Alex Verus 5: Hidden

by Benedict Jacka

  “Sonder didn’t drag me in, I volunteered,” Caldera said. “Even if he did do it by convincing my boss that this was connected to the Crystal investigation when it probably isn’t. But your friend needs help, and stopping this kind of thing from happening is the reason I joined the Order of the Star in the first place. Besides, Sonder’s helped me out enough times that I owe him a favour.”

  “That’s it?” I asked. “You don’t mind?”

  “Do you have any idea how many cases like this the Order of the Star gets?” Caldera asked me. “Kidnap, manslaughter, abuse . . . Not a day goes by where someone doesn’t come to us for help. I’ve got fifteen cases sitting on my desk back at the station right now. When I check in tomorrow it’ll be sixteen. Every hour I spend helping you and Sonder I’m ignoring someone else.”

  “I’m not the one who needs the help, and neither is Sonder.”

  “And that’s why I’m here. But your friend’s not the only case out there.”

  “Are you saying you’d be rather be working on those other cases?”

  “What are you expecting me to say, Verus?” Caldera asked. “That I’m pissed off at Sonder? Well, maybe I am, a little bit. But I’m still going to do what I can to get you your friend back. Just like I do for everyone else who comes to us.”

  I studied Caldera curiously. “Does it ever get to you? Seeing the same things happen over and over again?”

  “Ask me that sometime when I’ve drunk a lot more. Come on, go through the layout once more, then I’m heading back to the lab. I’ll get you an earpiece for tonight.”

  | | | | | | | | |

  I spent the afternoon trying the remainder of my contacts. I didn’t find out anything about Anne, but the one bit of good news was that I managed to get through to Arachne. I caught her up on the situation; we discussed plans and agreed to meet that evening. As the afternoon wore on I spent a couple of hours in the bathroom and then went to meet Variam on the Heath.

  The sun was setting by the time Variam showed up, and he actually looked right past me without recognising me. “Hey, Vari,” I said as he was about to pass by.

  Variam looked at me more closely, and then his eyes went wide in disbelief. “Alex?”

  “Notice anything different?”

  “What the hell did you do to your hair?”

  My hair’s naturally jet black, with a tendency to spike upwards. Right now it was combed back and dyed a vivid blond—the bottle had advertised something a little more natural-looking, but I’m not exactly a stylist. “Like it?”

  “This really the time?”

  “Oh, you know,” I said. “Just felt like a change. Come along to Arachne’s and I’ll explain once we get there.”

  | | | | | | | | |

  Variam walked into Arachne’s cave just ahead of me and stopped dead. Luna was standing in the main cavern near the door and she’d obviously heard us coming. “Hey,” she said with a grin, giving her dress a swirl. “What do you think?”

  Variam stared. Luna looked satisfied, then she saw me and her eyebrows rose. “You went for that colour?”

  “Like it?”

  “You look like a Bond villain.”

  “Now that’s just mean. And I was about to say something nice about how you looked too.”

  Luna’s dress was dark red, darkening from vermillion at the torso to the colour of dried blood at the skirts, which had a rumpled, crushed-velvet look. Fingerless gloves ran to above her elbows, a feathery ruff rested on her bare shoulders, and she’d even dyed her hair red with orange highlights to match the rest of the outfit. “Nice wasn’t exactly what I was going for.”

  “Oh, there you are, Alex,” Arachne said as she emerged from behind Luna. “What on earth have you done to your hair?”

  I sighed. “Everyone’s a critic.”

  “I told you your hair needed to be medium ash brown with golden blond.” Arachne is a gigantic tarantula-like spider, black and hairy with fangs the size of kitchen knives, a detail neither Variam nor I paid attention to. You get used to anything given time. “Not bleach blond. There’s no point in doing this if you don’t get the colour exactly right.”

  “Colours aren’t my strong point, okay?”

  “Wait,” Variam said. “You’re going to the Tiger’s Palace?”

  “See?” I said as I headed past Luna. “Told you he’d get it.”

  “Are you nuts? Jagadev said he’d kill you if you ever showed up again!”

  “Oh, I doubt he’d do that in front of fifty Dark mages.”

  “That’s because if they figure out you’re spying on them they’ll do it first!”

  “Technically all the Dark mages are going to be there to spy on one another,” I said as I found the selection of clothes Arachne had laid out for me. “If I didn’t do it too, they’d probably get suspicious.”

  “Does Caldera know you’re doing this?”

  “Sure, kind of . . . Oh, that one looks good.”

  “No, that’s in Chojan’s style,” Arachne said, lifting a leg to tap one of the others. “He’s going to be there. Try this one instead.”

  “What do you mean, ‘kind of’?” Variam said, walking around. His eyes kept drifting back to Luna.

  “Well, she did ask me to scout out the Tiger’s Palace. I’ll just be doing it a bit more proactively.”

  “How long have you been planning this?”

  “Since about thirty seconds after Caldera and Sonder told us about the party. I didn’t tell you until now because I knew you’d be giving Caldera a report before meeting us. This way you didn’t have to lie to her.”

  “She’s going to be pissed,” Variam said, then suddenly shook his head. “Wait, why should I care? Gah, I hate having to think about whether the boss is happy.”

  “I know, but you want to be a member, you have to pay the dues, and we are going to need help for this one. Whether or not Sonder’s right about it being Crystal, I doubt we’ve got the resources to do this on our own.”

  Luna and Variam shared stories on how the day had gone—they’d turned up a lot of bits and pieces but nothing solid—while Arachne continued her efforts to educate me in the basics of hair care. “Use this after you dress,” Arachne said, handing me a small jar. “The gel should recolour your hair close enough to the right shade to pass a fairly thorough inspection, but don’t get it wet. It won’t persist as well as a proper dye.”

  I nodded. “Thanks for helping out on such short notice, by the way. You been okay?”

  “For the moment,” Arachne said, the clicking rustle of her mandibles a counterpoint to her voice. “Although some of the recent political developments are . . . worrying. If you have the time, I’d appreciate hearing what you discover at this audience.”

  “Sure. What are you worried about specifically?”

  “Specifically?” Arachne said. “Your ex-master.”

  I felt my heart sink. “His name has been linked to Morden’s current project,” Arachne said. “A discouragement to those thinking of standing in opposition.”

  “It could be a bluff.”

  “I very much doubt Morden would make a threat like that without something to back it up.”

  “That doesn’t mean it’s him,” I said. It didn’t sound as convincing as I’d like. “He might be doing it as part of some other game.”

  Arachne studied me with her eight eyes. “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  “I understand Luna’s been hearing rumours of Richard’s return,” Arachne said. “She’s reported them to you.”

  “Luna needs to learn to keep her mouth shut.”

  “Hasn’t that contact of yours from the Council been saying something similar? Talisid?”

  I was silent.

  “Have you ever heard the parable of the horse which was a mule?” Arachne said. “You go to market and buy a ho
rse. On your way home, if one person looks at the horse and tells you it’s a mule, you should ignore him. If a second person looks at the horse and tells you it’s a mule, you should go back and check. If a third person looks at the horse and tells you it’s a mule, then it’s a mule.”

  I looked up at Arachne. “What’s your point?”

  “Exactly how many people need to tell you that Richard might have returned before you start listening?”

  “They’re just rumours—”

  “Repeated rumours, and I’ve known you to act on less. Why haven’t you?”

  I took a glance over towards Luna and Variam. Both were out of earshot and distracted in any case; they’d gotten into one of their usual arguments and Variam was pointing out of the tunnel for emphasis. “Say I do believe them,” I said quietly. “What would I do about it? If he is back, if he does come after me . . . then I’m screwed. It doesn’t matter how much warning I have.”

  Arachne paused, tapping two of her front legs against the floor. “I think you’re mistaken,” she said at last, “but you may be right that you should be focusing on what you’re doing tonight. Do you know why you’re doing this, by the way?”

  “What do you mean?” It was an odd question, but I was relieved at the change of subject. “I don’t think there’s any way of doing this that isn’t dangerous.”

  “True, but not necessarily to you. From what you and Luna have told me, you could just as easily leave the work and the danger to the Keepers.”

  I had to think about that one for a few seconds. As soon as Sonder had confirmed my fears last night about what had happened to Anne, I’d decided to drop everything else to try to find her, but I hadn’t thought about why. “You remember what you asked me last year?” I said eventually. “About what kind of person I want to be?”

  Arachne made an affirmative gesture. “I never used to care about anyone else,” I said. “Not really. I mean, I’d do something nice now and again, but I always came first, you know?” I looked over at where Luna was making some point or other to Variam, using her hands for emphasis. “I’m not sure who changed that, you or Luna, but . . . I think it was Luna. You helped me when I needed it most, but I always saw you as above me, I guess. I could never really imagine you needing me for anything, not until that.” I gestured up at the jagged gash in the rock above one of the side tunnels, a souvenir of two years back. Arachne could have repaired it, but she’d chosen to leave it untouched, maybe as a reminder. “But Luna did need me. So I started thinking more and more about my friends. I kind of divided the world up into them, and everyone else. If you were inside that group, you mattered.”

  “And now?”

  “Now . . .” I shrugged. “Anne isn’t really one of my friends anymore. She made that pretty clear.” I was quiet for a moment. “For a while I thought that if I could save her, then I could prove . . . I don’t know. That what I did last year was okay? That my way of doing things was right? But it’s a bad reason. Helping her just so that she’d be grateful, that she’d owe me something . . . I think even if we do manage to pull this off, if Anne does end up safe again, then we still won’t be friends.”

  “But you’re still going to do it?”

  “Yeah, I am.” I looked up at Arachne. “Because after you strip away all the history and all the arguments, she’s in trouble and she still needs help. We might not manage to do this. Maybe we’ll fail and maybe we’ll give up. But it’s still worth doing.”

  Arachne looked at me thoughtfully for a moment, then nodded. I had the odd feeling it was almost as if she were smiling. “Good luck.”

  | | | | | | | | |

  “So,” Luna said. “Not bringing the armour?”

  We were in Soho near the Tiger’s Palace, standing in a doorway just a couple of buildings down. I’d needed to be close to get a good angle on the reactions of the door security. Neon lights shone down from above, blotting out the stars, and the air was filled with the din of overlapping music. Groups of people were scattered across the street, laughter and yells echoing between the buildings. Occasionally a passerby would give us a glance, but we didn’t get many catcalls; it was a Saturday night in Soho and our outfits weren’t even close to the weirdest ones out there.

  “Sends the wrong impression,” I said. Arachne made me an imbued item last year, a suit of reactive armour; it’s very good at what it does, but now wasn’t the time to break it out. “You don’t want to look like you need it. Your communicator working?”

  Luna tapped her ear. “I think so. Calling Vari, can you—?”

  “Hitting it doesn’t help.”

  Luna made a face at me. “Vari, can you hear me? Alex is being mean again.”

  “You probably deserve it,” Variam’s voice said in my ear.

  The transparent focus set into my ear was a synchronous communicator, one of the nicer toys that Council mages get to play with. They’re lightweight, voice-activated, and allow you to talk to someone without a radio signal, which is handy when some of the people you’re sharing a room with can see electromagnetic waves. “Calling Vari, Luna,” I said. “Can you hear me?”

  “Receiving,” Variam said.

  “I’m right here, you know,” Luna said.

  “Don’t be a smart-arse. Vari, you’ve found a good place?”

  “I’m on the lower roof overlooking the front door and the back alley entrance,” Variam said. “You got the position?”

  “Yeah. Keep us updated once we’re inside. You’re sure these things can’t be intercepted?”

  “Sure. Unless the Council aren’t as good as they think they are, but what are the chances of that?” There was a chime and the channel closed.

  “So, you going to tell me who we’re supposed to be?” Luna asked. She was carrying her focus weapon, and Arachne had made her a red silk cover for it, attached at the focus’s narrow end to a long braided rope, coiled in her hands. Disguising a whip as a whip: Arachne does have a sense of humour.

  “I’m going to be a fairly reclusive Dark mage named Avis,” I said. “He’s important enough that he gets invited to these sorts of get-togethers, but he doesn’t like taking sides so he always turns them down.”

  “Sounds fun. How about me?”

  “It looks like Avis has just taken on a new apprentice. Come up with a name for yourself, and don’t use any kind of pun on ‘moon.’”

  “Like I’d want to. I’m going to be Zarine.”

  “Zarine?”

  “If I’m a new apprentice I wouldn’t have a mage identity, right? Anyway, I always liked that name.”

  “Zarine it is.”

  We set off up the street. “No ribbon this time?” I asked as we approached the Tiger’s Palace.

  “God no. Those things absorb my curse. I want to be at full strength.”

  The entrance to Jagadev’s club is via basement level. We skirted a laughing pack of drunken twentysomethings and started down the stairs. “Arachne would make you another if you asked.”

  “I know, but I don’t want to. Having it turned off for a few hours is great, but when it’s done I feel worse. If I’m going to fix this, I want it so that I can do it.”

  “I think you will. Someday.”

  Luna gave me a quick smile. “All right,” I said. “Game face on. Ready?”

  “Let’s do it,” Luna said. I strode through the front entrance of Jagadev’s lair.

  The outfit Arachne had made for me was a long military-style coat with gold tracing at the lapels and wrist and a white ruff at the neck, combined with a waistcoat and narrow trousers. It made me feel like I was going to a steampunk convention, but from examining myself in the mirror I had to admit it looked good. Whoever Avis was, he had a sense of style. A dark blue mask covered the upper half of my face, while Luna wore a narrower dark red band at eye level. We’d put them on before making our final approach. />
  The bouncers on the door were a different lot from the usual: more social graces, fewer broken noses. Evidently this evening rated a higher class of doorman. “May I take your name, please?” the one at the front asked. His manner was pleasant, but his eyes and those of the men behind him were alert and ready.

  “Avis,” I said, meeting his gaze. I’d changed my posture subtly as I approached, standing a little straighter, my movements a little more deliberate. My voice was flat and calm.

  The doorman nodded. “Welcome to the Tiger’s Palace.”

  I walked towards the door at the other end, ignoring the doormen; Luna followed a pace behind. No one tried to stop us. The door swung shut and we were walking down a stone corridor. I’d known we were going to get this far; from now on things would get interesting. We reached the door at the end and I pushed it open, and the two of us walked out onto the main floor of Jagadev’s lair.

  chapter 5

  The last time I’d visited the Tiger’s Palace had been a year and a half ago. When I’d seen it then it had been a dance club, hundreds of boys and girls in their teens and twenties packed into a concrete box filled with the pounding of industrial music. Now the concrete walls had been hidden by drapes of red cloth, and Indian artwork had been set up around the edge of the room. Carpets and tables were spaced across the floor, and the upper balcony had been decorated as well, though no amount of decoration could hide the dominating view it gave over the lower level.

  It looked luxurious, almost enough to be a real palace . . . but not quite. It might have been the absence of people—the club had been designed to hold nearly a thousand, and the fifty or so figures scattered across the main floor left it feeling vast and empty—but I didn’t think it was the guests. Jagadev is the owner of the Tiger’s Palace, and there’s little love lost between him and mages. Maybe I was imagining it, but I thought I could feel something of his presence in the building, a kind of cold indifference. Jagadev might live amongst humans, but he doesn’t like them.

  We’d attracted attention the instant we walked in, and I could see half a dozen people eyeing us from across the wide expanse of the floor. “Vari,” I said. “We’re in. Alex out.”