Caught Going Up

Tyler and Rosie had been on their way up the stairs to the second floor of the museum, when Laszlo appeared with Cagliostro by his side. Tyler and Rosie did not even hear Laszlo go on a rant of how he could not introduce them if they ended up meeting by themselves anyway, going on to say that it wasn't proper and than in his day such things were not done, their eyes were on Cagliostro, staring at Rosie in a way a cat would upon seeing a bird and almost as if he recognized her.

While Laszlo completely got off track, talking about how everything was back in his day, Tyler gestured at Cagliostro and asked Rosie: "Have you met him before?"

"I can't say I've ever seen this gentleman before in my life, Tyler."

Cagliostro turned his head to look at Laszlo, now addressing the totem pole that was in the stairway. "Oh, Laszlo!" Laszlo turned his head in Cagliostro's direction, looking quite red in the face and apparently realizing that he had stopped talking to people and had started addressing a monumental carving. "Why don't you get something to eat or drink, go get some fresh air or just go calm down in general?" Nodding, Laszlo departed, muttering to himself. From where he stood, Tyler could hear something about Laszlo saying that he needed to stop putting off his next visit to his therapist. Considering how that rant devolved to him addressing something inanimate, Tyler believed that an accurate statement. Once Laszlo had gone, Cagliostro took a few steps forward, placing his hand upon the railing and staring at Rosie with eyes that were equal part lecherous and equal part murderous and daggers in his smile. Giving a small chuckle, Cagliostro uttered, his voice low: "My, my… The twentieth century is certainly fully of lookalikes, normally centuries have passed before I've seen another. You my dear, Rosie Dorrington, are Lookalike Number Three for this century and Number Eight overall."

So, perhaps Sherrington was not mad, but her certainly could have brought up this. That Cagliostro was claiming to have lived for centuries was certainly something that should have been mentioned.

"A-And how old are you?" asked Rosie, her voice shaking.

"Two thousand, six hundred and seventy-eight years." Replied Cagliostro, taking a step closer. "I was born as Ashurbanipal, the Neo-Assyrian monarch. I have ruled a nation, I have seen nations rise, prosper and fall, but otherwise, I have had little interest in governing outside of my original identity. I most interested in just living, seeing what wondrous new things the centuries bring and, since the invention of radio, committing crimes for my amusement."

"How?" inquired Tyler, hiding his fear, albeit semi-successfully. "How are you still alive and how are you so young if Ashurbanipal was fifty-four when he died? I have heard you be called a magician, is this some sort of spell?"

"No, no, magic cannot do that!" Cagliostro took another step closer. "This is all the work of nitrates, I used to drink the stuff, but even since the invention of the hypodermic needle I inject it, as for my physical age, let's just say it took some experimentation with concoctions. After all, who wants to go through eternity at fifty-four?" Taking one final step, Cagliostro uttered: "Rosie, Rosie, Rosie… So young, so comely, but then again, thou lookalikes always are. I would feel sorry to kill you, if I had any love for the fairer sex left." Proceeding to chuckle, he then asked: "Why tell you all this? A two-thousand, six hundred and seventy-eight-year-old magician and criminal mastermind who has kept himself alive through nitrates and owns a radio death ray and a television burglary device wants to kill you. Who would ever believe something so outlandish?" Turning his attention to Tyler, Cagliostro looked him over and said: "Honestly, I'm not impressed. Do you think you can defend her? Yes, I'm sure she is a single woman living in Toronto who had learned and how to defend herself, but I have fought combatants of both genders in my millennia of life and I can assure you, Rosie here is the least threatening I have ever seen, as are you, Tyler. I never use the radio death ray upon lookalikes. No, no, it makes it all too easy. I like to feel the life leaving them. Of course, I might not use it on you either, Tyler. It seems like such a waste!"

"So, why don't you do it now?" asked Tyler. "What's stopping you?"

"Ah, yes, because I am so stupid to fall for that." Replied Cagliostro, his expression deadpan. "When I do kill you, it won't be in a public place."

"Cagliostro!"

Cagliostro turned to look down the stairs and there did he, Tyler and Rosie see Sherrington. With a rather uninterested expression, Cagliostro inquired: "Should I know you, sir?"

"I am Sherrington Farringdon, the brother of the girl you killed in 1939."

So that was how Sherrington was so familiar with Cagliostro! His sister had been one of Cagliostro's victims!

Still with a disinterested expression, Cagliostro uttered: "You're going to have to be more specific, I killed many undesirables in 1939. Men, women, children, animals, why should one more stand… Oh, she was one of the lookalikes I target specifically. How fascinating. Fifty-four years later and you haven't gotten over the fact that I killed her? How pathetic you are. You are an old man, Farringdon. What harm can you possibly do?"

"I will be the one to end your unnaturally long life along with a man who also lost a relative to you." Sherrington stared at the Millennia-Old Magician with hate and determination in his eyes, something that left Cagliostro unshaken.

"It would be a waste to use the death ray on you as well." Commented Cagliostro. "Two old men and an unimpressive young man. These are your champions, Rosie. Enjoy your final days of life."

As Cagliostro walked down the steps, he took a moment to look Sherrington over. He was just an old man the world was full of old men. Why did he think that he and his companion, whoever he was, would end him? Death was something he had been staving off for a long time. He had lived for two thousand, six hundred and seventy-eight years and with no one able to stop him, he would go on living for all eternity. He was Cagliostro! He could not be defeated!

When Cagliostro made his exit, Tyler felt Rosie get closer to him. It was understandable, she was frightened, he was too, but what could either of them do?

"I promise to you, young lady, that no harm will come to you." Assured Sherrington, his voice warm and comforting. "And you, young man."

"Forgive me, Sherrington, but what can you possibly do, you and your companion?" asked Tyler.

"My boy, looks can be deceiving." Replied Sherrington. "He and I might both be seventy-one with the bodies to match our age, unlike Cagliostro, but we are a couple of old wolves whose teeth have not fallen out. We are old, but we are still strong. Now, go my children, enjoy the museum. I will go and speak with Mr. Dimitri."

Thus, did Sherrington make his own exit. Once he had gone, Tyler and Rosie were left alone in the stairway. Seeing that she was still physically close him, Tyler wrapped an arm around Rosie and tried to put on a brave face for her and said: "It will be alright, I won't let any harm happen to you."

Becoming a little bit braver, Rosie returned: "Nor I you."

Tyler could only smile. Together, they would come out of this alive. He just knew it.