The Brotherhood of the Dragon

Chapter Five

Chapter FiveThough I rarely intervene in the activities of men, somehow enough people know about my past to ensure I still receive visitors in distress, hoping I have some knowledge or advice that could help them survive their time of need. Most are just lazy people with lazy issues and those I happily send away. Occasionally something or someone appears with a tale to tell that catches my attention. In these instances, I am happy to help; the world can be a dull place at times, so a new challenge or even just something to pass the time is a jewel to be treasured.

If you are of the opinion that the butterfly was some magic potion that gave me back my memory, you are correct. I hate insects, I hate every kind of insect, but very specifically I hate butterflies. Certainly, they look pretty, and that is their evil genius. Underneath the gaudy colours and great luminous wings lies a filthy creature of coarse hair and black, spider-like bodies.

Have you ever looked closely at a butterfly head? I mean really closely? Those enormous alien eyes, the giant proboscis that makes them look more like a drinker of souls in some thirteenth century religious manuscript about the tortures of hell rather than something little girls like to draw on their bedroom walls. Butterflies are the painted strumpets of the animal kingdom and I do not trust them one little bit!

The horror and disgust of having the incarnation of evil in my mouth helped destroy the intellectual block I had placed in my mind days ago. After so many years I had become a creature of habit and lazy days. I have always tried to avoid work, confrontation, or stimulation where I could, but to remain living in the style I have grown accustomed to—well, that requires money. This of course means that when I do work, I do so to get paid so I can go right back to my comfortable chair and my books. Like any skill, knowledge requires upkeep, and I need time to remain the genius I believe myself to be.

The fellow who stood over me was Sebastian Vulk, and we had known each other for a long time. Certainly, he did not like everything I did, and I was none too happy about his success with the ladies (a problem) and his inability to gamble (not so much a problem as an ongoing tragedy that threatened to doom us both). Not only did Vulk bring his own unique gifts to our … acquaintance, he was also of such a great age that he too was often up for an adventure to alleviate the boredom that came from being immortal and idle. His association with me ensured he got plenty of that. He was what you would perhaps call a friend; I wouldn’t though, as I had little time for the man, but you may well consider us as such.

‘Feeling better?’ Vulk asked, hauling me to my feet with little effort, then patting my backside down as though I was a clumsy child. ‘I know this is a little earlier than you asked, but things seemed to be progressing too fast for you to be lying about in bed.’

Taking my first unassisted steps, Vulk guided me down one of the rear paths to a section of the garden that seemed unused. As we walked he filled me in.

‘I joined the ground staff like you suggested, and what a miserable lot they have turned out to be. Most of them are discharged soldiers who served with the general, though recently several older men had retired and been replaced by men who had served with the colonel. Most are as mean as the day is long, and none of them know the first thing about gardening, which is probably the only reason I got the job.’

As we neared an enormous brick wall that I assumed ran the perimeter of the estate, the old dog pointed out a large pile of rubbish and what looked like a discarded barn door.

‘What I want to show you is under there, and as far as I can tell no one I have encountered has had anything to do with it.’

Unsure what ‘it’ was, I approached the slab of wood carefully and tilted the door up by one corner. Underneath was a shallow pit, and about two feet down was the body of a man; well, I assumed it was a man, and circumstances would later prove me correct.

Vulk saw my surprise. ‘It would seem you were right on the money about this place, old boy.’