.
“Once.”
“And what happened?”
“I married him,” she said cautiously, “and we had a child together, and he died.”
“As love stories go,” Estella replied, “that doesn't sound very complicated.”
“It was complicated enough.”
“And this was Anna's father?”
“Who else would it be?”
“And after he was gone,” Estella continued, “did you not go looking for someone else?”
“Are you kidding?” Jennifer replied. “I'm single-handedly running a store, and raising a child. Do you have any idea how little time I have, even for the most important jobs I need to get done each day? I admit I haven't always made the best choices, and sometimes I've ended up in messes I could have avoided... Money was tight, and I took on things that still make my skin crawl, but I knew I had to survive, and more importantly I had to keep my daughter safe and well, so I did what I had to do. I couldn't always be a good person, but everything was for Anna, so I have no regrets.”