Marty Chan - Metamorphosis

Fitzhenry & Whiteside

Copyright 2019 Marty Chan

Published in Canada by Fitzhenry & Whiteside

195 Allstate Parkway, Markham, ON L3R 4T8

Published in the United States by Fitzhenry & Whiteside

311 Washington Street, Brighton, MA 02135

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of the publisher, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical reviews and articles. All inquiries should be addressed to Fitzhenry & Whiteside.

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Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

Title: Metamorphosis / Marty Chan

Names: Chan, Marty, author.

Series: Chan, Marty. Ehrich Weisz chronicles.

Description: Series statement: The Ehrich Weisz chronicles

Identifiers: Canadiana 20190114703 | ISBN 9781554553921 (softcover) | 9781554555277 (ePUB) | 9781554555284 (MOBI)

Classification: LCC PS8555.H39244 M48 2019 | DDC jC813/.6dc23

Fitzhenry & Whiteside acknowledges with thanks the Canada Council for the Arts
and the Ontario Arts Council for their support of our publishing program.

We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund (CBF) for our publishing activities.

Cover and interior design by Tanya Montini

Ebook Conversion by Ken Geniza

Printed in Canada by Copywell

www.fitzhenry.ca

Acknowledgements

A writer never works alone. For all their help along the way, thank you to Penny Hozy, Cheryl Chen, Tanya Montini, Wei Wong, Michelle Chan, Billy Kid, Sheldon Casavant, and Brad Smilanich.

For Dianne Johnstone.

Thank you for your support of the Edmonton Public Library and your patience with me.

N ew York, June 23 The Oriental Clipper trial concluded yesterday when a jury found 54 people guilty of murder.

The accused stood cheek to jowl on the stage of Madison Square Gardens theatre. The defendants and courtroom spectators awaited the verdict in the makeshift courtroom. When Judge Marcus Thorton read the judgment, the packed theatre of victims family members erupted in cheers. One grieving mother collapsed in tears. The convicted remained stoic.

The Oriental Clipper crashed in the Hudson River on August 13, 1891. Sailors from nearby merchant vessels pulled the survivors from the choppy water, only to discover they were not the airships passengers or crew but illegal Dimensionals who had skyjacked the craft. The bodies of the crew and passengerstheir throats slashedwere found among the wreckage.

Judge Thorton imposed the harshest sentence allowed under New York law: the death penalty. He concluded the trial with a warning: This heinous attack is an act of war, and we must send a message that we will not stand idly by while Dimensionals threaten the very safety of our naturalized citizens.

Demon Watch Commissioner Thomas Edison will over-see the execution. The date will be announced shortly.

No Dimensionals Allowed

T he sign in the dry goods store window read: No dogs or dimensionals allowed.

Ehrich Weisz wanted to rip the poster off the glass and shred it. Similar signs had appeared in establishments throughout Manhattan since the Oriental Clipper murder trial. Before the incident, New Yorkers tolerated the presence of the travellers who had come from other worlds. Today, they barred Dimensionals from their shops and openly mocked them in the streets. Men spit on green-hued women while mothers yanked their young away from Dimensional children with clawed hands.

Not every Dimensional looked like a monster. Some, like Ehrich, appeared human and could blend in with the populace. He loathed the racist sentiments the frightened and paranoid citizens hollered in the streets. Fear had loosened their tongues and imprisoned their empathy. He wanted to call them fools and cowards, but he did not want to draw any attention to himself. Instead, he gritted his teeth and seethed in silence whenever he heard New Yorkers spew venom about the immigrants.

Right now, he had a mission: find Ole Lukoje, the hook-nosed traveller who had been the bane of Ehrichs existence. Ehrich had first encountered the traveller when he was working for the Demon Watch, and had caught the raggedy man in the act of plucking out a young mothers eyes for his dinner.

Later, Ole Lukoje teamed up with the warlord Ba Tian to help plot the invasion of this world, but Ehrich and his allies were able to thwart the plan. Ba Tian had been trapped in another dimension, but Ole Lukoje had gone into hiding.

The newspaper clipping in Ehrichs hand gave him hope that the raggedy man was still in New York. Ole Lukoje possessed the nano-dust, particles that enabled the man to jump between dimensions. This was the means Ehrich needed to return to his world. He skimmed the paper again, rereading the article about a grisly murder in the neighbourhood. His gaze lingered on one sentence: The victim had both eyes removed.

Ehrich searched the block near the crime scene, hoping to find some clue that would confirm Ole Lukoje was at large. He needed to find the raggedy man, because he was the only one who could transport Ehrich and his brother Dash home.

Ehrich shifted from one foot to the other, eyeing the crowds in the street. No sign of Ole Lukoje. Ehrich adjusted his fake beard and sidled up to a street vendor hawking oysters. The gap-toothed woman grinned at him and motioned to the half-shells displayed on the top of her wagon.

Hungry, young man?

He shook his head. You work this street a lot?

Her eyes narrowed. Whats it to you?

Thought you might have your ear to the ground about the murder last week.

She shifted back on her heels and sucked in her bottom lip. You a hunter or someone who likes cheap thrills?

He reached into his pocket and pulled out some coins. Im a fan of your oysters.

She took his money and handed him a plump oyster on a half-shell, then looked both ways before leaning toward Ehrich. What Ive heard is that it was one of them demons that did it.

Ehrich nodded. I guessed that much. Is the paper correct? Did the killer take her eyes?

Heard rumours that she wasnt the first. There have been others, but the police were trying to keep it quiet so as not to panic us. Not much good now. Everyones on edge.

Ehrich pursed his lips. This had to be the work of Ole Lukoje. He wanted to ask more, but he noticed a pair of Demon Watch hunters strolling toward him.

Thanks for the oysters, he mumbled and moved on.

You get hungry again, you be sure to drop by, she called after him.

He waved without looking back and hurried down the street. He stopped in front of a dry goods store and pulled his cap over his eyes. He pretended to peer through the window as he glanced back at the hunters. He had been a fugitive ever since he had abandoned his duties on Demon Watch and sided with Amina and Mr. Serenity, the travellers who fought against the warlord. The hunters continued toward him. Ehrich slipped into the shop.