The Third Antichrist by Mario Reading

beneath a Minoan acrobat. Rudra cart-wheeled over Abi’s back and struck the bed frame with his head.
    Then Abi’s two sisters were on him.
    ‘Milouins. For Christ’s sake get them off me. I can explain.’
    Nawal raked Abi across the face with her fingernails. She had been aiming for his eyes, but Abi managed to dodge her. Dakini tried to knee him in the groin, but missed, and struck him on the thigh instead.
    Abi pushed out with both hands. He took care, though, not to bunch his fists or to put any real power into the push. He knew he needed to keep the girls away from him while he waited for Rudra to take his next shot, but he didn’t dare damage them – such a thing would be fatal. And quite contrary to the drift of his story. Rudra was where the real danger lay. Rudra could cripple him.
    ‘That’s enough.’ The Countess stood up. ‘Milouins. Separate them.’
    Rudra wasn’t listening. He barrelled at Abi with his head down.
    Abi realized that Rudra was so angry that he had completely forgotten even the basic tae kwon do moves they had all been taught as children. Abi threw off the girls and moved towards him. At the last possible moment he side-stepped, using Rudra’s own momentum to straight-arm him against the wall. Rudra kicked out backwards, catching Abi’s knee with his heel.
    Abi doubled up, cursing.
    Rudra aimed a kick at Abi’s head, but Abi dodged it, sweeping upwards with his hands and catching the underside of Rudra’s calf.
    Rudra struck the floor with his head and lay still.
    Abi turned to see what had become of the girls. All he needed now was for one of them to smash him over the head with a chair.
    Milouins had both of them in a neck-grip. One under each arm.
    Abi moved towards Rudra, meaning to stamp on his head.
    ‘Abiger. Stop it.’
    ‘But the bastard tried to kill me.’
    ‘He thought you tried to kill him.’
    Abi turned to Madame, his mother. He knew that he had to put an end to this. Now. This minute. Once people started to think for themselves, he was done for.
    ‘Right. Well you explain it to them then. I’ve had it. I’m going to the kitchen to put an ice pack on my knee. Then I’m going to my room. If anyone comes in and disturbs me, I’ll kill them. Is that clear? You can all apologize to me in the morning.’

 
    22
     

    Abi took his breakfast alone. He knew what was coming. Wisdom dictated that he hold his powder dry until then. He had a plan that might, just might, put him in the clear with the rest of his family.
    After his solitary breakfast he made his way to the hidden chamber behind the library in which the Corpus Maleficus always held its meetings.
    ‘Any voice-activated tape recorders hidden under the table this time, Milouins?’
    Milouins pretended not to hear him.
    I’ve got a true ally there, thought Abi. How to make friends and influence people? I could write the bloody primer.
    The Countess and Madame Mastigou were, as always, occupying the head of the table, with Rudra, Dakini and Nawal in subsidiary positions. Madame Mastigou was preparing to take notes on the finely milled Florentine paper she appeared to feel the occasion demanded.
    Without asking, Abi took his seat in the place set aside for the oldest male de Bale – the one currently holding the family’s titles. Madame, his mother, had always been a stickler for correct form. She wouldn’t dare cavil.
    Strike one for the black sheep.
    Rudra, Nawal, and Dakini stared balefully at him from across the table. It was clear that the Countess had read them the riot act before sending them back to bed earlier that morning. Rudra had a large bruise across his forehead and still looked half out of his wits. It occurred to Abi that if something happened to him, Rudra would become the new count, not to mention sharing in an extra quarter of their mother’s estate. He’d have to tread carefully. Rudra had always been something of a loose cannon. And marinating in the cenote didn’t seem to have