Magruder's Curiosity Cabinet by H. P. Wood

Author:H. P. Wood
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc.
Published: 2016-04-05T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 24

Give My Regards…

“Zeph sent some lunch for you.” No answer. “Rosalind, please.”

“Leave me alone.” Rosalind’s voice sounds strange. It’s gone gray somehow.

“How long has it been since you’ve eaten?”

“Go away.”

“I know you’re upset. But I want to—”

“Nobody cares what you want, Reynolds.”

“—talk to you, and I want you to listen. Please, just listen.” Silence. Spencer sighs and puts the tray on the floor. “You win. I’m leaving your food here. But there’s something I have to say. So I’ll…I’ll say it to your door, I guess, and you can listen, or not.”

He takes a breath before continuing. Spencer has so little to offer, he wants to get it right.

“I’m sorry. It’s my father’s fault the Committee exists; it’s Gibson’s fault they took Enzo and P-Ray. I suppose you see it as my fault too, and I won’t argue. And…I have no words. Which I suppose is fine, because words aren’t what you want. But there’s a Decoration Day party at the Oriental Hotel tonight. President Roosevelt will be there, and the governor. The mayor, the head of the public health department…and my father. I can talk to them, explain that there’s been a mistake, that there are some folks on Hoffman we need to get back. They can fix this with the stroke of a pen, Rosalind, with one telephone call. And they’ll all be at this party tonight. Hate me all you want, but the fact is, I’m the only person you know who can walk into—”

The door bursts open. “I’m going with you.”

Rosalind stands in his dressing gown, hair unkempt, eyes red and wild. To Spencer, the thought of turning this creature loose on New York’s elite class—his people—is frankly terrifying. But Spencer knows he’d have a better chance at turning back a hurricane than keeping Rosalind from the Oriental Hotel.

Well, Roosevelt, let’s see how rough a rider you truly are.

• • •

Zeph has finally swept up the last of the shattered glass and dead bugs. He climbs one of the cabinet ladders to inspect the damage. “Well…this exotic insect display is a goner. I’ll have a look through the back room, see what else we got. Mary Surratt’s noose, maybe…be patriotic for Decoration Day.”

Spencer appears and leans against one of the cabinets. He wears a musty, out-of-fashion tuxedo.

“Look at you, Mr. Big Man.”

“Rosalind has quite a costume collection. How do I look?”

“Like a maître d’ at some joint where I don’t wanna eat. That suit don’t fit you even a little.”

Spencer holds an arm out straight, and the cuff of the jacket pulls halfway to his elbow. “I’ll have you know this is how all the Parisians wear it.”

Zeph grins but then says, more seriously, “I hate this plan.”

“I know.”

“No, you don’t. Before everything went crazy, I talked to this fella Joe. He’s Black Flag. You know the Black Flag?”

“You mean anarchists?”

“I do mean. He said they’d killed the last president and Roosevelt was next. Tonight.”

“You think Roosevelt’s people aren’t ready for that? My father’s been in politics my whole life.

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