Read Gears of a Mad God: A Steampunk Lovecraft Adventure for Free Online

with me. One way or
another."
    The knife
pressed against her a tiny bit harder and she released Jimbo's
finger. In a moment the newcomer hauled Jimbo to his feet and
hustled him out the door, holding his arms as if he were a
prisoner. Colleen watched them go, the scruffy thug and a
well-dressed man with greying hair. The Englishman kept his back to
her as they hurried out of the hotel. Jimbo looked back, though. He
gave her a glare full of hate and rage as his comrade dragged him
out.
    A buzz of
conversation sprang up, and Colleen scurried out of the lobby,
moving deeper into the hotel. The last thing she needed was the
attention of the hotel staff. If they kicked her out of the hotel
it could prove fatal.
    She returned to
room 304. Carter gave her a thin smile and touched the brim of his
bowler hat. Smith ignored her. Colleen sat on and empty chair,
tuned out their conversation, and let her mind wander.
    She had a
niggling feeling, like an itch she couldn't scratch. She knew the
feeling well. It usually came to her when she was struggling with a
tricky bit of machinery. Some part of her mind had figured out a
solution. She just had to listen to herself to figure out what it
was.
    The feeling had
come on her as she left the lobby. She had learned something, then,
in her confrontation with Jimbo. She ran through every word he'd
said. He was looking for someone named Tanathos. She explored that
idea, and decided it was a dead end.
    Well, if it
wasn't something she'd heard, perhaps it was something she'd seen.
What did she know about Jimbo, or his accomplice? The feeling, the
mental itch, told her it was something about Jimbo, not the
Englishman.
    She ran through
what she knew of him. An inch or two shorter than she was, maybe
five foot seven. Not especially strong for a man. Greasy, unwashed
hair, dark brown in color. Brown eyes, sallow complexion, perhaps
Italian or mixed blood. Fleshy, unpleasant face. Not too meticulous
about shaving or washing.
    Colleen
frowned. None of that was useful. Well, what had he been wearing? A
red jacket and dark pants. Cheap canvas shoes. Under the coat? She
struggled to remember. There was a cloth of some sort around his
neck, like a bandana. A fairly distinctive cloth, with burgundy and
white stripes. In fact, now that she thought about it, the collar
of his shirt had the same pattern.
    He was much too
slovenly to choose matching clothing. Could it be some sort of
uniform? It was, she realized. She knew it, because she'd seen it
before.
    She looked at
the men. Smith was reading Latin phrases from his notebook and
Carter was transcribing them onto hotel stationery.
    "Never mind
that," she said, and they looked up. "We have a lead." Carter
quirked an eyebrow, and she continued. "One of the cultists is a
sailor. Maybe a bunch of them are. He's wearing a ship's uniform.
That could be where Jane is. On a ship."
    The men stared
at her. Finally Carter said, "Which ship?"
    "I don't know.
But we can find out. I saw more uniforms just like it, hanging on a
line in Chinatown. We find the laundry, we'll find the ship. And
then we'll find Jane."
    They just
looked at her, and the silence stretched out. Then Carter said,
"Look, Colleen, there's no guarantee that your friend is on a ship.
We don't even know that she's still alive."
    "That's not the
point!"
    Carter sighed.
"What is the point, then?"
    Colleen ground
her teeth, then made herself take a deep breath. "The point is,
it's a chance, and Jane's life is on the line."
    Carter was
already shaking his head. "No, it's too risky. We're exposed on the
streets. The cult has us outnumbered, and-" He stopped as Jane
stood. "Where are you going?"
    "I'm going to
find Jane," she snapped.
    "Now, hold on.
Don't do anything hasty. We went to a lot of trouble to keep you
alive, you know. Don't get yourself killed now."
    "You want me to
stay alive? Then you'd better come with me."
    Carter glared
at her. She glared back. Then she said, "If you won't do it for me,
then do