Chapter 140 “Two Guests”
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The moment Duncan sensed Vanna’s aura nearing the antique shop, his eyebrows tightened in a subtle frown. The aura didn’t move in a straight line but rather took abrupt turns and hesitated inexplicably at certain points. It was a strange, serpentine path—almost as if she was cautiously navigating the area.
He looked at Shirley, who was standing near him. “What could possibly bring an inquisitor from the affluent upper city to an antique shop in the less prestigious lower city? And why was her path to the shop so convoluted?”
Duncan couldn’t help but wonder if Vanna was coming for Shirley. Had the Storm Church finally discovered a “summoner” walking side by side with a shadow demon in the city? Alternatively, could Vanna be coming for him? Duncan had always been meticulously cautious, taking great care not to leave any evidence that could implicate him as a member of the Vanished. The only potential red flag was his former allegiance to the Sun God, but that alone wouldn’t likely be enough to warrant an inquisitor’s attention.
The erratic but clearly deliberate manner in which Vanna’s aura was approaching left little doubt that her visit was far from casual. She was on a specific mission.
Duncan’s mind raced through these possibilities as he glanced at Nina, who was engrossed in a book beside him. Making a decision, he stood up and began walking towards the entrance of the antique shop. Shirley noticed him move and followed, her voice tinged with confusion and concern. “Mr. Duncan? What’s happening…?”
“Stay in the shop,” Duncan told Shirley, whose appearance screamed ‘heretic’ no matter how one viewed her. He reached the entrance of the shop and stared in the direction from which Vanna’s aura emanated.
Soon, he realized why her aura had arrived so quickly: she had come by car. A deep-gray vehicle powered by a steam engine squealed to a stop right in front of the antique shop. Two figures disembarked. One was Vanna, who, even in everyday clothing, commanded attention due to her imposing height. The other was Heidi, a psychiatrist he had met previously.
Duncan was momentarily speechless. He felt somewhat foolish for letting his imagination run wild earlier, concocting all kinds of mysterious and supernatural scenarios. Now it occurred to him that those strange pauses in Vanna’s movement were likely just her waiting for traffic lights.
Heidi was waving energetically as she greeted him. “Mr. Duncan!”
A twitch appeared at the corner of Duncan’s mouth. His earlier suspicion seemed overblown now, but he remained on guard. As he walked over to greet them, he took an extra second to study Vanna, trying to gauge her intentions. He finally spoke, his voice tinged with an air of calculated surprise, “This is…”
“Ah, Mr. Duncan, I’m sure you’re well-acquainted with this figure. She’s quite the city-wide celebrity—our esteemed Inquisitor, Miss Vanna Wayne,” Heidi remarked with a playful smile that conveyed both mischief and warmth. “But fear not, she’s off-duty today. In fact, she’s here as my friend. After I told her about how you assisted during the incident at the museum, she was adamant about coming over to express her gratitude.”
“A friend?” Duncan’s eyes widened slightly, and his voice held a tinge of genuine surprise. “I must admit, I never anticipated you would bring along someone of such considerable stature.”
Vanna, who had been silently observing Duncan from the moment she arrived, finally broke her silence. Her voice was deep, slightly raspy, and curiously magnetic—a voice Duncan had heard before but never in a context like this. “Calling me ‘important’ might be laying it on a bit thick, Mr. Duncan. I’m just another customer today. As Heidi mentioned, I’m on vacation, and my primary reason for being here is to express my gratitude for your actions at the museum. I also have a few questions. So, no need for formalities.”
To learn a few things? That phrase lingered in Duncan’s mind, but he managed to maintain his customary amiable smile. He gestured invitingly toward the interior of the shop. “Please, don’t just stand there at the entrance. Come in. The shop is rather quiet today, and your presence will certainly liven things up.”
As Duncan stepped back into his shop, he first noticed Shirley, who was leaning from behind a display case, her eyes wide with curiosity about the unfolding scene. Nonchalantly, he ruffled her hair. “Try to stay calm, will you?”
Shirley looked momentarily confused. “Calm about what?”
In the next instant, she understood. She watched as Vanna, who stood as a towering pillar of the city-state church’s authority, entered the shop. The stark contrast between Vanna’s impressive height, just over 1.9 meters, and Shirley’s dwarf stature, barely reaching 1.6 meters, was impossible to ignore.
“Wow… You’re so tall!” Shirley blurted out, almost instinctively.
Vanna paused, glancing down at the girl beside her whose face had taken on an expression of awe, her muscles involuntarily tensing. “Hello,” she greeted simply.
“Her name is Shirley,” Duncan interjected in an easygoing manner. “She helps around the shop. You might have heard about her; she was present during the incident at the museum. Heidi probably mentioned her.”
Vanna nodded, her eyes sizing up the girl before her as she recalled Heidi’s description. “Ah, so you’re Shirley. Indeed, a charming young lady.”
Meanwhile, Nina, who had been engrossed in a book near the counter, finally caught wind of the unusual commotion. She hurried over, and the first person to catch her eye was the formidable Vanna. Recognizing the well-known inquisitor, Nina couldn’t help but echo Shirley’s surprised exclamation.
“See, this is why I have reservations about going out with you,” said Heidi, who had been standing slightly behind the imposing Vanna and thus had largely gone unnoticed by Nina. She finally voiced her playful frustration. “The moment you make an appearance, all eyes are on you. And today was supposed to be about me, you know?”
Vanna looked at her friend, her expression unreadable. “I did my best to blend in today, you know. I’ve dressed as ordinarily as I can.”
Heidi sighed in a manner that suggested this was a long-standing point of contention between them. “Fine, I’m used to it.” She then greeted Nina and Shirley warmly before turning her attention back to Duncan. With a flourish, she produced a gift, handing it to him with the air of someone keen on ceremony.
“I wasn’t sure about your specific preferences, but one shouldn’t visit someone’s abode empty-handed. My father suggested this for you. He thinks it would be well-suited for someone with your diverse interests in history and the arcane.”
“Your generosity is much appreciated,” Duncan replied, accepting the wooden box that appeared to be quite antique. He opened it right then and there, revealing its contents. His eyebrows lifted in mild surprise. “Well, this is certainly interesting.”
Inside the box lay a book—a meticulously crafted tome that seemed like a relic one might find in the collections of esteemed scholars in the upper city. Its deep purple hardcover was graced with elegant script that read: “Cities and Gods.”
“This book is a rare gem from my father’s collection,” Heidi explained, her face lighting up with pride. “Written by the renowned naturalist and theologian Mr. Maldino Victor over a century ago, it delves into the historical transformations of city-states and explores the far-reaching influences of various deities, including the Four Righteous Gods, on civilized societies. My father thought it would resonate with you.”
Duncan looked down at the book, a slow, thoughtful smile spreading across his face. “It’s a remarkable gift. Please extend my deepest thanks to Mr. Morris.”
After some additional pleasantries and light-hearted conversation, Duncan locked the door to the antique shop, transforming the spacious ground floor into an intimate lounge of sorts—especially as there were no other customers that day.
Nina scurried over with additional seating while Duncan busied himself with brewing the finest coffee the shop had to offer for their special guests. Shirley, who seemed to want to fade into the background, busied herself by ostentatiously reorganizing some shelves, though it was clear she was actually looking for a secluded corner where she could be less noticeable.
Vanna took this opportunity to examine the unassuming shop with a look of genuine curiosity. Meanwhile, Heidi had already set up her portable “medicine box” on one of the counters. She turned towards Nina, getting right to the point. “I’ve heard you’ve been suffering from some distressing nightmares lately, and you often seem distracted. Would you like to talk about it?”
“Ah, it’s not exactly nightmares I’ve been having, more like a recurrent, puzzling dream,” Nina stammered, clearly caught off guard by Heidi’s direct approach. She hesitated for a moment before continuing, “In the dream, I find myself standing atop an incredibly tall structure—something like a tower—and I look down to see several city blocks reduced to smoldering ashes. Yet, strangely enough, there’s nothing explicitly frightening about the dream.”
Heidi held up a hand to interrupt her. “Hold on,” she said, flipping open the clasps on her medicine box. “So, you have recurring imagery, you’re in high places, there are fires, but nothing in the dream is overtly terrifying. However, the recurring nature of the dream is wearing you out. Let me see what I have here…”
Curious, Nina craned her neck to get a look inside Heidi’s medicine box and immediately recoiled in horror. The box was filled with an unsettling assortment of tools: chisels, saws, and jars of substances that she couldn’t identify but definitely didn’t want near her. “Um, Miss Heidi, is it an option to decline treatment? I’m beginning to think my condition isn’t that serious after all…”
Duncan, who had also caught sight of the contents of Heidi’s medicine box, couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow in bemusement. “Pardon my intrusion, but are these instruments genuinely essential for psychiatric care?”
For a moment, both Duncan and Nina looked at Heidi as though she were less a genteel psychiatrist and more a practitioner of some far less delicate medical discipline—perhaps a veterinarian specializing in large and uncooperative animals.
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Heidi’s “Toolbox”.