Read Online Demon's Quest by Connie Suttle - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Connie Suttle
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"Where's your office—where you work, Plovel?" I'd skipped us to the capital city of United Bardelus. It was called Bardelus Prime, for the Prime Minister.
"What? How did we get here?" Plovel peered around him, confused. "Am I dreaming?"
"No, hon. Tell me where to take you. I think you need help."
"Office on Lawgiver Street," he muttered. I had to ask three people who passed us before I got good directions. Skipping is only an exact science if I know precisely where I want to go. I did the best I could with what I had to work with.
"Where's your office?" Plovel's feet were dragging and I was taking much of his weight as we walked across marble tiles toward an elevator.
"Third floor. Anybody there will help," his speech was slurred. They'd hurt him worse than I thought.
"All right." I didn't bother with the elevator; I took him directly to the third floor by skipping. As soon as we got inside a reception area, people were shouting and calling for medical assistance.
* * *
"This may be the armpit of this section of the galaxy," Gavril muttered, looking around him. Lendill had given coordinates on where the children were disappearing. Gavril, Astralan and Stellan had brought Lendill along to look for their quarry.
"You think we need a place to stay, boss? There's an inn over there." Astralan jerked his head toward a two-story hotel that looked less run-down than its surroundings.
"Sure. We'll see if they have rooms and then we'll ask questions," Gavril agreed. There didn't seem to be anyplace that might meet his expectations as far as places to stay went.
"He looks like a rat," Stellan muttered to his oldest brother as Gavril approached the front desk and the clerk who stood behind it.
"We need two rooms with two beds each," Gavril said.
"I have two that just came open; I'll move in the extra beds right away," the clerk replied. "That will be one hundred silvers per room each night."
"Out of the question," Gavril snapped. "You will take fifty for each room and you will tell me anything you know about the child disappearances and any other criminal activity that you know of." Compulsion dripped from his voice, causing the clerk to go blank-eyed immediately.
* * *
"Harm Reah," Plovel's words were forced, "I'll fire all of you." That caused the female agent to take her hands from my arm. Did she think I'd done this to Plovel? Why would I haul him in if I'd beaten him? Some people just didn't think in times of crisis.
"He needs medical attention now," I snapped. Someone was already communicating on a comp-vid. I rode with Plovel to a nearby hospital, too, along with three agents.
"What happened? He didn't say we couldn't question you," the female agent said as Plovel was hauled into an emergency ward.
"The constabulary in Grithis happened, after some moron said Plovel had something to do with the child disappearances," I said.
"That's eight hundred clicks away," she scoffed.
"I'm not local," I said. "I can get around quickly if I must."
"I don't believe you. You're involved in this."
"Sure, and the moon is made of yogurt," I said, grabbing her arm and skipping right back to Grithis. "See—they're still having a fit over his disappearance." We stood outside the constable's station in the moonlight, staring at the window of Plovel's cell. I could see the shadows of people still milling around inside it. "If you don't mind, I'd prefer not to stay here." I took her arm and skipped her back to the hospital.
"How did you do that?" The agent stared at me, just as the two men we'd left behind were also staring. They'd seen us disappear and reappear.
"Do you have your head buried in the sand all the time? You should know that some races are capable of this."
"Yes, but, none of them ever come here," she said.
"I'm here now. And I want to know if Plovel is getting good care." I walked up to the reception desk. I heard all three agents whispering furiously behind me as I asked the aide what was happening.
"He
"Where's your office—where you work, Plovel?" I'd skipped us to the capital city of United Bardelus. It was called Bardelus Prime, for the Prime Minister.
"What? How did we get here?" Plovel peered around him, confused. "Am I dreaming?"
"No, hon. Tell me where to take you. I think you need help."
"Office on Lawgiver Street," he muttered. I had to ask three people who passed us before I got good directions. Skipping is only an exact science if I know precisely where I want to go. I did the best I could with what I had to work with.
"Where's your office?" Plovel's feet were dragging and I was taking much of his weight as we walked across marble tiles toward an elevator.
"Third floor. Anybody there will help," his speech was slurred. They'd hurt him worse than I thought.
"All right." I didn't bother with the elevator; I took him directly to the third floor by skipping. As soon as we got inside a reception area, people were shouting and calling for medical assistance.
* * *
"This may be the armpit of this section of the galaxy," Gavril muttered, looking around him. Lendill had given coordinates on where the children were disappearing. Gavril, Astralan and Stellan had brought Lendill along to look for their quarry.
"You think we need a place to stay, boss? There's an inn over there." Astralan jerked his head toward a two-story hotel that looked less run-down than its surroundings.
"Sure. We'll see if they have rooms and then we'll ask questions," Gavril agreed. There didn't seem to be anyplace that might meet his expectations as far as places to stay went.
"He looks like a rat," Stellan muttered to his oldest brother as Gavril approached the front desk and the clerk who stood behind it.
"We need two rooms with two beds each," Gavril said.
"I have two that just came open; I'll move in the extra beds right away," the clerk replied. "That will be one hundred silvers per room each night."
"Out of the question," Gavril snapped. "You will take fifty for each room and you will tell me anything you know about the child disappearances and any other criminal activity that you know of." Compulsion dripped from his voice, causing the clerk to go blank-eyed immediately.
* * *
"Harm Reah," Plovel's words were forced, "I'll fire all of you." That caused the female agent to take her hands from my arm. Did she think I'd done this to Plovel? Why would I haul him in if I'd beaten him? Some people just didn't think in times of crisis.
"He needs medical attention now," I snapped. Someone was already communicating on a comp-vid. I rode with Plovel to a nearby hospital, too, along with three agents.
"What happened? He didn't say we couldn't question you," the female agent said as Plovel was hauled into an emergency ward.
"The constabulary in Grithis happened, after some moron said Plovel had something to do with the child disappearances," I said.
"That's eight hundred clicks away," she scoffed.
"I'm not local," I said. "I can get around quickly if I must."
"I don't believe you. You're involved in this."
"Sure, and the moon is made of yogurt," I said, grabbing her arm and skipping right back to Grithis. "See—they're still having a fit over his disappearance." We stood outside the constable's station in the moonlight, staring at the window of Plovel's cell. I could see the shadows of people still milling around inside it. "If you don't mind, I'd prefer not to stay here." I took her arm and skipped her back to the hospital.
"How did you do that?" The agent stared at me, just as the two men we'd left behind were also staring. They'd seen us disappear and reappear.
"Do you have your head buried in the sand all the time? You should know that some races are capable of this."
"Yes, but, none of them ever come here," she said.
"I'm here now. And I want to know if Plovel is getting good care." I walked up to the reception desk. I heard all three agents whispering furiously behind me as I asked the aide what was happening.
"He
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