Page 29 of Her Majesty's Necromancer
"Who're you?" Gordon asked. "Why did you disturb me?" His voice had taken on a deep harshness that suited the role of dead man come back to life. If I hadn't just seen him dancing along the street, I would have been terrified.
"I'm Pete," said the nearer man. He nodded at his friend under the bed. "That's Jimmy. We didn't mean no harm, sir. Honest to God, we're just poor coves tryin' to make a decent wage. Don't hurt us, sir."
The one under the bed continued to whimper. The occasional word drifted out to me. It sounded like he was praying.
"How does digging up my body make you money?" Gordon asked.
Pete's gulp was so loud I could hear it from outside. "How is it you're walkin' around again, if you don't mind my askin'?"
"I do mind. I asked you a question." Gordon stepped forward but Pete held his ground. He seemed less afraid now that he realized Gordon wasn't a crazed demon.
"I can't say," Pete said with a shrug. "We ain't allowed to speak to no one about it."
"Is that so?" Gordon glanced around then lifted the bed beneath which Jimmy cowered.
Jimmy screamed.
"Shut up," Gordon growled. He set the bed back down, grabbed a fistful of Jimmy's jacket and dragged him out. He clamped a hand over Jimmy's mouth.
Jimmy gagged and I admit that my stomach somersaulted. I wouldn't want a dead man's hand covering my mouth, even if that hand wasn't as decayed as some of the others in the cold room.
Lincoln touched my back, settling my nerves.
"When I remove my hand," Gordon said to Jimmy, "you will answer my questions. Understand?"
Jimmy nodded, not taking his wide unblinking eyes off Gordon.
"He won't like that we told," Pete warned his friend.
"No one need know," Gordon said. "All I want is answers, then I'll return to my grave."
"You won't hurt us?" Pete asked. "After we tell? You won't drag us down to hell?"
"First of all, I wasn't in hell. Second of all, I don't plan on lingering here. I'd rather return to my afterlife. But I need answers or I can't rest completely. Do your small brains understand that?"
Pete and Jimmy both nodded quickly. Gordon removed his hand and Jimmy spat on the ground then wiped his mouth with his sleeve.
"We don't know why he wanted you," he blurted out before Gordon even posed a question. "He told us which bodies to take and we did it."
"We're just following orders," Pete said, getting to his feet. "It ain't our fault."
Gordon let Jimmy go and the man backed up to his friend. "There ain't much work to be had around here and he paid well," Jimmy said. "Who'd say no to that kind of work? Not us."
"Who's paying you? The butcher?" Gordon asked.
Both men shook their heads. "That's my uncle's shop," Pete said. "He agreed to store the bodies there and let the captain in to see them whenever he wants."
"The captain is the man who paid you?"
Jimmy nodded.
"Does he have a name?"
"It's just Captain to us," Pete said. "We don't know his name, or where he lives, so don't go tryin' to beat the answer out of us."
"Jesus, Pete." Jimmy jabbed his friend in the ribs with his elbow. "Don't go puttin' ideas in his head."
"Is he a ship's captain?" Gordon asked.
