Burning Lamp

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.It always empties out a house within minutes and it creates great confusion,” she said.“But it is also a very obvious tactic.You won’t get away with it again, not if you use it against a Luttrell operation.He’ll have his enforcers waiting for you next time.”“You sound very sure of that.”“Very likely because that is what I would do in his place.If I operated a string of brothels, trust me, I’d have enforcers watching the clients like hawks by now.”She cleared her throat.“You are nothing if not forthright, sir.But I refuse to believe that you would have me murdered in cold blood if I staged a raid against one of your operations.That is not your style.”He smiled at that.“You know little of my style.But I will promise you that nothing that ever happens between us will be in cold blood, Adelaide Pyne.”She stilled, evidently struck speechless.“Fortunately, this is a hypothetical conversation,” he added.“As you pointed out, I’m not in the brothel business.”“What if I raided one of your gambling clubs or taverns?” she asked icily.“Would my body end up in the river?”“No.My methods tend to be a good deal more subtle than Luttrell’s.”“Such as?”He could be patient, he reminded himself.Patience was a virtue in his profession.The ability to wait for the proper moment to strike, combined with his natural intuition, had won him more victories than he could count.Impulse and strong passions were the greatest sins that could beset a crime lord.He had considered himself to be free of both for years.until Adelaide Pyne.“We digress, Mrs.Pyne,” he said, making a valiant effort not to grind his teeth.“Let’s return to the point of this meeting.”“This meeting, as you call it, is not going well.”“That is because you are being difficult.”“It’s a gift,” she shot back.“I have no trouble believing that.”She tapped the tip of her umbrella against the pedestal that held the ugly artifact.“Very well, sir.You said you needed my help on an urgent matter.Why don’t you explain exactly what it is you wish me to do for you? Then, perhaps we can discuss the possibility of a mutually agreeable bargain.”The word bargain sparked a lightning-bright warning.He was willing to pay her for her services, but the notion of negotiating with her gave him considerable pause.On the other hand, it was not as though he had much choice in the matter.Adelaide Pyne was his only hope.“I have a rather long and somewhat complicated story to tell you,” he said carefully.“Perhaps you will be able to cut your tale short when I inform you that I have an artifact in my possession that I believe belongs to you.A family heirloom, I suspect.”It was his turn to be stunned.Impossible, he thought.She could not possibly have the lamp.“What are you talking about?” he asked finally.“I refer to a rather odd antiquity shaped something like a vase.I believe it is about two hundred years old.It is fashioned of some metal that resembles gold.The rim is set with a number of cloudy gray crystals.”Anticipation flooded through him.For the first time in longer than he could remember, he allowed himself a measure of hope.“Damn it to hell,” he said very softly.“You found the Burning Lamp.”“Is that what it is called? Now that you mention it, I suppose it does resemble certain ancient oil lamps.But it is not made of alabaster in the Egyptian manner.”“How did you know that it belonged to me?”“I didn’t know it.Not until I met you a few minutes ago.It sounds impossible, but the artifact is infused with a formidable quantity of dreamlight.The patterns of the energy trapped in the lamp are nearly identical to your own.There are dreamprints on the device as well that are clearly from a man of your bloodline.”He could not believe his good fortune.He had come here today hoping to persuade her to help him search for the lamp.The possibility that she already had it in her possession left him feeling first light-headed and then—predictably enough given his nature—suspicious.“How long have you had it?” he asked evenly, as though merely curious.“I was fifteen when I acquired it.”Something in the very cool way she spoke told him that he was not going to get a complete answer to that question, not yet.“How did it come into your possession?” he asked.“I don’t think that matters now,” she said.One thing at a time, he told himself.He could wait.The first step was to make certain that she possessed the real Burning Lamp.“You mentioned that the artifact was not particularly attractive,” he said.“I’m surprised you kept it around all these years.”“It has been a great nuisance, I assure you.”“Why is that?” He realized that he was still searching for the flaw in what appeared to be an incredible turn of luck.“It took up valuable space in my luggage during my travels in America, for one thing,” she said.“But the more serious problem is that the energy it gives off is quite disturbing, even to those who do not possess much talent.It is certainly not the sort of ornament that one wants sitting on the mantel.To be honest, I shall be delighted to get rid of it.And so will Mrs.Trevelyan.”“Who is she?”“My housekeeper.She does not have any psychical ability, at least no more so than the average person, but just being in the presence of the lamp makes her anxious and uneasy.She is the one who banished it to the attic.”A torrent of questions flooded his mind.But one stood out.“If you found the thing so disturbing, why did you keep it?” he asked.“I have no idea.” She glanced at the vessel displayed on the pedestal.“But you know how it is with paranormal artifacts of any sort.They hold a certain fascination, especially for those of us with some talent.And, as I told you, there is no question but that the lamp is infused with dreamlight.I have an affinity for that sort of energy.I simply could not let it go.”He exhaled slowly, still trying to dampen his sense of overwhelming relief.It seemed that the lamp had been found and he was standing in front of the woman who might be able to work it for him.But there was still the very real possibility that Adelaide Pyne might not be strong enough to manipulate the dangerous energies that Nicholas had locked inside the lamp.There were other, equally unpleasant but plausible outcomes even if it transpired that Adelaide was sufficiently powerful.She might inadvertently or even deliberately murder him with the lamp’s radiation.Short of that, she could destroy his talent, intentionally or otherwise.Last, but by no means least, the lady might simply refuse to work the lamp for him because she did not approve of crime lords.But she was the one who had offered to bargain, he reminded himself.Evidently he had something she wanted.That gave him an edge.Once he knew what another person desired he could control the situation.“It would appear that we are going to do business together, Mrs.Pyne,” he said.“Allow me to introduce myself properly.”He lowered his talent and sank back into his normal senses, letting her see him clearly for the first time [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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