The Romulus Equation by Darren Craske Page A

back?’
    â€˜Because I hate coincidences,’ said Quaint, ‘almost as much as coincidences seem to hate me. So much so, that I’m able to tell the difference between what is an actual coincidence and what is something quite the opposite.’
    â€˜Such as?’ asked Viktor.
    â€˜Circumstance,’ replied Quaint. ‘I arrived in Rome this morning with a bee in my bonnet and little else, hunting a man who could have died decades ago, for all I know. I’m used to chasing ghosts, Viktor, but even as I was staring into Romulus’s face, I wasn’t scared… because I knew our meeting was of importance.’
    â€˜To what?’ asked Viktor.
    â€˜My hunt for Remus,’ replied Quaint. ‘I know with all certainty that Romulus is the man to help me. It
can’t
be coincidence! I was an idiot for not seeing it before! How familiar are you with Roman mythology?’
    â€˜About as familiar as I am with being able to touch my toes these days,’ said Viktor, slapping his portly stomach.
    â€˜Quite…’ said Quaint. ‘Anyway, in Roman mythology, Romulus and Remus were brothers born of a union between their earthly mother and the god Mars. They argued their whole lives until one day they fought a tremendous battle with the heavens crashing around them, thunder and lightning, the lot. Eventually Remus was destroyed and Romulus was victorious… and Rome was so named in his honour.’
    â€˜Cornelius, I am tired,’ groaned Viktor. ‘Can we not skip lessons for today?’
    â€˜No, Viktor!’ Quaint said. ‘You’re not seeing it! I’m here in Rome hunting a man named Remus and the only man that can help me happens to be a man called
Romulus
! That’s a pretty wild coincidence, even for me, which is why things are going to be tricky. I never got the chance to tell Romulus
why
I wanted his help last night, and now I can’t help but feel that I’m going to rely on it… and that’s why we’ve got to go back.’
    â€˜One more leap into the jaws of death, eh?’ Viktor harrumphed.
    â€˜Let’s hope not,’ said Quaint, slapping the German’s back. ‘But you’ve got to admit, it
is
fun!’
    â€˜Something tells me,’ said Viktor, ‘that your definition of “fun” is going to be the death of me.’

Chapter XIV
The Burning Soul
    Sat alone in his office within the Hades Consortium headquarters, Baron Remus was deep in thought, repetitively stroking the oil-black streaks that ran through his beard. Ever since he had read George Dray’s note, the name Cornelius Quaint had been a fly buzzing around his head. How he dearly wished that he could swot it.
    â€˜
Chi è esso
?’ he called, hearing a rap upon his office door.
    It opened to reveal one of the Hades Consortium’s attendants, a willowy young man dressed in crimson robes. ‘Baron, I apologise for the intrusion. Lady Sirona requests an audience immediately.’
    Remus cursed. ‘Then let us hope it is good news, for I dearly I need it.’
    Making his way down through the winding corridors and along the tunnels and into the Hive’s underbelly, Remus arrived outside Sirona’s quarters. He took a deep breath before stepping inside. The smell of stagnant air hit his senses immediately, like the smell of impending death.
    â€˜You sent for me?’ he said, by way of a greeting.
    The old woman was sitting awkwardly in a wheelchair, the light from an oil lamp striking her withered features. She looked like a skeleton, her flesh clinging to her skull. ‘Adolfo, thank you for being so prompt.’
    â€˜I assume it is something urgent, Sirona?’
    â€˜Cornelius Quaint is in Rome.’
    â€˜I see,’ said Remus. ‘So Renard failed.’
    â€˜We must assume so,’ said Sirona.
    â€˜And so what must we do now?’ asked Remus. ‘Send our men out on the streets