"I'd, uh, really rather not," I said.
Way to sound terrified, Devona thought. I ignored her.
"Too bad," Ferdinand said. He put the cup of steaming liquid to my lips and poured it in.
I could've swallowed it easily since I couldn't feel the heat or taste the flavor but that wasn't what a living man would do, so I sputtered and thrashed my head back and forth, causing some of the Sprawlicano to spill down my chin. The minotaur continued to grin as he poured the rest of the cup's contents down my throat, then he let go of me and I allowed myself to fall back on my ass, making sure to let out a whoof! of air as if I felt the impact.
As I rose slowly to my feet I doubled over and made a face as if I was going to throw up the noxious brew, but Ferdinand said, "You barf and I'll make you drink two more."
I made a show of fighting to keep the Sprawlicano down and Ferdinand nodded, satisfied. "Now tell Sandy how good it was."
I tried to speak, coughed once, then tried again.
"Smooth," I croaked.
The minotaur turned to his girlfriend. "There you go, baby. He'll think twice before giving you anymore attitude."
Baristastein ignored the minotaur as she looked at me, as blank eyed and expressionless as ever.
"Thank you and come again," she said and then went off in search of someone else to serve.
The minotaur watched her go, his gaze softening.
"Isn't she something?" he said.
I wisely kept any opinions I had about that to myself and Ferdinand wandered off to rejoin the group of people he'd been talking with before Devona and I arrived. There was laughter and congratulatory backslaps from his friends and I found myself reaching for the flea bomb again.
Devona put a hand on my arm to restrain me. "Forget him. We have work to do."
I looked at the minotaur for a moment longer before nodding and letting Devona lead me toward Nosferatomes.
"What did you think of my performance?" I asked her.
She smiled gently. "Let's just say it's a good thing you chose a career in criminal justice."
"Everyone's a critic," I muttered.
Devona and I walked up to Nosferatomes' front door, keeping an eye out for possible attack the entire time and staying in low level telepathic contact. We couldn't read one another's minds this way but we could sense the other's feelings. If one of us spotted danger, the other would be instantly aware of it. But again, there was no sign of any bounty hunters, and we entered the store.
THIRTEEN
A bell tinkled as we opened the door and again when we closed it. The front room was filled with wooden shelves crammed with books, signs hanging down from the ceiling with section names painted on them to direct customers to the areas they were interested in. Self Help was directly next to Self Mutilation, and Dark Arts was followed by Darker, Darkest and Pitch Black Arts. As we walked up to the counter some of the titles that leaped out at me were The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Necronomicon, Stabbing for Dummies, The Beginner's Book of Bodysnatching, A Child's Garden of Curses, Shapeshifting for Fun and Profit, and Death: A Life.
There were a couple customers browsing the stacks. One was an elderly Arcane woman who, judging by the pile of books in her arms, was big into the culinary arts, especially cooking with children. The other was a small rotund man without eyelids who I recognized as the Insomnimaniac. I'd seen him in here before and out on the street a few times, but we'd never formally met, so I wasn't too worried he'd recognize me, but I made sure to keep my face turned away from him as we walked by, just in case. I felt a certain kinship with the man. I hadn't slept since I died and I'd often come here to buy books to give me something to read to pass the time when I wasn't working.
The counter held an old fashioned cash register and a desk bell to ring for service. Behind the counter was a closed door leading to a back room of some sort. A stock room or maybe a private office, I guessed. Since no one manned the counterI tapped the bell, received a clear ding for my effort, and then Devona and I waited. It didn't take long.
Scuttling sounds came from numerous directions as small sleek black shapes rushed toward the counter from throughout the store. The rats – or rather pieces of darkness shaped like rats – scurried behind the counter and merged to form a single shadowy mass that grew as it reshaped itself into humanoid form. A second later a grotesque looking Bloodborn male stood before us. Cadaverously thin, bald, with pointed ears, narrow rat-like features and a pair of needlesharp incisors jutting down from his upper jaw. He was dressed in a black great coat that hung awkwardly on his spindly frame. He rested long talon-like fingers on top of the counter and gave us what I assumed was supposed to be a welcoming smile, but which looked more like a grimace of pain.
"How may I serve you?" His voice was little more than a whisper and his accent was thick. It was clearly of eastern European origin, but it contained hints of other regions I couldn't place. That wasn't uncommon among the Bloodborn since so many of them were at least centuries old and had lived in many countries on Earth before relocating to Nekropolis, but there was something about this vampire's voice that spoke of great age, almost as if he were speaking with the voice of Time itself.
As I said, Devona and I had both bought books here before and we'd been waited on by Orlock every time. If he had any employees I'd never seen them. But the vampire gave no sign that he recognized us. He just stood there behind the counter, smiling that unsettling smile of his, patiently waiting for us to tell him what we wanted.
"We're interested in learning about rare magical artifacts," I said.
"I see. I have a section on magic items that contains a number of thorough examinations of the subject. If you come with me, I'll be happy to take you there."
A shadowy cast came over Orlock's features and I knew he was about to separate into the components of his travel form to escort us to the section in question. I held up a hand to stop him and the shadowy aspect vanished, leaving his features clear once more.
"Is there something more?" he asked. His tone remained professionally pleasant, but his beady rat eyes narrowed with the first hint of suspicion.
"We're not so much interested in reading about artifacts," I said, "as much as we are in selling them."
Orlock hesitated a few seconds before responding, his eyes narrowing even further, as if appraising us.
"I have several books in stock that deal with the basic fundamentals of buying and selling, but none that specifically focuses on trading in magical objects per se."
I held Orlock's gaze with my own as I spoke. "As I said we're not interested in reading about the subject."
Orlock arched a thin eyebrow at this.
"Pardon my presumptuousness," he said, "but why come to a bookstore if you're not interested in reading?"
I felt a pressure begin to build behind my eyes and I realized that Orlock was trying to probe my mind. I was surprised since usually half-vampires like Devona are the more psychically gifted among the Bloodborn. But almost as soon as it started I felt the pressure ease and I knew that Devona was running interference for me, blocking Orlock's mental probe with her own psychic powers.
Orlock realized it too, for his gaze flicked to Devona and he pursed his lips in irritation. He then turned his attention back to me.
"I'm sorry but I'm afraid I can't help you. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a great deal of cataloguing to do in the back room."
He began to go shadowy on us again and this time I reached across the counter and grabbed hold of his right wrist to stop him.
"Let's cut the crap, Orlock," I said softly, so none of the other customers would overhear. "We know what your real business is, and unless you agree to talk with us in private, we'll tell the Adjudicators everything we know."