“You already know,” Black said. He blew a ring of smoke. “He wants you to find Brazio Valeriani. That’s the other part of the bargain. He must have great confidence in you, believing you would come back from this house alive.” Black held up the dagger, its tip toward Matthew. “Don’t waste time trying to deny it. Your agency is well-known for such exploits as finding missing persons. I have to say, if you weren’t looking for Valeriani on Fell’s behalf, I would be glad to pay you your asking price to find Valeriani for myself. What would that price be, Matthew?

“Your head on a stick,” was the answer.

“Rage clouds the mind, Matthew. It doesn’t suit you.” Black returned to cleaning his nails. “Do you even have any idea why the professor wants so badly to find Valeriani?”

Matthew realized that remaining silent and sullen at this point was not beneficial to his interests. Was Black offering to tell him? Matthew said, “I know it involves the book of demonology and Valeriani’s father, Ciro.”

“Ah, the book of demonology.” Black gave another thin smile. “What if I told you one might regard The Lesser Key of Solomon as a catalogue?”

“A catalogue of what?”

“Demons, of course. There they all are, with their names, titles and powers spelled out on the pages. A catalogue, Matthew, of what demon can be chosen for what kind of work on the earthly plane.”

It took Matthew a moment to formulate an answer. “You don’t really believe that, do you?” Instantly he thought yes of course Cardinal Black believes it … and so too must Professor Fell.

Black laughed. It began as a chuckle of glee and ended up sounded as if he were grinding his teeth on a bone.

“That was a stupid remark, wasn’t it?” Matthew asked.

The cardinal’s pipe smoke drifted through the air, curving toward the fireplace’s flue. As the whorls approached him, Matthew imagined they took the shape of grotesque faces and creatures with claws and horns. One skimmed his cheek like a rude phantasmic kiss as it went past and was caught by the updraft.

“The tale I have been told,” said Cardinal Black, “is that Brazio’s father—a scientist of some note—suffered a mental breakdown at the death of his wife. In that condition, Ciro Valeriani actually had an enlightenment. All the false beliefs were extinguished. He came to know the true ruler of this world, and to both respect and yearn for that kind of power.”

“Satanic, I’m assuming you mean.”

“He became quite interested in The Lesser Key of Solomon, and in other tomes even more far-reaching but difficult to obtain. My understanding is that Ciro made contact with a man in Rome who could not only furnish him with some of these—for a hefty price—but who could also introduce him to Senna Salastre.”