Perfect Shadows Read Free Page B

it, twisting it up behind his back as I tugged his dagger
from its sheath. The big man started to push himself up off his stool, his left
hand flat upon the table. I promptly leaned over and plunged the knife through
his hand and a good inch into the oak beneath. I then stood racked with vicious
laughter at his frantic efforts to free himself.
    “I cry you mercy, Nick, but I mistook it for a rat,” I cried,
almost choking between rage and glee. Only one of his companions was sober
enough to stumble from his seat and charge me—he ran into the heel of my hand
and crumpled to the floor, spattering the rushes with blood from his broken
nose. I landed two solid kicks to the fallen man’s ribs before Rózsa stopped
me. She paused to glance scornfully at the bedlam and toss a couple of gold
coins into the blood pooling on the table top, then pulled me from the smoky
room. The roars of outrage and pain followed us into the yard where two horses
stood, one innocent white, and the other black as sin, held by a starveling
street boy. I found myself still shaking with rage and unable to look at Rózsa.
I had never learned to curb my violent impulses, rather the opposite, brawling
for sport. Though I had been warned often enough my temper would bring me
disgrace, this was the first time that I felt ashamed. She waited until I heaved
myself onto the white horse’s back then swung lightly onto the black. “You are
impetuous, Kit,” was all she said.

 
Chapter
2
    A small shadow, a child-sized man, slipped from the alley to follow
the man and boy, pausing for a moment to listen to the howls still coming from
within. It was not difficult to keep his quarry insight as the riders let the
horses pick their own way through the muddy, mucky streets of Norton Folgate.
They entered the City, where they soon reached Crosby Place, handed the reins
to a waiting groom, and vanished indoors. He sidled up to the serving-man,
showing a coin and asking a few hurried questions. The answers seemed to
satisfy him. He pressed the coin and its brother into the waiting hand before
scurrying away into the dark.
    The little man made his way quickly to Aldgate, to one of the
many cottages that subdivided what had once been Northumberland House. He
stumbled to the little brazier that served to heat the room, and finally
managed to calm his breathing enough to blow the embers into life and light a
candle.
    “Doctor Montague,” a colorless voice spoke from the shadows,
startling the little man so that he almost dropped the light. The candle
flickered wildly for a moment and the little man set it hastily on the dirty
table.
    “My lord earl,” he said, in a voice as shaky as his hands. “You
startled me.”
    “You told me that you held the secret of immortality in your
hand, Doctor. Was that an idle boast?”
    “I may say that it is within my grasp, my lord. Have you heard
of the undead? The vampire?” His voice sank into a whisper and the two heads,
one sandy and one dark, almost touched as the nobleman leaned close to catch
the commoner’s words.

 
Chapter
3
    I followed Rózsa into a small study off the main hall where her
guardian awaited us. A table had been placed before the fire and spread with a
sumptuous meal, but laid only for one. The heavyset man stood upon our entry
and took my hand in both of his. “I am Nicolas von Poppelau, and I am so
pleased to meet you,” he said, “so very pleased! Rózsa has talked of nothing
but Marlowe for days! You have made her very happy.” I felt as if the floor had
given a sudden lurch. What did these people want? Did he know of last night’s debauch?
Did he expect me to marry her? I could barely support myself, let alone a wife,
even if I’d wanted one, and anyway, they were obviously quality . . . I shook
my head to clear it and von Poppelau laughed. “Your thoughts flicker across
your face as plain as print, my boy! No, pardon me for laughing, it was not at
you; sit and eat and I will try to answer