Grendel Tales: The Devil May Care by Terry Laban;Matt Wagner;Peter Doherty

Author:Terry Laban;Matt Wagner;Peter Doherty [Doherty, Terry Laban;Matt Wagner;Peter]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9781569717967
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Published: 2003-01-07T16:00:00+00:00

"You'll never make any money starting new disciplines," she said critically.

"No. There's a lot of quackery in the area of psychosomatic medicine; the professionals shy away from it. I doubt that we know enough about the brain and nervous system to make any real progress as yet. But it fascinates me."

He seemed to take it for granted that she knew of his medical training, and Ellie was glad no apologies or explanations were necessary.

"About Henry," she began.

"Henry. Oh, well, I guess you tried to warn him about Kate's peculiarities. I sure would, if I were introducing her to my fiancee. He was anxious to make a good impression, and you must admit she's a weird lady ... One little itch--one mosquito bite-- and he was on the way. His own nervous system did the rest. He'll get over it."

"I'm sure he will."

The TV program, a cops-and-robbers movie, had been rumbling along throughout the conversation.

"You watching that?" Donald asked.

130 Elizabeth Peters

"No. I just needed some ... noise."

"Yeah. Does the house always seem this--well, this empty at night?"

"Usually it's a very friendly house. Must be my nerves tonight."

"It isn't ever really empty, is it?" Donald glanced around the cluttered room. Recumbent cats strewed the furniture like animals in Sleeping Beauty's castle, piles of gray, orange, tabby, tawny fur.

"What did you decide to do about the dogs?" Ellie asked, after a moment of silence that seemed to stretch on too long.

"I don't see much point in letting them out. They're so stupid they might run off or get hit by a truck.

I'm not worried about anybody who is outside the house, so long as nothing gets in."

"The animals haven't been much help so far," Ellie said. "The first ... person ... in the hall upstairs; they just sat there yawning." Another overlong silence followed. Ellie repressed a desire to look over her shoulder. From beyond the closed and curtained window came a faint echo of sound like a far-off wailing. She knew what it was-- a dog, less pampered than Kate's, footloose and fancy free, baying at the moon. It was an eerie sound, all the same.

"Want a night cap?" Donald asked.

"No, thanks." Ellie started folding up her work. "I don't mind admitting that I am spooked tonight. I'm going to bed. It's silly, but I feel safer upstairs."

"I'm a little tired myself," Donald said.

He preceded her up the stairs. She didn't debate the issue; so far as she was concerned, there was little to choose between the advance and rear guards.

They parted, casually, at their respective doorways.

Eliie's inexplicable nervousness subsided when she was tucked up in bed with pillows behind her and a nice soothing book--and enveloped in her most concealing nightgown. It was not Donald's near presdevil-MAY-CARE 131

ence that prompted her modesty. A shiver ran through her as she looked at the open doorway; her imagination recreated the dreadful figure of the previous night with unpleasant distinctness.

But the lights shone clear and steady. On her bedside table lay candles, matches, and a flashlight.

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