Part 14 (2/2)
”Do that again and I'll cut it off!” Billy yelled. ”I know you'll grow a new one, but I bet it'll hurt.”
The huge lynx padded silently toward the American, its jaws opening to reveal savage teeth.
”And you better tell your kitty cat to step outside,” the American added, without looking away from the Elder. He tilted the Macuahuitl and sent sparkles of reflected light around the room, s.h.i.+ning it into the cat's eyes.
The lynx stopped and fixed its narrow head on the Elder; then it turned and moved silently from the room.
”You have made an enemy of me,” Kukulkan said.
”Well, I'm not feeling too friendly toward you right now either. You were talking about killing me,” Billy reminded him. ”That can upset a man.”
”Am I the only adult here?” Machiavelli said suddenly. He had not moved from the chair and had watched the Elder with fascination: he was behaving like a spoiled child. ”Enough of this nonsense; we are supposed to be on the same side.”
”No humani threatens me...,” Kukulkan began.
”And no one-Elder, immortal, human or monster-threatens me,” Billy said.
”OK, we've established that neither of you likes to be threatened,” Machiavelli said mildly, ”so let us now return to the business at hand. It seems to me,” he continued quickly, looking at each of them in turn, forcing them to focus on him, ”that we have all disappointed someone or other. However, we have an opportunity to make amends.” He looked at the Feathered Serpent evenly. ”We are grateful-both of us-to still be alive. We know we've failed; now let us see how we can make amends.”
”I didn't f-” Billy began, but a look from the Italian silenced him.
”We are aware that our failure reflects poorly on you,” Machiavelli said, deliberately accepting blame in an attempt to calm Kukulkan. ”But who else is aware that Billy and I have failed?” The Italian knew that if he could keep the Elder thinking and talking, then there was a chance he could resolve this situation.
Kukulkan returned to his curved stone stool. ”You mean other Elders?”
The Italian nodded.
”No one else; I am sure the news has not even percolated through to the Shadowrealms yet. Well, reasonably sure,” he added, ”though there may be spies in the city that I do not know about.”
Billy the Kid returned to stand behind Machiavelli. ”Do you people trust anyone?”
”No,” Kukulkan said simply.
”So if Billy and I were to return to Alcatraz, awaken the army and set it loose on the city, then our mission would be considered a success. And no one would be the wiser.”
Kukulkan thought about it for a moment and then nodded. ”That is true.”
Machiavelli spread his arms wide. ”And no one would need to know about our failure... and you would be spared any embarra.s.sment.”
”You were also tasked with killing Perenelle, and she has escaped,” the Elder reminded him. ”How do you intend to find her?”
”I will not need to.” Machiavelli's smile turned icy. ”I know the Flamels. I have spent centuries studying them-especially the woman.” Almost unconsciously, he rubbed his left hand, which bore a faint pattern of white scars, the reminders of their last encounter. ”I can almost guarantee you that they will return to the island to try to stop us. It is their nature, and all men and women are slaves to their nature.”
Kukulkan's feathered tail beat a gentle tattoo on the floor as he considered the idea. ”Are you confident that you can defeat the Alchemyst and the Sorceress if they come back to Alcatraz?”
Machiavelli bit the inside of his cheek to keep a straight face. He knew he'd won. ”The Flamels are weak and aging fast. There is a sphinx on the island that will drain their powers, and I can use some of the creatures already there to help me.” He leaned forward and lowered his voice, forcing the Elder to lean forward as well. It was a trick he had learned half a millennium previously. ”Any help you could give us would, of course, be gratefully appreciated.”
Kukulkan nodded. ”Of course. Yes, I can help.” His smile revealed his black forked tongue. Running his fingers through his white beard, he added, ”there are some creatures I can call upon to a.s.sist you.”
”And what about me?” Billy asked softly.
”Go with the Italian,” Kukulkan snapped. ”Maybe he can teach you some manners.”
”So you're not going to try to kill me today...,” Billy teased.
”Billy!” Machiavelli glared at the American, who was in danger of irritating the Elder again.
”Not today,” Kukulkan whispered, ”but someday, yes. I have a long memory and I'll not forget what you did here.” The Elder stood and padded to the door, then stopped and turned his head at an impossible angle to look back at the American. ”You can put the Macuahuitl back where you found it. And be careful with it; it is older than the humani.” With that he turned and strode out toward the field of tall gra.s.s. The lynx fell into step alongside.
Billy patted Machiavelli's shoulder. ”Well, I think that went really well, don't you?”
The Italian stood and brushed off his ruined suit. ”There is a lot I could teach you about negotiation.”
”I never negotiate,” Billy said firmly.
”A word of advice, my young friend: it is always a mistake to anger an Elder. All he said was that he was not going to kill you today.”
”Well, since we're in the advice business, let me trade you some,” Billy said. He returned the Macuahuitl to its shelf, tilting it so the suns.h.i.+ne sparkled off the black gla.s.s and sent prismatic rainbows across the gloomy room. ”An old gunslinger once told me that you never draw a gun unless you intend to use it, and you never-ever-tell someone you are going to draw your gun. You just do it.” He smiled, revealing his prominent front teeth. ”It's a big mistake to tell someone what you are going to do to them... they might decide to do it to you first.” He turned to look at Kukulkan's retreating figure. ”When all this is done and dusted, he and I will have a little conversation, a serious conversation...”
Machiavelli bowed. ”I like how you think.” He walked outside, blinking in the sunlight. ”Now, how do we get back to the island?”
Billy held up his cell phone. ”I'll call Black Hawk.”
”I'm sure he'll be surprised to find us both still alive.”
The American immortal shook his head. ”Probably not. Black Hawk knows I'm impossible to kill. He's tried it often enough.” He stopped as a sudden thought struck him. ”What happens if your master dies? Do you lose your immortality?”
Machiavelli shook his head. ”No, you remain immortal. There is no one to command you... and no one to revoke your immortality.”
”That's interesting.” Billy's cold blue eyes followed the Elder until he had disappeared into the gra.s.s. ”Have you ever thought about killing your master?”
”Never,” Machiavelli said.
”Why not?” Billy asked.
”In case there comes a day when I want my immortality removed, a day when I want to age and die.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE.
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