two years. It’s Sazanov now.’
‘Well go fetch Monsieur Sazanov, and when you find him, tell him that Collegiate Councillor Chernetskiy is here.’
‘Chernetskiy?’ The idiot seemed to recognize the name. ‘But …’
‘Just go and do it.’ Iuda raised his voice a little. It had the desired effect.
Moments later a figure approached, almost bowing as he walked. Iuda presumed him to be Sazanov.
‘Your High Nobleness. I should have known. I should have known.’
‘Known what?’ snapped Iuda.
‘That we were to be graced by your presence.’
‘Why?’
‘Because of your man. You sent him ahead. To prepare the room for you.’
Iuda squeezed his jaws hard together, feeling the muscles tighten. He’d been right to be concerned. Luka had given something away before he died. Iuda should have come straight here and not wasted so much time the previous night.
‘I sent no one,’ he said firmly. ‘When was this?’
‘An hour ago. An hour and a half.’
‘How long did he stay?’
‘He’s still up there. He has the key.’
In seconds Iuda had crossed the lobby and was bounding up the steps. He had no trouble remembering the way and the unending flights of stairs did nothing to exhaust him. He recognized the bronze faces that decorated the rails of the final staircase, with snakes in their hair, like Medusa. Soon he was at the door of 215. It was locked. He prepared to put his shoulder to it – it would offer no effective resistance to his strength.
‘Sir! Please!’ Sazanov was at the far end of the corridor, moving with surprising swiftness for a man of his build, but red-faced and out of breath. In his hand he was waving a bunch of keys. ‘Use this.’
Iuda snatched the keys from him, holding the one that had been proffered. ‘Go!’ he snarled.
‘But sir, that’s the master key. I can’t leave it with a guest.’
‘I’ll return it when I’m done,’ Iuda whispered. Something about his tone convinced the manager, who waddled quickly away. Iuda turned the key and flung open the door to his room.
Mihail threw himself down on the bed. This hotel was far less grand than the Hôtel d’Europe, but he was happy to be here. His heart was still pounding; not from exertion, not through fear, but simply at the thrill of seeing his quarry – though not at all where he had expected him to be.
Mihail had just turned on to the final flight of stairs that descended into the lobby when he had seen Iuda – not his face, simply the back of his head, but the straight blond hair just touching his collar was clue enough. Then he’d turned and Mihail had seen his profile. They’d met only on one occasion, in that gaol at Geok Tepe, but Mihail had spent the whole time studying him, learning his every feature, so that even at a distance of half a verst he would be able to pick him out, hunt him down and kill him.
Mihail’s first instinct was to strike there and then. In his knapsack he carried the simplest of weapons; one that had proven effective against vampires – though never yet in his hand. But to rush down the stairs and attempt to plunge a short wooden dagger into Iuda’s heart was too risky. Iuda was strong and fast. The lobby was crowded with people. Even if he succeeded, he would be arrested. And he would have to take Iuda by surprise, and where would be the fun in that? This was to be punishment – an execution. The pleasure would not be solely in Iuda’s death, but in the knowledge that Iuda understood he was about to die and the reason for it. Iuda must know regret.
And so it was better to wait. Somewhere on a train between here and Saratov a trunk was being delivered, at Mihail’s request. He would be reunited with it soon. Inside he would find far better tools to complete the task, devices he and his mother had worked on together; had tested as best they could. Ideally it would be a slow death – and a painful one – so that Iuda would have time to contemplate. There was a way it could be done – a modern, scientific way. Mihail had seen it with his own eyes. But it would take careful preparation.
He’d slipped back up the stairs and hidden in the room with the piano. Iuda had passed in a whirl of fury and Mihail had not waited. He headed down as quickly as he