{"sf1_id":840639,"sf2_id":null,"title":"Hydeaway","author":"StGeorgesHorse","words":4678,"posted_at":"2015-03-29T19:12:00.000Z","tags":["Human","Jekyll and Hyde","Plot Development","Story Progression","Werewolf","back story","costume","london","victorian"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/840639-hydeaway","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/view/840639","image_url":"https://www.sofurryfiles.com/std/thumb?page=840639\u0026ext=.jpg","description":"#98 of The Moonrise Chronicles","content":"                They\nregaled him with tale after tale until he politely asked them to stop. \n                \"It is\nnot that I do not believe you my friends, but I find it too much to take in. I\nam aware of the veracity of some of the information you have told me. The\nincident in France was on the news here, though I must admit to being flummoxed\nhow the incident in St Petersburg didn't make it to the telly. If it's anything\neven remotely terrorist oriented and the networks plaster it like it's the most\nimportant thing to show.\"\n                Maggie\nnodded. \"I'm pretty sure it made it on the local networks, but then again, I\ndon't know that much about the way Russia handles information anymore. I didn't\nstick around long enough to see what happened.\"\n                \"A wise\nchoice. So it turned out that the man behind your attack was actually your\ngreat uncle?\"\n                \"Yeah.\nI don't hold it against him if that's what you're thinking. It wasn't really\nhim who ordered it, and even if it was, he had no idea who we were.\"\n                \"No,\nbut I'll place a wager on the idea that it's something he regrets. Rashness\noften leads to such downfalls.\"\n                \"Yes it\ncan, but since he had no idea I even existed, how can I blame him? We are\ntogether now and that's the important thing.\"\n                \"Yes, I\nwould say it is. Having family and friends makes even the worse situation\nbearable.\"\n                There\nwas an awkward silence before he continued. \"Allow me to show you to your room.\nI would suggest contacting your friends and letting them know you intend to\nstay here overnight. Then we can go get something to eat. I hardly ever cook\nfor myself you see. Just not worth the bother of dirtying the kitchen.\"\n                Their\nroom for the night was as period as the rest of the house; though it needed the\nwindows opened to allow for some fresh air. He was speaking the truth when he\nsaid that he received very few visitors. There was a light layer of dust, not\nso much as one might expect, but it was still obvious that the room saw little\nuse. Their host made a little bow and was about to leave them alone for a\nmoment, but hesitated.\n                \"I say.\nWould you like to humor an old man?\"\n                \"I\nguess that depends on what your request happens to be.\"\n                \"Nothing\ntoo odd, I assure you. I have a habit of going out dressed to the teeth, as you\nmight say. I have many vintage outfits here, gathered over the years. I think I\nmight have something to suit both of you. I would be much obliged to dine in\nstyle, for it brings back a few of the fonder memories I have of old London.\"\n                \"Uhh,\nsure. I don't think that would be too odd of a thing to ask. We have done far\nworse things than dress up for a special occasion.\"\n                \"Wonderful,\nwonderful! I suppose you can adjust your proportions just a little if\nnecessary?\"\n                He\nreceived two nods.\n                \"Good,\ngood! I thought you could. What member of The Kind can't handle such an\ninnocuous thing? Let me find the items I have in mind.\"\n                He left\nthem there as he hurried off down the hall and around the corner.\n                \"Why\nwould he have clothing that doesn't fit him?\" Maggie was staring towards the\ndirection he had gone.\n                \"Think\nabout it. It's quite possibly clothing left over from his former victims. He\ntold us about his time in America, but nothing so far of his time here. He had\nplenty of chances to kill since returning, you can count on it.\"\n                Maggie\nfelt her skin crawl. \"Quit saying stuff like that. I'm beginning to think he's\nno better than Albert Fish.\"\n                \"Fish\nwas never contrite. He was a cold blooded murderer through and through. Robert\nhere, he does have a checkered past, but I'm trying to give him the benefit of\nthe doubt.\"\n                \"I\ndon't know. He gives me the creeps. When I first sensed him, I thought this was\ngoing to be cool. It is, I guess, but I'm having some strong misgivings.\"\n                \"Mags\nis scared of a little old man?\"\n                \"I\ndidn't say I was scared. I said he gave me the creeps. He seems like old\ndynamite; very unstable.\"\n                \"Hmm.\nMaybe. He is old, and he did mess with his makeup. But he has lasted this long,\nhasn't he?\"\n                \"Yes he\nhas. And just like old dynamite, any new factor; any little bump or knock may\nset him off.\"\n                \"So? Be\nnice to him then. We have no reason to treat him otherwise. I for one will not\nblame him for what he has done in his past. Your real father likely has an\nequally horrid track record, and I don't see you condemning him.\"\n                \"I do\ncondemn him, but he isn't our present problem.\"\n                Edward\nsighed. \"Quit looking at him like he's a problem. He's our host, and until such\ntime as he actively does something against us, I will treat him with as much\nrespect as I think he deserves.\" \n                \"Fine!\nBut be forewarned that I'm getting some uncomfortable vibes off of him\"\n                \"Do you\nmean the way he looks at you? You're young and lovely and he's old and lonely.\nHow else his he supposed to act?\"\n                \"I don't\nknow. My god, he's ancient after all!\"\n                \"Old\nisn't dead my little wolf-girl. Just remember that.\"\n                \"Hmmph!\"\n                By this\ntime he had returned with a handsome suit; something one could imagine Sherlock\nHomes wearing, and on top of it a petite frilly dress. They were in a\nremarkable sate of cleanliness, and neither guest had the audacity to ask how\nhe managed to keep them so immaculate despite their years. The answer might\nprove to be harmless, but there was a chance that he had gotten them cleaned\nespecially for them. That would mean he had some sort of prescience. It was a gift\nsome of them had; they both knew that. But that made their meeting seem all the\nmore sinister.\n                They\ndressed, making only minor adjustments to their normal frames to fit into them.\nMaggie was delighted, despite her reservations, and danced a little in front of\nthe floor length mirror.\n                \"You\nknow, I like this! I like jeans and t-shirts, and going naked, but this might\nmake me reconsider dresses. I mean, I've worn them before, but this has style\nand panache.\" \n                Edward\nwas admiring her. He couldn't help  but\nagree, but he still felt like teasing her. \"I think you look like Mary\nPoppins!\"\n                She\nonly grinned. \"She looked way older than I do. I think maybe I'd rather be...Anne\nof Green Gables!\"\n                \"That\nnotion has some rather naughty connotations to it, don't you think?\"\n                \"What?\nA little pure-hearted girl in pigtails? Sounds like something right up your\nalley.\"\n                \"Yeah,\nsadly it does, doesn't it? I wasn't always this way.\"\n                She put\non a pose. \"Oh don't be so hard on yourself. You're just finding that the\nstandard rules don't apply to us, because no one has ever considered us when\nmaking them. We live outside the law because we are outside the law. And\nbesides, I thought you felt better about us once you found out how old I really\nwas.\"\n                \"I did\nactually, but it's still something I'm always contemplating. I think I'll feel\nbetter when we're married.\"\n                \"You're\nsuch a traditionalist. It'll be fine. Once we get to Rome and get matter\nofficiated, I say you and I should go do some exploring.\"\n                \"That's\nwhat you want for your honeymoon? To go exploring?\" He was putting on his own\nclothing as he spoke. The pants were a little short, but he compensated for it.\n                \"Yes,\nonly somewhere where we won't run into others of The Kind. That does seem to\ngive us more than our share of headaches.\"\n                \"Agreed.\nI for one could use a little down time.\"\n                \"Down\non what? Me perhaps?\"\n                \"That\nis an excellent idea!\" Just to be funny he started to undress again.\n                \"Not\nnow you idiot. Tonight. Sheesh!\"\n                When\nthey met up with Mr. Stevenson, he too had changed, looking every bit the\nVictorian dandy. He had a walking stick of ebony topped with, incredibly\nenough, a silver knob. They made their way out onto the sidewalk looking more\naligned with their surroundings than the modern cars parked along the street. The\nrestaurant was a mere three blocks away, and fit in perfectly with the somewhat\ngrimy atmosphere of the neighborhood. But just like his house, it was clean and\nprim on the interior. And it was equally remarkable as it appeared unchanged\nfrom the day it was established.\n                And the\nsmells! There was no mustiness here, only fresh wafts of tantalizing delicacies\nthat could only be imagined. It opened one up to all sorts of possibilities in\nthe realm of culinary delights. They sat down at a table for four, topped with\nwhite linen and fine china. It almost looked as though they were expected.\n                To the\nlooks they gave him, Robert could only smile. \"I do have a telephone my\nfriends. It is not such a difficult task to call ahead you know. It's downright\nproper, if you ask me.\"\n                They\nsat down and were immediately besieged by the wait staff. \"Good evening Mr.\nBelfour. What shall you have to start off the evening?\"\n                \"Just a\nnice bottle of Bordeaux please.\" He eyed Maggie. \"Will that suit you or...?\"\n                \"Wine\nis fine. I've drank much harder stuff than that.\"\n                \"Perhaps,\nbut nothing quite so palate-pleasing I think. The owner has a remarkable stock\nhidden away just for my private use.\"\n                \"Does\nhe now?\" Edward asked with amusement. \"And where on Earth did it come from?\"\n                \"My\ndear sir, from me of course. There are a few perks to old age. One of them is\nthe accumulation of wealth and with it a few niceties. The problem is that\nunless they are shared, they become bland and uninteresting.\"\n                Maggie's\nshrewdness got the better of her. \"You own this place, don't you?\"\n                A burst\nof laughter filled the room. \"Yes! Yes I do! It is by reservation only, of\ncourse, and only the best people get to eat here. So consider yourself among\nthe best my friends!\"  \n                The\nwine was served, and it was an old vintage, at least as far as Maggie was\nconcerned, for the year 1961 seemed like ages ago. The cork was ceremoniously\nremoved and the wine poured. Their host seemed lost in the aroma of it, but\nEdward was a little less appreciative. He had grown up with beer and later\ndeveloped a taste for stronger stuff, but wine had always seemed a bit\neffeminate.  But he took a sip and found\nit acceptable, if not overtly to his liking. His palate wasn't as refined as\nMr. Stevenson's. Maggie seemed delighted in it, making a fuss (maybe too much\nof one) over its taste and complexities.\n                \"So\nyoung lady, you have an affinity for wine? That is good. Many of us have no\ntaste for it, and often feel sick after drinking it. My attempt at normality\nremoved that bane from my life, and it is one of the few things I have been\nthankful for since that day.\"\n                \"So\nwhat's on the menu?\"\n                \"I've\nchosen something a little outré for tonight's meal. I hope you don't mind. Wild\nboar chops, served with root vegetables and white truffle pilaf. There will be\nplenty of other delights to salve the appetite and to meld our friendship.\"\n                Maggie\nsmiled and put her hand on Edwards's wrist. Out of her mouth she said, \"It all\nsounds wonderful,\" but through their link she said, \"I think he's trying too hard. What's he up to?\"\n                \"Maybe nothing. I would think it would be\nobvious that he is trying very hard to impress us. We are all from royal\nlineages after all. Not that such references mean a damn thing anymore, but to\nsome it must hold a minor ability to awe and amaze.\"\n                \"I think he wants something.\"\n                \"Then when the time is right he'll either ask\nor we'll pry it out of him.\" \n                Edward\nwas trying to carry a minimal conversation with their host as to not appear\ndistracted. He was glad when Maggie finished her mental rant so he could pay\nattention to the verbal dialog going on.\n                \"You\nknow,\" the little man was saying, \"that the queen and I knew each other very\nwell. She is gone now. It's sad how some of us can live a good life and then\nleave this world. Her chef knew how to prepare some wonderful dishes. I was\nable to obtain his recipe book when he passed on.\"\n                \"It\ndoes smell wonderful. But if you don't mind me asking,\" Maggie blurted, \"what\nis the point in all of this?\"\n                \"Mags!\"\n                Their\nhost was not perturbed in the slightest. \"No, no, it's a legitimate question. I\nsuppose I am overdoing it a little, but when one has so little opportunity to\nshow off, the showmanship does tend to get a little overboard. But there is\nsomething I hope you can do for me. Two things really.\"\n                Edward\nwas suddenly alert. \"Like what?\"\n                \"For\none, I would like to travel with you to Rome.\"\n                \"You\ncould go at any time. There is a tunnel under the channel after all. So why go\nwith us?\"\n                \"Forgiveness.\nI don't know what your feelings are on a higher power, but I feel I need\nabsolution for all of my past sins. If you are truly going to see the pope,\nthen what better man to bless and forgive me than him?\"\n                \"He has\na point,\" Maggie said quietly.\n                \"OK.\nAnd the other reason?\"\n                He drew\nin a deep sigh. \"I wish to borrow a ring. I still have the formula I used in\nthe past. I'm hoping that if I try it again that maybe it will turn me\ncompletely human.\"\n                \"But\nyou'd likely die!!\"\n                \"Yes,\nthat is my desire. I do need to die my dear, and I would rather die knowing\nthat beast will not be let loose on the world. Hence my desire to make my peace\nwith God. I'm not sure even he can forgive all that I have done, but I would\nfeel better knowing I tried to make recompense.\"\n                This\nrequest made the hairs on the back of Edward's neck stand at attention. The\nring made a werewolf invulnerable, or nearly so. Stevenson wasn't a werewolf\nanymore. He didn't know what he was, but the wolf part was gone. The ring might\nhave no effect at all, or the effect might be detrimental. And adding to the\nmix that toxic potion? This was maybe something Leonardo could help him with.\n                \"You\ncan come. But you'll have to leave when we do.\"\n                \"Yes,\nof course. Wonderful! We can take the train over to France, and from there...\"\n                \"No,\nwe're flying over.\"\n                \"Oh.\nWell... if you insist.\"\n                \"We do.\nI have already left a trail of destruction and other less than savory things\nthe last time I was in France. I would prefer to skip going through there\nentirely.\" He remembered his little red car and wondered where it had ended up.\nIt was such a nice little thing. But then, he had almost died during that time,\nand his life was worth far more to him than an automobile. Still... Men and their\ntoys.\n                \"I\nunderstand. Beggars cannot be choosers. I will make do with your offer. I will\nbe ready to leave when you are.\"\n                \"There\nis no rush. Once the plane is fixed we will be happy to leave. It's not that I\ndon't like your country, it's only that I'm not comfortable being here\nillegally.\"\n                \"I\nunderstand son. You have given me an answer to my questions, and that puts my\nmind more at ease. Let's enjoy our meal.\" He raised his glass. \"A toast to two\nfine members of The Kind, who are undoubtedly a credit to their lines. May you\nhave peace and tranquility for just so long as you can tolerate it!\" \n                \"Hear,\nhear!\" cried Maggie. \"I hate boredom, but a little peace and quiet once in a\nwhile is a well deserved treat.\"\n                \"I can\nbut agree my dear. A little rest is good for the soul, but too much leads to\nslothfulness and melancholy. I have been still for too long. Now I must take up\narms against the enemy, and though that enemy is me, I must see it defeated.\"\n                Despite\nhis apparent calm exterior, Maggie suspected he was roiling with emotion\ninside. She didn't know anyone who would calmly contemplate their own death,\nnot in such a meticulous manner as this. This wasn't going to be suicide; that\nis, if he managed to accomplish the task he had set himself out on. It was\ngoing to be a murder/suicide. He was trying to eliminate the bad at the expense\nof the good. That had to be a hard choice to make.\n                \"I see\nyou are worrying about my sanity young lady. No, no; don't deny it. I told you\nalready that a long life can be looked at as a slow death. I spend much of my\ntime keeping my other half in check. It is difficult to enjoy your time when\nyou are engaged in a constant battle. The fact that I have retained my wits\nafter all this time is nothing short of a miracle. If not for the fact that I\nalready can predict the outcome, I would ask for your help in leaving this\nworld.\"\n                Edward\nwasn't as outraged as he felt he should be. \"To murder you?\"\n                \"Please,\nkeep your voice down. I would hardly call it murder. And I have no intention of\nasking; that was my point. This is something I must do for myself. \"\n                There\nwas an awkward silence. Their host finally spoke up again. \"It is not pleasant\nto think upon, and yet, I must beg your indulgence. Would you not stop yourself\nfrom running amok if you had the chance?\"\n                \"Yes, I\nsuppose so.\"\n                \"I\nthought as much. So if it pleases you, may we call this conversation to an end?\nI think I would much rather talk of pleasant things and enjoy the food rather\nthan have the unpleasantness of our conversation sour my stomach.\"\n                \"I\nconcur,\" said Edward with a quick squeeze of Maggie's arm. \"Let it drop.\"\n                As he\nsaid that through their link he got an impression of something unsettling. But\nhe left it go, for his abilities were far from accurate. He was learning to\ntake one day at a time and to forget about his foresight.\n                \"Good.\nThen we shall say that our future is before us, but that the present needs to\nbe dealt with first. Bon appetite!\" \n                The\nmeal was excellent, and gradually the conversation moved to other, more\ninteresting if still slightly disturbing topics. One can expect such from The\nKind, as their exploits are rarely on par with a normal humans. They exist on a\ndifferent plane than everyone else. This doesn't provide an excuse for their\nactions, merely an explanation. One might as well ask a lion to eat grass, or a\ndolphin to fly. There are some things that are inherent to their nature and\ntherefore inviolate.\n                You can\nbe more than you are and you can be less, but when equilibrium is achieved, you\nwill always return to who you are. You can only go so far when tethered to your\nexistence.\n                It was\nvery late when they left their table, discussing their past exploits and\ncomparing notes on a multitude of things. Robert seemed very interested in\nhearing about Maggie's family, and asked a few shrewd questions concerning\nVerona. He was quite surprised to learn she was carrying Edward's child.\n                \"I\nsee,\" he said, contemplating the ramifications of that. \"You engaged in the\nmating ritual with her, despite not feeling love towards her?\"\n                \"Sex\nand love are two different things.\"\n                \"True.\nI never had that opportunity. Those urges were taken over by other, less savory\nones.\"\n                Edward\nshrugged. \"Then you'll never know what you've missed. It takes you completely out\nof your head. It'll nearly kill you at times, with the savagery of it. It's\nnothing like what we do in human form.\"\n                \"I have\nread of tales of it. Even for a writer, I am sure it would be difficult to put\ninto words.\"\n                \"It is.\nBut it becomes engrained upon the mind, etched there like acid on glass. \"\n                \"Then I\nenvy you my friend, for having something I really never did. I met a lovely\nwoman, but that was all she was. We married, but all that time she never knew\nmy secret. I guess I can thank her to some degree for forcing me to keep him\nunder control. It wasn't until years later when I settled in Samoa that I was\nable to sneak away for some much needed mayhem.\"\n                \"You\nwent on a rampage?\"\n                \"Yes.\nThe conditions were ripe for it. I doubt you know your Samoan history, but I\nwrote a monograph on it. There were warring factions, and add to that the Germans,\nwell... I couldn't resist throwing my weight around. I have no love for Germans\nmind you, and at the same time no particular hate for them. I met a few once\nupon a time that were very nice. But when you come armed with warships, you can\nonly have one purpose. I helped the villagers take out an entire contingent of\ntroops.\"\n                \"And no\none caught on?\"\n                \"There\nwas no one left from the Hessians to report what they had seen. The natives\nbowed down and worshiped me.  They called\nme Maniloa. He was some sort of cannibal god, and my actions were taken as not being\nall that strange. Cannibalism was known on these islands, you see, and my form\nmatched this mythical figure fairly closely. I found I had an affinity for\nthese natives, and they for me. I made it my business then and there to stay there\nas long as I could.\"\n                \"But\ndidn't you die shortly after that?\"\n                \"Four years.\nThe local authorities were getting suspicious of the disappearances that were happening\naround the island.  It was becoming too\nhot for me to stick around, despite the fact that no one was likely to put the enormous\nfootprints my alter-ego left behind with my more petite ones. My wife was\ngrowing mistrustful, but of what she knew not. I think she thought I was having\naffairs with some of the local woman. It was a far better thing to think than\nthe truth, so I allowed it to linger in her mind. But one day I found that I\njust had to leave. To that end I made as if to suffer a seizure while opening a\nbottle of wine and I collapsed on the floor.\"\n                \"And\nthey bought it?\"\n                \"Of\ncourse. I slowed my heart rate down to the bare minimal. My friends on the\nisland were quick to take my body to bury it. Then under the cover of darkness\nI was removed and revived. The natives are a superstitious lot, but they were\nvery faithful to me. From there it was a matter of booking passage home, Since\nI couldn't very well do it from a place where everyone  recognized me, the kind natives took me\nby  one of their canoes to a neighboring\nisle, where I waited until a ship arrived that was heading back to England. I\nhave been here ever since.\"\n                \"And all\nof your writings?\" asked Maggie.\n                \"What of\nthem? If you're asking if I wrote them, the answer is yes. I am the sum total\nof my parts my dear, even if the balance was tipped in the favor of the wild\nside. I have a strong mind, which is a counterpoint to my dark side. A mind\nlike mine detests stagnation, and writing was one way to keep it active and\nhealthy.\"\n                \"Do you\nstill write?\"\n                \"I do,\nunder several aliases. There is no point in trying my luck at this stage of my\nlife, now is there?\"\n                \"No.  I think I would be interested in reading something\nnew of yours if that's possible.\"\n                \"I have\nbooks at the house. And speaking of which, here we are!\" He stepped to the door\nand undid the lock with a single large skeleton key.\n                \"Aren't\nyou afraid that someone will break into your residence?\"\n                \"My\ndear, you've seen me. What do I have to fear?\"\n                He had\na point. Anyone who tried to do him harm likely never made it out the door\nagain. They stepped over the threshold into the gloomy interior. In a moment a\nlight was lit, glowing with a glaring brilliance within the confines of the\nhallway.\n                \"Goodnight\nmy friends. I hope you have a pleasant slumber. I will see you early in the\nmorning for breakfast. My little place serves some of England's most famous\nfare, so make sure you have your appetites about you.\"\n                He lit\na few more lights as he wandered down the hallway, making a clear, well lit\npath for them to follow to their own rooms. A quick look found the bathroom,\nand each made good use of it before locating their room. Edward opened the door\nand escorted Maggie inside before closing it. He looked around the room and\nspied an armoire. He stripped off his clothing and bulked up, moving to in\nfront of the door.\n                Maggie looked\nmildly amused. \"And you think that will really help if he wants in here?\"\n                \"It'll give\nus a moment to get our wits about us if he does.\"\n                \"Then\nyou don't trust him either?\"\n                \"I don't\nknow. I want to, but I think he's more torn inside than he's willing to say.\"\n                \"I\nagree. He seems nice enough, but there is something lurking in the background.\nHis alter ego sounds like a real jerk. I mean, killing people just because you\ncan?\"\n                \"Don't judge,\nlest you be judged little miss. I'm not all that happy at some of things we've\ndone, and we did the world a favor with those. Let's just get him to Rome and\ngo from there. Like I said, if anyone can help him, Leonardo will be that\nperson. Who knows, maybe the weapons might work on him.\"\n                \"Ugh.\nAnd who will wield them?\"\n                \"If the\ntime comes and it boils down to that, I'm sure we'll figure something out.\"\n                \"If you\nsay so. I for one would like to forget about him for a while.\"\n                \"That'll\nbe a bit difficult, since we're under his roof at the moment.\"\n                \"Then I\nguess you had better try very hard to make me forget...\"\n                \"Is\nthat a challenge?\"\n                \"It's\nwhatever you want it to be.\"\n                \"Challenge\naccepted!\""}