Link looked at his sister, blood streaming down her face, at Krishna's
misshapen nose and mouth, distorted into a pink, meaty sneer. He
clenched each fist in turn.
"No cops," he said.
Natalie spat. "Why the hell not?" She spat again. Blood was running into
her eye, down her cheek, into her mouth.
"The girl, she's inside. Drunk. She's only 15."
Alan watched the brother and sister stare at one another. Blaine handed
him the phone. He hit a speed dial.
"I need a taxi to Toronto Western Hospital at 22 Wales Avenue, at
Augusta," he said. He hung up. "Go out front," he told Natalie. "Get a
towel for your face on your way."
"Andrew --" she said.
"I'll call the cops," he said. "I'll tell them where to find you."
It was as she turned to go that Krishna made a lunge for the
hammer. Billy was already kicking it out of the way, and Link, thrown
from his chest, got up on one knee and punched him hard in the kidneys,
and he went back down. Natalie was crying again.
"Go," Alan said, gently. "We'll be okay."
She went.
Link's chest heaved. "I think you need to go to the hospital too, Link,"
Alan said. The injured knee was already so swollen that it was visible,
like a volleyball, beneath his baggy trousers.
"No," Link said. "I wait here."
"You don't want to be here when the cops arrive," Alan said.
Krishna, face down in the dirt, spat. "He's not going to call any cops,"
he said. "It's grown-up stuff, little boy. You should run along."
Absently, Link punched him in the back of the head. "Shut up," he
said. He was breathing more normally now. He shifted and made a
squeaking sound.
"I just heard the cab pull up," Alan said. "Brian can help you to the
front door. You can keep your sister company, get your knee looked at."
"The girl --" he said.
"Yes. She'll be sober in the morning, and gone. I'll see to it," Adam
said. "All right?"
Brian helped him to his feet and toward the door, and Andrew stood
warily near Krishna.
"Get up," he said.
Mimi, in his doorway, across the fence, made a sound that was half a
moan.
Krishna lay still for a moment, then slowly struggled to his knees and
then his feet.
"Now what?" Krishna said, one hand pressed to his pulped cheek.
"I'm not calling the cops," he said.
"No," Krishna said.
"Remember what I told you about my brother? I *made him*. I'm stronger
than him, Krishna. You picked the wrong Dracula to Renfield for. You are
doomed. When you leave him, he will hunt you down. If you don't leave
him, I'll get you. You made this situation."
Billy was back now, in the doorway, holding the hammer. He'd hand it to
Adam if he asked for it. He could use it. After all, once you've killed
your brother, why not kill his Renfield, too?
Krishna looked scared, a little scared. Andrew teased at how that felt
and realized that it didn't feel like he'd thought it would. It didn't
feel good.
"Go, Krishna," he said. "Get out of this house and get out of my sight
and don't ever come back again. Stay away from my brother. You will
never profit by your association with him. He is dead. The best he can
do for you is make you dead, too. Go."
And Krishna went. Slowly. Painfully. He stood and hobbled toward the
front door.
Mimi watched him go, and she smiled once he was gone.