Thieving Fear

EPILOGUE

'Have you finished your new one yet, Ellen?'

'I might have if I hadn't had to come to London.'

'Hey, no panic. Take the time you need. Just don't kill him off at the end. You don't want to keep a good magician down.'

'He wasn't good.'

'I don't think Glen meant it that way, Hugh.'

'You got it. Good as in marketable. From what you sent me I'd say he's your best character. Don't waste him, especially not now.'

'He wasn't just a character.'

'He's mine now, I suppose, Hugh. I can do what I like with him.'

'Which could mean a lot of money if you keep him alive for a series.'

'Why especially now, Glen?'

'I just heard about a television series they're making. Matter of fact, it's the guys who own us. Frugo are getting into movies for the big screen and the small one too.'

'Some of us.'

'Sorry, Rory, we know nobody owns you. Pity you're not still working for them, Hugh. Maybe you could have pushed Ellen's books.'

'I'll be helping. That's why I'm here.'

'That right? Tell me how.'

'Didn't Ellen say? I'm working in a bookshop now. Texts near Frugo where I used to be.'

'Found your way back there, did you? That could be useful. We'll talk.'

'What kind of television series?'

'One your books could tie in with, pick up on, anyway. It's going to be big and controversial. Psychic Challenge, they're calling it. Each show has two magicians going up against each other like they did when that stuff was new.'

'Not real magicians. Not like Pendemon.'

'You bet, Hugh. At least that real. No point otherwise.'

'I can't see what point there is anyway.'

'Same one your cousin's books have.'

'What are you making out that is?'

'If she was my cousin I'd say it was earning a living, Rory. I guess they aren't harming your bank balance either.'

'I only did the covers because it's Ellen.'

'Fine since it got them talked about, and we're looking at having you show us some ideas for another of our authors. On top of which we definitely want you doing more for our Pendemon books.'

'There's only one of those yet. What are you asking me for?'

'Now you're taking photographs it's a pity you can't go in his house.'

'Don't look at us. We didn't wreck it even if I thought we should.'

'OK, Hugh, nobody's blaming anyone. I guess we'll never find out who got in there with the gasoline. It might have been good if you hadn't told anybody what was there till we had a chance to film it, though. Even with your mobiles would have been useful.'

'We had other things on our minds.'

'I said I wasn't blaming anyone. You can tell Rory how it was down there, yes? We're figuring on using illustrations in the first book of the series to see how they work. The more they look like photographs the better. Work your magic, Rory. Bring it to life like Ellen is.'

'What do you think, Ellen? It's your book.'

'I'm sure Glen knows what's best for me.'

'That's why I'm here. Tell you what else we'd like – more author photographs.'

'Isn't the one Rory took enough?'

'You put on weight since then. Hey, no bad thing. We don't need the author looking like a ghost even on your sort of book. Maybe he can take some shots after we've all had lunch.'

'Does Charlotte know about the things you're asking me to do? Isn't she still Ellen's editor?'

'Sure thing. I'm just trying to help their books along. Makes sense for all of us.'

'What's keeping her? Shouldn't she be here by now?'

'She was finishing something off downstairs. I guess it's taking longer than she thought. She could catch us up at the restaurant if you're famished, Ellen.'

'No, I want to wait for her. We shouldn't leave her on her own.'

'She isn't, believe me, not down there.'

'Shall I go and find her?'

'You can't do that, Hugh.'

'Why not? Why are you telling him that, Glen?'

'Because nobody gets to go behind the scenes by themselves unless they're part of us, not just your brother. Here comes the elevator. Maybe that's her now.'

'Gee,' Rory said, having turned to watch that letter rob its neighbour of the light. It continued to glow, if somewhat fitfully, as the metal doors parted below the display. The inside of the lift seemed dim, perhaps by contrast with the street, where the window of a taxi caught the sunlight, flaring in his eyes. The blank patch it left on his vision appeared to loiter behind Charlotte as she stepped into the lobby, so that he couldn't immediately tell whether somebody was at her back. No, the gaping gloom was deserted, and in a moment the doors shut before the light shifted to the lowest number. Rory rested his hands on the upholstery to push himself off the settee, so fast that the blank patch engulfed his vision. He mustn't start imagining that it had wiped out Hugh and their cousins or the editor, let alone the place Rory had taken ages to reach. 'Now we're all here,' he said.