Adventures Of Myhr Part 9

"Pretend I don't know anything." Which was way too right. "Something happened to cause its appearance here. Rivers don't change course without a reason, even the metaphysical kind."

"Yes, we're all aware of that. Those of us whocan see it have discussed nothing else."

"The 'those' being a few people in high society. Why is that? What makes them different from the rest of the townspeople?"

"We're high-born and wealthy, I suppose."

That couldn't be it. She was wealthy, but in my experience d.a.m.n-few high-born ladies go into oochie-coochie dancing for a living. I didn't mention that, of course. "Do you all practice magic?"

"Not everyone. Just those with Talent, and not many of them."

"None of the townspeople have any Talent?"

"Of course some of themdid , but they're not around anymore."

"Hah?"

"When the river appeared they left." "Where'd they go?"

She looked unhappy. "No one knows."

Uh-huh. "Someone must. They had relatives and friends, maybe a nice little job where they'd be missed."

"They didn't leave in that sense. They just weren't around any more."

"Like they vanished-poof?"

"Exactly."

Not good. Maybe the river had sucked them in. The way it crept up the outside wall of the inn like a misty version of the Blob still gave me the heebies, though I realized now it probably hadn't sensed me at all, but had been sniffing for Terrin. That guy was a magical power station, broadcasting twenty-four/seven to anyone or anything geared to pick up his kind of signals. "That's pretty serious," I said. "Didn't you try to find them?"

"Once we worked out what had happened, Overduke Anton had investigators running all over town looking for them. No one knows where they are. It's as though they'd all been forgotten by all their friends."

"If they'd been forgotten, then how did you know they were missing?"

"Those of us with Talent who remained remembered them."

Oh.

"But it took usdays to work that much out." She snorted disgust, whether for her slowness or that of her friends was hard to judge.

"And n.o.body's upset about it? Like this overduke?"

"Of course he's upset, we all are, but he can't draw a lot of attention to it or there might be a panic."

"If there was going to be a panic, it'd have happened by now. Maybe youshould have a panic, a real big one. It might stir up an answer." I could use a few of those. "The h.e.l.l-river appears, a few pract.i.tioners in the upper cla.s.ses can see it, but the rest of the town folk don't, and all the magic-types down there vanish, only no one else notices or misses them. A conspiracy or ma.s.s hypnosis?"

She shrugged.

"Aside from the river coming, what else happened a couple weeks ago?"

Behind me I heard Shankey s.h.i.+ft on his feet. I turned to glance at him. He seemed like a guy with something on the tip of his tongue and it wasn't an after-dinner mint.

"Yeah, Captain?" I said encouragingly.

Filima's turn to s.h.i.+ft. She added in some throat-clearing, too. I turned back to her. She had the same look as Shankey. "Yeah, lady?"

"I don't seehow it could be connected . . ." she began. Her trailing off gave me to think otherwise.

"How what could be connected?"

"Well, it was about the time my husband died that the river appeared."

I sensed major pay dirt here. "Did he, by any chance, go in for magic?"

"Actually, yes. He did. Yes."

"And no one's put together that theremight be a connection between the two?"

She lifted her chin, frowning a lot. She was still gorgeous. "I have. But I don't know what it could be.

You do."

Gawd, she was still playing that tune. I'd have to do some creative jamming to get past her chorus. I gave a deprecating shrug. "Maybe so. If I do, I'm going to need your help."

"What sort of help?"

"The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but. Accept no subst.i.tutes."

The frown turned into a scowl. An adorable one.

I gave a bigger shrug. "It's not really a lot to ask. Wouldn't you want the same?"

A quick thinker was this babe. She stopped making faces and nodded.

"Okay, then it's cards on the table time, Lady Filima. First: How did you know to find me?"

She shook her head, plump lips sealed shut. A quick thinker but with a really bad stubborn streak.

I kept a patient I-don't-care kind of tone. "If you want my help, you need to tell me everything. It's in the rules."

"What rules?"

"Myhr's Rules for Magical Investigation 101. You talk or I walk."

Shankey s.h.i.+fted again, maybe getting ready to contest my challenge, but neither of us needed to worry about who was faster at the fifty-yard door dash. Filima made a capitulating sigh. She sounded like she meant it.

"Very well, I'll show you."

It took some effort for me to lever myself and my meal out of our comfy chair and follow her to the "retiring place." Man, what a lunch. I hoped there was a bed in the pavilion so I could take a nap. Filima drew back a fold of black velvet just enough to allow us to slip inside, then let it fall into place again. Drat. No bed, just a simple stool and small table, lighted by a single candle on a st.u.r.dy floor stand. It was very dark and stuffy with the smell of old incense. Not a very fragrant brand, either. Flat on the table was a scrying mirror similar to the ones Terrin and I sold at his Dallas shop: round, about a foot across with a highly polished black surface. Terrin worked the things all the time; I prefer a big-screen TV with a remote and cable.

"You know what this is?" she asked.

"Sure, I've seen 'em before.That's how you found me?"

She nodded, solemn.

"Cool that you can use one of those; not many people have the knack."

"It's difficult, but not impossible."

"Were you looking for me in particular?"

"I asked the mirror to show something that would help against the h.e.l.l-river."

"And it picked me? For certain?"

"I clearly saw you coming from a building near the bell tower and sent Captain Shankey to find and bring you here."

Oh, lucky, lucky me. I should be so blessed when it comes to picking lottery numbers.

"Youare the right one to help us, Mr. Myhr. The magic never lies. I know that for a fact."

Boy, didshe have a lot to learn. Like the river, her mirror had probably sensed Terrin and geographically focused where she could find him. A literal interpretation to her request. I'd just walked onto the stage at the wrong moment. It happens to the best of us, only this time it brought me more than guffaws from a bemused audience. A quick exit would be the wise course, but I hadn't heard Shankey or his pal Debreban move from their posts. No way could I get past either of them without a fuss. Besides, I was still too full of lunch for feats of derring-do. Hanging around here didn't appeal since I wasn't eager to get involved with this h.e.l.l-river stuff. Not without pay. She'd still not mentioned money yet. Wizards don't work for free, especially Terrin.

On the other hand, Filimahad fed me, so that made up a little for the kidnapping. I could also understand why she was hanging on my every word. Under all the gorgeous tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs and posh airs, she was scared. Really, really scared. "Just what is your stake in this?" I asked.

"Stake?"

"Why's it so important that I help you? What do you get out of it?"

She blinked. "I don't get anything. I just want the h.e.l.l-river sent back to wherever it came from."

"That's pretty civic-minded, but aside from making all the town magicians vanish and scaring the pants off tourists like me, what is the river doing right now that's especially threatening?" That one netted me another scowl. It was still adorable, but I'd touched a nerve. "It's come to a place where it shouldn't be! That's more than enough threat for anyone. You can't leave things so seriously out of balance without consequences."

I had the feeling she and Terrin would get along just fine. He was really big about cause-and-effect stuff in magic.

"If we don't find a way to put the river back I'm positive something truly dreadful will happen," she continued, voice rising.

Talk about a stress case, she needed calming. "If this river has been running for a couple of weeks and no harm done except for some missing persons"-Terrin might be able to sniff them out; he could find other Talents almost as fast as a s.e.x business-"then maybe things won't be as bad as-"

"Don't yousee ?"

"Not very well, no." It was pretty dim in here, even for my eyes.

"Every night the river gets a little bit bigger."

She could have mentioned that sooner. "That's a threat?"

"I've no reason to think otherwise. It grows in strength, but the change is so gradual I don't think even the overduke is aware of the potentials."

"Such as . . . ?"

"Compare it to a normal river. Ever see one in flood? I have, and the devastation is the most horrible thing you can imagine. I think that when it gets large enough the remaining people with Talent will also vanish. There will be no one left to remember them, or try to get them back. Please, Mr. Myhr, please help us."

I'm a sucker for a pleading dame, but usually the circ.u.mstances are a lot more romantic. "I'm not sure I can help. . . ."

"I'll pay you anything."

h.e.l.lo. My favorite magic word: money. Or gems. Filima probably had a dusty old diamond tiara lying around somewhere that Terrin could use. Something like that would power us a lot farther toward home than the quartz crystals stuck in his fis.h.i.+ng hat. "No promises, butmaybe we can work out a deal."

She jumped for it like we'd already signed contracts. This babewas scared. "You've a plan?"

"Not yet. I'll need to study the river some more-without your captain breathing down my neck."

"Shankey won't bother you, I swear."

Filima had gotten agreeable way too fast. There had to be a hitch, but I'd find it later, after I was clear of the house. "Sounds great. I'll just go back to my place and settle in for a good bout of research." And do some serious data dumping on Terrin. With this info he might be able to figure out what to do. The prospect of getting some real diamonds for his travel-whammy might even make him hurry. "But youmust stay here as my guest," she said, dropping the shoe I'd expected.

"I must?"

"Yes, of course. My house is infinitely more comfortable than anything you'd find in town. I also have supplies of every kind of herb and incense, magical equipment, books, whatever you'll need."

Hmm. A cushy place to nap, regular meals, servants, and-compared to the facilities at Clem's Place-decent plumbing. This just turned into a no-brainer. Add to it the sight of the glorious Filima wafting through the halls and I was ready to apply for a long-term lease.

"It sounds pretty good, but I'll have to consult with my partner."

"Your partner? Why didn't you mention him?"

"Already did-when I was singing. His name's Terrin."

"I thought that was a nonsense song."

"Nope, all true. I have to go back, find him, and do my late afternoon show at Clem's Place. He'll expect me to draw in the early supper crowd for a couple hours."

"No need. I'll see to it he's compensated for your being elsewhere."

"But I've got an obligation. He's been advertising me all day, and the lunch crowd might be back for more. You know how it is, the show must go on, at least for one more time so I don't look bad."

Filima grinned. Much more adorable than her scowl. "You like the applause, don't you?"

"Almost as much as chocolate."

"What's that?"

"An old Aztec love spell."

Somewhere close I heard a choking noise that sounded like Shankey lurking nearby. Having swivelly ears on top of one's head is a heck of an advantage at times. If he was any good at his job he'd have been listening in on this little conversation in Filima's retiring place. I chose to ignore him, and Filima hadn't noticed.