Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square, Chapter 363

Chapter 363
Target


"Oh!"  Ulrika exclaimed.  "Brilliant!  I hit one."

"Lennie!"  Punch screamed.  

"I'm all right.  It wasn't I who was  hit.  It was Fern."  Lennie answered.

"You would shoot a child?"  Punch bellowed.

"I would eat a child if I could." Ulrika laughed.  "I would do whatever is needed to see to it that Marduk takes his rightful place as ruler of all the forces of the dark."

Robert knelt down next to Fern.

"It's nothing, it's nothing."  Fern said quickly.  "Please don't worry about me.  The ball only grazed my leg.  I'm not injured."

"Are you sure?"  Robert asked.

"Quite, Dr. Halifax.  Don't worry about me."

Punch leaned down next to them.  "Fern?"

"I'm not hurt.  I swear it, Uncle Punch."

"I'm glad of that."  Punch whispered.  "Listen, Fern.  We gotta get outta here.  Where's Marduk?"

"Upstairs, Sir."

"Do you know where exactly?"  Punch asked quietly.

"Yes."  

"Stop that whispering over there!"  Orpha screamed.

"Yes, really, do pay attention lest I'll be forced to shoot again."

"Oh, Ulrika."  Punch snapped.  "I oughta beat your head in first."

Before Ulrika could reply, footsteps in the hall alerted them that Giovanni had returned.

"What is this?"  He barked as he saw the crowd which had gathered in the parlor.

"The mad Duke managed to gain entrance while you were out!"  Orpha retorted.

"Where was Johnny?"  Giovanni growled.

"It doesn't matter now, really."  Ulrika sighed.  She wrapped her fingers around Giovanni's arm.  "Darling, really, they're so many of them.  They're going to ruin our sacrifice.  Do something, darling."

"Wait!"  Orpha howled.  "Where's the girl?  Where's Fern?"

"I think she's gone upstairs."  Gamilla answered.  "To wash the wound that Ulrika gave her."

Orpha, Ulrika and Giovanni exchanged looks.

"Where's Marduk?"  Giovanni asked.

Just then, from upstairs, the sound of glass breaking sliced through the growing sense of confusion.

"Once, several weeks ago,"  Punch began.  "Gamilla caught Fern up to no good with my son.  Didn't ya, Gamilla?"

"I did, Your Grace."  Gamilla answered.

"Oh, yes, that's right."  Gerard added.  "I remember that, 'Milla."

"Wasn't that when Fern had opened a window and was holding Colin dangerously close to it?"  Robert deadpanned.

"Yes, Lord Colinshire."  Gamilla nodded.

"Oh, yeah,"  Maudie added.  "I remember.  Miss Lennie, ain't it true that you told me that if Gamilla'd not stopped 'er, Miss Fern'd 'ave dropped poor Master Colin outta the window?"

"We believed she would have, Maude."  Lennie nodded.

"If I were you three,"  Punch smiled.  "I'd see to it that your Marduk ain't the one bein' sacrificed instead of the one bein' sacrificed to."  




Did you miss Chapters 1-362 of Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square?  If so, you can read them here.  Come back tomorrow for Chapter 364.