142. Mr. Two Shadows

The next thing I knew was that I was sitting at a sidewalk café, choking. I had run out of breath and Lord Henry’s shadow was slapping me on the back. Soon, I was able to focus on how Alpin was quarreling with a waiter. He was ordering a hundred and fifty cherry cokes and a dozen size forty Scrumptious Cakes, for it was the Sweet Dreamer Café we were at.

  

“And bring some water for my friend. Can’t you see he’s dying? Or a cup of linden tea, better yet. He’ll be a nervous wreck for the rest of his life if he survives.”

When the shadow saw I was breathing normally, he sat down beside me and asked timidly, “Can I have an orgeat? It has been ages since I've last had one."

I nodded and tried to say I would have an orgeat too, but my voice was gone. I recovered it after a few sips of cherry coke. But it has never sounded the same again. At that moment, I was hoarse, but my voice is graver since.

“You were spectacular, Arley,” said Alpin, between piece and piece of cake. “You should have seen yourself. Yum! Yelling orders at the top of your voice!Yum! Red as a ripe tomato about to burst! Yum! Your fists clenched in fury! Yum! You almost hit the devil! Take that! Pam! And that! Yummmmm! Anyone would have thought you were the energumen.”

                         

                                   

“I didn’t hit the devil, thank heavens,” I said. All the rest I could not deny. “I only did what you told me to. I took your advice. I think I just did what you said when we first met Moll Avery. I gave orders instead of explanations. And it worked. But I feel I didn’t do this right. I lost my composure. I’m ashamed of myself.”

“Fusspot!” said Alpin. “Glurp!” he had began to wash down the cherry cokes. “Good manners are of no use among fiends.Glurp!”

                                     

“I would congratulate you but I’m still in shock,” said Nauta, sipping linden tea like a mechanical doll.

The shadow agreed with Alpin.

               

                                    

“What do you think they teach in that school?” he said in his very mild voice.  “To give demons orders. That’s necromancy for you. And Arley...may I call you Arley? You certainly learned. I want to ask you to allow me to never leave your side. Harry lost me and you saved me. From now on, if you like, you will have two shadows. Few can boast of that.”

I said it was fine by me if it was by him and by Lord Henry and by my other shadow. But I had a bitter taste in my mouth and it wasn’t from the  tea. I didn’t like the way I had done things. I believed the Devil had let us go because he had gotten what he really wanted. He made me react like a beast. I decided that if I ever had another showdown with the Devil, I wouldn’t lose control.

And then...the next time seemed alarmingly next.

“Hey! Hey, Arley, hey!”

Who was hailing me and coming directly towards our table?

                        

                

Tansy Mandrakecott, that was who. Lugging his suitcase behind him.

But there was no next time right there. Because we all fled from the café without stopping to think twice.

                               

I heard him shout after us, “But...why? I only want to give you my pencil!”