Crowned

I clear my throat, knowing he expects a reaction. You learned to shape shift. How?

The answer will come later. The photographs vanish. You can ask three questions.

Why three?

Three is the magic number.

I have a million questions; I don’t even know where to start. Emily’s face floats into my thoughts, and I decide that’s as good a place as any. How do you control Emily?

He heaves an impatient sigh. I don’t.She’s not my prisoner.

But she has powers like she did when you were inside her head. Superhuman strength, super speed… How?

His lip curls. Is that your second question?

No – it’s an addendum to the first.

He smiles. She has tools that give her limited access to certain abilities. As long as she serves me, they are hers to use.

That makes sense, but something else doesn’t. I don’t understand why she’d want to help you after what you did to her.

He lifts his shoulders in a delicate shrug. You’ll have to ask her that.

I take a deep breath. All right. Number two. Why did you take my tooth?

He chuckles. I was waiting for that one. I wanted a keepsake, and a lost milk tooth was something you wouldn’t miss.

Ugh. What a creep. How did you get it? Did you stand around outside my house, looking through the rubbish?

That’s a new question – no more addendums. You might want to use your questions more wisely.

Fine. Number three: what do you know about Henry Marshall’s disappearance?

I know that it happened.

That’s not a proper answer.

I know it happened in the afternoon in a busy shopping area.

Were you involved?

You’re out of questions, my dear. I said three.

That’s not fair! You didn’t tell me everything you know!

You didn’t ask me to tell youeverythingI know. Frame your questions better.

Arrggghh! This man – this monster – is impossible! He tricked me! I don’t even know why I’m surprised – that’s what he does. At least I know now that he has information on the disappearance. He’s probably behind it. I glare at him, willing to him to display some remorse, but he doesn’t. That would be evidence of a conscience.

I clear my throat. “Whatever your plan is, at some point you’ll no longer be here to keep it going.”

His smile is indulgent. I don’t need to live for ever. I don’twantto live for ever.

Even without the anklet I sense the ring of truth in his words. If he doesn’t intend to be around for all eternity, why is he building an army? What does he think he’ll achieve?

Footsteps sound outside the room and a moment later Emily appears in the doorway. She’s taller, and through her black leggings and shirt I see limbs that are long and toned from all that fence-jumping. She still has that pretty face I remember, but there’s a sly, cynical light in her eyes. She senses my probing and her barrier goes up.

“It’s time,” she says.

The Puppetmaster nods. “Show Conyza out and come to the warehouse.” His voice is the same as I remember, soft and a little high-pitched. He turns to me with a smile. Thank you for coming. I’m sorry to cut this meeting short, but I have pressing matters to deal with. I’ll see you soon.

He disappears before I have a chance to ask any more questions. I turn to Emily. I don’t understand this girl at all. The Puppetmaster befriended her pal Amantle under false pretences and gave her a set of bewitched necklaces that placed her clique, including Emily, under his control. He sent them gallivanting around town, pushing them until their bodies almost broke. It took a lot for me and Rakwena to break the spell, and now Emily is right back in the Puppetmaster’s clutches. Her family thinks she’s dead. There’s a tombstone with her name on it and she’s acting like she doesn’t have a care in the world.

“Stop looking at me like you’re going to cry,” she says wryly. “I chose to come back.”

“Why?” My voice echoes in the empty building.

Emily starts down the corridor and I hurry after her. “Because he’s right.”

“About what?”

“Everything.” She moves quickly, almost running down the stairs. When she reaches the bottom she turns to face me suddenly and I almost walk right into her. She takes a step backwards and grabs my arm to steady me. Her grip is stronger than Rakwena’s. I pull my arm away.

“Emily, the man is a lunatic! He bewitched you and your friends and made you do all his dirty work. You were guinea pigs, a trial run for his zombie army.”

“Zombie army.” She shakes her head, amused. Amused! “John has been around for ages – do you really think he hasn’t tried to build an army before? He wasn’t testing his methods. He was testing you.”

“Me?”

She winces. She’s said too much. “Everything he’s doing is for the greater good. You’ll see.” She waves a hand towards the gate.

“I think we need to talk about–”

“Next time,” she interjects, then glances up.

I follow her gaze and suck in my breath. The walls are staring to fade. The illusion is coming apart.

“He doesn’t like to wait.” Emily starts up the stairs again. Where is she going?

“Wait! What about Rakwena?”

She stops. “It took him a while to adjust but he’s fine.” She looks down at me. “Don’t worry. John would never let anything happen to either of you. You’re far too important.”

“Emily–”

She flickers, running up the fading staircase, and then passes out of sight. I hurry through the doorway. When I turn to look over my shoulder, the house is gone. The gate opens just enough for me to squeeze through, then closes behind me. I can feel the Puppetmaster’s energy rise into the air and depart from the premises.

“Well?” asks my grandfather, when I climb into the car. “How was it?”