Chương 53: Visitor

I woke in my little cave room, and remembered all that had happened up there in the living world. I shuddered. I had always known what the puppet Drizella did. I remembered it as though it were my own memory. Mostly there was nothing much to it — the puppet simply tried her best to be the perfect object, and now and then sat and listened to Cinderella's stories. But this last cycle was different. This time the puppet had been very active, and my mind flooded with it now. It was like watching a play.

And some of that play was… hard to watch. I had wanted revenge. I had wanted Caroline dead, yes — but the sight of it, the woman lying helpless on the ground and begging, and the knife going in… it was simply too horrible. But it wasn't me who killed her. I wasn't exactly the same as the puppet, not really. She was something in the middle, something between me and… something much scarier. Drizella the puppet could kill a foe begging for her life in cold blood.

In fact, I think she enjoyed it, as much as she could enjoy things, anyway. And it wasn't like I could control her. She simply thought of herself as me, or some relative perhaps, and tried her absolute hardest to do things that were important to me. Most of the things she did were genuinely difficult for her, as she mostly just wanted to lie down completely still and vanish. She suffered just so she wouldn't disappoint me. So despite everything, I felt gratitude. And it hadn't all been violence and murder.

Some memories of that ball were genuinely happy and amusing. Like the time I was acting as a maidservant, offered a macaron to her ladyship Cinderella, and oh, how flustered she got! That was too funny. And I remembered our goodbye. When Cinderella kissed me on the lips. How soft her lips were. I blushed at the memory. Really, what could that silly Cinderella have been thinking? I wouldn't see her anymore. Wouldn't see her smile, wouldn't touch her or hold her. Not even in the strange puppet memories.

But I was no longer in that world. I hadn't been for some time now, and I had come to terms with it — not all at once, but slowly. I also remembered the puppet had this idea about somehow getting that small skeleton doll to communicate from a distance. It was possible, and if I managed to arrange it, we would be able to talk whenever we wanted. It wouldn't be like seeing her or touching her, of course, but it was something. I sighed. Well. All of that was up there, in another world.

I lived here — no grand balls, and no murder. Well, so far. So I put on my work clothes and went straight to the farming room. I had work to do, after all. Charlotte was already there, struggling with a large rock. I watched her with interest. She had finished digging around its base, freeing it from the ground's hold, but since she couldn't succeed in pulling it out, She had built a makeshift lever.

She jammed a shovel beneath the boulder, propped a smaller rock under the shaft to lever against, and was pushing down on it with all her might… to no avail. Charlotte had a good deal of muscle on her, yet for some reason she was defeated by that measly two-foot rock. Charlotte was silly like that.

"Here, let me," I said, and moved in.

"Maybe…" Charlotte shifted aside to give me room, huffing and puffing.

"If we change the angle… and then, together…" I stepped in, set both hands beneath the rock, and hoisted it onto my shoulder in one smooth motion. Then I walked to the corner and tossed it down with the others.

"When the rock is free, you only need to grab it and pull," I explained with a knowing smile, "not build some silly mechanisms."

"If I were… a gorilla," she said, still breathing hard, "I would do just that!"

"Hey!" I said.

"I am not a gorilla. It is a simple matter of technique. It's all in the wrist and the angle and such. I just happen to be very good with… well. Rocks."

"Technique, my foot." Charlotte gave me a flat look.

"You're all skin and bone, and yet you've got this gorilla strength and a dog's nose besides. And it isn't unheard of — some folk down here are like that, or have some other strangeness to them. Lizards and demons and magic and such. I don't know much about that sort of thing, but it's a good thing you've got it. You're lucky." My eyes went wide.

"Do you truly think I might turn into a lizard?!"

"What?" She gave me a thoroughly confused look.

"I... I don't think so." I couldn't help it; I glanced over my shoulder just to check if there was a tail growing. No tail. That was silly of me. I should surely feel it, were one to grow.

"I absolutely cannot have a tail," I explained gravely.

"You see, I am still unmarried, and I have no intention of ending up an old maid — hell or no hell. I may not have a vast array of options laid out before me, but I will not be marrying a lizard, nor an Englishman. That is where I draw the line." Now Charlotte stared at me, a little stunned.

"You really are strange. You know that, don't you?" Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

"Is it strange to prefer an untailed man as a marriage prospect? I should think not. And what about you, Charlotte? You are of age — have you a Gentleman caller of your own?"

"Well..." Charlotte looked to the side, absently kicking at the dirt, suddenly shy.

"I don't have a gentleman caller, but the truth is... I actually prefer the company of women."

"Oh, what do you mean by that?" I asked, tilting my head.

"You yourself are a woman."

"Well, you know," she said, hesitant still.

"Even so… I would rather kiss girls than boys."

"You would rather… oh… oh!" The understanding dawned on me all at once. Then I broke into a wide smile.

"Yes!" I exclaimed.

"I am so happy to hear it!"

"You... you are?" Charlotte asked in a small voice, smiling shyly and tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

"Yes!" I said in triumph.

"Now at last I know the reason you are in hell!" Charlotte's face fell instantly.

"What!?"

"Yes," I said.

"You see, everyone down here is so nice, so decent. Ever since I arrived I have wondered how it is that you all ended up in hell. It became a sort of mystery, one I set myself to solving. And every now and then I discover the reason that explains how they came to be here." Charlotte gaped at me, and I went on.

"For instance: Estelle confessed to me that she took a lover while married to her drunkard of a husband. Armand killed a man in a duel. Henriette used to laugh during Mass and sleep straight through the sermon, and she talked back to her poor mother besides — and she is left-handed, to boot! Eleanor is a lizard and an Englishwoman. And Marguerite, well… she is a monster." Charlotte narrowed her eyes at me.

"Now see here — I am not in hell because I prefer women!"

"Is that so," I said.

"Then why exactly did you end up here, I wonder?"

"I… we aren't sure," she said hesitantly.

"Why some good people end up down here…"

"Well, there you have it!" I said with a satisfied smile.

"But now, you mustn't be ashamed of it. There are far worse reasons to end up in hell, I am quite sure."

"That is… very encouraging," said Charlotte, narrowing her eyes at me again — the way Juliette used to.

"So," I said, looking about the farm, "if I am not mistaken, today we are meant to fertilize the new Dimple Cup plot. Have we enough potash?"

"There should be enough left over from—" SCCRREEEEEE!!! An ear-piercing, ungodly shriek echoed through the cavern, so loud it was almost unbearable.

"What was that?!" I panicked, my eyes wide. I had never heard such a terrifying sound.

"That's Marguerite's alarm!" said Charlotte, her voice urgent.

"That sound means a dangerous intruder. Come, quickly — we must arm ourselves." I followed her to a small room not far from the farm — the armory. Henry and Estelle were already there, their faces tight with worry.

"Hurry now," Estelle pressed, handing a musket to Charlotte.

"Whatever the threat, it is close." She looked at me.

"We haven't much — only four muskets, five pistols, and a few cartridges to spare. Do you know how to use them?" I nodded, and Estelle handed me a pistol along with three cartridges and their lead balls. It was an old model, in rough condition, and I wondered whether it would fire at all. There were hunting knives laid out on the table as well, and I took a long one. If I truly had this gorilla strength, a knife could prove an effective weapon.

I followed the others out into the outer cave, where most of the group had already gathered. Some held muskets, others carried bows, knives, or hayforks. They stood beside Marguerite, staring into the darkness.

"Soon," Marguerite said in a cheerful, chirping little-girl voice, "they'll be here soon. I simply know it!" I looked over my friends, and my heart sank a little. If I was not mistaken, only Armand had any real training — and he was old. The rest of us stood clutching worn-out firearms in untrained hands. No, we were not much of a force at all. I moved close to Charlotte, who was loading her musket, and began to do the same.

"Say — couldn't Marguerite simply handle any threat on her own? She is such a huge monster. Will we even be of any help to her at all?"

"Marguerite is large, and scary," Charlotte said, "but she isn't much of a fighter. With modern firearms, our support is crucial. Only together can we drive off some of the more dangerous monsters out there." I nodded, and we kept our eyes fixed on the darkness, holding our weapons firmly.

"Soon, soon!" said Marguerite cheerfully.

"Almost here!" From the blackness it emerged. Something huge, black, and horned crept slowly toward us. Marguerite let out a HISSSS, raising two of her tentacles, and two razor-sharp fangs slid out from the place of her mouth.

"HISSSS," she shrieked again. Charlotte and the others leveled their musket barrels; I raised my old pistol as well, gripping it with steady hands. As the beast drew closer, we took in its full size. It had the shape of a panther, with black fur, and two rows of razor-sharp horns running down its back, and another set upon its head. But it also had a silly cat's face, wearing a lazy expression. This monster… it was Lucifer! And if I had held any doubt at all, the smell settled it. Yes. I was sure of him.

"Wait! Everyone, stop!" I shouted.

"That monster is no threat. It is just… well, my cat." I stepped toward Marguerite and laid a hand on one of her leg.

"Your… your cat?" Charlotte repeated, dumbfounded.

"Yes," I said.

"Please, lower your weapons." I didn't think anyone quite believed me, but slowly, very slowly, they lowered their barrels — and even Marguerite drew back her fangs. I walked over to Lucifer, stretched up onto my toes, and gave him a good rub on the head — the way one is supposed to do with cats. He hissed at me. He liked the rub.

"Long time no see, Lucifer!" I told him.

"And look how big you've grown! Oh — what have you got there?" I asked, noticing that he held some object in his mouth. I held out my hand, and he dropped the object into it. It was one of those little skeletons made for communication — and in its tiny hand, the skeleton held a small piece of paper. Ooo. A letter! Whatever could it say, I wondered? I unfolded it and read. I am High Demon Zsanareth. I am the real owner of Lucifer. I personally cannot stand the beast.

He is an insufferable creature, and thus, I leave him up in the human world for as much time as possible. You have my gratitude for keeping him from bothering me. But to the matter at hand. Two days ago, I was approached separately by two other high demons, Malakarthor and Azearothiel. They asked to use Lucifer to locate you. Since he knows your scent, this was the easiest method. Each offered a considerable amount of money for your location.

I refused them both, because they are insufferable high demons whom I despise in earnest. The reason they want you as a servant is that you possess the Vess'iliss bloodline. It is not the rarest of bloodlines, but it makes you useful enough as a servant—more useful than most. I will not give them your location. Even so, I would advise you to negotiate a contract with one of them. You may strike a good bargain, since you currently hold the leverage of them not knowing where you are.

But make no mistake — they will find you eventually. If you wish, draw up a list of your demands for the servant contract and speak them into the call-doll I have provided. I will pass your message along, and carry their answer back to you. P. S. I shall assume you are an insufferable individual as well. So do not imagine that I like you. I folded the paper and looked down at the little skeleton doll. There was a lot to process here.