Part 18 (1/2)

”Don't bet on it,” I told him, and took hold of my whip, which was still embedded in Duca's back. I yanked it with both hands, as hard as I could, hoping that I could drag Duca down from the ceiling. But I heard a sharp tearing noise, and the claw came free. As I later found out, all I had pulled out was a b.l.o.o.d.y lump of muscle and a triangular piece of silk from the back of its vest. it with both hands, as hard as I could, hoping that I could drag Duca down from the ceiling. But I heard a sharp tearing noise, and the claw came free. As I later found out, all I had pulled out was a b.l.o.o.d.y lump of muscle and a triangular piece of silk from the back of its vest.

”Terence!” I said. ”Mirror! We have to start this over!”

But at that moment, Duca reached into his coat pocket and took out something cylindrical. As Terence reached for the mirror, Duca tugged the end of the cylinder and the darkroom was suddenly filled with intense white light-so bright that Terence and I could see nothing at all. I took three steps backward, s.h.i.+elding my eyes. Although I was blinded, I could tell by the magnesium smell and the sharp fizzing noise that Duca had set off a handheld marine flare-ten thousand candle-power, at least. It dazzled us totally, but it gave Duca the extra light he needed to see.

I hauled out my gun but the light was so intense that all I could see in front of my eyes were dancing scarlet amoebas, and Duca was so quick that I didn't stand a hope in h.e.l.l of hitting it. I heard it leap from the ceiling, and the next thing I knew it pushed me squarely in the chest, so that I stumbled backward over my Kit. It twisted the gun out of my hand and threw it aside. Then it tore open the front of my s.h.i.+rt, and pulled the wheel from around my neck, breaking the chain.

”Thank you for my property,” it breathed, and its breath was actually chilly, like an open icebox. ”Now you will get what you deserve for stealing from me.”

Through the glare, I saw Duca take out a broad-bladed knife. I had never let a Screecher get the jump on me before, ever, but I suddenly realized that I could die here, with my heart cut out, and my guts lying all over the floor. I felt like a skydiver on his thousandth jump, who discovers that his chute won't open. here, with my heart cut out, and my guts lying all over the floor. I felt like a skydiver on his thousandth jump, who discovers that his chute won't open.

”You think you're going to live forever?” I asked it. ”Whatever you do to me, you're not going to see another winter.”

Duca pointed his knife at my throat. ”There is a war here. There is always a war. On one side, the living. On the other side, the eternals. You can never win, for all of your religion, for all of your so-called morality. For all of your piety.”

It pulled my s.h.i.+rt open even wider. ”Maybe now we can see what you are made of.”

It prodded my navel with the point of its knife, and the pain made me jump with shock. But as its drew back its elbow to stab me, it tilted backward. I heard struggling and swearing. Although I was still half-blinded, I managed to roll over and pick myself up. The flare had almost burned out now, but in its last flickering moments I could see that Terence had thrown himself on Duca and dragged it to the floor. They were hitting each other and grunting with effort.

I stood up, and hauled out my gun. ”Right there!” I shouted. ”Hold it right there!”

But Duca was too quick and too strong. It dragged Terence up off the floor, and swung him around in a circle, so that he was standing between us. By the sputtering light of the flare, I could see that it was holding its knife across Terence's throat. Terence was staring at me in panic.

”Now I am going to leave you,” said Duca, its voice hoa.r.s.e with effort. ”But in case you are thinking of showing me any more of your mirrors, or opening any more of your Bibles, I am going to take this fellow with me, for my security.” your Bibles, I am going to take this fellow with me, for my security.”

”No! I'll let you go, I promise you. You can walk out of here and take your wheel and I won't do anything to stop you. Just don't hurt him, OK?” I'll let you go, I promise you. You can walk out of here and take your wheel and I won't do anything to stop you. Just don't hurt him, OK?”

”Do you think I believe you? I know who you are. I know what what you are.” you are.”

”I'm coming after you, Duca,” I warned it. ”If you so much as scratch him, I'm going to make sure that you have the most agonizing death that any Screecher ever suffered, and that's a promise.”

”Jim-” choked Terence, but Duca pressed the blade of his knife right up against his Adam's apple, so that he couldn't say any more.

”Just stay calm, Terence,” I told him. ”Do what Duca tells you, and you won't get hurt.”

Duca smiled. ”Who are you to make promises on my behalf? We shall see what happens to your friend when it happens.”

With that, it pulled Terence back toward the darkroom door and opened it. Then, with unbelievable speed, it dragged him off along the corridor toward the stairs. It was like watching a flickery old black-and-white horror movie.

I ran after them, but before I could even reach the head of the stairs I heard the front door slam, and I knew that they were gone.

Body Count.

I clattered down the stairs and into the street, but there was no sign of them. I saw a black saloon pulling away from the curb on the opposite side of the road, with a puff of exhaust, but I couldn't make out who was driving it.

I needed a man-trailing dog, and I needed it fast. But Terence had the keys to the car and without the keys I couldn't get access to the radio-telephone to call for a.s.sistance. The counterintelligence corps had trained me how to fire a whole variety of weapons from crossbows to bazookas, and how to break down a reinforced door using explosives, but they had never taught me how to hot-wire a car.

I looked around. Only about thirty yards along the road, on the corner of Allenby Avenue, stood a lighted red phone booth. I panted my way up to it. Inside, chattering and laughing and smoking a cigarette, there was a plump-faced girl with a ponytail. She was wearing a pink skirt with so many net petticoats underneath it that it practically filled up the whole booth, and a white back-to-front cardigan, and pink popper beads. I rapped on the window and mouthed, ”Are you going to be long, honey? I have an emergency!”

She opened the door and a cloud of smoke came out. ”What's the matter with you, mate? I'm talking to my boyfriend!”

”I have an emergency. I really need to use the phone.”

”I just put three bob in. Go and have your emergency somewhere else.”

I took out my wallet and pulled out a ten-s.h.i.+lling note. ”There. You've made seven bob profit. Now can I use the phone?”

I called MI6 control. As it happened, Charles Frith was still in his office, and the operator put me directly through to him.

”Captain Falcon? You were lucky to catch me, old man. What's the latest? Mission accomplished, I hope?”

I told him what had happened. He listened in silence. The only time he interrupted was when he said, ”A flare flare?”

”Just because the strigoi strigoi come from a bloodline that's over three thousand years old, that doesn't mean they're not technically sophisticated. Duca turned the tables on us completely. It blinded us, and at the same time it gave itself all the light it needed to see in the dark.” come from a bloodline that's over three thousand years old, that doesn't mean they're not technically sophisticated. Duca turned the tables on us completely. It blinded us, and at the same time it gave itself all the light it needed to see in the dark.”

”Well, look here, I'll get in touch with Inspector Ruddock and get him to start looking for Mitch.e.l.l right away. As for a dog, perhaps Miss Foxley has recovered sufficiently to help you out. She's nearest, after all. If she's still hors de combat, let me know right away, and I'll arrange to have another dog handler sent down.”

”OK . . . I'll call you when I get to Miss Foxley's.”

”Good man. By the way, a Mrs. Rosemary Shulman has been trying to get in touch with you, from the Home Office. She rang two or three times, so far as I know. Daphne's got her number.”

”Thank you, sir. I'll talk to you later.”

”Captain Falcon-”

”Yes, sir?”

”You will will keep a very low profile, won't you? I've had the press hounding me all day. Sooner or later, one of the b.u.g.g.e.rs is going to find out what we're up to.” keep a very low profile, won't you? I've had the press hounding me all day. Sooner or later, one of the b.u.g.g.e.rs is going to find out what we're up to.”

”Yes, sir.”

I hung up. The girl with the petticoats said, ”About b.l.o.o.d.y time, too. My boyfriend's probably left me for somebody else by now.”

”A terrific-looking girl like you? He'd have to be nuts.”

”Oh,” she said, flattered, and giggled.

I went back into the South Croydon Observer South Croydon Observer building and collected up my Kit. The building was dark, and it echoed, and it smelled strongly of burned-out flare. I was reminded of World War Two, searching through bombed-out apartments for signs of Screechers. building and collected up my Kit. The building was dark, and it echoed, and it smelled strongly of burned-out flare. I was reminded of World War Two, searching through bombed-out apartments for signs of Screechers.

When I had rea.s.sembled my Kit and shut the case, I went back outside to flag down a black taxi. I asked the cabbie to take me to Jill's house in Purley, which was only about five minutes away.

”I'll be glad when this bleedin' 'eat lets up,” complained the cabbie, with a skinny cigarette dangling between his lips. ”Makes me feet swell up like bleedin' balloons.”

”Sorry to hear it.”

”Then there's all this Korean Flu going around. People dropping like bleedin' flies. That's all because of the 'eat, if you ask me, and they say that next year's going to be even 'otter. Do you know what I was readin'? By the year nineteen-seventy-nine, the 'ole of England's goin' to be like the Sahara desert, and we'll all be ridin' around on bleedin' camels.” to be like the Sahara desert, and we'll all be ridin' around on bleedin' camels.”

We reached the Foxleys' house and I asked the cabbie to wait. The Foxleys were obviously at home, because the drapes were drawn and the living room lights were on, but the house seemed unusually quiet. I couldn't even hear a TV.