Read Online A Thursday Next Digital Collection: Novels 1-5 by Jasper Fforde - Free Book Online

back ?” I ignored her.
    â€œâ€”only it wasn’t Buckett, of course. The figure that picked itself up from the road to face me was Acheron. He rubbed his back where I had hit him and smiled benignly.
    â€œ ‘That wasn’t very sporting!’ he said with a smile.
    â€œ ‘I’m not here for the sport,’ I assured him.”
    One of the SO-1 officers interrupted me.
    â€œYou seem to shoot a lot of people in the back, Next. Point-blank range with fluted slugs and he survived ? I’m sorry, this is quite impossible!”
    â€œIt happened.”
    â€œShe’s lying!—” he said indignantly. “I’ve had just about enough of this!—”
    But Flanker laid a hand on his arm to quieten him.
    â€œCarry on, Miss Next.”
    I did.
    â€œ ‘Hello, Thursday,’ Hades said.
    â€œ ‘Acheron,’ I replied.
    â€œHe smiled.
    â€œ ‘Tamworth’s blood is getting cold on the concrete upstairs and it’s all your fault. Just give me your gun and we can finish this all up and go home.’
    â€œHades reached out his hand and I felt a strong impulse to give him my weapon. But I had turned him down before when he was using more persuasive methods—when I was a student and he was a lecturer. Perhaps Tamworth knew I was strong enough to resist him; perhaps this was another reason he wanted me on his team. I don’t know. Hades realized this and said instead in a genial manner:
    â€œ ‘It’s been a long time. Fifteen years, isn’t it?’
    â€œ ‘Summer of ’69,’ I replied grimly. I had little time for his games.
    â€œ ‘Sixty-nine?’ he asked, having thought about it for a moment. ‘ Sixteen years, then. I seem to remember we were quite chummy.’
    â€œ ‘You were a brilliant teacher, Acheron. I’ve not met an intellect to compare with yours. Why all this?’
    â€œ ‘I could say the same about you,’ returned Acheron with a smile. ‘You were the only student of mine whom I could ever describe as brilliant, yet here you are, working as a glorified plod; a LiteraTec; a lackey for the Network. What brought you to SO-5?’
    â€œ ‘Fate.’
    â€œThere was a pause. Acheron smiled.
    â€œ ‘I always liked you, Thursday. You turned me down and, as we all know, there is nothing more seductive than resistance. Ioften wondered what I’d do if we met again. My star pupil, my protégée. We were nearly lovers.’
    â€œ ‘I was never your protégée, Hades.’
    â€œHe smiled again.
    â€œ ‘Have you ever wanted a new car?’ he asked me quite suddenly.
    â€œI did, of course, and said so.
    â€œ ‘How about a large house? How about two large houses? In the country. With grounds. And a Rembrandt.’
    â€œI saw what he was up to.
    â€œ ‘If you want to buy my compliance, Acheron, you have to choose the right currency.’
    â€œAcheron’s face fell.
    â€œ ‘You are strong, Thursday. Avarice works on most people.’
    â€œI was angry now.
    â€œâ€˜What do you want with the Chuzzlewit manuscript, Acheron? To sell it?’
    â€œ ‘Stealing and selling? How common, ’ he sneered. ‘I’m sorry about your two friends. Hollow-points make quite a mess, don’t they?’
    â€œWe stood there facing one another. It wouldn’t be long before SO-14 were on the scene.
    â€œ ‘On the ground,’ I ordered him, ‘or I swear I’ll fire.’
    â€œHades was suddenly a blur of movement. There was a sharp crack and I felt something pluck at my upper arm. There was a sensation of warmth and I realized with a certain detached interest that I had been shot.
    â€œ ‘Good try, Thursday. How about with the other arm?’
    â€œWithout knowing it, I had loosed off a shot in his direction. It was this that he was congratulating me on. I knew that I had thirty seconds