I Kill Monsters: Fury (Book 1) (30 page)

Gerald took a step towards the river.
Most
creatures
, he noted,
hearing
the
voices
of
human
beings
,
would
retreat
into
the
night
.
But
not
all
, piped up Symeon.
A
day
at
the
hunt
,
in
the
mountains
, considered Ezra, taking a step forward like his
oldest brother,
would
leave
these
animals
parched
.
Certainly
the
voices
of
five
little
children
would
not
scare
them
off
?
Five
…
harmless
children
.

Gerald stepped into the river. I had not
noticed before that the brothers’ feet were bare. They must have
been watching us and plotting for some time from the bank.
And
come
to
the
river
to
drink
, Gerald continued,
finding
the
voices
portended
no
threat
,
would
the
animal
not
rejoice
?
Would
it
not
recognize
the
meal
waiting
for
it
,
bathing
itself
in
the
stream
?

Leonid took his eyes off the three boys long
enough to give Mina a look.

Many
a
bad
thing
has
been
known
to
happen
to
little
children
in
streams
.
Gerald was in the water up to his ankles, close enough that, should
he lunge, he would be upon us.
Has
not
Maleva
,
Gerald looked like a beast ready to spring,
that
gypsy
whore
,
told
you
of
the
Vodyanoi
?
He
is
an
old
man
, offered Ezra,
covered
with
scales
like
a
fish
. The littlest of
Feigl’s boys chimed in,
it
is
said
he
has
a
tail
!

He
exists
, Gerald spoke as if
he relished the words,
only
to
drown
the
unsuspecting
.
That
is
,
unless
he
is
propitiated
.

And
what
,
brother
, asked
Ezra,
would
be
proper
placation
for
such
a
being
?
Oh
…Gerald
considered, looking from Leonid to Viktor,
a
chicken
would
do
,
perhaps
,
or
even
some
salt
or
vodka
—
too
bad
your
father
is
not
here
. He looked at Leonid as he said this last part.
They
don’t
have
any
of
these
, snickered Symeon. He was sneering, but his face was
so ugly it was hard to tell.
No
,
they
do
not
, agreed Gerald.
What
then
might
they
offer
? asked Ezra. He and his older brother were
leering at Mina when Gerald said,
I’m
sure
they
have
something
.

Symeon, who had not joined his brothers in
the river, gave a sudden screech which caused all to look. The
shadow had broken from the night and stood, looming over the
youngest of Feigl’s boys. From our angle the moon was hidden by its
cloak, which it had spread wide, giving it the appearance of
wings.

V
-
V
-
Vodyanoi
! Symeon
whispered, his voice gone from him in terror. Ezra had already
turned and ran screaming into the night. Gerald stood frozen in the
river. The front of his breeches darkened as he released his
bladder. Strangely enough, neither my brothers or sisters or I felt
the least apprehension.

The thing on the bank lowered its arms,
drawing the cloak around its body, and revealed itself for a man.
But not just any man.
You
, the lord of the manor addressed
Feigl’s sons,
go
from
this
stream
and
never
return
. The way Gerald and Symeon
were focused on the lord, unmoving, it was if they were spell
bound.
Go
now
! He commanded and the two brothers were
off after the third, little Symeon falling behind. Gerald did not
wait for him.

Thank
you
,
sir
, said
Mina,
we
are
in
your
debt
.
Nonsense
, the lord waved his hand dismissively.
My
sister
speaks
correctly
,
lord
, Leonid
noted,
those
boys
meant
us
harm
,
a
harm
your
intervention
prevented
.

No
,
children
,
listen
to
me
… Whatever menace the lord had held moments
earlier for those others was gone.
This
is
my
property
.
It
is
I
who
am
indebted
to
you
.

Indebted
to
us
, Leonid
shook his head,
but
how
sir
?

It
is
his
land
, I
said, understanding,
he
is
meant
to
protect
us
.

Protect
us
he
did
! protested Mina.

But
nearly
too
late
,
Mina
Andriyivna
, lamented the lord.
Come
,
I
wish
to
invite
you
to
my
home
to
enjoy
a
meal
at
my
table
.

At
your
table
,
sir
? Mina gasped.

Your
house
? Viktor looked
wondrous.

Yes
,
and
I
suggest
we
leave
at
once
,
the
roast
will
be
basking
in
its
juices
.

Sasha looked at me and her look said
the
roast
? She had eaten little meat in her days, few
of us had.
But
it
is
late
, Leonid
began,
and
we
must
be
—

I
insist
. Before Leonid could
finish the lord interrupted.
I
want
you
to
return
home
at
once
and
invite
your
father
.
Tell
him
his
company
would
be
a
great
honor
to
me
.

Our father’s presence an honor to one such as
this? I remember feeling a surge of pride for my father.
Little
one
, the lord smiled down on Sasha,
you
are
quiet
.
Are
you
hungry
?

Yes
,
sir
,
I
am
.

The lord laughed,
then
come
,
come
with
me
now
child
.
One
of
you
—
you
—he looked at
me—
run
home
and
invite
your
father
,
yes
?
No
sense
letting
the
food
cool
when
there
are
hungry
bellies
to
be
filled
.

Whether we were that hungry, that curious to
see this man’s house and sit at his table, or that caught up in his
presence the way Gerald and his brothers had been, I knew not. His
suggestion seemed eminently practical and I dashed off into the
night, buoyed by our good fortune.

Even as I ran home, however, it crossed my
mind
not
to invite father. What if he denied the invitation
and demanded we return at once? What if he were too besotted to
attend or made a fool of himself in the presence of this lord? I
raced home, considering all this, but could not settle upon a
resolution in my mind. When I was within sight of our cottage I
slowed and walked, listening for any sounds from within.

There were none.

It was not until I had reached the door and
spied through a window that I heard the drunken snores of my
father. His jug was within reach where he lay slumped over the
table.

The decision was made for me then. My father
was in no shape to accompany us. I knew from many nights’ past
experience, that when he was in this condition he would not stir
until the morn. I rushed back to the road, towards the manor house,
which, I saw as I drew near, was ablaze with light.

The door was ajar to the cool evening. No
manservant let me in. The house was like none we had ever been in.
It had
rooms
. I traversed its commodious chambers and wide
halls, decorated with finery, drawn to the sounds of gaiety. I
entered a dining room lit by candelabras. A long table groaned with
food, a feast from some fairy tale. This is where I found Leonid
and Mina, their midsections distended from a surfeit of victuals,
laughing at some jest the master had leveled. Viktor was still
engorging himself at the feast. My little sister, Sasha, was
licking her fingers clean of meat fat, looking contented, seated on
the lap of the lord Vinci.

Ah
,
welcome
to
our
fandango
, the lord greeted me, his person
suffused with delight. I made some excuse about our father being
too ill to attend the banquet and the master made a show of
appearing concerned, but I politely dismissed his solicitude,
assuring all our father would be well by the morning, back at work
in the field. I was staring at the food, drooling despite myself.
The lord invited me to help myself and I did not hesitate. I dived
in, bolting down food and drink the likes of which I had never
tasted before. There was lamb and goat and pheasant and meat I
could not identify drizzled with rich sauces. There were vegetables
and fruit and an assortment of bread. There was ale and cool water
and milk thick with curd. It was delectable, all of it, and I ate
enough for three.

As we ate the lord Vinci regaled us with
tales tall and true, accounts of his travails and triumphs. None of
us supposed much verisimilitude in his yarns, yet we laughed and
enjoyed his anecdotes, some of them complicated and drawn out, much
of it seeming palaver. Unlike Maleva’s stories, the lord’s were
largely cheerful and amused us. He did not speak of demons or the
terrors of the swamp. I ate for what seemed hours, and when I
finished I looked around the table, at my brothers and sisters,
full, pleased, satisfied.

It
has
grown
late
, Vinci pronounced,
you
must
be
returning
to
your
father
,
for
he
will
worry
about
you
. We
objected, wishing to stay longer and listen to this man who treated
us—children—as his equals, but he rebuffed our protestations.
Go
now
, he admonished us,
you
are
safe
and
will
be
this
night
.

Could
we
not
stay
longer
,
dyad’ko
? Little Sasha, still atop his lap,
asked him, calling him uncle. Vinci smiled down upon her.
No
,
little
one
, was his reply,
for
now
the
hour
is
nearly
upon
us
when
I
must
feed
,
and
my
meal
must
be
taken
in
solitude
. None of us had noticed that the lord
alone abstained at the table, or, if any of my brothers or sisters
had noted it, the fact was of no concern to them. And none of us
paid it any further mind when he mentioned his own coming
refection.

We had gotten up to leave, all of us bowing
profusely, when the lord bade me
a
moment
,
khlopchyk
. Leonid was leading the others out of the house
and into the night, the four of them humming with merriment.
Did
you
enjoy
this
evening’s
repast
? he asked me. I stammered over myself to assure him I
had.
Splendid
! he clapped his hands, those hands.
That
first
night
at
the
stream
, he pressed,
you
alone
discerned
who
I
was
,
did
you
not
? I
had to admit I had.
A
shrewd
boy
,
a
smart
boy
, he complimented.
I
have
a
proposition
I
would
like
to
make
you
. A proposition? I did not know
what he meant.