Read Online Attack of the Cupids by John Dickinson - Free Book Online

like a mountainside trembling, Billie shifted and sighed in her sleep.
    â€˜From lightning and tempest; from battle and murder . . .’
    A shape dropped lightly out of the air and landed on two feet on the far side of the book. It strode towards him, darkness moving in darkness. Windleberry straightened.
    â€˜From all sedition . . .?’ he said.
    â€˜Aw, heck!’ came a voice. ‘Who’re ya kiddin’? No one does that stuff any more.’
    â€˜From all sedition,’ said Windleberry more firmly.
    â€˜Conspiracy, rebellion, from all false doctrine, heresy and schism, from hardness of heart et cetera. That do?’
    â€˜Close enough,’ said Windleberry coldly. ‘Pass, friend . . .’
    â€˜Hey, that’s nice of you.’
    â€˜. . . Though I think you’ll find it’s
privy
conspiracy.’
    â€˜Privy conspiracy? Is it now? Guess that must be the kinda conspiracy that gets worked up in the johns. How ya doin’, Wimple?’
    It was an angel. Of a sort. It had the square head, the square shoulders, the dinner jacket, the bow tie and the sunglasses. It had the wings. But it also limped a little as it walked. Its mouth twitched and one hand trembled slightly. Its blank, steady gaze was just a shade less steady than it should have been, as if behind the shelter of its sunglasses its eyes were revolving slowly in opposite directions. As if, sometime in the last half hour or so, it had been picked up by the ankles and used to stun a mammoth.
    Ismael was Billie’s guardian angel. It was one tough assignment.
    â€˜I’ve had a busy day,’ said Windleberry coolly. ‘What with that scene Billie threw this evening. I guess you were taking time out?’
    Ismael pursed his lips. ‘I guess so,’ he said. ‘After she pushed me through a wall a coupla times, yeah, I think I lay down for a bit. And when she had me in the arm lock – you could say I took time out. I’m kinda attached to my arms. I want to stay that way.’
    â€˜Pushed you through a wall?’
    â€˜I tell ya, Winkie. What she let out this evening was
nothing
. There was plenty more where that came from. Plenty. She’s a good kid. But yeah, she’s got issues. Is that why you flashed me the light? You want to tell me to make her better? Easy for you to talk . . .’
    â€˜Will she behave at the party?’
    â€˜Behave? Depends what you mean. But Billie – she kinda swings. She’s had her shout so maybe she’ll be sweet for a while. She’ll be sweet just because she knows everyone’s expecting her to shout again. That’s how she is.’
    â€˜I see.’
    â€˜You think you can do better? Try coming oversometime. I’ll sew up my sides so I don’t split ‘em watching you.’
    â€˜Maybe I will. But that’s not why I called you out. It’s this.’ Windleberry handed him the small, folded piece of card.
    Ismael opened it. ‘Sheesh!’ he said in a low voice.
    â€˜Have you had one?’
    â€˜Nope,’ said Ismael, slowly shaking his head. ‘Not that I’ve seen.’
    â€˜Sometimes they hide it. So they can say it’s been delivered. But the Guardian doesn’t find it. And then the first he knows is . . .’
    â€˜Sheesh!’
    â€˜I’ll put in an objection on Sally’s behalf,’ said Windleberry. ‘Wrong time, exams, commitments and so on. But it’ll make no difference.’
    â€˜Nope. I guess it won’t.’
    â€˜Keep your eyes open. They’re coming.’
    â€˜You’re sure?’
    â€˜Trust me,’ said Windleberry. ‘I know them.’
    Not far away on the same bedside table, two other figures crouched in a cave. The cave was formed by a money pot, some cardboard packaging from a new school shirt, a broken alarm clock and a roulette setthat was missing half its counters