Modesty Blaise 03 - I, Lucifer by Peter O'Donnell

Author:Peter O'Donnell [Peter O'Donnell]
Language: dan
Format: epub
Tags: Action & Adventure, Mystery & Detective, Fiction, Espionage, Women Sleuths, General
ISBN: 9780285637078
Publisher: Souvenir Press
Published: 2004-09-30T22:00:00+00:00

She was lying on a couch, her hands tied behind her. Her neck and head ached.

Memory came back. The big golden man with black hair. The shock of that brief, incredible struggle was still with her. He had not been skilled. Fast, perhaps, but not very fast. Yet he had always been ahead of her.

She opened her eyes. He sat in an armchair watching her. Steve Collier stood facing the wall with his hands lifted and pressed flat against the panelling. Jack Wish, in shirt-sleeves now, sat on the arm of another chair, the Colt Commander in his hand, very watchful.

There were two other men in the room, one with fuzzy fair hair and the other an older, strangely decrepit man in an old-fashioned black suit. The first man held her Colt •32. Her eyes moved to the electric wall-clock. It was only just over ten minutes ago that she had entered the house. Another fifty minutes before Willie Garvin would think about taking action. Carefully she felt for mental balance, achieved it, and waited.

Seff linked his hands behind his back and rocked up and down on his toes. He was annoyed, disturbed even. Not so much by this young woman as by Lucifer's sudden and uncompromising refusal to be persuaded.

'That's Blaise okay,' Wish said, looking at her. 'I can see it easy now. But soon as Collier called her Modesty—'

'Quite so, Mr. Wish,' said Seff. 'You were no doubt vigilant, if perhaps unfortunate.' He showed his teeth politely in the direction of Lucifer. 'As Lucifer himself has said, she is a rebel. I am sure we ought to find out what—ah—led her to rebellion before we decide what is to be done.'

He looked at Modesty. 'What brought you here?'

She did not answer. There was something eerie in this set-up. Instinct told her that Seff was the big man, yet he was to some extent, and in the strangest way, deferring to Lucifer.

Lucifer? Why use that name? No matter. He was different from the others. Seff was bad. Bowker was weak and dangerous. Jack Wish was strong and dangerous. But this boy they called Lucifer ... why was she thinking of him as a boy now? It could only be the almost unearthly quality of innocence that dwelt in his face. Genuine innocence?

But what was this strange talk of rebellion?

And where did Steve Collier fit in?

'Perhaps you can answer for the young woman, Mr. Collier?' said Seff.

Collier half turned his head, keeping his hands against the wall. He was still a little pale but he had control of himself now. 'Does she need answering for?' he said coldly. 'Wish is the one who started pulling out a gun. It's you and your friends who should bloody well be answering questions, Seff.'

There was silence. Bowker said uneasily. 'We haven't got much time.'

'We have over forty-five minutes before the yacht arrives, Dr. Bowker. That gives ample time for decisions to be made and implemented. What are your views on Collier? If we keep him, is he likely to be of use?'

Bowker nodded.

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