CHAPTER VII

JACOB'S LADDER

BY BARRY REESE

"So, tell me again why you've brought me to this dreadful place?" Evelyn looked out of place, in her cosmopolitan fur-lined coat and small hat. Atlanta was fast returning to its glory of the pre-War days, but it still retained a lot of its country heritage. Evelyn, on the hand, reeked of 20^th century sophistication. It was a dichotomy that attracted Max to her, for she certainly stood out amongst the women of the South. Someday that would change, he knew, and Atlanta would take its place amongst the leading cities of America... but that day was not today.

Max was standing in the dimly lit shop of curiosities, staring intently at an authentic sarcophagus. Trench's place of business was full of interesting odds and ends, many of which were no more than elaborate forgeries. But several of them were the real deal and Max wondered why Trench didn't ply his wares in New York or London, where the prices for such items could be much higher. "I thought you might appreciate a shopping excursion," Max said to Evelyn. "To take your mind off the events of last evening."

"A charming notion, but when you suggested it, I was picturing... I don't know, some place that didn't include mummies or haunted mirrors."

Max turned to face her, trying not lose himself in her deep green eyes. "The best shops in the city, I promise. But I want to see Mr. Trench first."

"I didn't realize the two of you were so close."

"We aren't. But he was with me last night... he saw the same things you and I did."

Evelyn's features shifted at the mention of the walking dead. "I dreamed about them, you know. I barely slept a wink."

Max reached out and touched her cheek, a move that surprised them both. Though they'd engaged in harmless flirtations before and there had been the hint of physical pleasures in her invitation to stay last night, there had been overt touching between them. "I won't let them harm you," he said.

Evelyn looked both amused and touched by his sincerity. "You're a rare man, Mr. Davies. There are times I look at you and think you're a modern day knight, springing right out of those old storybooks of my childhood. But sometimes when I look in your eyes...."

"Yes?" he asked, moving closer to her.

"I'm not sure I know you really are. I mean...."

"Ahem."

Max and Evelyn abruptly moved apart, startled by the sudden presence of Jacob Trench. He stood in a doorway leading to an off-limits storage area, his eyes taking in the scene before him. Max noted that there was a hint of blush to Evelyn's cheeks.

"Mr. Trench," Max said, moving to greet him. "Fascinating place you have here."

"Thank you, Mr. Davies," Trench responded, not accepting the offered hand. "I'm surprised to see you here, however. I didn't realize you had an interest in antiquities."

"I've traveled the world many times," Max answered, holding the other man's gaze. He saw questions aplenty in Trench's eyes and Max felt relieved. If Trench had heard any of the stories about the Rook, he had apparently paid them no heed... or at the very least, was not worried. "In fact, some of your items are clever forgeries. But I'm sure you know that."

A corner of Trench's mouth turned upwards. "Of course. But for some of my customers, it is closest they will ever come to being to afford the object of their dreams. I have authentic versions of everything on display here... I merely choose to leave some of them in safer places."

"Evelyn and I were just discussing the things we saw last night. Have you given them any thought?"

Jacob sighed, finally nodding in Evelyn's direction. It was apparent that he'd been involved in something of interest when Max had entered the store and was now resigning himself to the fact that he would be delayed from returning to it.

"A bit... but I'm sure you'll understand if I say that it's not something I'd like to dwell upon."

"You handled yourself far better than most men would have," Max offered. "I daresay that poor Beauregard would have been beside himself when faced with the undead."

Trench glanced past Max, watching as Evelyn occupied herself with a small brass scarab. "Are you a spiritual man, Mr. Davies? Do you believe that someone might have the power to raise the dead and send them forth to ruin someone's party?"

"You mentioned that you'd seen zombies before," Max answered.

"Yes. Explaining why I'd be so receptive to the notion of the undead. But as for you... just as you thought that most men would have run screaming from the things we saw last evening, I'd expect most men to come up with every excuse possible... other than the obvious: that what we saw was real." Trench turned his eyes away from Evelyn's trim form, taking the time to examine Max more closely. "But you seemed quite at ease amongst them. You've seen such things before."

Max merely shrugged as Evelyn finished her browsing and came up to the join them.

Jacob inclined his head in her direction. "Miss Gould. So wonderful to see you again. Have you found anything in my shop that catches your fancy?"

"Actually, I think the beetle is quite nice."

"The scarab was liberated from a Pharaoh's tomb and is said to be quite cursed."

"Do you really believe in such things?" Evelyn asked, her skepticism tinged by the remembrance of what she'd seen the night before.

"I never put limits on what the world might bring, Miss Gould." Trench returned his attention to Max. "So... to answer your earlier question, no, I have not thought much about the events of last night. Was there anything else?"

"Only one thing... I'm interested in acquiring a manuscript. A copy of the Axiomata. Do you think you might have something like that on hand?"

"Recent copies only," Trench replied, looking like he was ready to bring the game to an end. "And they are far from accurate, or so I've heard. Are you a member of the Fraternity, Mr. Davies?"

"No, just interested in helping a friend. Beauregard's copy has gone missing."

"How tragic."

"Isn't it?" Max took Evelyn's arm in his, ignoring the look of confusion on her face. It was obvious that she was curious as to the real reason behind their visit to the store, but Max knew she was smart enough to hold her questions for later. "See you around, Jacob. Let me know if you happen to stumble across a copy of the Axiomata, won't you?"

Trench watched in silence as Max and Evelyn left the store, though he crossed over to a window and peeked beneath the blinds, following them with his eyes until they turned the corner and were out of sight.

"You should have dealt with him before now," a heavily accented voice said from behind.

Trench glanced back at the aged form of K'ntu, noting that the old man looked the same today as he had during their first meeting in Tibet. In all that time, Trench had never seen him eat a thing, nor found him sleeping. He came and went like a wraith in the night. "Even if the stories are true, he's nothing more than a maniac with a gun. He can't stop me."

"You shouldn't ignore them. Even a small pebble can lead to a great man's demise."

Trench sighed. He'd barely begun to study the Axiomata, but so far everything pointed to his eventual success. With the information contained in the tome, he would be able to find the last items he needed to open Lucifer's Cage...

But perhaps K'ntu was right.

Jacob might need to grind the bothersome pebbles of the world - staring with Max Davies - into the ground first, before moving on to the next stage of his plan.

Smiling, Trench said "Old master, I'll take care of him. Trust me."

The man who had tormented Jacob Trench mentally and physically did not return the expression. He regarded Trench as a tool, one that was necessary for the revival of the ultimate master they both served, but nothing more. If Trench died, K'ntu would shed no tears, but he would be forced to return to his lonely vigil in Tibet and the Cage would not be opened for many a year. That simply could not be allowed to happen. "Take no chances," K'ntu warned. "This man must die or he will ruin everything."

Lucifer's Cage stories & The Rook © Barry Reese. HTML © Tim Hartin.

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