The Getaway God (Sandman Slim 6)

“Where I wanted to be all along. Back to my cavern under Los Angeles. Maybe I’ll even reopen my shop in the Bradbury Building.”

“That sounds great. I’ll stop by and say hi.”

“Yes. You should,” he says. “But not for a while.”

“Understood.”

He takes a battered piece of metal from his pocket. It lo

oks like an old skeleton key, but one that he saved from a garbage disposal.

“I thought about adding this to my collection, but since you gave me the Mithras I thought you might like it.”

He hands it to me.

“The possession key?”

Muninn nods. He walks down the hall and we have to follow again. He goes into the kitchen and starts making a cup of tea.

“You have some bad history with the key. I thought you might like to see that no one else had it. Even me.”

“Is this another test? Like when you gave me the Mithras?”

He spoons leaves into a tea ball.

“I’m letting you test yourself.”

I weigh the mangled key in my hand.

“I might actually have a use for this.”

He looks up, surprised.

“You’re going to use it, then?”

“Just once. And with her permission.”

He puts a kettle on to boil.

“I’m too tired to care about your schemes. Do what you want as long as the other person agrees.”

“Thanks.”

He goes to the refrigerator and looks around for milk. Samael taps me on the shoulder.

“Time to go,” he says.

“Bye, Mr. Muninn. I’ll see you around. But not for a while.”

“But not forever either.”

“Don’t say a word,” says Samael. “For once, leave while you’re still ahead.”

We go down a few floors in the elevator.

“Your friends have adjoining rooms at the end of the hall on the right. I’m on the floor just below Father’s. Take your time. Come get me when you’re done and I’ll take you home.”

“Thanks.”