The Fall of the House of Cabal (Johannes Cabal, #5)

by Jonathan L. Howard

All science is based on the precept that we know too little. Ignorance is not bliss. It is only ignorance.

Cabal tried to avoid being amongst the unwary; it was a demographic with a poor life expectancy.

‘It’s not yours, is it? Have you had some thrilling foresight of the future and seen yourself carried in state within its emerald walls? Is that it? It is, isn’t it?’ She considered the building with a critic’s eye. ‘It’s very nice, isn’t it? I must confess, Johannes, it’s not the sort of place I expected you to end up interred. I was thinking something more along the lines of a ditch.’

Vincent Varney the Vampire.”

‘Nyarlathotep,’ said Cabal, more calmly than he felt. ‘You little bastard.’ ‘Hello, Johannes,’ said Bose, otherwise known as Nyarlathotep, otherwise known as the Crawling Chaos, otherwise known as the Stalker Amongst the Stars, otherwise known as the Eater of Grey Lilies, otherwise known by at least 995 other names and appearances, and likely more. ‘Learned to pronounce my name correctly, I hear. Good for you!’

For reasons that must be painfully plain to even the meanest intellect’—here Bose pointed at Cabal with both index fingers and mouthed, Like yours—‘it makes more sense for the prize to be real. Word of mouth, you see? So important. But, it’s a poisoned chalice. Of course it is. Get your dearest wish? No, no, no. It’s got “monkey’s paw” written all over it.’ ‘I do not recognise the allusion.’ Bose seemed slightly startled by the admission. ‘Really? Perhaps I haven’t released it into the world yet. I really must get a diary. In any case, take it from me, it’s a stinker. Dearest wishes and utter curses have a lot in common.’ Cabal glared at him; it was the most he dared. ‘Nevertheless, I shall have that prize.’ ‘You see?’ Bose clapped his hands in delight. ‘I’ve told you it’s heartbreak and damnation, yet still you’re going for it. I do love humans. They are so stupid. I shall tell you something else, old bean, I’m rooting for you—yes, you!—to win. Ninuka is an open book to me, I’ve seen thousands like her. She’ll use the power to destroy her enemies (which means you, right at the top of her list), bring her daddy back (who will get in the way and mess up her plans because they will both want to be in control), and consolidate her corporeal power (and fail to notice when the rot sets in to whatever governmental structures she sets up and the whole farrago falls down).’ He feigned a yawn. ‘Tedious, isn’t it? I really could not care less. You … I don’t know.