Live and Let Drood

his eyes apart from hatred. He turned away, grabbed the nearest gun, put it to his head and pulled the trigger. The whole back of his head blew away, spattering across the window. His body slumped to the floor and lay still. The gunmen stared at himsilently. Some of them had blood and brains on them, but none of them wanted to be noticed just then.
    “This is the second time that’s happened to me today,” I said. “I wish I could say I’m getting used to it.”
    “Damned fool!” said Diana. “They wouldn’t have hurt him at Hush; that’s the whole point.…” She broke off, unable to continue.
    “He didn’t want to betray his family,” I said. “I can understand that.”
    “He knew something he didn’t want us to know,” said Molly. “Probably something really unpleasant that the rest of your enemies are planning, Eddie. Something really bad, to be worth dying over.”
    “What do we do now?” said Diana.
    “We cut off the Immortal’s head and stick it on a spike and leave it somewhere prominent,” I said. “Or, at least, what’s left of his head. Waste not, want not.”
    “You’re serious,” said Diana, looking at me like she’d never seen me before. “You’re really serious.”
    “Of course,” said Molly. “You heard the scumbag; something bad is coming. We need to send them a hard message, now more than ever. Throw a real scare into them. They won’t know he shot himself.”
    Diana shook her head slowly. “I’d forgotten how cold Droods can be.”
    She turned her back on Molly and me, walked into a shadow and was gone.
    Molly looked out the side windows of the bus. “Traffic’s started up again. The Time Distorter must have broken when it went up against your armour.”
    “The Immortal threw his pocket watch on the floor,” I said. “But…I don’t see it anywhere.”
    “I’ll bet you Diana took it with her,” said Molly. “You heard Patrick in the Armoury: The Regent’s agents are always picking up useful items and taking them home.”
    “The Regent will send more agents to look after this lot,” I said, glaring about me at the assorted gunmen. “So stay put, all of you. Don’t make me come after you.”
    There was much general nodding and mutterings of complete agreement.
    “We need to get out of here,” said Molly. “Before someone official turns up and starts asking questions. I’m really not in the mood to deal with official questions.”
    “Right,” I said. I looked at the dead Immortal. “You know, I’m really not in the mood to do the whole severed-head thing. I’m just not angry enough anymore. Let his body send the message.”
    Molly glared quickly about her. “All right, everyone. Listen up! Do not take this as a sign that we’re getting soft! None of you are to leave this bus until the nice agents from the Regent of Shadows arrive to take care of you! Anyone tries to do a runner, we will find out and we will track you down and perform acts of massive unpleasantness on you! Any questions?”
    A surly-looking gunman raised a hand, and Molly punched him in the head so hard that everyone around him winced in sympathy.
    “Any other questions?” Molly said sweetly. “I love answering questions.”
    I armoured down, and we got off the bus and strode unhurriedly back to the Plymouth Fury, ignoring the screeching of brakes and hooting of horns from the resumed traffic. First rule of being a pedestrian in London: Never let the traffic intimidate you. I opened the driver’s door and then paused.
    “Diana’s probably making a report on us to the Regent right now,” I said. “She seemed…disappointed in me.”
    “She doesn’t know you like I do,” said Molly. “And, anyway, why should you care what she thinks about you?”
    “I don’t know,” I said. “I shouldn’t care, but I do. She…reminds me of someone.”
    I shrugged quickly, slipped into the driver’s seat and settled myself comfortably behind the steering wheel, and then slammed the door shut. The sat nav immediately raised its strident female voice again.
    “Don’t slam the door! You’ll damage something! And can I remind you thatyou’re supposed to be looking after me? The Regent made me your responsibility! What were you thinking of, letting me be shot at like that? I’m a classic!”
    I looked at the sat nav thoughtfully. “Are you speaking for the car, or are you the voice of the car itself?”
    “I’ll never tell!” the sat nav said smugly.
    “Is there any