Part 6 (1/2)
”Is that supposed to be a joke?”
”Really, Devlin. Just because I'm a demon doesn't mean I want to hear about cow parts.”
”Cow lips,” I said darkly. ”And pig lips. And lungs and hearts and ears and...”
”There are cultures that eat dogs. Everything's relative.”
I didn't want to talk about it anymore. ”Go away, Monica.”
Obligingly, she parked herself behind my desk and made herself at home.
”I'm serious,” I growled. ”You're starting to wear out your welcome. Weren't you supposed to go away after Ca.s.sie outed me?”
”I did. I got bored. I came back.”
”Can you do that?”
It was a stupid question; her eyes started glittering in a particularly nasty way. ”I can do anything I want. Besides, you're not as out as you think you are. All bets are still on. I can still make your life unbelievably interesting.”
”Don't threaten me. Vanessa checkmates you, remember?”
”She's an idiot.”
”Yes, but she's our idiot.”
Monica didn't say anything to that. I took advantage of the temporary peace to start the coffeemaker. Maybe if I just stuck my tongue under the drip, the caffeine would get into my system faster.
The local line buzzed. And buzzed. And buzzed.
”If you're going to pretend to be my admin,” I told her, ”you can start by answering the phone.”
Monica made a point of swiveling the chair around, turning her back on it. Muttering, I went over to pick it up. ”Kerry.”
”Wolfe.”
Trouble of some kind, by her tone. ”What's up?”
”I have demons. Do you have demons?”
I glowered at the chair back. ”Yes.”
”Mine wants to go to the meeting with us. Do you know what she's wearing?”
”Do I have to?”
Brief, aggravated silence. ”We're coming up.”
”Fine, but...”
Before I could finish the sentence, Vanessa popped in out of thin air. I dropped the receiver. She was dressed up in a Catholic-schoolgirl uniform, but wearing it in a way that it was never meant to be worn.
”I told you,” Monica said sulkily, returning to her perch on the edge of the desk. ”She looks like a secondhand virgin.”
Vanessa tossed her head. ”Oh, tut. You're just jealous because you can't wear plaid. What do you think, Devlin? Do you like the kneesocks? Should I b.u.t.ton the s.h.i.+rt just a little?”
I wasn't fool enough to answer a question like that. Fortunately, Ca.s.sie stormed in just then. She didn't seem to be armed, but I had no trouble picturing her with a really big stick -- or, say, a couple of knives.
”There are no exorcists in the phone book,” she said direly, glaring at the demons. ”I just looked. But as soon as this meeting is over, I'm getting on the Internet. You two want to keep your broomsticks handy.”
Vanessa hopped up on the edge of the desk next to Monica and leaned close to speak confidentially. ”Hangover.”
”I could cure that by taking her head off,” Monica remarked.
That was a point. But Ca.s.sie was glaring at me now, so I had to do something about it. ”Don't even think about touching her,” I warned. ”She's in a really, really bad mood.”
Ca.s.sie yanked me close for private speech. ”You're supposed to threaten her.”
”I just did.”
Uncertain whether that was a compliment, she loosened her grip on my lapel slightly.
”C'mon, Ca.s.s, let go. Let's leave this for later. How about tomorrow? It'll be more fun when we feel better.”
”I feel fine,” she lied.
I checked my watch. We were going to be late if we didn't go now. Time to distract her. ”I love you.”
She didn't look distracted, but she didn't look like she minded either. ”Are you up to something?”
”Yes,” I said, and leaned in to kiss her.
But she foiled the plan by kissing back, which had the effect of distracting me. So I didn't see the men in the doorway until long after they'd seen us -- and the demons perched on my desk.
Howard Abner looked as though he'd been hit on the head with one of those cartoon anvils. Jack was a professional, though; he didn't even blink.
”That's them, Howard,” he said earnestly. ”All of them. They're the Devil.”
(c) 2000, K. Simpson To Part 6 The Devil's Workshop (c) 2000, M.C. Sak Disclaimers, Credits, & E-Mail: See Part 1.
CHAPTER 6.
Jack said ”the Devil,”
and everyone--everyone--looked at me. I didn't appreciate it. There were actual demons in the room, so how was that fair?