Necroscope IV Deadspeak - By Brian Lumley Page 0,138
hold you until someone came to collect you. There's a flight due in from Moscow at 1:00 p.m.'
'So ... I should be able to go on back into Bucharest and simply board my plane?'
Eugen looked surly, said nothing - until Ion pushed his hideous face very close and held up a warning finger. And:
'Yes! For God's sake!' Eugen gasped.
'God?' said Harry, reaching into the agent's pocket for the keys to his car. Harry wasn't sure he still believed in God, and he certainly couldn't understand why the dead should, not in the 'heaven' which they had been granted. But they did, as he'd discovered in several conversations. God was hope, he supposed. But while Harry wouldn't personally describe as a blasphemy the mere fact of the Deity's spoken Name, still it set his teeth on edge hearing it as an exclamation from one such as Eugen. 'And you know all about Him, do you?'
'What?' said the other, as Harry stood up again. 'About who?' It was as Harry had expected: Eugen knew nothing about Him.
'Well, I'm going now,' said Harry, 'but I'm afraid you're staying right here. You and Corneliu. Because I know I can't let you walk, not just yet, anyway. So you'll remain the honoured guests of my friends until I'm well out of it. But once I'm safely airborne, then I'll let these people know they can release you - and themselves.'
'You'll ... let them know?' Eugen had started shuddering and couldn't control it. 'How will you let - ?'
'I'll shout,' said Harry, with a mirthless grin. 'Don't worry, they'll hear me.'
But what if he starts shouting first? Ion Zaharia asked as Harry walked out of the graveyard.
Then stop him, Harry answered. And: But try not to kill them. Life's precious, as you know well enough. So let them live what they have left. And anyway, they're not worthy to be in here with such as you...
Harry drove very carefully back to Bucharest, parked the car in the airport car park and locked it, and pressed the keys into the soil of a large flowerpot in the booking lounge. Then, just five minutes past his actual reporting time, he handed in his ticket and luggage. It was the same as when he'd come in: no one looked at him twice.
The Olympia Airlines plane took off just eleven minutes late, at 12:56. As it turned its nose south for Bulgaria and the Aegean, Harry was rewarded by the sight of an Aeroflot jet going in for a landing. There would be a bright-eyed couple of lads on board just dying to get their hands on him. Well, so let them die.
Forty minutes later, with the Aegean just swimming up into view through the circular windows, Harry reached out with his deadspeak to the cemetery outside Ploiesti. How are things?
All's well, Harry. No one's been in here, and these two haven't been a problem. The big one did faint, eventually. His small friend came to, took one look, and passed out again!
Harry said: Ion, Alexandru, all of you -1 don't have the words to thank you.
You don't need any. Can we just leave these two where they are now, and... dig ourselves in again?
Harry's nod was reflex as he reclined his seat and lay back a little. The dead in the Romanian graveyard picked it up anyway, and began to disperse back to their resting places. Thanks again, Harry told them, withdrawing his thoughts and allowing himself some small relaxation for the first time in ... well, in a day at least.
Don't mention it, was their response.
Harry tried to get Faethor. If he could contact the others as easily as that, communication with the long-dead father of vampires should be no problem. After a few seconds of concentration, he got through.
Harry? I see you are safe. Ah, but you're the resourceful one, Harry Keogh!
You knew I was in trouble?
(Faethor's mental shrug). As I've told you before: I sometimes overhear things. Did you want something?
It seemed to me we might save ourselves some time, Harry answered. I have nothing to do right now, and in a little while my head will be full of the clutter of friends and the atmosphere of a friendly place - not that I'm complaining! So I thought maybe now would be a good time for you to tell me the rest of Janos's story.
There's not much more to tell. But if you wish it... ?