Infernal

Yo Jack

"Hi, Charlie."

The skeptic in Jack reflexively recoiled at the idea of communicating with a dead man—after all, Lyle had been an expert at faking that very thing—but his experiences in Menelaus Manor this past summer had opened his eyes. And now Lyle seemed used to, even comfortable with, being in touch with his dead brother.

He seemed to be listening, then he said, "He wants to know why you brought that chest."

"Well, my brother Tom and I—"

"—found it in a shipwreck off Bermuda. He knows. He wants to know why you brought it here."

"I need to know something, anything about what was in it. It's called—"

"—the Lilitongue of Gefreda."

"Right." This was good—very good. Looked like he was finally going to get some answers. "I need to know what it does—if anything."

Lyle didn't answer. Jack couldn't tell if he was waiting or listening. Finally…

"Charlie doesn't know. He says it comes from a different place and age when the rules were different."

Oh, shit. "The Otherness?"

"He doesn't know. He can't be sure."

"Can he at least tell me if it's harmful?"

"He says that's relative. If you want to escape your troubles, it will help you do that. But in a case like Vicky's, it's harmful."

Jack stiffened. "You know about Vicky?"

Lyle nodded. "Charlie does."

"Harmful how?"

"She'll be taken away from everyone she knows and loves, and will never return."

Jack felt his gut freeze.

"Taken where?"

"Charlie doesn't know."

"Is that what's going to happen to her?"

Charlie could see the future at times—at least he thought he could.

"She'd have to be here in person for him to tell you that, but even then… this Lilitongue is so unique, so alien… he's not sure he'd know."

Vicky… oh, God, Vicky… what am I going to do?

Giving in to a sudden, irresistible urge to move, he sprang to his feet and paced the room. The air felt thick, he couldn't seem to draw enough of it into his lungs, his fingertips tingled. He'd never felt it before but he had a pretty good idea what was happening.

Panic.

"Goddamn it, Charlie, there's gotta be something I can do!"

"There is," Lyle said. "Find The Compendium ofSrem."

Jack halted his pacing. "I've heard of that."

That was the book Herta had told him about, the one Dr. Buhmann had alluded to. But Herta hadn't been talking about the Lilitongue of Gefreda.

The Compendium ofSrem …

"That's got the answers?"

"Charlie doesn't know. He can't pierce its covers."

Then what good is he? Jack wanted to say, but bit it back.

"Well, maybe I can. Just tell me where the damn thing is and—"

"Charlie says you already know. In fact, you've seen it."

Jack stared at Lyle, blinking in confusion. What the—?

And then he realized what Charlie meant.