*
‘Victor, my friend,’ Cain murmured, ‘if I weren’t a fortune-teller I’d say that fate wished our paths to cross again.’
‘Who are you?’ young Victor managed to stammer as he glanced over at the ghostly woman, who had retreated into the shadows.
‘I’m Dr Cain. Surely you saw the sign?’ Cain replied. ‘Having a nice time with your family?’
Victor gulped and nodded.
‘That’s good,’ the magician went on. ‘Amusement is like laudanum: it takes away all the misery and pain, even if only for a short time.’
‘I don’t know what laudanum is,’ replied Victor.
‘A drug, my son, it’s a drug,’ Cain replied wearily, turning to look at a clock resting on a shelf to his right.
The hands seemed to be going backwards.
‘Time does not exist, that’s why we mustn’t lose it. Have you decided on your wish?’
‘I don’t have a wish,’ Victor replied shakily.
Cain burst out laughing.
‘Come, come. None of us has only one wish; we have hundreds. And life doesn’t grant us many chances to make them come true.’ Cain looked over at the mysterious woman with a grimace that was meant to look like pity. ‘Isn’t that true, dearest?’
The woman didn’t reply. It almost seemed as if she was made of wood and was incapable of movement.
‘But some of us are lucky, Victor,’ said Cain, leaning over the table. ‘Like you. Because you can make your dreams come true, Victor. And you know how.’
‘The way Angus did?’ Victor snapped despite himself. He’d noticed something odd that he couldn’t get out of his mind: Cain hadn’t blinked at all, not even once.
‘An accident, dear friend. An unfortunate accident,’ said Cain, adopting a note of concern. ‘It’s a mistake to think that dreams can come true without having to offer anything in exchange. Don’t you agr
ee, Victor? It wouldn’t be fair. Angus tried to forget he had certain obligations, and that could not be tolerated. But that is all in the past. Let’s talk about the future, your future.’
‘Is that what you did?’ Victor asked, emboldened by fear. ‘Make your own dream come true? To become what you are now? What did you have to give in exchange?’
Cain lost his reptilian smile and fixed his eyes on Victor Kray. For a moment the boy feared Cain was going to pounce on him and tear him to shreds. Eventually, Cain sighed.
‘An intelligent young man. That’s what I like, Victor. And yet you still have a lot to learn. When you’re ready, come and visit me again. You’ll know how to find me. I hope to see you soon.’
‘I doubt that,’ Victor replied, getting to his feet, his heart still pounding.
Like a sagging puppet whose strings have suddenly been pulled, the woman walked towards him, as if to see him out. Victor was only a few steps from the door when he heard Cain’s voice behind him.
‘One more thing, Victor. About your wishes. Give it some thought. The offer still stands. You may not be interested, but perhaps some member of your wonderfully happy family has a secret desire they dare not mention. That’s my speciality …’
Without pausing to reply, Victor stepped out into the fresh night air. He took a deep breath and ran off in search of his family. As he left, Dr Cain’s laughter echoed behind him like the cry of a hyena.
*
Until then, Max had been listening spellbound to the old man’s story, without daring to ask any of the thousands of questions that were spilling over in his brain. Victor Kray seemed to read his thoughts and pointed at him accusingly.
‘Patience, young man. All the pieces will fit together in due course. You’re not allowed to interrupt. OK?’
Although the warning was directed at Max, the friends agreed in unison.
‘Good, good …’ the lighthouse keeper mumbled.