“What a wonderful surprise.” He held her at arms length as if to get a better look at her. “Over near the door is Ramon, the head of my construction team. I have a few matters to discuss with him before I join you.”
“Can I meet Kora, too?” said Ramon, weaving through the junk with a hungry look on his face. He reminded Kora of the woman, Berta, she’d seen with Vaughn the other night. “Where have you been hiding?” said Ramon, taking her hand and lifting it to his lips.
“Now Ramon,” said Humphrey, “this is my little sister and she’s much too old for you.” He steered Ramon out the door and Kora could hear them speaking in Spanish on the porch for several minutes before Humphrey returned alone.
“Ramon is like my son, but he can be a pain…as I imagine all children can be.” Humphrey laid a hand on Kora’s arm and she noticed it was missing a few fingers. “Please come and sit. I have a wonderful tray of brownies… which I see Gus already discovered.” Humphrey’s whiskers twitched when he noticed the tray was already empty. “You do realize those brownies are highly medicated?” he said loudly. Gus didn’t seem to hear him but gazed blankly at a pile of rusty hammers he’d arranged into a sculpture. “I’m afraid we’ve lost him.” Humphrey guided Kora to the empty chair she’d occupied earlier. “Gus doesn’t have much tolerance for anything but caffeine. Do you mind?”
“Not at all,” said Kora, unsure what he was referring to.
Humphrey took a large pipe down from a shelf beside his chair. Kora watched as he held his lighter and puffed the bowl to a bright glow. Then he held his breath for a frightening amount of time before billows of smoke poured from his flared nostrils. “I apologize for polluting the air, but I’m feeling a slight twinge in my lower back and this always does the trick. I must say, working on your lab was one of the happiest projects I’ve had since putting all the French windows into the kitchen and bedrooms. So much precious light.”
“Yes,” choked Kora, waving away the last wisps of smoke. “It’s a beautiful lab, but this is an interesting place you’ve built for yourself. When you walked in, I was admiring your collection. Where did you find all this stuff?”
“Different places,” said Humphrey. I came across the Spanish gold off the coast of Ecuador a number of years ago. I strapped it to the side of a migrating whale, an old friend of mine, or I never would have managed to get it up to California.”
“And that looks like part of an old ship,” said Kora, pointing to a curved piece of iron mounted on the wall across from her.
“That’s from the Brother Jonathan that sank off the California coast in 1865 loaded with San Francisco gold. Those bags of coins on the floor below are from that wreck. I really shouldn’t be rooting around in these magnificent graveyards, but it’s so hard for me to resist. One of my most exciting finds is that piece above the shelves there.” He pointed to a long, rusted slice of metal attached to the wall directly above the skulls. “I found that near the coast of Nikumasroro island in the western Pacific. It’s the prop off a Lockheed Electra.” Humphrey raised his bristly eyebrows and Kora tried to look impressed, but her eyes kept dropping from the rusted artifact to the blackened skull sitting just below it.
Humphrey padded over to the shelves and lifted the skull down from its high perch. “This, I believe, you do recognize.”
She moved toward him as if in a dream. “How did you know? I was looking at it earlier but—”
“It’s yours,” said Humphrey, holding the skull out to her.
She reluctantly took it and turned it over in her hands. “What makes you think this belongs to me?”
Humphrey took another long drag off his pipe and held it in which made his voice sound muffled. “I found it several years ago at the base of a large pipe that stretches from the catacomb into the ocean.”
“Catacomb? Gus never mentioned the castle had anything like that. A roller derby track, but no catacomb.”
Humphrey tilted his head back, blew his smoke across the ceiling, and chuckled. “I’d forgotten all about that. No one believes me, of course, but these things do exist. It’s just hard to get to them these days. The castle construction never stops so it becomes a bit of a puzzle to keep everything connected.”
Kora traced a finger along the warped frontal bone of the skull. “It’s extremely deformed. Whatever creature this is from must have had severe neurological trouble. It’s not one of mine. My specimens are all perfect,” she said proudly, then thought for a moment. “Well, almost perfect.”
“I didn’t say it was your creature. I simply said that the creature belonged to you.”
“That doesn’t make any sense.”
“Of course it does. You didn’t make the creature—you simply cared for it.”
Kora found this idea alarming. From the contours of the skull, this mutant would have made Ivan look like a beauty queen. “Why would I care for something like this?”
Humphrey lumbered back to his chair and motioned for Kora to sit across from him. “Years ago, Ruby inherited a large amount of land in Malibu, and she settled here after graduating from Stanford with degrees in medicine and microbiology. When the government collapsed, makeshift prisons popped up all over the country and Ruby converted her sizable property into a place where one of her lovers, Randall Williams, could stash his enemies. He'd just started building Mirafield, and due to the controversial nature of his business, he had a significant number of people he wanted out of the way.”
Kora closed her eyes as if this could shut out Humphrey's words. The truth about Randall just got worse with every passing day. “So he rounded them up himself and brought them here?”
“He created his own police force to snatch them up in the night, never to be seen again,” said Humphrey. “I won't tell you all the tragic details of what happened when she built her first lab, but out of the dozens of woeful creations brewed up in the first year, I somehow managed to survive. Ruby made me carry the bodies of my less fortunate siblings into the basement of her modest home where I had to label them according to their date of creation and death. You may have noticed that she’s a meticulous collector.”
“Gus has been telling me, and I saw the living room,” said Kora.
“That’s just the tip of the iceberg,” said Humphrey. “It wasn’t long before the basement filled up and a terrible stench permeated the house. I tried to persuade Ruby to stop her murderous madness, but she wouldn’t hear of it. So, I proposed a new structure along the cliffs of her property overlooking the ocean where these wretched souls could rest with more dignity. We argued over several designs and finally settled on a series of deep, labyrinthine tunnels dug deep into the cliffs. As work progressed, she decided that she wanted this structure to serve not only as a catacomb, but as the foundations for a great castle. Randall was pouring tons of money into her pockets to keep her quiet, and she needed to spend it.”
“So this is one of Ruby’s early creations?” said Kora, holding up the skull.
Humphrey nodded. “Once the catacomb was finished, and we had endless room for storing bodies, Ruby increased her production two-fold and I was forced to split my time between construction and carting bodies. It was around this exhausting period that Caleb managed to survive beyond the usual three or four miserable days that most could call a life. I was overjoyed. I was no longer alone, and I had a brother built like a mountain. Caleb could carry the bodies in a fraction of the time it took me, and then spend the rest of the day helping with construction.”
“So the two of you built the castle?” Kora prepared herself for the cloud of smoke as she watched Humphrey take another drag off his water pipe.
“I didn’t have my crew back then. Caleb and I worked alongside each other for many years building this place. He was a brilliant inventor and electrician back in those days.”
“But what does all of this have to do with me? And why did you tell Ramon I was your sister? And too old for him?” Kora couldn’t keep the annoyance from seeping into her v
oice.
The look of peaceful reminiscence on Humphrey’s face disappeared. “You may have heard that long ago, Ruby and I were intimately involved.”
Kora resisted the urge to groan and cover her ears. “Gus mentioned something about that.”
“She is a demanding lover and eventually ruined my lower spine. If it weren’t for the Food’s powerful hydroponic weed, I would suffer terribly. After my injury, Ruby turned to Caleb for sex but he wanted nothing to do with her. He wanted a wife; someone similar to him that he could love and care for. Ruby was furious—she never takes rejection well—but she needed Caleb to finish the castle and she also needed someone to help in the catacomb. I was doing construction full time and though Caleb was good at carting the bodies down to the lower regions, he wasn’t good at moving them beyond the pile. Things were getting messy. So Ruby created you with two goals in mind: to be Caleb’s wife, and mistress of the catacomb.”
Kora felt bile moving up her throat. The skull dropped out of her hands and rolled across the floor where it came to a stop before Humphrey’s bare feet. “I’m sorry, but that’s just not possible. I’m human.”
At first Humphrey looked startled. He frowned as if he’d misunderstood her words, and then his face relaxed into an expression of such compassion that Kora felt like a small, gullible child. She couldn't fool herself much longer, but the idea of admitting what she knew to be true—in her gut—was just too terrifying. She needed proof. Only when she looked into the eyes of her former self would she accept it.
“What the hell have I been doing for the last hour?” said Gus, plowing toward them from the kitchen.
Humphrey turned to inspect the variety of bizarre sculptures now covering his counter tops. “From the look of it, you were experiencing a burst of creativity. I was just telling Kora about the castle catacomb.”
“A catacomb? I haven't heard this story yet,” said Gus.
“I’m going to have to make more effort to prove these places exist,” said Humphrey.
“Then just tell us how to get there so we can check it out,” said Gus.
Humphrey took another long drag off his pipe and his eyes narrowed. “When Ruby stopped working in her lab, there was no reason for Caleb to go down to the catacomb anymore; no more dead to store away in the darkness. I’m afraid the crew may have covered over the entrances as we expanded the castle.”
“That's a bummer. Hey, have you ever heard of anyone named Mud?” asked Gus. He pulled out the crayon picture and held it up. “We found this inside a toy Caleb has that’s called Mud.”
Humphrey darted a confused look at Kora, then fixed his eyes back on the drawing and shook his head. “No idea. For a time, many of Ruby’s creatures lived down in the catacomb. There could have been a Mud among them.”
“I thought you said the catacomb was for Ruby’s dead,” said Kora.
Humphrey stared hard at her, as if trying to decide how much he should reveal. “Caleb once told me that out of every forty bodies he carried down to that miserable place, one was still barely alive. Someone down there—an extremely gifted person—saved them.”
A cold numbness poured through Kora and she folded her arms to keep from shivering. “How do you know they existed if you never saw them?”
“I never saw them, but I saw their work. They were some of the most talented artists and craftsmen the world has ever known. Caleb took down sketches, notes, and raw materials, then months later, marvelous things emerged from that dark realm. Items of the highest quality matched only by pieces made long ago before mass production took over the world like a cancer.”
Gus cracked up. “There was, like, a Santa-style workshop down there? Why?”
Humphrey shrugged his huge shoulders. “Ruby wasn't pleased when she found out there were survivors in her catacomb and refused to allow them above ground. She demanded that they work for their supper, and what she needed most for her massive house was furniture. They even built Ruby a replica of a Spanish Galleon that she planned to sail around the world, but no one could figure out how to bring it up to the surface so we never saw that amazing vessel.”
“I suppose if I lived in a catacomb twenty-four-seven, I’d have time to build something that ridiculous,” said Gus.
“You’d just make everyone coffee,” said Kora.
Gus thought about this. “You’re probably right. I'm no good with a saw.”
“But if someone named Mud worked down there,” Kora asked Humphrey, “how do we know he’s buried there?”
“Every creature Ruby created is put to rest in the castle catacomb. Someday I will rest there and so will—” He stopped himself and quickly looked away from her.
“We need to find this place,” said Gus.
“It’s been a long time since anyone was buried in the catacomb. I believe the last one was that alcoholic hunchback. What was his name?”
“Ogir,” said Gus.
Humphrey crossed the floor to a shelf packed with yellowed scrolls of paper. “Here are old plans for the castle. You can see the catacomb down here and these are the only entrances left.” Humphrey pulled a pencil from his shirt pocket and circled three points on the plans and handed them to Gus.
“I think you made a mistake.” Gus held the plans up and pointed to a circle he'd made that was far beyond the cliffs.
“That means it’s out in the ocean,” replied Humphrey. “I was telling Kora there’s an old drain pipe out there that leads straight into the catacomb. Be an easy swim as long as you could stay under water for twenty or thirty minutes,” said Humphrey.
“Maybe if you’re half marine mammal. I haven’t noticed any scuba gear lying around.” Gus rolled the paper back up and stuffed it under his arm. “Are you telling me Ruby has no way other than vents and sewer pipes to get down to her own catacomb?”
“Ruby and Caleb both know how to open the stairwell from her lab. I suppose you could ask her,” said Humphrey.
“Or we could ask him,” said Gus. “I’ve been on a roll with Caleb today. Let’s try massaging that big brain of his and see what we can get.”
Chapter 21
Vaughn walked on the wet sand, careful not to let the waves touch his bare feet. It was still early when he reached the wooden platform, but a large group of men were already stacking wood for the cooking fires so the coals would be hot when the fresh meat arrived from the canyon. They looked surprised to see him and several offered their wrists, but he politely shook his head and continued up the beach.
Gutted cottages the children used as playhouses lined the beach, several furnished with old wooden furniture they’d hoarded from surrounding patios. After an hour, signs of the Food’s presence thinned to a few fishing boats and long lines of seaweed hung up to dry. He stopped when he reached the first cave of El Matador where he could still see the upper part of a line drawn with bits of shell, old bottle caps, and rocks. He imagined Iris and the children hustling excitedly around the beach to gather these items while Joshua pleaded with the leaders for mercy. Vaughn ducked into the cave and stepped out the other side to find a long, quiet stretch of sand. He ran his eyes over the low cliffs until he saw dirt flying out of a large hole not too far ahead.
“That was a little too easy,” he called out in a loud voice.
Joshua’s feet disappeared to be replaced by his sour, dirty face. “What the hell do you want?”
“You should pace your decline. You were only banished yesterday and already you look like a madman who's been out here ten years.”
Joshua jumped down from his hole and slipped on a pair of worn flip-flops. His sarong was caked with mud and he looked thinner. He folded his arms over his chest and frowned. “It’s you’re damn fault that I’m here. You could have just killed Max and been done with it, but I’m sure you’re happy as hell that I’m banished. What you’ve always wanted. Did you come here to fuck me over some more?”
“No, I came to see if you’d severed off any limbs to roast over the fire yet.”
“I’m doing great, asshole.” Joshua turned, as if to walk back to his den, then swung around to punch Vaughn who easily caught his fist.
“I came to see if I could help.” Vaughn squeezed Joshua’s fist until he heard a bone crack.
Joshua cried out until Vaughn let go, then cradled his hand as he glared at the vampire like a wounded animal. “You’re a goddamn mother Teresa. Now I’ll have to dig one-handed.” He moved his fingers to make sure nothing was broken.
“Why are you digging a hole when there are three empty mansions at the top of these cliffs?”
“If I move up there, no one will ever find me.”
“With the way you look, that might be for the best.”
“Did you come up here to be my fucking mom?” Joshua reached up to touch his matted hair.
Vaughn kicked at the stones around his feet. He wanted to turn around and go home, but then a flash of Kora crossed his vision. “I've been doing some thinking and maybe I’ve treated you unfairly.”
Joshua’s face tightened with suspicion. “You don’t give a damn about me.”
“Things change.”
“You don’t change. Not a bit. For ten years you’ve treated me like dirt and now you expect me to believe this?” Joshua moved closer, his eyes narrowing as he studied Vaughn. “It has something to do with that blue-haired girl, doesn’t it?” When he caught Vaughn’s surprised expression, he hooted in triumph. “She saw you beating the shit out of me that night and told you off, didn’t she?”
Vaughn tried to think of a sharp answer, but words failed him. Joshua roared with laughter. “Good for her. About time someone noticed what a fuckhead you are.” Joshua swaggered in a circle around Vaughn with a crooked smile on his face.
“I owe her a favor. That’s all,” said Vaughn. He wondered how the idiot had seen through him so easily.
“You have to be nice to me to impress her? I should tell you to go to hell. Be good for you to get your face rubbed in the dirt by a girl. Show you what it’s like for the rest of us who weren’t cooked up out of some goddamn Twilight novel.”
Synthetic: Dark Beginning Page 16