Grim Tuesday Read Free Page A

some three hundred years hence. But Grim Tuesday is within his rights to demand payment earlier, as Mister Monday was always behind with his debts.”
    “So why not pay him?” Arthur asked. “I mean, with…with what you normally use for money. So he can’t claim anything.”
    “Normally payment would be made in coin of the House, of which there are seven currencies, each of which has seven denominations. The currency of the Lower House, for example, is the gold roundel, of three hundred and sixty silver pence, the intermediate coins being—”
    “I don’t need to know the types of coins!” interrupted Arthur. “Why not pay Grim Tuesday in these gold roundels or whatever?”
    “We don’t have any,” replied the Will. “Or very few. The accounts are in a terrible mess, but it appears that Mister Monday never signed any of the invoices that should have billed the other parts of the House for the services supplied by the Lower House. So they haven’t paid.”
    Arthur shut his eyes for a moment. He couldn’t believe he was being told about an accounting problem in the epicenter of the universe, in the House on which the entirety of creation depended for its continuing existence.
    “I’ve made you my Steward,” Arthur said. “You deal with it. I just want to be left alone like you promised. For the next six years!”
    “I am dealing with it,” replied the Will testily. “Appeals have been lodged, loans applied for, and so on. But I can only delay the matter, and our hopes of a legal victory are slim. I called to warn you that Grim Tuesday has also gotten permission to seek repayment of the debt from you personally. And your family. Even your whole country. Maybe your entire world.”
    “What!” Arthur couldn’t believe it. Why couldn’t everyone just leave him alone!
    “Opinion is divided on exactly who can be claimed against, but the amount due is quite clear. With compound interest over 722 years, the sum is not insignificant. About thirteen million gold roundels, each of which is one drubuch weight of pure gold, or perhaps you would say an ounce, which is 812,500 pounds avoirdupois, or roughly 29,000 quarters, which in turn is approximately 363 tons—”
    “How much would that be in dollars?” asked Arthur faintly. Nearly four hundred tons of gold!
    “That is your money? I do not know. But Grim Tuesday would not accept any currency of the Secondary Realms. He will want gold, or perhaps great works ofart that he can copy and sell throughout the House. Do you have any great works of art?”
    “Of course I don’t!” shouted Arthur. He had felt much better earlier, and had even believed he might never have an asthma attack again. But he could feel the familiar tightening, the catch in his breath. Though it was only on one side.
    Calm, he told himself . I have to stay calm.
    “What can I do?” he asked, making the words come out slowly and not too loud. “Is there any way of stopping Grim Tuesday?”
    “There is one way…” mused the Will. “But you have to come back to the House. Once here, you would then need to—”
    A loud beep cut off the Will and a new voice spoke, accompanied by a crackling buzz.
    “This is the Operator. Please insert two and six to continue your call.”
    Arthur heard the Will reply, but its voice was very faint.
    “I haven’t got two roundels! Put it on our bill.”
    “Your credit has been revoked by order of the Court of Days. Please insert two roundels and six demicrowns. Ten…nine…eight…seven…six…”
    “Arthur!” called the Will, very distantly. “Come to the House!”
    “Two…one…This call is terminated. Thank you.”
    Arthur kept holding the earpiece, but it was silent. Even the background buzzing had stopped. All he could hear was the rasping of his own breath, struggling to get in and out of his lungs. Or, rather, struggling inside his right lung. His left side felt fine, which was weird since that was the lung that had been punctured by