San Merde et le Sang Real (or Holy Crap! Grails! Tours)

---

Jon looked up. He was ready, but it was still a shock to lose Enlightenment so suddenly.

And those... were they the misguided children who shouldn't be?...

Wolfram opened his arms defiantly and bared his fangs. "Ok, this is where we kill him and Moebius wins. Hah, the idiots always buy the Dark Ritual routine..."

I...' Jon began, then everything around him suddenly faded to a sort of black and white not-mattering anymore, except for the huge, stinking, bristling boar that had at the same time just appeared in front of him, yet always been there. It grunted something very low, and Jon understood everything that was going on.

'What should be done?' It asked.

'I should stop time.' He said. 'For them as well.'

'Hey!?' Wolfram skidded to a halt. 'Where did he go?'

'Duh, He vanished.' Casimir replied.

'No.' Nava's eyes narrowed. 'He's still here.'

'Invisible, eh?' Kirsi stopped and listened very carefully.

Nava shook her head. 'Not like that.'

The boar shook his too. 'Try again.'

Jon thought. 'That would fracture it. Too many things have been broken. This situation requires healing. But I do not know how.'

'Then pray.'

Jon put his hands together and closed his eyes. 'Pater noster, qui es in caelis, sanctificetur nomen tuum ..' And the world faded back into meaning again.

The four kids jumped. Everyone who could still move watched, with baited breath.

'Heh. Yeah, I'd be praying if I were you, man.' Wolfram grinned.

Blood trickled out from between Jon's wrists.

'Bleeding is taking it a little far though.' Wolfram frowned.

'I don't understand.' Nava said, staring. 'He should have used temporal adjustment. It was the most logical thing to do. Moebius said he could and he would.'

Jon found it a little hard to keep his eyes closed as there was blood trickling into them. 'et dimitte nobis debita nostra..'

'Does this mean something?' Wolfram asked. 'If I just go ahead and bite his stupid ass am I gonna get exploded'?'

'I don't know.' Nava replied, confusion past. Now she was watching to see what happened.

'You better play it safe.' Casimir advised.

'To hell with that.' Wolfram bared his teeth again.

'...sed libera nos a malo. Amen.' Jon finished, his side and boots now soaked. He opened his eyes and then spread his hands, revealing two bloody holes at his wrists. 'I am thy servant, Lord.'

'Hey.' Casimir began. 'That's..'

Nava nodded.

'I don't understand.' Kirsi said, petulantly.

'Ouch.' Wolfram commented, peering at the hands being offered to him. 'That looks painf..'

Blood welled up out of the holes, followed by light so bright that everyone had to cover their eyes. It filled the room, removing all shadows in a blaze of glory. When the light faded, Jon held in his bleeding hands the ghost of a simply carved and decorated wooden cup, filled with pure light.

A piercing shriek echoed across the room. And everyone turned to see Nevin fall to the floor, clutching at his eyes and Kara run to help him. Other people were moving and looking around.

'Hey.' Wolfram growled. 'You can't do that. That ain't allowed. Fix it, Nava.'

'I can't.' Nava replied, quietly.

Jon shut his eyes, focussing his will. He felt as if he was floating, a spectator in his own body as the Lord worked through him and yet also as him. He opened them again, his mind an arrow of light.

'Pax.' He said. His face shone like the sun. A hush fell over the crowd and everyone stood in awe, unable to move and struck dumb by the light spilling from the cup and the face of the saint.

Klot and Kara felt phantom retinas burn and fell to the ground in fear. Rose-petals burned to ashes and fell in a grey haze.

Nevin hid beneath a musician's chair, whimpering, eyes streaming blood.

Vasdhra and Salyra turned their faces away, filled with anger at the awful and intrusive purity.

With his last breath, Saint Germain knew that he had done wrong, but he was forgiven.

Syne stared in wonder the essence of pure law, every meaning clear, delineated and perfect in its infallible justice.

Riley and the Baron experienced a feeling they had never known existed. That money isn't everything.

Vinny felt something like he had during the rite of the ancestors, crossed with the first time Wyn had kissed him, and laughed in pure joy.

Gauss remembered every smile she had ever given to him, and her life, and the sound of her voice and nearly fainted.

Nicolette remembered only that dreams do come true and she was married to her one true love.

Nike forgot all her fears and knew that she could bring life as well as death, and that there was no shame in feeling helpless.

Oscar heard voices calling him from heaven and begging for their brother to return to them.

Assumpta knew upon whom she looked and felt as if he had come only for her, to bless her. Everything she had done was right, and she was important to him.

Windsong and Skysong heard their mother singing to them.

Aris heard his daughter laughing and remembered holding her in his arms and the first time she opened her eyes.

David felt as he had watching the sunrise with his master.

Sylvia remembered nothing, but was happy.

Every layer of Maximille's conditioning was peeled away like an onion, or a parfait, revealing, for a brief eternity, who he truly was, where he had really grown up and what his real name was. And he saw at last, like a pillar of sparkling diamond, the Truth About What Was Really Going On. He did faint.

Wolfram felt the scales lifted from his eyes and all the memories of his happy childhood flooding back to him out of the darkness into which Moebius's words had locked them. He remembered the warmth of his father's arms, the smile of his mother, grown tall and mellow, the very image of her own mother.

Kirsi heard a quiet voice inside her head say; 'Just because your father did not love your mother did not mean they did not love you'. She began to weep.

Casimir, staring defiantly despite the light that stung his demon eyes, heard a similar voice tell him that 'Lucifer was an angel once, and God wept when he fell, for he was the brightest and most loved of all.' The light flowed in through his eyes and filled his veins with golden wine. For a second that lasted eternity he felt as if he had ghostly silver wings.

Nava stood alone while around her people wept and fainted and cried out in joy. Jon looked at her.

'You don't exist.' She said. 'I know everything there is to know and no-one anywhere has ever been able to prove you exist.'

'Who are you talking to?' Jon asked.

'You. You're God.' She replied.

'No. I am Jon Krigsley.' He smiled.

'Stop playing games with me.' Nava said, coldly.

'Do you know the story of the Fisher King?' Jon said, and held out the ghost of the wooden cup.

Nava laughed. 'That was obvious. Oh well, that's one question answered. Hah. I suppose you're going to tell me I'm loved and that'll make it all better.' Nava glanced around at her comrades. 'Weak. As if that matters to me.'

'Why did you even agree to do this?' Jon asked.

'It was something to do.' Nava replied. 'We failed. So what.'

'Is there nothing I can give you, nothing that will make you happy?' Jon asked, sadly. 'No. Just...make it stop.'

Jon looked into Nava's eyes and saw a hollow, soulless machine of flesh and metal, something that should never have been born, something that wished it could even feel the pain of its own existence. He lifted the cup to her lips and she drank deeply of the black waters of oblivion, and then she fell to the floor, devoid of life.

Having served its purpose and healed all, the cup vanished, taking with it the light that had filled Jon. He prepared himself to feel aching loss again, but rather than tearing away, it faded, like a candle burning out, lessening the pain. Only a lingering wistful sadness remained in the hall.

Vinny shook his head, as if waking up from a long sleep. 'What the hell...Jon?'

Wolfram roared. 'Shit!! That...SHIT and I fell for everything he...I'm gonna...Ladies, Cas, change of plan, we are gonna go and...'

Jon held out the still body of Nava.

'It was what she wanted.' He said.

Wolfram looked bewildered. Then his eyebrows knitted.

'This can be dealt with later. Moebius dies.' He said, taking the body from Jon. 'Now.'

Kirsi took his arm. 'Yes dear.' She said, bitterly.

'Cas!' Wolfram yelled. 'Cas, when you're done, I'd like to do some killing.' He looked around. 'Some more killing.'

'Okay.' Casimir said, appearing by his side.

'Synchronise watches.' Wolfram said. All three tapped something on their wrists and vanished.

There was silence for a moment.

'Well.' Said Gauss. 'That was...quite...'

'Odd.' Nike finished.

'Did you just kick ass somehow, Jon?' Vinny asked. He looked at Jon. 'Jesus Christ, Jon, you're bleeding.'

Jon looked at his hands and then lifted his shirt to reveal a gash in his side leaking blood and water. He grinned. 'Jesus Christ...hahah...so I...'

Clunk.

'Aw hell.'

Over in the musician's stand, Klot recovered from the retinal pain enough to notice his peril.

'I think.' He said, shaking petal-ashes out of his hair. 'Now would be a good time to quietly slip away.'

Kara nodded, and helped Nevin up. Klot carefully lifted up the still form of Emmanuel and they did so. Nevin glanced back at the crowd and frowned.

'Vinny.' Windsong said, leaning on his arm. 'I don't feel too well. Dizzy.'

'Ooh, they better not have done anything to you.' Vinny said, supporting her.

'No, I don't think that's it. It'll pass, I've been having spells like this for a while. A few days ago I think I blacked out for a while.'

'We'll get you checked out by a doctor, honey.' Vinny said, pushing her hair away from her face and smiling. She smiled back.

'I think Jon's coming round.' Gauss pointed out.

'Great, maybe we can get some answers.' Vinny said.

'Are we safe?' Windsong asked.

Gauss shook his head. 'No, I think DAMOCLES has locked us in. All the doors are shut.'

Although not for long....

Deep in the bowels of Wei, if such a word could be used to describe the intricate and sparkly mechanisms which kept the system ticking over, Jeeves was working mischief. It muttered to itself as it touched manual override controls and typed in codes with gnarled fingers, muttered about the indignity of being taken over by a jumped up computer virus. And slowly, but surely, the ancient avatar wrested his systems back from DAMOCLES

YOU CANNOT GET RID OF ME SO EASILY, OLD MAN

Sir, I must insist you reliquish control of my mainframe.

At that point, Jeeves had managed to free the docking bay.

Hey, Jeevesy! Need a hand? That guy tried to get all fresh with me, so I'm not taking no for an answer, y'know? The J-Train's cheery voice chirped.

Jeeves sighed. Certainly sir. He replied.

The doors slid noiselessly open.

'Or not.' Gauss corrected himself.

'HEEEEYYYYY whaddayaknow, we did it.' The J-Train's voice echoed through the room. 'Was there ever any doubt?'

'Oh no.' Gauss covered his eyes.

'Woo, go J-Train!' Oscar whooped. Assumpta smiled.

'Kickin' DAMOCLES' ass just for you, Boss!'

There was a lot of muttering going on among the guests. Vinny glanced at Windsong, who seemed to be able to stand by herself again, then stepped up on the platform, edged the body of Saint-Germain away with his foot.

'Hey, hey.' He called out. 'Everybody shaddup.' The muttering subsided. 'Once Jon comes round, I'm gonna find out from him what just happened.'

'Looks like your assassins had a change of heart.' Someone called out.

Vinny stared in the direction of the voice. 'Who said that?'

A woman stood up on a table. She was quite short and pretty, with brown hair and pointy ears.

'Lady Mellonna of Morlorenan, your majesty.' She said.

'Have we met?' Vinny asked, forgetting the situation as usual.

'I believe we were introduced at the before-wedding party.' She replied, fanning herself.

'Yeah, sure. What do you think happened?'

'Well, obviously it was an assassination attempt intended to disrupt diplomatic relations between Dewnheem, Gamezoha and Wendauer. I believe they mentioned the Gamezohan traitor Moebius?'

There was muttering amongst the crowd, mostly of 'yes, yes, of course'.

'You're right.' Vinny said, holding out a finger. 'Messing up a guy's wedding by sending his own kid from the future to kill him is just going too far.'

'There's more to it than that.' Gauss said. 'That priest was drawing a gun on you.'

'A decoy probably, or another party with an interest in disruption.' Another member of the crowd suggested, since it now seemed to be an open floor.

'Plenty of people might want to kill you, Wild Thing.' Nike grinned.

'Luckily, all attempts seem to have been foiled by the good saint who seems to now be incapacitated.' Someone else added. 'But not without considerable casualties.'

Indeed, Jon was still lying on the floor. Assumpta knelt next to him, feeling his brow. Oscar stood nearby.

Vinny rubbed his chin thoughtfully, then turned to the assembled dignitaries. 'Well, I'm not about to let that slide.' He shook his fist. 'No damn way. Not now I'm half in charge of Wendauer, right Wyn?'

Windsong nodded enthusiastically, though she looked a little tired. 'Nobody ruins my wedding and gets away with it!' She said.

'Damn right!' Vinny roared. 'Now listen to me! From now on, we've got two enemies. Their names are Moebius and DAMOCLES. I don't wanna hear any more shit about DAMOCLES ID!'

'Excuse me.' Someone raised a hand.

'Yeah, who are you?' Vinny asked the man, a heavily scarred Wendaurian with blue-green hair.

'I'm your head of security, your majesty, Guideau de Sartoreus.' The man replied, somewhat irritably.

'Oops, sorry, I don't know all your names yet.' Vinny said, embarrassed.

'Are we to take it then that both these parties are declared anathema by the Kingdom of Wendauer?' de Sartoreus asked.

'Yes!' Windsong stepped up next to Vinny, fire and bloodlust in her eyes. 'I want Moebius's head on a platter, and every last nanobot of Damocles in my worlds melted down into a pile of scrap! I want excruciating antivirus programs written against it to purge every last one! I want to know about any Wendauer had any contact, anything to do with either of them and I want them in for questioning and torture..I want..'

'Uh..honey, don't you think torture is a little too far?' Vinny asked.

Windsong blinked. 'No, that's how we operate.'

'Ooo..kay.' Vinny nodded. 'What she said.'

'Your majesties’ word is my pleasure to carry out.' Sartoreus bowed, smiling bloodthirstily.

'Yeah...' Vinny smiled, uncertainly. 'Nike?'

'Yes?' Nike was covering her amusement with one delicate hand.

'Are you with us on this?'

'Even the torture? Quite a few people have spoken to Moebius, you know, myself included.'

Vinny sighed. 'The torture is optional.'

'In the spirit of the Gamezoha-Wendauer Coalition, I should think we can do that.' Nike said, politely.

Inside her head she sighed. Whatever you say, Wild Thing. However shall I explain it to the Gamezohan Nationalists? Oh well, I shall just smile at them.

'I appreciate it.'

'Moebius did have my father assassinated, after all.' Nike said, offhand.

'Er...' Vinny began. 'Okay. Thanks. Now, where's that other guy...the one from Dew...thing?'

'Dewnheem' Gauss corrected him.

'I regret.' Uzziel said, appearing from the shadows as if he had gone there to take cover. 'I cannot aquiesce to your request.' He looked at Vinny, sadly and with a touch of frustration.

'What? How come not?'

'I cannot explain.'

Vinny regarded Uzziel quizzically, but could tell resolve when he saw it. 'Okay. But maybe you coulld you…uh.. at least quit showing up here and there without warning us and agree on the whole not invading each other thing?'

'That is acceptable, your majesty.' Uzziel nodded.

'Okeydokey.' Vinny rubbed his hands together and addressed the empty air. 'Anybody who feels like showing up and trying to assassinate us, teleport now or forever hold your peace and all that shizzy...No....? Okay, I'd say after that we're probably pretty hungry, and since..yeah.. it looks like Jon and everyone else is coming round, I vote we go for food.' He grinned at Windsong, and then swept her up in his arms, trailing the royal wedding dress behind her. She squeaked a little and clutched around his neck. Vinny looked around and sigehd. 'Could someone maybe clear up this mess?'

'It will be attended to.' Said Jeeves, appearing out of no-where like all good butlers can. 'Unwelcome guests have been contained. The management apologises for the inconvenience. If you will proceed to the teleporter, dinner is served on the particularly picturesque Parmidean Plateau Terrace. I recommend the pheasant.'

 

The high table, opulently decorated in red velvet and the finest of ruby trimmings to match the five red moons dancing above, was reserved only for the closest friends of the happy couple. There was a fair amount of talking going on.

 

'So, Jon, I guess I owe you my life again.' Vinny said. 'What happened this time?'

 

'Yes, do tell.' Gauss agreed, from further down the table.

 

Jon steepled his fingers and peered over them. His head and wrists had been bandaged. 'It is complicated, and I remember little.' He said. ‘I believe I found the Dht’n’k’lz , or rather they found me. Those of them that remained have become exalted beings, angels in fact, or something like it. I can only assume God found them worthy of elevation, as the Book says he found Enoch the Patriarch.’ He noticed Oscar was suddenly paying much more attention. ‘I spent some time with them, but I do not know how long, it seems as if only a moment had truly passed, but to me it was many months. They taught me any things, most of which I cannot recall.’

 

‘I guess we should thank them, if they taught you that trick you pulled with the funky cup there.’ Vinny said, tearing a chunk of some unknown meat off the bone with his teeth.

 

‘Ye should not speak so of the Grail.’ Assumpta said, slightly annoyed.

 

Jon shook his head. ‘It was but a shadow of the Grail, Sister. To lay eyes upon the Grail is death even to the purest.’ He turned to Vinny and held out his hands. ‘The spirit of god moved upon me, and I can take no credit for what was done through me.’

 

‘Either way, you saved our skins.’ Gauss said. ‘Again.’ His expression darkened. ‘You really should stop doing that.’

 

‘That is past.’ Jon said, glancing at Gauss. ‘I am more concerned for Miriam.’

 

Windsong leaned across the table and patted his hand. ‘Don’t worry, my physicians will get her to wake up. And if they can’t, well, Nike has plenty of experts too, don’t you?’

 

‘Hmm?’ Nike looked up from her frugal meal. ‘Oh, yes. Absolutely.’

 

‘We can all go and check on her after dinner.’ Windsong smiled. Jon smiled back.

 

‘And if Valendil wakes up, we can beat the shit outta him as well until he tells us what he did.’ Vinny said, nastily. ‘Won’t that be fun. Hey, Osc, whatcha thinking about?’

 

Oscar blinked and looked up. ‘What? Er.. Joel.’

 

‘I shoulda guessed.’ Vinny rolled his eyes. ‘I was expecting him to crash the party too. Maybe he’s still smarting from when I gave him a good ass-whupping’

 

‘I…’ Wyn began. She looked confused. ‘Sorry, just thinking.’

 

‘I’m sure he’ll turn up soon.’ Nike suggested. ‘He’s like that, isn’t he?’

 

Everyone nodded, solemnly.

 

‘Everyone’s invited to three days of feasting and festivals back on my homeworld, by the way. Erendauer. It’s a bit nicer than Megiddo, but not very good for defending.’ Windsong informed them. ‘Salads will be available.’ She said, knowingly and Oscar breathed a very quiet sigh of relief. ‘All my people will be decamping back there since the war is over.’

 

‘I’d love to, darling, but you know how it is, state business, empire to run and all that.’ Nike smiled, picking at her nails. ‘I’m sure Wernher and Nicolette can represent me just fine.’

 

Vinny sniffed. Nervous? Nike? Naaah. He sniffed a little more and smelt something else. Something…fertile. Oh, man.

 

‘Are you getting a cold?’ Windsong asked.

 

‘Uh…what? I…dunno..maybe.’

 

‘I hope not. I expect some serious partying.’ She punched him on the arm, enthusiastically.

 

‘Ow.’

 

‘Sorry.’

 

T3h Oscar was still thinking.

 

‘Ah, the Oscar. You know, when you killed Joel, I was almost impressed. Such righteous fury. Of course, you slinked into depression. Your essence had been tainted and you had just killed yourself. You’d never be whole. Killing you was an act of mercy.’ I’d never be whole? Without Joel? Hey, that rhymed…oh, be serious. When I saw Dr de Viaminima split in two, that was Joel and me, wasn’t it?

 

I suppose..if by killing Joel I could never be whole, that implies that somehow I could be whole. Unsplit.

 

They were calling me. I heard them. The angels. I…

 

‘Oscar?’

 

‘Hmm?’ Oscar looked at Assumpta. Around them, conversation passed back and forth.

 

‘Something troubles thee? Ye have a grave face.’

 

‘I’m thinking about that lab we found.’

 

‘The unholy machines?’

 

Oscar sighed. He wondered if he could ever tell Assumpta any of his thought. ‘Yes.’

 

Assumpta nodded. ‘I am thinking myself. About Jon.’

 

Oscar glanced across the table at where Jon was smiling and talking. ‘What about him?’

 

‘Forgive me, this must seem like impudence to those as blessed as you two are, but he seems far away, and getting further. Every time I see him, some new holiness has come upon him. First I find him in your company, then I hear he is to be Grand Master of the Order, and now the very spirit of God touches us all through him, and blesses him with the holiest of sign of devotion. He bleeds from the wounds of Christ himself. I can no longer see the boy I once played with in the mountains.’ She seemed so sad. Oscar felt a little upset himself.

 

‘Look.’ He said. ‘Whatever happens to him, Jon will always be your friend.’

 

‘I suppose that is all that matters.’ Assumpta smiled. ‘Thankye. Ye always seem to know the right thing to say.’ She laughed.

 

‘At least I can get one thing right.’ Oscar said, embarrassed, but also smiling. He rested his head on his arm.

 

Assumpta started to laugh, but then covered her mouth and looked down as if she’d said something rude.

 

‘Don’t do that.’ Oscar reached out and removed her hand from her face, and then realised he was touching her. They paused for a moment like that, uncertain, then pulled away from each other.

 

‘Assumpta, I need to tell you something.’ Oscar said.

 

‘And I you.’ Assumpta replied, not meeting his eyes.

 

‘Oh. You first.’

 

She shook her head.

 

‘All right, me first then. I..I’m not a real angel.’

 

Her eyes widened.

 

‘At least, I don’t think so. I can’t remember. But I think..somehow, me and Joel, the demon, are two halves of the same person.’

 

‘By what sorcery were you divided?’

 

‘By what you saw in the laboratory. Technoalchemy. This is just a theory, but I feel it’s true. My wings, they just mean that I’m..the good side, I suppose. Like his horns mean he’s the bad side.’

 

‘Then you are made entirely of good and holiness?’

 

‘I guess.’ He wasn’t certain.

 

‘Like an angel.’

 

‘No. Well, maybe. I don’t know. What did you want to tell me?’

 

‘I…’ She refused to meet his eyes again. ‘Doesn’t matter.’

 

‘Oh. Okay.…’ He looked at her. ‘I’m sorry I lied to you.’

 

‘You never told me you were an angel, and so you never lied.’ Assumpta said, pointedly. ‘What is it that makes you think everything you say or do is wrong?’

 

Oscar’s eyes widened. ‘I don’t. It’s just, I’ve caused so much pain and trouble. All I can remember is people dying because wherever I go Joel follows and wherever he goes, bad things happen.’

 

‘And how is that your sin and not his?’ Assumpta, like Jon seemed to lose the Middle English when she became distracted.

 

Oscar shook his head. ‘I still feel responsible.’

 

Assumpta leaned over. ‘Listen to me. You are good, and pure and holy. I have seen nothing evil from you, nor do I feel anything. What is done by a demon who follows you around tormenting you is not your sin. Did Our Lord blame Mary Magdalene for the evils of the demons that plagued her, and say she deserved them, or did he banish them from her?’

 

‘But, he’s a part of me, or at least of what I was.’ Deep down, I’ve always known it.

 

‘You are two people, not one, you think and act as two people, and so you sin as two people, the one and the other.’ Assumpta insisted, wondering where her own certainty was coming from now. ‘When twins are born from the same seed, do they not each have their own free will?’

 

‘I suppose.’ Oscar nodded. ‘I’m not really certain about anything, you see. It comes from having no memory for such a long time.’ He smiled, uncertainly.

 

‘These are times of uncertainty.’ Assumpta shrugged and reached for the salad.

 

One thing I am certain of. Oscar thought. I can’t kill Joel, and nor can anyone else. He’s got to stay alive. If only so I can talk to him about this, if only if there’s a chance we can be complete again.

 

One thing I am certain of, Assumpta thought as she bit into a tomato, is that I love you.

 

‘I suppose we’re going to Erendauer then, eh ‘Rizzy?’ David asked Aris, who was engaged in demolishing some chicken wings.

 

Aris shook his head. ‘Nah. Report back to base. Samael is going to have something to say about this, I think, and probably high command too. After that, maybe.’ He glanced across the to the high table where Skai was sitting down from Wyn and Vinny. ‘I hope she’ll be ok. Considering what’s going to happen to her sister.’ He looked down, sadly.

 

‘Weren’t there some people we were supposed to assassinate?’

 

‘They’re all sitting over there by the drinks looking furtive and talking.’

 

‘Shouldn’t we..like..kill them or something?’

 

‘Probably. Maybe after dessert.’

 

‘Ok. Pity about the party. Never mind. Breadstick?’ David offered him a basket.

 

’Those aren’t breadsticks.’

 

’No? Oh…urgh..’

 

 

‘Those two over there are looking at us.’ Syne said.

 

‘Don’t stare.’ Baron Rockthriller glared at him.

 

‘Look, there by the breadsticks.’

 

‘Those aren’t breadsticks.’

 

‘Oh. Urgh.’

 

‘It was a stroke of luck Saint Jonathan showed up, wasn’t it?’ Riley said.

 

‘It was probably someone’s contingency plan.’ Rockthriller commented. ‘God knows who. Probably Moebius. Pass the mayonnaise.’

 

‘I don’t think it’s mayonnaise.’ Riley said, picking up the dish and sniffing it. ‘Urgh.’

 

‘Are you all right, Maximille?’

 

Maximille had been very quiet since the beginning of the meal. Like quite a few other people in the room, he was deep in thought, still mulling over what he had seen in the shadow of the Grail. For a minute, he had been able to remember who he really was. All the layers of Matthias’ Dance had been shorn away, leaving the bright crystal of truth. But now the waters flowed back and he couldn’t remember anymore. He cursed, internally.

 

‘Maximille.’

 

‘Hmm?’

 

‘I said are you all right?’

 

‘Yes.’

 

‘Fine.’

 

He’d been given an order too. Normally he wouldn’t have remembered it, but this time he remembered that it had happened. Something he had to do. Too late now anyway.

 

The past and the future may be Moebius’s. But the present is ours.

 

 

669, aka Baron Von Hiffen, the Ambassadrix, Count Vasdhra and Salyra were getting on quite well, strangely.

 

‘Oh, you absolutely must come and visit Castle Dirge, Ambassadrix.’

 

‘I’ve heard all sorts of stories about it, I must admit, I’m intrigued.’

 

‘And they’re probably all true.’

 

‘Oh, Jame…I mean Etwas, really. You are a card.’

 

 

And lo, they decamped to Erendauer.

 

The Wendauer homeworld was lush, possessed of mostly green and blue vegetation and full of many species of extremely wild and particularly vicious animals. This ought to explain the general wendauerian disposition and colouring. The capital city, located on the continent with the widest expanse of grassland and plenty of room for building, was called Aufena Lainier, which in old wendauerian meant ‘large city in the grassland’. It was very warm, dry and slightly dusty. The city had clearly begun the party all ready, as there were what Vinny was hoping were streamers festooned everywhere. Sadly, streamers rarely drip. Wyn and Vinny were paraded through the streets to the royal palace in a pagoda on top of a huge blue-ish native beast of burden, in the traditional royal robes. The previous kings had been somewhat smaller than Vinny, so the traditional royal robes were a little ill-fitting. Windsong waved politely when her people cheered and threw festively decorated organs at her, which made amusing splattering noises on the side of the pagoda. Vinny ducked a flying spleen and tried to appear at ease and not too relieved when they reached the palace.

 

It was pointy.

 

The wendauerians tended to design for impressive scaryness. The palace had teeth. As you went in the main door you wondered if you would be digested once you were through. However, it was nice enough inside.

 

As soon as he could get away from all the dignitaries, Vinny went to the royal physician to see Miriam, who lay, apparently asleep on a hospital bed. He found Jon, Assumpta and Oscar by her bedside.

 

‘Hi. How is she?’

 

Jon shook his head.

 

The royal physician, a small and worried-looking man whose pale-blue beard was tinged with grey, bobbed before his new king like a cork in the bath. ‘I’ve given her a full medical, there’s nothing wrong with her, but it seems to be some sort of fae enchantment, you majesty, and they’re difficult to lift. Her brain activity is concentrated in the short-term centres and the hippocampus is closed off by the spell, so we believe she’s been cut off from her long-term memory.’

 

‘Ain’t we got the guy who did though, you know ol’ purple-hair? Why don’t we just beat it out of him.’

 

‘He has gone missing.’ Jon said, face clouding with anger. ‘During transport here.’

 

‘Damnit. Stupid fairies.’

 

‘Have faith.’ Assumpta said. ‘We are praying for her soul.’

 

‘Thanks.’ Vinny said, uncertainly.

 

‘I think she’ll be ok.’ Oscar assured him. ‘You know Miriam, nothing can hurt her. She’ll probably wake up in a while and tell us she was just thinking of a way out of it and she came up with a way to defeat Moebius as well while she was waiting.’

 

Vinny smiled. ‘Yeah. Yeah, I bet she will. By the way, who are these guys?’

 

‘Oh, dhat’s nice. You don’t remember me.’

 

‘Course I remember you, Whutty. I was talking about those two…wait why are you here anway?’

 

‘It’s quiet and people are depressed. It’s not like anybody told me to leave or anydhing.’ Whutty said, putting his feet up on a nearby chair. ‘Nice of you guys to tell me about my fadher by dhe way.’

 

‘What about him?’

 

‘I missed you guys leaving Zardark by a day or so. I left after I got him to update me on events.’

 

‘Well…uh good..yeah.’

 

‘Agent Maximille, Gamezohan intelligence.’ Max said. ‘I heard Miss Miriam was unwell, and well, I was with her when she found Emperor Wilhelm. As was…’

 

‘Me.’ Kreuz raised his hand. ‘Lieutenant Kreuz, House Ticine forces.’

 

‘That’s uh..Nicky’s guys, right?’

 

Kreuz nodded, coldly. ‘Duchess..I mean Imperatr….Empre… Arch-Duchess Nicolette, yes. Your majesty.’

 

‘Yeah. Nicolette. Sorry.’ Vinny nodded, embarassed. Stupid dragons. ‘Well, I guess Mir has enough people crowding her then.’ He leaned over and felt Miriam’s forehead. ‘You wake up soon, ok? I wonder where she is..’ He paused for a moment then shook his head and turned to Jon and Oscar. ‘I gotta go make nice conversation with the wendauer people, kay? Keep me updated on how she is. Laters.’ He waved and headed off.

 

‘I wonder where she is..’

 

Miriam sat by the river combing her wet hair with her fingers. She glanced around for any signs of life. Far away in the hills a goatherd whistled for his flock. The hot mediterranean sun beat down and her hair began to dry. She reached for her heavy black veil and covered her head and face before the sun could do any damage, then picked up the pot of scented oil and the acacia leaves and turned towards the hills.

 

She walked for a while up the steep hillside away from the village until she found the old tree, and sat down beneath its shade to wait.

 

She did not have to wait long. The sun was passing over the highest branch when the pale young man in a red tunic and sandals and bearing the insignia of the XIIth legion appeared out of the heat haze, his helmet under his arm and his fair hair blowing in the breeze.

 

‘I knew you would come.’ She said.

 

‘Was there any doubt?’ He knelt down at her side, smiling, and lifted her face for a kiss, which she gave.

 

‘I have terrible news, Fidericus. My father has arranged a marriage for me, and the wedding will be soon. It is to the son of an old family friend.’

 

Fidericus frowned. ‘I will not allow it.’ He said, his smile vanishing and his face clouding over. ‘Listen to me, we will do what I have said. I will ask to return home to Agri Decumates, to my father’s farm. I will resign from the legion, and return home and you will return with me, in secret.’

 

‘Is that possible?’

 

‘Anything is possible. How soon is the wedding?’

 

‘Two moons from now.’

 

‘Very well. Fear not, I will make all ready. Return to your family and prepare for the wedding as if you were happy to be married. Let no-one suspect.’

 

Miriam nodded. ‘I will do this, my love.’

 

‘Great Jupiter go with you.’

 

‘And the Lord with you.’ Miriam said, planting a kiss on his forehead, before standing up, gathering her things and walking carefully away. She could not resist a glance over her shoulder, though, and saw him standing alone, smiling as she walked away.

 

On the way back to the village, she saw a silver snake slide across some rocks to the left of the path. Suddenly, she felt as if there was something she had forgotten, something very important, but in a short while it passed, and she continued on her way, her head full of thoughts of her beloved.

 

‘Package for you, your majesty.’ The flunkey said, handing Vinny a large parcel, wrapped in a sealed film.

 

‘Oh..uh..thanks.’ Vinny said, nearly dropping it because of the weight. ‘Where’s it from?’

 

‘Megiddo, your majesty.’ The smartly dressed wendauerian replied, bowing politely. ‘It arrived this morning.’ He turned on his heel and marched off.

 

Vinny stepped back into the huge room that Wyn and he now had as their bedroom. It had belonged to her parents before, and some of Ellamina and Evohe’s things were still lying around. It was quite spooky, sleeping in a room that had belonged to dead people.

 

‘Not another present.’ Wyn sighed. ‘I still don’t know what they expect us to do with three dozen Ticine Peahens, and a huge Green Mogwamp. We don’t even have a menagerie. And I wish someone would tell me exactly what this thing Nike gave us is.’ She waved her hand at a confusingly phallic object in a velvet-lined box.

 

Vinny glanced at it, decided not to answer, and then put the package down on the bed and slit it open with a jewelled letter opener. Out of it spelled a mass of furry material. He opened it the rest of the way and saw the glint of metal.

 

‘Oh..it’s cool. Someone sent me my stuff from Megiddo.’ He said, pulling out the cloak of Fendegist and two claws. ‘Hey..why are there two…oh wait, yeah, Dumla gave me another one. He said he was gonna give it to Fendegist when he hit thirty and make a pair, but he ditched before then. He gave Jon a new shield too, cause the other one was a little fucked. I think he still has it slung across his back.’

 

‘They’re very sharp.’ Wyn said, feeling the edge. ‘I like them.’

 

‘Plenty of people I’d love to gut with these.’ Vinny grinned, slipping both onto his hands and flexing the fingers. He hadn’t had a proper chance to have a look at the right hand claw Dumla had given him, which seemed to be etched with runes and bloody images of Fendegist’s various battles. He took them off again, slid Evohe’s royal robes off his back and replaced them with a clean shirt and pants and the better-fitting cloak, and slid the claws inside the large holders with the cloak that seemed to have been made for that purpose.

 

Wyn looked him over, appraisingly. ‘That’s much more you.’ She said, before reaching up and messing his hair up a little. The royal chamberlain had insisted he let it be brushed and washed, much to his chagrin. The chamberlain had also stolen his original clothes and hat to be cleaned (they had not been since the beginning of his adventure some months ago and now smelt a bit rank). They now sat, neatly folded on Ellamina’s dressing table.

 

Vinny lay back on the Wendauerian Royal Bed and stared at the rich, blood red canopy above him. Wyn, flopped down next to him, rolled over on her side and laid her head on his chest.

 

‘You tired, honey?’ He asked. She answered with a yawn and snuggled in closer to the thick fuzzy furs, wrapping the cloak around her against the chilly savanna night. Vinny closed his arms around her body, noticing again just how small and thin she really was, how her hips were just widening to womanly curves and her pert little breasts barely filled the bodice of her mother’s coronation dress, the gentle lines contrasting the angles of her fa..woah, watch it there, better not think about that sorta thing, who knows where it could end up. Wendauerians seemed to grow up faster than humans. She talked big and manic and acted big and bloodthirsty. She sounded much older than she was, and it was hard not to think of her as a full grown adult. Vinny ran his claws gently through her unbound royal-blue locks and thought about her. His wife. Weird. It had all happened so fast, he hadn’t really had time to think about everything. Things would be different now he was a proper king (not just someone people dropped cryptic hints to about being king). He’d have to make decisions and stuff, probably. Or maybe Wyn would do all that.

 

If we do have a kid. He thought. I’m gonna a)make sure he really has a good time with us and b)not call him Wolfram. I mean, that guy had everything that was bad about both me and Wyn. We’ll call him after Wyn’s pop or something.

 

‘Wyn? You still awake?’

 

‘Yes.’ She sat up. ‘It’s strange being in here.’ She looked up and around the room. ‘I used to sit here with Skai and mother would tell us stories about her homeland. She came from way up North. Her mother was the matriarch of a huge clan up there. There was some civil unrest, so my father who was the prince at that time agreed to marry her to cement an alliance. She always used to complain about how warm it is around here.’ Wyn smiled. ‘This was before…’ She trailed off.

 

Vinny nodded. ‘Before Adamus did ‘em in, huh?’

 

Wyn nodded. ‘Never mind, he’ll get his.’

 

‘What’s he like anyway? Why do you think he did..what he did?’

 

Wyn frowned. ‘I don’t know, it was strange what he did. I mean, he didn’t like killing things. Grandmother Windgust used to complain that he was soft, and it was a good thing he would never rule because everyone would walk all over him. Father used to tease him when they were children, putting dead things in his bed to scare him. He always hated father. He probably got someone else to do the actual killing for him.’ She said, bitterly. ‘He must’ve just gone crazy and decided we all had to die.’

 

‘So Adamus was….nice and that’s why everyone hates him??’ Vinny blinked. ‘You people are weird.’

 

‘I suppose that’s one way of looking at it.’ Windsong said, looking confused. ‘Obviously he wasn’t nice enough not to kill anyone but I th….’ Her eyes widened and she suddenly lurched over onto her back, staring.

 

‘Wyn?? Wyn?? What’s the matter???’ Vinny leaned over her and shook her. ‘Wyn.’

 

‘Vinny…help…the buzzing…I can’t see..help..’

 

‘Wyn?? Honey?’ Vinny grabbed her and held her close, panicking. He felt a pain in his neck. ‘Yeooow!’ He pulled her away and saw that her normally green eyes had silvered over and there was blood dripping from her mouth and from now-sharp teeth. She snarled and tried to claw at him.

 

THE KING! A voice inside his head cried, triumphantly. YOU’RE MINE NOW!

 

Vinny put a hand to his neck and brought it away, while holding Wyn away with one hand. He saw the tiny silver motes moving in the blood, just like Miriam’s nanobots. There was only one other thing that had nanobots.

 

‘DAMOCLES.’ Vinny snarled.

 

MINE NOW. YOU AND HER.

 

Vinny shook his head. ‘Not me, DAMOCLES. You don’t get me.’

 

WHY NOT?

 

‘Check the bots in me.’

 

A pause. THEY’RE MELTING.

 

‘Yup. There’s something in me that does that. Dunno what it is, maybe it’s left over from the rock, but you ain’t getting in.’

 

HAH, JUST LIKE JOEL. DAMOCLES’ voice gradually faded from his mind. YOU THINK YOU’VE WON?

 

Wyn snarled again and pulled away from him, heading for the door.

 

‘Wyn! Wait!’ Vinny gave chase, stopping only to grab his hat and jam it on his head.

 

 

BE READY TO LEAVE IMMEDIATELY. I AM SENDING SOMEONE TO YOU.

 

Yes master. Klot replied. He turned to Kara and Nevin, who were cleaning themselves. The body of a wendauerian soldier lay in the corner of the guardroom they’d been hiding out in.

 

‘We’re stealing a ship.’ He said.

 

‘Oh, are we off?’ Nevin asked, licking his fingers. ‘Aye aye, Bozo.’

 

Kara laughed. Klot glared at her. She looked embarrassed. ‘Where are we going?’

 

‘Anywhere. Away, and fast.’

 

 

Vinny followed Wyn as she raced through the palace.

 

‘Damn, she’s fast.’ He panted.

 

They ran down corridors, knocking the odd official flying. Eventually they broke out into the open air, and Vinny found himself passing the barracks of the palace garrison to a wide-open space, where several wendauerian dropships were stood. Wyn ran in the hatch of one of them, which immediately took off, as if it had been waiting for her. Vinny cursed and ran into the nearest one. The pilot was sat with his helmet on and his feet up on the dashboard.

 

‘Hey! You, follow that ship.’ Vinny yelled, pointing out of the windscreen to where the ship in question was making off.’

 

The pilot brought his feet down. ‘What? Who…are you?’

 

‘I’m your king, dumbass.’ Vinny snarled, briefly wondering why the grating voice sounded so familiar. ‘How can you not recognise me?’

 

‘A likely….. story.’

 

‘Look out the stupid window.’ Vinny snapped, pointing to where there was a poster up on the barracks with a picture of him and Wyn looking slightly dazed and ‘Gods Bless Their Majesties’ written on it.

 

‘Oh yeah, so…..you are.’ The pilot agreed, kicking the ship into startup and hitting some buttons. ‘Locked on. Right. Here … we go.’

 

The ship bucked and shot off into the air, throwing Vinny across the deck into a wall.

 

‘You might want …. to put a seatbelt on.’ The pilot said. ‘Don’t worry, I locked onto their signature. Wherever they go.’ He paused for several seconds. ‘We go.’

 

‘Yeah, thanks.’ Vinny replied, sarcastically. He dusted himself down, picked himself up and sat down in the co-pilot’s chair. The pilot wasn’t wearing gloves, and although his face couldn’t be seen, it was obvious he wasn’t wendauerian from the way his fingers were unnaturally pale, covered in black markings and had long claws. And the way he moved, in slow and fast bursts, like a lizard.

 

‘Hey, you’re not Wendauerian.’ Vinny pointed out, wondering if this was a trap.

 

‘No. Iworkforthemthough. Good pay. I’m a mercenary. For now. Anyway.’

 

Vinny frowned. ‘Your voice sounds really familiar. Have we met?’ The pilot spoke like he moved, sometimes fast, sometimes slow, with long pauses here and there.

 

The pilot chuckled. ‘Hah! I think I’d remember meeting … the king of wendauer.’

 

‘I wasn’t always the king of wendauer, man. Only for the past coupla days.’

 

The pilot reached up and took his helmet off, revealing long, coarse blue-black hair, fishily-pale skin, marked with more black designs, twisting horns and a horribly wide mouth full of sharp teeth. One eye was normal, if somewhat red, but the other was huge and white, and the pupil was a tiny black pinprick. In short, the pilot was hideous and demonic.

 

‘I knew it!’ Vinny pointed. ‘Tia!’

 

The pilot stared at him, very disconcertingly. ‘Vinny?’

 

‘Yeah!’

 

‘I should have recognised that….hatanywhere. You confused me with…theoutfit…though..and that tattoo. When did you become….thekingofwendauer?’

 

‘That is one loooong story, Tia.’ Vinny grinned, leaning back in the chair and putting his hands behind his head. ‘I ain’t seen you since we did that guy in, ‘member?’

 

‘How could I….forget….the way you tore his…throat out waspurepoetry.’ Tiamat grinned, horribly.

 

‘Did you get the bounty?’

 

‘Yes….and I’m still not….splittingitwithyou.’

 

Vinny shrugged and grinned back. ‘It was worth a shot. They gave me enough for his headless body anyway I don’t know what that guy did to his daughter, but he asked me why I didn’t cut all his fingers off first or something. Were your guys okay with just the head?’

 

‘Bounty is traditionally…by head as a minimum…. I think he just owedthemalotofmoney or something.’

 

‘It’s all cool.’ Vinny said, waving his hand. ‘Gee, that guy musta pissed off a whole lotta people.’

 

‘From what we…sawofhim he seemed fairly…obnoxious.’

 

‘Yeah, he did.’

 

The sat in silent contemplation for a moment.

 

‘Whatcha been up to since then anyway?’.

 

‘A little here…a little there… more bounty, I was a mercenaryforthe Gamezohan Repulblic for…a while.’

 

‘How did that work out for you?’

 

‘Suffice to say…I didn’t… getpaid.’ Tiamat threw his head back and laughed, maniacally. Vinny winced.

 

‘That bad, huh.’

 

‘Yes. I heard they were…picking up…pieces fordays. Why are we following this ship?’

 

‘My wife’s in it.’ Vinny said, frowning at the viewscreen and patting his pockets for cigarettes. Damn, they were in his coat. Just when he could have used calming down as well. ‘Are we catching up?’

 

‘In …time. I know more tricks than…thatpilot. Not anything fancy…likethe Gargulean..Barrel Rollerthough. If that’s your..wifeandyou’re the King…of Wendauer then she…mustbethequeen.’

 

‘Yuhuh.’

 

‘Why…if I might askarey..’

 

‘Something’s up with her. I think she’s got DAMOCLES nanobots inside her, damnhiseyes. I mean, damn his eyes.’

 

‘DAMOCLES. Hm. I’ve been asked for a DAMOCLES ID… afewtimes. I don’t…haveoneobviously.’

 

‘Good for you. Are we catching up?’

 

‘Yes…we passed into Gamezohanspace a short whileago. I’d guess fromthetrajectory they’re heading for one of theborderplanets. Probably Morlorenan. They’reflyingstraight so I…don’t thinktheyknow we’re chasingthem. I’ve kept…farenoughaway.’

 

‘Genius man, genius. Boy am I glad I ran into your ship.’

 

‘Oh, don’t..flatterme. They’ve switchedcourse to Morlorenan…we’ll..followthem and land..somedistanceaway.’

 

‘Morlorenan.’ Vinny frowned. ‘Sounds familiar. Damn my memory, I can’t remember why.’

 

‘They’re peaceful enough and there’s a fairlyhigh Wendauerian populationthere. I wouldn’t let anyoneknow who you arethough, not unless youneed…to.’

 

‘Cool.’

 

‘Landing in…approx twentyminutes.’

 

 

Oscar sat by Miriam’s bedside. Maximille had left an hour or so before, saying he had to attend to his duties. Kreuz was fast asleep. Jon and Assumpta were both praying, presumably for Miriam as they had been for some hours now. Oscar was amazed at their devotion. He’d heard the ave maria so many times now that he thought he probably knew the words himself, even though they were in latin.

 

‘Excuse me sir.’ The wendauerian doctor was at the door, and addressing him.

 

‘Yes?’

 

‘The lady you brought in. She’s regained consciousness. We managed to salvage most of her long-term memories, but the most recent ones weren’t laid down strongly enough and they’re gone, I’m afraid. We think she should talk to someone she knows.’

 

Oscar stood up. ‘Well, I don’t actually know her that well, but I’ll come and see her anyway.’

 

Sylvia lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, her leaf-green hair spread across the pillow. She really was very pretty, graceful and almost tree-like in her features. If a weeping willow had turned into a human, Oscar imagined it would look a lot like Sylvia. There was a drip in her arm and she looked a little pale. As he entered the room, she sat up in bed.

 

‘Josephus! Oh, I’m so glad to see you.’

 

Oscar stopped. At least she recognised him as Josephus. He supposed that was a good sign, if somewhat annoying. He remembered nothing of being Josephus. ‘You shouldn’t move.’ He said, walking over to her bedside. ‘You’ve been ill.’

 

‘But I’m all right now. Besides, it was only a little fall, off the scaffolding.’

 

‘A..fall?’

 

‘Yes, I feel ever so stupid. I was up checking on the project and I slipped.’

 

‘Sylvia, this is difficult to tell you. The project…was a long time ago. You’ve lost your memory.’

 

Sylvia’s eyes widened. ‘No..but I saw you only yesterday.’

 

‘It’s been more than ten years.’ Oscar said. This was just a guess, but he reckoned it must be about right. ‘I can’t remember anything from before ten years ago either.’

 

‘What happened to us? Was it…you know, those in charge? My doctor was a wendauerian, have we been captured?’

 

‘No, we’re not captured. It’s complicated. One of my… experiments went wrong, that’s how I lost my memory, but I don’t know what happened to you.’

 

Sylvia nodded. ‘All right. Well, as long as you’re here, I’ll be all right. You can tell me what’s been happening over the last few years. Sit down here and fill me in.’ She patted the bed.

 

Oscar nodded at sat down. Suddenly, Sylvia threw her arms around him and kissed him.

 

Astonished, Oscar made no attempt to stop her. She tasted of chlorophyll and he gagged in surprise. She suddenly pulled back and stared at him.

 

Oscar heard a gasp and turned to face it. Assumpta stood in the doorway, with her hand over her mouth. She covered her eyes and fled.

 

‘Assumpta!’ Oscar called after her. He turned to look at Sylvia, who was holding a white feather in her hand.

 

‘What’s wrong with your back? And who was that?’

 

‘Sylvia..’ Oscar said, angrily. ‘You and I…we aren’t dating anymore.’

 

‘Dating??? Josephus, we’re engaged!’ Sylvia said.

 

Oscar blinked, then sighed. ‘I said it was complicated, didn’t I? Look, I’m not Josephus. Not any more. I think I was, but I don’t remember, you see.’

 

‘You’re not Josephus?’

 

‘Did Josephus have these?’ Oscar said, taking off his shirt and unfolding his wings.

 

Sylvia shook her head. ‘You always talked about becoming…something better. But I thought those were just ideas, crazy ideas.’

 

‘No, I did it. But it went wrong, somehow. There are two of me now. And I can’t remember anything that happened before I did it.’ There, now she knew as much as he did.

 

Sylvia looked down. ‘Then.. you don’t love me any more?’

 

‘No. I’m sorry.’ Engaged. No wonder she looked at me so intensely when she saw me in the restaurant. I wonder what happened between them…I mean us. ‘Look, stay here, please and get better. I’ll tell you everything that I know has happened to me since then, but I have to go.’ He said, standing up. I have to speak to Assumpta, find out what’s the matter.

 

‘Go..where?’ Sylvia asked.

 

‘We’ll talk later.’ Oscar grabbed his shirt and ran for it before she did anything odd again. He could still taste her.

 

He found Assumpta in a nearby corridor, weeping.

 

‘Assumpta? What’s the matter?’

 

She looked up and smiled through her tears. ‘Oh, you must think me very silly.’ She said. ‘Please, don’t worry about me. You should be with her, she’s not well.’

 

‘No, it’s not like that.’ Oscar stammered. ‘She surprised me. I didn’t know we’d been engaged. I can’t remember anything from before ten years ago. She thinks I’m Josephus, the owner of that lab we found. You know, the person who was split into me and Joel. The person she was engaged to doesn’t exist any more.’

 

‘You’re not…oh…’ Assumpta wiped her eyes. ‘I am foolish. I’m sorry.’

 

She was upset because she thought me and Sylvia are...? Then that must mean…

 

‘Assumpta, are you…’ He wasn’t sure how to put it. ‘Are you in love with me?’

 

She nodded. ‘I wanted to tell ye at dinner, but I just couldn’t.’

 

Oh well. Here I go again. Thought Oscar, and kissed her. Her blue eyes widened and closed. When he finally pulled away, she remained with them closed a few moments, savouring it.

 

‘I think I’m in love with you too.’ He said. He wasn’t absolutely certain, as he couldn’t remember ever being in love before, but his heart was pounding and he felt like his stomach was full of insects, which he supposed was a good indication.

 

Assumpta flew into his arms and sobbed on his shoulder, happily. As his left wing started to get a bit damp he remembered he wasn’t wearing his shirt and flushed with embarrassment.

 

 

Miriam sat quietly as her mother fussed over her hair.

 

‘You shouldn’t be going off into the wilderness all the time. What are you doing out there? People will think you are a keshaphah or something. Really, you come back covered in dust, what kind of a wife will you make?’

 

‘I can cook and clean, mother.’ Miriam said. ‘Surely that will be enough.’ It was difficult to be enthusiatic about this wedding, though she tried. Everyone seemed to be around her all the time, making sure she was all right. Her father kept weeping and saying she was all grown up now and her brother Daniel kept looking at her proudly and saying he would have to get married now or who would pick the burrs out of his feet when he came home with the herds?

 

‘There is more than that to being a wife.’ He mother said, scrutinising her. ‘Much more. Oy, I wish your hair would lie flat. My little girl..it seems hardly any time since your bat mitzvah and here you are getting married.’

 

‘Mother, honestly. Can I go now?’

 

‘Yes, yes, go enjoy your last few days of girlhood. Here are some shekhels, go to the market and buy yourself some pretty ribbons or beads or something.’

 

Miriam smiled and took the money. At least everyone was spoiling her, it was some consolation. She left as if she were headed for the market, but once she was a few streets away, she looped round and headed back towards the wilderness and the open spaces, away from the stifling heat and dust of the village. As she climbed the hill away from the village, she saw a great fallow deer with wide antlers and a black muzzle standing in the sunlight. It stared straight at her, then turned and ran. Once again, she experienced the feeling of having forgotten something, stronger now. She tried to remember what it was, but was interrupted by a growl to her left. Miriam turned and saw a wolf, baring its teeth at her. It must have been hunting the deer and changed its mind. She froze, terrified. They told stories in the village of man-eating wolves who came down from the hills during famine and stole babies. The wolf stared at her with bright yellow eyes and said:

 

‘Remember.’

 

Then it turned on its tail and ran just as the stag had. Miriam stood still for a moment. Had the wolf really just spoken to her? What did it mean, remember? Remember what?

 

 

The planet Morlorenan is situated on the occasionally disputed wendauer-gamezoha border. This means it has belonged to both empires at some point. It’s inhabitants are mostly human and fae, but with a few wendauerians. The fae, like humans, are spread out all over the galaxy, but unlike humans, they do not originate on earth, though a particularly large tribe of them, the children of Dana, did migrate there at one point. They are possessed of quite a considerable wanderlust. The fae homeworld is lost in the mists of time. No-one has yet discovered where they originated, and if they know then they aren’t telling. They do not age and can live almost as long as dragons unless slain in some way. However, they can breed with humans (as can dragons, though they tend not to), and this often gives rise to hybrids that can live several human lifetimes. Many humans have some fae blood in them. They are masters of magic, but don’t know much about science. Cold iron is as poisonous to them as cadmium and other heavy metals are to humans, and so technology is not their strong point. Any deficiencies are made up with magic. They are capricious and secretive and their noble houses keep themselves to themselves. Several worlds in the Gamezohan empire are ruled by the fae, usually because the current emperor wanted to keep them where he could see them. Morlorenan is one of these.

 

Vinny and Tiamat are now landing. The ship containing Windsong landed a few minutes ago. Its passengers disembarked and ran for it. Vinny and Tiamat ask the docking personnel where they have gone. No-one knows.

 

So Vinny picks up windsong’s scent and finds it accompanied by one scent he knows, and two he sort of recognises, though something has changed. And he has a question.

 

‘Why is she with Nevin?’

 

Tiamat shrugged. ‘Can you … trackthem?’

 

‘Yup. The nose knows. C’mon.’

 

They followed the scent through the streets of Morlorenan’s major city, winding through heavily scented marketplaces and eventually into what was clearly a slaughterhouse district, where Vinny’s nose basically shut down in terror.

 

‘Shit.’ He said, holding it. ‘Lost ‘em. Whaddawe do now?’

 

Tiamat rubbed his chin thoughtfully and squinted disconcertingly out of his smaller eye.

 

‘I suppose..youcouldkickup a fuss. After all, they..havekidnappedthe queenofwendauer. Irealise I said you shouldn’treveal your identity..but you neverknow.’

 

‘Good idea.’

 

And that’s how, an hour later, they found themselves in the house of Lady Mellonna of Mordorenan.

 

‘Oh.’ Said Vinny. ‘It’s you, from the wedding. I thought this place sounded familiar.’

 

‘Wonderful to see you again, your majesty.’ Lady Mellonna replied, smiling and igniring the impoliteness. Vinny bowed, respectfully as the ettiquette people had taught him and had to stop himself admiring the way her simple white dress accented her slightly frame and liquid brown eyes and how her little pointed ears poked delightfully through her brown hair. Must be that time of the month. ‘Please don’t worry, Queen Ellamina’s kidnappers will be found, and brought to justice. Meanwhile, you and your…er..companion..’ She glanced at Tiamat, disguising her obvious disgust. Tiamat made no attempt to disguise his obvious not-giving-a-damn and grinned at her. ‘…should feel free to enjoy our hospitality.’

 

‘I can’t thank you enough.’ Vinny said, trying to sound posh. ‘If there’s anything I can do to repay you..’

 

‘Allow me to enjoy the pleasure of your company while we wait.’ Mellona replied. ‘Please make yourself at home, I must attend to some business, but I shall return shortly.

 

‘If you don’t…mind.’ Tiamat said, once she’d gone. ‘I’d like to go…and checkontheship.’

 

‘Uh…sure.’ Said Vinny, not altogether certain he wanted to be left alone there.

 

‘And then I might….go andtakeawanderaroundtown…see what the..hehehehe….entertainment’s like around here.’

 

Vinny stood up…’Hey, don’t you dare cause any trouble, man. It’ll be my ass on the line.’

 

‘Don’t… worry.’ Tiamat said, turning to go. ‘I’ll be…..good. Hehehehhe.’

 

‘Yeah, you better.’ Vinny pointed a threatening finger at his disappearing back. He sat back down and helped himself to some food. After a short while, Mellonna returned and invited him to her private chambers. Ever since the Cod Queen, the words private chambers had struck fear into Vinny’s heart, but how could he refuse and not appear rude?

 

Inside, the large suite (which seemed to be taken up mostly by a huge bedroom coming off from the entertaining chamber they sat down in) it was prettily decorated with heady-perfumed flowers everywhere. The scent made Vinny reel a little.

 

‘What do you think?’ Mellonna asked. She had obviously changed into something low-cut. Even someone with Vinny’s meagre brainpower could tell what she was after. He gulped and hoped there was some way to avoid what was probably coming up. He was starting to wish Tiamat had stayed. He’d probably have taken her off his hands, the way he was leering before.

 

‘It…uh..smells good.’

 

‘High praise from a half-zardarkian.’

 

‘Yeah, I g..how did you know about that?’

 

‘Oh, everyone’s interested in you.’ Mellonna waved a hand. ‘People talk when the Queen of Wendauer decides to marry someone who no-one’s ever heard of. A commoner from earth, no less. Of course, your father apparently is of very good breeding.’

 

‘Pop? Really?’

 

‘Absolutely. He’s the third son of one of the zardarkian noble houses, I forget which one.’

 

‘Gee, he never told me that.’

 

‘Really? Do try the wine. Apparently he couldn’t stand it there and went ‘wandering’ as they call it.’

 

Vinny took a sip of the wine. It was sweet and seemed to be made from the flowers he could smell.

 

‘This all just gossip though, you know. I’m not even certain if its true.’

 

‘Nah, that’s just the sort of thing pop would pull.’ Vinny said, taking another swig. ‘Whenever we didn’t have any money, he’d say it was better to be poor and living your own life and rich and living someone else’s. I never worked out why.’

 

‘Personally, I prefer having money.’ Mellonna said. ‘Although it does come with its responsibilities.’

 

‘I bet.’ Vinny said, finishing his glass and licking his lips.

 

‘So, tell me, how did you managed to seduce Princess Windsong?’

 

Vinny blinked and laughed. ‘You mean how did she seduce me? Unless you call telling her she had to go deal with her own problems ‘seducing’.’

 

‘I imagine no-one had ever spoken to her like that before.’

 

‘You prolly imagine right.’

 

‘So that’s the reason. Everyone was wondering what you’d done to get her to marry you, but it seems she was just glamoured by straightforwardness, so to speak.’

 

Vinny was starting to get a little annoyed. Was this broad suggesting that he’d done something to Wyn? He didn’t like her tone one bit, however nice she might be being.

 

‘Who’s everyone?’ He asked, a little sharply. ‘This everyone that’s wondering.’

 

‘Oh..the nobility, you know. Me, a few of my friends from the Gamezohan houses. Cecilia Sawarren thought you’d used some kind of pheromone, haha. Really. Have some more wine.’

 

‘No thanks. I guess it could be that, yeah. I seem to get broads throwing themselves at me sometimes, usually the worst times.’ He said, pointedly.

 

Mellonna refilled his glass anyway. Vinny found himself feeling a little dizzy. It was probably the wine and the cloying scent of the flowers. He put a hand to his head to steady it.

 

‘Oh excellent, it’s finally kicking in.’ Mellonna said. ‘Good grief, you’ve taken enough for a dragon, I’m surprised you’re not unconscious.’

 

‘Wha..’ Vinny’s head was spinning and he didn’t quite understand what she’d said.

 

‘I’ve been waiting a long time to meet you, ever since I heard about you. It gets quite lonely and boring here, you know.’ Mellonna said, appearing by his side and running a hand down his face. ‘I have lovers, of course, but no-one yet as interesting as you. All pretty noble boys, you know. I want a real man, someone who’s worked for a living. Someone with…rough…hands.’ Suddenly, she was on top of him, kissing him. Vinny didn’t protest, he was too drugged up to know anything but that there was a beautiful woman who smelt quite good removing his clothes. They were both half undressed before he realised what was going on and remembered why he was here.

 

‘N…’ He tried to say, through a mouthful of flesh, and pushed her away.

 

She looked down at him, petulantly. ‘What you don’t seem to understand, your majesty, is that I can have guards in here at any minute, and have you executed. I could make up any story I liked afterwards, after all, you did just show up here unannounced.’

 

‘Damn you..’ Vinny glared at her through the haze.

 

‘Besides which, the drug will reach its full effect very soon, and then you will do anything I say.’

 

Vinny tried to shake his head, but he couldn’t. Her voice seemed to be boring into his brain. He couldn’t think straight, or even see straight. It was impossible to resist.

 

‘Now, get down on your knees and do as I say.’

 

 

Klot, Kara and Nevin, as it happens, were hiding out in the slaughterhouse district, not far from where Vinny had lost their scent. They had found a nice little elf girl, and drained her dry before bringing her back as a bloodthirsty nanovirus-ridden monster.

 

‘She’s like a pretty doll.’ Nevin said, combing her hair with a piece of jawbone. ‘Her name is Fenelle.’

 

Klot sat on a table, saying nothing, but thinking hard. Windsong sat nearby, tearing at a hunk of raw meat. Her eyes had completely silvered over and she had a wild look about her. Emmanuel stared at her, boiling with fury. He was angry mostly about being rendered unconscious by the arrogant bitch of a girl dragon, spawn of the Gauss dynasty and was imagining just how he’d rip out her spleen and eat it if he ever caught her. He was also angry that although he had Vinny’s so-called wife right here in front of him, Klot would not allow him to kill her and rip out her spleen. Something about wanting Vinny to see her in this state. Em had no problem with this, once Vinny saw his pretty little girlfriend was nothing more than a sharp-toothed bloodthirsty little animal, he would soon give up on her. The irony of this statement, was of course lost on him, since he didn’t know Wyn very well.

 

‘Why are we waiting, father?’ Kara asked, leaning on her hand.

 

Klot unfolded his arms. ‘We’re waiting for the..haha…king to come and reclaim his bride.’

 

‘Oh good.’

 

Nevin’s eyes narrowed and he glanced at Wyn, still combing the little girl’s hair. The girl fidgeted, so he let go of her. ‘You go and play, cariad.’ He wandered over and sat down next to Kara. ‘Want to go for a walk?’

 

Kara nodded.

 

‘Don’t be long.’ Klot called after them. ‘I expect him any minute.’

 

‘Yes, father.’ Kara called back.

 

They walked along the road, past gutted pig carcasses.

 

‘Mmm.. I love the smell of intestines in the morning.’ Nevin commented. ‘Your da seems a little ticked with me.’ Over time, he had gradually become less of a gibbering lunatic and more of a nonchalant sociopath, probably due to being back in contact with other people (or at least other people who weren’t Vengeance-Bringer) again.

 

Kara smiled. ‘Well, you do keep annoying him.’

 

‘Oh, he’s far too easy to annoy. He makes me do it, he really does. I can’t stand it.’

 

Kara giggled. Nevin always seemed to be able to make her laugh. She had never laughed before, not since her mother had died anyway. The universe had suddenly seemed such a serious place. But now it was almost as if she had a family again, albeit a strange one. For once, she was happy.

 

‘I’m starting to get a bit annoyed by him myself to be honest.’ Nevin said. ‘I mean, what’s his big plan? Does he just want to have some fun with the king, or what?’

 

‘He wants to serve DAMOCLES, of course. DAMOCLES must rule. He’ll bring order to the universe.’

 

‘Not sure if I like that idea. I’m only in it for the blood, you see.’

 

‘There’ll be plenty of that, I’m sure.’ Kara said. ‘Why don’t you drink from me, and take DAMOCLES into yourself. You’ll see.’ She offered her wrist to him. He took it, but instead of biting, he pulled her close and slid the sunglasses from her face.

 

‘There. You’re much prettier without them.’ Nevin commented. ‘I don’t work for DAMOCLES, you know. It’s the dragon I serve. When I feel like it.’

 

Kara nodded. ‘I remember you mentioning it.’

 

‘He’s everything that’s not order, you see, so bringing order to the universe isn’t on the top of my priorities.’

 

‘Mm.’ Kara nodded, leaning into him. ‘Nevin?’

 

‘Mm?’

 

‘You will stay with us, won’t you. I mean, I’d miss you if you left.’

 

‘I’d stay with you, aye. You’ll forgive me if I’m not so keen on your da.’

 

‘Hahahah. You’re funny.’

 

‘I’m dead serious.’

 

‘Mhm.’

 

 

Valendil actually hadn’t gone that far when he escaped. He’d come round on the way to Erendauer and bewitched the transport crew into thinking he’d escaped, before sneaking out when they arrived. Now he was lurking in a park in Aufena, not far from the Wendauer Royal Palace. The street party was still going on around him and he had managed to disappear into the crowds. Now he had to get back to his ship. And plot revenge on Moebius for his betrayal.

 

But first, there was someone he wanted to drop in on.

 

Archduchess Nicolette. She had been coming out to join in the festivities every night, incognito. Dana alone knew why her husband wasn’t with her, but every night he saw her come alone to this same park and sit alone, crying her eyes out. Obviously the seed he had planted had been rather effective.

 

This time she wouldn’t be alone. He waited in the shadows until around two AM when she appeared, glancing around her furtively. She sat down and stared up at the starry sky.

 

Valendil stepped out of the shadows and walked over.

 

‘Excuse me, milady. Should you be out this late?’

 

‘That’s my own affair, thank you.’ Nicolette snapped. ‘Who do you think you a..’ She looked up. ‘You!! How dare you! I thought they’d locked you away in some dungeon.’

 

‘Ah well, it’s a little harder to keep old Mad Knife than they realised.’ Valendil grinned, wryly. ‘And what is a fine lady like you doing sneaking out at dead of night when she should be in bed with her husband, mm?’

 

Nicolette decided she had nothing to fear from him here. The street was only a short distance away and all she needed to do was scream and any number of drunken wendauerians would come running to join in the fight. ‘I happen to be a grown woman, Valendil. I can do what I like. As it happens, Wernher is away on political business, but he insisted I stay and enjoy the celebrations. He obviously can’t stand the sight of me.’

 

‘Tis a crying shame, that.’ Valendil said, seating himself next to her without asking. ‘That such a lovely lady as yourself should be left alone of an evening.’

 

Nicolette waved a hand. ‘Oh, it’s no concern of yours. I’m used to being second best. I’ll never be good enough, compared to…Her… I’m just a useful diplomatic item, like a banqueting hall. That’s all I am to men, a trophy. You probably only took me prisoner to annoy Wernher.’

 

‘Oh no. No, not at all. Pyrite, now, he would’ve had you killed to annoy Wernher, but I thought that seemed a waste of a spirited lady like you. Perhaps I should have just let him, considering the damage you did to me ship and crew. That’s no trophy’s work, that.’

 

Nicolette stared at him. ‘You are absolutely an awful liar.’ She snapped and sat back.

 

‘Well, believe that if it makes ye feel any better.’ Valendil shrugged. ‘It’s no concern of mine, as ye say.’

 

Nicolette stood up. ‘I believe I should like to go for a walk.’ She said.

 

‘I’ll probably not see ye again then, as I’m a wanted fugitive yeknow.’ Valendil commented.

 

‘I believe I should like to go for a walk with you.’

 

‘Ah well, now that’s a different matter.’

 

 

When Vinny awoke, he was on a hard bed in a cell and he had a ringing headache. There was a note next to his pillow. He squinted at it.

 

‘Dear Vincit,

 

Thank you for a most enjoyable evening. Obviously I shall have to make your stay a little longer than anticipated, in case you make a fuss. When we find your wife, she will also be dealt with…appropriately, as will that hideous fellow you brought with you.

 

Yours, Mellonna.’

 

‘THAT BITCH! Owwwwww….’

 

‘I think I can guess who ye’re takkin ‘boot.’ Said a voice from the cell across the way.

 

Vinny sat up and walked over to the bars, so he could see the person better. It was a tall, square-jawed man in black robes.

 

‘Guid to see ye’re up.’ He said, grinning. ‘I can introduce ye to the gang down here, all of us locked up for various reasons, including espionage, treason, etc. etc. Mah name’s Rory, Rory the Necromancer.’

 

‘Vinny.’ Vinny said, wincing again. ‘Where am I?’

 

‘Detained at hair Leddyship’s plaisure, Vinny.’ Rory replied.

 

‘Ok. Go ahead, introduce me to everyone, then.’

 

Rory nodded. ‘My cellmate, who is refusing to come out as he’s currently praying is named Zahid al-Amin. We don’t get on well as he’s a mad fanatic, yeknow.’

 

Vinny vaguely heard someone mutter ‘infidel’ from inside the cell.

 

‘In the cell to your left…’ Rory went on. ‘Ye’ll find one o’ the natives of this land. His name is Neldorion. He’s bunking up wi’ a small talkin’ monkey named CuLathla, who comes from a planet that’s apparently entirely covaired by trees.

 

A little monkey-ish hand stuck out of the cell next to Vinny and waved.

 

‘Hi.’ Vinny said. ‘Pleased to meet you.’

 

‘In the cell next to me and to your left live a very pretty lassie named Sacha and fellow named Rhodry. We’re not sure, but we think he’s hair leddyship’s youngairr brother who should probably have been ruling here in hair place. He won’t sa’ anyways.

 

A young elf wearing glasses poked his head through the bars. ‘Hello.’ He said. He had long brown hair and a scruffy beard and moustache. He was shoved out the way by an extremely attractive blonde woman. ‘Let me see!’ She said, and scrutinised Vinny. ‘Eet ees Czar!’ She said, surprised.

 

‘What?’ Vinny asked, bewildered.

 

‘Czar! Czar, you are czar, this I know. Everyone knows you.’

 

‘What’s a czar?’

 

‘She says.’ Said a voice behind Vinny. ‘You’re the King.’

 

Vinny jumped a foot in the air and spun round. In the corner of his cell sat a blond boy. He looked about twelve and had his knees drawn up to his chest. He was staring at Vinny, slightly dreamily.

 

‘Oh aye.’ Said Rory. ‘And that’s Gareth. Your new roomie, heheheh. He’s a little strange, but you’ll get used to him.’

 

‘Uh…hi Gareth.’ Vinny said, trying not to make any sudden moves. He couldn’t believe he hadn’t noticed the boy. Maybe he had invisible powers. ‘Are you one of my people then?’

 

‘No.’ Gareth said. ‘But she is. She’s a werewolf.’

 

‘Da!’ Sacha exclaimed. ‘This I am, and so is he a changer, ze czar. I smell it can.’

 

‘Another one?’ Rory said. ‘Hair leddyship must have sumthin against ‘em.’

 

‘I know a king when I see one.’ Gareth said, standing up. ‘Because I am a kingslayer, you see.’

 

‘Reaallly.’ Vinny said, wondering what exactly about the boy was making the hair stand up on the back of his neck. Maybe it was the way he smelt, like cold steel in human form.

 

‘Oh don’t worry. You’re not the one I’m going to slay.’ Gareth smiled, sitting down on the bed. ‘It’s nice to have company.’

 

‘Okay.’ Vinny said, relaxing a little. ‘Thanks for that then, the not slaying me and all.’

 

‘No problem.’ Gareth replied, offhand.

 

‘Right. How do we bust outta this joint then?’

 

Everyone laughed.

 

‘No, I’m serious.’ Vinny complained, dismayed.

 

‘We’ve tried, aye.’ Rory said, wiping his eyes. ‘But magic doesnae wairk doon here, y’see.’

 

‘Nor does brute force.’ Gareth said, dreamily. ‘Sacha turned into a huge wolf-monster and tried to rip out the bars. No luck.’

 

‘Da.’ Sacha nodded, sadly.

 

‘How big?’ Vinny asked, an idea occurring to him. ‘When you change, how big are you?’

 

Sacha looked thoughtful. ‘Mm..maybe eight feets.’

 

Vinny looked around the cell. It was just about big enough, but it would be a squash. He turned to Gareth. ‘Kid, you better stand right up against the wall, cause it’s about to get crowded in here.’

 

‘All right.’ Gareth nodded, and did so.

 

Vinny stood in the middle of the room and tried to remember back in the Schwarzwald. Seek the beast within. He remembered how angry he’d been when the wolves attacked Jon, how furious when he’d torn Klot’s throat out…..WAIT…that was the smell, one of the ones he’d picked up when he was tracking Wyn…that guy…so he’d taken her.. he’d rip his throat out, that BASTARD!!

 

Click.

 

Gareth’s eyes widened as Vinny seemed to explode outwards, filling the room with a huge furry mass of black hair. Sacha cheered, chanting ‘czar, czar’. The great beast backed up as much as it could (forcing Gareth to slip sideways out of the way) and then dived at the bars of the cell. There was a crash, and they wobbled a little in their housing. It backed up again and dived again. The walls began to crumble around the bars. Once more, crash and the bars fell out onto the floor with a clang. The beast charged out into the hallway and spun around. Gareth leaned out of the smashed up doorway and gave it a round of polite applause. Rory entreated it to do his one next and then had to dive out of the way when it obliged. A few crashes later, some guards came running and then ran away again.

 

A few more and everyone was free.

 

‘Right.’ Rory said, rubbing his hands together, gleefully as Vinny changed back to normal and got dressed. ‘Who’s fair a little revainge?’

 

‘Fine by me.’ Gareth nodded.

 

‘Da.’ Sacha seemed to have been replaced by an eight-foot tall monster covered in white-blonde fur.

 

The two elves quietly nodded. The lemur-like creature sat on Neldorion’s shoulder chittered that it wasn’t sure revenge was absolutely necessary and were there any other options?

 

At that point Zahid emerged from his and Rory’s cell. He sported an impressive beard.

 

‘I have now finished my prayers and am amenable to kicking some ass in the name of Allah.’ He said. ‘However, I will not do it with you infidels. Especially you, Rory.’

 

‘Suit yersel.’ Rory shrugged. ‘See ye latair.’

 

‘Why are we standing around talking about it?’ Vinny asked, reaching into his cloak and pulling out the two claws, which strangely enough seemed to have been overlooked by whoever had redressed him and put him in the cell. He slipped them and flexed his now wickedly-sharp serrated fingers. ‘Let’s go rip that bitch a new one.’

 

And lo, havoc ensued.

 

Two hours and a lot of bloodshed later, they got to Lady Mellonna’s private quarters, and did indeed rip her a new one, and worse. And after she was dead, on Vinny’s suggestion, they handed her over to Tiamat, who had shown up about half way through and gleefully joined in.

 

After that, with many sad goodbyes and promises of coming to visit someday (‘Uh, my address is ‘The Royal Palace, Aufena Lainier, Erendauer. Just ask for the King’) they parted ways and Vinny and Tia headed out to look for Windsong, deciding to start where they’d lost the trail.

 

 

‘But now I know that

 

You are nearer than heaven

 

I get the feeling I get nearer by the day

 

I've seen the people go forever descending

 

It's when we're all inside

 

That summer's on the way.’ – The Delays, Nearer than Heaven.

 

It was the middle of the night in Erendauer, and the palace was asleep. No-one had yet noticed that their monarchs had gone missing. Jon still sat up praying by Miriam’s bedside. Kreuz had got up a few hours ago to get some food. Assumpta and Oscar sat in chairs, fast asleep. At some point, Assumpta had ended up leaning against Oscar. Both were sleeping fitfully, their rest full of dreams.

 

Oscar fought an endless battle with Joel, as he did every night, but now his dreams were haunted by more than his demon half. Sylvia appeared and asked him why he didn’t love her anymore, and then was stabbed from behind by Joel, laughing hideously. The stag told him he’d failed and would never be whole, and Casimir was the proof of that. He saw all his friends dead again and knew that he was alone again.

 

Assumpta was floating watching a scene from above. Two women, one blonde, one a redhead, sat at a table in a primitive farmhouse kitchen. The door was open and she could see that the house was in a clearing in a thick forest. They were drinking from wooden cups of some unknown steaming beverage. Both were tough-looking and heavily muscled, and both were strikingly handsome, though the blonde was more rounded where the redhead was more angular.

 

‘It is getting late.’ The blonde said. She had an accent that Assumpta could not quite place, but it sounded vaguely german. ‘I wonder where they are.’

 

‘Ah, they’re probably still out somewar havin’ fon.’ The redhead’s accent was a little closer to home. It sounded vaguely northern irish. Assumpta frowned, as the northern irish, as everyone knew, were protestants and sinners. She glanced out of the window. ‘See, thar they are now, comin’ up the path. And, see, they brought a visithar.’

 

Sure enough, three figures were emerging from the forest. One, to the far right was huge, dark and bulky and covered in furs. The one in the middle was shorter and thinner, with curling blond hair. He too was wrapped up in furs and carried a longsword. The third was almost as tall as the first and wore long flowing white robes to match it’s long flowing white-blond hair, which was bound with a circlet of silver. It shone with an unearthly light, surrounded by a white aura in the shape of wings and seemed to glide rather than walk. All three stepped in through the door, two of them having to duck slightly to get in.

 

‘Welcome home.’ The redheaded woman commented. ‘Hoy’s yer fraind?’

 

‘Good evening.’ The angelic being bowed to her, before the other two could reply. ‘I am M’alphael of Geburah and I have come to request the assistance of thy husband and his brother.’

 

‘Oh aye.’ The redheaded woman said, skeptically.

 

The blonde woman stood up, smiling beatifically. ‘O blessed angel, please consider our home your own.’

 

‘I thank you.’ The angel replied, graciously.

 

‘Aye, pull up a chair.’ The redhead added, grinning and gesturing towards one of the crudely carved benches. The angel did so, and the other two joined them at the table.

 

‘It’s about our descendants again, isn’t it?’ The smaller man sighed.

 

The huge dark man suddenly roared with laughter and thumped him on the back. ‘I told you, you can share mine if you like.’

 

‘He was an absolute waste of space. Calling me ‘saint’ and kneeling before me like that.’ The smaller man commented, wincing slightly at the comradely thump. ‘At least he showed some guts later on.’

 

The angel nodded. ‘It does not directly concern them this time. It is more a matter of balance. You see, the forces of destruction are gaining an upper hand. They have put two of the representatives of the other two parties out of action. The Lord feels the score should be evened out.’

 

‘And in a language we can all understand that means?’ The huge man said, leaning over the table and peering at the angel.

 

‘We want to send you back. You’ll become the avatars of creation and wildness, there’s quite enough stagnation around. We think you’re perfect for the role.’

 

The huge man suddenly went quiet. ‘Then it is Ragnarok that is coming? The Gotterdammerung? As the lady said?’

 

The angel nodded.

 

‘The dead shall rise and lay waste to their enemies!’ The blond man roared, happily. ‘I like this idea.’

 

‘Just you.’ The angel pointed out. ‘Not all of the dead.’

 

‘Wonderful.’ The redheaded woman said, acerbically. ‘The boys get to go off and fight and we get tae stay at hoom and doy the cleaning.

 

‘We originally only wanted to send Fendegist.’ M’alphael pointed out, a little irately. ‘But he refused to go without Jorgen. I believe the Lord may get a little irate if we push it any further.’

 

‘Macha, my sweet.’ Fendgist crooned. ‘I thought you wanted peace and quiet.’

 

‘Oh, fine, fine go gallivanting off then, see if I give a damn.’ Macha leaned back and put her boots up on the table, nonchalantly. ‘Agnethe and I will have dinner on the table for ye when ye see fit to die again.’

 

‘Ah, that’s why I love you, my princess. You always understand.’ Fendegist happily dragged Macha across the bench to him and enveloped her in a huge hug.

 

‘Put me doyn ye great oaf, ye’ll break me boynes.’ Jorgen looked across at Agnethe. ‘Is it well with you, my love?’ He asked. Agnethe nodded.

 

‘If it is the will of the Lord, I will not contest it. But please, try not to let anything too bad happen to you.’

 

Jorgen lifted her hand and kissed it in a gentlemanly manner. ‘I promise I shall return to you in one peace.’

 

Agnethe smiled. ‘Well, that’s settled then!’ Fendegist roared, cheerfully. ‘When do we l..’

 

And they both vanished. M’alphael smiled, waved and did so too.

 

On the grasslands of Erendauer, there was a thunderstorm going on. Lightning flashed, once, twice and two figures appeared by the river.

 

‘…eave’ Finished Fendegist. ‘Oh. Right. Now.’

 

Jorgen blinked. ‘Where are we?’

 

‘Allfather knows.’ Fendegist shrugged. ‘Let’s head for that city in the distance.’

 

‘Good idea.’

 

Assumpta woke up, startled and looked around. All was quiet.

 

Except for the thunder crashing, far away.

 

‘They’re coming.’ She said.

 

‘Whuh?’ Oscar blinked, tried to sit up, and fell off his chair.

 

The door opened.

 

‘Excuse me.’ A Wendauerian servant said. ‘There are some humans here, looking for St Jonathan of the Schwarzwald.’

 

 

‘What’s that you’re playing with?’

 

‘It’s her…eyeball. I thought it’d…makeanicesouvenir. Do you want it?’

 

‘Urgh, no way. Please, keep it.’

 

Vinny and Tiamat had reached the slaughterhouse district. Wyn’s scent had almost faded away by now, and Vinny wasn’t sure how they were going to continue the hunt from thereon.

 

‘I dunno how to track her from here.’ He said.

 

Tiamat frowned. ‘We shall have to use clues…otherthanscent.’ He walked around, leaning over and staring. ‘Here…someone was dragged…and footprints…this way…’ He walked on for a bit. ‘They go into…thiswarehouse.’ He called back.

 

‘Tia, you’re a genius. I shoulda asked you in the first place.’ Vinny grinned and pushed the door open. Inside the warehouse it was dark and dusty and there was packing crates around.

 

Vinny sniffed the air. ‘Blood.’ He said,

 

‘Well this…is..theslaughterhousedistrict.’

 

‘It ain’t animals.’

 

‘Oh I…see.’

 

Suddenly, something hit him at waist-height, snarling, knocking him to the ground. He rolled over and over, trying to force his adversary to the ground. They were only small, it wasn’t too hard. He pinned it down and got a good look.

 

‘Wyn!’

 

She snarled again and dived for his neck with her teeth, the same spot she had before, only this time she locked in and began to suck, drawing blood out of the wound. Vinny roared in pain and tried to tear her off, with no success. She screamed and let go, clutching at her mouth. Phew, thought Vinny, saved by burny-blood powers.

 

‘You took your time.’ Klot said, appearing from behind a crate.

 

‘You!’ Vinny yelled, scrambling to his feet. ‘I knew I smelled you. I already killed you once. What the hell does it take to teach some people?’

 

‘Well, as you can see, I’m a hard man to kill.’ Klot smiled and took off his shades, folding them up and putting them in his pocket. If there was going to be a fight, they’d only get in the way, plus the look of horror on Vinny’s face was worth it.

 

Nevin and Kara emerged on either side of him. Nevin winked at Vinny while Klot wasn’t looking. Vinny raised an eyebrow at him as if to say ‘what are you doing here?’, but internally breathed a sigh of relief. He was fairly sure he could trust the vampire. Well, within reason anyway.

 

Fenelle landed on Tiamat’s head, screaming. Tiamat picked her off like a piece of dirty laundry and threw her across the room. She hit the wall with a sickening crack. Tiamat chuckled.

 

‘Anyway, enough chit-chat.’ Klot said, tossing his head and sending a swirl of black rosepetals scattering across the floor. ‘As you can see, your girlfriend is now ours, a bloodthirsty monster at our command. In fact, if we wanted, we could make her kill herself any time we liked, so you may as well surrender now and save yourself the trouble. She is completely under our contro….hey…where is she going!! Nevin, get after her!’

 

‘Aye, aye bozo.’ Nevin saluted and ran after Wyn, becoming a streak of black SWK uniform.

 

Vinny and Tiamat started laughing, as did Kara.

 

‘Damn him..’ Klot ground his teeth. ‘Stop laughing!’

 

‘Sorry father.’ Kara said, trying to look apologetic.

 

‘You gotta admit.’ Vinny said. ‘That was funny.’ He slid his claws out of his cloak and onto his hands. He wasn’t so worried about Wyn if Nevin was going after her. ‘This won’t be though. Let’s see how much more of your throat I can rip out this time.’

 

…….

 

Windsong fell away from Vinny and whined in pain. The blood burned her mouth terribly, and was burning all the way down to her stomach, like she had swallowed burning alcohol. As it sank in, her head began to clear. She started to remember who she was, and what she was. The buzzing began to subside. The commands of the voice inside her head began to grow fainter and fainter as Vinny’s blood spread around her system, burning the DAMOCLES nanovirus out of her.

 

NO. ATTACK HIM. ATTACK HIM, KILL HIM. KILL HIMmmm…

 

She panicked and ran. As she ran, she was vaguely aware of other presences around her and then shortly afterwards, someone running after her. She dodged, left and right, and then halfway through a room, which was probably used for electrocuting livestock, she ran into something hard.

 

‘Oof…’ The something had the wind knocked out of it. ‘Watch where you’re going. Oh, it’s you.’

 

Windsong squinted at it. ‘You’re…the dragon, aren’t you?’

 

‘Yes.’ Em glared at her. ‘When did you start talking again?’

 

‘I…Vinny..’

 

‘Vinny? Vinny’s here?’

 

A blond streak skidded to a halt next to them. ‘Aye, and you two need to get out of here.’

 

‘Nevin?’

 

‘Go on, both of you.’ Nevin said, looking around frantically and pushing them away. ‘Get out of here. I’ll tell them you stole her, and you’re probably going to kill her or something.’

 

‘Why are you helping us?’ Windsong asked, confused.

 

‘I really really don’t like Klot. Go on!’ He gave them both a shove. ‘Not that way, out there!’

 

Em and Windsong ran out of the door and away among the slaughterhouses until the ran out of breath and stopped in an alley for a rest.

 

‘Do you think we’re far enough away?’ Windsong asked.

 

Em shrugged. ‘I suppose so.’

 

‘Lucky for us Nevin hates Klot enough to do that.’

 

Em shrugged again. ‘I think he just likes his daughter. We should get back and help Vinny.’

 

‘No, we’d just get in the way. Let’s wait until he comes looking for us.’

 

‘But what if something happens to him?’

 

‘He’ll be all right, he’s strong.’

 

Em looked unconvinced, but he nodded.

 

‘Besides, I’d know if he was in trouble.’ Windsong said, determinedly. ‘I can feel it. Here.’ She put a hand on her heart.’

 

‘You really love him, don’t you.’ Em said, sad and angry. He thought about just how easy it would be to break her neck here and now. Just a little snap.

 

‘Yes, and he loves me.’ Wyn said, dreamily. From far away, they heard the sound of screaming and explosions. Em lifted his hands. She was facing away from him, all he had to do was reach out. ‘Though sometimes I get a little jealous of his friends, especially Jon. It seems like he cares about everyone and I’m just one among many. But then he holds me and everything’s okay again and I feel like I’m the only one he loves.’ She smiled.

 

Em’s arms fell down by his sides.

 

‘I thought all the black dragons were dead in the dragon wars.’ She said, conversationally, turning to face him.

 

‘I’m the last one. Your family kept me safe.’ Em replied, remembering how much he owed to her family. ‘Vinny let me out of the cell where they were keeping me.’

 

‘We did? That was nice of us. We probably only did it to annoy the Gamezohans though.’ Windsong snickered, never one to be particularly tactful.

 

‘No, I think your mother did genuinely care about me.’ Em remembered the logs Vinny had found. ‘And certainly the doctors who looked after me did.’

 

‘Ah well, mother was like that.’ Windsong told him, sadly. ‘She loved children. And fighting to protect them, she loved that too. Not just her own, either.’ She looked at Em. ‘Both of us have lost our parents, but we won’t let that get us down, will we? Not while we’ve got Vinny.’ She gave him a hug, much to his surprise. ‘You’ll come back with us, won’t you? I mean, you don’t have anywhere to go. You could stay with us.’

 

Em thought about this. Stay with Vinny. Sounded okay to him. ‘Of course.’

 

‘Thanks.’

 

‘Hey! There you are.’

 

At this point, Vinny came round the corner, sniffing as he went, followed by Tiamat, who had a wild look in his mismatched eyes. They were an awful sight, Vinny was spattered with blood on his mouth, claws and front. ‘Thanks for looking after her, Em.’ He did a double take. ‘Em?? What are you doing here, I said to stay on earth where it’s safe.’

 

‘It’s not safe. DAMOCLES took over.’

 

‘Oh, my bad.’

 

Windsong dived into Vinny’s arms. ‘Thank goodness you’re here.’ Vinny picked her up and spun her around, happily. She shrieked with laughter and joy. Em watched, sad and slightly jealous. Vinny put Windsong down, saw the expression on Em’s face, and dragged him into a group hug with her.

 

‘Hey, Tia, you wanna…’

 

‘Ugh, leave me alone.’ Tiamat replied, cheerfully spiteful. ‘I’m not…gayyouknow. I’m going to…findtheship…this is just too…soppyforwords.’ He stalked off.

 

Windsong turned to face Em and mouthed ‘See?’ at him. He nodded. Vinny let them go, eventually.

 

‘What happened to make you better?’ He asked Windsong.

 

‘It must have been your blood.’ She replied, smiling. ‘When I bit you, I swallowed some and then suddenly I was back to normal again.’

 

‘Yeah, it does that. I think it’s ‘cause of when I had the rock in me. Nevin said you rescued her, Em, thanks.’

 

‘That’s a lie. He let us go.’ Em replied.

 

‘I thought it was something like that. Well, we tore up that asshole and that girl who tried to do me in back on earth pretty good, but they’ll probably come back, or something. Who knew he was her dad, huh? I wouldn’ta spared her if I’d known.’

 

Em and Wyn looked at him, confused.

 

‘Nevermind. I got them for giving you Nanovirus anyway.’

 

Wyn shook her head. ‘I don’t think it was them.’ She tried to think back to when she’d first started having blackouts. ‘I think it was..when I was on Meggiddo. Oh..fuckingfuckyfucker…’ A look of horror came over her face.

 

‘What, what is it.’

 

‘Vinny, it was the SURTR people. It was Aris.’

 

‘What, hat-guy? I thought he was on our side.’

 

Windsong shook her head. ‘To think we let him look after Skai. He could be near her now!’

 

‘That…total…okay, he’s next on the gutting list!’

 

‘Ahem.’ Em coughed, wrapping his wings around him. ‘Can we go please? It’s cold.’

 

‘Sure.’

 

When they reached the ship, they found Tiamat sitting in the pilot’s chair, sucking on a deep red slushie that everyone hoped in vain was strawberry.

 

‘Erendauer here we go.’ He said, slurping loudly and flicking switches. ‘Seatbelts on…oops, toolate.’

 

Miriam awoke to see the morning sun streaming in her window and remembered that it was her wedding day.

 

Her brother was sat on the end of her bed. She blinked, as for a moment, she could have sworn that he had silver eyes. There was still sand in his beard.

 

‘Damo…Daniel.’ For a moment then she had wanted to say another name.

 

He smiled at her and pulled the covers off her. ‘Time to get up. Mother sent me to get you.’

 

The cold morning air jerked her into wakefulness and Miriam reached for her wedding garments. She would never use them, but she thought she might as well enjoy them.

 

‘Get out, I want to get dressed.’ She shooed her brother, laughing, out of the room. Fidericus had agreed to meet her at midday today. The wedding was to be held in the late afternoon when the heat dissipated. Two nights ago, she had lain with him under the stars and asked him about his homeland, Agri Decumates.

 

‘It is cold.’ He said. ‘And full of great mountains. And green, green all over and wet sometimes, not dry and dusty like it is here. The rains can come at any time, all year round.’

 

‘It sounds beautiful, like a garden near the roof of the world.’

 

‘It is.’

 

She pulled on her wedding dress and veil, not for the unknown bridegroom, but for him, her love. She arranged roses and lilies in her curly hair, only for his delight.

 

‘How pretty you look.’ Her mother said, tears in her eyes, when she emerged. ‘As Ruth or Ezra, you are.’

 

Miriam blushed, half in guilt.

 

Midday came, and she had butterflies in her stomach. She waited until her family were busy elsewhere and headed for the door.

 

‘Where are you going?’ Her brother asked her.

 

Miriam spun around, frightened. ‘I need air.’ She said.

 

‘You don’t look well.’ Daniel frowned. ‘It must be nerves. I’d better come with you, in case you faint.’ He chucked her under the chin. ‘All too much for you, eh?’

 

In the privacy of her own head, Miriam said some very bad words.

 

Her brother kept an eye on her for the rest of the afternoon. Miriam began to get frantic. Fidericus would wait for her, wouldn’t he? He’d know something was wrong.

 

Eventually, they brought her to the synagogue, pale with fear, and her mother led her to her kiddushin, where she saw the ketuvah, the marriage contract, had been signed before the village. The old people saluted her with ‘lechaim’ and wine, and she then was led to a room to the side of the synagogue where she sat down in the throne-like chair, surrounded by her mother and sisters and aunts and cousins to wait for the groom. All the women were giggling and gossiping. She said nothing, but waited for her bedekin, briefly wondering where her future mother-in-law was. She would have liked to speak to her. The veil was itchy on her head.

 

Eventually, the bridegroom entered, accompanied by her father and brother, and the menfolk of the village. He was attractive enough, she supposed, a little pale and his hair was a funny colour. He came to her, and leaned over to lower her veil. As he leaned in, she saw, to her amazement, the tips of pointed ears poking out of his hair. She screamed and leapt to her feet. ‘

 

‘Demon! He’s a demon!’

 

Suddenly the room was in uproar.

 

‘SHE’S NOT WELL.’ Daniel spoke, trying to reassure the bridegroom, but his voice was strange, and metallic. Terrified, Miriam fled from the room into the empty synagogue, then stopped dead and screamed again.

 

There was a huge, bristling boar in the middle of the synagogue.

 

‘Remember who you are!’ It grunted at her. She felt a prickling in her fingers, and lifted them to see tiny silver motes crawling all over her hands.

 

‘Hey!’

 

She turned around, to see the bridegroom standing there. He was now even paler, his skin was white, and his hair a deep purple. The pointed ears were even more obvious.

 

‘What’s the matter with ye?’

 

Miriam froze, terrified, trapped between a demon and a monster boar. She had to get out. The women’s door to the synagogue was ahead of her..an escape route. She ran towards it and pushed. It was locked. She glanced behind her. The boar was blocking the demon from getting to her. She had no time to think this strange, but beat on the door with all her strength. To her astonishment, the thick wood smashed to pieces under her hands. Splinters cut her fingers, but they only glittered at the edges and healed up before her eyes. She screamed again and again, and ran through the smashed door out of the synagogue and through the streets. Without even realising it, she was heading for the place where she’d agreed to meet Fidericus. When she reached the tree, he was standing there, waiting for her.

 

‘What took you so long? I’ve been waiting for hours. Hey..’

 

She collapsed into his arms, sobbing. ‘A demon…a demon…they wanted me to marry a demon.’

 

‘What? A demon. It’s all right, I’m here now.’

 

Miriam nodded, wiping her eyes, and looked up at him, then screamed again. His face had changed, subtly, and his hair, normally clipped short in the roman fashion was now long and curling, like spun gold. He wore heavy furs and the gladius by his side was a longsword.

 

‘Wake up, girl!’ He said, and he shook her. And then he changed again, the same face, but more subtle changes, his head completely shaven, the furs becoming a long coat and a shield slung over his back.

 

‘Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum.’ He prayed. Miriam did not understand the latin. ‘Miriam, it’s Jon. Please wake up.’

 

‘No..’ She backed away. ‘Fidericus..’

 

‘I’m Jon, Jon, don’t you remember? Don’t you remember me?’

 

She saw the boar.

 

‘And Vinny, and Oscar and Gauss.’

 

She saw the wolf, and the deer, and the snake. He turned to face someone who wasn’t there. ‘Do you think she’s waking up? She’s talking.’

 

Wake up

 

Remember.

 

Remember who you are.

 

She looked at her hands, glittering with silver.

 

‘Wake up? Remember? Remember what? Please tell me.’

 

‘Open your eyes!’ The man who used to be Fidericus shouted. ‘Please, Miriam.’

 

‘They are open!’

 

‘They aren’t.’

 

Miriam screwed up her eyes and rubbed them. And tried to remember, though what she didn’t know. Tried to remember the face of the man before her. He was familiar, yes. Something was trying to stop her remembering. She had spiderwebs all over her face. She clawed at them, tearing and shredding, destroying the fabric of the spell. Then once her face was clear, she opened her eyes.

 

She was lying in bed. A dream?

 

‘Praise the Lord!’ Jon yelled.

 

Sister Assumpta clasped her hands together in a silent prayer of thanks. Oscar smiled.

 

Kreuz suddenly woke up and looked around. ‘Oh..she’s ok. Great.’

 

Everything came flooding back. Miriam sat up.

 

‘How do you feel?’ Oscar asked.

 

‘Reasonable. I had an extremely strange dream.’ Miriam told him. ‘The last thing I remember before then is Valendil telling me to sleep…hm..he was in my dream. I was getting married to him.’ She laughed. ‘It was very realistic. I was going to elope with a man called Fidericus to Agri Decumates.’

 

‘Agri Decumates.’ Jon looked thoughtful. ‘As I remember, so the Schwarzwald was named in the time of the Roman Empire.’

 

‘Oh.’ Miriam blinked. ‘I think I dreamed I was your ancestress then. The man she was eloping with greatly resembled you…and there was someone else he became…I..’ Miriam glanced into the corner of the room. ‘It’s him.’ She said, pointing.

 

Jorgen walked forwards to stand by the bed and bowed slightly.

 

‘Uh..’ Jon stammered, then switched to latin. ‘Miriam, this is St Jorgen. He helped to awaken thee.’

 

In the corner, Fendegist roared with laughter.

 

‘I told you not to call me saint.’ Jorgen said, also in latin, through gritted teeth.

 

‘I am sorry.’ Jon replied, also in latin. ‘He also doesn’t speak common, I’m afraid, only latin and saxon.’

 

‘Is there going to be a party?’ Fendegist asked, in saxon. ‘There ought to be a party.’

 

‘I don’t know, brother.’ Jorgen replied.

 

‘I’m sure if we ask the people here…where are we anyway?’ Miriam said, also in saxon.

 

Fendegist chuckled.

 

‘Don’t know.’ Jorgen said, then switched to latin. ‘Where are we?’

 

‘Erendauer.’ Jon replied.

 

‘What’s everyone talking about?’ Kreuz asked. ‘What language is this? What’s going on?’

 

‘Someone really needs to teach those guys to speak common.’ Oscar commented.

 

‘Someone teach us being to..whatever you people have spoken.’ Fendegist said, switching to very, very bad latin.

 

Jon, Miriam and Assumpta laughed.

 

Jorgen, Fendegist, Oscar and Kreuz looked confused.

 

 

Tiamat’s section commander was not pleased.

 

‘Where do you think you’re going, gallivanting off like that! Look at the state of you! We thought your ship had been stolen as w…’ His mouth fell open as Wyn, Em and Vinny appeared, equally soaked in half-dried blood.

 

‘Commander.’ Windsong said, drawing herself up to her full regal height of five foot four. ‘This pilot has been engaged on our personal business.’

 

‘Oh…your majesty..your majesties…I am deeply apologetic. Please accept my head.’

 

‘Certainly.’ Wyn began, taking the man’s sword. Vinny sighed.

 

‘I mean, that won’t be necessary.’ She corrected herself. ‘I need all my commanders in one piece, but don’t do it again.’

 

‘Of course.’ The commander said, fleeing in terror. Tiamat made a rude gesture at his retreating back. Em laughed.

 

‘Hey, thanks for the help, buddy.’ Vinny said, clapping Tiamat on the back and making him cough.

 

‘No….problem.’ Tiamat replied, slurping up the last of his slushy. I believe I shall…go and get cleaned up, hahaha…AHAHAHAHAH….*cough*.’

 

‘Yeah, you do that.’ Vinny smiled, uncertainly and waved as he walked away. ‘Totally wacko, but a great guy nevertheless. What were we gunna do now?’

 

‘Hmmm.’ Wyn hmmmed. ‘Gut Aris, I think.’

 

‘Let’s go get something to eat first. Coming, Em?’

 

‘Mhm.’

 

 

If they had known what he was thinking about at the moment, Vinny and Wyn might not have been so keen to extract Aris’ intestines.

 

The orders from SURTR were getting steadily worse. He and David had just been told that Samael’s plan to get rid of the King and Queen had failed, and now it was up to them to use their influence with the queen to assassinate them both.

 

And he didn’t want to. It was all right dealing with faceless high-ups from corrupt organisations, but he knew for a fact that Vinny wasn’t that sort of person. If anything, he was the sort of person who would change things so they’d be better for the average man.

 

Windsong, perhaps, could become that sort of person, but she was just a child, and he had no doubt that Vinny would cause her to change for the better. Besides, he couldn’t do that to Skai.

 

He felt guilty about what he’d been a part of on Megiddo.

 

And now he was remembering, and thinking that perhaps Alia might have been right about SURTR. They had other agendas. It had gone past the point where he was prepared to unquestioningly accept things, but he knew what would happen if he questioned.

 

He had to go to Xurmaith, and tell Alia he’d been wrong. Maybe she would take him back.

 

And so he did, telling David he would join him on Erendauer shortly.

 

-All the more party for me. Dave grinned.

 

-Enjoy yourself.

 

-I will. Maybe the Angel will give me a rematch. David wondered, and wandered off, accidentally knocking something off the balcony they were standing on onto the head of Mickey the Cod, who was there for no apparent reason and crushing him to death.

 

When he came to the little house on Xurmaith, his daughter met him before the door. She was holding a sword.

 

-Mother said you shouldn’t come back. She said, angrily.

 

-I wanted to apologise.

 

-You’ll make her cry again. I don’t want you to make her cry again. Amaya lifted the sword and charged.

 

-Amaya.. Aris stammered. I’m your father..

 

-You’re not my father! She swung the sword, forcing him to draw his own and block it.

 

For a brief moment, Aris had the absurd urge to say ‘search your feelings, you know it to be true’ but then he had to block an upswing that nearly knocked his hat off.

 

-Please…I just…want…to…say…I’m sorry… He ducked and dodged, not daring to strike back at his daughter. He was stronger, but she was amazingly fast. Before long, she had him pinned.

 

-Amaya! Stop that!

 

Saved by his wife. Then she saw who it was.

 

-Actually, carry on.

 

-Alia! Wait, I came to apologise! You were right..about SURTR. I’m sorry.

 

Alia stopped.

 

-You think that makes up for it? For leaving me and my daughter to fend for ourselves while you gallivanted off to fight for the common man?

 

-I know I can never make it up to you, but please let me try.

 

Alia looked at him, sadly, and despite his peril, Aris saw that she was still beautiful, her delicate japanese features still framed by her chocolate brown hair. The point of Amaya’s sword receded a little from his throat.

 

-I want to believe you. I do. She sighed. Come back in a few weeks. When you’ve left SURTR. Give me time to think about it. Amaya, let him up.

 

Amaya did so. Aris back off, holding up his hands.

 

-I will. I promise. He sheathed his sword, turned and left. It took all his strength not to run back to her and beg her to let him stay.

 

‘Is this her?’ Fendegist asked, poking his head through the door and seeing Sylvia, fast asleep. Her pillow was wet with tears. No-one had been to visit her all day.

 

‘Green hair?’ Jorgen asked, walking through the door to Sylvia’s bedside. ‘Must be.’ He spread his fingers over her. ‘Sleep.’ White mist floated from his hands, and Sylvia turned over, sinking into deeper sleep. He detached the IV from her arm, regarding the needle with disgust and tossing it away. Fendegist picked up the sleeping woman as if she weighed nothing.

 

‘She’s very pretty.’ He commented. ‘Reminds me of an undine or an aelf or something.’

 

‘From what the angel told me.’ Jorgen said. ‘She had her memories taken away from her by the destroyer, Moebius, so she can’t remember being called to fight him.’

 

‘And that’s why we’re here.’

 

‘Yes.’

 

Fendegist nodded. ‘Are we supposed to help her get her memory back?’

 

‘I don’t know.’ Jorgen shrugged. ‘He just said we should fight Moebius.’ He laid a hand on her head. ‘Besides, her memories haven’t just been locked away, like the metal girl. They’ve been torn out of her. I don’t think there’s any way to get them back.’

 

‘It’s a good thing you’re here, brother.’ Fendegist said. ‘I would never have been any good at this sort of thing.’

 

‘Enough flattery.’ Jorgen said. ‘She’s vulnerable here. And unhappy. We need to get her somewhere safe. And ask her about this Rocket thing. I just hope she speaks latin.’

 

‘Heh heh heh. What would Agnethe say if she knew you were rescuing a beautiful girl.?’

 

Jorgen grinned. ‘I must confess, she is pretty. What would Macha say?’

 

‘You know perfectly well she’d hit me till I bled.’

 

‘Heh heh heh.’

 

‘Shut up.’

 

 

Vinny and Windsong returned to find rejoicing at Miriam’s awakening, and Windsong immediately suggested a night on the town, as the festivities were still going on. The Wendauerians tended to party hard. Upon being told that Jorgen and Fendegist had appeared out of no-where, Vinny demanded to see them, as he wanted a word with Fendegist about something, but when they were looked for, they were no-where to be found. After a while, everyone was starting to wonder if they’d been some kind of hallucination, or a diving sending, like the grail.

 

Meanwhile, Sylvia too had gone missing. Oscar was a little worried about her, but realised there was nothing he could do. No-one made the connection.

 

Gauss declined the invitation to party, as he said he was trying to sort out a mess that had been left when the noble lady in charge of one of the border planets had been killed by a bunch of deranged escaped prisoners. Vinny tried not to look embarrassed.

 

After a night of partying very hard in the wendauerian fashion (frequent bar fights), Vinny was woken at four AM by a message. He blearily turned on the viewscreen. Windsong sat up in the bed behind him.

 

‘Who’s that?’

 

‘Dunno. How do you work this thing?’

 

Windsong climbed out of bed and gave him a hand patching the message through. It was a little crackly.

 

‘Vinny? Zat you?’

 

‘Dad? Nice to hear from you.’

 

‘Hullo father-in-law.’ Windsong yawned and waved.

 

‘How’s my married son then?’ Jake grinned. There is something disconcerting about a red-eyed hairy beast grinning at you.

 

‘It’s four AM, dad, or whatever they call it round here. Did you call just to say hello at four AM?’

 

‘Nah, it’s something serious. Will wants to move. Some people apart from you guys know where he is now, he’s been monitoring all the communications about him.’

 

‘Cool. You want us to update Gauss and Nike or something?’ Vinny asked.

 

‘I doubt it.’ Windsong said. ‘He could just call them.’

 

‘Nuh-uh. He’s asked me to ask you if he can move there. Quiet-like. He doesn’t wanna go back to Gamezoha.’

 

‘That’s fine.’ Windsong said. ‘I’ll have the chamberlain prepare some secret rooms for him and his people then, in the cellars. Nice ones. Don’t worry, he’s trustworthy.’

 

‘Vinny, he wants you should tell Wernher and Nike too and get them to come. He’s getting worse. Whatever they put in him is killing him, and it’s bad, real bad. He doesn’t think he’ll last much longer, and he doesn’t wanna have to move again.’

 

‘Okay dad, we’ll get onto Gauss and Nike.’

 

‘Thanks. And Wilhelm says he’ll pay you if you want, Winnie.’

 

Windsong waved a hand to say it didn’t matter. Jake disappeared from the viewscreen.

 

‘Isn’t it funny how everyone seems to follow you around the galaxy.’ Windsong said, yawning again.

 

‘I guess.’ Vinny shrugged, wondering how Gauss would react to his father’s news.

 

They were woken up the next morning by Skai running into the room and diving onto the bed.

 

‘Wyn! Wyn! Wyn!’

 

‘Oh what..’ Windsong rubbed her eyes. ‘What do you want, Skai?’

 

‘Can Em take me flying?’

 

‘What?’

 

Vinny yawned and stretched. Emmanuel stood by the door, leaning on the frame, smiling slightly.

 

‘I said could he fly cause he’s a dragon and he’s not absolutely sure he can do it cause he’s never flown before, but I said we could go out into the grass outside the city and maybe practise and if he can fly then he said I could ride on his back. I’ll be safe, I promise. You can even send soldiers with me if you want. Thora’s going to come whether I like it or not.’ Skai sighed.

 

‘Oh..sure.’ Windsong shrugged. ‘Whatever you like.’

 

‘You take care of her, ok.’ Vinny said to Em, who nodded.

 

‘Will you come and watch?’ Skai asked.

 

‘Sorry, I have to go talk to the chamberlain about…’ Wyn stopped.

 

‘About what?’ Skai asked.

 

‘Nothing.’ Windsong said.

 

‘It is something.’

 

‘Skai, can you keep a secret?’ Vinny asked, glancing at Em as if to ask the same question. He nodded.

 

‘Yeah! I know loads of secrets.’ Skai bounced up and down on the bed. Windsong covered a giggle with her hand.

 

‘You know Gauss?’

 

‘Yeah.’

 

‘Well, his dad is coming to visit us.’ Em’s eyes widened. Wernher Gauss’s father. The silver dragon emperor. A chance for revenge? Or to find out what happened to his people. ‘I won’t tell anyone.’ He said. No, he certainly wouldn’t.

 

‘He’s very sick though.’ Vinny said.

 

Dying? In pain, oh I hope so. Em thought.

 

‘Can we go play then?’ Skai asked.

 

‘Yes. Go and have fun.’ Windsong nodded.

 

Skai streaked out of the room, dragging Em with her and going ‘Yaaaay!’

 

Very soon, Emperor Gauss, very soon we’ll meet. And then you’ll feel my wrath.

 

Not invited, as usual, Whutty thought, watching through the window as the gang headed out of the royal quarters to celebrate. In truth, he’d been hiding ever since he arrived here. He didn’t feel inclined to go back to Gamezoha just yet, and besides, his father had warned him Wilhelm was thinking of moving here.

 

He had his feet up on the desk and was reading something he’d found lying around on Mathlar. It was called ‘Cthulhu Unbound: How to Defeat the Hordes of Pure Evil With One National Guard Division.’ It was excellent reading, very depressing.

 

A bleep warned him that he’d received two E-Mails, one from Chromelips (full of love and other disgusting things) and one in House Sphexoren code, nonetheless. Hmm.

 

Twenty-four hours later, he found himself standing in front of his grey-haired old father again, still the stern hero of the empire. This time. This time, he would pluck up the courage to ask him.

 

‘Fadher.’

 

‘Yes?’

 

‘I know.’

 

‘About what?’

 

Damn. ‘About dhe cloning.’

 

‘Oh. I suppose dhat Miriam dhing told you.’

 

‘No, actually it was..’

 

‘Well, I shall tell you the same dhing I told ‘er. We ‘ad dhis process explained to us before we undertook it. You are my son, ‘owever you were conceived. Dhe cloned egg was implanted into your modher. She gave birth to you like any odher human being. In addition, aldhough you may not ‘ave any nucleic DNA from ‘er, dhe egg dhey used was from ‘er, so all your mitochodhrial DNA comes from ‘er body. You ‘ave DNA from bodh of us, so you are our son. And we raised you as our son. Do you understand? To all intents and purposes, you are our son. I am sorry I never told you, but we dhought it was best you didn’t know.’

 

Whutty nodded. ‘I see.’

 

‘Now please stop making all dhis fuss. Our first duty is to our Emperor in dhis, ‘is time of need.’

 

 

Em found that he could, indeed fly. And it was glorious to finally become a full dragon.

 

Skai whooped joyfully on his back, and for a while he was extremely happy.

 

They returned inside and spent the rest of the day making mischief around the palace.

 

Em wasn’t sure how long he had been down in the depths of Megiddo, but he was sure in that time he’d never had so much fun, or a real friend. He was probably far too old for this sort of thing, but it didn’t really seem to matter.

 

That night, he went to sleep in the room Windsong had given him curled up in a ball of exhausted contentment.

 

Some time in the morning Skai poked him awake.

 

‘Shhh. The secret’s arrived. I’m gunna sneak down and see him. Wanna come?’

 

Em shifted into his most human-looking form. ‘Absolutely.’ Good old Skai, she always seemed to know how to cause trouble. He liked her better than her sister.

 

He got up and put some more clothes on.

 

‘This way. Don’t worry, I know all the places here. I used to be able to hide for days.’

 

Skai led him out of the royal family’s quarters and down an awful lot of corridors. At one point they passed the kitchen and stopped to steal some food before moving on, Skai smeared with juice.

 

Deep underground, they were stopped by guards.

 

‘Excuse me, this is a restricted area.’

 

‘Restricted area?’ Skai put her hands on her hips and used her most regal tone. ‘Not to me, I should hope.’

 

‘Your royal highness!’ The guard said, nearly dropping his pike. ‘I’m so sorry, of course you can pass.’ He opened the door and they stepped through.

 

‘I used to play down here.’ Skai said. ‘No-one ever came. I think it was used for keeping weapons in.’

 

Em wondered exactly how wild the princess had been allowed to run. She seemed quite unmanageable. They snuck through the darkened area, peering in doors and avoiding the gaze of people in lighted areas until they reached the end. Skai glanced around the door.

 

‘What can you see?’ Em asked.

 

‘An old man. He has a funny moustache. He’s sitting up in bed.’

 

‘I know you’re there. You might as well come out.’ Wilhelm said.

 

‘Oops. Busted.’ Skai sighed. ‘We’re in trouble.’ She stepped into the room. Em followed, keeping his head lowered so his hair partially obscured his face.

 

‘Hi!’ Skai said, uncertainly. ‘Ooh, you look sick.’

 

‘Ah. You must be the Princess Skysong.’ Wilhelm said, ignoring the rudeness. ‘I was warned you might find your way down here.’

 

‘Sorry…I just wanted to see what all the secret was about.’ Skai said. ‘Are you angry?’

 

‘Good gracious no.’ Wilhelm laughed and then suffered a fit of coughing. Once it stopped, he looked up again and saw Skai was sitting on his bed.

 

‘Vinny said you’re very sick.’ Skai said, looking up at him in awe. ‘Why don’t they give you any medicine?’

 

‘I’m afraid there’s no medicine that can help me now, young lady. I’ve been poisoned, by a bad man named Moebius.’

 

‘Hah.’ Emmanuel failed to stop a sarcastic laugh escaping his mouth.

 

Wilhelm frowned. ‘And who are you?’

 

Emmanuel lifted his head.

 

Wilhelm’s eyes widened. ‘By my grandfather’s tail… Saurin…’

 

Em nodded.

 

‘But you’re dead. I killed you myself.’ Wilhelm was white as a sheet, and when you’re a silver dragon it’s hard to get much paler.

 

Skai looked from one to the other. ‘Em’s not dead. What’s going on?’

 

Wilhelm scrutinised the dragon before him. ‘No..you’re not Saurin. Not LaPlace anyway. Some relation of his. But I thought…’

 

‘Thought you’d wiped us all out?’ Em finished his sentence for him, furious. ‘No, not quite. I am Emmanuel Saurin.’

 

Wilhelm nodded, taking this in. ‘I suppose you’ve come for revenge then?’ He drew himself up straight. ‘You almost missed your chance. I shan’t last much longer. Very well then, I won’t stop you. If anyone deserves to finish me off, it’s you.’

 

‘I want you to suffer.’ Emmanuel said, bitterly.

 

‘Well, then you may as well leave me alive.’ Wilhelm shrugged. ‘I am in excrutiating pain, and it’s getting worse by the day.’

 

‘Good.’

 

‘Em!’ Skai waved at him. ‘I’m still here, y’know. What are you talking about?’

 

‘Take a good look at him, Skai. That’s what a murderer looks like. He killed my parents.’

 

Skai’s eyes widened and she backed away, sliding across and off the bed.

 

‘It’s true.’ Wilhelm nodded. ‘I am a murderer. There was no excuse for what I did, and now I am suffering for it as I deserve.’

 

‘What did you do?’ Skai asked.

 

Wilhelm looked at Em with hooded eyes. Em glared back.

 

‘I suppose I owe it to you to explain myself.’ Wilhelm said. ‘If you must know, your father seduced my wife. If I had loved her then I might perhaps have had some justification for what I did, but… the person I love .. well, he and I could never…’ Wilhelm looked down sadly. ‘She was a necessity. I married her in order to perform my duty to the royal line. She had not provided me with any heirs yet, so I had to go and get her back. I don’t expect either of you to understand.’

 

Skai shook her head, obviously fascinated by the story anyway.

 

‘She and your father met at a ball when they were young and fell in love. But he was quite the womaniser.’ He noticed Em getting angry at this mention of his father. ‘I’m sorry boy, but it’s the truth. He left her for one of his own kind, your mother, Pascal. I felt rather sorry for her. I didn’t personally kill her, she died in the genocide. Anyway, after a while, and I assume after you were born, he grew tired of her and came looking for his old love. By then she was married to me, she was purest-blooded silver dragon in existence, you see. She wasn’t happy with me, of course, so as soon as he asked her, she ran off with him. That started a war. Neither I nor my officials nor my people were particularly happy about me being cuckolded. And we tend not to do wars by halves. Your entire race was eradicated, down to the last one. But it seems we missed you.’

 

‘My mother gave me to the Wendauerians for safe keeping.’

 

‘I shan’t speak ill of my hosts for what they may have done in the past.’ Wilhelm said. ‘Once I found your father and my wife, I killed him with my own hands, so furious was I. She wept and begged for his life, but she had betrayed me. I see now how wrong I was.’ He looked up at the ceiling. ‘I overreacted. I should have just gone and persuaded her to come back. All those people did not need to die, and nor did she. I dragged her back with me, and she gave me heirs in time, but she was never the same. She died after Wernher was born. Of grief.’

 

‘That’s so sad.’ Skai said, wiping her eyes. ‘And you’re really really mean.’

 

‘Believe me, Princess, I don’t need you to tell me that.’ Wilhelm chuckled. ‘Take my advice. People will suffer if you take them away from the people they love. It is not worth it. Don’t do it. So. Emmanuel, was it? Are you still bent on revenge?’

 

Em stared at him. I was so close…so close to being as bad as him. I would have killed Windsong so I could have Vinny. I don’t deserve him. I’m a hypocrite, a terrible person. He and I, we’re no different.

 

He shook his head. ‘You’re dying. That’s enough for me.’

 

‘Thank you. I would hate to bleed all over this bed, as it does not belong to me. Now, I am sure someone upstairs is missing that young lady, so if I were you, I should return her to her family.’

 

‘C’mon Skai.’ Em said, holding out a hand. Skai slid off the bed and took it.

 

Em turned to Wilhelm. ‘I think..I understand why you did it. And I forgive you.’

 

‘That helps a little.’ Wilhelm said, and then was struck by another bout of coughing. ‘Go on. Before someone finds you here.’

 

So they left.

 

Oscar was reading the datadump in the J-Train’s memory banks.

 

‘Find any mentions of Sylvia, please.’

 

‘Your wish is my command, boss.’ The J-Train said. ‘302 entries found.’

 

Josephus must have thought about her a lot. ‘The latest.’

 

It was dated 2550, about twelve years ago. Oscar began to read.

 

‘I cannot stand the sight of Sylvia any more. She constantly ridicules my work, telling me it is dangerous and improperly thought out. I shall go somewhere where she cannot find me. I will be sad to leave her, but in the last few years she has become strange, obsessed with her ‘mission’. My calculations are going well, but I have hit a barrier in the..’

 

So, I wasn’t still engaged to her. Okay, that makes me feel a little better. ‘Now bring up all entries with mentions of Project Tetrahedral Righteousness’.

 

‘They’re all locked out, Boss. There’s just some weird message.’

 

‘What is it?’

 

‘It’s from some ancient sumerian holy book. It says: The shem is death to mankind. The path to heaven must not be walked.’

 

‘Damn.’

 

‘Yeah, bummer.’

 

 

When Gauss arrived on Erendauer, Nicolette was waiting for him.

 

‘Hello, my dear.’ He said, kissing her on the cheek. ‘Have you enjoyed yourself?’

 

‘Oh yes.’ Nicolette replied, a wry smile on her face. ‘Immensely.’

 

‘Wonderful. Now, what did Vinny want to talk to me about that was so urgent?’

 

‘I think we’d all like to know that.’ Nike said, behind him. She was stunningly dressed as usual, in a black catsuit that showed off her every curve. Gauss wondered who she was trying to impress. Vinny, he suspected, and probably Windsong as well.

 

He sighed. ‘Hello, Nike.’

 

‘Not that I’m not delighted to come when called like some sort of puppy.’ Nike smiled. ‘But I was about to have a manicure. And apparently they’ve named a crepe or something after me in the Gamdoha bakeries and want me to try one.’

 

‘Well, I’m glad you could take time out of your busy schedule.’ Gauss snapped. ‘By the way, is that a little extra weight I see around your hips?’

 

‘Of course not.’ Nike snapped back. ‘That was low, Wernher.’

 

‘Oh, stop bickering.’ Nicolette said, good-naturedly, and led Gauss into the audience chamber. Had Nike really just lost her temper with him?

 

Vinny and Windsong sat at the end of a hastily set up table. Skai and Emmanuel sat nearby. Emmanuel looked at Nike and Gauss strangely, pityingly. Jake sat on the other side, leaning on his hands. He looked depressed.

 

‘What’s this?’ Gauss asked, sitting down. ‘I feel as if I’m having an interview.’

 

Nike sat down on one side of him without a word, and Nicolette on the other.

 

‘It’s about your dad.’ Vinny said, solemnly.

 

‘He’s dead.’ Nike said. ‘Good riddance, if you ask me.’

 

‘He’s not.’ Gauss said. ‘Sorry, did I forget to tell you?’

 

‘I hardly think it matters.’ Nike replied. She had produced a nailfile out of nowhere and was picking at her nails with it, trying to appear nonchalant. ‘He’s not trying to take his empire back from me anyway.’

 

‘Damnit, you three are as bad as each other.’ Jake sighed.

 

‘Who’s that.’ Nike asked, snappily. ‘Let me guess, your sire, eh Wild Thing. You smell the same.’

 

‘Nike.’ Vinny said, starting to get annoyed. ‘Your dad is dying, like…soon, any minute now, and he wants to see both of you before he goes.’

 

Gauss stood up. ‘Why didn’t you tell me! Where is he?’

 

Nike yawned. ’Twenty-five years of ignoring me completely and now he wants to be mushy and reconciliatory. Well you’ll forgive me if I don’t get all enthusiastic.’

 

‘Just try to be nice for a short while, okay, Nike?’ Vinny said, nearing the very edge of his patience. Windsong was grinning, amused.

 

‘You’re right.’ Em said, looking at Jake. ‘These silver dragons are all as bad as each other.’

 

‘And who are you?’ Nike snapped. The nailfile quivered in the table next to Em’s hand. He didn’t flinch.

 

‘I’m the one whose entire race your father eradicated.’ He said. ‘At least he just neglected you.’

 

Nike said nothing.

 

‘You’re a black dragon?’ Gauss said, disbelievingly.

 

‘The last of them, yes.’

 

‘Well..today is full of surprises.’

 

Jake stood up and thumped a fist on the table. ‘Everybody shaddup. We’re going down to see Will now and I don’t wanna hear any arguing.’

 

Wilhelm was even paler now, if that were possible, and his breathing was laboured, but he smiled to see Nike and Gauss. Everyone else stayed back. Gauss knelt by his bedside and took his hand. Nike stayed back, arms folded.

 

‘Father, we’re here now, see.’ Gauss said. ‘It’s all right, me and Nike are here.’

 

‘Oh yes.’ Nike said. Here to make sure you die properly this time. ‘We’re here all right.’

 

Wilhelm struggled to an upright position. Little of his regal bearing remained now. He wheezed ‘I wanted to tell you both…I’m sorry I couldn’t have been a better father to you.’

 

‘It’s all right, father, I understand.’ He turned to Nike and glared at her until she too knelt down and took their father’s hand.

 

‘I could never make it up to you, I know. But I didn’t want to die with you thinking I don’t care for you.’

 

‘Please. If you want to go, just go.’ Gauss said, holding back tears. ‘Don’t stay here suffering because of us.’

 

Nike suppressed the urge to say something nasty about him never bothering to do anything because of them.

 

Wilhelm smiled. ‘My children. I was wrong. You are worthy of the empire. It will be safe in your hands.’ Then he closed his eyes and passed away.

 

‘Father? Father?’

 

‘Goodbye, Will.’ Jake whispered. ‘Nice knowing ya.’ Em closed his eyes. Honour was satisfied, his family avenged. Skai sniffled and Windsong leaned against Vinny. Nicolette rested her hand on Gauss’ shoulder. He stood up and let go of Wilhelm’s limp hand, which was already going cold, and embraced Nicolette, who held him tightly.

 

Lysander and Ricardus Whutty von Sphexoren saluted a farewell.

 

Nike remained, holding onto the hand and staring at her father’s dead body. She stood up as well, and turned to Vinny and Windsong.

 

‘Thank you for contacting me.’ She said, and walked away.

 

‘Nike, wait.’ Vinny called after her. ‘Do you gotta go so soon? I mean, I think Gauss could do with you being here.’

 

Nike carried on walking.

 

‘We should leave her alone.’ Windsong suggested.

 

‘Ok.’ Vinny replied, uncertainly.

 

That night, after a very solemn dinner that Nike did not attend, everyone retired early out of respect for the dead. Lysander informed them he was taking the body to the ancestral tomb, to prepare it for a proper traditional Gamezohan funeral. Whutty announced he was going too. He looked quite happy for once, probably because of the mourning atmosphere. Miriam, Jon, Assumpta and Oscar all expressed their condolences.

 

Vinny sat in the huge bed, thinking how lucky he was that he still had his dad. Wyn was off discussing arrangements for transport with the chamberlain.

 

There was a knock at the door.

 

‘Come in.’

 

Nike slid through the door, glancing around.

 

‘Nike?’ Vinny blinked. ‘How come you didn’t come to dinner?’ Damn, she smelt good, and looked good too. She didn’t even look like she’d been crying, though he could tell she had from her eyes. It really was that time of the month.

 

‘I wasn’t hungry. I have to watch my figure.’ She said, sitting down on the bed.

 

‘Hah, I wouldn’t worry about that.’ Vinny said, offhand. ‘Not with the baby and all.’

 

Nike was suddenly hostile. ‘What?? What do you mean?’

 

‘You can’t tell me you didn’t know.’ Vinny laughed.

 

‘You can’t tell anyone! Especially not Wernher.’

 

‘If it bothers you so much, why don’t you…y’know..get rid of it?’

 

‘I don’t know.’

 

Vinny was surprised at this new Nike. He guessed it must be the hormones, but she seemed different. That aura of self-assured sociopathy had faded away. She smelt frightened, which was amazing. He even wondered if it wasn’t really Nike, but someone posing as her, though he couldn’t work out why. ‘Who’s the father, if ya don’t mind me asking?’

 

‘Joel. You must have worked that out from the boy we saw at the wedding.’

 

‘Joel? Jesus Christ, Nike. That’s just…ewww…’ Vinny shivered. ‘I don’t even wanna think about you and Joel together.’

 

‘Why, does it turn you on?’ She grinned.

 

Now that was more like the old Nike. Maybe she was feeling better. ‘Nah.’ He grinned back. She shuffled closer to him, and he was reminded uncomfortably of Lady Mellona.

 

‘Nike, I think you don’t wanna do that. I think you’re a little screwed up by your dad dying and may be about to do something you might regret.’

 

‘Don’t flatter yourself.’ She snapped. ‘Do you think you’re god’s gift to women just because you have a few pheromones?’

 

That rankled, and he felt like taking a little revenge. ‘Why are you so scared, Nike?’

 

She stopped dead, eyes wide, and then whispered. ‘Damn your nose.’

 

‘I understand if you don’t want to tell me.’

 

Suddenly, to Vinny’s complete astonishment, she burst into tears.

 

‘Damnit, who are you and what have you done with Nike?’ He said.

 

‘It’s not funny!’ Nike sobbed. ‘I’m pregnant and I’ve got an empire to rule, and they’re going to torture me and my baby and my father’s dead and he did love me after all and now he’s dead and I don’t know what to do. I don’t know what to do!’

 

Vinny reluctantly gave her a hug, hoping she didn’t get any ideas. She cried into his shoulder.

 

‘Who’s gonna torture you? I won’t let ‘em?’

 

‘You won’t?’

 

‘No way.’

 

‘Oh there’s nothing you can do. No-one can stop Takako from doing whatever she wants.’

 

‘Why don’t you just kill her?’

 

‘She taught me everything I know.’

 

‘Oh God, I hope I never meet her.’ Vinny gulped. Nike just sobbed some more. ‘Look, you’re an empress, you can do anything. Just get your people to guard you night and day.’

 

‘Won’t help.’

 

‘Get a body double then.’

 

‘She’ll know.’

 

‘Then just lock yourself in a room and don’t come out till she’s dead. You dragons live for ages, right?’

 

‘That might work.’

 

‘I was kidding.’

 

There was a knock on the door and it had been opened before Vinny could say ‘don’t come in’.

 

Luckily it was Gauss. He walked into the room and regarded them both.

 

‘Vinny, I…. Oh-ho, what’s this then… Something Windsong might want to know about?’

 

‘Gauss, it’s not what it looks like.’

 

‘It looks like my dear sister is already up to her old tricks. Have you no respect for the dead?’

 

‘Gauss..’ Vinny began.

 

‘No, of course you don’t, you don’t have any respect for anyone or anything.’

 

Nike hid her face.

 

‘Gauss, what are you doing here?’

 

Gauss stopped. ‘I wanted to…talk..to you.’

 

‘About what?’

 

‘Nothing.’

 

‘Oh well, I guess you won’t mind leaving then.’ Vinny snapped.

 

‘I…’

 

Vinny spun around and grabbed Nike, and held her out in front of him at Gauss. She was so astonished, she didn’t even kill him. ‘Look at your sister, Gauss. Look at her. She’s upset. Your dad just died. And she had to come to ME because she didn’t want you to see her cry. And I bet that’s why you’re here too, isn’t it? Because you can’t let Nicky see you upset. This, this shit is why you ended up thinking your dad never loved you, why you bitch at each other whenever you meet. Your dad is dead and you won’t even talk to each other about it. Quit it. You’re not in Gamezoha now. You’re here, and you’re brother and sister. Your sister is scared, Gauss. She’s pregnant and some people want to do bad stuff to her and she’s scared.’

 

‘Vinny.’ Nike said. ‘Would you stop shaking me please.’

 

‘Sorry.’

 

‘Well is it any wonder I’m angry?’ Gauss shouted. ‘You saw the way she was with father. She wouldn’t even talk to him!’

 

‘How was I supposed to react? I thought he was dead, then suddenly he isn’t. I’d got over it. I could have hated him for the rest of my life in peace and then he had to go and die again and tell me he was sorry…’ She broke into sobs again.

 

‘Hold your sister, Gauss.’ Vinny said, glaring daggers at the dragon, who reluctantly took Nike into his arms. Vinny folded his own arms, satisfied.

 

‘Nike..it’s all right. I’m here.’ He said, tentatively.

 

‘I know that, stupid.’ She pulled away and wiped her eyes. Vinny chuckled. ‘And if you ever do anything like that again, Vinny, I swear I will wind out your intestines on a stick.’

 

‘Yeah yeah.’ Vinny said, jumping onto the bed and lying back with his arms behind his head. ‘Are you two staying then or do you want to be alone tonight?’

 

‘I do have a perfectly good wife, you know.’ Gauss said, sitting down on the bed.

 

‘Yeah, me too.’ Vinny replied, pointedly, looking at Nike, who had the decency to be embarrassed.

 

‘I’d rather not be alone.’ She said.

 

Later that evening, Windsong found the three of them fast asleep. At first she frowned, confused. She noted the tears drying on Nike’s face and smiled. Vinny always seemed to bring out the best in people. She carefully snuck in between Gauss and Vinny and laid her head on Vinny’s chest. One of Vinny’s eyes opened slightly and he smiled. Then it closed again.

 

 

Nevin sat on a packing case by the torn up corpses of Klot and Kara, waiting. Gradually, glittering silver motes repaired them.

 

Klot sat up.

 

‘That. Really. Hurt.’

 

‘Ugh.’ Kara said. ‘I think that other man did something horrible to the hole after he tore my stomach out.

 

Nevin whistled.

 

‘And why are you still in one piece?’ Klot demanded.

 

‘I’m faster than you, Bozo.’ Nevin replied, grinning. ‘They couldn’t catch me.’

 

‘You ran away?? I’ve had it up to here with you.’ Klot said. ‘You have no respect.’

 

Nevin just sat there, grinning.

 

‘We can trust you, can’t we Nevin?’ Kara asked. ‘Please, take DAMOCLES into yourself. Prove to father that you’re with us.’

 

‘I told you. I’m in it for the blood. Not for DAMOCLES or order or anything like that.’ Nevin replied, dangling his long legs off the side of the case and swinging them back and forth.

 

‘See, he’s only looking after himself.’ Klot said. ‘I knew it.’

 

‘Absolutely.’ Nevin nodded.

 

‘Get out!’

 

‘Father, please.’ Kara said. ‘I don’t want him to go.’

 

‘How dare you argue with me!’ Klot said, striking her across the face. ‘You are my daughter, you will obey me. Urk.’

 

He hadn’t even seen Nevin move, but now he was behind him, with his fingers digging into Klot’s throat until it bled. Kara stared at them in horror, her hand to her bruised face.

 

‘Now you listen to me, cachu iar.’ Nevin said, in a voice like ice. ‘If you lay a hand on her again, I will open you up from gullet to gizzard and draw out your insides bit by bit. Then I’ll wait until DAMOCLES heals you up again almost all the way. And then I’ll do it again. And again. And again.’ He paused to laugh, horribly. ‘Now, since you don’t seem to want me around any more, which believe me is no skin off my nose, I’ll be off now. And you’d better hope you don’t see me again.’

 

‘How dare you.’

 

Nevin dug his fingers in deeper until he hit windpipe, then shoved Klot away, choking. Then he stalked away, angrily.

 

Kara ran after him.

 

‘Where are you going?’

 

‘Wherever I like.’ Nevin replied, still walking.

 

She glanced back at her father. How different he was now from the man she had once worshipped.

 

‘I’m coming with you.’

 

‘Suit yourself.’ Nevin said. But he was grinning now.

 

 

Aris reached Erendauer some time after Wilhelm’s death.

 

-Did you get it sorted out? David asked.

 

-I think I got part way. Aris said, unsure.

 

David nodded.

 

-Are we going to kill the queen now? He asked.

 

Aris laid a hand on David’s shoulder.

 

–No. I’m leaving SURTR.

 

-What? I can’t believe you’re selling out to the man. You shlameel!

 

-How is not wanting to kill Skysong’s sister selling out to the man? Aris asked. There’s something more than that going on. I think something’s happened in SURTR. They’re not getting rid of corrupt officials anymore. I think Samael has control now.

 

-I’m not sure. David said. But you’re usually right, Rizzy. What do we do if we leave?

 

-I think we should join the good guys. Vinny and all. They’re the only ones who seem to be fighting for peace, the only ones who seem to care about anything but themselves.

 

David nodded.

 

I need to let them know what we did to them, what we were part of. I need to make it straight. For Alia and Amaya.

 

 

‘Everyone seems so sad.’ Oscar said. He was walking out in the city with Assumpta on his arm. ‘But out here, people are still celebrating the marriage.’

 

Assumpta nodded. ‘Did you know Emperor Gauss at all?’

 

‘No, I never met him. I was with you when Vinny and Gauss..sorry, Wernher Gauss were on Mathlar.’

 

‘At least he died with his children and friends around him.’ Assumpta said. ‘May the Lord have mercy on his soul.’

 

Oscar nodded, and hoped the Lord would indeed have mercy on his soul.

 

‘OSCAR!! I knew you’d be wherever that fuzzy bastard was. They couldn’t hide you from me for long!’

 

Oh God, no, no, not while Assumpta was with him. Oscar didn’t dare to turn around, though he knew who was behind him. Assumpta, however, did.

 

‘Who’s this, Oscar? You got a ladyfriend? Don’t you remember what I told you?’

 

Oscar turned around, slowly and regarded Joel.

 

‘I know Joel.’ He said. ‘I know who we are. I found Josephus’ lab.’

 

Joel’s face clouded over. ‘Oh well, it was gunna happen sooner or later.’ He shrugged. ‘I hope you don’t think this changes anything.’

 

‘Get gone, demon!’ Assumpta yelled at him, drawing her sword. ‘I know who ye are, and I’ll not let ye lay a hand on Oscar.’

 

‘Assumpta, you don’t have to..’

 

‘Who the hell do you think you are, lady?’ Joel yelled. He seemed incapable of talking normally. 'This is between me and Oscar, it always has been.’

 

‘Joel, I don’t want to hurt you.’ Oscar yelled. ‘Can’t we talk?’

 

‘Well, I do want to hurt you, you stupid fuck.’ Joel said, a green fireball appearing in his hand. ‘When will you learn?’ He threw it.

 

Assumpta crossed herself and said the Hail Mary in Gaelic to focus her mind, channelling the power of the Lord. The fireball bounced off a shield of white light, which dissipated, burnt up.

 

‘You interfering bitch!’ Joel hurled another fireball, which Assumpta dodged and attacked.

 

Oscar watched in awe. He had forgotten that Assumpta was a warrior nun. However, Assumpta couldn’t stand up to Joel’s attacks for long, plus Joel could fly and she couldn’t. He had to do something. He drew his sword from no-where and let his coat fall to the floor, opening his wings and flying up to meet Joel, who was hovering, hurling fireballs and calling Assumpta names. Oscar began the attack, and Assumpta, seeing that Joel was now occupied, began to sing.

 

’High King of Heaven, O Heaven’s Bright Sun,

 

Grant me thy joys, after victory won.

 

Great Heart of my Own Heart, whatever befall,

 

Oh be thou my vision, O ruler of all!’

 

Oscar felt himself filled with the light of God, and the love of Assumpta, the empty space inside him flooding with power and joy. He heard the angelic voices singing to him again and he dived on Joel swinging his sword, flaming white now.

 

Joel saw the look of fervour in Oscar’s eyes and felt real fear. He put his arms up to protect himself.

 

The blow did not come. He opened his eyes.

 

Oscar, shining and angelic, gazed at him.

 

‘I won’t kill you, Joel. We’re two halves of the same person. I can’t live without you, remember.’

 

‘You….you…I’ll get you! She can’t always be around to help you!’ Joel yelled, before vanishing into thin air. Oscar landed next to Assumpta, who stopped praying. The power drained out of him, and he fell to his knees, weak and hollow inside again.

 

Assumpta lifted his head, checking to see if he was okay.

 

‘Assumpta. Thank you.’

 

‘Call me Dearbhaíl. It’s me name, after all.’

 

 

‘Are we all here?’ Vinny asked. ‘Ok. Meeting one of the Coalition is now in progress.’

 

‘The coalition for what?’ De Sartoreus asked.

 

‘The coalition for kicking the shit outta Moebius.’ Vinny said.

 

‘He’s a simple man is our Vinny.’ Gauss grinned. ‘Point and dismember.’

 

Windsong and Nike laughed. Maximille sighed. Jon covered his face. Miriam remained indifferent.

 

‘Excuse me, your highness, I apologise for interrupting, but there is someone to see you.’ The Chamberlain appeared and bobbed up and down apologetically like a woodpecker.

 

‘Send him in.’ Vinny shrugged. ‘Let’s make it quick.’

 

Syne walked in, with a briefcase under one arm. Maximille started. Syne looked at him as if they’d never met before.

 

‘You look like a lawyer.’ Vinny said, suspiciously. ‘I don’t _like_ lawyers.’

 

‘Well, I’m not that keen on jumped-up Private Investigators.’ Syne replied, cooly.

 

‘Try not to say anything that will provoke a lawsuit, Vinny.’ Gauss sighed. ‘What did you want to see us about, Mr…Syne?’

 

‘I have information.’

 

‘For a price, of course.’

 

‘For free. Let us say, we share certain goals.’

 

‘Talk straight, for shit’s sake.’ Vinny complained.

 

‘Vinny. He’s a lawyer.’ Windsong pointed out.

 

‘Oh yeah. Sorry. Go on.’

 

‘We both want Moebius to fail.’

 

‘Damn straight!’ Vinny thumped the table. ‘Whatcha got?’

 

‘Well, your majesties, your grace, your imperial highness, sirs. I should like to tell you..’

 

At that point Oscar walked in. ‘What’s going on? Someone said I was wanted here?’

 

‘Ah, Dr de Viaminima, just in time. Do sit down.’ Syne smiled.

 

‘I’m not…’

 

‘Shh. As I was saying. I should like to tell you…’ He opened his briefcase. ‘About Project Tetrahedral Righteousness, otherwise known as The Rocket.’

 

‘We’re listening.’ Said Vinny

---

 

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