Embers of Embers

Chapter 5 Mandrakes
Mandrake, an herb from a fertile land, has another, more familiar name, mandrake, according to scholars.But in fact, these two herbs are not the same at all. Mandrake is a very common hallucinogenic herb. It is used by local indigenous people as an anesthetic. It is also a component of the hallucinogens that are rampant in the lower city.
Lorenzo's cigarettes are filled with mandrake, which is different from the common mandrake. This herb is a "spirit medium" carefully cultivated by local wizards. They believe that smoking this herb will build a bridge with the unknown. It is a medium that touches the mysteries, and they usually use this to communicate with the dead.
Steam technology is so advanced that the theories of ghosts and gods have long been forgotten, but there are still remnants of the old era who firmly believe in them.
Lorenzo also discovered this effect in an ancient book, and then with the help of Shrike, he got some from the hands of some smugglers.At first, he had the mentality of giving it a try, but after such a long period of investigation, Lorenzo found that this thing can indeed have some effect.
What he saw was not just a simple hallucination, it was partly real, and this real part was what Lorenzo needed.
The lights went out one by one, and the cold air in the darkness became moist. Lorenzo smelled the sea water again. Countless raindrops fell on the deck, and he returned to the ship.
The corpse was slowly wriggling in the darkness, and it was coming alive. Although the light from the cigarette butt was not so bright, everything was so clear in the darkness. Lorenzo watched quietly.
The internal organs began to shrink until only a small section of the stomach and intestines remained, and the bones began to twist and deform. The fragile skin was propped up by past growth, and the dark red blood vessels underneath could be clearly seen.
A hoarse voice came from that shriveled throat, like a cry before a tragic death.
It was a terrifying scene, but Lorenzo didn't care, he seemed to have no fear.
The cigarette is half-burned.
The mandrake grass connected him with the mysterious world, and the time the tobacco burned was the time he could stay in this world of the dead.
It's not enough, it's not enough.
Suddenly, the feeling of being spied on came to his heart. It was so familiar, just like when he was in the carriage, that thing that had been peeping at him in the dark. Lorenzo turned his head sharply and tried to find that strange figure in the dark. , but the next second his twisted body knocked him down with a strong smell of blood.
It's Wall, or rather Wall's body.
It knocked Lorenzo off the chair and pressed him hard. Its sharp claws strangled his head tightly. His ribs opened like the mouthparts of a predator, and it covered him with dried blood. Lorenzo clamped down.
look at me!
There seemed to be a sound, and what came into view was the ferocious face, filled with great pain. Above it, the pupils of the eyes were dark and turbid, but there was a faint green light shining in them.
Severe pain came from his body, but Lorenzo didn't care. He looked directly into the pupils, and finally saw that part of the truth in the reflection in the darkness.
It was a beacon rising in the green light.
……
The cigarette finally burned out and light returned to the world.
Lorenzo seemed to be waking up from hibernation, his movements were stiff and his eyes were blank.He let go of his hand and the cigarette butt fell. He sat in a chair in a daze for a long time before he recovered.
This is the side effect of taking drugs. Every time it ends, Lorenzo briefly looks like a retard.
Everything was like a dream, Wall's body didn't come back to life, and he was still lying quietly in front of him, and he wasn't knocked down. He sat on the spot, as if everything that was so real just now was an illusion, obviously The pain was so real.
It's an illusion, but there's also reality,
Just like the last scene he saw, the lighthouse.
Lorenzo wasn't sure what role the lighthouse played in this case, but at least now he had a general idea.
Weird body and lighthouse.
He stood up slowly. The stiff feeling was still there, which made him feel very uncomfortable. Maybe this was also one of the side effects of mandrake grass. At first, this mentally retarded state was short-lived, but with the frequent use, the time became longer and longer. It's getting longer.
Maybe I can find that poor Director Buscaro for a physical examination in a few days. After all, he is also a director, which should save a lot of trouble, right?
After all this was done, it was time to leave, but at this moment the sound of the bullet being loaded could be heard.
"Put your hands up!"
Eve raised the pistol in her hand and pointed it at Lorenzo.
Ever since she was little, Eve's intuition has been very keen, and this time was no exception. She felt someone walking past her in the mist, and couldn't help but feel weird in her heart. She finally caught this sneaky person here. people.
"What happened Detective?"
Turning around, Lorenzo's expression was perfect, with a hint of calmness in his panic, just like a good citizen who had been misunderstood by the police.
There are three religions and nine streams in the old Dunling. As a great detective who has been among them, Lorenzo has to know a little bit about everything.
"What are you doing?"
Eve was a newcomer, and this was the first time she pointed a gun at a person. Looking at Lorenzo's expression, she really felt that she had misunderstood him.
"This is my nephew. He was murdered this morning. I just can't bear the sadness..."
Lorenzo said, hiding his face.
Eve took a few steps closer, but she still did not let down her guard.
"Your nephew...is a Viking?"
The appearance of the corpse was difficult to identify, but the big braid that the Vikings loved so much was still hanging on the corpse's head.
Lorenzo's crying stopped, and then Eve saw the nameplate on the iron cabinet, which was the case she was in charge of.
The last bit of sympathy was gone, Eve said coldly.
"Sir, you may need to come with me."
For a while the scene was embarrassing.
Lorenzo once secretly sneaked into the Royal Academy of Arts. In order to be able to enter the role at any time and deceive others, he studied in the acting department for more than a year. At first, everyone thought he was a passing tourist, and then he was an observer. Students, students, and finally even the professor knew this outstanding student named Lorenzo, and invited him to perform at the Royal Opera House.
But such an outstanding student suddenly disappeared a year later. The professor looked through the list and could not find this person named Lorenzo Holmes. He seemed to have disappeared out of thin air. Everyone remembered that talented student He is a young man, but his name is not on various attendance lists or even student records, just like a ghost.
But no matter how good the performance was, no matter how rigorous the deception was, Lorenzo couldn't deceive anyone with direct evidence. He smiled awkwardly.
Eve looked very serious on the surface, but she was already happy in her heart. Sure enough, there was something fishy about this case, otherwise why would this person sneak in to check this insignificant corpse.
"Turn around!"
Holding a gun and threatening Lorenzo, he was very cooperative and turned around slowly. Eve put down the gun and took out the handcuffs, but at that moment Lorenzo moved.
The wide, knee-length black trench coat was swung up hard, and it directly occupied most of Eve's field of vision. She was holding a gun in one hand and the handcuffs she had just taken out in the other. The young police detective was obviously panicked. God, he pulled the trigger, but his slender hand was still unable to control the recoil, and the bullet deflected.
A big hole was punched out of the black windbreaker, and then the black muzzle of the gun protruded from under the windbreaker.
"Detective, don't move."
Lorenzo held up the Winchester, put his hand on the lower iron lever, and loaded it.
The situation reversed in an instant, and Eve could only watch all this in a daze.
Obviously, what he is seeing is a bit of a shock to this newcomer. The first case for a newbie involves a bad detective who has been around in Old Dunling for a long time. It is like locking up a sheep with a hungry wolf.
"This is the morgue. Not many people come here. Even if I kill you, no one will know that it was me who killed you. Do you understand?"
Eve nodded cooperatively. Even if she shoots, she is not as fast as Lorenzo, not to mention that Lorenzo's gun is obviously more threatening than lethal.
But soon Eve realized something.
"You killed him?"
Although I have never seen a shotgun with such exquisite workmanship, isn't it essentially still a shotgun?It was consistent with the gunshot wound that killed Wall, and combined with the suspicious nature of this mysterious man sneaking into the morgue, Eve was sure that it was the man in front of her who killed Wall.
If I had known better, I wouldn't have come here alone. I should have called Pres, although in this situation, what could Press have done.
"Don't make false accusations, detective. I am a legal citizen of Inverg."
Lorenzo is telling the truth, but his identity was created by Shrike. Shrike is very reliable in this regard. As long as you give him enough money, he can create any identity for you. Please note that it is not a forgery, but a forgery. Officially recognized status.
Lorenzo was talking bad words, but his mind was running wildly, thinking about what to do next.
Similarly, Eve was also thinking about what to do. She didn't want her first case to become her last.
But at this moment, the translucent yellow liquid flowed under Lorenzo's feet and flowed out of the morgue door with a peculiar smell.
"What do you think this is, Detective?"
Lorenzo lowered his head and said suddenly.
"I think it might be oil."
"I think...you guessed right."
As Lorenzo finished speaking, a raging fire surged from the door of the morgue, like a fire demon from hell. The flames instantly ignited everything around, and the cold temperature of the morgue rose accordingly. Becoming hot and dry.
This is a deserted place, with only this gate leading to the way out, but now it is sealed by fire, and the fire is still intensifying.
"what happened……"
Lorenzo pulled Eve away at the last moment, otherwise Eve, who was leaning against the door, would be engulfed in fire in an instant.
"It's a clue."
The man's voice was somewhat morbidly excited.
Eve looked to the side, and the firelight illuminated Lorenzo's face, burning even more fire in his pupils.
Sure enough, Wall's death attracted the attention of those people. They didn't want the secrets in Wall's body to be discovered, so they set fire to it.
"Detective, come and help if you don't want to die."
Lorenzo said as he kicked over the iron cabinets where the bodies were hidden. They were stacked one on top of another and could be taken apart.
"What are you doing?"
Eve couldn't understand what this man was doing. The fire was clearly burning right in front of him... He was still competing with these dead people.
"Stay alive...you don't want to be cremated here with these corpses, do you?"
"You and I are together and we will never be separated from each other?"
(End of this chapter)