Page 14 of Code Mages & Empty Pages
As awkward as it was, Luc tried to make me feel welcome in his own, clumsy way.“Would you like a cup of tea?” he asked once we’d cleared the table of the remnants of a delicious rice dish he’d improvised from whatever he found in the fridge.”Yes, please.”We settled on the couch with our tea, and Luc even handed me a fluffy blanket I could wrap myself in. It feltunexpectedly comforting. It was the sort of gesture that told me he was trying, even if he didn’t have the first clue how to relax around me.
He cleared his throat. “I’m usually not someone to give unsolicited advice, but, uh, can I offer some?”
I smiled into my mug. “Go ahead. I can take it.” He nodded, looking relieved.
“I used to work for an electrician, and I know a guy who runs a fungus removal company. His name’s Gerry McBriar. If he can’t get rid of the stuff in your house, nobody can. I’ll give you his number. Tell him I sent you, okay?”
”That’s… actually really helpful. Thank you.”
He shrugged, a little awkward again. “I just want you to be able to breathe easy.”
The next morning, I took a short break and finally dialed the number Luc had given me.
“Spore No More, Gerry speaking. What can I do for you?”
“Hello, Mr McBriar? This is Dawn Kent. Lucien Atkins passed along your contact info.”
“Oh, Luc, my man!” he boomed, sounding genuinely pleased. “How’s the old wolf getting on?”
The old wolf? What was I, then? Ancient?
“He’s doing okay, yeah,” I said, a little taken aback by the enthusiasm. “He suggested I call because I’ve got a problem at my cottage. I found a green fungus on the wall in my hallway cupboard. I can send you pictures if that helps, but I’m fairly sure it’s Greenleech.”
“Shite,” he said, sympathy thick in his voice. That didn’t do much for my nerves, but at least he sounded like he cared.
“I was hoping you could come out and take a look? Maybe we could talk about what it’ll take to get rid of it.”
The next day, I drove out to the cottage with a knot in my stomach to meet Gerry McBriar. He was already there when Iarrived and was deep in a phone conversation so loud I could hear it through the closed windows of his car. When he spotted me, he waved and climbed out. He was even beefier than Luc, with a bald head and bushy eyebrows. Something about him said magical creature, maybe a Brownie, though nothing outwardly gave it away.
“Alright, Miss Kent,” he boomed, voice carrying easily. “Let’s see what sort of mess you’ve got here.” He handed me a disposable mask and a pair of goggles. It was a small gesture, but it almost made me cry.
I did cry, just a little, when Mr McBriar crouched to inspect the mold in the hallway cupboard and then looked up at me with a fatherly smile.
“Oh, that doesn’t look great, Ms Kent. I’ll need a minute to open this up and test it, but I’m 99% sure you’ve got Greenleech.” A moment later he added, “Sorry. Let’s get out of here. I’ve seen enough.”
Back outside, we shed the mask and goggles, and he invited me to join him for a short walk around the yard.
“So, Ms Kent, there’s good news and bad news. Which do you want first?”
“The good news,” I said tentatively, bracing myself.
Gerry nodded. “It’s removable.”
I let out a small breath. “Okay. That’s… something.”
He hesitated, then added, “But the bad news? It’s going to take a couple of weeks to get it all out. Greenleech never just stays in one spot. It usually starts in the cellar and works its way up. By the time you spot it, it’s already spread through a fair bit of the house.”
My heart sank. That sounded expensive.
He read my face. “And it won’t come cheap. I’m sorry. I’ll give you a proper quote, but you’re looking at somewhere between eight and twelve thousand crowns.”
“Holy shit,” I whispered, and dropped onto the bench beneath my moss pear tree.
Gerry sat beside me, his presence oddly reassuring. “I am very sorry, Ms Kent. But listen, you couldn’t have known. It’s definitely fixable, and none of this is your fault. By the time anyone spots it, it’s already too late. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
He gave my shoulder a fatherly pat, and for a moment, I just let myself be comforted.
“Okay. So… how do we go on from here?” I asked, rubbing my hands over my face, trying to gather my thoughts.
