Too many thoughts. She couldn't sleep. She took Gary's tooth from her back pocket and looked across the room at the crab-legged thing on top of the dresser. The skull had a full set of teeth, both top and bottom. The tooth in her hand was an incisor but he wasn't missing any. He must have regrown the tooth the mummy had pulled out of his head. Instead of shuddering at the thought she curled her hand around the tooth and made contact.
Why, look who's dropped by for another chat.The skullbug didn't move or react in any way. It looked preternaturally like a sleeping cat basking in a ray of moonlight. In her head Gary sounded a lot more excited.
'Let's get one thing clear,' Sarah told him, the words staying in her throat so her father wouldn't hear. 'If you try any of that paralysis bullshit again I will personally take you out to the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and drop you in. Dad might subconsciously heal you but I don't think he can teach you how to swim.'
I can't tell you how scared I am.
Sarah glared at the skull. 'I already have the boat.'
And I have something you need, or we wouldn't be talking. You can threaten me all you like, Sarah, but you can't do anything about it.
He was baiting her. He wanted her to get angry. He wanted her to kick him or throw him against the wall or say something cruel. Why? Maybe even that level of human contact would be something he wanted. Or maybe he just enjoyed winding her up.
She didn't have the energy to try to figure it out.
'It's about Mael Mag Och. The guy I thought was called Jack.'
Ah. The old bastard. Yes, I knew him well. Did you want just general information or did you have a specific question?
'Why did he lie to me?' she demanded. She had tried to find out for herself, earlier, by going to the horse's mouth. Time and again she had grasped the hilt of the green sword. Mael Mag Och never answered. When she'd asked her father about that he'd said the old Celt must be screening his calls. Then Dekalb had been forced to explain to her what that meant. 'He won't talk to me now. For years though he came to me. He taught me things, gave me advice. Why? Why was it so important that I think he was Jack?'
He probably chose Jack's name as someone you would have heard of, somebody you could be expected to trust,Gary told her. His voice was surprisingly soft and kindly.He was never the kind of person who could tell you simple facts. He came on like a nice guy and frankly, I still believe he has a good heart. But he has some pretty crazy ideas about who we are and why the world had to end. If he doesn't want to talk to you then count yourself lucky.
'I guess he fooled you, too, huh?' Sarah asked.
For a while. Then I ate his brain. Of course, that says more about me than him.
Sarah shook with horror.
He's insane. I can tell you that much for free, short cake. He told me once his god sent him back from death so that he could oversee the extinction of the human race. He didn't strike me as the kind who would give up on a commandment from a god.
Chills ran down Sarah's back. Extinction...? Was that what he wanted? Why had he helped her, then? What kind of game was he playing behind her back? It had to be something else.
Whatever he asks you, whatever he asks from you. Don't give it to him.
'Thanks for the advice.' Sarah put the tooth back in her pocket and rolled over again. She could hear her father moving around on the hardwood floor. He didn't sound like a human being. His footsteps weren't loud or strong enough.
Too many thoughts.
In the morning white sunlight marched up the sheets and eventually hit her in the face. Sarah wrinkled her nose but eventually she had to give in. She sat up in bed and saw her father sitting in the chair across the room. He had a book in his hands.