The Romulus Equation by Darren Craske Page B

to hunt him down?’
    â€˜I’ve already tried that,’ said Sirona. ‘Unfortunately, the men I dispatched to intercept Cornelius in his hotel were unsuccessful… terminally so.’
    Remus growled. ‘Then I shall seek him out myself and deal with him!’
    â€˜
No!
’ roared the old woman, causing her to cough violently.
    â€˜Your sickness is getting worse, Sirona. You must
rest
,’ Remus said, steadying the woman’s arm.
    â€˜Rest, Remus? How can I rest when Cornelius Quaint is on the verge of uncovering decades of secrets that you and I have both worked hard to remain concealed?’
    â€˜So what are we supposed to do?’ asked Remus. ‘Just sit here and wait for Quaint to arrive?’
    â€˜Exactly,’ replied Sirona, dabbing at her mouth with a handkerchief, staining it with a thick, tar-like substance. ‘You must ensure this information is kept from the inner stratum. If they were to learn that Cornelius survived the tragedy in Egypt, then our house of lies will come tumbling down. In time, Cornelius will come here, and we must make it easy for him. The fly will walk right into our web, and when his defences are down… we shall watch as his soul burns.’

Chapter XV
The Fifth Phase
    â€˜Nervous, Viktor?’ enquired Cornelius Quaint of the knife thrower, as they stood in the very same spot adjacent to San Vincentine’s Cathedral that they had the previous night.
    Viktor snorted back, ‘Nervous? Me? How
dare
you? I am just thinking!’
    â€˜Ah. No wonder I didn’t recognise the look on your face,’ said Quaint. ‘So what are you thinking about?’
    â€˜Besides this being madness, you mean?’ asked Viktor. ‘This place might not look quite as imposing in daylight, but we both know that it is what lurks within that we need to fear.’
    Quaint smiled. ‘We need to find it before we can fear it, and seeing as this happens to be the enemy’s lair, there’s every possibility that he’ll get the jump on us the moment we set foot inside.’
    â€˜Is that supposed to calm my nerves?’
    â€˜So you
are
nervous!’ laughed Quaint. ‘Don’t worry. We’re going to play things differently this time, no mucking about. This time I’m not going to give Romulus a chance to slam the door in my face!’
    â€˜I thought he tried to electrocute you,’ Viktor said.
    â€˜I was speaking metaphorically,’ said Quaint. ‘Last night I was stupid. I’d heard about his reputation and I wanted to put it to the test. That was childish of me, but now I’m sure of his connection to Remus, I’m going to change my tactics.’
    â€˜Let us hope that Romulus sees it that way,’ said Viktor. ‘He might just decide to kill you anyway.’
    â€˜Whose side are you on, Viktor?’ cried Quaint. ‘If I wanted someone to disagree with my actions at every turn I would have stayed in London! You’re not like that, my old friend. You’ve always shared my zest for an adventure! Remember the old days when we worked the Bavarian circuit? Late night debauchery, plenty of beer and cheer and never a night with an empty bed? Don’t tell me you just
gave up
?’
    â€˜
Nein
, Cornelius, I
grew
up!’ grunted Viktor. ‘Those days are far behind me, as they should be for you. Clambering over walls, snooping on the enemy, getting into scrapes… those are capers for younger men!’
    â€˜So you’d rather stay out here on your own, old man?’ asked Quaint.
    â€˜I will do no such thing!’ roared Viktor. ‘Our friendship is a strong one, Cornelius, and one built on solid foundations. But even the most solid of structures has a weak point. Watching your back when people are intent on killing you is one thing, but I did not plan on it becoming a full-time occupation!’
    â€˜You should talk to Destine,’ grinned Quaint.