Pendrake pointed his sword. “Stop that man!”
The chairman of the Federal Reserve turned slowly. He spoke with great dignity. “There’s no national television. The satellite feed must have been cut off by now. What we’ve done, Mr. Pendrake, was meant to preserve the nation from terrorists like you. At least, that is the story we will allow the press to publish. You would be amazed at how fawningly the press plays up to us. Or perhaps you won’t be. You won’t be around to see it.”
The speaker of the House and the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee both stood up. One of them said, “Aye. I reckon there’s none but loyal lads in this here room by now, right, lads?”
Raven shouted, “Wendy! They’re …”
She said in a cross voice, “I know! I know!”
Roughly a quarter of the congressmen, and all of the cabinet, fell down, shed their skins, and flopped helplessly in the aisles, or were caught painfully atop the arms or backs of seats.
The sight seemed to improve Wendy’s mood. She fluttered down out of midair, and hung near Raven. “Well! That explains a lot about politics I didn’t understand! Aren’t they sort of cute?”
Raven snorted. “I make you rug of some of them, eh?”
Pendrake stood at the podium, looking back at forth at the squirming mass of seals who now filled the chamber, rolling underfoot and nipping at the ankles of those who were human. There were several minutes of chaotic noise.
Pendrake said sharply to his daughter, “Gwen, hush! Those men were killed and flayed and replaced; members of their family and staff as well, no doubt. They died in the service of this country no less than any soldier. Don’t make light of this!”
The number of seals astonished him. So many people had been killed, so much of the government had been taken over, without any word or alarm given.
Pendrake was further disconcerted when he saw that the chairman of the Federal Reserve was, in fact, a man.
Raven whistled for silence, and a thunderclap followed that whistle, shattering glass overhead.
Raven said, “Quiet! I want to hear Pendrake talk!”
Wendy flourished her wand; and perhaps she was hoping she could make people realize when they heard the truth.
Pendrake stared up at the camera. “I address my words to my fellow free men of America. Your government has fallen into the hands of a corrupt group of criminals. Their ringleaders were not even human beings, but horrible imposters. These creatures possessed a parapsychological science far in advance of ours, so far in advance that we might as well call it magic. By that magic, they established a beachhead on earth and landed troops in such numbers and armed with such weapons that they certainly would have conquered the earth, with ease, had not I, and a group of private citizens acting with me, directed an atomic weapon at the enemy location in the Pacific. No act of aggression against any nation of the Earth has been intended or has been performed. The operation was concluded successfully; the enemy has withdrawn. Withdrawn, I say, not destroyed. We must be eternally vigilant against their return.
“We must be eternally vigilant as well against those domestic enemies who seek to undermine our freedoms and establish, by slow corruption, a tyranny over our lives. Arm yourselves, my fellow free men; do not obey any order that infringes on your rights to free speech, free assembly, free press; do not permit any searches without warrant of your property.
“Finally, to all members of the armed forces operating within the boundaries of the United States! You are in violation of the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878, and you may not carry out any operation of police powers on domestic soil. Your President and Commander in Chief has just resigned; the Secretaries of State and of Defense were imposters disguised as human beings. The Speaker of the House is now your Commander in Chief. In a few moments, he will address you and give you the order to report back to your posts.” Pendrake turned his gaze, hawklike, toward the Speaker: this man stood, a horrified look on his face, barking seals to his left and right. On the floor, beneath the bellies of the seals, he was staring at the limp and distorted skin. Here were the dead faces of his friends, coworkers, and comrades. He brought his eyes up and nodded to Pendrake.
Pendrake continued: “To the gentlemen and ladies of the Congress: those of you who were not selkie imposters must have been helping the conspirators. These treasonous acts were far too blatant, far too widespread, for you to have been in ignorance of them. Yet none of you warned the American public about this monstrous conspiracy to seize and destroy their liberties; indeed, you cooperated in the most fawning and cowardly fashion, abusing the trust given you, and bending all your efforts to persuade your constituencies to accept their coming slavery.
“If I have correctly judged the mood of the country, those of you who do not feel honor bound to resign, will no doubt face investigation. There are lampposts in Washington enough to hang all traitors. I respectfully suggest that you call for special elections to be held immediately in your jurisdictions, before the call for a reckoning becomes immoderate.
“And, finally, to those criminals taking advantage of the civil discord to strike! Know that I soon shall have at my disposal certain magical means of discovering the perpetrators of any crime committed at any time anywhere in the world. This valuable service I intend to sell to private detective agencies and to lawful police organizations. If you do evil, I will know! You will not escape. The fruit bourn by the weed of crime is death.”
The chairman of the Federal Reserve Board was now near the second door to the chamber, almost opposite the one where Raven and Wendy stood.
Pendrake called out from the podium, ordering him to halt, and placing him under citizen’s arrest.
At this last, the chairman of the Federal Reserve turned. He said smoothly, “I’m afraid you don’t have the authority for that. I’ve done nothing, and you have no proof. Furthermore, your pretty speech went no farther than this room.”
The door behind him silently opened, and a wash of black smoke rose up from the doorframe. Three men, and then four, and then more, dressed in all black, wearing wide black hats, emerged from the black smoke and entered the chamber, coming up silently behind the chairman while he was talking. In their hands they carried double-barreled weapons of sophisticated design, able to shoot either bullets or nonlethal darts. Their eyes were hidden behind goggles.
The chairman’s two bodyguards, standing behind him, made little or no noise as they fell, darts in their necks. Black-cloaked men stepped silently into their places while the chairman was talking.
One of the men in black grabbed the chairman’s right arm; another took his left. This man brushed away his hat and goggles, revealing a stern, young face. “Citizen’s arrests are still good in this country, Mr. Chairman,” he said, “even when issued by men you tried to have Azrael destroy!”
“No …” whispered the chairman.
Pendrake asked, “Vincent! Did Titania’s people acquire the all-seeing pool while Oberon was here on Earth?”
One of the black-garbed figures doffed his hat, “All went according to plan, Mr. Pendrake.”
“Burbank! What about the pirate satellite feed?”
Another figure doffed his hat, revealing a grizzled, old man’s face, one eye squinting in mirth. “Don’t worry none about that one, boss. Every word what was said here went out on all channels!”
Another of the figures in black called out, “We’ve secured all these outer corridors; the resistance just melted away. The White House and the Treasury building are ours! We’ve won!”
The chairman snarled, writhing in the iron grip that pinned his arms. “You cannot prevail! One word from me, one word, and all the world banks will foreclose on your federal debts! This country will go bankrupt within the hour, and your paper money will be worth nothing! Nothing! It will be a worldwide depression!”
Pendrake smiled thinly, leaning forward across the podium. “Do you honestly think men like me need parasites like you to make their fortunes?�
��
Then Pendrake straightened up. He saw small windows high up, pass from dark twilight into brightest day. From outside, he heard birdsong.
Wendy cried out, “Mommy did it! Merlin let Oberon bring back the Sun! Apollo’s alive again!”
Pendrake permitted himself a grim smile. He called to his men, “Then I guess it’s time to celebrate, boys! Welcome back to the land of the living! Vincent! Make sure that weasel there doesn’t get away.”
And he strode away from the podium with a jaunty step. “Where you off to, boss?” called out one of the men.
“Go visit your wife, Shrevvy! Me? I’m going to the patent office. I’ve got a design for an infinite energy circuit I’m going to sell; and we’ll see how deep this depression will bite once there is a practically free, clean, and endless source of power on the market!”
24
The Last Guardian
I
Van Dam found Pendrake in the corridors immediately outside the congressional chamber only minutes after Pendrake’s speech. Pendrake was staring out the doors at where Virginia militiamen were disarming federal troops; and the sunlight streamed through the great doors and reflected off the marble floors to either side of him.
Van Dam walked up beside him, smiling a sort of pleading smile, and he sidled up to the edge of the door, so that he was out of the sunlight and could not be seen from outside.
“Mr. Pendrake! You can’t leave yet. There are members of the press waiting …”
Pendrake turned his head, his eyes narrowed in puzzlement. Pendrake could see that Van Dam was terribly afraid; it was not clear what he feared.
Just a moment ago, Van Dam had faced armed men and defied his superior officers without flinching. Just an hour ago, he had been aboard an aircraft carrier fighting the fallen angels of Acheron. He had not shown fear then. What did he fear now?
Pendrake asked, “Tell me what you want from me.”
Van Dam spoke in a careful tone of voice, “We want to help you. We can make certain you win the next election. After that speech, we can sell you to the American public …”
“What is it you want?”
“To help you!”
Pendrake gave him a skeptical look, and started to turn away. “Wait!” said Van Dam. “We need you! I admit we need you—to lead the country!”
Pendrake looked back. Surprise was on his features. “But why in the world should I want to?”
Van Dam said, “I’m offering you power! Absolute, unstoppable power! If you don’t want an elected position, if you don’t want to be in the public eye, we can get you an appointed position. Appointees don’t answer to anyone except to the administration, which we control. I’ve seen your charisma; this country is going to go through a long and hard period to recover from this disaster. The people need strong leadership for that period. Not many men could lead us through. Maybe only one—you.”
Pendrake drew his magic sword and held it up. “Let me explain the nature of power. Look at the wording on this blade. What does it say on this side?”
“Uh … it says ‘Take me up.’ That’s what I’m asking you to do, Mr. Pendrake. No matter who you run against, we can have the IRS investigate their tax returns near election time …”
Pendrake turned the blade over. “And on the other side?”
Van Dam stared at the letters, but did not answer.
The words said, CAST ME AWAY.
Pendrake said, “When I was in the dream universe, a spirit who looked like George Washington came and asked me if I knew who Cincinnatus was.”
Pendrake looked at Van Dam. Van Dam said, “I don’t know who that was.”
“You should read your classics. Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus was working on his small farm when the Roman Senate came and made him dictator, because their consular army had been surrounded by the enemy on Mount Algidus. He was given absolute power over one of the most powerful city-states, at that time, in the world. He led the Roman armies to victory in a single day, and then he retired back to his small farm. Not many people in history give up being dictator.
“In any case, the spirit of Washington asked me, and I said, yes, I knew who Cincinnatus was. I think he is you, sir, I said.
“He said, they wanted to make me king, some of them, did you know that?
“I said that I had studied history, yes. There had never been a form of government ever before in the world like our Constitution; and I had heard that some people were frightened, and preferred the old ways, the ways they knew. And I asked him, when they came to make you king, why didn’t you take it? The Continental Army was loyal to you.
“He had sort of a hard-bitten smile, and he stood with his hands clasped behind him. He just looked at me for time, and said nothing.
“Then he said, ‘Ben told me that an old woman found him outside of Independence Hall the day Congress voted ratification of the Constitution. She asked him, What’s it to be then, a monarchy or a republic? And Ben replied (of course, old Ben would not have told me the story if it did not contain one of his little witticisms) a Republic, madame, if you can keep it!’”
Pendrake could see the blank look of incomprehension in Van Dam’s eyes.
Pendrake said. “Let me use an example. My first act if you made me president would be to put the nation back on the gold standard and shut down the Federal Reserve system.”
“That would not be fiscally sound, Mr. Pendrake. The government needs to be able to inflate the currency to pay for its programs! Inflation allows us to destroy our public debts. Money is power, we need to control the money supply in order to control the economy.”
“We cannot let free men control their own money supply? My second act would be to repeal the Sixteenth Amendment, eliminate personal income tax, and declare April Fifteenth a national holiday.”
“That would weaken the national government considerably.”
“That’s my point.”
Van Dam said softly, “We must have a leader, a figure who can hold the country together for the duration of the emergency.”
“A figurehead, do you mean? I will not serve in that capacity. And, forgive me, what emergency? That just ended.”
“Our financial system was destroyed during the war, Mr. Pendrake! Communication networks down, the federal government halted, certain areas up in arms against us. The services of the government cannot be resumed immediately, and the international monetary fund …”
“The emergency will end once the federal government returns to its constitutionally permitted business. The state and local authorities can handle local disturbances.”
“No. We need central control. Martial law must be enforced until things are put back in order. Someone who understands the new state of things—someone who has the magic on his side—must lead us. One man.”
“Colonel Van Dam, you have missed the whole point of what’s happened, haven’t you? A warlock from our past, from the age of monarchy, slew the man he thought was our monarch, and he killed and replaced what he took to be his ministers and barons, our Congress, with his creatures. Yet, somehow, this country did not fall. And why is that?”
“Now you are being ridiculous, Mr. Pendrake! I am offering you power, power over your fellow men, and all you are talking about is how to dissolve and abolish that power. It was not the common people who saved this country, it was a hero. You, yourself, acting alone. The citizens had nothing to do with it … . Without strong leadership now, we will have anarchy …”
Pendrake now understood what Van Dam feared.
He smiled a cold smile. “So that is it. Azrael actually convinced you, did he? A dead doctrine, long ago forgotten, that one man can be anointed by supernatural mumbo jumbo to rule his ordained subjects. He told you that some men are born with spurs on their heels, and others born with saddles on their backs. Azrael told you Heaven appointed me to lead, didn’t he?”
“You’ve been leading. All I ask is that you continue. It’s your duty. The common citizens
are not able to govern themselves, not able to save this country, not able to drive back archangels. No one else has a magic sword … .”
Pendrake threw back his head and laughed. “Am I not a citizen? Am I not a common man, of rank no higher than any other? I will ask you what I was asked: ‘What’s it to be, then? A monarchy or a republic?’ I’ve already made my choice, Colonel Van Dam; and I am not tempted at all by yours. As for you, you should turn yourself in before the investigators come to arrest you for your part in this. The court may be lenient.”
Van Dam, sullen, slunk back into the shadows. Pendrake, head erect, footstep firm, walked out into the sunlight, out into the wreckage of the streets. And, everywhere he looked, he saw the opportunity to rebuild.
II
Wendy had a mischievous smile on her lips, and she tugged on Raven’s hand. “Come on! Come on! I’ve always wanted to do this!”
“Really, should not be here, in this building, I think … ,” said Raven, frowning, looking up and down the corridors.
“Oh, come on! No one is around, or almost no one.” Wendy laughed. Even as she said that, a man came out a door down the corridor, saw them, turned and fled. Wendy waved the Moly Wand toward him; he became a seal, and fell. Raven and Wendy stepped over the seal, and kept walking.
Wendy said, “Haven’t you ever been here, like on a tour or something?”
“No,” said Raven, looking around.
“Besides! Don’t get nervous! Otherwise the Storm-Princes will get loose! Here we are!”
Raven opened the door. “It looks lot bigger on TV. So this is the Oval Office, eh?”
Wendy climbed over the Presidential desk. On her hands and knees, she looked back over her shoulder at Raven, smiled languidly, and waggled her hips back and forth. “Hello there, handsome husband. How many people can say they did this?”
“Did what?”
Wendy collapsed into the President’s chair, giggled, and started unbuttoning her blouse.
“Wendy! What are you doing?” Raven moved past the desk, trying to get to the sunlit windows to close the blinds; but as he passed near the chair, Wendy’s skirt was kicked up into the air and fell over Raven’s head. During the confused moment while he was blinded, Raven found himself tackled by his wife, and pushed backward into the President’s chair.
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