Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter Colletion_ Books 6-10 - Laurell K. Hamilton [512]
Maybe I didn’t know as much about eunuchs as I thought I did. I thought it meant sexless. Maybe I was wrong.
“Linus will search you for wires, then we can talk.”
“I don’t want him touching me. Nothing personal, Linus.”
“You fear my master,” he said.
I nodded. “You bet.”
“I must insist it be Linus, in case you have some magic or other about your person that would disturb us.”
I frowned at him. “Like what? The holy hand grenade?”
Niley waved the comment away. “Linus must search you, but if you like, you can have one of your men accompany you.”
I didn’t like it, but it was probably the best offer we were going to get. The waitress came to take our order, and I realized I was hungry. You learn to be able to eat in the midst of disaster and gore, or you get another line of work. They served breakfast all day. I ordered pancakes and maple-cured bacon.
Richard looked shocked. “How can you eat?”
“You either learn to eat in the middle of disaster and gore, or you get another day job, Richard.”
“Very practical, Ms. Blake,” Niley said.
I looked at him and felt a small, unpleasant smile curve my lips. “Just of late, Mr. Niley, I’ve become very, very practical.”
“Good,” he said, “very good. Then we understand each other.”
I shook my head. “No, Mr. Niley, I don’t understand you. I know what you are, and what you’ll do, but I don’t understand why.”
“And what am I, Ms. Blake?”
The smile grew. “A bad guy, Mr. Niley; you’re a bad guy.”
He nodded. “Yes, I am, Ms. Blake. I am a very, very bad guy.”
“Guess that makes us the good guys,” I said.
Niley smiled. “I know what I am, Ms. Blake, and I am content with it. Are you content?”
We looked at each other for a long moment. “My state of mind isn’t really any of your business.”
“Answer enough,” he said.
“Let’s order,” I said.
Everyone ordered, finally even Richard. When the waitress walked away, Linus, Richard, and I headed for the rest room so he could search me for listening devices and magical booby traps.
I only had one question. “Which bathroom are we going to use?”
35
WE USED THE men’s room. Linus’s hands felt strangely soft as if there were no muscles under his skin, just bones and flesh. Maybe he’d given up other things to serve his master. He was creepy, but he was thorough. He even ran his fingers through my hair, which most people forget to do. He behaved himself, even when his hands were on delicate areas. He didn’t give Richard any reason to grump at him. Me, either.
We all trooped back out to the table. The food hadn’t arrived yet, but my coffee had. Everything goes down better with coffee.
We were again in the chairs with our backs to the door. If we’d gotten there first, they’d have had these chairs, so it was hard to bitch. Linus sat on Niley’s right. I realized why we weren’t in a booth. Linus wouldn’t have fit.
“You wanted to talk, Niley. Talk.” I sipped coffee. It was bitter and had been on the burner too long, but there’s no such thing as undrinkable coffee. I did hope the food was better.
“I want you to leave town, Anita.”
“Wilkes and his men already covered that. We told them we were leaving by sundown,” I said.
“I know what you told the good sheriff,” Niley said. He wasn’t smiling now. His eyes were cool, the humor dying from his face like the sun sinking away, leaving the world to darkness.
“I don’t think he believes we’re leaving, Richard,” I said.
“I don’t care what he believes,” Richard said.
I glanced at Richard. He was sitting with his arms crossed, staring at Niley. It would have been more unnerving without the manatee T-shirt, but he got the point across. So much for Richard playing clever repartee with me. I left him to his quiet anger and plowed ahead alone.
“Why is it so important that we get out of town, Niley?”
“I told you. The spirits say to come against you is death.”
I shook my head. “What spirits?”
“Howard uses the Ouija