Live and Let Drood

possible…that he could have made contact with the Original Traitor,” I said. “Who could have sold the family out for anynumber of reasons that made sense only to him…Uncle Jack told me it was the Matriarch before Martha, Sarah, who gave the order to let the Loathly Ones into our reality, to support the Allies in World War Two. Thus setting things up for the Hungry Gods invasion farther down the line…And that she only did that because she was strongly advised to. By someone close to her…”
    “Sarah was responsible for a lot of bad decisions in her time as Matriarch,” said the Regent. “And it was her dying so suddenly and unexpectedly that made my Martha the Matriarch at such an unusually young age.”
    Molly leaned forward, suddenly fascinated. “How, exactly, did Sarah die? You said an accident, earlier. What kind of accident?”
    “She fell down some stairs,” said the Regent. And then he stopped abruptly and we all looked at one another. The Regent looked genuinely upset. “There was no one around. She just fell. She was found dead at the foot of a flight of stairs. Broke her neck. Even Drood armour can’t protect you from accidents if they’re sudden enough. As far as I know, it never occurred to anyone to check if her death was anything other than an unfortunate accident. But now I have to wonder…”
    “If her neck was broken before she fell,” I said. “How far does all this go back?”
    “It’s getting so you can’t trust anyone,” said Molly.
    “The Original Traitor is supposed to have killed other Droods and taken over their identities, in the Past,” I said.
    “Like an Immortal?” the Regent said immediately.
    “Except that this is one Drood being replaced by another,” I said. “I have to ask, Grandfather: Did you have any Shadow or Uncanny agents inside the Hall just before it disappeared? People inside the family who reported to you?”
    “No,” said the Regent.
    “But then, you would say that. Wouldn’t you?” said Molly.
    “You’ve already admitted you had contact with Uncle James and Uncle Jack,” I said. “So you could keep an eye on me.”
    The Regent grinned at me, entirely unabashed. “Good to see you’repaying attention, Eddie. There are…certain high-up individuals within the family, who are still willing to talk to me. But only from a distance, and only on personal matters. No one in the family would share family secrets with a rogue Drood. No matter who I used to be.”
    “Can you assist us against Crow Lee?” I said bluntly.
    “Not officially,” said the Regent. “Uncanny can’t be seen to move openly against such a…man of substance. Not while he’s still connected to so many important people in the government. And especially not when there’s a Funding Review in the wind.”
    “That’s what happens when you get in bed with the Establishment,” Molly said sweetly. “Someone always gets screwed.…”
    “You have to give some to get some,” the Regent said vaguely. “Can’t afford to rock the boat just at the moment. But I’m certainly not going to get in your way. And I can tell you where to find him. He’s currently taking his ease just down the road at his Very Private, Very Members Only club. The Establishment Club. He also has a country manor house down in Surrey. I can provide you with a map. And directions. And full details on all the hidden traps and pitfalls surrounding his extensive private grounds. Once you’re inside, I’m afraid you’re on your own. I’ve been trying to get one of my agents inside for years without success. I can’t be seen to assist you publicly, Eddie, but I can cheer you on from the sidelines.”
    “He’s just down the road?” said Molly. “The Most Evil Man in the World is just hanging out at his club?”
    “Do you by any chance have an armoury here?” I asked the Regent.
    He grinned broadly. “Funny you should ask…”
    The Armoury of the Department of the Uncanny turned out to be the complete opposite of what I was used to at Drood Hall. It was small, tidy, compact, with a place for everything and everything in its place. It was more of a storeroom and repository than a research lab. There were all kinds of weapons stacked on shelves, including a few things even I didn’t recognise, and I’ve been around. Just a couple of basic workstations, complete with state-of-the-art computers and assorted scatteredtechnology presided over by Uncanny’s very own Armourer. No lab rats,