Chapter Nineteen
"I have no spur To prick the sides of my intent, but only Vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself And falls on the other." - Macbeth, Act I, Scene VII
"Sister Artemis bless, I'm sorry, Macbeth." Often looked pained as she held both of my shoulders. "I should have been there. I should have helped you, helped him." Her face, which in the short time I had known her, had always been mirthful and mischivious, was tight with regret at the moment. "I never should have left you two alone in there."
It had taken me about fifteen minutes to force myself to leave Carter's body behind at the penthouse. I couldn't take him with me, and I didn't know if whatever was stopping the police from showing up and kicking the door down after the explosion of violence that had ripped through the place would last. Even in my state of grief, I knew I couldn't let myself be found next to the body of a policeman. holding the gun that had killed him. I hated myself for it, but I walked away from him, stopping in the lobby to tell the clerk that I'd heard gunshots on the top floor, then bolted when he told me to stay. Maybe it was stupid, but I wanted the other police to get there before Maisie came back. I wanted them to take Carter's body.
Once I was out of the building, it took a few minutes to cross over to the park where we were all suposed to meet up, under one of the stone bridges. There, I had found Often standing against the rock wall while keeping Nine out of sight in the shadows. From all the graffiti and the smell, the place was a favorite gang hangout. It looked like they'd been around as recently as a few minutes earlier, but now the place was empty. Often's self satisfied look and the little bit of blood that she had to flick off her knuckles as I approached didn't leave a whole lot to that mystery.
As soon as I approached, she had known something was wrong. She stopped in the middle of an insolent comment about my being faster than the middle aged cop, and then her entire body winced as I had begun to explain. It took a few minutes, because I had to stop and start as my voice broke, but eventually I told her everything about what happened to Carter.
Now, in the face of her repeated apologies, I shook my head. "You had to get Nine out of there, Oft. You had to protect her. We knew the risks. We knew what could happen." My voice cracked then. "I just--I just want to go back. I want to tell him not to go in. I want to tell him to be faster, to duck, to... I don't know." I was momentarily blinded by a wash of tears. Because our soul, the part of us that feels and cares, does not always, or even often, listen to reason and logic. I knew that I had to focus on stopping Maisie, Micky, and now Echidna. But my friend was dead, and all I wanted to do was curl into a ball and cry.
I felt Often's arms wrap tight around me, her stability allowing me to lose my own for a short time. Slumping against her, feeling all of the weight and the pressure that pressed upon me like the world upon Atlas, I stopped being the strong one for a few minutes. I lost myself and just cried. My body shook as I poured every bit of shock, outrage, fury, disbelief, horror, sorrow, and guilt out through my tears. For those few minutes, I collapsed with no strength of my own, all of it given over to the loss of Carter Tavelli. But though I collapsed, I did not fall. Because Often held me up, as all true friends will do when you are lost and cannot stand on your own. She didn't speak, didn't try to console me with platitudes or vague understandings. All she did was hold me up and let me cry against her shoulder.
At some point, another presence joined us. I felt small hands encircle my waist, and looked down to see Nine there. She looked frightened, sad, and confused. "I'm sorry about the policeman, about Mr. Tavelli." I guessed that Often had been talking to her about us. "I'm sorry. I don't know why I'm here. I think I know you. I think you're really important, but I don't know why. And I don't know why I can't go home, or why everything bad is happening. But I think I trust you. I think I know I can. So please, will you please tell me why I can't go home? Please tell me why this is happening."
As I stared down into my sister's eyes, I had no idea what to tell her. My throat caught and I flinched, trying to understand where to begin with this kind of story. Or even if I should. Would she remember on her own? Was there a chance of allowing her to live a normal life. How could I subject a child to this kind of pressure? Before I could say anything, Often spoke in a soft voice. "If we deserve anything in this life, it's the truth."
Her words made me close my eyes. She was right. It wasn't my responsibility to decide what parts of the truth Nine could and couldn't handle. It wasn't any more right to edit the world into nothing but sunshine and rainbows than it is to present an image of perpetual evil behind every corner. All I could do, in good faith, was present the world as it is, with its beauty and its terror, and show my sister why it is this world's unbelievable beauty and humankind's majesty that makes it worth standing against the very real evils that haunt it.
Keeping my eyes closed until most of my tears had passed and I could trust myself to speak once more, I finally opened them and looked to Nine again. She was a beautiful child, and I felt an immense wave of pride for her that was not something new, but a feeling from very long ago that was just beginning to be reawakened. Releasing Often's shoulders, I leaned down and put my arms around the small girl. "Oh baby. Nine. I've got a whole new world to tell you about."
I told my sister a very short version of what was happening, of what we were. The truth was, I wanted to talk to Nine for hours, just explaining to her everything that I knew, but there wasn't time. I only had one lead on where Echidna was, and no idea of what to do if and when I could even track her down. The best that I had been able to manage in top shape had been a simple delaying action. Even if I wanted to duplicate that trick and run through this whole thing again in a couple thousand years, I wouldn't know where to start. Besides, I had needed Nine's help then, and she knew even less than I did now. To have any less of an actual plan, we'd have to call Maisie up and ask her what she'd like us to do next.
Regardless, lack of information or forethought has never really stopped me from truly ridiculous moves before, and I didn't see why it should now. Before I knew the truth of my origin, of my powers, I had survived by the skin of my teeth from moment to moment. Where I had no skill, I had wits. Where I had no plan, I had perseverance. My life is an odyssey of the impossible. The bad guys can have their ultimate power, because I have something better. I have faith. Not only in a higher power than ourselves, but in my friends, in humanity. I will give this world all that I can, all that I have, in faith that if the day comes that it's not enough, someone else will hold my slack. We as a people are capable of leaving aside the weakness of flesh and form, rising into a barrier of human spirit that will turn aside all darkness and cast a light into the demon's despair so that all may see the truth of their inadequacy.
And that faith, that pure belief in the eventual triumph of humanity if everyone who can help, does help, is what made me keep moving. It's what made me keep trying, no matter how many mistakes I made. As much as I believed that I had failed, there was work to do. It wasn't time to wallow in grief, or grief disguised as self-pity. What happened to Carter Tavelli was an unforgivable tragedy, but if I allowed myself to let his death hold me, if I let grief engulf and control my soul, there would be no turning back. I would give up. And if I gave up, I'd leave three of the worst monsters the world had ever known running around free.
As we walked away from the bridge, I held Nine's hand tightly and looked toward Often. "We can't take her with us. But I can't leave her alone either. And the police are probably looking for her by now."
Squinting up at me, Nine asked innocently. "Am I kidnapped?" She sounded for all the world like she was asking if she could take the puppy for a walk, or something equally innocuous. She paused before adding with equal curiosity. "Does that mean I don't have to do math anymore?"
I shook my head. "Why wouldn't you have to do math?"
Nine gave a slight shrug. "If I'm kidnapped, all I have to do now is talk in the phone and say, 'mommy and daddy, please send a million dollars to this address. And a pizza.'. And you don't need math to do that. Or science, can I stop doing science too?" I stared at her in incredulity until a smile peeked at the corners of the girl's mouth and she giggled just a little bit. The ability of a child to bounce away from tragedy is one of great wonders of the universe.
Often's stomach growled audibly and she raised a hand. "Pizza. I like the way this girl thinks. Come on, I know just the place, and I know someone who can watch her." She nodded in response to my doubting look. "It's all right, we can trust him. He's one of the greatest warriors I've ever seen."
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"Often, just out of curiosity, how many warriors have you seen?" I asked the dryad as we stood in the front lobby of a small private pizza parlor watching a grease stained man with a shiny bald head and a pot belly hauling one of his cheese drenched pies out of the oven. "When you said we were coming to a pizza parlor to see a great warrior, I was kind of hoping for something of the teenage mutant ninja variety. Not.." I finished by ****ing my head in the man's direction while he expertly sliced the pizza into eighths and slide it down the counter to the waiting couple, the only others in the parlor. The two took their pizza and walked past us to leave through the door.
For her part, Nine immediately turned traitor on me and bolted toward the counter, commenting. "His pizza smells good!"
Shrugging, Often gave me a little push. "Trust me, she'll be safe here. Laderbie won't let anything happen to her." She raised a hand to the man and called out. "Lad!" With an easy smile, she sauntered that way. "Hey you big dumb thug." The words were said with the same kind of affection one would have when speaking kindly to a dear friend. Shaking my head, I followed the ravenous duo to the counter.
Somehow, the man did look a little more like a warrior up close. His arms were enormous, with muscles that strained the fabric of his grease stained uniform. He wasn't a young man by any means, but neither was he decrepit. The best word I could think for him was solid. The man was a tree trunk. It would take something akin to a Sherman tank to make this man budge once he set his feet, and even in that case I wouldn't want to be the poor driver of said tank.
As soon as we drew close enough, the man let out a jovial laugh and stepped around the counter. "Often!" His voice boomed dramatically, rattling the windows. "How good to see you, girl! You don't come here nearly often enough, no matter what your name says!" The large man hauled Often all the way off the ground as he wrapped his meaty arms around her in a crushing bear hug. "Aha!" He near shouted with delight, causing a few car alarms to go off down the street. "Is this her then?!"
He indicated me, and Often nodded, breathing once the man mountain finally released her. "Yeah, this is Macbeth. Mac, this is Laderbie Hunch. He's been my friend pretty much forever."
I started to put a hand out to the man, to shake, but he simply caught it and dragged me closer to give me some of the same treatment that Often got. I felt part of my spine realign as most of my breath was crushed out of me under the force of his hug. "I love what you're doing! You're a real brave girl!" I believe it was only my lack of oxygen that prevented my ear drum from manifesting the requisite legs to run away from this booming voice.
Struggling to breath, I raised my hands and awkwardly patted the man's shoulders. Finally, he released me and I sucked in air. "I--" Stopping to take in a few more breaths, I finally continued. "Can you please watch this girl, sir, and keep her safe? I know it's a lot to ask, but--"
Laderbie cut me off with a massive booming laugh. "Ha!" Somewhere, a seismograph was probably registering minor aftershocks miles away. "I know what you've done for people, girl. Asking me for help ain't no kind of imposition. It's an honor. The girl'll be safe here, I swear it."
After thanking the booming man, I glanced over to see Nine and Often already sharing a pizza that had been left on the counter. The two of them were chatting like old friends. Briefly, I considered asking if she wanted to call her parents to tell them she was all right. But she was doing okay right now, and there was no way to be sure they wouldn't find her, or that Maisie didn't have someone spying on them, ready to snatch the girl up. I promised myself I'd get Nine back to her parents somehow, and stepped over to her. "Hey, sweetie, Often and I have to go, okay? You'll be safe here, just do what Mr. Hunch says."
Nine swallowed the food she was chewing and reached out, smearing a bit of the red sauce on my cheek. "Be careful, Macbeth. They're really bad people." Her voice was solemn, much more so than the average young girl's. "Very bad." A moment after this, she smiled, just as almost any child would when seated before all this pizza. "You should eat something first!" Her hand took one of the slices from the tray, and then Often slipped a napkin around it before passing it to me.
"Uhh, before you go..." The large, loud man was slightly quieter now. He picked up a remote for the television in the corner and turned it on. All of us turned to see a reporter outside the same Taco Bell where Emily had held us hostage. At first I didn't understand why we were watching this, and then Laderbie turned the volume up.
On screen, the reporter at the restaurant continued solemnly. "Although authorities have not released the name of the girl whom witnesses claim was shot and miraculously healed, or her family, a few of the others who lived through this ordeal were willing to speak with us." The scene then cut through several of the people from the restaurant, all claiming that the little girl had been shot, was bleeding all over the floor, was dying until a young woman put her hands on her and saved her. My description varied by each person. Most were close, a couple right on, and a couple others were so far off I wondered briefly if I had been wearing some kind of disguise without realizing it.
After intercutting the various interviews together to get the full effect, the reporter on scene was back. "Mass hallucination, or actual miraculous event? Will we ever know what really happened inside?" He gestured grandly back toward the restaurant. "If this person is real, will we ever see her again? I'm Jim Walters saying, I hope so."
Laderbie cut the tv off just as the anchor at the station reported that they were going back to speak with the parents of the missing local girl. I cast a glance toward Nine, who was happily eating her food while drawing something on the back of a paper take-out menu. Whatever it took, I had to get her back to her parents. I had to make it safe for her to go home.
"Great." I said softly. "At least they don't have a full description of me. But once they calm people down and sort out their stories, this is going to be complicated."
Often snorted and shrugged. "Babe, you're not exactly the only young petite blonde with a pony tail in the world. Besides, if you want to go incognito, you could always change your hair color. I'm thinking sky blue for you. Or violet!"
I blanched and held up my hands, still holding the pizza slice. "No no, I'm good. It's okay. I like my hair just the way it is, thank you." I thanked Laderbie once more and hugged Nine, making her promise to do what the man said, and then Often and I left the small restaurant. We had work to do.
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By the time the two of us arrived at the steps to the house that I had seen in my vision, I knew it was too late. The house was quiet and dark. The front door stood open, inviting toward the shadow draped interior. It could easily be a trap, and we'd be stupid to just walk inside. Common sense said to stay the hell away from that house. I glanced toward Often and then started to the door anyway. If I'd had any common sense left, I'd still be in school.
Often followed close behind, and we carefully stepped into the house. It looked just like I remembered, minus all the people. The place was void as void of life now as it had been of morality and purity earlier. A heavy silence hung in the air, and I felt the fear that permeated the house like a tangible web.
We had only gone a few steps inside when a voice spoke up from the nearby kitchen. "Hello, Miss Bethy." Maisie sat at the kitchen table, with a cup of coffee beside her. "I've been waiting for you. You took long enough."
"Correction, we've been waiting for you." From within the kitchen, Echidna stepped into view and stopped beside the other woman. "We have a lot to talk about, little girl. Where is the third one of you?"
Trying not to flinch, I straightened and replied with forced casualness. "She had a lot of homework, so I didn't let her come out and play."
Frowning at that, Echidna pointed to me. "I want that girl. I need all three of you. You'll tell me where she is." Her pronouncement was as certain as a man predicting heat in an Arizona summer. "Don't let them leave." The last sentence confused me until I looked around to see shadowy forms gathered around the doorways of the living room where we stood, cutting off any retreat. I couldn't see the forms very well, but I could tell that they were all changed, all different like the first man that I had seen altered by Echidna. They were monsters.
Refusing to show how vulnerable I knew we were, I looked back to Echidna. "If you've got a message for my sister, I'll be glad to pass it along to her."
The mother of monsters smiled with Emily's face. "Sure. You pass her a message. You tell her that I am going to take all three of the Moirai, and absorb you. Your power and strength will be mine, and when I'm done, the power of Fate, the thread of the universe itself, will be my toy. I am as a god now, and with the power of Fate, I will be as beyond them as humankind is beyond common swamp slugs."
Maisie was on her feet, turning toward the other woman. "No. We had a deal. We made our deal eons ago. I help you, and nothing happens to me. I keep my body."
Turning a sweet smile to the deceptively older looking woman, Echidna replied casually. "Honey, I hate to spoil the surprise, but I'm a liar." Her hand shot out and caught Maisie by the forehead, while her other hand stopped the woman's wrist in midpoint, preventing her from trying to use her power. "Let's just say, I think it's your turn to be on the inside for awhile."
Maisie screamed, and I felt her spirit leave her body and enter the other woman. I felt Echidna's surge of power, and of triumph. She chuckled with dark delight. "I feel it! The power of destiny! The power of Fate! The End of life! Death fills my form!" Her laugh filled the air and haunted my soul. The Mother of Monsters had taken one third of the hand of Fate, and if it had been impossible to stop her before, we now had no chance at all.
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The answer to the last scramble was: aeneshocmsdiasirbib a = Echidna absorbs Maisie
Next word scramble is rscoidonesiteyd - Three words
