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Back Cardinal Black Save as PDF
Chapters (44)
  1. Title Page
  2. One: Into the Storm
  3. One
  4. Two
  5. Three
  6. Four
  7. Five
  8. Six
  9. Seven
  10. Two: London Calling
  11. Eight
  12. Nine
  13. Ten
  14. Eleven
  15. Twelve
  16. Thirteen
  17. Fourteen
  18. Fifteen
  19. Three: The Malignant Seven
  20. Sixteen
  21. Seventeen
  22. Eighteen
  23. Nineteen
  24. Twenty
  25. Twenty-One
  26. Twenty-Two
  27. Twenty-Three
  28. Four: Squirrels and Cats
  29. Twenty-Four
  30. Twenty-Five
  31. Twenty-Six
  32. Twenty-Seven
  33. Twenty-Eight
  34. Twenty-Nine
  35. Thirty
  36. Thirty-One
  37. Thirty-Two
  38. Five: Revelation
  39. Thirty-Three
  40. Thirty-Four
  41. Thirty-Five
  42. Thirty-Six
  43. Thirty-Seven
  44. About the Author

The Owl’s open mouth released a shuddered moan. The body writhed in its chair, a bizarre sight as the arms and legs were set in one direction and the broken skull in the other. Blood gouted from the mouth, the nostrils and the ears at the same time. Lash hauled the Owl up, swung his body around and sent it smashing into the wall five feet away from Cardinal Black. As the Owl’s limp form sagged to the floor, Lash again picked the body up and hurled it into the wall, which cracked at the same time as did most of the Owl’s remaining intact bones. For a third time Lash heaved the body up and crashed it against the wall, his face a swollen rictus of rage. Then Lash began to stomp his heavy boots upon the crushed head, and at that time the study’s door flew open and Lioness Sauvage stood in the opening with Meacham, the uniformed doorman, behind her. Both of them recoiled from the sight before them. Lash shouted, “Get out!” as he continued to stomp down upon the ruined mass at his feet.

They retreated. Lash gave the body a few final kicks and then, his face shining with sweat and the breath rasping in his lungs, he leaned over his desk and placed his hands upon the edges for support. With a grinding of his teeth he picked up the cup of brown ashes and threw them into what had been the Owl’s face, now become a scarlet crater with its lower jaw hanging off and its remaining eyesocket somewhere up where the forehead used to be.

Lash stood breathing heavily and looking down upon his work.

“If,” Black said quietly, still pressed into his corner, “I may speak?”

“Speak.”

“For all his negligence, he presented some valid points. Devane and Corbett must be followed and taken. They cannot be allowed this insult to your honor. You have a second coach and you have a driver. You have—we have—an auction to conclude.”

“Go on,” said Lash, continuing to breathe hard.

“In this house,” Black said, as he slid forward, “is one of the greatest assortment of killers you might ever hope to find. Tell them that the auction will conclude when the book is recovered, and when that is done you will announce the winner. I’m sure they would much rather join a manhunt than spend fruitless time twiddling their thumbs in their rooms. Yes?”

Lash spent a silent moment pondering the suggestion. Then: “That will set them against each other, will it not?”