Read Online Secret Histories 10: Dr. DOA by Simon R. Green - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Simon R. Green
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are we supposed to get the angel out of him? I’m guessing an exorcism wouldn’t work . . .”
“I was hoping you’d have something,” I said.
“Way outside my experience,” said Molly. “I suppose we could always kill the host . . .”
“Kill an innocent man, to release an angel?” I said. “I’m guessing seriously bad karma.”
Molly looked at the angel. “I don’t suppose you’ve got any ideas?”
“Not really my area of expertise,” said the angel.
“I need to talk to my family,” I said to Molly. “Can you . . . boost the signal, or something?”
“Maybe,” said Molly. “Let’s try.”
She moved in close and touched my torc with the fingertips of her left hand. They trembled slightly on the strange matter, like the most intimate of touches. Like she was touching my soul. I could see the strain in her face as she fought to marshal what magics she had left. I called out to the members of my family through the torc, and they heard me. My handler’s voice rang loudly in my ears.
“Eddie! This is Kate! I’ve been waiting here all evening just in case you needed me! What’s happening?”
“All kinds of weird and wonderful things,” I said. “Listen, I’m on board Cassandra’s ship, but I need you to do something for me.”
“Of course, Eddie. That’s what I’m here for. What do you need?”
“Tell the family psychics to stop generating their chaff and to put all their power into helping someone here with me. They’ll be able to locate him easily enough; he’s possessed. By an angel. I’ll explain later, I promise, but right now I need them to concentrate on breaking the binding so the angel can go free. Can you sort that out?”
There was a pause. “Only you would get involved with something like this, Eddie,” said Kate. “I’ll see what I can do. Hang on.”
“She likes you,” said Molly.
“I know.”
“No, I mean she really likes you.”
“I know! You don’t mind, do you?”
“I think it’s very sweet,” Molly said firmly.
She went over to the door and looked out into the corridor. “I was sure breaking the cage would set off some kind of silent alarm, but I don’t see anyone.”
“Doesn’t mean they’re not on their way.”
“True. Do you still feel like hitting a whole bunch of people?”
And then the psychics must have come through, because the human host’s head suddenly came up, as though reacting to something only he could hear. He smiled, for the first time.
“Thank you, Eddie Drood, Molly Metcalf. I’ll put in a good word for you.”
The angel burst out of the man in a blast of unbearable light. What we’d seen before had just been an impression of an angel; what it allowed us to see. Scaled down, so it wouldn’t damage us. Wild and glorious, magnificent and free at last, the angel departed, in a direction I could sense but not name. The whole room rocked as the forces unleashed in its passing shook the flying airship from end to end. Molly and I clung to each other as the floor dropped out from under us. There was the sound of a whole string of explosions and all kinds of systems breaking down, along with any number of alarms and sirens, and a great many people panicking. One end of the roomdropped dramatically as the airship began to fall out of the sky. Molly and I staggered back and forth, and had to hang on to what was left of the silver cage to steady ourselves.
“I asked the angel not to hurt anyone,” I said. “I should have specified—that included not dropping the bloody ship out of the sky with us still on board!”
“I told you it would come out in a bad mood,” said Molly. “I’m just relieved I didn’t end up as a salt lick.”
At the back of the cage, the human host was lying curled up in a corner, not moving. He’d clearly been dead for some time, probably killed by the original shock of containing the angel. Only its presence had kept his body going. Decay was setting in now and making up for
“I was hoping you’d have something,” I said.
“Way outside my experience,” said Molly. “I suppose we could always kill the host . . .”
“Kill an innocent man, to release an angel?” I said. “I’m guessing seriously bad karma.”
Molly looked at the angel. “I don’t suppose you’ve got any ideas?”
“Not really my area of expertise,” said the angel.
“I need to talk to my family,” I said to Molly. “Can you . . . boost the signal, or something?”
“Maybe,” said Molly. “Let’s try.”
She moved in close and touched my torc with the fingertips of her left hand. They trembled slightly on the strange matter, like the most intimate of touches. Like she was touching my soul. I could see the strain in her face as she fought to marshal what magics she had left. I called out to the members of my family through the torc, and they heard me. My handler’s voice rang loudly in my ears.
“Eddie! This is Kate! I’ve been waiting here all evening just in case you needed me! What’s happening?”
“All kinds of weird and wonderful things,” I said. “Listen, I’m on board Cassandra’s ship, but I need you to do something for me.”
“Of course, Eddie. That’s what I’m here for. What do you need?”
“Tell the family psychics to stop generating their chaff and to put all their power into helping someone here with me. They’ll be able to locate him easily enough; he’s possessed. By an angel. I’ll explain later, I promise, but right now I need them to concentrate on breaking the binding so the angel can go free. Can you sort that out?”
There was a pause. “Only you would get involved with something like this, Eddie,” said Kate. “I’ll see what I can do. Hang on.”
“She likes you,” said Molly.
“I know.”
“No, I mean she really likes you.”
“I know! You don’t mind, do you?”
“I think it’s very sweet,” Molly said firmly.
She went over to the door and looked out into the corridor. “I was sure breaking the cage would set off some kind of silent alarm, but I don’t see anyone.”
“Doesn’t mean they’re not on their way.”
“True. Do you still feel like hitting a whole bunch of people?”
And then the psychics must have come through, because the human host’s head suddenly came up, as though reacting to something only he could hear. He smiled, for the first time.
“Thank you, Eddie Drood, Molly Metcalf. I’ll put in a good word for you.”
The angel burst out of the man in a blast of unbearable light. What we’d seen before had just been an impression of an angel; what it allowed us to see. Scaled down, so it wouldn’t damage us. Wild and glorious, magnificent and free at last, the angel departed, in a direction I could sense but not name. The whole room rocked as the forces unleashed in its passing shook the flying airship from end to end. Molly and I clung to each other as the floor dropped out from under us. There was the sound of a whole string of explosions and all kinds of systems breaking down, along with any number of alarms and sirens, and a great many people panicking. One end of the roomdropped dramatically as the airship began to fall out of the sky. Molly and I staggered back and forth, and had to hang on to what was left of the silver cage to steady ourselves.
“I asked the angel not to hurt anyone,” I said. “I should have specified—that included not dropping the bloody ship out of the sky with us still on board!”
“I told you it would come out in a bad mood,” said Molly. “I’m just relieved I didn’t end up as a salt lick.”
At the back of the cage, the human host was lying curled up in a corner, not moving. He’d clearly been dead for some time, probably killed by the original shock of containing the angel. Only its presence had kept his body going. Decay was setting in now and making up for
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