Page 126 of Anatomy of the Immortal Species

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At The Seven Horses, the usual crowd of drunken immortals was thick enough to block the path to the Righteous’ throne. Not that it deterred Constantine.

Nikolay’s last message had been short and to the point:I caught a reptilian. Come now.Given the last conversation he’d participated in with Mikhail, Constantine hadn’t wasted any time.

Under the dim lights, Babyhand was a walking cliché – a thick cigar wedged between his thin lips and two voluptuous blondes pressed against him on either side of the booth. With a dismissive wave, he sent the women away, and they, like obedient little lapdogs, swayed their hips in unison and descended the stairs to the dance floor, blending into the faceless crowd.

The Righteous sank into the leather sofa and nodded towards the vacant armchair. “Hello, my friend.”

Constantine was too tired for pleasantries, and he didn’t plan to stay long enough to take a seat. “I’m not your friend, Nikolay. What do you have for me?”

The Righteous flashed a broad smile, revealing a perfect set of teeth. “The question is, what do you have for me, my friend?”

“Fine. If that’s how you want to play it. Where’s the reptilian?”

The Righteous exhaled a cloud of cigar smoke. “For starters – stop standing there. You’re blocking my view of the naked nymph on the bar.”

Constantine decided the meeting would end sooner if he justplayed along. He took a seat in the empty booth. “After so many years spent in this dump, I thought you’d be tired of cheap whores.”

The Righteous laughed, holding the cigar at the corner of his mouth. “Cheap whores? Someone’s mother must not have loved him, huh? All women deserve respect, necromancer. As do partners.”

“Where are you going with this?”

“In my room, there’s a reptilian. Tied up, helpless, ready for interrogation – just like you wanted. The Righteous doesn’t joke, my friend. But before I give you this little gift, I need something in return.”

Constantine didn’t flinch, yet the muscles in his neck tightened. “I’m listening.”

“I want an apology, my friend. An apology!”

“An apology?”

“Exactly. An apology – from you and Mikhail Korovin – for sticking your noses into my business for years. An apology for the constant threats, and for showing up here two months ago with yet another round of them, only to cut off my left hand. As you can see, it hasn’t healed as well as the right one.”

Constantine narrowed his eyes on his companion’s hands. Nikolay hadn’t mentioned the hand at their previous encounter. So, why bring it up now? Something must have changed.

“And, by the way,” he added, leaning forward to put out his cigar, “tell Korovin he owes me nearly twelve million euros.”

Constantine barely stifled a laugh. “Twelve million euros, you say?”

“My losses since I caved and cut my organ business in Sofia.”

Constantine glanced towards the crowd on the dance floor. “I’ve always wondered how you’ve managed to get away with it for so long…”

The Righteous waved his hand. “It’s all a game, my friend.When many interests are at play, there are many possible moves. One must know when to strike, when to hold back, and when to apologise.”

“All right.” Constantine turned his attention back to the fool, deciding to humour him. “I’m sorry for everything I’ve done to you.”

The Righteous clapped his hands together. “Good! Very good.”

Constantine rolled his eyes. “Now, let’s get to the point. How did you catch this reptilian?”

The Righteous tapped his fingers against his pursed lips. “You know, this isn’t as satisfying as I thought it would be. I expected it to be harder for you to apologise.”

“I don’t have any ego problems.” Constantine stood, keeping his expression cool. “Now show me this reptilian. Otherwise, I might think you missed me so bad, you’ve started sprouting tales just to get me back here.”

The Righteous guffawed. “You’ve caught me in a good mood, necromancer. So, I’ll settle for your apology. Let’s go!”

He jumped to his feet and started down the stairs with a dance-like step, singing along to the voice blasting from the speakers: “‘You got, you got the devil inside you, you set the church on fire… You got, you got the devil inside you… The devil inside you…’” At the bottom of the stairs, he called out to the bodyguards. “Van! Gog!”