Small Favor Part 29

Kincaid led me down the way from the Oceanarium and out to the main entry hall. It's another grandiose collection of s.h.i.+ning stone floor and towering Corinthian columns, arranged around a huge tank the size of a roller rink. It's full of salt water and coral and seaweed and all kinds of tropical fish. Sometimes there's a diver with a microphone built into his or her mask feeding the little sharks and fish and talking to gawking tourists. Diffused light floods in through an enormous, triangular-paneled cupola overhead.

The recent snow had blackened the panes of the cupola and drifted up over most of the gla.s.s front doors, so the only light in the room came from the little colored lights in the huge tank. Fish glided through the tank like wraiths, the odd light casting sinister shades over their scales, and their shadows drifted disembodied over the walls of the room, magnified by the distance and the gla.s.s walls of the aquarium.

It was eerie as h.e.l.l.

One of the shadows drew my attention as some instinct picked out a strong, subtle sense of menace about it. It took me a couple of seconds to realize that this particular shadow disturbed me because it was human, and moving in a perfect, gliding pace around the wall, behind the shadow of one of the tank's small but genuine sharks-even though the man who cast the shadow was standing perfectly still.

Nicodemus turned from contemplating the fish swimming in the tank so that I could see the outline of his profile against the softly colored lights. His teeth gleamed orange-red in the light of the nearest underwater lamp.

I stopped myself from taking an involuntary step back, but just barely.

"It is a metaphor," he said quietly. He had a good voice, mellow and surprisingly deep. "Look at them. Swimming. Eating. Mating. Hunting, killing, fleeing, hiding, each to its nature. All of them so different. So alien to one another. Their world in constant motion, always changing, always threatening, challenging." He moved one arm, sweeping it in a wider gesture. "They cannot know how fragile it is, or that they are constantly surrounded by beings with the power to destroy their world and kill them all with the twitch of a finger. It is no fault of theirs, of course." Nicodemus shrugged. "They are simply...limited. Very, very limited. h.e.l.lo, Dresden."

"You're playing the creepy vibe a little hard," I said. "Might as well go for broke, put on a black top hat and pipe in some organ music."

He laughed quietly. It didn't sound evil as much as it did rich and supremely confident. "There's some irregularity with the meeting, I take it?"

Kincaid glanced at me and nodded.

"Local law enforcement wishes a representative to be present," I said.

Nicodemus's head tilted. "Really? Who?"

"Does it matter?" Kincaid asked, his tone bored. "The Archive is willing to permit it, if you have no objections."

Nicodemus turned all the way around finally. I couldn't see his expression, just his outline against the tank. His shadow, meanwhile, kept circling the room behind the shark. "Two conditions," he said.

"Go on," Kincaid said.

"First, that the representative be unarmed, and that the Archive guarantee his neutrality in the absence of factors that conflict with matters of law-enforcement duty."

Kincaid glanced at me. Murphy wouldn't like the "unarmed" part, but she'd do it. If nothing else, she wouldn't want to back down in front of me-or maybe Kincaid.

But I had to wonder, what was Nicodemus's problem with an armed cop? Guns did not bother the man. Not even a little. Why that stipulation?

I nodded at Kincaid.

"Excellent," Nicodemus said. "Second..." He walked forward, each footstep sounding clearly upon the marble floors, until we could see him in the nearest floorlights. He was a man of medium height and build, his features handsome, strong, his eyes dark and intelligent. Hints of silver graced his immaculate hair, though he was holding up pretty well for a man of two thousand. He wore a black silk s.h.i.+rt, dark pants, and what could have been mistaken for a grey Western tie at his throat. It wasn't. It was an old, old rope from the same field as his coin. "Second," he said, "I want five minutes alone with Dresden."

"No offense, Nick," I said, "but that's about five minutes longer than I want to spend with you."

"Exactly," he replied, smiling. It was the kind of smile you see at country clubs and in boardrooms and on crocodiles. "There's really never a good opportunity for us to have a civilized conversation. I'm seizing the chance for a chat." He gestured at the building around us. "Sans demolition, if you think you can refrain."

I scowled at him.

"Mister Archleone," Kincaid said, "are you offering a peace bond? If so, the Archive will hold you to it."

"I offer no such thing," Nicodemus said without looking away from me. "Dresden would count it as worthless coin, and his is the only opinion that really matters in this particular situation." He spread his hands. "A talk, Dresden. Five minutes. I a.s.sure you, if I wished to do you harm, even the h.e.l.lhound's reputation"-he paused deliberately to glance at Kincaid with naked contempt in his gaze-"would not make me hesitate for an instant. I would have killed you already."

Kincaid gave Nicodemus a chill little smile, and the air boiled with potential violence.

I held up a hand and said quietly, "Easy there, Wild Bill. I'll talk with him. Then we'll have our sit-down. All nice and civilized."

Kincaid glanced at me and arched a s.h.a.ggy, dark-gold eyebrow. "You sure?"

I shrugged a shoulder.

"All right," he said. "I'll be back in five minutes." He paused, then added, "If either of you initiates violence outside of the strictures of a formal duel, you'll be in violation of the Accords. In addition, you will have offered an insult to the reputation and integrity of the Archive-which I will take personal action to amend."

The wintry chill in his blue eyes was mostly for Nicodemus, but I got some of it too. Kincaid meant it, and I'd seen him in action before. He was one of the scarier people I knew; the more so because he went about matters with ruthless practicality, unhindered by personal ego or the pride one often encountered in the supernatural set. Kincaid wouldn't care if he looked into my eyes as he killed me, if that was what he set out to do. He'd be just as happy to put a bullet through my head from a thousand meters away, or wire a bomb to my car and read about my death on the Internet the next morning. Whatever got the job done.

That kind of att.i.tude doesn't help you when it comes to finding flashy or dramatic ways to do away with your enemies, but what it lacks in aesthetics it makes up in economy. Marcone, whom this whole mess was about, worked the same way, and it had taken him far. You crossed such men at extreme extreme peril. peril.

Nicodemus let out another quiet, charming laugh. He didn't look impressed by Kincaid. Maybe that was a good thing. Too much pride can kill a man.

On the other hand, from what I'd seen of him, maybe Nicodemus really was was that tough. that tough.

"Run along, h.e.l.lhound," Nicodemus said. "Your mistress's honor is quite safe." He drew an X on his chest. "Cross my heart."

Maybe it was an inside reference. Kincaid's eyes flashed with something hot and furious before they went glacial again. He nodded to me, then precisely the same way to Nicodemus, and left.

I'm pretty sure the room didn't actually become darker and scarier and more threatening when I was left alone with the most dangerous man I'd ever crossed.

But it sure felt that way.

Nicodemus turned that toothy predator's smile to me as his shadow began to glide around the walls of the entry hall. Circling me. Like a shark.

"So, Harry," he said, walking closer, "what shall we talk about?"

Chapter Twenty-nine.

"Y ou're the one who wanted a conversation," I said. "And don't call me Harry. My friends call me Harry." ou're the one who wanted a conversation," I said. "And don't call me Harry. My friends call me Harry."

He turned one hand palm up. "And who is to say I cannot be your friend?"

"That would be me, Nick. I say. Here, I'll show you." I enunciated: "You can't be my friend."

"If I am to call you Dresden, it is only fair that you should call me Archleone."

"Archleone?" I asked. "As in 'seeking whom he may devour'? Kinda pretentious, isn't it?"

For half of a second, the smile turned into something almost genuine. "For a G.o.dless heathen, you are entirely too familiar with scripture. You know that I can kill you, do you not?"

"We'd make a mess," I said. "And who knows? I might get lucky."

Really, really, really lucky.

Nicodemus moved a hand in acknowledgment. "But barring luck."

"Yeah," I said.

"And you offer such insouciance regardless?"

"Habit," I said. "It doesn't make you special or anything, believe me."

"Oh, I picked the right coin for you." He started to walk in a slow circle around me, the way you might a car at the dealers.h.i.+p. "There are rumors that a certain Warden has been flinging h.e.l.lfire at his foes. How do you like it?"

"I'd like it better if it came in Pine Fresh and New Car instead of only Rotting Egg," I said.

Nicodemus completed his circuit of me and arched an eyebrow. "You haven't taken up the coin."

"I would, but it's in my piggybank," I said, "and I can't break the piggy, obviously. He's too cute."

"Lasciel's shadow must be slipping," Nicodemus said, shaking his head. "It has had years to reason with you, and still you refuse our gifts."

"What with the curly little tail and the big, sad brown eyes," I said, as if he hadn't said anything.

One of his heels. .h.i.t the ground with unnecessary force, and he stopped walking. He inhaled through his nose and out again. "Definitely the proper coin for you." He folded his hands carefully behind his back. "Dresden, you have a skewed image of us. We were operating at cross-purposes the first time we met, and you probably learned everything you know about us from Carpenter and his cohorts. The Church has always had excellent propaganda."

"Actually, the murder, torture, and destruction you and your people perpetrated spoke pretty loudly all by themselves."

Nicodemus rolled his eyes. "Dresden, please. You have done all of those things at one time or another. Poor Ca.s.sius told me all about what you did to him in the hotel room."

"Gosh," I said, grinning. "If someone had walked in on us in the middle of that sentence, would my face be red or what?"

He stared at me for a second, and the emotion and expression drained out of his features like dewdrops vanis.h.i.+ng under a desert sunrise. What was left behind was little more than desolation. "Harry Dresden," he said, so softly that I could barely make it out. "I admire your defiance of greater powers than your own. I always have. But tempus fugit tempus fugit. For all of us."

I blinked.

For all of us? What the h.e.l.l did he mean by that? What the h.e.l.l did he mean by that?

"Have you not seen the signs around you?" Nicodemus asked. "Beings acting against their natures? Creatures behaving in ways that they should not? The old conventions and customs being cast aside?"

I narrowed my eyes at him. "You're talking about the Black Council."

He tilted his head slightly to one side. Then his mouth twitched at a corner and he nodded his head very slightly. "They move in shadows, manipulate puppets. Some of them may be on your Council, yes. As good a name as any."

"Stop playing innocent," I spat at him. "I saw the leftovers of the Black Council attack on Arctis Tor. I know what h.e.l.lfire smells like. One of yours was in on it."

Nicodemus.

Blinked.

Then he surged forward-fast. So fast that by the time I'd registered that he was moving, my back had already hit the wall that had been twenty feet behind me. He hadn't been trying to hurt me. If he had, the back of my head would have splattered open. He just pinned me there against the wall with one hand on my throat, tighter and harder than a steel vise.

"What?" he demanded, his voice still a whisper. His eyes, though, were very wide. Both sets of them. A second set, these glowing faintly green, had opened just above his eyebrows-Anduriel's, I presumed.

"Ack," I said. "Glarghk."

His arm quivered for a second, and then he lowered his eyelids until they were almost closed. A moment later he very, very slowly relaxed his arm, allowing me to breathe again. My throat burned, but air came in, and I wheezed for a second or two while he stepped back from me.

I glared up at him and debated slamming him through one of those Corinthian columns by way of objecting to being manhandled. But I decided that I didn't want to p.i.s.s him off.

Nicodemus's lips moved, but an entirely different voice issued from them-something musical, lyrical, and androgynous. "At least it has some some survival instinct." survival instinct."

Nicodemus shook his head as if buzzed by a mosquito and said, "Dresden, speak."

"I'm not your friend," I said, my voice rough. "I'm not your d.a.m.ned dog, either. Conversation over." I took a few steps to one side so that I could move around him without taking my eyes off him, and started to leave.

"Dresden," Nicodemus said. "Stop."

I kept walking.

I was almost out of the room before he spoke again, resignation in his tone. "Please."

I paused, without turning around.

"I...reacted inappropriately. Especially for this venue. I apologize."

"Huh," I said, and looked over my shoulder. "Now I wish I had had brought Michael. He'd have fainted." brought Michael. He'd have fainted."

"Your friend and his brethren are tools of an organization with its own agenda, and they always have been," Nicodemus said. "But that's not the issue here."

"No," I said. "The issue is Marcone."

Nicodemus waved a hand. "Marcone is an immediate matter. There are long-term issues in play."

I turned to face him and sighed. "I think you're probably full of c.r.a.p. But okay, I'll bite. What long-term issues?"

"Those surrounding the activities of your Black Council," Nicodemus said. "Are you certain certain you saw evidence of h.e.l.lfire in use at the site of the attack on Arctis Tor?" you saw evidence of h.e.l.lfire in use at the site of the attack on Arctis Tor?"

"Yes." I didn't add the word dummy dummy. Who says I ain't diplomatic?

Nicodemus's fingers flexed into the shape of claws and then relaxed again. He pursed his lips. "Interesting. Then the only question is if the contamination is among standing members of our Order or..." He let the thought trail off and glanced at me, lifting an eyebrow.

I followed the logic to the only other people in possession of any of the coins. "Someone in the Church," I whispered, with a sick feeling in my stomach.

"Historically speaking, we get about half of the coins back that way," Nicodemus noted. "What would you say if I told you that you and I might have a great many common interests in the future?"