Page 95 of A Mastery of Monsters

They gather in Henry’s office because they always do. The fire in the elaborate brick fireplace is roaring, and Henry pokes at the wood, rearranging it to better stoke the flames. His guests are both overheated, but neither of them says anything to discourage his actions. They rarely do.

Henry releases the poker and joins them in the armchair opposite the sofa where they’ve settled.

The pieces are older than all three of them, and his mother used to keep them covered in plastic and stored away.

She was too afraid of them being ruined to use them.

Henry, however, feels differently. And she’s dead, isn’t she?

His whole family’s dead. Mother, father, and little sister.

He may as well do as he pleases. And he wants to sit on the same furniture that his ancestor sat on. It’s worth the risk.

Not everything is, however, which is what they’ve come to discuss today.

“Well, last year was rather eventful, wasn’t it?” Henry says, reaching for the tray of coffee on the low table between them. “I’m glad to see that we’re all still here and could get together at the beginning of this new year.”

The guests do not much care to dabble in pleasantries, but it’s Henry, so they do.

They discuss how happy they are to see Adam take on the role of Doctorate, and how fortunate it is that Virgil didn’t lose his humanity and become sentenced to live underground, and even a small note of sadness for Bernie, who was a pawn in a bigger game.

Yes, a much bigger game is to be played.

Unfortunately, someone else is playing their own game too.

Though the guests don’t think of it like that.

As a game. But Henry has to think of it that way.

He’s played a game of hide-and-seek with his family for years.

They’re great at the hiding part—cozied up under earth and worms where he can’t find them.

What he likes is that when you lose a game, it doesn’t matter.

It can’t, or you’re a spoilsport. If it goes wrong, you simply start over again.

You give yourself another chance to win.

Henry likes to win.

And August Black has the potential to become an integral piece of his winning strategy.

He’s always known that. It’s why he arranged things that way. Though he admits that he hadn’t anticipated her personality, nor how the others would react to her. That had made things difficult. He’s still deciding if it was worth it.

“What do we think of her?” Henry says, and both guests straighten, because this is what they want to discuss. Henry knows this too.

“What exactly do you want her to do?” Margot asks. She refused both coffee and tea. Henry found her somewhat difficult last year, but in a way that’s interesting. She is evolving beyond him. He enjoys that. Appreciates when his students strive to outdo him.

Of course, she figured out what he’d done months ago.

She was astute like that. She didn’t know what he’d chosen August for, but she was aware that he had chosen the young Ms. Black and arranged to make it seem like Virgil was the one choosing.

And Margot hadn’t liked it. She wanted to be let in on his plans, but it wasn’t time yet.

And in Henry’s opinion, Virgil had been involved in the choice. He was the most important part of it.

Virgil is the most important part of all this.

Before, he’d just had promise, but now, he’s evolved into producing real results. Those bent prison bars are proof.

What Henry cares about is if August is to be given some credit for that. If she can be counted on to help Virgil evolve even more. And after… well, can she be counted on for what comes after, too?

Henry leans back in his chair. “I want from August what I want from all of you. Though I admit that she’s quite a bit more remarkable than anticipated.

Rough around the edges but effective. I want to know if she can be made to care about this cause.

She has her brother now. Her goal is achieved. Will she want to push for more?”

“She will,” Virgil says. “She cares.” August has a viciousness to her that Virgil lacks. And something has been building in the girl lately, Henry has noticed. A burning ember sparking into a flame. It’s righteous, indignant, and ferocious. Henry would like it very much if they could use it.

Henry turns to Margot. This is her chance. She could expose what he’s done. The play he set up to bring August into this game. Or could reject involving the girl outright.

“She cares about Virgil,” Margot says. “That will be enough.”

Henry lets a slow smile spread on his face. That’s his girl. She doesn’t trust. No, Margot’s been burned too many times for anything as fragile as trust, but she can see the cards laid out, and plays accordingly. Even when she disapproves.

He’ll have to watch her. He can’t have her switching sides in the middle. It’s best if they’re all on the same team.

“Well then,” Henry says, folding his hands together. “Let the real games begin.”

Revolution, Henry thinks, is on its way.