The two women stared at me in silence. Their shock and suppressed rage seemed to suck the static electricity out of the room and into their quivering bodies. One of Wendy’s eyelids even trembled above that discoloured, egg-yolky eye, and the eyeball appeared to distend from the eye socket. Her forehead purpled and I mused over her blood pressure.
‘I know what this is,’ Wendy all but spat at me. ‘It’s a smear. Revenge. A petulant attempt to protest your grievances. But that was not what we asked for!’
‘Asked for? Is that how you would describe what you have demanded from me, ever since Ewan allowed your shadows to fall across my threshold, and to darken an existence that I was perfectly content with?’
‘Oh no. No, no!’ Wendy cried. ‘We’re not going through all that again. If you cannot see this as an opportunity, then that is not our problem. This book –’ Wendy tapped the manuscript that she had thrown onto the coffee table – ‘is nothing short of a smear campaign.’
‘Then sue me for defamation and libel. After the book is published.’
Wendy’s thin-lipped mouth worked about her dirty teeth but produced no sound. There was a flicker now in her second eyelid.
‘Did you say, published?’ Natalie whispered.
‘Oh, yes. My publisher has accepted the manuscript. I sent an outline and the first few chapters to my agent some time ago. That’s how it works, you see. Not that either of you would know anything about how this business operates. And that thing that occupies the top floor of the Tor wouldn’t have a clue either, because he’s been out of the loop for some time. But my publisher has offered me a new agreement for Yellow Teeth. They’re very enthusiastic about this book too, and more so than the book I abandoned. In fact, they hope to publish Yellow Teeth at Halloween, this year.’
Wendy managed to swallow enough of her bile to speak, albeit in a strained whisper. ‘How much are they offering?’
I told them.
‘Dear God,’ Wendy said. ‘As much as that?’ She glanced at the manuscript on the table. ‘For . . . this?’
‘Oh, yes,’ I said. ‘For that very novel, right there. Yellow Teeth. The manuscript has been accepted for publication.’
‘I see,’ said Wendy, the blossom of blood draining from her face. ‘And you took it upon yourself to proceed without discussing this with us.’
‘I did. It’s my book and my career.’
‘Not exactly,’ Nat offered. ‘We have told you that you mustn’t think about your writing in those terms any more. You are to facilitate the reintroduction of a significant set of ideas into the world.’
‘Nat!’ Wendy barked. ‘If you don’t mind!’
‘I’m sorry, Wendy.’
Wendy turned again to me. ‘This money . . . The advance, when will it be payable?’
‘The signature and delivery portion within four weeks.’
That made Wendy grin, though spitefully.
Natalie closed her eyes and clenched her hands together as if she were thanking whoever had answered her prayers. ‘Wendy,’ she muttered in a pathetic voice, ‘we can get the roof done . . . Some clothes—’
‘It belongs to the API, Natalie, you know that.’ Wendy then raised her chin so that she could peer down her nose at me. ‘You will make the transfer without any delays.’
I nodded. It had taken a good long while for me to accept that the advance for the new book was gone, and all future proceeds too, if there were any. All would be paid to these creatures that stood before me. They were stealing from me. But by giving them the money, I knew that I was prolonging my life, and any quality of life that I could ever hope to enjoy.
I wanted to sleep again. And by this time in our association I would have done anything, paid anything at all, to have rid myself of Wendy, Natalie, and whatever it was that came and went on the top floor of Hunter’s Tor Hall, this Master that had imprisoned us and directed the killing of Ewan.
I had just enough money saved to support myself for another eighteen months, by which time I would need to secure another book deal, for the book that would follow Yellow Teeth.
I stood up. ‘And that concludes our collaboration. I have your bank details and you will receive the monies agreed in due course. I’ll even send you the royalty statements every six months so that you can see if the book has sold, and if the work has accrued any future income. You can even file the statements in the basement of the Hall, along with all of your other records.’
I showed them the palms of my hands. ‘I have done what you asked, so I’ll have to ask you two ladies to leave now. As we also agreed, you will never contact me again. Now, I have work to do. A lot of publicity to prepare for, in order to promote our new book. You see, it’s a requirement for authors these days.’
Natalie sat forward on her chair. ‘Leave? But we can’t. Wendy, the other thing, are you going to mention it?’
Wendy nodded. ‘Indeed. I was waiting for a suitable pause in our associate’s version of events before I made a start.’
‘Start?’
‘If you please,’ Wendy added, and even raised one calloused hand to silence me. ‘And would you sit down. I think it is better if you hear this sitting down.’