Redstone: Sanctuaries
Chapter 29: Bingo

The library is located on the east wing of the house. Jose's collection of books filled the room from corner to corner. Rolan thought that his nephew wanted to create his own archive center in this house.

At the end of the room, near a window watered by sunlight, was a recliner and a long wooden block that served as a table. But the person he was looking for was on the other side of the room, behind a stiff desk, with a stack of files and a cup of coffee nearby. Hubbert looked determined, unaware of their presence.

"Hello Mr. Decker," said Rolan.

The journalist lifted his face from the book he read, then quickly got up as soon as he saw Jose was there too. "My lord" he said. He nodded at Rolan. "Doctor Orlov. You came for Lady Redstone?"

"For you too." Rolan walked over to Hubbert, taking out a letter from his pocket. "Lady Argent sent this. I didn't open it, but I think it contained someone's address. You're asked to seek asylum there when you get to Nordem."

Hubbert received the letter, read the contents, then nodded. "I'll go later tonight" he told Jose.

"Sure, I can take care of it." Jose smile. "From Nordem, you can go straight back to Bjork by boat. But I'm not suggesting. Better get back through Redstone. I'll take you to Aston."

"You're too good" said Hubbert stiffly. He knew that what Jose wanted was the result of his investigation. "Without disrespect, I need to make one point clear to you" he said softly. "I don't work for Lady Argent. What I will find in Nordem is not obligatory for me to tell you, nor for Marquis Argent. After all, what I'm looking for has nothing to do with you. You better not interfere."

"It's so presumptuous." Rolan's forehead wrinkled at the impoliteness. He walked up to Hubbert, pressing the man's shoulder down until Hubbert sat back in his chair. The journalist's face was nervous, but firm.

"You know you're talking to a marquis, right?" rolan whispered in a threatening tone. "Even though Jose isn't a marquis, he's the host of this. You took refuge in his mercy and ate in his house. Dare to ask him not to interfere. How about you pop your eyes with a spoon? Maybe you can see more clearly after that."

"Uncle," reprimanded Jose casually. "Don't joke like that."

"Well, see?" Rolan raised the corner of his lips in a mocking smile. "You know what happens if Jose doesn't interfere? Your eyeballs have moved to the table by now. So watch your talk, Decker. Watch your talk."

Hubbert's face color changed from pale white to flushed with embarrassment. "I am a guest here" he said trembling. "I hear the Argent Family respects their guests."

"Correct me if I'm wrong" said Rolan, refusing to give a tongue-in-cheek about ethics. "What I heard is that when you came here, you saw people hanging in the fields. You reported to Jose. Then when Jose and you checked the place, you again saw a strange sighting. Then you brought the goddamn apparition into this house, and the ghost dragged his wife to another realm. Maria's in danger of replacing you, and you're saying this has nothing to do with Jose?"

Hubbert was about to get up, but he couldn't move. The pressure on his shoulders was too strong. "Why am I wrong?" pecked. "Do you think I bagged a demon from Bjork to Redstone? What do you mean, Lady Redstone replaced me? What the hell is going on?"

Rolan grimacing. "What do you think? What do you want to do yourself in Nordem?"

"What does that have to do with—" Hubbert stopped. He turned his head, looking at Jose who was looking at him from behind Rolan. "Wait, wait, you mean, I'm the one being targeted?"

Jose smiled in response.

"Why me?"

"Everyone knows you're close to Jeanne Argent, 'the woman who can make the news come true'" Rolan said. "Not a few people think you work for him."

"I don't work for anyone!" Hubbert was irritated.

You just didn't realize you were dancing under Jeanne's music, '' Rolan said in his heart. "Well, that's what you said. According to others it is not so. You're going from Bjork to Nordem, transiting at Redstone. Now that you're your target, seeing journalists close to Argent prying about your business, when you know Argent is close to the palace, what are you gonna do? What are you thinking?"

Hubbert was confused. "Awhile" he said, "i. Doctor, you described it as if I was attacked because someone thought I was Argent's accomplice and he was afraid that what I knew would be known to Argent, which means the palace would know too! That's what you mean?" He laughed dryly. "Then, why don't you just attack me with bandits, or something. Why should I be in Redstone? Time strikes people with ... with demons. That's weird!"

Hubbert felt nauseous. He was often the target of terror because of the news he wrote, but no one had ever wanted to kill him before. Is it because it was not considered meaningful? Is he now more meaningful, his voice much more calculated, because he is seen close to Argent? Since when has each of his movements been linked to that family? Hubbert couldn't decide if he should be happy or disgusted.

It was only fitting that so many people were suddenly friendly and approached him. He felt so silly that he didn't realize how other people looked at him. For years he has been trying to build a neutral self-image. His efforts were ruined only because he was close to Jeanne Argent.

"If anyone wants to kill me" Hubbert went back to the original topic to focus his mind, "if everything about demons is intentional, there are two things that question me. First, how does that guy do it? Satan is not a pet to be told to," now his voice is uncertain. He remembered Sir William who could control the devil. What if again they were dealing with some sort of solomonari? He was horrified himself. "How," he continued in a discordant voice, "how could he deliberately make me see what it was and then make the demon follow me? What does it mean that Lady Redstone replaced me? You mean, she's sick because of me?"

"That's what I want to find out," said Jose calmly, still not telling Hubbert what Maria was going through. He walked over, took a seat across from Hubbert. "Obviously, there's one thing we can deduce from this."

Hubbert nodded, catching his point. "I must know something dangerous. Chances are: someone attacked me to silence me, because I knew something dangerous to him. Or the second possibility: he wants to prevent me to Nordem because there is indeed a danger if it gets caught by me—or by the Argent Family, if they assume I am related to you."

Jose nodded. "It's nice to talk to someone as quick to respond as you are" he said. "Well, isn't it hard working together?"

Rolan removed his hand from Hubbert's shoulder, making the journalist exhale a silent sigh of relief. Rolan's brutality is well known throughout Bjork. People call him the doctor up front but make fun of him as a butcher in the back because Rolan has always been Marco's personal executioner.

"We can start from the first possibility" Rolan said. He pulled an Ottoman bench near Jose and sat there. His eyes returned to Hubbert. "Whatever you know, maybe it'll help us decipher what's really going on at Redstone."

Hubbert knew he had no choice. With a heavy heart he said, "Well, honestly, I don't know much. Just that Van Heiden has a client in Nordem."

Rolan glanced at Jose. Judging from his nephew's expression, the name clearly meant something.

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