A Pride of Lions by Mark Iles

Author:Mark Iles [Iles, Mark]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Publisher: Solstice Shadows
Published: 2013-08-28T06:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

Hugo’s was a grim place by anyone’s standards. It was located in a barren, unlit street in the back roads of the city centre. Selena had never seen anything quite like it, and suspected that few in their right minds ever visited the area. The bar itself was made from a polished rolled brass material, which gleamed like burnished gold in the overhead lighting. The low rectangular tables were secured to the floor by means of large restraining bolts, as were the deep red swivel chairs, which were made from cheap plastic but quite comfortable.

The barman, presumably Hugo, was a small and greasy, fat individual. He habitually ran stubby tobacco-stained fingers through his long, thinning grey hair. When Selena and Bryn walked in Hugo again combed that hair with his fingernails and pulled forth something tiny and wriggling. Peering at it closely, he popped it between his fingernails before slipping it into his mouth, his flabby lips parting to ask: “Watcha want?”

Repressing a shudder, Selena opened her mouth to order but Singh waved for her to be quiet, saying loudly, “Barman, give us all a Roget’s Revenge, and a second round while you’re at it.”

Hugo’s top lip curled in what could be either a smile or smirk of contempt; it was pretty hard to distinguish which. With a snort he waddled off.

Apart from Arthur, the team were now all present. Bryn and Singh had been fairly inebriated earlier but had taken anti-high pills before showing and managing to sober up, so that they could start all over again. Kes had arrived with Samantha, who was now just returning from the ladies’ room and had stopped to glare at a large marmalade-coloured cat which had the temerity to take possession of her chair during her absence. The creature leapt off with a startled yowl as Samantha slapped it on the rump and reclaimed her seat, but the cat remained to weave in and out of her legs, annoying her no end. Then Samantha’s eyes widened and she sucked in her breath noisily between her teeth, in a hissing noise. If there was one thing more she hated more than cats it was creepy-crawlies, and there was a cockroach the size of her fist climbing up the wall behind Selena.

Following her gaze, Za’an immediately made a bet with Bryn about how long it would take the roach to reach the ceiling and Bryn lost, as usual.

Samantha, desperate to take her mind off the roach, asked, “Okay, I give up, what’s a Roget’s Revenge?”

Singh smiled happily, contented that someone had fallen into his trap. “Funny you should ask that,” he said. “As it happens, Roget was a distant relative of mine on my mother’s side.”

Bryn leant over to Selena. Briefly putting his hand on her arm, he drew her ear to his lips and whispered: “You do know what he’s up to, don’t you.”

“Yeah, I get the picture — he’s making it pretty obvious; but he hasn’t a chance. I have a feeling she has the hots for Arthur.

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