The Lost Souls Dating Agency (19 page)

I sat in there for a while, thinking. How had Doris suddenly discovered teacup hovering powers? I'm sure Harish had something to do with that. But why was he making teacups levitate for Doris?

But more importantly, what the hell was I doing in Sydney and what in the world, or rather supernatural world, would be next?

When I walked back into the room, Harish and Doris were deep in conversation. I almost felt like I was intruding.

‘I was telling your friend here about the newspaper business we run,' Harish said quickly.

I looked at him and then at Doris. Was that a flush I detected on her face?

‘Would you like to look around?' he asked.

Doris jumped to her feet and said ‘yes' loudly. I nodded too. I had never visited a supernatural printing press before.

We made our way from the room on the third floor, descending in single file down a narrow wooden staircase. The floor beneath buzzed with activity. People were shouting and talking to each other very loudly. We stopped as Harish explained that this was the heart of the establishment. I could almost see the words pulsing through the air in the cacophony. It sure was a noisy heart.

When we descended further downstairs I heard announcements blare from a radio. We stopped and stood in a large room on the first floor. I glanced at the ordinary looking young men and women typing away busily on electronic keyboards that were not connected to any computers! I could see no monitors or CPUs. Cables ran from the keyboards straight into the faded orange brick walls.

‘How do they know what they're typing?' I asked Harish curiously.

‘Oh they just listen to instructions from upstairs,' he replied.

I gave him a confused look.

‘The journalists upstairs send instructions to the typists on this floor,' Harish said as if it was the most sensible thing in the world to do.

‘How marvellous!' Doris exclaimed.

I looked at her distastefully. Why was she so chipper?

Harish extended his arm to her. ‘Follow me downstairs and I'll show you the most marvellous thing of all.'

He led her down the stairs. I noticed she held onto his arm the entire way. They chatted incessantly. I followed a short distance behind, somewhat bewildered at their developing friendliness.

The ground floor rooms we finally stopped in reverberated with the sounds of clattering machinery. I guessed this was the printery, with machines that looked like relics from the time of Gutenberg. Slow, mechanical noises emanated from deep within their bowels. It was magnificent! Like an ancient literary creature, churning out words, glorious words.

Even Doris seemed impressed. Harish ducked behind the machinery and emerged with a copy of a newspaper. He showed it to us, rather Doris, shyly.

I saw we had made the headlines. “Famous matchmaker and her beautiful accomplice visit TMW” was plastered across the front in bold font.

Beautiful accomplice
? Puh-leese.

‘Wow news sure does get around quickly!' I said, trying not to sound caustic.

‘A special scoop for our readers,' Harish said proudly. Doris giggled.

It was then that my “matchmaking senses” started to tingle. Could it be…?

I watched Doris and Harish very carefully for the next few hours. My senses had rarely been wrong in the past.

***

Later that evening, when Harish suggested dinner at a local Portuguese joint, I excused myself. It wasn't hard as I really was very tired. Harish gave me a doona and pillow that smelt of mothballs and made the sofa in the third floor office into a bed for me. I assured him I would be okay by myself and that they should go ahead and eat. Doris didn't seem too concerned and happily bounced away with him.

I didn't know where they would go, and I didn't care. Okay I cared a little if they went towards the Petersham Portuguese chicken I had smelt earlier. But I wanted some alone time to digest the day's events, mainly, the blossoming relationship between Doris and Harish.

Could I have inadvertently caused the portal to open, so that Doris could meet Harish?

Were my matchmaking skills really getting that legendary?

I soon drifted off to sleep.

I woke up with a stiff back on the low sofa. I think one of its springs was lodged directly into my liver. It took me a while to register where I was. I could hear distant bangs from the printery on the ground floor. The blinds were down and thin streams of light filtered in from the gaps along the side and bottom where the blind met the window. I could see dancing dust particles in the streams of morning light.

I saw no signs of Doris and felt no inclination to move from my drowsy nest to look for her. Just as I was falling into a deep slumber again, I heard a door open and shut. I looked up sleepily from my cot.

‘Shalini, my child,' a familiar voice said.

An electric jolt ran through me and I sat up startled. It was hard to see him clearly in the dim office light.

‘Un-uncle Varun?' I stammered.

‘I don't have much time…' the voice said.

It
was
him!

I jumped up. ‘You're alive,' I spluttered. Was I dreaming?

‘I am,' he answered then added quickly, ‘I'm sorry to do that to you, Shalini. I never meant to leave like that.'

I ran to him with my heart bursting and hugged him tight. It felt so warm and comforting. When he let go, he took me by the shoulders and said apologetically, ‘Unfortunately my disappearance was necessary.' He paused but didn't elaborate. Then he smiled at me. ‘I am so proud of you, and your business. I knew the warehouse was in good hands when I left it to you.'

‘You know about the agency?' I asked surprised.

He did not reply. Instead he said, ‘There are so many things we need to talk about.'

‘How did you know I was here?' I asked, and why didn't you contact me sooner? Just to let me know you were okay? All that heartache…

‘Steven Gilmore told me you went through the clock. I went to a few other locations to find you, but I should have come here first.'

‘You know Steven?' I was shocked.

He nodded. ‘A young man phoned him, asking for help. He used the phone line I asked to be placed for you in the warehouse. He was very upset and kept saying that you had vanished through a clock. Steven didn't know why so he sent me a message.'

Will! He must have used the phone in my office to contact Steven.

But how did Steven know Uncle Varun? And… ‘Steven knew you were alive all this time?' I said aloud.

‘He probably sensed I was. He contacted me through his were networks,' Uncle Varun replied.

His were-networks
? I stared blankly at my uncle.

‘I didn't want to tell you like this, child, but,' he paused, ‘I suppose there is no helping it now. I am a were.' I gasped as he said this. He continued, ‘And my form is wolf.'

I inched away from my uncle in shock. ‘Why didn't you tell me before?' I asked accusingly.

‘It was never the right time,' he replied consolingly. ‘I moved us to Dubai because it dulled supernatural ability. I thought it would keep us safe from,' his voice cracked, ‘that world.'

‘Why did you want to keep me away from the supernatural world?' I asked taken aback.

‘My dear little one,' he rarely called me that, ‘our world is more terrible than you can imagine. I knew our only hope was to disappear for a while. When my sister found you at the orphanage…'

What?

I stopped him. ‘Your sister? I thought you found me!'

He ignored me. ‘Aruna was devoted to you. When she died, I knew our only hope was escape and so we left.' My uncle looked at me beseechingly. ‘I don't have time to explain but I promise I will soon.'

I felt deflated. Lies. All my life…

My uncle cupped my face gently in his hands. ‘I tried desperately to stop you going to Melbourne, but who can stop my stubborn little Shalini?' He smiled as he said this, trying to make light of the situation.

‘So you've been there before?'

‘Many lifetimes ago.'

I looked at him expectantly, wanting to absorb everything. But he said nothing.

My mind was a whirling dervish.

Why did he hate his own kind so much? Well at least this explained why the supernatural world had revealed itself to me so easily.

‘So Steven and the others knew all along…' I mumbled, thinking about why they were willing to help me. Even Mia had probably been placated because of it…

‘We are sworn to secrecy, Shalini,' Uncle Varun said. ‘They could not have told you. Plus it was not their place to tell.'

‘So what now? Will you come back to Melbourne with me?' I asked hopefully.

‘I'm afraid not, my child,' he said and added quickly when he saw my face drop, ‘I promise we will be together soon. But for now, I want you to tell me what you know about the Vampire League of Albion?'

‘I-I know them from a matchmaking case,' I stammered.

‘Listen to me, and do exactly as I say.' He looked deadly serious. ‘Promise me that.' I had never seen him look so grave.

‘What's wrong?' I asked apprehensively.

‘I've heard something disturbing but I don't know the details.' He hesitated. ‘I've heard that one of their members has killed a human. Normally they would hush this up, as they have for thousands of years. But I heard that they suspect this was no ordinary killing. The human woman's body is missing. If there is no corpse, it can only mean one thing…'

‘Victor,' I gasped. ‘It has to be Victor! He was my first case. But I'm sure Fiona finally made up her mind and asked him…' my voice trailed off as my old fears about Victor returned in a flood.

‘Whatever it may be, the League knows about your involvement and they are coming to question you further.' The urgency in my uncle's voice made my heart beat faster. ‘I want you to hide here for a while. Don't go back to Melbourne. They will send their collectors there immediately.'

I thought about Will and Roxanne at the office. And Megan and Neha. All of them could be in danger because of me.

I shook my head. ‘I have to go back. I have to warn my friends…'

‘Shalini, the League do not send their collectors just to run minor errands.' The urgency in his voice grew. ‘They are trained hunters, for one of the largest Vampire Leagues of the world. Do not take this lightly.'

‘That's exactly why I have to go back! They warned me last time that if I ever crossed their paths again…' I stopped as I thought of the chilling warning from the League. What would they do to my friends if they didn't find me?

‘Can I go through the portal to warn them and bring them back here with me?'

Uncle Varun looked grave and said slowly, ‘It's too dangerous…'

‘But I have to! Would you leave me in Melbourne to die?' I asked savagely. I knew I was being unfairly morbid, but it worked. His expression changed as he clenched his jaw. ‘Okay, I'll be back in a few hours and then we can return together.'

Hours might be too late! ‘But —'

‘That's my final word, Shalini. Wait for me here and we can go then.'

Before I had the chance to protest any further he gave me a quick hug and walked out of the room. I heard his hurried footsteps descend the narrow staircase.

I swirled around to look at the clock. I knew I had to go back. I willed the clock to come to life as it had before. It ticked away quietly.

I closed my eyes and concentrated. I felt the urgency rise in my stomach and my palms became sweaty. I
needed
to return to Melbourne.

Nothing happened.

COME ON! My friends are in danger! I thought frantically. I felt a little like Doris, willing magical things to happen when I knew quite well they —

Bang!
On the office wall, the clocked banged to life and its ticking grew louder. My breathing became faster as the clock started to shake. My head throbbed as its rattling went through me.

‘What's going on?' Doris's voice called to me. ‘Why is the clock thundering?' I hadn't even heard Doris and Harish come into the room.

‘I have to go back to Melbourne,' I said quickly.

‘Did you see…Varun?' Harish asked rather sheepishly.

I glared at him.
He
knew as well? Did everyone know each other?

I looked at Doris. ‘Listen, I have to go back and then I don't know what will happen or when I will be back. Do you want to come with me?'

She glanced at Harish. ‘Well I…' she paused. Even in my extremely agitated state I knew the significance of the looks they gave each other.

‘Harish has promised to show me how The Mythical Weekly works and you know I always fancied myself as a journalist…I thought maybe I'd stay in Sydney for a while. You know I can use my powers to…' Doris said slowly.

‘That's great!' I hugged her. I couldn't help myself. This news made me happy on so many levels.

‘Do you want to —' Doris started, but I interrupted her.

‘I really don't have much time. I need to get to the agency. I might see you again if I have to come back through the portal.' The clock thundered and twanged and made the most awful racket.

‘Why? Is there danger?' Harish asked moving towards me. He must have sensed something was wrong. And if he knew anything about my uncle, Harish would guess that Uncle Varun would want him to stop me. I couldn't let that happen!

‘Tell my uncle I will be okay and I'll see you all soon,' I said hurriedly as I jumped towards the clock. It radiated a brilliant white light behind which the familiar symbol appeared. The hands on the dial quickened. The light became blinding as I squinted and ran towards it.

Then, for the second time in as many days, all went dead quiet.