Читать книгу The Anxiety of Kalix the Werewolf - Martin Millar - Страница 42
ОглавлениеKalix woke in her human form on the warehouse floor. Daniel and Moonglow were asleep on top of a large crate. Kalix was perplexed. She didn’t remember what had happened but realized it couldn’t have been good. She considered sneaking out quietly, but at that moment Moonglow woke.
“Kalix, are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” mumbled Kalix.
“We should go home,” said Moonglow and nudged Daniel awake.
They trudged out to the car, stiff from their uncomfortable night’s sleep. Daniel opened the car doors.
“C’mon, Wolfy,” he said and grinned.
Kalix knew she’d taken on her wolf form last night. She knew she could be irresponsible in that state. She wondered if she’d actually attacked her flatmates, but didn’t like to ask. Before she had time to process this, a more profound gloom settled on her. Old Minerva was dead and it was Kalix’s fault. She’d been sent home in disgrace. The young werewolf sat in the back seat and tried to make herself as small as possible. She remained silent on the journey home, refusing to respond to Moonglow’s anxious questions about what had happened to upset her.
Kalix felt herself becoming anxious as they neared their home. She didn’t want to answer questions from Daniel and Moonglow. Last night, she’d felt so anxious about everything she’d fled to the warehouse so as not to have to encounter anyone. Kalix found it very difficult to cope with company when her anxiety came on badly. Now it was a heavy weight on her, fueled by her guilt over Minerva. She was certain the werewolves at the castle would be discussing her. Thrix and Dominil would have told everyone it was her fault that Minerva was killed.
Kalix’s shoulders were hunched as she emerged from the car, and she was silent as they made their way inside.
“Are you all right?” asked Moonglow for the tenth time.
“Stop asking me that,” said Kalix wearily. She headed straight for her room and closed the door noisily behind her, signaling that she didn’t want to be disturbed.
Downstairs, Daniel watched her disappear. “It’s fine,” he muttered. “Don’t bother thanking us for coming to look for you. It was no trouble.”
“I wonder what happened?” said Moonglow.
“Kalix isn’t about to tell us.”
They went to the kitchen to make tea and pour some cereal for breakfast.
“Do you think I should call Dominil?” asked Moonglow. “Maybe she’d tell us.”
“She probably won’t. They’re always secretive about clan business.”
Daniel ate his cereal then put bread in the toaster. “They were probably involved in some terrible werewolf fight and half the clan’s dead and Kalix killed most of them.”
Moonglow was troubled. From their past experiences with Kalix, that might not be too far from the truth. “She was determined not to get involved in any more violence,” she said.
“Maybe that’s difficult when you’re a werewolf. Especially a crazy one like Kalix.”
“Kalix isn’t crazy.”
“I know,” said Daniel. “But she’s not exactly stable either. As we discovered last night.”
Unexpectedly, Moonglow laughed.
“What’s funny?”
“Us. Going to the park and you getting cut by the bushes and then us getting chased by a wolf and having to sleep on a crate. Our life is much more exciting than our friends’.”
“True. None of them have even met a werewolf, and we’ve met loads.”
They took a plate of toast into the living room. Moonglow carried the teapot and cups and they sat in front of the fire, warming themselves after their cold night in the warehouse.
“What do you think Kalix is doing now?” said Daniel.
“She’s probably hiding under her duvet, having dosed herself with laudanum and cut her arm to make herself feel better. Unless she’s cut her thigh, which she does prefer sometimes.”
Daniel winced. “You’re probably right. Should we do anything?”
Moonglow looked hopeless. “I don’t have the energy. And we can’t be rescuing her all the time. She’ll just get more angry if we barge in. Maybe if we just leave her a while she’ll calm down.”
They were interrupted by an unexpected crashing noise from the kitchen. The cat, which had been idly nosing its food bowl, fled into the living room. Daniel and Moonglow remained calm. Strange crashing noises in the kitchen were something they had grown used to.
“Vex is back,” said Daniel while comforting the cat.
Vex emerged from the kitchen, rubbing her arm and looking glum. “I didn’t land very well. But I didn’t hurt myself. Well, not much. My elbow’s a bit sore.”
Vex looked hopefully at Moonglow, who obligingly rubbed it better. Vex made a swift recovery and grinned at them.
“Are you having breakfast in front of the fire with tea and toast? Can I join in?”
Daniel went off to put the kettle on again and put more bread in the toaster. Vex studied Moonglow.
“Your aura looks a bit strange. So did Daniel’s. Something unusual’s been happening, I can tell. Have you been out on a date?”
“Eh, no,” said Moonglow.
“Are you sure? I can tell you’ve been doing something together. Should I leave? Just say and I’ll make myself scarce.”
“You don’t have to leave,” said Moonglow darkly. “There was no date.”
“OK, I give up, I’m still useless at reading auras. What’s been happening?”
Moonglow told Vex about their adventures the previous night.
Vex nodded sagely. “So Kalix has gone mad again. I was expecting it. Do you know what brought it on?”
Vex accepted some toast from Daniel and plastered it with jam, gleefully loading on as much as the bread could take. Vex had a sweet tooth and an enormous appetite. “It’s good to be back. You can’t get toast at the palace, it’s hopeless. You know how we all agreed I should set up Aunt Malvie with some man so they could produce an heir and get me off the hook? Well, I’ve done it already.”
Vex proudly described how she’d encouraged both Duke Garfire and Lord Stratov to woo the Queen. “I was cunning about it. I just dropped a few subtle hints to family members.”
“So did it work?” asked Daniel.
“I think so. The last I saw, Aunt Malvie was having this great conversation with them; she looked really fascinated. But then I got into a wine-drinking contest with Gruselvere and Iskiline, so I don’t really remember much after that. But I think I’ve made a good start.”
The cat settled down on Vex’s lap and purred when she stroked its ear.
“So it’s been a good few days and now it’s time for Nagasaki Night Fight Boom Boom Girl! The first episode is this afternoon!”
“We saw your note on the fridge,” said Daniel.
“And the alert you put on my computer,” added Moonglow. “Thanks for that.”
“I didn’t want you to miss it!”
Vex glanced at the clock and frowned. “Another six hours. I can’t wait. Do you think Kalix will like it? I’m not sure if she’s as keen on Tokyo Top Pop Boom Boom Girl as me.”
“No one is as keen on Tokyo Top Pop Boom Boom Girl as you.”
Vex laughed. “She’ll like it. It’ll cheer her up. Did she really chase you around the warehouse?”
“Just about.”
Vex laughed again. “I wish I’d seen that. Kalix is so funny when she’s a wolf. She’s all shaggy and excitable.”
Vex stroked the cat under its chin and it rolled over on its back, enjoying the attention. Moonglow picked up the empty plates and took them to the kitchen. When she returned, she stood for a while, looking thoughtful.
“Don’t do it,” said Daniel.
“Don’t do what?”
“Check on Kalix.”
“I wasn’t going to.
“Yes, you were. I recognize your expression. It’s best just to leave her alone for a while.”
“I know.” Moonglow fidgeted for a few minutes. “I’d better just see if she’s all right,” she muttered and hurried upstairs.
Vex watched her go, then turned to Daniel. “At least the two of you aren’t so awkward now. I guess all the Kalix adventures got you over the humiliation.”
“Thanks,” said Daniel, and looked unhappy. He rose slowly, stiff and sore from his night on the crate.
“I’m going upstairs to lie on my bed and listen to music for a few days.”
“What about Nagasaki Night Fight Boom Boom Girl?”
“She’ll have to do without me.”
Daniel trudged off up the stairs. Behind him, Vex grinned.
“They’re all in a bad way,” she said. “Not like me. I’ve got a boyfriend. I wonder when he’ll call?”
