Chapter 386 - Dubious Honor (2/2)
Gulping, Gittins scurries forward to the back of the bar, where Sanderson looks unusually annoyed. An old weathered man with neatly cut white hair and a Christmas knit jumper impatiently taps his fingers on the table before him. ”Gittins, you better have a d*m good reason for being so late,” Sanderson growled, while the bulky figures of Hyde and Floyd standing guard crack their knuckles in emphasis.
”I do, sir!” Gittins hesitantly glanced around, before dropping his voice to a whisper. ”Tis important, sir!”
”It better be,” Sanderson's wolfish eyes screamed, before saying out loud, ”Everyone OUT!”Instantly the merry atmosphere in the pub is gone as drunks are dragged out by friends. While the others stumble out the door to find the nearest pubs. And street girls in utter amazement are dragged away to finish the night's work elsewhere. Those still unconscious are ceremoniously thrown by Hyde and Floyd out onto the streets. The cold tends to wake most of them up and for the few that don't at least their cloaks were thrown over them to keep them warm.
”Impress me, Gittins,” Sanderson coldly stated leaving little doubt to the meaning. If Gittins didn't provide a reasonable explanation for tonight, heads would roll. And that was not just figuratively.Gittins gulps as he unconsciously rubs his neck with one hand. ”Sir, I waz hiding out in 'em woods as told too. But to my surprise, Alphard Black showed up! Yes, he did!
Sanderson impatiently taps his fingers on the table as if to say, ”Get on with it.”Gittins hastily says, ”Err, as I was saying, I saw the whole thing! Black burned down the manor of dem dark wizards! And then a wizard with a stone white mask showed up! He killed, Black, yes, he did!”
”And what of that?” Sanderson flatly said as Hyde and Floyd stood up. They could tell Sanderson's patient was at an end.
Drops of sweat can be seen pouring off Gittins' pale shiny head. ”And the masked man said, and I quote: Though I must admit I've been rather annoyed as of late, but you are not to blame for that, Mr. Black. It's the Prince's. I thought for sure I'd killed the last of the founder's descendants as well as that of Merlin and the Percussor's. And yet low and behold I just had to get the one single family where not one, but five wretched bloodlines of my enemies still live on.
But I digress, I am rambling, it is enough to know that they will be taken in hand and destroyed. Can't have any more children with their troublesome bloodline popping up, now can I?”The temperature in the room drops as Sanderson leans forward with a dangerous glint in his eyes. ”And what else did this masked wizard say?”
”Nothing else, sir!” Gittins replied, but quickly adds, ”But he waz right fierce at Black sending a glowy sparrow with a message. He killed Black for it.”
”And what was that?” Sanderson asked with an impatient growl.
”Black said, the Hydra is confirmed,” Gittins gravely said. ”Dat's all, sir, I swear!”
”You did well, Gittins,” Sanderson slowly said as he leaned back. ”Bertram pay him.”
Gittins bearded pudgy face brightens up as he scurries forward and takes the bag of coins from the gray-haired lean bartender, Bertram. ”A pleasure doing business with ya, sir,” Gittins tipped his bowler hat at Sanderson before happily scurrying out of the pub. It was going to be a wonderful Boxing day!
Sanderson's eyes remain in slits as though lost in thought. The gray-haired bartender, Bertram slowly says, ”This Hydra-. He sounds dangerous.”
Sanderson didn't immediately respond as he had not missed the word, He, that Bertram used so confidently. Putting that thought away, for now, Sanderson slowly says, ”If that statement given by Gittins than it is an incredibly long-lived wizard, who's lived ever since the founder's era. But worse, he's solely responsible for the death of all those descendants. And we are now stuck right in the middle of it as good old Prince has called in my life debts.”
”True, but no one is truly immortal,” Bertram slowly said as he picked up a glass to polish it clean. ”I'm sure that the Rain Man would know.”
”Yes, he would know,” Sanderson said with a frown as his eyes flickered over Bertram. ”It looks like I'll have to look for the Rain Man in person. I trust you'll keep a look on things for me, Bertram, while I'm gone?” Bertram inclines his head in an answer to the question.
”I'll be absent for a while, but not before I put my affairs in order. I'll be leaving no later than the start of summer,” Sanderson explained as he arose and put on his coat with a sigh. ”And now to tell the wife, why I missed Christmas dinner.”
Bertram chuckles and says, ”I'd hate to be in your shoes, Sanderson.”
”Neither would I,” Sanderson sighed, before leaving for the night. He'd be lucky if he got to sleep on the couch tonight. More than likely he'd be forced to sleep on the hardwood floor with a blanket. At least there were still cushioning charms for that.