you,” Pierus said. “On reflection, you may be very useful. But I must know everything you know about what you call Pandora’s Box and why you’re searching for it. If you lie, I will know.”
“Just like that, huh?” Poppy got out of her chair and paced from shelf to shelf. “Just like that, I find out there’s a whole other world full of nightmares, you’re from it, and I’m supposed to divulge all my deep dark secrets.”
“I could find out for myself,” Pierus said. “But you wouldn’t find it a pleasant experience.”
Poppy looked at him askance. “I don’t think I want to know about that.”
“Then talk. We’re running out of time. The moment darkness falls the vampires will begin their reign of terror.”
Hippy glanced up at the high windows, but it was hard to tell from those what time of day it was. Her stomach growled. She moved up and down the shelves, watching for people who might be listening. Poppy’s voice floated after her.
“I became acquainted with an elderly gentleman some time ago,” Poppy said. “Originally the whole point was to gain his trust and–er–relieve him of some of his considerable fortune.” She cleared her throat. “Not all of it, you understand, but I had some debts to clear and to be honest he could afford it. Now this gentleman had an extensive library and was very knowledgeable about ancient history, so we ended up having some rather interesting conversations. I mean really, when it came down to it, I rather liked him. I try to avoid that, but there it is.”
Hippy wandered back towards the table. “Why did you avoid liking him?”
“Because she was going to cheat him of his money, my dear,” Pierus said. “Keep up.”
Poppy scowled. “Only a little of it. Anyway, he had a theory about Pandora’s Box. He used to say he thought the story was an allegory for something that existed, something that had magic powers. He was a bit whacky that way. At least I thought he was a bit whacky, until–” she winced. “Well, it all went a bit pear-shaped, didn’t it? Some random thugs came and smashed up the house. At first I thought they were for me, but they were all over him. Right before they came in he gave me this book and told me to hide it and get out if I could. So I did. I got out of the house and I called the cops.”
“And you never went back, naturally.” Pierus sounded amused.
“Not once I found out what was in the book.” Poppy reached into her pack and brought out a battered volume. She opened it up and slid it across the table.
Hippy went over to the desk to see.
Inside the book was a sheet of paper so old it was almost crumbling. On it was etched a faded map, on which notes were made in letters Hippy couldn’t for the life of her read. Besides, she was hungry. She lost interest and went to poke at a spider web on a top shelf in case there were any dead flies in it for Fluffy Ducky.
Pierus, however, studied the map intently. “These are the caves we were just in.”
“Damn right they are,” Poppy said. “I figured all that out, but not in time to clear my debts. So naturally Tony came looking for me and I had to promise to cut him in to get him off my back.”
“And what was your real plan?”
“Get the box and disappear. Set myself up for life.”
“You’re lying.”
Poppy sighed. “Look, I have a son, okay? He’s very young and there are a lot of people out there who’d use him against me if they knew. I was going to make sure he was safe. Then I was going to disappear and set myself up for life.”
Pierus seemed satisfied with this. “Tell me about the people who attacked your elderly gentleman.”
Poppy shrugged. “Garden variety thugs, I thought. Long-haired louts.”
“Did you notice anything else about them?”
“They did seem a trifle on the short side. And vicious.”
“Hippy,” Pierus said.
Hippy came back to the table.
“Short and vicious,” Pierus said. “I’d say that was a good
“Just like that, huh?” Poppy got out of her chair and paced from shelf to shelf. “Just like that, I find out there’s a whole other world full of nightmares, you’re from it, and I’m supposed to divulge all my deep dark secrets.”
“I could find out for myself,” Pierus said. “But you wouldn’t find it a pleasant experience.”
Poppy looked at him askance. “I don’t think I want to know about that.”
“Then talk. We’re running out of time. The moment darkness falls the vampires will begin their reign of terror.”
Hippy glanced up at the high windows, but it was hard to tell from those what time of day it was. Her stomach growled. She moved up and down the shelves, watching for people who might be listening. Poppy’s voice floated after her.
“I became acquainted with an elderly gentleman some time ago,” Poppy said. “Originally the whole point was to gain his trust and–er–relieve him of some of his considerable fortune.” She cleared her throat. “Not all of it, you understand, but I had some debts to clear and to be honest he could afford it. Now this gentleman had an extensive library and was very knowledgeable about ancient history, so we ended up having some rather interesting conversations. I mean really, when it came down to it, I rather liked him. I try to avoid that, but there it is.”
Hippy wandered back towards the table. “Why did you avoid liking him?”
“Because she was going to cheat him of his money, my dear,” Pierus said. “Keep up.”
Poppy scowled. “Only a little of it. Anyway, he had a theory about Pandora’s Box. He used to say he thought the story was an allegory for something that existed, something that had magic powers. He was a bit whacky that way. At least I thought he was a bit whacky, until–” she winced. “Well, it all went a bit pear-shaped, didn’t it? Some random thugs came and smashed up the house. At first I thought they were for me, but they were all over him. Right before they came in he gave me this book and told me to hide it and get out if I could. So I did. I got out of the house and I called the cops.”
“And you never went back, naturally.” Pierus sounded amused.
“Not once I found out what was in the book.” Poppy reached into her pack and brought out a battered volume. She opened it up and slid it across the table.
Hippy went over to the desk to see.
Inside the book was a sheet of paper so old it was almost crumbling. On it was etched a faded map, on which notes were made in letters Hippy couldn’t for the life of her read. Besides, she was hungry. She lost interest and went to poke at a spider web on a top shelf in case there were any dead flies in it for Fluffy Ducky.
Pierus, however, studied the map intently. “These are the caves we were just in.”
“Damn right they are,” Poppy said. “I figured all that out, but not in time to clear my debts. So naturally Tony came looking for me and I had to promise to cut him in to get him off my back.”
“And what was your real plan?”
“Get the box and disappear. Set myself up for life.”
“You’re lying.”
Poppy sighed. “Look, I have a son, okay? He’s very young and there are a lot of people out there who’d use him against me if they knew. I was going to make sure he was safe. Then I was going to disappear and set myself up for life.”
Pierus seemed satisfied with this. “Tell me about the people who attacked your elderly gentleman.”
Poppy shrugged. “Garden variety thugs, I thought. Long-haired louts.”
“Did you notice anything else about them?”
“They did seem a trifle on the short side. And vicious.”
“Hippy,” Pierus said.
Hippy came back to the table.
“Short and vicious,” Pierus said. “I’d say that was a good
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