‘Did I bring something?’
I tilted my head in confusion as he watched me with a grin, revealing his teeth. His long, spider-like fingers pointed at me, or more precisely, at my coat pocket.
“Take out what’s in your pocket.”
With a puzzled expression, I retrieved the withered dahlia I had brought just in case. How did he know?
Plurititas’s expression became peculiar. I heard a curious murmur, “Hoo…”
“This is something I didn’t expect.”
Then, he violently grabbed the dahlia. With a snap, the dahlia’s stem broke off. It shattered into pieces as it hit the table.
“What is this?”
“It’s just an ordinary flower now,” Plurititas replied. “But it seems someone took some drastic measures with it before. While I can’t use it, I can read its traces. Time is quite terrifying.”
“It looked like it was delivered to Liam. When I wasn’t around.”
“Did Liam Moore receive this?”
“No. It was found in another Greenwich member’s room.”
Plurititas mercilessly crushed the dahlia into powder and spread it across the glass table. It looked like ashes. His spider-like fingers pointed at the powder.
“It appears to be just a regular flower, but when the target comes into contact with it, it automatically tracks their location. It’s a sort of tracking device.”
“A tracking device…”
It was a term I hadn’t heard in a long time. In the 19th century, machines were rare, and people discussing such topics were often considered dreamers. Can humans walk on the moon? Can people fly in the sky? Asking such questions usually gets one labelled as crazy.
My face must have looked strange. The man clearly seemed knowledgeable about science and engineering. Plurititas’s white eyebrows went up, though it was hard to notice.
“The sender can track the receiver until they capture them. It’s fascinating. Whoever it is must have a lot of malice.”
He added with some wit, “Of course, Liam Moore isn’t someone who would die just because of a curse.”
True enough. Even if Liam were cursed a hundred times, he would finish knitting, enjoy his snack, and then say, ‘Oh? I’m cursed? Should I at least faint?’ He’s that kind of person.
“So this isn’t the first time.”
“Exactly.”
“Have other victims received this too?”
“Very likely.”
I stared at the powder and asked, “Is there any way to trace it back? Using the signal or something? It would be good to identify the sender.”
Plurititas looked at me with interest and shrugged. “If it were a machine, it might be possible. But curses aren’t my specialty.”
“You should have learned it, given how long you’ve lived.”
“You ungrateful young person.”
“That’s how young people are.”
“You’re just like Liam Moore.”
He shook his head.
“Anyway, this is as far as I can help. The rest is up to you.”
Well, it couldn’t be helped. I held back a sigh.
“Running around is what I do best…”
At least it wasn’t a complete loss. The dahlia was a smoking gun for solving the case. So my job now was to find the members of Greenwich and check if they had received a dahlia recently. If someone had, I needed to act quickly to protect them. With luck, I might even catch the attacker.
Then, out of nowhere, he said, “I’d like to take a cast of your hand.”
Despite the situation, he stared at my hand with longing eyes, smacking his lips. My patience was wearing thin.
Now I understood why Liam left quickly after achieving his goals. Plurititas tended to cling if you stayed too long. Not just cling, but also try to cut off your head.
I cautiously asked, “What will you use to make the cast?”
“I’ll start with a drawing, then use plaster. For structural understanding, I’d like to open it up, but fortunately, there’s enough data in drawings. Bringing in a new specimen would be a waste of resources.”
Is he crazy? This man confessed he wanted to dissect my hand without my consent. I looked at him with a bit of disgust.
“No need to worry. I won’t open it up.”
How could I not worry? I wiped my face dry with anxiety.
“Get the plaster quickly. No drawings, I don’t have time. I’ll give you ten minutes.”
Plurititas smiled contentedly like a well-fed cat.
＊ ＊ ＊
In any case, Plurititas let me go. Unlike with Liam Moore, he didn’t threaten me. He just handed me a gift as compensation for the satisfactory specimen and cooperation, telling me to open it outside. What is it, a bomb?
“But be careful.”
He warned like an old man who had lived long.
“Hunting people that way is rare. There’s nothing easier than catching a defenceless prey. If hunters are in London, it’s not entirely safe. They could be near you, wearing human skins.”
It was a cryptic warning.
“You’re easier to target than that annoying and spoiled Greenwich member.”
“Geez.”
I nodded meekly, acknowledging my defencelessness.
“I’ll be careful. I’ll be going now.”
He grinned mischievously.
“Let me know if Liam Moore’s head is intact.”
So he wanted me to come back. He sounded like a grandfather saying, ‘Hurry and go!’ before the holidays.
“Yes, Grandpa.”
I mumbled nonsense and quickly ran out of the house. Surely, he wouldn’t drag me back just because I talked back once?
Even as a cold gaze lingered on the back of my neck, Plurititas said nothing more. He just watched me with a strange smile, like a picture. Nothing happened until the black iron gate opened and closed. Once outside, I finally relaxed. I actually met Plurititas! And it wasn’t in vain!
I stepped away from the mansion and opened the box. Lately, I’ve been receiving more gifts. Inside the box was a plain silver ring, set with a gem that resembled Plurititas’s eye colour. It was wrapped in velvet. It seemed like a high-quality, custom-made piece. Inside the lid, there was a small note: “Reacts to danger.”
How does it react to danger? Can it monitor me?
It was a creepy thought. Why did he choose a gem similar to his eye colour? Normally, gifts match the recipient’s eye colour. It’s someone else wearing it, after all.
Feeling uneasy, I spoke to the ring, “Um, Plurititas…? Can you hear me? This ring doesn’t have such functions, right? Eavesdropping is a crime…”
No response. It seemed like just a ring.
Putting aside my discomfort, I placed it on my right finger. It was too big for my finger, fitting only on my thumb. It felt heavy. I wouldn’t forget I was wearing it.
‘Next time, I should bring a gift too…’
I walked out of the residential area. I pulled my hat down to cover my eyes. Just around the corner, I could see people bustling about. It was a busy street.
People in various outfits passed by. There were many street stalls, and some people were selling eggs in baskets. And then…
“Excuse me.”
A hand grabbed me, causing me to turn around. The person had their face wrapped in a scarf. Their coat was twice their size, and they wore thick gloves, making it impossible to identify them.
“What is it?”
I asked.
“Sir, how do I get to Greenwich from here?”
A ridiculous question. But not unfamiliar. For a moment, I wondered which Greenwich they meant, but I naturally answered.
“Try heading to the train station. The station attendant can guide you better than I can.”
And the person immediately disappeared into the crowd.
…What was that about?