Part 10 (2/2)

”I guess it's always good to keep learning,” I said.

”Alas we never met. But no doubt Nelli chose her name because she shares my feelings of affinity with the great Fulcanelli's work.”

”No doubt,” I said, glancing at the drooling dog. ”But you seemed sort of, um, disconcerted by Nelli when I arrived.”

”I had not expected quite so large large a canine,” Max confessed. ”For a few moments, I thought I had made a dreadful mistake and conjured some sort of . . .” a canine,” Max confessed. ”For a few moments, I thought I had made a dreadful mistake and conjured some sort of . . .”

”h.e.l.lhound?”

”Precisely.”

I looked at Max's familiar again. As we exchanged gazes, Nelli began wagging her tail. It was long and thick, and its wagging carried enough force to knock over a floor lamp.

I caught the lamp before it fell. ”But, Max, I thought familiars were always, you know, black cats or something.”

”Cats can can be familiars,” Max said, ”but it's not as prevalent as people think. That was mostly a rumor started in the sixteenth century by men who resented widows who preferred acquiring a good mouser to acquiring a second husband.” be familiars,” Max said, ”but it's not as prevalent as people think. That was mostly a rumor started in the sixteenth century by men who resented widows who preferred acquiring a good mouser to acquiring a second husband.”

”So a dog can be a familiar?”

”A familiar can take any animal form it chooses,” Max explained. ”My difficulty in summoning this one was-Well, in point of fact, my first first mistake was in a.s.signing the task to Hieronymus, as you may recall.” mistake was in a.s.signing the task to Hieronymus, as you may recall.”

”I don't think he was making the effort he told you he was making.”

”Indeed, no. And since his dissolution-”

”Let's not use that word,” I suggested, thinking anxiously about Lopez, various episodes of Crime and Punishment, Crime and Punishment, and my desire to stay out of prison. ”Let's get into the habit of saying since he and my desire to stay out of prison. ”Let's get into the habit of saying since he left left. Okay?”

”Of course, Esther. If that will make you more comfortable.”

”It will.”

”Since Hieronymus left, I have found the demands of protecting New York City from Evil to be a little overwhelming on my own, so I've been increasingly anxious to find a familiar to support my efforts until the Magnum Collegium can send me another a.s.sistant.” He added a little bitterly, ”Preferably one who doesn't want to take over New York by demonic means and, in the process, kill most of its citizens.”

”So you kept trying to summon a familiar after Hieronymus left?” I finished my sweeping and poured a dustpan's worth of disgusting substances into the urn that served as a garbage can.

”Yes, but I mistakenly interpreted the spirit I was summoning as avian in nature when, in fact, it found the canine lifestyle more congenial.” He shook his head. ”I've been distracted by my various duties, as well as by a summons from the Internal Revenue Service, or else I'd have realized sooner that I was able to conjure nothing but feathers because the familiar offering its services to me wanted a different corporeal form.”

”So a familiar, er, applies applies for the job?” I said. for the job?” I said.

”It would be more precise to say that a particular ent.i.ty chose to answer my summons,” Max said. ”An ent.i.ty that deemed itself equal to the task of helping me protect New York from Evil.”

Nelli rolled over onto her back. Her tongue dangled sideways out of her mouth. Her paws flailed as she wriggled to scratch her back against the floor.

Lucky, who had been sitting immobile in a chair with a dazed expression on his face, suddenly became alert. ”Did you say the IRS is bothering you?”

Max said to me, ”Ah! I think your friend is feeling better.”

” 'Cuz, you know, I can maybe help you with that,” Lucky said. ”Discourage unnecessary inquiries into your perfectly legitimate business interests. As a favor. For a friend of Esther's.”

I was glad that the very first thing I had thrown into the garbage urn was Lucky's gun. I didn't think he had noticed its rematerialization, and I thought everyone would be safer if he didn't get his hands on it again.

I said firmly, ”I don't want anything bad to happen to a civil servant, Lucky. On behalf of me or or Max.” Max.”

He shrugged. ”If you change your mind . . .”

Despite some misgivings, I decided it was time to make introductions. ”Lucky, this is Dr. Maximillian Zadok. He's sort of a specialist in strange events.”

”Yeah,” said Lucky. ”I think I get that. How do ya do, Doc?”

”How do you do, Mr. . . .”

”Lucky Battistuzzi,” was the reply. ”I'm a hitter for the Gambellos.”

”A hitter?” Maxed asked with a puzzled expression.

Lucky waved aside the question. ”Mostly retired. I just come out now and then when something special needs doing. Like this problem we got here.”

”Ah, a problem!” Max looked interested now. ”I suppose that explains why you're here so late, Esther?”

”Late?” I glanced at my watch. ”Max, it's not even nine o'clock in the morning.”

”It's Sat.u.r.day morning?” he asked in surprise.

”Sunday morning. Just how long have you been in the lab?” morning. Just how long have you been in the lab?”

”Good heavens! I really did lose track of time.” He explained to Lucky, ”Conjuring a familiar is most absorbing work. Not to mention time consuming.”

”Are you talkin', like, a sorcerer's familiar?” Lucky asked.

”Precisely.”

”That's your familiar?” Lucky asked, pointing at the dog. your familiar?” Lucky asked, pointing at the dog.

”Yes.”

”That dog dog?”

”Yes, but-”

”It's your your familiar?” familiar?”

”Yes.”

Lucky took a long look at Nelli. She looked back at him. After a long moment, the gangster said, ”In that case, Doc, I'm real sorry I tried to whack it.”

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