Mr. Nelly also looked at Jenkins with interest, as if expecting him to write such a story.
"Sorry, but the next book is not about detective stories."
He thought about it, and added: "It's more like a court novel, or a knight's adventure. My publisher suggested that I cater to popular subjects, but if I write a third book, I will consider your suggestion."
"I'm looking forward to seeing your masterpiece."
The gentleman raised his glass, nodded at Jenkins, and drank it on his back.
Now that we are talking about detective stories, people inevitably have a glimmer of expectation in their hearts that there will be a shocking big case on this boring night. But everyone is living well, the world is still as boring as usual, and in the steam train carriage on a snowstorm night, there is peace and tranquility.
At one o'clock in the morning, Jenkins finished the card game with several gentlemen. Seeing that the chocolate was still unusually energetic, he planned to take it outside for a walk to see the snowfields of the world.
Although it was snowing, the wind was not very strong. After turning up the collar of the coat, the outdoor temperature could be tolerated for a short time.
Several rows of footprints extended from the bottom of the ladder, left by the last passengers to see the snow. Standing at the exit of the carriage, Jenkins let out a long breath, and white mist was sprayed out immediately.
Chocolate has never liked snow, so he refuses to walk in the snow by himself. But instead of crawling into Jenkins' arms, it was standing on his shoulder, letting the snow fall on its fur.
He was holding the oil lamp obtained from the underground bronze box in his hand. The specific origin of this item could not be found, and its uniqueness seemed to be that the objects in its light would not appear shadows.
In other words, this is a shadowless lamp.
He took a few steps towards the darkness with the lamp and the chocolate, and then looked back at the brightly lit steam train, which was like a big glowing snake, entrenched motionless on the dark snow field.
"Speaking of which, I forgot to ask about the origin of the snake I saw at Howson Manor..."
He said to himself, took off his gloves and rubbed the chocolate's little nose, and the cat let out a dissatisfied cry.
Considering safety, he didn't go far, but planned to walk around the area before returning to play cards with everyone. But the unexpected always favors Jenkins, especially when he thinks everything will be fine.
As he walked, a vague figure appeared in the distance. At first, I thought it was the vertigo caused by lack of sleep, but after getting closer, I realized that it was really a man. He was about thirty years old, wearing black leather boots and a black woolen coat, except that the buttons on the cuffs were silver. Like Jenkins, he turned up his collar to block the wind and snow, and the hat on his head covered the upper half of his face, so the only eye that was exposed was particularly eye-catching.
He put his hands in his pockets and watched Jenkins in the dark, the edge of his hat covered with snow.
"Blesser, level 6?"
Surprised, he regretted leaving the train hastily. His bodyguard should still be on the train now.
"Jenkins Redandput Williamette?"
the man asked.
Jenkins nodded and didn't speak. He was planning in his mind whether to escape to the train first, or to try it out first.
"I'm Osiris Alexander. Don't be nervous. I'm not a killer, and I have no grudge against you. I just want to make a deal."
The man's voice entered Jenkins' ears through the wind and snow. The voice was quite magnetic and somewhat neutral.
"Alexander?"
He didn't immediately ask about the content of the transaction, but became interested in this surname. If memory serves, this is...
"That's right, I was the one who organized the exploration of Clement's treasure, but unfortunately, the one-seventh chance is still too small, and I didn't get what I wanted."
He said calmly, pointing to the oil lamp in Jenkins' hand:
"I want this, but I'm not a robber. You can set a price, and you can also barter. I also have a lot of rituals and special items here."
There was silence for a while, only the slight sound of wind and falling snow echoed in the sky. The two looked into each other's eyes, and the fluttering snow passed between them.
"Meow~"
Chocolate barked softly, but Jenkins ignored it.
"Meow!"
It barked again, this time with a shorter voice, as if threatening something. Mr. Alexander, who was standing not far away, also noticed this extraordinarily presentable cat, and looked to one side along its eyes. On the snow field farther away, a stumbling black figure was approaching little by little.
"Wild wolf?"
Jenkins, who also noticed it, guessed so, but after the black figure approached, he realized that it was a pale woman wearing a mink coat. She looked extremely weak, her hair was scattered in the wind, and the ends of her hair were even a little frozen.
"Your friend?"
Mr. Alexander asked Jenkins.
"No, this is your friend?"
he asked in a low voice.
"No, I was wanted by the church recently, I will not contact my friends at this time."
Both of them stood there watching the woman approaching continuously, neither stepped forward to help her, nor prepared to escape. Mr. Alexander was afraid, he felt an extreme sense of danger, and thought of some bad rumors; Jenkins was also afraid, because he saw a strong black aura.
"Help, save me!"
The downcast woman stretched out her hand to them as if she had just discovered the two men, and then fell down in the snow. But she didn't give up, but continued to crawl in this direction bit by bit, leaving a twisted dent on the snow field.
The darkness became deeper unconsciously, and even the stars in the sky had to be hidden behind the dark clouds. The body was cooling down rapidly, and a sense of extreme panic also appeared in Jenkins' heart. This is a sign of the emergence of strange things, this woman is not human at all.
"Should we settle this first and then talk about the deal?"
Jenkins suggested.
"I also think so."
Mr. Alexander agreed in a low voice.
While the two were talking, the situation changed again. The woman in the snow seemed to be afraid of the light, and she crawled to the edge of the oil lamp in Jenkins' hand and stopped.
"Oh, for God's sake, gentlemen, help me! We're in an avalanche, everyone's dead, woo woo woo~"
But both Jenkins and Alexander just looked at her, looking for clues about the man's identity.