by SJB Gilmour
‘Ooh, Mistress Hazelwood,’ he said, making a show of suddenly recognising Melanie. ‘Come in, come in. Vould you like some chicken soup?’ he offered.
‘Hey!’ Vladimir protested. ‘What about my elevator? I was here first!’
Mel gave Laurence Ottispuschenshuffen a startled look then spun around to give her full attention to the shiny machine and her irate vampire uncle.
‘What’s wrong with it?’ she asked.
Vladimir gave a disgusted sound. ‘It’s rude! It so offended my Rose that she went home to her mother! That thing ruined my honeymoon!’
Mel fought back a smile. She remembered how Oliver had gotten his elevator to behave. She concentrated and held out her hand, palm up. A small vial of mercury appeared in her hand. She held it out to the angry vampire.
‘Try threatening to use this stuff,’ she suggested. ‘The Millennium model’s scared of quicksilver.’
Vladimir shrugged. ‘Well, whatever works, I suppose,’ he said dubiously. He took the vial and turned to the elevator and pressed its call button. The elevator immediately responded.
‘What do you want?’ it demanded grumpily. ‘I’m busy!’
Vladimir held the vial of quicksilver out so the elevator could see it. The elevator gave an involuntary shudder.
‘What are you going to do with that?’ the grumpy machine demanded.
‘What am I going to do with it?’ Vladimir whispered over his shoulder.
Mel shrugged. ‘Just say you’ll feed it to it if it doesn’t behave!’ she hissed.
Vladimir followed her advice and marched into the much better behaved elevator. Then the elevator shimmered and disappeared.
Laurence stared at the empty spot where Viscount Vladimir Dracul’s elevator had been. He sighed resignedly then turned to Melanie.
‘Oi,’ he murmured as he passed a weary, shaking hand over his head. ‘My brothers are going to kill me,’ he declared in a completely different accent. He now sounded like an English football fan. ‘Now what the devil is Oliver Cromwell’s star pupil doing here in my shop?’ he demanded.
Mel gave a start. ‘How did you know Cromwell’s my teacher?’ she asked carefully.
Laurence made an exasperated sound. ‘C’mon,’ he urged. ‘I’ve told only one person… Just one, about mercury and that model, and that was Cromwell. Besides,’ he said in a more placating tone, ‘everyone knows that you and Coppernick are headed towards a showdown with Marzdane. It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to figure out that you and she would look up the guy that built Conundrum.’
Melanie was so tired she was about to collapse. She sank onto one of the long bench seats along the side of the shop.
Just then, Laurence’s two brothers, Maurice and Jerome erupted behind the counter, mid-squabble. Jerome was carrying an armful of wires and gears while Maurice was waving a large, whimpering scroll angrily.
‘I tell you, that stupid thing has gotta be rebuilt from the ground up!’ Maurice yelled at his brother in the same English accent that Laurence was now using.
‘Bollocks!’ Jerome retorted. ‘If you’d let me use the better conduction system—’ he broke off as he caught sight of his brother Laurence and Melanie. He dumped the wires and gears on the counter and shuffled out into the shop. ‘Vat is she doingk here?’ he demanded. His English accent suddenly replaced by that of his more public persona.
Laurence waved at his brother dismissively. ‘Give it a rest, Jez,’ he advised his brother. ‘We’ve finally got the chance to move on. She’s with Cromwell.’
‘What the bloody hell is she doing here then?’ Maurice demanded. ‘Thank the Gods no-one’s seen her! If the Guild finds out we’ve even let her in the silly shop we’ll be—’ Like Laurence, he had dropped his accent.
‘Forget it, Morrie,’ Laurence told him shortly. ‘Remember why we set up in Neroland in the first place? The Guild aint got jurisdiction here.’
‘As if that’ll stop ‘em!’ Maurice argued. ‘If Dracul saw her, you can bet your life Marzdane’ll be along sooner or later, and his tame gaurdslins with him.’
The three old sorcerers muttered to themselves for a few moments. Finally, they each shrugged in exactly the same way.
‘Well, it looks like we’re all renegades then,’ Maurice told Melanie with a grin.
‘We better get out of here then,’ Maurice said carefully. ‘I trust that vampire about as far as I could throw him.’
Melanie nodded. ‘Mum feels the same way,’ she agreed.
‘But first we better get you cleaned up,’ Jerome advised her.
‘Purgarito,’ Mel muttered at her wet and scorched clothes, and was suddenly dressed in clean clothes again. Her boots and jeans were clean, as was her t-shirt, which was all she had been wearing in the jungle. Now she was away from the heat, she added her favourite black leather motorcycle jacket.
‘I’ll go pack some things,’ Maurice offered. His brother Jerome agreed and the old men shuffled off, leaving Mel and Laurence alone again.
‘Now what’s so important that you come in here disrupting a business that’s been running for two thousand years?’ he demanded.
Mel collapsed onto the bench again. ‘I’m sorry,’ she moaned. ‘I only came here from Wolfenvald because I didn’t know how to get from there back to Cromwell’s island.’
Laurence squinted at her. ‘You’re tired,’ he said gently. The wizened old sorcerer produced a large stoneware goblet filled with a steaming hot liquid. ‘Drink this,’ he said, offering Melanie the goblet.
Mel took the drink gratefully, held it to her lips, and blew on it. The smell of the chicken soup was heavenly to a very tired and hungry thirteen year-old girl who had not had any dinner. She took one sip, then another. Within minutes, she had finished the entire goblet. She barely managed to hand it back to a very blurry Master Laurence Ottispuschenshuffen.
‘Sleep,’ Laurence said kindly, holding a blanket out to cover her. He gently guided Mel down onto the bench to rest and tucked the blanket in over her. Then he produced a pillow and snuggled it under the head of the already fast asleep girl.
‘Sleep,’ Laurence repeated. ‘We’ll talk again soon and you can tell me all about it.’ Then he looked around and in a much more business-like manner said, ‘and now, I have to pack. It won’t be long before those schmucks figure out where the hell this kid is.’
Several hours later, Melanie awoke with a start. She sat up, pushed the blanket to one side, and looked around the shop.
‘There you are!’ Maurice Ottispuschenshuffen announced. He stepped out from behind the counter dragging a very large suitcase that was covered in hundreds of different customs stickers. He also had a large enchanted satchel slung over his bony shoulder. His brothers Laurence and Jerome followed him. They too had similar cases and satchels.
‘Well, we’re ready to go,’ Jerome told her. Our express elevator will be here any minute. While we’re waiting, why don’t you tell us what the devil you were doing at Wolfenvald? We can’t even go there.’
Mel rubbed the sleep from her eyes. ‘You’re going?’ she asked with surprise. ‘Why?’
‘Because right now,’ Jerome explained, stuffing everything he could find on the counter into a large satchel, ‘Viscount Vladimir Dracul’s probably spilling his guts to Marzdane. We should go straight in the opposite direction.’
Maurice looked about impatiently. ‘Where the devil is that elevator?’ he demanded. ‘I told you we should have just used one of the Millennium Models,’ he told his brother. ‘Your new Millennium Mark Two isn’t worth the trouble.’
As he spoke, a shimmering portal appeared in the middle of the shop floor. The portal grew and grew until it reached from the floor to the ceiling.
‘Here it is,’ Jerome said confidently.
Several dozen heavily armed goblin soldiers marched through the portal.
‘Maybe not,’ Jerome admitted.
Unlike the Guild Guardslins that had attacked Sarah and Melanie in the jungl
e, these goblins wore burnished uniforms and carried exquisitely fashioned weapons made of steel and silver. Their brown skin was much cleaner and Melanie realised that these goblins were not so much brown as they were tanned, and they were much fitter and more handsome than those who had attacked them earlier. Through the middle of the platoon marched a small but incredibly well-muscled goblin. Unlike his soldiers, this goblin wore no armour. He wore simple black flowing pantaloons and black boots. His scarred chest was bare and on his arms, he wore studded leather braces. At his side, he carried a large scimitar that had quite obviously seen a lot of use. A number of nicks had been honed out of the deadly blade. Melanie realised that this goblin was indeed a very seasoned soldier. His only sign of rank was a thin leather headband he wore that was inlaid with a gold Captain’s insignia. Melanie also noticed that he did not smell anywhere near as bad as the goblins Marzdane had employed.
‘Masters Ottispuschenshuffen,’ he announced proudly in perfect English. Then he nodded at Melanie, ‘and young Mistress Hazelwood, I am Captain Jax of His Supreme Chancellor’s Imperial Guard,’ he announced with a very formal bow. ‘Your escort has arrived.’
Jerome and his brothers looked at each other in confusion.
‘We got no need of no escort!’ Jerome told the captain bluntly. He stepped in front of Melanie to shield her from the goblins.
‘No doubt,’ Jax agreed. ‘However, Supreme Chancellor Jerrit of the Mingus Consortium Armed Corps has requested your presence,’ he replied urbanely. ‘We are here to escort you to the palace safely.’ He looked around the shop curiously. ‘Tell me, where is the Golden Mane?’
‘She’s not here,’ Mel said defiantly. She lurched to her feet and crossed her arms.
‘Indeed?’ the Captain replied. He turned to several of his soldiers. ‘Search the place,’ he ordered them. Then he turned back to Melanie. ‘Please don’t be offended, young Mistress,’ he told her depreciatingly. ‘It’s not that I don’t believe you, of course, but I have instructions to bring you, Masters Ottispuschenshuffen here and young Mistress Coppernick back to Jilde.’
Melanie flared with sudden fury. ‘You’re arresting us?’ she demanded incredulously.
Captain Jax smiled as charmingly as he could, which wasn’t very, since he was a goblin.
‘Oh no, Mistress Hazelwood,’ he said. ‘His Excellency gave me very strict instructions to see to your comfort and safety. You are most definitely not under arrest.’
‘But we still have to go with you,’ Mel accused.
Again, Jax smiled. ‘I’m afraid so, Mistress. After all, orders are orders.’
‘Why do we got to go to Jilde?’ Jerome asked curiously. ‘There’s nothing there I don’t already know, and nothing I aint already seen.’
‘Oh come now, Master Ottispuschenshuffen,’ Jax chided. ‘I’m sure the academy would love for you to pay a visit. After all, your exploits are quite legendary.’
The flattery seemed to work a little and Jerome sniffed huffily.
‘Maybe,’ he muttered, though he was obviously warming to the idea.
The Captain smiled shrewdly. ‘And forgive my presumption, Master Ottispuschenshuffen, but do I understand that you and your brothers are keen to vacate these premises? Young Mistress Hazelwood here has an appointment at the headquarters of the Mingus Consortium, and since Earth’s Sorcerers’ Guild and Mautallius can’t reach you there and the academy’s right next door—’
‘Wait a tic!’ Maurice protested. ‘The Jildere Academy is next door to the bleeding Royal Palace!’
Jax chuckled. ‘My dear Master Smith,’ he chided. ‘Have you not kept up with current affairs? The coup was some time ago. I’m surprised you hadn’t heard. The Mingus Consortium has been in complete control of Jilde for nearly thirteen years.’ He paused and allowed himself an approving smile. ‘And I might say it’s for the better. The previous administration was starting to let things slip terribly. Military organisation may be slow and bureaucratic at times, but things do get done.’
Just then, another shimmering portal began to appear. From it came a sound that Melanie recognised very well. The Guild Guardslins that were about to charge out of that portal were nowhere near as friendly as Captain Jax and his soldiers.
Jax barked a few orders and his soldiers immediately hauled the Ottispuschenshuffen brothers back towards the front door of the shop and formed a protective guard line in front of them.
Several of Marzdane’s goblins appeared howling and snarling. Jax leaped in front of Melanie while two more of his soldiers picked her up under the armpits and dragged her to join the three sorcerers.
Jax made excellent use of his scimitar. The goblin was incredibly agile. He danced around his foes, his feet barely seeming to touch the floor. Within seconds, he had lopped the head off one goblin and the legs off another. A heartbeat later, he had downed three more.
Then he broke away from the fight as if he was anticipating what was coming next. Guntex marched through the portal. Unlike his subordinates, he held his scimitar much the same way Jax held his.
‘Well, Lieutenant Jax, we meet again,’ Guntex growled.
‘It’s Captain now, Guntex,’ Jax replied casually, though his grin was tight and not the least bit friendly at all.
The two did not wait to exchange further malicious insults. As their soldiers battled around them, the two seasoned warriors attacked each other with blinding speed and ferocity. Unlike the battle between their soldiers, which was decidedly one-side with the advantage being held firmly by Jax’s Imperial Guard, the exchange between Guntex and Jax was very close indeed.
Jax fought with cold, practised skill and precision. His lightning-fast parries kept his skin untouched by steel, while his thrusts and counter-strikes nearly always drew blood. Guntex, weighed down by more armour than his opponent, made up for his lack of skill and his encumbering armour with fanatical, frenzied vigour. His eyes were crazed and his mouth flecked foam.
Back and forth they fought in a terrific display of martial swordsmanship, dancing over debris and fallen goblins alike. Even though the two could probably have fought for much longer than they did, Guntex saw his soldiers being cut down with brutal efficiency and was forced to retreat.
Guntex called his few remaining troops to fall back, and he and his fellow survivors scampered back through the portal. As a parting shot, one of the Guild Guardslins turned and hurled his spear at Melanie as the portal vanished.
With her arms held by the soldiers trying to keep her out of harm’s way, Melanie was powerless to erect a shield and the spear embedded itself deep into her left thigh.
Melanie screamed and tore free from the goblin soldiers. She wrenched the spear out of her leg, but the silver tip had already started to melt into her veins. As she tore the spear out of her leg, a large spray of blood spurted from the wound.
With the cold professionalism of trained and battled-tested soldiers, the goblins that had hauled Melanie away, immediately ripped open a field dressing kit. They discarded the packing of the kit and stuck a dressing and a compress to halt the flow of blood from her femoral artery.
In spite of the bedlam that had just exploded in his shop, Laurence peered at Melanie’s wound then looked at one of the goblin soldiers sternly.
‘That’s gotta be treated by moonlight,’ he assessed. ‘She’ll die if you blokes don’t get the silver out of her system soon.’
‘He’s right you know,’ Maurice advised the goblins. You can take us to Jilde if you want, but I’d recommend the Peruvian Alpine Hospital on Earth for her. Best moonlit ER about, that is. Jilde don’t got no moon any more. With all that silver pollution you lot have and no moon, you’ll be killing her faster than if you just left her here to bleed to death.’
Jax watched Guntex’s portal disappear in silence. The Captain was panting from his efforts and his body gleamed with sweat and blood, very little of which was his own. Then he calmly surveyed the remnants of the shop. He had not lost a single soldier y
et the floor was littered with the bodies of his attackers. He looked over to the panting Melanie.
‘I’m sure our healers have other methods of extracting silver from human blood, Masters Ottispuschenshuffen,’ he assured them all. ‘And I do have my orders after all.’
The soldiers who had been searching the strange shop in Neroland returned empty handed. One of them saluted smartly.
‘No sign of the werewolf, Sir,’ he reported.
‘Ahh well,’ Jax conceded. ‘One is better than none, I suppose.’
A large shimmering area appeared off to one side of the shop and a shiny new, enchanted elevator appeared. Jax looked at it with surprise.
‘A new prototype,’ Jerome said depreciatingly. He gave the elevator a scathing look. ‘It’s still got itself a few bugs in its timing sequencer.’
Jax grinned. ‘I was about to erect another portal, but this looks big enough to take us all quite comfortably,’ he assessed. He reached into a pocket in his pantaloons and withdrew a clawful of silver coins. ‘It still takes the usual fuel, I take it?’
Chapter Fifteen
Curious, Sarah decided to follow the Grey Mane’s scent. She had no trouble keeping up with him but was surprised when she soon detected other scents on the same trail. After a while, those few became dozens. Then hundreds. Then she saw something that sent a chill through her entire body. A huge number of werewolves had gathered in a large circle. The werewolf she had been following disappeared into the crowd, without ever having given her his name. In the middle of the circle lay the still form of another large Grey Mane werewolf, and it was one she recognised immediately.
Sarah padded quietly towards the group. She recognised several more scents, including the Grey Mane Felix and his pack-mates. As she approached the group, she realised many of the other werewolves were high-ranking or Firsts of many packs. There were many Brown and Black Coats, a few Red Coats and quite a few Grey Manes. There were even a few Whites. Two large Black Coats saw her coming and moved aside respectfully. Sarah stopped next to them and sat on her haunches.