Read Online Crackpot Palace by Jeffrey Ford - Free Book Online Page B

was babbling in the language of the bald dead, and Luke eased up on his grip, resting upon her back. She swept so smoothly through the air, it felt like a dream.
    â€œLuke,” came a voice from below. He roused and looked down over his shoulder from the dizzying height. Mr. Cabadula and Darene now appeared to be the size of grasshoppers. Behind them Sfortunado was writhing in pain on the floor.
    â€œChoke her down,” called Darene’s father. He lifted his gun, holding it in two hands like Luke was, and pulled it in tightly toward his throat.
    â€œChoke her down,” whispered Luke. He gathered his strength and pulled back hard on the gun barrel. Gracie wheezed with the pressure and bucked her hips, trying to shake him off her back. They descended in a slow spiral.
    â€œKeep the pressure on no matter what,” said Mr. Cabadula. Luke looked down and saw Darene’s father handing her a mallet and a long brass nail. She then turned and walked to the edge of the altar. Mr. Cabadula walked to the opposite edge and crouched down.
    Gracie reached a certain altitude and no matter how much Luke put into choking her, she’d not go an inch lower. They went into a wide orbit fifteen feet above the altar, moving in an arc out over the pews and back.
    â€œI gotta let go,” Luke yelled.
    â€œOne more minute,” said Darene.
    He looked down to find her on the altar as they circled toward it. He heard her father say, “Now, Darene.” At this, she took off, sprinting toward him, her arms pumping, her hair flying. Luke watched her dash across the altar to her father, who had his hands cupped, fingers laced, in front of him. She placed her left foot into his hands and at that instant, he pushed upward with his legs, lifting Darene, pitching her high into the air.
    Luke saw everything, but it seemed at a distance. Once Darene was in flight, though, he noticed how closely they’d circled in toward her. He pulled back hard on Gracie, afraid that Darene would collide with them. She rose in an arc, flipping in midair, so that as she passed just in front of them, she was completely upside down, her face toward them. At the perfect moment, she reached out, set the nail to Gracie’s forehead, and, with one deft blow, slammed it through her skull. Luke heard the sickening crunch of bone, felt Gracie go slack, and then realized that Darene was next to him. She shoved him hard. He lost his grip and fell, screaming, into the arms of Mr. Cabadula, who set him carefully on the altar. They both immediately looked up. Darene had removed her belt and had it around Gracie’s throat. She’d turned the belt tight, like a tourniquet, and had the ends wrapped around her wrist. She sat straight up on the back of the vanquished gritchino, her legs hanging down, and seemed able to direct the course of their slow descent by tugging in one direction or another.
    Darene steered the remains of Gracie in a slow, meandering descent that ended in the open coffin. Luke shivered at the fantastic precision of Darene’s delivery. She hopped off the gritchino as it fell, like an avalanche, into the box. The lid eased down of its own accord and latched with a distinct click. Then the whole casket turned to steam and evaporated.
    â€œForget it,” said Luke and covered his face with his left hand.
    Darene and her father were on either side of Sfortunado, who was whimpering. Luke inched closer, but really didn’t want to see either the old man’s chewed-up leg or, worse, his face. Mr. Cabadula took Darene by the arm and led her away from Sfortunado to where Luke was standing.
    â€œHere’re my keys,” he said, putting the ring of them in her hand. “You go on ahead. I’ll clean this up.”
    There were tears in Darene’s eyes when she nodded.
    â€œWhat’s gonna happen with Sfortunado?” asked Luke. “Is he gritchino, like vampires make other