Kultus by Richard Ford Page A

several score witnesses to my credit. I don’t appreciate being accused in my own home. Particularly not by–’
    ‘Calm down Julius. It was an innocent query. No need to get yourself aroused. Unless of course you have something to hide?’
    ‘Something to hide? Me? Indagator, are you being serious?’
    That was it, she had had enough of this vacillating nonsense. The time for diplomacy had gone; it was time to find out what Julius actually knew.
    ‘Am I being serious?’ replied Amelia, starting to pull her gloves back over her fingers. ‘Bounder, show Lord Julius how serious we are.’
    There was no pause, no need for a validation of her implied instructions, as Bounder pulled forth his cudgel and smashed it into the nearest bodyguard’s face. It was the man with the limp, and the strength of the blow staggered him. He fell with a howl as his compatriot covered his head with his hands, readying himself for a blow. Bounder placed a firm kick to his exposed privates, and the man went down with a stuck-pig squeal.
    Amelia didn’t watch as Bounder began to set about them with his cudgel. She merely watched the expression on Julius’s face change from smug to uncomfortable to horrified.
    When Bounder had finished, neither of the bodyguards were moving.
    ‘A noble, notoriously linked with the occult, is found dead. Soon after, your home is broken into. And you, a famed benefactor of occult organisations. Tell me this is just coincidence, Lord Julius?’
    ‘Well… I… stranger things have happened.’
    She glanced over one shoulder to the panting form of Bounder, who took a single menacing step forward.
    ‘All right,’ shouted Julius, lifting up his hands. He had obviously been given enough bruises by his prior assailant and was in no mood to receive any more. ‘Thaddeus Blaklok’s the man you want, he was the one who broke in. And I’ll give you odds he’s the man who saw to poor Earl Beuphalus.’
    ‘Who?’ replied Amelia.
    ‘You’re an Indagator of the Judicature and you’ve not heard of Thaddeus Blaklok? Well, granted, there may not be anything official in the records of the Lexiconium, but Blaklok’s reputation precedes him.’
    ‘Let’s pretend I know nothing,’ she said, her interest piqued.
    Julius regarded her slyly. ‘Well, I suppose you are a little young. Blaklok was very much before your day but he’s made a recent resurgence, unfortunately. He was a well known underground strongarm in his time. Specialising in orphic eradication and cabalistic abrogation–’
    Amelia held a hand up to silence Julius. She had heard enough, and wasn’t the least interested in his occult fantasising. ‘Why did you not tell us before about this Blaklok character?’
    ‘Because the man’s a menace. Have you seen my face? My men?’ Julius gestured over at the prone forms of his bodyguards lying motionless on the carpet. ‘Thaddeus Blaklok is not a man to be trifled with. Had I told you his name he would know where the information had come from. I don’t want to end up a marked man.’
    ‘So he didn’t come here to kill you? Your men didn’t fight him off?
    ‘Of course not,’ Julius seemed almost incensed. ‘Look at them, do they look like they could fight anyone off, they’re fucking useless, the cook’s more likely give a better account of herself. If Blaklok had wanted me dead I wouldn’t be talking to you now.’
    ‘It was just a social visit that turned nasty then? Is that it, Lord Julius?’
    ‘He wanted information. Names and locations of prominent House members. What they were into, when they took their respites. When I told him I couldn’t help things started to turn nasty.’
    ‘You couldn’t help? Come now Julius, you’re a well connected man.’
    ‘Was! Was a well connected man. Now I keep myself to myself. When allowed! I’m not a fucking lexicon of the nobility. Not that Thaddeus Blaklok would believe it. And from the look on your face neither do you.’
    Amelia gave Lord