TheExperimentGiuliansHomecomingTime was completely lost in the dark of the night...er...morning. Aww... Who really cares, Jack thought as he moved through the city with ease. He would always know the way to Anderon House, no matter if he was lost on sleep or in any other condition. His feet knew the way home. Seeing Anderon House rise up in front of him through the darkness of the night...er...morning, Jack walked past the main entrance and went around to the south wing. He had a feeling to see his brother. Not for a major reason. Still, he wanted to make sure Giulian was safe during the crazy experiment he insisted on doing. Yawning and shaking off the exhaustion for a little longer, he walked up to the entrance of the south wing and knocked on the door. It took a while before there was an answer, but finally the door was opened by a rather haggard-looking Peterson, Giulian's manservant. "My lord, is that--? Oh, Master Jack!" Peterson sounded surprised. "Greetings, Peterson. Unexpected, I know. Can I wait for my brother in the study? Is he in?" Jack asked. "He's staying in the lower city," Peterson informed him. "I'm not quite sure--" At that moment there was the sound of hooves and wheels on the carriage drive, and before long a city hackney loomed out of the dark and into the light of the lamp over the doorway. The driver sprang down from the box and opened the door, and out climbed Giulian himself. With the driver's assistance his crutches were handed out and got under him. "Thanks, Earl," the two at the door heard him say in a tired voice that nonetheless held a note of genuine gratitude. "I'll send round the fare in the morning, unless ... oh, Peterson, there you are," he said as the manservant brushed past Jack and hurried toward him. "Be a good fellow and look out, oh, twelve stanners for the driver, here." At Peterson's look of surprise, Giulian added, "Believe me, he's earned it." "Oh, thank you, good sir. You stay safe, here," Earl said, bobbing his hat up and down. "Look out for yourself, too," Giulian told him earnestly, before turning toward the door. He seemed almost to be dragging himself along. Jack turned at the sound of hooves and a hackney that appeared. He raised an eyebrow as his brother got out. He shoved his hands in his pockets, leaned against a doorjamb and stayed there. Giulian didn't seem to notice him till he was almost at the door. Then he looked up, startled. "Jack? Jack!" His hand shot out to grip his brother's arm. "Thank God! Stay -- stay the night. What's left of the night. We'll talk in the morning. Dear God, I'm so tired ... and I want a bath so badly..." "Jules," Jack said with a tired smile of his own. "I'll take you up on the offer." He turned to grasp his younger brother's arm. "Come, let's help each other into the house." After receiving his payment, Earl bobbed his hat again, climbed up in the hackney, flicked his whip lightly against his tired horse and took off into the night. His lady would be so pleased with him to see the twelve stanners spilling out of his hands and into hers. As Peterson came back from paying the driver, Giulian hailed him and said, "Peterson, please make up one of the guest bedrooms for Jack. And--" He looked at the manservant appealingly. "--I know it's an ungodly hour for it, but I so want a bath." "I'll see to it, my lord," Peterson assured him. "We'll wait in the sitting room until they're ready," suggested Giulian. "That sounds good to me," Jack added with a nod. Lamps were already lit in Giulian's comfortable sitting room, and as usual a selection of drinks was available on the sideboard. Giulian hitched himself over to his favorite caneback rocker and nearly collapsed into it, letting his crutches fall to the carpet. He was still dressed in the shabby clerk's outfit in which he'd started the day, now sadly rumpled. He looked pale and exhausted, lines of worry carved into his face. "Get yourself a drink, Jack," he suggested. Jack dropped into his favorite armchair in the sitting room. His head fell to the back cushion as his eyes closed. "I've had enough for the evening, but thank you." Giulian roused himself enough to raise his head and peer over at his elder half-brother. "You look almost as beat as I feel," he observed. "Should I ask what you've been doing with yourself?" Jack opened one eye and peered back at his younger brother. "If you asked, do you think I would answer?" "Mm. Probably not," Giulian conceded. "But ... you've been taking care, haven't you, Jack? Looking out for yourself?" "Of course, why wouldn't I be doing that? I'm doing fine. Relax, little brother," Jack said, closing his eyes again. Giulian was silent for a little while, then went on in a subdued voice. "Maybe I'm jumping at shadows. But I heard some things tonight ... rumors... And Jo's disappeared. That's why we came back." "Rumors? Jo? Oh, that cit who talked you into going to the city. At least you came back and got out of there." Giulian's mouth tightened briefly at Jack's dismissive tone. "It was a valuable experience," he enunciated. "And I don't think we'd have cut it short, except..." "Except what?" He raised his head and looked at his brother intently. "Jack, do you remember ever hearing about someone called 'Lord Whiteblood'?" The reaction was slight, but it was there. Jack's body slowly tightened in the chair, no longer relaxed, but on edge. His eyes opened slowly as he looked at his brother. "Where did you hear that name?" "Tonight," Giulian answered, meeting his eyes. "From a -- an inhabitant of the lower city. She came to warn us." "She? Another lower cit?" Jack leaned back against the chair. "Do not go back to the lower city, Giulian." "Why not?" Giulian asked him, his eyes challenging his brother. He'd been given one warning already by Elissa, but he wanted to hear Jack's reasons. "Do not go to the lower city, Giulian, or I will talk to Father and he will make sure that you do not go near there until that ... thing is gone," Jack said, closing in on himself. His hands tightened into fists, the knuckles going almost white, before he forced himself to relax them. Giulian studied him. "That isn't a reason, Jack," he said slowly. "That's just a threat. What do you know that you're not telling me?" "It's a reason enough to keep you safe, Jules. You don't need to know anything about ... him, other than to keep out of his path. Do not go into the lower city." "I need to know if people other than me, people I care about, are in danger from him," Giulian said in a steely tone. Jo. Devon. You. "They could be. One never knows with him. I didn't know I was in danger from him when things ... occurred." Jack shrugged and leaned his head back. "What things?" Jack shook his head. "Not now, Giulian. I'm far too exhausted to go into that. Go, take your bath, and rest. Make your plans, just not to venture into the lower city." "All right ... for now," Giulian conceded. "But I'll want to know more eventually, all I can. And I want you to take care too, Jack. Because if I'm a target, because of what, who I am ... then so are you." "I was a target. I no longer wish to be one. We do not want to put Mother and Father through it again," Jack said in a cryptic tone. Giulian blinked, once ... then comprehension flickered in his dark eyes. He himself had not been born at the time, but he knew the family legend -- the family nightmare, rather. He simply had not made the connection with the name. Before he could say anything, however, Peterson appeared at the door. "Your bath is ready, my lord, and the guest bedroom for Master Jack." "Thank you, Peterson. I'll be right there." He looked over at his brother. "Jack... "...get some sleep." |
