Hunter

Chapter 33

        My slept was heavy and dreamless. Maybe the best sleep of my life! And strangely enough, it had to be on a couch. When I opened my eyes, the everybody was already up. It was perfectly normal, since it was noon. On the other hand, I was surprised they had not woke me up. Arthur and Sophie sat in the living room and were talking aloud.

"Ah! Bonjour dad! Did you sleep well?

I leaned on my elbow and rubbed my eyes.

"Divinely! Have you been here for long?"

Arthur nodded.

"For about one hour and half." Sophie added.

I sat pushing away the blanket and put on my shoes.

"You're not working this morning?" I asked Sophie.

"It's my lunch break, Gustave."

"Oh yes, it's true. You live real close to the agency."

My head felt foggy, but little by little, my ideas became clearer and the cloud vanished. When everything was clear again, I said it was time to leave. I had thanked Sophie again and again. She had in fact saved my son's skin while I was wandering about. The car brought us back and we walked silently for the last kilometer. I left my children alone at the house with Ul. I did not really have a choice. I had ordered Arthur to double lock the door behind me and not to open to anyone, not even Bob or Gaspard.

When I arrived at the office, I nodded to the few colleagues who greeted me, then went straight to the room were we kept some creatures as prisoners. It was a big room with several cells, some classic ones with iron bars, but for most, bars had been replaced by wide widows. It was the case for Farax's cell.

Bob stood in front of the cell, Gaspard by his side. When they heard my hasty footsteps, they turned to welcome me.

"Well!"

"Will you tell us what happened?" Bob asked.

"Yes, of course."

I froze, hands on my hips, looking at my feet. I was thinking. I had to be careful to what I was going to say.

"The gnome teleported me with him without noticing it. That's it."

While Gaspard simply nodded, Bob rolled his eyes.

"Are you kidding? What did he want in the end?"

I glanced in the cell. The little blue man showed us his back and seemed to be sulking. Our words must be out of earshot.

"We landed in a magical underground city, I have no idea where it is."

I stopped again, determined to say the least.

"And... ?" Bob insisted. "For whom he is working and what did he want?"

What was the point? As long as I did not mention Arthur and his portrait, everything would be fine.

"For a wizard: Alexandre Édouard. He wanted information on the agency."

Bob looked at his feet and shook his head. When he rose it again, he laid a hand on my shoulder and praised me for bringing the gnome back.

"Well" he continued. "It's time for his diamond shot! I'll go."

He went around me and left tortting happily. He had bought my story. So had Gaspard, nonetheless, he seemed inhabited by some kind of doubt... or at least, something was bothering him. I had to change his focus.