Alex Verus Novels, Books 1-4 (9780698175952) by Benedict Jacka Page A
Authors: Benedict Jacka
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chairs, and every flat surface was covered with lengths of cloth, from finger-length ribbons to bolts the size of rolled carpets. Dummies and hangers were mounted on the walls, and every single one held clothes of some kind, from suits to tops to full-length dresses, in every colour from red to yellow to green to blue to violet. I’ve been to Arachne’s cave dozens of times and every time I practically have to shield my eyes as I walk in. It’s like watching a flock of birds of paradise holding a fashion parade on a rainbow. Across the far end of the room, practically invisible in the riot of colour, was a translucent curtain. Rustling sounds came from within.
“Alex, dear!” The voice came from behind the curtain. Up closer you can just hear the clicking sound under Arachne’s voice, though it’s faint enough that you wouldn’t notice unless you knew what to listen for. “Where have you been? Clear off a couch and sit down…Is that a guest?”
“This is Luna,” I called back. I heaved an armload of clothes off the nearest couch to give Luna space. Luna was so busy staring that she didn’t notice.
“What a pretty name. Hello, Luna, can you hear me?”
“Um, it’s nice to meet you,” Luna called. She moved to a chair and traced a finger down a pale green ribbon, then tested it between her fingers, looking at it curiously.
“Are you wondering what they’re made of?” Arachne called, and Luna dropped the cloth with a start. “Everyone does, you know.”
“Um, yes.” Luna touched the ribbon again, fascinated. “Is it silk? I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Arachne laughed, and again there was that odd clickingnoise. “Almost. Not the kind you’re thinking, though…Well, then, Alex, if you’re here, I expect you want something, hmm?”
“Yup. The ball at Canary Wharf.”
“My, my. That’s tonight.”
“Invitation was late. Got anything lying around?”
“Oh, good heavens, Alex,” Arachne said, and I could hear the exasperation in her voice. “Well, at least you’ve got the sense to come here. Let’s have a look.” There was a shadow of movement behind the curtain, then Arachne emerged, and for the first time Luna got a good look at her.
Arachne is about the size of a minivan and weighs maybe half a ton. Her body is black, with a cobalt blue sheen that glimmers slightly when she moves, and she has eight eyes in two rows of four at the front of her head. Each one of her eight legs has seven hairy segments, ending in tips where the hairs are finer and can act almost like fingers. Two mandibles hide her fangs and rustle slightly as she talks, making the clicking sound.
In other words, she’s a gigantic spider. Arachne is quite safe—well, more or less—but she’s every arachnophobe’s worst nightmare, and even people who aren’t scared of spiders are likely to scream the house down the first time they meet a tarantula bigger than their car.
Luna didn’t scream, but the blood drained from her face, and her eyes went as big as dinner plates. “Alex?” she said, her voice very high.
“It’s all right,” I said reassuringly. “She won’t hurt you.”
“Alex, she’s a giant spider.”
“She won’t hurt you.”
“Alex,
she’s a giant spider
.”
“I know,” I said patiently. “She won’t hurt you.”
“Well?” Arachne said expectantly. “Aren’t you going to introduce us?”
Keeping a careful eye on Luna, I stepped forward. “Right. Arachne, this is Luna. She’s still pretty new to all this. Have you got somewhere she could sit down for a while?”
“Oh, of course.” Arachne scuttled sideways, and Lunajumped. Arachne beckoned down a side tunnel. “You look exhausted, dear. Why don’t you have a rest? Help yourself to something to eat. Don’t worry, it’s human food.”
“Alex?” Luna said again, keeping very still.
“It’s okay,” I said quietly. “Luna, trust me. You’re as safe here as anywhere.”
Luna gave me a look with very
“Alex, dear!” The voice came from behind the curtain. Up closer you can just hear the clicking sound under Arachne’s voice, though it’s faint enough that you wouldn’t notice unless you knew what to listen for. “Where have you been? Clear off a couch and sit down…Is that a guest?”
“This is Luna,” I called back. I heaved an armload of clothes off the nearest couch to give Luna space. Luna was so busy staring that she didn’t notice.
“What a pretty name. Hello, Luna, can you hear me?”
“Um, it’s nice to meet you,” Luna called. She moved to a chair and traced a finger down a pale green ribbon, then tested it between her fingers, looking at it curiously.
“Are you wondering what they’re made of?” Arachne called, and Luna dropped the cloth with a start. “Everyone does, you know.”
“Um, yes.” Luna touched the ribbon again, fascinated. “Is it silk? I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Arachne laughed, and again there was that odd clickingnoise. “Almost. Not the kind you’re thinking, though…Well, then, Alex, if you’re here, I expect you want something, hmm?”
“Yup. The ball at Canary Wharf.”
“My, my. That’s tonight.”
“Invitation was late. Got anything lying around?”
“Oh, good heavens, Alex,” Arachne said, and I could hear the exasperation in her voice. “Well, at least you’ve got the sense to come here. Let’s have a look.” There was a shadow of movement behind the curtain, then Arachne emerged, and for the first time Luna got a good look at her.
Arachne is about the size of a minivan and weighs maybe half a ton. Her body is black, with a cobalt blue sheen that glimmers slightly when she moves, and she has eight eyes in two rows of four at the front of her head. Each one of her eight legs has seven hairy segments, ending in tips where the hairs are finer and can act almost like fingers. Two mandibles hide her fangs and rustle slightly as she talks, making the clicking sound.
In other words, she’s a gigantic spider. Arachne is quite safe—well, more or less—but she’s every arachnophobe’s worst nightmare, and even people who aren’t scared of spiders are likely to scream the house down the first time they meet a tarantula bigger than their car.
Luna didn’t scream, but the blood drained from her face, and her eyes went as big as dinner plates. “Alex?” she said, her voice very high.
“It’s all right,” I said reassuringly. “She won’t hurt you.”
“Alex, she’s a giant spider.”
“She won’t hurt you.”
“Alex,
she’s a giant spider
.”
“I know,” I said patiently. “She won’t hurt you.”
“Well?” Arachne said expectantly. “Aren’t you going to introduce us?”
Keeping a careful eye on Luna, I stepped forward. “Right. Arachne, this is Luna. She’s still pretty new to all this. Have you got somewhere she could sit down for a while?”
“Oh, of course.” Arachne scuttled sideways, and Lunajumped. Arachne beckoned down a side tunnel. “You look exhausted, dear. Why don’t you have a rest? Help yourself to something to eat. Don’t worry, it’s human food.”
“Alex?” Luna said again, keeping very still.
“It’s okay,” I said quietly. “Luna, trust me. You’re as safe here as anywhere.”
Luna gave me a look with very
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