All Is Fair (ARC) by Newman Emma

Author:Newman, Emma [Newman, Emma]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fantasy, Speculative Fiction, gargoyle, elemental court, magic, fae, faerie, split worlds, urban fantasy
ISBN: 9780857663269
Publisher: Angry Robot
Published: 2013-01-01T07:00:00+00:00

16

Max pulled the ivy around the gargoyle’s neck, adjusting it until the soul chain was hidden. “If you don’t move too much and keep most of your body behind the guttering it should be out of sight.”

“This is going to be brilliant,” it replied.

“Don’t get carried away. As soon as we spot one of them you need to tone it down, and when they get close you need to keep still so they use the Sniffer. When he tries to climb up then you need to use the–”

“I know, I know,” it replied. “Don’t worry, it’s going to work.” It took the Opener from Max and put it between its teeth.

“I’m not worried,” Max said but the gargoyle was already climbing up the wall. When it reached the top it leaped across to the top of the portico and up to the guttering at the corner of the church. Once he was satisfied the gargoyle was in position, the Opener tucked away and the soul chain still hidden, Max hid in the doorway across the narrow London street. It had taken hours to find the right place but once he had it had been no trouble to bring the gargoyle through from Aquae Sulis and formulate the plan. Now it was just a matter of waiting for an Arbiter to turn up so he could be tracked back to the corrupted Chapter’s cloister.

“Hey!” the gargoyle shouted at a young man walking by. “Hey you, short-arse! Hey, look at me when I’m trying to insult you!”

The man stopped and looked at the church. The gargoyle waved and the man jolted.

“Yes, it’s me,” the gargoyle yelled. “What are you wearing? Is that supposed to be a hat? You put your Mum’s tea cosy on instead.”

As expected, the young man pulled his mobile phone out of his pocket and began filming as the gargoyle blew raspberries at him. “Are you another actor?” he asked. “Are you from the same people who did the Nelson stunt?”

“Nelson?” The gargoyle pulled a face as if he’d just smelt a rotten egg. “Nelson was an amateur. No charisma. I’m so much more interesting than him.”

“Don’t take it too far,” Max whispered under his breath.

“That’s so cool,” the man said. “I’m posting this right now.”

“Yeah, you do that,” the gargoyle said. “Make me famous.”

Max hoped the ivy was doing a good enough job. Whilst it wasn’t ideal having the gargoyle made famous on the mundane virtual library network, it wasn’t as if anyone in the Nether used it and besides, he could hardly take the gargoyle out and about in Mundanus anyway. There was no other way to find one of the London Arbiters so efficiently.

Then he saw Faulkner at the end of the street. He remembered him from the cafe on Judd Street. Max got the bug ready, activating it so the claws sprang open, ready to catch onto the fabric of the Arbiter’s coat. He had a spare in case he missed, but he still needed Faulkner to get closer.

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