Part 44 (1/2)

Then she did a quick scan of the text and gasped when she spotted ”Lilitongue of Gefreda.” This was it!

But hadn't the Lilitongue text-she knew it by heart now-said that once acquired, the Stain may not be shed once acquired, the Stain may not be shed-not by cleansing, not even by flaying the Stained skin. Nor may it be given to another.

Then how...?

Never mind the contradiction. Learn what it says.

She found a list of ingredients-things like sodium bicarbonate and tartaric acid and juice of the seeds of the vanilla planifolia orchid, among others. Where on earth was she going to find-?

Wait. She had some of them right here in the kitchen.

She hopped up and darted to the cabinet with her baking ingredients. She spun the lazy Susan until she spotted her box of baking soda. The label said ”sodium bicarbonate.”

Yes! Such a common item... but maybe not so common back when the Compendium Compendium was written. was written.

Another spin and she found her bottle of vanilla extract.

She hurried to the computer and Googled vanilla extract: Vanilla Beans are the long, greenish-yellow seedpods of the tropical orchid plant, Vanilla planifolia. Before the plant flowers, the pods are picked, unripe, and cured until they're dark brown. The process takes up to six months. To obtain Pure Vanilla Extract, cured Vanilla Beans are steeped in alcohol. According to law, Pure Vanilla Extract must be 35 percent alcohol by volume.

Alcohol... the recipe or whatever it was didn't mention alcohol. But if she boiled that off she'd be left with juice of the seeds of the vanilla planifolia orchid-probably pretty hard to come by in the old days.

Going back and forth between the Compendium Compendium and the lazy Susan Gia discovered she had five of the eleven ingredients. But she didn't have a clue as to where to find crushed monkshood petals and dried red fly agaric. From what she learned through the Internet, she figured she could probably find the missing ingredients in some of the more esoteric ethnic herb shops downtown. She knew of one in Chinatown that sold the weirdest things. and the lazy Susan Gia discovered she had five of the eleven ingredients. But she didn't have a clue as to where to find crushed monkshood petals and dried red fly agaric. From what she learned through the Internet, she figured she could probably find the missing ingredients in some of the more esoteric ethnic herb shops downtown. She knew of one in Chinatown that sold the weirdest things.

She read further. The instructions were easy: Mix up the solution, wet your hand with it, then lay your hand palm down on the Stain and wish-yes, wish wish for it to leave the Stained. for it to leave the Stained.

Sounded like voodoo. And seemed too simple. But no downside to trying.

Then she read the final paragraph. There would be a price to pay.

Gia folded her arms on the book, lowered her head, and sobbed.

TUESDAY.

1.

-47:12.

Gia found the little shop she sought on Bayard Street. It had a name but it was written in Chinese. She didn't care what it was called. The important thing was that it was open.

Thank G.o.d.

A little after midnight Jack had awakened and taken over perusing the Compendium Compendium. Gia showed him where she'd left off-just beyond the Remedies Remedies section-and he'd picked up from there. She hadn't mentioned the ”Stain Removal.” section-and he'd picked up from there. She hadn't mentioned the ”Stain Removal.”

They'd alternated two-hour s.h.i.+fts through the night. Jack managed to doze between his but Gia found sleep impossible. She'd discovered what might-might-be a way out for Vicky. She prayed it would work. If it did, she'd deal with the price afterward.

She'd watched the clock all night, watched the sky through the window, waiting for dawn. Around seven thirty she'd left Jack dozing and slipped out, hailed a cab, and rode it to Chinatown.

As she stepped through the door of the tiny shop she half expected the proprietor to be elderly with a wispy white beard and dressed like a mandarin. Instead she found a gaunt young man, maybe thirty, dressed in a black T-s.h.i.+rt and black jeans.

She handed him the list of ingredients. He studied it, then frowned and pointed to the third item: crushed monkshood petals.

”This poison.”

Poison? Oh, no.

”It... it can't be.”

”Yes. Kill you dead you eat. Rub on skin, okay, but not for eat.”

That was a relief. Sort of.

”I understand. This will be used on skin. What about the rest? Have you got the rest?”

He nodded. ”Yes. Not lot, but some.”

”Some will do just fine.”

He squinted at her. ”This very strange list. What you use for?”

”An experiment. A successful one, I hope.”

A few minutes later she was hurrying up to Ca.n.a.l Street to find a cab.

2.

-46:51.

She found Jack bent over the Compendium Compendium. He looked up as Gia entered the kitchen. His eyes were red and bleary. She was sure hers were no better.

”Where've you been, Gi? I've been worried about you.”

She tried to keep her expression neutral. She didn't want to give anything away.

”I left you a note.”

”Yeah: 'Went out for some things. Be back soon.' What things?”

”Ingredients.”

”For?”