Underbelly (65 page)

“
He is an expensive doctor but Conrad pays. I let him pay for too much, truth be told. I lean on him like I used to lean on you.”

“
You can still lean on me.”

“
No, you’ve got your own problems, which we’re going to sort out,” Grey said positively. “The toes bothered me far more than the stomach and they’re perfect again now.”

“
I’ve seen your feet. Perfect is pushing it somewhat,” she joked.

“
Don’t criticise my toes or I’ll go on strike,” he warned sternly, joking straight-faced.

“
I thought you already were,” she countered, his attempts to contact any useful spirits fruitless, though he had only been trying for a few hours.

“
The strike. That’s another thing we haven’t told you about, my time as a scab. I can see you appear enraptured but I’m not going to tell you now even if you beg, I am going to try and concentrate.”

“
I won’t disturb you, go on,” she said, sitting in silence with him as he strained to make contact.

After forty minutes Grey said, “I’ve got a cleaner from 19
^th
Century Milwaukee if that’s any good to you.”

“
And what can they tell me about Octavius?”

“
That his name has something to do with the number eight. I know she can’t help, but I can’t just say to them ‘You’re not who I’m looking for, clear off’. I have to do what I can for them too.”

“
I know this is going to take time. Ignore my scathing comments. I do have confidence in you,” Laura said softly. “I also understand how much the toe amputations must have hurt. Doing this wasn’t exactly painless,” she said, unbuttoning her blouse as Grey’s eyes stared guiltily at her breasts. Perhaps he should have looked away but he wasn’t perfect, and he only looked up at her eyes again after she removed her bra and let the padding that formed her left breast fall to the floor.

“
Laura, I…you did this to yourself?” he said, aghast at the mutilation.

“
It acquired a small amount of power so it was worth it. That’s how important power is to me. I always wanted power, even as a young girl. The only person I had any contact with as an infant was my mother and I wanted physical power then, enough to kill her. The criticism never bothered me as she called my father a beast of a man and that I was made in his image and would be a beast of a woman, a defiler, an abomination. At five years old I understood that he had raped her, and I approved, as it gave me life, which I was determined to enjoy. The physical abuse was what drove me to want to kill her, as she beat me and used instruments to show me what he did to her and how it felt. You think of power and you think of despots like Hitler. I’m not striving for that. I don’t want to rule over anyone – I haven’t the patience for politics. I want power for self-preservation. You said that you’re going to start taking up boxing to protect yourself and Germaine and I want to refine my craft for the same reason.”

“
Isn’t it an endless mountain to climb though? Will you ever be able to stop?”

“
I’m already high up the tallest mountain and the summit is in sight. This is not an obsession as once I reach a sufficient level of power I will be satisfied to remain at that level. I’ll still research further but infrequently, and with less urgency, though I will make sure I don’t slide down the mountain. And don’t worry, becoming almost omnipotent will not change me in fundamental ways.”

After a few days of close contact with Laura, straining himself to find out knowledge that seemed to be denied to him, he voiced his concerns about a matter that both he and Germaine had tried to brush under the carpet. They were both talking about the baby, Laura ribbing him a little, when Grey turned serious and said, hesitantly, “There was…there was an incident involving an incubus. Germaine seems okay about it now, and I can’t talk to her about it as I don’t want to worry her, but I do wonder.”

“
It’s practically unheard of. If you sensed the incubus I’ll accept its existence as fact. Otherwise Germaine might be imagining it all. This new world is strange to her, and I don’t mean America, although it’s surely strange to me. The suggestion of something can easily make it seem like reality in the mind.”

Grey shook his head, firmly convinced that his wife was not mistaken. “I’d never talked of incubuses with her prior to the incident, and even if I had, she wouldn’t make it up.”

“
I wasn’t suggesting that. I’ve lived through enough witch trials to know that people can believe falsehoods wholeheartedly. The sanest, most intelligent of people, those you would think could never be mistaken, can be.”

“
With everything else that’s gone on it doesn’t seem inconceivable.”

“
She seems fine to me. You need to expel these doubts because you have to be the strong one. When she’s come on a bit more I’ll check again, but all there is in that stomach is a little Grey, which will be more than enough for all of us to deal with. Okay?” she said, hoping her pep talk had uplifted him a little.

“
Okay,” he smiled. “We will be having the baby christened and we would like you to be godmother. We’re not trying to lead you back to the church or anything, it’s just something we want to do.”

“
I’ll think about it as long as you forget about incubi. You had sex with your wife and she got pregnant. It’s not exactly the mystery of the Marie Celeste. Don’t mention this to Germaine as she won’t understand, like we do, that such a conception is almost impossible.”

“
I could take those odds if it wasn’t my wife. When it comes to her, almost impossible is still too high a risk.”

“
If I put my hands in her now she’ll lose the baby, or it might be handicapped. I can’t conceive and I’m not maternal anyway, so that doesn’t matter, but I’ve seen enough of humanity to know how important children are to so many of you and I want you to just enjoy the pregnancy. The woman you love is carrying your child inside of her – even I can see that’s precious. Hold on to that.”

“
I’m already dreaming about playing baseball all day long with them and watching them turn out for the mighty Keokuks, boy or girl. She’d be so good they’d change the rules. I’m sure it’s mine, but I’ll be happier when it’s born and with your assurances.”

“
I’d be feeling something now if there was a problem. Even with my past you want me to be a godmother?”

“
We both do. You, Isdel and Tristan.”

“
The witch, the judgemental zealot, and the dissolute, absent uncle. It’s just as well you two will be good parents,” she said pithily, imagining a very interesting christening (it was worth accepting the position just to see Delgado try to stifle his indignation).

Laura masked her disappointment well when Grey had still been unable to come up with anything productive after three weeks. He managed to contact a female servant of Octavius, who knew next to nothing of what went on, unaware that Octavius had any powers until Grey told her, Laura thinking her worse than a fucking ostrich. He’d tried and it seemed that nothing of value was forthcoming. She decided to leave the lovebirds alone and recommence her own investigation, though before she could leave them Grey insisted she come and watch him perform.

Grey was relieved that the demand was still there after his break as he decided to get back on the horse and try and use his sideline to boost his fortune. It was also a way to cheer Laura up – if his show didn’t amuse her on some level, either as professional curiosity or as ammunition for future asides, he would be amazed and it was obvious she was smarting from living like a fugitive, acting a little subdued. She had never seen him perform before and looked forward to it. The show itself was a little dull, but she enjoyed it for him, very surprised at the numbers he was pulling in, proof that New York was a strange city. The apprehensive soldier who had entered her farmhouse two years ago had come a long way. She knew that it was indirectly his fault that she was being tracked; the men who he persuaded her to shelter had told tales on her, yet she bore no resentment towards him for it. Perhaps she was changing too.

Grey had always meant to go and see Mrs Baker, the mother of a man he served with for a very short time but considered a close friend, Jake, and when he had found that her housing block had been demolished he hadn’t known how to locate her before Conrad stepped in, using his sizable resources. Grey received a warm welcome when he introduced himself as Mrs Baker had heard about him from her eldest son, Harvey, aware that he had been friends with her late son, and she insisted that he stay for tea, persuading him by telling him that Harvey would be back from work then. Grey had been closer to Jake but had got on fine with Harvey and the thought of seeing someone from his old unit after what felt like five years excited him. Harvey looked exactly the same as he had two years ago, his blond hair as short as it had been then, the only thing different about him being the way he walked because of his artificial leg.

“
You’re a long way from Iowa, Grey,” Harvey said, equally pleased to see him, very surprised.

“
He lives here now, Harvey,” Mrs Baker said. “Even country folk have been shuffled about by the war.”

“
I’m here to see how you’re doing and because Fanelli said something about you two showing me a ‘real’ baseball game,” Grey said.

Harvey laughed, having forgotten his message until now, and said, “That can be arranged. I’ve heard some interesting tales about you that I’d like to talk about after dinner. You’ll join me for a few jars down the street, yeah?”

“
That sounds like a good plan.”

“
I’d like to hear them too,” Mrs Grey said. “Don’t worry about my sensibilities.”

“
He might not want to talk in front of you, Ma,” Harvey said, joking with her, Mrs Baker a formidable but humorous woman who seemed to be over her son’s death (though his picture had pride of place on the mantlepiece).

“
What do you think we’ve been doing, sitting in silence until you came home?” she countered.

“
Would be a first if you did,” Harvey said, his mother brandishing a nearby ladle menacingly in his direction before smiling sweetly and saying to Grey,

“
You seem a polite young man. I’ll bet you don’t talk to your mother in such a manner, James.”

“
Nope, though that may be because we don’t talk at all,” Grey said, a mistake as Mrs Baker set about trying to persuade him to tell her why, determined to make him understand that he was wrong to turn away from his mother. Harvey tried to get her to drop the subject as she continued like a dog with a bone, asking him how he’d feel if his child turned from him, Grey unwilling to give the details for the estrangement and rushing his meal as Harvey did the same and they made a hasty exit.

“
Sorry about that,” Harvey said once they’d left. “She means well.”

“
I know. That was my fault for bringing it up. It’s not a sore point. My wife is my family now. Jake described your mom to me and she is exactly how I pictured her, a real strong character. She seems to be holding up well. It can’t be easy for either of you.”

“
I miss him still, but it seems such a long time ago. In case no one else told you, his death was quick. Not pretty, but quick, nowhere near as ugly as Mac’s.”

“
I did hear about that. Me and you got luckier with our injuries next to that.”

“
You more than me!” Harvey joked, knocking on his false leg.

“
You’re doing all right, Harvey, your mom said you’ve worked your way up to foreman. I knew you’d be working.”

“
Drinking money is a good incentive to work. Losing my leg – it was nothing really, and I’m grateful it was below the knee. I walk funny enough as it is. Next to Jake and Mac and Bradshaw and all the rest I can’t legit complain, though I still grouse all the time. You’ve gotta milk it while you can. You bore the brunt of Jake’s sermons about Mac’s philandering ways and the saintly Myrtle. Guess what? It turned out his wife cheated on him as soon as he shipped out. If Jake had known that he might not have given him such a hard time, which would have made my life a damned sight easier. She married August before last; the husband’s a total SOB, treats the kid like shit,” Harvey said, loathing him for his cruelty towards his friend’s child but forced to bite his tongue and be civil towards him as he intended to be there for Mac’s child, proving himself to be a worthy godfather.