Read Online Crackpot Palace by Jeffrey Ford - Free Book Online

the ceiling or crouched in one of the pews, licking her green lips. He realized his index finger was near to squeezing the trigger of his pistol and tried to relax. The candles on the altar had gone out. The mysterious wind had died.
    Sfortunado whispered, “Remember the diamond.”
    The skin on the back of Luke’s neck tingled. He spun around and shone the flashlight behind them and then into the pews, up at the ceiling, at Sfortunado, who looked like he’d just crawled out of a coffin himself.
    The old man laughed and pointed forward with his guns. On their way toward the front row of pews, Luke kept an eye on Darene’s flashlight beam. She and her father had moved off to the left of the altar. Sfortunado said, “Go right,” when they reached the front row of pews, Luke passed the beam of his flashlight over the altar, the fallen coffin, and the rubble around it. They moved on into a more profound darkness at the side of the church where thick wooden beams arched toward the dome, like the rib cage of a monster.
    At the opposite end of the church, Mr. Cabadula yelled, “There.” Luke turned to see Darene’s beam aimed upward. Something flitted through it. There was a sudden flash of orange light and then a bang. Luke called, “Darene,” and started back along the front row of pews.
    When he reached the center aisle, before the altar, he heard Sfortunado yell, “Down.” Luke fell to the floor and felt the sweeping breeze of Gracie pass overhead. Two shots went off and he winced and covered his ears. The next thing he knew, Darene was lifting him to his feet. He turned and saw Mr. Cabadula on the altar, setting the candles back up and lighting them. A glow grew around them, and even that meager light was a relief.
    Out of the shadows shuffled Sfortunado, grumbling. They gathered on the altar with their backs to the wall, their pistols out. Luke said to Sfortunado, “How did you see her? I had the flashlight.”
    â€œI knew in my head that you were screwing up.”
    â€œYou’re psychic?”
    â€œDid you duck?” asked the old man.
    â€œI have to go into the back of the church and find the switch for the lights,” said Mr. Cabadula. “It’s stupid to challenge her in the dark. If I get the lights on, we’ll finish this up in a half hour.”
    No one said a word. They listened, trying to hear Gracie move out beyond the candlelight. Luke was standing in front of the crashed coffin, trembling. Darene stood close to him.
    â€œThis place stinks,” she said.
    â€œThe wind of eternity,” said Sfortunado.
    Mr. Cabadula put one of his pistols in his belt, removed the flashlight from Luke’s hand, and descended the altar steps. “I’ll be back in a minute,” he said over his shoulder. When he passed into the dark, they followed him by the white beam searching above and below. Then he disappeared behind the altar.
    Luke could hear Gracie purring, moving among the distant pews near the front door. Then, in the next minute, she seemed to be just out of sight beyond the glow of the candles.
    â€œStand back,” said Sfortunado as he took a step forward. “I’ll call her in.”
    â€œWhat do you want to do that for?” asked Luke.
    â€œDarene, explain,” said the old man in a whisper over his shoulder.
    â€œUncle Sfortunado is going to use the Lamentalata to draw Gracie to us so we can shoot her,” said Darene. “Stand on that side of him, two feet behind, and have your gun ready. I’ll cover this side.”
    Luke took his position and lifted his pistol, his hand trembling.
    Sfortunado half-turned to look at him. “When you pull the trigger, bullets come out,” he said and laughed. A moment later, the old man called out to Gracie in a high-pitched wavering voice. The sound of it startled Luke, and he turned to look at Darene, who smiled.
    Sfortunado paused after calling