The Inventor's Son

Chapter 2: In Which the Dark Mirror Works Perfectly

ETHAN EXAMINED THE SMALL AUTOMATON that his father had built several years ago. "It's SAM, S for Sentient, A for Android, M for Module," Ethan explained.

"Sentient? Surely your father knows better than that! No device of his could ever be sentient! I think that's silly," Sophia insisted.

"Well, that's what we called it," Ethan said with a bit of a pout, annoyed that his grandmother didn't think the acronym was so clever.

Liam folded his hands behind his back and he gazed around the drawing room. Ethan noticed that Liam had seen the Dark Mirror on the table. Pushing his unease about Inspector Huntington aside, Ethan turned his attention to Sam.

"Sam, where's Father?" Though he knew full well that Sam was unable to speak, they had a method of communication nonetheless. The Sentient Android Module crouched onto the Oriental carpet and hid his head. "Sam, what happened to Father?"

"Was Marcus attacked?" Sophia finally asked outright. Sam climbed onto Ethan and gripped him, as though embracing him or perhaps even reaching out for strength from the human.

"Sweet Jesus, Marcus Stanwood..." Liam muttered, then took off his hat. Ebony hair fell over his eyes.

In terrified desperation, Ethan's eyes darted to the Dark Mirror. Liam noticed it. "You...saw something, lad?" Liam asked gently.

Ethan panicked. "It wasn't with that," he explained quickly, eying the glossy black glass with loathing.

Liam knelt down beside the table to look Ethan in the eye. "Listen to me, lad. Don't you worry one bit about my armband. That hasn't a thing to do with what I'm doing here."

"I know," Ethan answered with a shiver.

"I don't go around arresting law-abiding people, lad. Even if they are witches," Liam explained.

"Well, you needn't worry. I'm not much of a witch anyway," Ethan assured him.

"Tell me about when you last saw your father."

Ethan dropped his eyes and stared at the Oriental carpet. "Early this morning. He was on his way to my Uncle Malcolm's office, even though he had just seen him yesterday, as it had been Easter Sunday and we had already gone visiting him."

"Did he tell you where he'd be going after he was done with his brother?" Liam asked.

It became quite obvious to Ethan that Inspector Huntington was familiar with both Marcus and Malcolm Stanwood. "I thought he'd be coming back for lunch and then we'd be working this afternoon. He had even said he wouldn't be long," Ethan answered sadly.

"What are you working on?" Liam asked sharply.

"Things."

"Did you know what your father and uncle were going to discuss?"

"He didn't say," Ethan answered with a sullen tone. Sam burrowed in Ethan's arms like he was a large metal baby.

"Have you a telephone here, perhaps?" Liam asked.

"Yes, though I don't truly know how to work the dratted thing," Sophia admitted.

"May I use it to call my station and check to see if any reports have been made since I left to come here?" Liam asked.

"Yes, indeed! Mr. Timmons, please show Inspector Huntington our telephone!" With that, Sophia's butler led Liam out of the drawing room. "Ethan dear, you must try to see what has happened in the Dark Mirror!"

"How am I supposed to do that with a Red Banded right in the kitchen?" Ethan said in a hushed voice.

"Don't be silly, dear. You're doing nothing illegal!" Sophia reminded him.