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After I had finished the call with Maddoes, I sat for a long while, sipping the remnants of the scotch and thinking about what I had just heard. Why had Coupar Angus felt compelled to visit the Deepest Joy, given his embarrassment on the previous visit? From Maddoes' report, he wasn't at all happy, indeed unhappy enough to attack a Goblin he was mortally afraid of. Travel in the Goblin realms is cheap and fast, so nowhere is very far away by transit tube. But such travel is rarely private; there are people around on the transit systems at all times of the day and night. And it's a natural place for the police to have a presence. So, a Goblin who wishes to keep out of sight or away from the eyes of the law either has to stay put or resign himself to moving at little more than a walking pace. And Garrick had managed to stay out of sight of the police and other agencies for a great many years. It was entirely possible that Garrick had a hideout somewhere not far from the Deepest Joy. That made some kind of sense: a base in the lowest part of the Lower Realms might be a good spot to spy on activities in the even deeper demesnes of the Old Ones. Not to mention easy access to the kind of Goblin who would loyally carry out almost any instruction given the application of a large enough sum of money. The cavern which contained the Deepest Joy was one of the smaller ones. A sufficiently determined police action might just be able to smoke out Professor Urquhart Garrick from his lair. It was time to visit Luncardy. I swallowed the last dregs of the whiskey, paid my bill and swung out of the bar. It was a fairly quick trip to the 14th precinct station; just a couple of changes on the transit tubes and perhaps a total of ten minutes walking. Unusually, I was distracted, thinking about what Maddoes had said and wondering if there was some way of narrowing the search for Garrick's hideout. Normally, I watch the street and keep an eye on the shadows to see who might be lurking there. But this morning, in a haze of confusion and alcohol and sleeplessness, I was not paying my customary attention to what was going on behind me. So it was entirely my own fault that Trinity and a couple of her goons got the drop on me. Before I knew it, I was looking at two blank-faced Goblins blocking the way in front of me and listening to a familiar sneering voice behind me. "Findo! I thought you were better than this. A human would pay more attention that you." I turned around slowly. "Hi Trinity. I wondered when you'd reappear," I said, grinning at her and gesturing with a thumb behind me, "And you seem to have picked up some supporting cast." "These guys have worked for me for a long time. They're very good. So don't try disappearing on me." "Me, disappear! You're the one who's disappeared more times than a conjurer's rabbit." "Yeah, well, I have my reasons. But now we're both here, why don't you tell me what's going on?" I saw no reason to share my experiences in the Hells with her but, as for the rest, why not? "Fair enough. The bad news," I began, "Is that I still don't know where Garrick is, precisely. The good news is that I think I know where he is, approximately. And I also know that you're not the only one he's ripped off to further his plans." "Yeah, yeah. It's my money I concerned about," she interjected, "Other people can look after their own dough." "Maybe," I agreed, "But at least you're alive, and free, to moan about it." Her eyes narrowed. It was time to explain more. I told her about the narrow escape from Rigg and his murderous henchmen, although not exactly how we managed to get away. I explained in some length and detail about our exploration of Dulelm Hollows, about the disguised and deserted nature of the houses there, and the fact that all of the properties there were indirectly owned by the old Professor, and the worrying bloodstains in a few places. "Okay, okay, all very interesting," Trinity said impatiently, "But where can I get my claws on Garrick himself?" "This is a task for the professionals," I said, adding quickly, "By which I mean the cops. They've got the manpower for this kind of job." Trinity glared at me. She was getting good at that kind of glare. Another few decades and I might have felt intimidated. Still, she did deserve a chance. "There's a bar, in the Underworld," I said carefully, "Called the Deepest Joy. Garrick's been seen in there. There's an evens chance that he's somewhere in that cavern." Trinity's eyes narrowed further. "Be careful," I urged, "Garrick's got support and weapons, and he's had people killed already." Trinity nodded in acknowledgement. I wasn't going to be able to dissuade her even if I wanted to. My little sister had always been nearly impossible to protect. "Right, you two," she said, addressing the big lads who still stood behind me, "Let's get to it. See you about, Findo." The three of them set a cracking pace in the direction of the nearest transit tube.
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Part 86