Читать книгу The Darkening King - Justin Fisher, Justin Fisher - Страница 19

ed wasn’t quite sure what time it was when Benissimo woke him, or why the man was whispering. He was, however, quite certain that he was tired.

“Bene?”

“Yes, pup. Rise and shine – we’ve got a mission.”

“What? I thought you said—”

“I have to say a lot of things when it comes to your parents, Ned. Most of all, I have to not tell them when I ask you to do something dangerous.”

Ned rubbed at his eyes. “What kind of dangerous?”

“The informant’s lead I told you about earlier – its location is not entirely ideal.”

Something of an alarm bell sounded between Ned’s still-waking ears. “And by ‘not entirely’ you mean …?”

“Russia, Siberia, Ned. It’s in the reservation.”

There was a low and rumbling “Unt” from beneath Ned’s bed, followed closely by a “Scree” and some incredibly fast blinking from his mouse.

Ned, thankfully, was able to pick his words more eloquently. “Barking dogs, Bene! Have you lost your marbles?!”

“If we intend to beat this creature, it’s the only way.”

Ned would have gone in an instant but for one glaring factor that the Ringmaster had not taken into account. “Bene, it’s not that I don’t want to help you. The Darkening King is rising because of me and Dad. It’s just that I don’t know how much use I’ll be.”

“It’s not because of you, Ned. And by the way, I know about your Engine – your parents told me everything, just before I drugged them.”

Ned’s ring finger buzzed and there was a slight shimmering in the air, before it fizzled away to nothing. Not even real anger could spark the thing, not any more.

“You did what?!”

“They’d never let you go, with or without them, and our best chance is to sneak in unseen. I can’t say that your loss of power isn’t an issue, Ned, but we really don’t have any choice.”

Another bell dinged behind Ned’s eyes. “And why is that?”

“The creature we are going to see will only help you, not me. Word has spread of your deeds, pup – it wants an audience with you specifically.”

Ned wasn’t entirely sure that he liked the sound of that, and he dreaded the answer before he’d even asked the question. “And this creature … is it a Demon?”

“Oh no, Ned. It’s far, far worse than that.”

“And I suppose you’re not going to tell me what, because you aren’t telling anyone anything?”

“That’s the size of it, pup, but know this: if we do this right, if we get in and out of there without getting caught, and get the information we need, we will have ourselves the key to ending, once and for all, my brother and this monster he wants to unleash.”

Ned sighed. “Not much choice then?”

“Is there ever?”