Episode 11. Invader (3)
“Oh! Cooperation!”
Plurititas clapped once and rubbed his hands together. (I had wondered countless times, but where did this name come from? Athens? But his British accent was perfect, so I couldn’t help but think about what kind of parents would give their child such a long and difficult name.) He mimicked Liam’s smile, spun around in his chair, and sat down.
“Alright. I like you, so I’ll listen.”
“Let’s get to the point. The recent headless corpses, I want to ask about them. You and the scholars of the End Star are knowledgeable in ‘that part,’ aren’t you?”
Suddenly, the atmosphere grew tense. Liam’s question seemed to have hit a nerve.
The mad scientist’s smile remained, but his eyes were fixed on Liam. They were cold. If a pair of blue eyes could bore holes, Liam Moore’s head would be as full of holes as Emmental cheese. Plurititas stroked his chin.
“Oh, are you asking about the mastermind?”
“Exactly.”
There was something strange about his words. They don’t collect worthless things? That almost sounded like, if it was valuable, they might cut off heads.
The mad scientist, whose eyes met mine, grinned broadly, making me feel a chill run down my spine. How are we even having a conversation with this guy?
Despite the intense stare, Liam showed no sign of fear. It made me feel like the Liam Moore I knew was someone entirely different. Perhaps everything I knew about him was a lie.
Liam pressed on.
“You have no involvement with the cult either?”
“I swear on our elegant collection, this matter has nothing to do with us.”
“Then that’s it. Thank you for your cooperation.”
I doubted if it was really over, given Liam’s pressing attitude. But he accepted it easily, knowing the value of that collection. I tried to step out of Plurititas’s line of sight by standing slightly bowed.
Just then, I heard a voice.
‘Miss.’
The room was filled with a presence again. This time it was a whisper. A small, monotone voice constantly whispered to me.
How could I not have noticed? They were here with Plurititas before we arrived!
But where in this study could the voices be coming from?
‘Miss. Beware of ‘him’.’
It was a warning. One voice, then another, then another, and another, started speaking.
‘He won’t let go of what he catches.’
‘We ended up like this too.’
‘Tell the person who came with you.’
‘You can’t stay here for long.’
Such words. I wondered if these voices were ghosts. I would have thought so forever if I hadn’t seen a metal cylinder at the end of my unintentional gaze.
Noticing my glance, one voice responded.
‘We are watching too.’
‘But pretend you don’t notice. You must not let him know.’
It was a difficult demand. While I was distracted, Liam finished his brief conversation with Plurititas and placed his hand on my shoulder.
“Well then, Plurititas.”
Just as he was about to end the conversation,
‘Run.’
This voice was louder, and it seemed Liam heard it too.
Plurititas, noticing our odd expressions, switched from his friendly smile to a more frustrated look, pressing his forehead and letting out a deep sigh. It sounded like he was trying to suppress a boiling rage. A loud groan echoed.
The man bent over, took a deep breath for a while, then slid his hand over his nose and lifted his head.
“We’ve been found out.”
And I faced those piercing blue eyes.
“Well, it can’t be helped now.”
He mumbled like he was singing, with a subtle smile, stepping towards us.
I felt like I was hallucinating. A huge shadow with many legs, like a reptile or a crustacean, seemed to extend behind him. Before I could observe more, Liam Moore covered my eyes with his hand.
Guided by Liam, I retreated with my face half-covered. He whispered,
“Keep your eyes closed.”
It was a welcome sound. I didn’t want to look at that creature for another second.
Plurititas’s voice sounded doubled. It felt like something beyond human vocal cords was speaking. It was like an echo in a dripping cave. Just hearing it made my body’s hair stand on end.
The mad scientist spoke again.
“You are free to listen to information. But I did not grant you permission to leave.”
Before he could finish speaking, Liam responded. His voice was intended to persuade, but its meaning was as good as a threat.
“It’s not wise to make ‘us’ your enemy, not for the scholars of the End Star. Not for you either.”
“If it’s never revealed, no one will ever know. As an adult, I can’t let impudent people who disturb peace and rules be. Indeed, now that it has come to this, it wouldn’t be bad to take that brilliant intellect of yours. I have coveted it for a long time… You should be proud. You would be a good conversational partner, Liam Schofield Moore.”
Despite the serious situation, I felt no fear.
I could imagine Liam Moore’s face vividly. He would be smiling leisurely with a corner of his mouth lifted.
“It seems even the beings of Yuggoth acknowledge my brilliant intellect. But I’m afraid there’s a long waiting line. So… you’ll have to queue.”
A bright light pierced through my closed eyelids, followed by a familiar sharp sound.
Leaving behind the enraged voice of Plurititas, Liam Moore pushed me out of the study.
“You can open your eyes now.”
I quickly opened my eyes and asked,
“Did you just use a flashbang?”
Oops, excuse my unrefined language.
I was running down the hallway with Liam, holding my cumbersome hat in my hand. Screams echoed behind us. It sounded like the flutter of insect wings or the discordant noise of a radio. If I were to transcribe it, it would be something like ‘skrrtskshtskr.’
Liam laughed heartily. He seemed to find the situation extremely amusing and enjoyable.
Having a boss who loves danger always results in such situations. He’s as crazy as the mad scientist Plurititas!
“Exactly, my dear Jane! Now, run!”
Ah, damn! I started running. The reason was simple. Something slow and lumbering was definitely chasing us. I avoided the common mistake of looking back.
Running for my life, with my survival instinct kicking in, Liam Moore laughed breathlessly, which only annoyed me more. After all, wasn’t it Liam Moore’s smooth talk that got me into this mess?
Damn London, damn Liam Moore, damn murderers! Why does crime lurk like a hidden beast and reveal itself at the worst time?
I wanted to ask.
Is the tendency to murder inherent in human nature, ensuring a short life without it? Evil isn’t made, it’s born, and we must find such people….
Voices resonating, people started running from all directions.