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The Lord of Thorns looked at me for a long moment, then shook his shaggy head. "Sorry. Can't say I remember. So many years, so many faces; you know how it is. But you did awaken me from my prison of sleep, so you get a free pass. For now."
"How very civilised," I said. "Can I just ask you: do you know anything about the sword Excalibur?"
"I saw it once," said the Lord of Thorns, smiling wistfully. "Golden and glorious, it was. Took my breath away. Why do you ask?"
"I don't care about any of this!" Larry said loudly. "All I care about is finding my brother Tommy! And it's all you ought to be concerned about, Hadleigh!"
"I turn my back on the family for five minutes," said Hadleigh, "and now Tommy's missing, and you're dead. I can't hold your hands forever."
"Where is Tommy!"
"Closer than you think," said Hadleigh.
I really thought Larry was going to explode into a rage that would put the Lord of Thorns to shame.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean? Why can't you speak clearly any more? And what kind of a title is Detective Inspectre anyway?"
"A very descriptive one," said Hadleigh.
"You're not my brother," said Larry. "You don't look like him, talk like him, feel like him. What did those bastards do to you in the Deep School?"
"They opened my eyes."
I butted in, to give Larry time to control his temper. For a dead man who claimed to have hardly any emotions, I thought Larry was doing pretty well. I was begi
"Why did you come here, now, to tell the Lord of Thorns who did this to him?"
"I know what I need to know, when I need to know it," said Hadleigh. "Comes with the job. And I'm here now because I knew you would be. I need to talk to you, too. Everything you know is a lie."
"What?"
"Only kidding. I've always wanted to say that to someone. No, what you need to know… is that a lot of things happening right now, in the Nightside, are the result of long-hidden plots and intrigues finally coming to a head. I'm here because I'm needed here. And… by the pricking of my thumbs, something morally ambiguous this way comes."
We all looked round, following Hadleigh's gaze, and there, standing in the doorway of the church, was Walker. Calm and composed, smiling easily, as though he hadn't just murdered his oldest friend. There wasn't a spot of blood anywhere on his smart city suit, and his old-school tie wasn't an inch out of place. He might have come from his club, or a board meeting. He let us admire him for a moment, then strolled unhurriedly forward to join us, the steel ferule of his umbrella tapping loudly on the bare stone floor.
"My ears are burning," he murmured. "The only thing worse than being talked about is being sniped at by enemies. Don't you want to hear my side of the story?"
The Lord of Thorns stabbed a bony finger at him. "Betrayer!"
Walker ignored him, his calm gaze fixed on Hadleigh, who stared thoughtfully back. Two of the most powerful men in the Nightside stood looking at each other, and I felt like diving for cover. If they decided to go at it, even the Church of St. Jude might not be strong enough to contain the explosion. For all I knew, Walker had a whole army waiting outside to back him up; and I didn't even want to think what kind of forces Hadleigh Oblivion might be able to call on. And if the Lord of Thorns decided to get involved… I drifted surreptitiously to one side, so there was nothing between me and the exit.
"I knew my talking to the Lord of Thorns would bring you here, Walker," Hadleigh said finally.
"No-one brings me anywhere," said Walker. "I just go where I'm needed."
"We have so much in common," said Hadleigh.
"I wouldn't put money on it," said Walker.
"Your time is up, Henry," said Hadleigh. "Time for you to step down and let others take over."
"Not just yet," Walker murmured. "There are still loose ends to be taken care of first. Like the Lord of Thorns. Yesterday's man, who can't seem to understand that he isn't needed or wanted any more."
The Lord of Thorns thrust his wooden staff at Walker, and the temperature inside the church plummeted.
"You betrayed me! I am the Overseer of the Nightside!"
"That was then; this is now," Walker said calmly. "Yours was a simpler office, for a simpler time. We've all moved on since then. Things are different now. More complex."
"More corrupt!"
"You see? You don't understand the Nightside at all. These days, it exists to provide a safe haven for all those people and forces too dangerous to be allowed to run free in the outside world. The old days, the days of the Great Experiment, are gone. It's all about business now, satisfying needs and appetites, making money by entertaining the tourists. Just one big, very profitable, freak show. And your old-fashioned ideas of what is and is not permissible… are bad for business."
He used his Voice then. The Voice that compels all who hear it and ca
"Be still," said Walker. "Be calm. Listen to me. You know I have only your best interests at heart."
It worked on Larry. It even worked on Hadleigh. They stood still, smiling at Walker with open, empty faces. Ready to do whatever he told them because, for all their u
"Do not seek to command me with our Creator's Voice, little man! I am closer to Him than you will ever be! Defend yourself, functionary! Or will you claim you tried to rob us of our free will for the greater good?"
"I told you," said Walker, pulling the remains of his dignity about him again. "I don't do Good, or Evil. I support the status quo. I keep the wheels turning, and I keep the natives from getting out of hand. Tell him, John. You've seen what I do and why it must be done. Surely you of all people understand that what I do is necessary!"
The Lord of Thorns looked at me. "Time to choose a side, John Taylor."
"Yes," said Walker. "Whose side are you on?"
I looked at him. "Anyone's but yours."
"You always have to do things the hard way, don't you, John?" said Walker.
He flipped open his gold pocket-watch, and the Timeslip within leapt out, enveloped Walker and me, and swept us away.