The Faceless One Read Free Page A

safe. Still, he was not going to test the efficacy of his charms. They had taken a lot of work, and two of the essential ingredients were both costly and illegal.
    Thinking back on those feverish, sleepless nights when he had crafted the effigies and invoked the protective sphere, Daniel hurriedly went to each window of his Fifth Avenue town house. On the outside of each window was a similar effigy, sealed there with a permanent epoxy. The building’s window washer was paid an extra fifty dollars to clean carefully around each one.
    Each fetish was in place, its eyes glinting outward, its mouth exposing an imposing set of reddened teeth.
    All was quiet.
    Daniel once again chided himself and decided perhaps he’d rest a bit more before getting back to his research. Maxwell at UCLA had just published a paper that might be relevant, and the search engine he used had indicated a new Web page out of China that might help him, oncehe got it translated.
    He crossed the rich cream carpet, now stained in one corner from the fabrication of the fetishes. If he ever got out of the place, he was going to have that carpet replaced. Hell, he might even move. He hadn’t seen Steven in a long time, and his brother kept telling him to leave “that hellhole,” which is how he always referred to Manhattan, and join him in California.
    Countless times he had wanted to call Steven, but he knew his brother might think him crazy, might even come to help him, and he couldn’t risk that. What would happen to his own flesh and blood if he were outside the sphere of protection Daniel had conjured? Hell, he hadn’t even uttered Steven’s name, lest it give the thing power over his kid brother.
    If he was able to complete his research, then everyone would be safe.
    Tell that to Milo Grant and the rest of the village
, he thought.
    He had read the news the day before. He had been trying to track down the shaman and still had no leads. He had Googled Yanut and been shocked to see what had become of it. Maybe Tully was right, maybe he was a “thief and a damn fool,” but what choice did he have?
    The phone rang, and he let the service pick up, sure it was Tully or any other of his colleagues who were either curious or pissed off. Once he was able to venture outside, he’d have a lot of explaining to do.
    Their gloved hands carefully chipping the ice. Milo grinning, his uneven teeth glinting in the reflected light. Had he died screaming?
    Crossing the room, he brushed against the Christmas tree. A cloud of needles fell whisper-soft to join the ring of debris on the carpet. He had sealed the place before he had remembered it. So it stood in the center of the living room, its once-green needles a dull brown, its bright metallic and glass ornaments slowly gathering dust. He had left it as a testament to his stupidity and the lack of planning that had landed him in this prison. The ornaments tinkled slightly as he passed, as if announcing an arrival.
    There was another sound then, a sort of low crackling coupled with a barely audible squeal.
    Daniel turned to the windows overlooking Central Park.
    One of the fetishes was coming loose from the window, sliding slowly down the glass, like a slug making its way across a clear expanse.
    The epoxy had been expensive and guaranteed to hold for at least ten years. It was impossible that it was giving way as if it had no more adhesive strength than chewing gum, yet the fetish continued its slow and torturous progress down the pane of glass.
    Daniel rushed to the window, but what could he do? He couldn’t risk opening the window. He stood there, powerless, as the small figure came loose and fell away.
    He craned his neck as the effigy fell two stories to the street. It came to rest just under alarge maple tree. Perhaps he could call the doorman, have him retrieve it. If he was quick, he could reapply it to the window, saying the invocation before opening the window.
    His neighbor’s kid, Mitchell Price, rode up