Page 32 of Villains Never Die

j-aust13

Why haven’t I heard of you?

OriginOfMagic

Because people who have real information don’t flaunt it. I’d be willing to loan it, however, for the right price.

I contemplated that offer for two days, weighing the risks and benefits, and whether he might be serious or full of shit.

j-aust13

What price?

OriginOfMagic

If you provide me with an email, I’d be happy to send an inventory of objects and books I own, as well as some introductory material on Death, so you know I’m serious. The collection on loan would be two million dollars.

j-aust13

Where are you located?

OriginOfMagic

Prague.

Hmm, another collection that could take weeks or months to obtain, but this was like winning the lottery. I could barely fathom having all of that at my fingertips when I’d spent fiveyears sifting through junk to find death objects and rare books one at a time.

j-aust13

One million upfront, one million when I return the collection.

OriginOfMagic

Those terms are acceptable.

I instructed him to send all further communications through my assistant and gave him Gray’s email address. The next day, a fifty-page document came through, which Gray printed and left in a small tower of paper on my desk. My fingertips tingled as I gave it a cursory flip through.

The second message I received on the forum was much more cryptic and unhelpful.

veilknight

The Looking Glass is a small corner of the world. Those with niche interests aren’t that difficult to track.

j-aust13

Are you saying you have been tracking me? Why?

veilknight

Because I know Death’s secret, and I think it might be of interest to you.

j-aust13

What secret is that?

veilknight

Death is not invincible.