I was becoming more and more bewildered by this. I thought with the legs gone and the timbertoes on, there would be no more pain for him. When I looked over at Delph questioningly, he explained, “They had to burn the ends of his legs, Vega Jane, to get the stumps ready for the timbers.”
His father said admonishingly, “This pretty female don’t need to hear no rubbish talk like that, Daniel Delphia.” He smiled back another bout of suffering that crossed his face and said, “Now, that is the loveliest frock I believe I’ve ever seen, Vega,” he commented. He nudged his huge son. “Ain’t it, Delph? Eh?”
Delph nodded shyly and said, “’Tis, Dad. ’Tis.”
I reached in the pocket of my frock where the Adder Stone lay. After nearly losing it I’d decided to always keep it with me. I palmed the Stone so it could not be seen by either of them. Maybe it could not regrow limbs, but I knew it could make pain vanish. When they turned and spoke to some other Wugs who inquired how Duf was doing, I surreptitiously waved the Stone over what remained of Duf’s legs and thought as good thoughts as I could. The change in Duf was almost instantaneous. I had just put the Stone back in my pocket when Duf turned to look at me, the most serene expression on his face.
“Are you okay, Duf?” I asked innocently.
He nodded. “Okay? I’m like a new Wug, ain’t I?” He slapped his thigh.
Delph saw this and exclaimed, “Cor blimey, don’t do that, Dad.”
Duf slapped his other thigh and stood totally erect without his son’s help. “Lookit that, Delph. No more pain. Bloody miracle, i’tis.”
Delph eyed his father’s legs and then he turned to me, suspicion all across his features. He knew. I could just tell he knew what I’d done. When Delph glanced away, I passed the Stone over him too. He turned once more to stare at me. His leg was now fine. His arm no longer hung funny. He was healed too. I was a git for not thinking of doing this before. But I was happy, and some of my guilt melted away.
We parted company on the High Street. Delph and Duf were headed back to the Care. But Duf felt he could head home soon, especially with the pain gone.
I heard the carriage wheels long before I turned. I was on the Low Road now and the carriage shouldn’t have been. I finally looked back to see Bogle pulling his sleps to a halt next to where I stood.
As she stepped from the carriage, Morrigone still looked awful, which made me feel immeasurably better, despite the grief she had shown at the Hallowed Ground, despite her consoling words to the Tilts. Her gaze searched mine. I merely stared back quizzically. I did notice with unconcealed relish that with my heels on, I was now taller than her. She had to look up to me.
She said, “I was glad to see Duf here this night. The timbertoes seem to be working for him.”
“I think they’ll work just fine now,” I replied tersely, watching her closely.
“And I have spoken with Delph recently. He … he seems far more assured in his speech than he once did.”
“He is,” I said. “It simply took him remembering something that others did not want him to recall.”
“I see.”
“So you can stop paying him coin, Morrigone. He doesn’t need your pity or your coin anymore to recompense for what you did to him.”
I had finally figured that one out too.
“Is that what you thought it was, pity?”
“Wasn’t it?” I challenged.
“You have much to learn, Vega. However, I came not to speak of Delph but of the Duelum,” she began.
“What about it?” I said.
“You versus Ladon-Tosh.”
“That’s what the competition board says.”
“He didn’t mean to kill poor Newton Tilt.”
I shook my head stubbornly. “I was there. I saw what happened. He didn’t need to hit him that hard.”
She looked down and I thought I saw her lips tremble. She looked back up and her features were tight and composed. “I think he sees that now.”
“Lucky for me, since I’m next. Where is he, by the by?”
“I asked him to stay away. I didn’t think it would be … appropriate.”
“Why is he even in the Duelum?” I asked.
“Why shouldn’t he be?” she said warily.
“He’s clearly older than twenty-four sessions, for starters.”
“Not according to his records.”
“I’d like to see those records. Just to confirm where the Hel he came from.”
She looked at me with a degree of incredulity that I found pathetic under the circumstances. “He came from Wormwood. Where else would he have come from?”
I shook my head again, plainly showing my disappointment with her response. “Well, if he is a Wug, he’s a most unusual one. I’ve never even heard him speak. And the rumor about him killing that Wug at Stacks … you have to admit, it’s all a bit dodgy.”
“It is a bit dodgy” was her surprising reply. She had lowered her eyes again, but then she raised her head and looked directly at me, her green eyes glowing as though they had been ignited. “You don’t have to fight him, Vega.”
“Then I’ll end up in Valhall, won’t I?”
“I can meet with Krone. I can work something out. Any sentence in Valhall would be relatively short. But there would be another condition.”
I folded my arms over my chest. “What?”
“You know far more than is good for a Wug.”
“You mean I know the truth,” I shot back.
“The condition is that you will not be allowed to remember such things anymore.”
“So the red light, then?” I remarked coolly. “I think I’ve figured that out. Red must be more powerful than blue. Delph was much bigger than me, even back then. The blue light was sufficient to wipe my thoughts nearly clear, although I could still remember the scream, Morrigone. And the blue light.”
“What?” she said, clearly astonished by this.
“I thought it was just a nightmare. And Delph eventually remembered, with a little help from me. That’s what I meant when I said he no longer stutters. He remembers, Morrigone. All of it.”
We stared at each other in silence. I finally said, “So I’ll take my chances in the quad, thanks anyway.” I added firmly, “You’re not messing with my mind ever again.”
“I am well aware that you dispatched your other competitors with relative ease.”
“Except for Racksport. He shot himself accidentally. Or so they say.”
“What do you mean ‘or so they say’?”
“What I mean is that a suspicious Wug, namely me, would think that Racksport was got out of the way so I would have to meet Ladon-Tosh in the final bout.”
She said, “If true, that would be a very evil thing to do.”
“I completely agree,” I replied, staring back at her. “I also know that our last few encounters have ended badly, very badly.”
“And I also know that you have visited my home twice now while I was away. May I ask why?”
“Once to confirm something.”
“What?”
“Your taste in looking glasses.”
We once more stared at each other in silence. I could tell that Morrigone was appraising me in a whole new light and she wasn’t sure what to do about it.
“And the other time?”
“To wish my brother a happy birthlight. And to give him a present.”
She looked down. “That was thoughtful of you, very thoughtful, considering the circumstances.”
“He is my brother, Morrigone. No matter what happens, he will always be my brother. And I love him. Unconditionally. Far more than you ever could.”
I said all of this in a loud voice because I just knew that John was in the carriage listening intently.