Chapter Six
Konrad awoke with a start.
A thin, grey light filtered through the gap in his green velvet curtains, informing him that the hour was some way advanced.
He was also conscious of a headache, and a leaden feeling of weariness. He had not yet slept long enough to refresh himself, then, which begged the question: what had awakened him?
Master! howled Eetapi in his ear, answering the question with depressing promptitude. The inspector is here.
The serpents had refused to refer to Nuritov by any other name; Konrad surmised that they enjoyed saying the word. ‘Here, as in, here?’ he said, yawning. ‘In this building?’
Downstairs. He seems excited.
‘He does?’ That got Konrad’s attention. ‘I shall be down directly,’ he said, throwing off his blankets, and hurling himself out of be
