Slawter (11 page)
“Perfect,” Juni smiles and we file out. I walk just behind Dervish, studying him carefully, worried about what might be going on inside his head.
We wait outside the warehouse while Davida and the guards search for Kik. Juni is concerned about Dervish. She asks if he feels all right, if he has a headache. She saw it too, the exchange between him and Chuda. I doubt if she understood it the way I did, but she knows — or senses — something isn’t right.
It’s after two-thirty in the morning when a yawning Davida and her guards emerge. She shakes her head, exasperated. “No sign of the girl. We checked everywhere.”
“You’re sure?” I ask.
Davida doesn’t answer. “We’ll search around the countryside tomorrow,” she tells Juni. “The girl probably had an argument with one of the other children and took off in a huff. Maybe she’ll turn up by herself.”
I smother a snort and mutter, “I doubt it!”
I set the alarm an hour later and sleep in. Stare at the ceiling when I wake, tired and grumpy, finding it hard to get out of bed. Wondering what to do about Kik. Ideally I’d like to tell Dervish what I heard Tump Kooniart and Chuda Sool saying. Insist that Emmet
was
butchered by a demon, and Kik...
But I spoke to Emmet. He wasn’t killed. Unless...
You can do just about anything with movie technology or magic. Maybe Chuda Sool was eavesdropping with Tump Kooniart when I told Dervish and Juni my fears. Perhaps he intercepted the call and faked Emmet’s voice, using either a mechanical or magical vocal distorter. Difficult — but not impossible.
I grab my pants from the chair at the foot of my bed, dig my cell out of its pocket, and dial Emmet’s number. There’s no ringing at his end. His phone’s turned off, or he’s somewhere without a signal.
I get up, dress, and head for class. I think about asking Juni for alternate phone numbers for Emmet and his mom, but she’d probably want to know why I was looking for them now. I don’t want to reveal my suspicions to anyone in case I end up a laughingstock again. So, at the end of class, I casually ask Miss Jaun if she has Mrs. Eijit’s number. I say I’ve been trying to contact Emmet on his cell but haven’t been able to get through. Miss Jaun searches her list of names, then calls the number out to me. I thank her and dial it as I head for lunch. Dead, like Emmet’s. I try his number again — the same as earlier.
It might not mean anything. Then again, it might.
I try the two numbers several times over the course of the day. Not a peep out of either. I dial information and get their home number. Call it, only to find that the line has been disconnected.
One last try. I remember Emmet telling us about his local school. Again I use information, then call and ask if I can speak with Emmet Eijit. I say I found his cell phone and want to return it. The secretary says Emmet’s not at school, he’s making a film. I say I thought he’d finished and returned. No, she says, he hasn’t. I ask if she’s sure, if maybe he’s back home, just not at school. She says definitely not, she knows his mother.
I stare at my phone a long time after that, certain I’ve been tricked. Emmet and his mom are still here, along with Kik — but not necessarily alive.
Night. Kik hasn’t been found. The search teams return at seven. Kuk and his father aren’t with them. The searchers say Mr. Kane and his son have gone home, in case Kik heads there. I groan when I hear that. I hope it’s true. I pray that it is. Not just because I don’t want Kuk and his dad to be dead — but because if it’s a lie, it means the guards who were with them are part of a cover-up. It means it isn’t just Chuda Sool and one or two others I have to be wary of. I might not be able to trust anybody in the entire cast and crew.
Filming resumes in the morning. Davida’s still worried about the missing Kik (or claims to be —
who can I trust?
), but life must go on. A film costs a fortune to make. Every day is vital. She can’t afford to have her team sitting around idle. So, while a selection of guards takes off to search the lands around Slawter as the sun rises, the cameras roll as normal.
They’re filming the second big demon scene tonight. No carnage or loss of life this time. It’s a scene from the third act, in which a demon appears to Bobby Mint and his friends. It predicts doom, warns them of the destruction to come, then tells them they can’t leave, it’s too late, they’re destined to die, along with everyone they care about and love.
I’ve lost interest in filming but I have to go watch tonight’s shoot, to check out the demon. I’ve heard it’s different from the one that killed Emmet. I wonder if this creature will be real or a model? I know what I’d put my money on!
A large crowd gathers for the shoot, but not as many as at the first demon show. This scene’s being shot outside a church, one of the fake buildings in Slawter. In the script, the heroes have gathered inside to discuss the demons and what they can do to alert others to the danger. Those scenes have been filmed — or will be — on an interior set. This scene is set at the end of their debate. They’ve just come out. As they’re heading down the steps, the demon appears out of the church behind them, laughing, saying it’s overheard their entire plan.
Davida sets the scene, runs the actors through their paces, makes sure all the cameras and lights are correctly positioned, then takes her seat. Action!
I watch nervously, holding my breath, as Salit Smit and the others spill out of the church, faces bright and determined. There are eight steps down from the doors. As they hit the second from bottom step, laughter echoes from within.
“Poor, foolish humans,” the demon crows. Salit and his crew whirl, gasping. “You think you know so much. But, like all mortals, your knowledge of the world is pitiful. It would be amusing, were it not so sad.”
I start to shiver at the first syllable. There’s no mistaking that voice, the low, mournful tone. I know what’s coming next. I’d give anything to be wrong but I know I’m not.
The demon appears, gliding out of the shadows. He’s lit perfectly. I hear murmurs of approval from the people around me. They were caught by surprise with Emmet, but they’re ready this time, in control of their emotions. Besides, although this demon is more horrific in appearance than the first, he moves so fluidly and gracefully that they have time to appreciate his design, the months of hard work that must have gone into creating him.
“You cannot defeat me or my kind,” the demon says, looking from one so-called hero to another, then beyond, to the crowd watching the filming. “We can go anywhere you can, and to places where you can’t. We see all, hear all, know all. And we will
kill
all.”
A tall demon, pale red skin with lots of cracks in it, from which blood continually oozes. Dark red eyes. No hair or nose. Grey teeth and tongue. A hole where his heart should be, filled with dozens of tiny snakes. Mangled hands at the ends of eight arms. No feet, just fleshy strips dangling from his waist, giving the appearance of thin, misshapen legs. He doesn’t touch the floor, but hovers a few inches above the ground all the time.
“This is our town now, or soon will be,” the demon says. “There is nothing you can do to stop us.” His eyes fall on me and he smiles widely. “There is nothing
any
of you can do — except be
slaughtered.
”
Then he laughs and drifts back into the church. The doors slam shut. A boy in the group of heroes screams. Davida yells, “Cut!”
Everyone pours forward, cheering, congratulating the actors, remarking on how realistic and creepy the demon was, questioning how the effects team got it to hover so believably, what mechanics were involved.
But there were no strings or engines. It wasn’t a model or costume. The few doubts I had up to this point vanish. We’re in seriously deep trouble. The demon wasn’t speaking from a script. His words weren’t meant for the fictional characters — but for those of us watching.
There
are
real demons here. Emmet
has
been killed, and probably Kik and her relatives too. And it’s going to get worse. Because the monster who wowed the crowd a minute ago is the one who killed my parents and sister, who vowed to kill Dervish, Bill-E, and me... the majestic, terrible demon master himself... lowly
Lord Loss.
I
NCREDIBLY, impossibly, Dervish doesn’t believe me.
“It was just another guy in a costume,” he says. “You have to stop seeing demons everywhere you look. I know —”
“Don’t!” I snap. I’ve gotten him by himself, out of earshot of everybody. “That piece of scum killed my mom and dad. He slaughtered Gret. Don’t tell me I could ever confuse a movie prop for the real thing. Don’t you dare.”
“Grubbs, I know this is hard, but you’ve got to believe —”
“That was Lord Loss!” I cry.
“It looked like him,” Dervish says soothingly, “but that’s because Davida did a lot of research. She knows what real demons look like. Actually, I helped her out on this one. She had some of the details wrong. She didn’t know about the cracks in his skin, the color of his eyes, or that he didn’t have real feet.”
“Really?” I sneer. “And you filled her in on the facts?”
“Yes,” Dervish says, trying to sound modest.
“And her technicians were able to make the changes” — I snap my fingers — “
like that
? They were able to take elaborate, mechanized costumes they’d been working on for months and alter them within the space of a few days?”
“Yes,” Dervish says evenly.
I stare into my uncle’s eyes but I don’t find him there. The Dervish I know wouldn’t smile at me glibly like this and dismiss my fears so carelessly. Chuda Sool has brainwashed him, I’m sure of it. I’ll have to look elsewhere for allies.
“Where are you going?” Dervish asks as I turn my back on him and march off.
“To find someone who’ll believe.”
I ask Juni to visit Bill-E and me in our room. I say it’s about Bo Kooniart, that I’m having problems with her and would like Juni’s advice. Naturally, Juni’s only too happy to help. Promises to drop by within the next half hour.
Bill-E knows something big is up. He doesn’t know what it is, but he’s delighted to be involved, proud that I’m including him. He wasn’t happy when I skulked around the set without him, not saying why, but now that I’m bringing him in on the secret, all is forgiven.
I say nothing until Juni arrives, getting things clear in my head, deciding how much to tell them, what to say and what to keep to myself. When she’s finally here, sitting on a chair, hands clasped on her knees, I begin by confessing that I lied. “I didn’t really bring you here to talk about Bo.”
“I guessed,” she smiles. “You’re not a good liar. Which is a positive thing — don’t think I’m criticizing you!”
“Before I get down to the crazy stuff, have either of you noticed anything strange about Dervish?” I ask.
“What do you mean?” Bill-E frowns.
“I’ll take that as a no. Juni?”
She pauses. “I don’t know your uncle very well, but he’s seemed a little... unfocused recently.”
“You saw it when he was talking with Chuda about the search for Kik, didn’t you?”
“I saw... something,” Juni says cagily. “Dervish has been through a lot these last two years. The responsibility of having to look after you, the temporary loss of his mind, trying to readjust to normal life, the nightmares.”
“Nightmares?” Bill-E asks. We never told him about Dervish’s bad dreams.
“He’s had trouble sleeping recently,” Juni explains.
“That’s the first I’ve heard of it,” Bill-E grumbles.
“He finds it easy to share his secrets and fears with me,” Juni says. “He’s able to tell me things he finds hard to discuss with others. I’ve been trying to help him sort through his problems. We were making good progress but now he seems to have regressed.”
“Chuda’s messing with his mind,” I tell her, “controlling his thoughts.”
“You can’t be serious,” Juni laughs. But her laughter dies away when she sees that I am.
“I’m going to tell you something that will sound insane,” I begin. “Bill-E knows some of it but not all. I need you to hear me out and at least try to believe me.”
“Of course,” Juni says, leaning forward, intrigued.
I take a deep breath. Glance at Bill-E, knowing what I say is going to hurt him, then launch straight in. “Demons killed my parents and sister...”
I fill them in on most of the details. My early encounter with Lord Loss. Escape. Madness. Recovery. Moving to Carcery Vale. The curse of the Gradys. Then the big one — Bill-E turning into a werewolf.
“So that’s it!” Bill-E cries. He’s trembling, his lazy eyelid quivering wildly. “I never bought your story that Dervish locked me up to protect me. I knew there was something you weren’t telling.” He glares at me accusingly. “You lied to me.”
“We didn’t want to hurt you,” I sigh.
“I can take hurt. Not lies. You should have told me.”
“Maybe,” I mutter miserably.
“So, am I cured?” Bill-E snarls.
“Yes.”
“For real? For ever?”
I nod glumly, then outline the deal certain members of our family had going with Lord Loss, the chess matches, the battles with his familiars. I tell them how Dervish and I challenged Lord Loss on Bill-E’s behalf. The only part I leave out is the truth about Bill-E’s father. I don’t tell him we had the same dad. This isn’t the time to open that can of worms.
Bill-E’s rage dwindles away as he hears what Dervish and I risked to save him. He’s staring at me with awe now, tears trickling down his cheeks. I find that more unsettling than his anger. He’s gawking at me as if I’m some kind of hero. But I’m not. I only did it because he’s my brother, but I can’t tell him that, not now. He thinks Dervish is his dad. If I told him the truth, I’d be hitting him with the news that his real father’s dead.
I finish quickly with the last few months, Dervish defeating Lord Loss in his demonic realm and regaining his senses, the nightmares, coming here to try and sort himself out, the demon that killed Emmet, overhearing Tump Kooniart and Chuda Sool talking, the appearance of Lord Loss.
“It was definitely him,” I tell them. “I wasn’t a hundred percent sure before, but now I am. There are real demons in Slawter. Chuda and Tump are working for them, along with some of the crew. Davida might be one of their allies, too. Others as well. Lord Loss swore revenge on me, Dervish, and Bill-E. So the three of us are for the chop, no doubt about it. Probably the rest of you as well.”