extraordinary lengths to keep the secrets of the blues buried deep in the archives. The effort had paid off. Over the years, the unusual blue ghosts and those who could summon them had receded into the realm of myth and legend.
There was a good reason for concealing the truth, he thought. People were inclined to get nervous when myths and legends came to life.
----
Chapter 8
BERTHA STIRRED AND OPENED HER EYES. ELLY EXHALED A sigh of relief.
"Bertha, it's me, Elly. You're safe."
"Elly?" Bertha's voice was hoarse. Her gray eyes were dazed. "What are you doing here?"
"My friend, Cooper, and Rose and I came looking for you. You're okay. You had a brush with a ghost, and you must have hit your head when you went unconscious."
Bertha screwed up her face. "Can't remember…"
"Don't worry about it." Elly patted her shoulder. "You know how it is after an encounter. You'll be all right in a day or so. That's all that matters."
Cooper de-rezzed the engine and got off the vehicle. His face was hard and taut. "Let's get her into the sled."
"No problem," Bertha said, sitting up cautiously. She put a hand to her head. "Got a headache, but that's all that's wrong. Be right as tuned amber tomorrow."
Cooper helped her to her feet.
"I think you should go to the emergency room," Elly said.
"No," Bertha replied. "No doctors. I'm okay, I tell you. Got some supplies in the sled. Just need to clean up the mess and put a bandage on my head."
They got Bertha into the back of the sled. Elly climbed in beside her and opened the first-aid kit. She was relieved to see that Bertha's wound, although bloody, was not as bad as she had feared.
Cooper started to get into the driver's seat. She saw him hesitate, and then step down from the vehicle.
He walked swiftly to where the blue vortex had been whirling a few minutes earlier. She watched him lean down to pick up a small, narrow object that was lying on the floor. Sliding it into a pocket, he loped back to the sled.
Before she could ask him what he had found, he was rezzing the engine.
She could question him about whatever it was he had picked up some other time, she thought. Right now she had to focus on cleaning Bertha's wound.
*****
TEN MINUTES LATER, SPORTING THE BANDAGE THAT ELLY had applied over the disinfected wound, Bertha managed to stagger up out of the cellar and into the darkened back room of her shop. She swayed a little, but she stayed on her feet.
"Need to sleep it off," she mumbled, rubbing her temples with her thumbs.
"If you won't go to the ER, you're going to come home with me," Elly said firmly. "I'm not leaving you here by yourself tonight."
For a few seconds she thought Bertha would refuse.
"Okay, okay," Bertha finally grumbled.
Cooper rechecked his watch and then draped one of Bertha's arms over his shoulders.
"Let's go," he ordered, obviously still in full hunter-in-charge mode.
"Whatever," Bertha said groggily. "Just need some sleep."
"You and me, both," Cooper added.
Elly watched him with growing concern as he maneuvered Bertha outside into the alley and eased her into the front seat of the Spectrum. Elly had not one but two people who were in imminent danger of collapsing on her, she thought. She had to get them both back to her apartment as quickly as possible.
"I'll drive." She held out her hand, palm up.
"Not necessary," Cooper growled.
"You are in no shape, and you know it."
"Your shop's in the next block, right?"
"The keys, Cooper."
He looked annoyed, but displaying the decisive thinking that had no doubt been responsible for taking him all the way to the top of the Aurora Springs Guild, he handed her the keys.
"Be careful," he warned. "The car belongs to a known Guild boss who won't be happy if it gets dinged up."
"Yeah, I've heard those guys can be real touchy," Elly said.
She tossed the Spectrum keys into the air. Was she nonchalant in the face of danger, or what?
Unfortunately she missed the catch. The keys clanged on the paving
There was a good reason for concealing the truth, he thought. People were inclined to get nervous when myths and legends came to life.
----
Chapter 8
BERTHA STIRRED AND OPENED HER EYES. ELLY EXHALED A sigh of relief.
"Bertha, it's me, Elly. You're safe."
"Elly?" Bertha's voice was hoarse. Her gray eyes were dazed. "What are you doing here?"
"My friend, Cooper, and Rose and I came looking for you. You're okay. You had a brush with a ghost, and you must have hit your head when you went unconscious."
Bertha screwed up her face. "Can't remember…"
"Don't worry about it." Elly patted her shoulder. "You know how it is after an encounter. You'll be all right in a day or so. That's all that matters."
Cooper de-rezzed the engine and got off the vehicle. His face was hard and taut. "Let's get her into the sled."
"No problem," Bertha said, sitting up cautiously. She put a hand to her head. "Got a headache, but that's all that's wrong. Be right as tuned amber tomorrow."
Cooper helped her to her feet.
"I think you should go to the emergency room," Elly said.
"No," Bertha replied. "No doctors. I'm okay, I tell you. Got some supplies in the sled. Just need to clean up the mess and put a bandage on my head."
They got Bertha into the back of the sled. Elly climbed in beside her and opened the first-aid kit. She was relieved to see that Bertha's wound, although bloody, was not as bad as she had feared.
Cooper started to get into the driver's seat. She saw him hesitate, and then step down from the vehicle.
He walked swiftly to where the blue vortex had been whirling a few minutes earlier. She watched him lean down to pick up a small, narrow object that was lying on the floor. Sliding it into a pocket, he loped back to the sled.
Before she could ask him what he had found, he was rezzing the engine.
She could question him about whatever it was he had picked up some other time, she thought. Right now she had to focus on cleaning Bertha's wound.
*****
TEN MINUTES LATER, SPORTING THE BANDAGE THAT ELLY had applied over the disinfected wound, Bertha managed to stagger up out of the cellar and into the darkened back room of her shop. She swayed a little, but she stayed on her feet.
"Need to sleep it off," she mumbled, rubbing her temples with her thumbs.
"If you won't go to the ER, you're going to come home with me," Elly said firmly. "I'm not leaving you here by yourself tonight."
For a few seconds she thought Bertha would refuse.
"Okay, okay," Bertha finally grumbled.
Cooper rechecked his watch and then draped one of Bertha's arms over his shoulders.
"Let's go," he ordered, obviously still in full hunter-in-charge mode.
"Whatever," Bertha said groggily. "Just need some sleep."
"You and me, both," Cooper added.
Elly watched him with growing concern as he maneuvered Bertha outside into the alley and eased her into the front seat of the Spectrum. Elly had not one but two people who were in imminent danger of collapsing on her, she thought. She had to get them both back to her apartment as quickly as possible.
"I'll drive." She held out her hand, palm up.
"Not necessary," Cooper growled.
"You are in no shape, and you know it."
"Your shop's in the next block, right?"
"The keys, Cooper."
He looked annoyed, but displaying the decisive thinking that had no doubt been responsible for taking him all the way to the top of the Aurora Springs Guild, he handed her the keys.
"Be careful," he warned. "The car belongs to a known Guild boss who won't be happy if it gets dinged up."
"Yeah, I've heard those guys can be real touchy," Elly said.
She tossed the Spectrum keys into the air. Was she nonchalant in the face of danger, or what?
Unfortunately she missed the catch. The keys clanged on the paving
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