Agatha H and the Voice of the Castle

She stepped over to Moloch, grabbed a handful of his hair, and hauled his head up. “I don’t have time for this. I have to get back to work.” Moloch stared at her blankly. Sanaa spoke loudly. “Pay attention, fool.” She pointed at Agatha. “New. Girl.” She gave his head a shake. “Unlock her!”

Moloch blinked. “What?”

Sanaa rolled her eyes. “New girl! Shackles! Get key!” Moloch continued to stare at her wide-eyed.

Sanaa gave a small scream of frustration. “Don’t keep me standing around here or I’ll smack you—”

That did it. “Yes!” Moloch began thrashing about on the ground like a fish. His hand dived into various pockets. “Yes! Key! Right!” he babbled.

He produced a shiny key. “Ha! Here! See?”

Sanaa plucked it from his hand and turned her back on him to open Agatha’s cuffs with a quick twist and snap. “Well, thank goodness for that,” she muttered.

She wheeled back and caught Moloch rising onto one knee. She grabbed his face and squeezed his bearded cheeks until his eyes bulged. “Now pay attention. Here is key!” She waited until Moloch took it and repocketed it. “Good! Now I will tell the Professor she’s here. She says she can actually cook, so show her where everything is, then let her get started. Got it?”

Moloch nodded as much as he could. Sanaa let him go and straightened with a sigh. “That should do it.” She turned back to Agatha. “See you later, Pix, I got work to do.”

“Thanks, Sanaa.”

The girl waved as she turned to go. “No problem. Just fix us something edible for a change.” She paused and than turned to Moloch. “And you taste everything she cooks, okay?”

She gave Agatha an apologetic shrug and trotted off.

The two stared after her for a moment until she turned a corner and was gone. Moloch sighed. “Isn’t she wonderful?”

Agatha looked at him sideways. “Yes,” she admitted. “I like her already.” Tentatively, she put a hand on Moloch’s arm. “I…I don’t know your reasons, but I really appreciate your not telling her who I am.”

Moloch blinked and looked at her in surprise. Then he actually registered who she was.

Then he screamed.

The so-called “Sneaky Gate” was a narrow tunnel through the city walls. It went on for several meters in solid blackness after the door they had come through slammed shut behind them. Finally, Oggie, with Gil over one shoulder, pushed a half-sized door open and led Dimo and Maxim into a tight alley. Maxim looked around and smiled. “Hokay! Ve iz close by dis time!” He began to lead the way out of the alley, and nearly plowed straight into Captain Vole. The Jägers stared at each other in surprise. Maxim reacted first, his face breaking into a huge grin. “Vole! Hyu olt veasle-eater! Hyu iz schtill here!” His eyes glanced upwards. “Und dot iz a mighty fine hat!”

For just a second, a smirk rippled across Vole’s face—then he erased it with a snarl. He turned away and saw Gilgamesh.

“Master Wulfenbach! Hyu iz injured!”

Gil struggled to get to his feet. “Yes…a bit…”

Vole sniffed. “Hy ken schmell de blood and it iz hobvious dot hyu iz about to collapse.” He snagged the young man’s hand. “Hy vill get hyu to de hospital.”

“No! Wait!” Gil tried to resist, but found himself pulled effortlessly along. “You’re correct! I do need to rest, but if word gets out that I’m injured, everything I just did out there will be pointless. If there is another attack before I can make repairs to the lightning rod—”

This stopped Vole dead. He turned around. “Hyu lightning schtick is broke?” He considered this and a slow grin spread across his face. “Den anodder attack vould be a goot ting.”

Gil shook his head. “No, you misunderstand, my machines are broken—”

“Hy onderschtand perfectly. De two Heterodyne gurls iz both beeg trouble for hyu poppa. Hiff dere iz anodder attack, den de castle ken be destroyed, both gurls killed. Hit vill be verra sad—” He chuckled. “Ve vill get hyu poppa beck into hiz big airship, and from dere ve ken deal vit de…repercussions. Yez, hit vill all vork owt just fine.”

A hiss diverted his attention from his musings. Jenka was practically vibrating with rage and the other Jägers were glaring at him with an ice-cold fury.

“So it iz true.” Dimo said. “Hyu are no longer a Jäger.”

Jenka pointed at Gil. “Ve iz gunna tek dis guy someplace safe und help protect der town and der Kessle and der family, as ve swore to do. Stend aside.”

Vole sneered, releasing Gil and standing tall. “Devoted slaves to de last. Hyu dun ondershtand. Efferyting has chenged! De family iz dead and hy intendz to keep it dot vay.” He glared down at them. “Vich of hyu iz gunna shtop me?”

“Oh, that would be me.” The voice from behind caused Vole to spin in such a way that Gil’s flying kick met his jaw perfectly, sending him slamming into the wall. He crumpled to the ground and stared up at the younger Wulfenbach in surprise.