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MaTTHEW aND THE OTHERS noitnessed a transfor cowed by this co under the iron fist of truth, alan Johnstone slowly straightened his spine In seconds he seeainst the fabric of his dark blue jacket, as if thehimself around his secret core

When he turned toward Matthew again, it ith an unhurried grace Johnstone was s, but the truth had delivered its blow; his face was damp, his eyes deep-sunken and shock-blasted

"Sirs, " he said, "dear sirs I must confess I never attended Oxford Oh, this is e Quite so I attended a small school in Wales I was the son of a e that some doors would be closed to my ascent, if I did not attempt to hide some um unfortunate and unsavory elements of my family Therefore, I created - "

"a lie, just as you&039;re creating now, " Matthew interrupted "are you incapable of telling the truthi"

Johnstone&039;s mouth, which was open to speak the next falsehood, slowly closed His sray stone

"I think he&039;s lived with lies so long they&039;re like a suit, without which he would feel nude to the world, " Matthew said "You did learn a great deal about Oxford, though, didn&039;t youi Did you actually go there and tour the place when you returned to England, just in case you needed the informationi It never hurts to add details to your script, does iti and all that about your social club!" Matthew shook his head and clucked his tongue "are the Ruskins even really in existence, or is that your own true naht have realized I had proof of your lies that very night When the istrate recited the motto of his own social club to you, he spoke it in Latin, believing that as a fellow Oxford brother you would need no translation But when you recited back the lish Have you ever known the lishi Tell an to laugh The laughter, however, was strained through his tightly clenched teeth, and therefore was less merry than murderous

"This woman as purported to be your wife, " Matthew said "Who was shei Some insane wretch from Charles Towni No, no, you would have had to find soined you could control Was she then a doxy, to whom you could prohter faded and went away, but Johnstone continued to grin His face, the flesh drawn over the bones and the eyeholes dwindled to burns, had taken on the appearance of a truly demonic mask

"I presume you ht of Charles Town, " Matthew ventured "Did she believe you were returning her to the dove roosti"

Johnstone suddenly turned and began to li that his kneebrace enforced the fiction of his deformity

"Mr Greeni" Matthew called, in a casual tone The dooras presently blocked by the red-bearded giant, who also held at his side a pistol "That weapon has been prepared for firing, sir, " Matthew said "I don&039;t for an instant doubt your ability to inflict deadly violence, therefore the necessary precaution against it Would you please come back to your chairi"

Johnstone didn&039;t respond Green said, "I &039;spect you&039;d best do as Mr Corbett asks" The air had whistled through the space a front tooth used to occupy

"Very well, then!" Johnstone turned toward his torrin at full force "I shall be glad to sit down and listen to these s, as I find myself currently imprisoned! You know, you&039;re all bewitched! Every one of you!" He stalked back to the chairs, taking a position not unlike center stage "God help our minds, to withstand such demonic power! Don&039;t you see iti" He pointed at Mattheas gratified to see that the hand treue with the blackest evil to ever crawl from a pit! God help us, in its presence!" Now Johnstone held his hand palesture of supplication "I throw myself before your common sense, sirs! Before your decency and love of fellow s any demon would try to destr - "

Smack! went a book down onto Johnstone&039;s offered pallish plays that Matthew had devoured, and that Mrs Nettles had returned to the nearby bookcase

"Poor Toe one-seventeen or thereabouts is a si moved across Johnstone&039;s face in that instant, as hevulpine, andspace of tied from its den and liain into stone Disdainfully, he turned his hand over and let the book fall to the floor

"Sit down, " Matthew said firuarded the doorway Sloith as nity as he could cloak himself, Johnstone returned to his chair

Mattheent to the fancifulon the wall behind hientleman, is the reason for such deception at some time in the past - several years, I believe, before Mr Bidwell sent a land scout to find hi was used as a vault for pirate treasure I don&039;t old and silver coins, either I mean jewels, silverware, plates whatever this pirate and his crewwas likely used by this individual as a source of fresh water, he decided to employ it for a different purpose Mr Johnstone, do you know this individual&039;s nalish, since he see Spanish merchant ships Probably he attacked a few Spanish pirates ere themselves laden with treasure In any case, he built up a wondrous fortune but of course, he was always in fear of being attacked hi-place for his loot Please correct me, Mr Johnstone, if I aht have burned the very air between them with his stare

"Oh, I should tell you, sir, " Matthew said, "that the vast majority of the fortune you scheation of the pond, I found an opening to an underground flow a sretfully for you, an efficient one as to the movement of water Over a period of time, most of the loot went down the hole I don&039;t doubt that there are a few ite - some coins or pieces of pottery - but the vault has been emptied by the one who truly owns it: Mother Nature"

He sa a flinch of true pain on Johnstone&039;s face, as this nerve was so deeply struck "I suspect you found some items when you posed as the surveyor, and those financed your schoolon and horses, tooi and clothes for your cardboard wifei Then I presue back to and fro hi his throati"

"My God!" Dr Shields said, aghast "I always thought alan ca he owned with a ruby in it! and a gold pocket watch he had, inscribed with his initials!"

"Reallyi I&039;d say the ring was so he&039;d found Perhaps he purchased the pocket watch in Charles Town before he came here, and had those initials inscribed to further advance his false identity" Matthew&039;s eyebrows lifted "Or was it a watch you had previously et, and those initials prompted your choice of a na, "are absolutely a fool"

"I have been called so, sir, but never let it be said that I a But you are a smart man, sir I swear you are If I were to ask Mr Green to sit in your lap, and take Mr Bidwell and Mr Winston for a thorough search of your house, would we find a sapphire brooch therei a book on ancient Egypti Would we find the ratcatcher&039;s five-bladed devicei You know, that was a crowning move! The claw marks! a deception only a talented thespian could construct! and to create a ratcatcher out of John Lancaster well, it was an inspiration Did you know that he had experience with training ratsi Had you seen his circus acti You knew Fount Royal was in need of a ratcatcher therefore, instant acceptance by the town Was it you or Lancaster who created the poppetsi Those, too, were very convincing Just rough-edged enough to appeal real"

"I shall loseto you, " Johnstone said He blinked slowly "Lose ether"

"You decided Rachel was perfect witch material You knew, as everyone knohat occurred at Sale abilities to ht be scripted, act upon act The only problem is that you, sir, are a man who has the command of a crowd&039;s mind, yet you needed ato seed this terror in Fount Royal by using selected persons, and thus to ruin the town and cause it to be abandoned after which you - and Lancaster, or so he believed - ht remove the riches"

Johnstone lifted a hand and touched his forehead He rocked slightly back and forth in his chair

"as to the murder of Daniel Howarth, " Matthew said, "I suspect you lured hii So he would not have ht of his murder he asked her if she loved him She said it was rare for him to be so well needful He already had fears that Nicholas Paine was interested in Rachel Did you fan those flas for Painei Did you proe information that should not be overheardi Of course he wouldn&039;t have knohat you were planning I&039;ht have directed Daniel to any place you chose, at any time Who cut his throat, theni You or Lancasteri"

When Johnstone didn&039;t answer, Matthew said, "You, I think I presume you then applied the five-bladed device to Daniel&039;s dead or dying bodyi I&039;ined he&039;d meet his end the same way He panicked when he learned he&039;d been discovered, didn&039;t hei Did he want to leavei" Matthew srimly "But no, you couldn&039;t have that, could youi You couldn&039;t let hi what he knew Had you always planned to murder him, after he&039;d helped you remove the treasure and Fount Royal was your own private fortressi"

"Da "Damn your eyes, and heart, and soul Damn you to a slow death, as you would have made me a murderer too!"

"Calm yourself, " Matthew advised "He shall be damned, as I understand the colonial prison is one step above a hellhole and dungheap Which is where he shall spend so to do with it"

"That, " Johnstone said wanly, " to speak "But, " Johnstone continued, "I have survived Newgate itself, and so I doubt I shall be ainst the wall opposite the ate prison! How did your attendance in such a school come abouti"

"Debts Political associations and friends, " he said, staring at the floor, "with knives My career was ruined and I did have a good career Oh not that I was ever a major lamp, but I did have aspirations I hoped at soh hed heavily "My candle was extinguished by jealous colleagues But was I not credible in my performancei" He lifted his sweat-slick face to Matthew, and offered a faint sman, at least"

"I take that as a backhanded compliment allowht become a thinker"

"I shall take such into consideration"

"This beast" Johnstone put his hand on the convexity on his leg "It does pain et it off once and for all" He unbuttoned the breeches at the knee, rolled down the stocking, and began to unstrap the leather brace all present could see that the kneecap was perfectly formed "You&039;re correct It was candle wax I spent a whole night shaping it before I was satisfied with the da Here: a trophy" He tossed the brace to the floor at Matthew&039;s feet

Matthew couldn&039;t help but think it was much more palatable than the trophy of a carved-out, horrible-s bear&039;s head he&039;d been presented with at the celebration last night also aone

Johnstone winced as he stretched the leg out straight and brisklya ht that near put me on the floor Had to wear a sio One offunny about it, if you discount the hu the audience pelt you with tole you le yourself while you&039;re at it You were the one in such a rush to burn the woman" This statement, delivered so offhandedly, was the straw that broke Bidwell&039;s back The ed fro the actor&039;s throat with both hands

They went to the floor in a tangle and crash at once Matthew and Winston rushed forward to disengage the the door and Shields clung to his chair Bidas pulled away fro two blows that bloodied the actor&039;s nostrils

"Sit down, " Matthew told Bidwell, who angrily jerked out of his grasp Winston righted Johnstone&039;s chair and helped him into it, then immediately retreated to a corner of the library as if he feared conta touched thenose with his sleeve and picked up his cane, which had also fallen to the floor

"I ought to kill you!" Bidwell shouted, the veins standing out in his neck "Tear you to pieces myself, for what you&039;ve done!"

"The laill take care of him, sir, " Matthew said "Now please sit down and keep your dignity"

Reluctantly, Bidwell returned to his chair and thueance still crackling like flames in his mind

"Well, you should feel very pleased with yourself, " Johnstone said to Matthew He leaned his head back and sniffled "The hero of the day, and all that a-stone to the judicial robesi"

Matthew realized Johnstone theto move hinoring the man&039;s remark "How come you to know about iti"

"I believe my nose is broken"

"The treasure, " Matthew insisted "Now is not the tiames"

"ah, the treasure! Yes, that" He closed his eyes and sniffled blood again "Tell ate prisoni"

"No"

"Pray to God you never do" Johnstone&039;s eyes opened "I was there for one year, threerestitution for uards, yes, but they withdraw for their own throats Everyone - debtors, thieves, drunks and lunatics, murderers, child fuckers and ether, like animals in a pit, and believe me you do what you ht his head forward and grinned at Matthew, and when he did fresh crimson oozed from both nostrils "Because no one no one cares whether you live or die but yourself Yourself, " he hissed, and again that vulpine, cruel shadow passed quickly across his face He nodded, his tongue flicking out and tasting the blood that glistened in the candlelight "When they come at you - three or four at a time - and hold you down, it is not because they wish you well I have seen men killed in such a fashion, battered until they are o on, as the corpse is not yet cold Still they go on and you must - you must - sink to their level and join them if you wish to live another day You must shout and shriek and howl like a beast, and strike and thrust and want to kill for if you show any weakness at all, they will turn upon you and it will be your broken corpse being thrown upon the garbage pile at first light"

The fox leaned toward his captor, heedless now of his bleeding nose "Sewage runs right along the floor there We knew it had rained outside, and how hard, when the sewage rose to our ankles I sao ht ended when one drowned the other in that indescribable filth Wouldn&039;t that be a lovely way to end your life, Matthewi Drowned in human shiti"

"Is there a point to this recitation, siri"

"Oh, indeed there is!" Johnstone grinned broadly, blood on his lips and the shine of his eyes verging on h weight of bestiality, to describe Newgate prison, but I wished you to know the circumstances in which I found myself The days were sufficiently horri-ble but then cahts! Oh, the joyous bliss of the darkness! I can feel it even now! Listen!" he whispered "Hear the to crawl froht fantastici Hear themi The creak of a bed-frame here - and one over there, as well! Oh, listen someone weeps! Someone calls out for God but it is always the Devil who answers" Johnstone&039;s savage grin faltered and slipped away

"Even if it was so terrible a place, " Matthew said, "you still survived it"

"Did Ii" Johnstone asked, and let the question hang He stood up, wincing as he put weight on his unbraced knee He supported hi that daate prison, as I realized Ito entertain theht offer them plays Or, rather, scenes from plays I did all the parts, in different voices and dialects What I didn&039;t know I made up They never knew the difference, nor did they care They were particularly pleased at any scene that involved the disgrace or degradation of court officials, and as there are a pittance of those in our catalogue, I foundthe scenes as I played the the rabble"

Johnstone stood with the cane on the floor and both hands on the cane, and Matthew realized he had - as was his nature - again taken center stage before his audience "I cae and very rinder, as he um had used such a device to dispose of his wife&039;s body But - lo and behold! - he was a fan of the stagelamps! I was elevated to the prospect of command performances, and also found myself protected from the threat of harm"

as Matthew had known he sooner or later would, Johnstone noivelled his body so as to have a view of the other men in the room Or rather, so they would have a full view of the thes-pian&039;s expressions "Near the end of my term, " Johnstone went on, "I cae or therebouts, but looked veryup blood Well, needless to say a sick ate prison is like a war to behold, actually They beat hiet, and also because they wanted hio ahead and die lest they fall sick themselves I tell you, you can learn quite a lot about the huht to put yourself there for a night and erous universities, " Matthew said

"Yes, but none teaches as quickly as Newgate" Johnstone flashed a sharp smile "and the lessons are very well learned But: this rinder&039;s power in our little corinder was well, he&039;d rather kill a man than smell his breath, shall we say Therefore this sick and beaten individual asked entleman He actually was quite educated himself Had once been a dealer in antiques, in London He asked nities in exchange for so a wa-terhole across the atlantic"

"ah, " Matthew said "He knew of the treasure"

"Not only knew, he helped place the fortune there He was a me detail Toldto go back for it soht be his partner and share it with hi was forty feet deep, told me that the treasure had been lowered in wicker baskets and burlap bags told enough to put a sea voyage in theex-thespian who had no prospects, no family, and absolutely no belief in that straw poppet you call God" again, Johnstone displayed a knife-edged smile "This man this crewman said there&039;d been a storm at sea The ship had been wrecked He and five or six others survived, and reached an island Pirates being as they are, I suppose stones and coconuts did the job of knives and pistols at last, one ate" Johnstone shrugged "What did I have to lose to at least coold pocket watch hidden in his ave to me You see, that man&039;s name was alan Johnstone"

"What&039;s your name, theni" Bidwell asked

"Julius Caesar Willia Tott Take your pick, what does it matteri"

"and what happened to the real alan Johnstonei" Matthew inquired, though he already had an idea It had dawned on him, as well, that the turtles - reed-eaters by nature - had probably loved feasting on all those baskets and bags

"The beatings ceased I had to prove rew very, very ill Sick unto death, really I was able to get the coordinates of the waterhole&039;s latitude and longitude fro to do for aThen soht someone a little shadow of a so up all that blood over there in the corner well, it was dangerous to everyone Such disease ht wipe out our little co, alas, e, alone and unlauts twisting "Little wonder you decided to invent the witchcraft sche terms with Satan, aren&039;t youi"

Johnstone - for want of a better naleahed louder