“We?” Ereshkigal spat the word. “I think that the ladies and I are better off keeping our own counsel. Where are Adar and his son and his grandson? I would speak with them, but oh, I forgot. You left them behind, didn’t you?”
“Uriel can well take care of himself as well can his sons and grandsons… and granddaughters…. Nieces, nephews….” Lucifer waved one hand in bored dismissal.
“That is not the point,” Meredith objected and Lucifer turned on her rapidly, placing himself directly in front of her.
“And what is the point, Miss Merry?” He asked.
“You disgust me!” she snarled at him. “It is no wonder that men made you out to be the devil.”
“I aim to please, Miss Merry,” he smiled and resumed his former position. “But you did not answer my question. What is the point?”
“We have to be sure that Huber is gone. Returned to the beyond. And in the meantime, we cannot forget that we are all in this together no matter how much we may dislike or mistrust each other. You should not have left Mark Andrew behind.”
“Ahhhh,” Lucifer nodded his head and smiled while jabbing his finger at the air in front of him. “That is it! Mark Andrew. Of course. You are still infatuated with him, Miss Merry. No matter what your better half says to the contrary. You still lust after the so-called Scot. How has it come to this?” He rose up and looked around at all of them. “How is that you all want to be human? Is it such a great thing to be mortal? To be human? To cut your foot on a stone? To bruise your flesh when you fall? To burn and sizzle in fire for others’ entertainment? What is this fascination? None of you are human! It is you who disgust me!”
“I do not want to be human,” Ereshkigal strode across the clearing and stood toe to toe with the angel. She was a few inches taller than he and she looked down her long nose at him. “I would not mind at all having Adar come home where he belongs.”
“Home?” Semiramis turned on the Queen. “You mean home to the Abyss? Home? He would do well to return to the Hesperides with me. That is where he belongs. Ninnib can do nothing more here, but bring more sorrow upon himself. He works for these people and they kick him in the teeth for his trouble.”
“The Hesperides?” Meredith frowned at the golden goddess. “What would Nin… Mark do in the Hesperides? Go crazy! That’s what. He was never meant to sit around twiddling his thumbs. He would die of boredom. And who gave him that silly name? Ninnib? What is that anyway?” Meredith put her hands on her hips and stared at Semiramis in disbelief.
Semiramis was totally outraged and taken aback by Meredith’s words.
“Silly name? Silly name?” Semiramis’ eyes blazed with anger. “And what would you know of names? Merry, Merry, quite contrary? How silly is that?”
“Yeah?” Meredith stepped closer to her. “And what is a full ‘ramis’ if you are only a semi-ramis?”
“Ladies, ladies,” Menaka pushed her way between them. “This is getting us nowhere and we don’t have a lot time.”
“And you!” Semiramis turned her attention to the beautiful daughter of Marduk and Merry Ramsay. “Who do you think you are, telling us we are wasting time? How I loathe the sight of you! The bastard child of Marduk and Nanna? Marduk and Nanna! How perfectly apt of the great Marduk. And he wonders why I am mortified at the thought of him.”
It was Menaka’s turn to be astounded.
“Sister…” Diana took Semiramis’ arm and pulled her away. The horned goddess shot a disdainful look at the dark queen who was obviously enjoying the row.
“This is exactly what I mean,” Lucifer’s voice held a bit less contempt than before. “I could feel the hatred lying under the surface. You have all come together here for selfish reasons. You need a binding force… an objective view. All of you, in some way or another are connected with Uriel in some form or fashion. You need a mediating spirit, if you will. I am sorry that you find me so disgusting. Would you prefer it if I changed my form?”
He turned quickly and his red cape flew outward in a crimson blur. When he stopped, he looked exactly like Mark Andrew.
Aurora drew her sword and Dunya caught her arm, forcing her to return to her seat.
“No!” Several voices answered simultaneously and then Ereshkigal spoke. “Lord Lucifer, we have no objection to your outward form. It is your inner form that we find so very detestable. If you will stop playing with us and take serious counsel with us, we might respect you more. You have proven your point. We all have our own special interests here, but there is such a thing as the greater common good. If we, in working toward that goal, should make some small personal profit, then it should not be so great a sin.”
Lucifer’s visage mutated before their eyes and he became his former lovely self.
“Agreed,” he smiled. “We need not lecture each other in the future.”
Everyone nodded and then Dunya spoke up for the first time.
“I am concerned about the Tuathan healer. He did not return with the others.”
“He was with Uriel. I’m sure he is safe,” Lucifer assured her.
(((((((((((((
Inanna flew just under the thick nimbus clouds, keeping her options open. If the monster turned on her, she would fly into the clouds and become virtually invisible. The creature that had come from the gryphon’s pit was at least a mile or more in front of her, flying almost leisurely through the sky on a weaving course toward the northeast. Below her, the barren desert of the Sinai Peninsula stretched on in all directions. Far to the northwest was the glint of the Mediterranean Sea and to the east, dark mountains. The flood had washed up the Red Sea, scouring the land which was now devoid of everything living and dead. Everywhere were sparkling pools of water, filling the depressions, cracks and crevices.
Inanna had one eye on the dark creature and the other scanning the desert floor for other danger. For hours, she had followed the sleek black form through the skies. It did not waver from its course, nor did it stop to rest. If it did not stop before long, she would be forced to leave off chasing to look for food and water. The chase would be harder when it became a hunt, but the dragon could not fly forever without sustenance.
The creature banked and turned slightly west, swooped low over the desert and then resumed its course. Inanna instinctively slowed her pace and let the creature gain speed and altitude before swooping on the same spot on the desert floor in order to investigate what might have caught the creature’s attention. The desert was almost uniformly brown and white streaked with gray forming distinctive ripples too large to be seen from the ground, but starkly visible from on high. The only thing marring this particular expanse was a dark lump that looked vaguely like a pile of black rocks.
Inanna circled the site twice and then scanned the horizon for the creature. It was very far away now and barely a speck on the gray horizon. She could make nothing of the anomalous form on the desert pavement. She banked left and swung around, preparing to resume her pursuit of the monster, and then she saw it. The pile of rocks moved. The dragon flung herself around once more and made a final swoop over the thing, flying even lower than before. This time the thing was clearly visible. Arms, legs, wings.
The dragon literally fell from the sky to the sandy earth that had been deceptively smooth in appearance. It was strewn with thousands of fist-sized rocks, broken seashells and bones meshed and formed into curving mounds by the recent flood. She caught her balance quickly and folded her wings on her back before moving cautiously close to the crumpled figure lying in the open, exposed to the elements. One slender arrow protruded from its leathery neck and she could hear its raspy breathing. She kept her distance, preferring to wait until it was dead before approaching any closer. Her quarry had long since disappeared over the horizon and this did not promise to be a delectable meal, but it was the only one available and she was famished. The wounded creature moaned piteously and clawed at the arrow feebly with one wickedly barbed hand. It pushed itself up partially and then fell back,
too exhausted and injured to do more. Its leathery wings were spread upon the sand and its scales glistened in the subdued sunlight.
Inanna snorted in disgust. It would most likely be nasty and full of more bones than meat.
(((((((((((((
Lucio traveled to the estate in Lothian by a more conventional means than he had traveled to St. Patrick’s, taking one of the few ferries across the Irish Sea and then paying an exorbitant price for a small rental car that had been refurbished so many times that its original identity had been long lost. In fact, it had been so long since the Italian had driven a motor vehicle, he barely remembered how to manage it. The little, non-descript, white sedan puttered along on a combination diesel, electric engine guaranteed to get two hundred miles to the gallon. He took his time driving from the coast to Lothian, enjoying what scenery was left in the world. Scotland was still misty green, gold and brown and he was surprised at the longing he felt in his heart to return to a simpler time when he might have been riding a prancing black stallion on his way to visit his old friend, Sir Ramsay, but those times were long past and he’d had quite enough of riding beasts for a while. The car was a refreshing change from the plodding camels and hungry horses he had become used to. Not to mention the rolling and pitching of the floating barnyard. Even if everything had changed at Lothian, it would be nice to be ‘home’ for a while. After he checked on their progress, he would reluctantly shed his clothes and fly back to the south and east where he would take his medicine. The Grand Master would no doubt be livid with him for leaving. The short twenty-four hours that he had spent with Catharine had been a bittersweet experience. So much had changed and there was so much to talk about and tell, the stories exchange could have gone on for weeks, but he’d promised Konrad to leave it until a better time and check on the estate in Scotland. It would have been a pleasure except for one thing… Nicole Ramsay was there. He had managed to avoid her at the battle for Har Megiddo, which he now thought of with amusement. What a let down that had been after centuries of dread and fear, but now he would face her on a more intimate level for the first time since he had ended up in a mummy case for having tracked her down.
He turned off the unkempt highway into the grassy tracks that showed where the drive used to be and parked in front of the big house. It was just past noon and his arrival should have caused a stir. The only other vehicle present was a military ATV replete with an automatic weapon mounted on top. No one came out to greet him and his heart sank. He could see no signs of life at all in the windows. Nothing that would indicate that a number of people were living there other than the fact that the lawns and shrubberies were well maintained. The disappointment turned to suspicion as he got out of the car and stood looking up at the house. A light breeze blew in from the meadow with the smell of impending rain and a chill for his spine. He pulled his jacket closer and walked up the steps. The front door was unbolted and he let himself in quietly. Standing in the hall, he could hear a number of sounds. Muffled voices from the library. More voices from behind the parlor doors. Slight clinks and clangs from the direction of the kitchen and the smell of strong coffee.
Before he decided which way to go, the library door opened and Captain Galipoli stepped into the hall. He reached for his sidearm instinctively at the sight of the Italian and Lucio held up both hands.
“Captain Galipoli, I presume?” He raised both eyebrows, but the Captain pulled the pistol and trained it on him.
“Who are you? What do you want here?” The Fox captain asked him.
“I’m Lucio Dambretti. I have come to check on… Mr. Ramsay,” Lucio had not expected this sort of welcome.
The captain backed toward the library door without taking his eyes off of Lucio.
“Surely you have not forgotten me, sir?” Lucio frowned.
“These are dangerous times, sir,” the captain returned the frown and then called for Nicholas.
Mark’s grandson emerged from the library, followed closely by another soldier and his brother, Gregory.
“Sir Dambretti,” Nicholas eyed him suspiciously. “Where did you come from? How did you get here? Is anyone else with you?”
“I would prefer to be welcomed as a friend than interrogated in the front hall,” Lucio’s temper began to raise its nasty head. “Where are Mark Ramsay and Nicole?”
“Please forgive them, Sir,” Gregory stepped between his brother and the Italian. “We have had a bit of bad luck and were just discussing what we should do next, weren’t we, Captain?” The smaller of the brothers looked up at the captain. “Won’t you come in and have a cup of coffee?”
Gregory stepped back and Socrates put away the pistol. Nicholas held out his hand and Lucio entered the familiar warmth of the library. The smell of old leather and parchment struck his nose. The only thing missing was the ever-present set of wolfhounds lying on the hearth. Nicholas, Gregory and Galipoli followed him inside and the soldier went for coffee.
Lucio did not sit down, but stood warming himself in front of the fire.
“What sort of bad luck? Is someone hurt?” He asked, expecting the worst.
“We don’t know,” Nicholas told him point blank. “Miss Sophia and Mr. Ramsay are missing. Nicole is upstairs. She is… not herself.”
Lucio digested these words for several seconds. It was much worse than he had expected.
“Missing? How long?” He asked.
“Since last night,” Gregory answered. The younger brother perched on the edge of the desk. The captain hovered near the door as if ready to take flight and Nicholas sat on the old leather footstool, wringing his hands. He had taken the trouble to heart, blaming himself for it. His first real assignment and he had failed to successfully fulfill his duties.
“And who saw them last? Did they leave together?” Lucio tried to remain calm. He did not understand why they were not volunteering information.
“I saw Mr. Ramsay shortly before he disappeared,” a deep voice from the far end of the room startled the Italian.
A strangely clad man with long, white hair and distinctive features sat cross-legged on the floor with a book in his lap. Lucio had not noticed him when he had entered the library.
“Who are you?” The Golden Eagle blurted the question.
“He is Mr. Barshak. A friend of Nicole and her father,” Nicholas stood up. “Mr. Barshak, this is Lucio Dambretti, a friend of the family.”
“Ahhh, a pleasure to meet you, sir,” Barshak replied without getting up.
“He is a healer,” Gregory added quickly.
“I see,” Lucio narrowed his eyes. A friend of Nicole? There was no way that Sophia’s Mark could have had time to make friends in Lothian. “And where did you see… Mark?”
“He was with us in the wood and then he suddenly returned home as if he had remembered something important. I can’t say exactly what it might have been,” Barshak answered the question, but kept his large gray eyes on the captain.
“With who? Who is ‘us’?” Lucio asked him.
“Myself and Nicole,” Barshak answered.
“In the wood? What were you doing in the wood?” Lucio’s curiosity was screaming a thousand questions.
“That is confidential,” Barshak returned his attention to the book.
Lucio opened his mouth to speak and was interrupted as Bari Kadif entered the library, followed by the soldier with coffee and another two soldiers with very muddy boots.
“Sir Dambretti!” Bari crossed the space and stuck out his hand. “It is good to see you, sir. Did my father send you? This is disastrous! Completely inexcusable. We need more security here, sir. These men cannot possibly protect us. The house is too large and the grounds are much too extensive for a handful of soldiers and one captain.” Bari also sent a strange glance at Galipoli.
“Have you found nothing that might have indicated where they went? Was there someone else involved? An abduction, perhaps?” Lucio was highly perplexed. “Where did you say Nicole is?”
“Unconscious? Was she attacked? For God’s sake, tell me what is going on here!” Lucio accepted the coffee and sat down on the hearth almost breathless.
“Not exactly…” Nicholas cringed.
Everyone began to talk at once and the noise was ridiculous. Lucio sat staring at them in confusion for several minutes before holding up one hand to signal for silence.
“Bastante! One at a time, please,” he sighed. “Let us sort this out and perhaps I can help you.” He looked at the captain. “Let us hear the military opinion first.”
(((((((((((((
“John?” Lily opened the door to the library and stood looking at him.
He sat on the floor in the middle of the room with a book in his lap. He closed the book, picked up the candle stick and stood up.
“Aye?” He was startled every time he saw her.
“Supper is ready,” she said quietly and he nodded. It was unreal, all wrong, but he could find no explanation. He would have to take one of the horses and ride out. See what he could find.
“Good,” he placed the book on an antique table and followed her into the kitchen. They sat at the long table together while the cook served up bowls of thick mutton stew and plates of poached salmon. One of his favorite dishes.
“How did you know I like salmon?” He asked after sampling it.
“Mark Andrew likes it,” she smiled. “I thought perhaps it was an inherited taste. He does look so very much like you. Did you know?”
“Aye,” he nodded and spooned up a hefty bite of the stew.
“So you are in contact with your sons?” She asked and he almost choked. He was going to have to be more careful or something was going to come up that he’d just as soon not answer.
“Yes, I am,” he said shortly.
The Centaur Page 27