The Stars Below, page 11
part #4 of Vega Jane Series
It was one among many in a long line strung out down a broad boulevard. It was like the High Street back in Wormwood, only far nicer. As I watched people come and go, there was a widespread sense of peace and prosperity.
I blinked when I saw the sign of the storefront.
ARCANE ARTIFACTS, ET ALIA, COLIN SONNET, PROPRIETOR
Someone opened the door to head into the shop, and I slipped in behind this person, a tall, strongly built man in a luxurious burgundy cloak.
As the door opened, a bell had tinkled.
I looked around the shop and tried to take it all in, but it was really not possible to do so because there was so much to see.
Long, low counters were on every wall. Under the glass I saw objects all lined up in perfect rows. I drew closer to inspect the contents.
There were aged coins, fat leather books, pieces of what looked to be bones together with the entire skeletons of small beasts. There were myriad rolls of parchment next to sparkling ink sticks, and necklaces made of chain mail alongside jewels of every conceivable color. An eyeball of some creature’s sat next to another creature’s lethal-looking fang. A metal hand leaned against a shimmering bottle of liquid that smoked and sparked inside its container.
On the walls above the counters were fastened all manner of things: heads of beasts, shields of metal, spears, swords, lances, a metal ball with pointy spikes. A full suit of armor hung from the ceiling. Stuffed winged creatures, both large and small, were suspended on long chains from the rafters. They seemed about to soar across the room and attack me. One of them looked like the dreads that had chased me back in the Quag. A full black carriage sat against one wall. Next to that was a mirror that reflected nothing in the shop, but held the image of a dark sky with shiny stars scattered across its face like flower petals along a path.
The floors were piled high with crates overflowing with interesting objects: an assortment of weapons and instruments and devices that seemed to hold scientific potential; hats and cloaks and gloves; long glass tubes filled with colorful liquids. And in a cage was an assortment of live small animals and birds, all surprisingly getting along swimmingly.
“Colin, how are you?”
I snapped my head around to stare at the man in the burgundy cloak as he greeted a small, thin younger man who had emerged from behind a curtain. The younger man had a full head of red hair and a pair of finely wrought golden spectacles that sat halfway down his long, slender nose.
“Gunther, I am never better, thank you.”
I blinked again. Gunther? Was this Gunther Adronis, Alice’s husband?
He was tall and broad shouldered, and as he turned to look around the shop, my suspicions were confirmed. This was indeed Gunther Adronis. I had seen his portrait back at Empyrean. I had also seen his body in a silver coffin. Pillsbury had told me how Necro had murdered Gunther in his home, slitting his throat. I shivered with the thought that the man I was staring at would die a violent death.
Then I studied Colin Sonnet. For some reason, I had imagined he would be muscular and fierce-looking. However, his appearance was far more like a scholar’s than a warrior’s. He was certainly nothing like Petra.
Colin adjusted his spectacles and looked up at the tall Gunther. “And how is Alice?”
Gunther’s hearty smile receded. “It has been difficult. Losing a child during its birth.”
“It is the worst possible occurrence for a parent, Gunther. You have my deepest sympathies. My wife will be coming by later with some food and other things, and to sit with Alice.”
“Thank you, Colin. But I think Alice needs to be alone, at least for now. She is … complex.”
“But she is also very strong. The strongest person I know.”
“And I as well,” replied Gunther firmly.
My jaw had sagged as this conversation had gone on.
Alice had lost a child?
“The Janes are a hearty family,” said Colin. “With many offspring.”
“Yes. And we will continue to try. Alice wants to be a mother. She hopes for a daughter.”
Colin smiled. “She is one of the few. Yet I agree with her sentiments. Men, I fear, are revered far above their qualifications.”
“Which is why she seeks a daughter,” replied Gunther. He next looked at something in one of the counters while Colin attended him.
I crept over to the cage and stared at the creatures inside. One had a puffy, furry face, and was about the size of my hand. One of the birds had wings of gold and a beak about six inches long. There was a beast sleeping on the floor of the cage. It was long and muscular with curly golden hair. When it yawned, I could see row after row of teeth the shape of needles. It opened its eyes, and when a fluttering bird came within reach of its fangs, I feared the worst. But the thing just rolled over and went back to sleep after leisurely scratching itself.
That would never have happened in the Quag, I knew.
A few minutes later, Gunther finished his business and left.
I drew closer to the counter with the intent of seeking Sonnet’s counsel on the ring.
And then something occurred to me.
Vega, you git, you’re invisible. Not because of my ring, but because I had gone back in time. How could I have him help me, if he couldn’t even see me?
In despair, I looked at the counter where Sonnet was returning some items that Gunther had been examining.
My gaze fastened on one item there.
It was my ring! Or at the very least it was its twin. However, it should have not been a surprise. My grandfather had gotten his ring from Colin, probably from this very shop. So there could well be a spare.
As I stood there, an incredible thing happened. A white light shot out from the ring under the glass and impacted the ring on my finger.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t see you come in. May I help you?”
I looked at Colin, who was now staring directly at me.
I looked around to make sure he was actually speaking to me, but there was no one else in the shop.
“That was Gunther Adronis, was it not?” I managed to say.
He nodded and looked at me closely. “You know Gunther?”
“I know Alice Adronis.”
He looked me over. “There is actually a resemblance between you. Are you related to the Janes?”
“Distantly.”
“They are a fine family. Gunther and Alice live at her ancestral home, Empyrean, a wonderful estate not too far from here.”
“I have heard of it,” I said.
“And how can I help you?”
“Um, yes, I was wondering if you could assist me with my ring.”
I took it off and set it on the counter.
He glanced at it and then gave me a sharp look.
“How did you come by it?” he asked.
“My grandfather gave it to me.” This was perfectly true, even if the actual event had occurred far into the future.
“And his name?”
“Virgil.”
“And your name? You did not give it before.”
“Vega. I do not hail from here,” I added quickly. “But I was passing through and noticed your shop.” I glanced around. “It is quite wonderful.”
He smiled. “Many have found it so.”
“The creatures in the cage over there?”
“They are pets to be brought into homes.”
“The one on the floor with all the needle-sharp teeth?”
“That would be Amadeus. He is a canine. They are quite loyal, and harmless to others. But not if their loved ones are threatened in any way. Then they can become quite fierce.”
I glanced back over at Amadeus. So that was what a canine looked like over eight centuries ago. They had changed quite a bit.
“Rightly so,” I said. “I have a canine who is quite like that.”
He nodded and gingerly touched the ring. “Fascinating.”
I said, “I see you have one nearly identical to it.”
Colin nodded. “Yes. I have had it for a very long time. I must say that it is quite surprising to see a spare such as this. I thought there to be only one in existence.”
His comment startled me. Could that ring under the counter and my ring be the same? Virgil would not come for his ring for quite some time. But then again, he might already have come, since I was wearing the ring he had given me. Time travel! My poor head swirled with the complications of it.
“It is quite a nice ring,” I said.
“And what help do you need with it?”
I had prepared for this question, but right now my ready explanation seemed quite nonsensical. As I stared back at him, the eyes behind the specs seemed to grow to enormous proportion, giving me the uncomfortable impression that he could see into my mind.
I opted for the truth, or at least some of it. “This is no ordinary ring,” I said.
“How do you mean?”
“Magic is borne from necessity.”
“I would not argue with you on that point. But what of it?”
I recalled exactly what my grandfather had told me that Sonnet had told him when he had given Virgil the ring. “It can be the result of the confluence of mystical powers coming together at just the right moment. Quite a phenomenon of serendipity, but magic is often that way.”
Colin stared at me over the rims of his specs. “I have written books on the field of sorcery.”
“I know. I have read at least one.”
“And how did you come by it?”
“A friend. I found it to be very helpful, particularly for those who hate dark sorcery, but are concerned that one day they may need to fight against it.”
His gaze sharpened at my words.
“You are quite young to have such thoughts.”
“I may be young in body, but I can assure you that I am mature beyond my years when it comes to the potential wickedness of others.”
His gaze flicked to my ring on the counter. “I see. Yes, I think I see quite clearly what you mean.”
I picked up the ring, placed it on my finger and then spun it slowly around, so the tip was facing down.
“I take it you can still see me,” I said.
He nodded slowly. “And I take it you do not wish to be seen?”
“That’s right. The ring, unfortunately, was subject to an … interference by another. This apparently has stripped it of its true abilities. I was wondering if you could repair it.”
“And you wish it to have its power returned so that you can … ?”
“Deal with the wickedness of others,” I replied.
I took the ring off and handed it to him.
“Can you help me?”
He looked down at the ring before fixing his gaze upon me. “I can certainly try. But it will take some time. When it is about to grow dark, you will return. I trust you have other things to do in the interim?”
“I will find other things to do.”
He bowed and disappeared behind the curtain with my ring.
And I headed back out into the past to see what I could see.
I WAS GLAD OF my long cloak because others here were wearing similar clothing. I passed down the road fronting the shops, keeping to the footpaths, for horses and carriages steadily rumbled past. The time for motorcars was apparently far into the future, although people did pop in and out on the street as wands tapped legs and the incantation Pass-pusay was uttered.
I looked for but could not detect an air of anxiety among the populace. I wondered how long it would be before the war with the Maladons was to commence. Was it far enough away that I would not see any signs for it? Although, Colin Sonnet had seemed to understand my words when I mentioned fighting wickedness.
I stopped and pressed myself against one wall as a man and woman approached with a little boy skipping along behind them.
It was Astrea Prine and probably her husband. And the little boy looked an awful lot like the man I now knew as her son, Archie.
Astrea, because of the Elixir of Life, had not changed a jot, which is how I had so easily recognized her. However, she was much taller. She had told me that the weight of centuries had physically compressed her body. She wore a long green cloak.
I felt my features grow somber. With all her magical ability Astrea did not know, could not know, what I did: that her life and that of her family’s were to be torn apart fairly soon. She seemed happy and carefree now, which only added to my misery at the dismal upheaval that would constitute her future.
“You worry too much, my dear,” her husband was saying to Astrea.
“That is an absurd statement,” she retorted.
“War is unthinkable. Things will be worked out. Necro is a good man or I am much wrong.”
“You are much wrong, then. Nothing can be worked out with him.”
So, I thought. My question had been answered. It seemed the war was drawing near.
Her husband sighed and pointed to some articles in a window. “Look, Archie, the hat you wanted.”
He and Archie went inside the shop while Astrea waited outside.
I tentatively approached her.
“Yes?” she said brusquely, eyeing me up and down in a severe way.
“You’re Astrea Prine.”
“I know I am. And who are you?”
“No one important.”
I stared at her. I had to fight the impulse to warn her of what was to come. I remember Jasper telling me of the dire consequences for Astrea if I were to do that. But would they be more terrible than what was actually in store for her?
I said, “Do you know Alice Adronis?”
“I do,” said Astrea, her gaze still scrutinizing me in an unsettling way.
“I understand that she has lost her child?”
Now Astrea eyed me suspiciously. “And how did you come to know that?”
“I was in Colin Sonnet’s shop when Gunther Adronis came in. I overheard him tell Colin.”
“You should not eavesdrop,” Astrea said sternly.
“I wasn’t eavesdropping. Gunther has a booming voice.”
“That he does,” agreed Astrea, her features relaxing a bit. “And men often do not know when to keep silent on certain subjects.”
“I heard your husband say that war was unthinkable. But apparently you don’t believe him?”
She studied me closely. “Who exactly are you? Tell me. Now,” she added imperiously.
“You don’t know me. I’m a stranger, only having just arrived here.”
Before I could say more, a man approached down the street. He was elegantly dressed all in black. He was rather tall with wide shoulders, and long slender legs. His chin jutted out and was bracketed by a solid jaw. A thin line of hair lay above his top lip. His eyebrows were narrow and followed the slope of his wide eyes.
Then my focus was drawn to his clothes, and I flinched.
Unlike the other men I had seen, who were outfitted in cloaks, this gent was dressed neatly in a three-piece pinstripe suit, tie and bowler hat.
He tipped his hat at Astrea, revealing immaculately combed hair parted down the middle.
“Madame Prine, how wonderful to see you.”
She looked back at him with a face of granite. “Necro,” she said stiffly.
This attractive and well-dressed man was Necro? That foul creature I had seen on his horrible throne at Maladon Castle? Yet it had to be, because now it was clear to me where Endemen and his henchmen had acquired their choice of clothing.
He glanced at me, and in those eyes, I could see past the good looks and suave manners. They were twin dots of pure silky black, so dark that they appeared fathomless. I could see myself falling through them into the pits of Hel, which was the only place such eyes could possibly lead.
“And who might your young friend be?” asked Necro, glancing at me. “I don’t believe that I know her.”
“I only just met her myself,” said Astrea. When I looked at her, she had a worried expression. For some reason, I took it to mean that she was worried for me!
Necro took me in with those black eyes. “A lovely addition to our humble town?” he said smoothly. However, his words made me want to retch, because his gaze ran up and down my figure in a way I did not care for.
“Just passing through,” I said.
“Well, I hope that we meet again.” He tipped his hat once more and was off.
We will meet again, I said to myself.
I looked at Astrea, who was still staring after Necro with disgust in her features.
“If I were you, Madame Prine, I would prepare for war,” I said, with a long glance at the back of Necro.
She flinched and said, “What do you know of anything?”
“A lot more than you probably think. Heed my words, for they are both well intended and well founded.”
With that I hurried after Necro.
He turned down one street and then another. I kept close enough to see his actions, but not so close as to arouse the man’s suspicions.
We reached a part of the town that, though as fashionable as the one I had just left, had taken on a coldness that had not been present before. As I looked up at the sky, it had darkened. Was it just a storm coming in? Or was something else happening?
The people hereabouts were uniformly dressed in dark garments. And while they looked normal, there was something in their countenances that told me that I had ventured into the world of the Maladons, even if they were not yet called that.
People greeted Necro as he walked along. It was clear that he was both well-known and popular with this crowd.
As I watched, Necro crossed the street and approached a couple walking from the opposite direction.
I slowed and took in this pair, realizing who they were a moment later.
“Jason,” cried out Necro to the tall, handsome youth.
This was Necro’s son. And the woman he was holding hands with was Uma, Bastion Cadmus’s ethereally lovely daughter.
“Father,” said Jason perfunctorily.
Necro tipped his hat to Uma, who glanced nervously away.
“You are looking as lovely as ever, Uma,” said Necro, in a way that struck me as rather creepy.
