Part 31 (1/2)
”You didn't see him earlier,” Jack muttered.
Before Kevin could turn, Henry shook his head and the reporter froze.
”The page, Mr. Groves.”
His head jerked around toward CB. Then back to Henry.
Still smiling, Henry stepped away. ”We'll talk later, you and I. Right now, I think you should get Mr. Bane that page.”
”Oh, for pity's sake,” Leah sighed as Kevin dropped his backpack off his shoulder and began to rummage frantically in its depths, ”leave the poor guy alone.”
”I have done nothing to him. Which is more than you can say.”
”Hey, I did nothing to him. With him, yes. Not to.”
”Are you so sure of that?” Demongate.
She straightened. ”Don't push me.” Nightwalker.
CB cleared his throat.
Silence fell.
”What the h.e.l.l is going on?” Jack demanded.
”Mr. Groves has brought us a piece of a ma.n.u.script that seems to define the Demonic Convergence.” ”From the crazy monk guy Leah mentioned this afternoon?”
”That has yet to be determined.” With the page on the desk in front of him, CB leaned back and steepled his fingers. ”Mr. Fitzroy and Ms. Burnett are going to have a look at it.”
”What; is he a demonic consultant, too?”
”In a manner of speaking.” CB shot a look at the reporter that cut off an already somewhat strangled laugh.
”Tony's the wizard,” Jack said pointedly. ”He should examine it.”
”Later,” Henry said as he moved around the desk. ”Right now, he needs to regain his strength.” The vellum was badly yellowed, the edges touched with water damage.
”That's not from the monk's book,” Leah sighed as she joined him. ”It's all numbers.”
”It's astrological charts.” Kevin looked up from fussing with Raymond Dark's inkwell and added defiantly. ”I told you that.”
”How did you know it had to do with the Demonic Convergence?”
”It says so on the other side.”
Frowning, Leah carefully turned the page over. In the margin, about halfway down, someone had written charts Demonic Convergence in pencil.
”Not me!” Kevin protested quickly. ”That was there when I found the page.”
”An earlier researcher?” CB suggested.
”Probably. Hang on.” One hand holding back her hair, Leah leaned forward and squinted at the bottom of the page. ”There's more writing, but it's faint.” She carefully flipped the page. ”It's on both sides. I think it was done at the same time as the charts.”
”It looks around the same age,” Henry agreed, when she moved out of the way so he could examine the barely visible brown marks. ”But those aren't words; that's a pattern.”
”Just because you don't recognize them, junior...” With one finger, she spun the vellum around and bent to breathe gently on the lettering. ”Damp will sometimes bring the ink up a bit.”
”Or damage an irreplaceable artifact.”
”I think the margin notes have already lowered the value a bit.”
”Still.”
She flashed Henry a smile he'd very nearly seen in his mirror. The dimples were noticeably absent. ”I know what I'm doing. Breath gives life to death.”
”That's a total...” He let his protest trail off when it became obvious the ink was growing darker.
”It's a prayer,” Leah announced after a moment. ”Or part of one. Keep us safe, Guardian of the West.” She turned the page again. ”In light and life I beg thee.”
”Let me see the other side again.”
She sighed but complied. ”You're still not going to be able to read it.” ”No.” Frowning, he traced the largest of the letters, its loops and swirls now visible. ”But I recognize it.”
”How?” CB demanded.
Henry straightened. ”I'm not entirely positive, but I think I own the rest of the book.”
”You own an ancient book on the Demonic Convergence?” Arms folded, Leah raked him with a disbelieving stare. ”You don't think you might have mentioned this earlier?”
”I didn't know it earlier. But this lettering...” He tapped the air above the prayer. ”... is the same. The same shape and in the same place on the page.” The doc.u.ment as an object was familiar. It was only the content he didn't recognize. ”Unfortunately, because I couldn't read it, I didn't know what the book was about. If this is a page from it, I do now. And you can read it.”
Slightly mollified by his acknowledgment of her ability, Leah shook her head. ”Why would you own a book you can't read?”
”He owns it so others can't,” CB said quietly.
”Oh, my.” Her eyes widened in mock outrage. ”Censors.h.i.+p. I need to see that book,” she continued when Henry didn't bother denying it.
He looked at his watch. ”It's almost three. I've time to get it and bring it back here.”
”Bring back coffees, too,” Jack told him, reaching for his wallet. ”Hit a Timmy's. Extra-large double double and whatever anyone else wants. Oh, and grab some of those special Halloween donuts with the black and orange sprinkles.”
”Way to work the stereotype,” Leah snickered as Henry suggested the constable call it a night.
”No.” And if Jack didn't meet his gaze, he came closer than many who'd seen what he'd seen. ”I'm here until this ends.”
”You don't have to work tomorrow?”
”I'll take a sick day. I'm not leaving until I know what's going on.”
”You know...”