"Seignos has spoken again," said another voice in the crowd, for the king of the deities was also the master of fire.
When Kanditu thought about the events later, he saw this moment as the tipping point, when the fear of the Church Police which had prevailed until then turned into anger. It wasn’t just a ceramic jar that had exploded, it was the belief that the Church was an all-powerful instrument of the deities’ will. It was the birth of a revolutionary idea, that mortals had a role to play in their destiny, that they could fight for their freedom, that the deities were on their side, not on the side of Alphonsius and the paters.
The sergeant yelled an order, pointing at Kanditu, and the squad ran towards him.
"Blast them!" screamed someone in the crowd.
People watched Kanditu, expecting him to use his fire-power again, but he couldn't bring himself to light another jar.
As the policemen came closer, twenty men spontaneously charged and overpowered them.
Some paters who were amongst the crowd fled, others removed their hoods and knelt, begging for forgiveness.
"If you don't want to give 'em their due, we will!" said the man who had asked Kanditu to blast the policemen.
"That's right, let's lynch 'em," said another man. "That's all they deserve for what they've done to us."
"Stop!" said Kanditu. "Let's not replace the reign of terror of the Church Police by another reign of terror. We are better than them. Today Alphonsius, the man who created the Church Police as an instrument of his tyranny, has met his fate, so let his creation be gone with him. Forgive those in the Church Police who repent, and exile the others to Chtiqipux until they see the error of their ways."
"You speak wise words, but what is your name?"
"Kanditu."
"Long live Kanditu, our savior!"
"But wait, I'm not your savior. I'm with them," said Kanditu pointing to the other Theorakins. "We were blessed by the deities who gave us their powers so we could accomplish their will."
His words were drowned by the cheers of the assembly. Nothing he could say could change their minds. They had been oppressed by Alphonsius and the Church Police, and Kanditu was the man, some said a demi-deity, who had liberated them. He let a pater hoist him on his shoulders, and together with the other Theorakins and the men who had stopped the policemen, they paraded the streets of Nivatach. Flowers, food and jewels that were destined for Seignos were given to Kanditu's entourage. He scanned the crowd for Sanlesoo, hoping he hadn't been in the church of Seignos when it was swallowed by the earth, but as he found later, his friend hadn't survived.
When night fell, Kanditu's carrier set him down. Wanting to escape from the singing and dancing throngs which had filled the streets to celebrate the downfall of Alphonsius and the Church Police, Kanditu and the other Theorakins turned into a quiet alley and stopped at a courtyard. Kanditu hugged his friends, and the man he'd never seen before introduced himself as Jaasvalt of Tellura, deity of the Earth. He had been living on Tregaloch Island in reclusion, because there was no demand for his gift of mastering earthquakes and volcanoes, apart from those who wanted revenge on their enemies. After Kanditu left, Bodinsel asked him to use his gift to eliminate Alphonsius, and overcame his reluctance by telling him he would have Kanditu's death and the continued oppression of the people on his conscience if he didn't act. Bodinsel knew Kanditu's plan was doomed to fail. Killing Alphonsius wasn't enough: a sign that Seignos was angry at him was needed to convince the paters and the policemen of that. He also knew there would be casualties, but it was the price to pay to stop the will of the deities from being flouted, so he asked them for forgiveness.
"Tomorrow you need to make a speech about the future of the Church," said Jaasvalt. People want you to be the new uber-pater."
"Why me? I wasn’t the only one, you and the other Theorakins played your role too."
"But it’s you they want. They saw you wield Seignos’ power."
"Seignos had nothing to do with this. Souzoumei gave me the recipe for blasting powder."
"Nevertheless the Church needs a new leader, one that the people will love and trust, and you’re the best man for that role."
"A new dawn has risen, and the Church needs to change so that the light of truth and justice can shine on our world. Imagine a church without a leader. It would have a multitude of small cells, each one dedicated to a deity represented by a Theorakin."
"Souzoumei has spoken, but I don’t know if we are ready for such a big change."
The band of Theorakins had slept in a pater’s house, hoping the crowds would not find them, but the next morning they woke up to the sound of a clamour.
"People are asking for you. You can’t back away any longer," said Jaasvalt.
"My destiny isn’t to be an uber-pater, but to marry Fedulogia and continue making shoes."
"Where is he? I need to speak to him forthwith," a woman’s voice said.
Fedulogia walked in the room, followed by Tatamel.
"Sorry Kanditu," said Tatamel. "I tried to stop her, but—"
"It’s fine. Please leave us alone."
"My beloved," said Fedulogia. "I thought you had been taken by the Church Police like your friend. I had lost all hope of seeing you again."
"Fedulogia, I have waited for this moment for so long. Where is your father? I must ask him for your hand in marriage."
"When he saw the Church policemen running away from the crowd, he told me his life was in danger and he was going to hide for a while. He didn’t explain why." A tear ran down her cheek. "We won’t be able to marry until we find him and he grants his permission."
The law also says that if the father dies, no one can object to a marriage, thought Kanditu, but I have enough blood on my hands.
"But this law is not divine, it was made by Alphonsius. I will repeal it, for I will be the new uber-pater of the Church of All Deities."
"And what about the law that says paters cannot marry?"
"That one too."
THE END.
ILLUMINATION by Gary Buller
The rusted ghosts of abandoned vehicles littered the cracked asphalt as far as the headlights touched. The people carrier shushed along, weaving around the debris at a cautious speed. Every once in a while, it would stop and the world tinted a deep shade of red as it reversed, and then proceeded along a better route.
Dale sat in the passenger seat, a dog-eared postcard in his hand. He read the back of it by the light of a small pink LED torch that had once been a prize in a Christmas cracker. He flipped it over and studied the faded artwork on the front. A cartoon depicted a fat, jolly-looking man stood in the shallows on the edge of a beach. He was staring wide-eyed at a large breasted blonde woman in a bikini who was bent forward to pick up a shell.
“Wish you were here,” he read aloud, turning to his companion. “How long do you think it’ll be until we get there?”
"Not long at all," came the reply. "You used to be able to spot the tower from miles away back in the day but in this visibility, it's hard to tell." Gareth's eyes never left the road as he spoke. He knew the consequences of breaking down here and repressed the horrific scenario that bloomed in his mind.
He slowed down to slalom around a couple of cars that appeared to have been in a head on collision. They faced each other across the central white line, bumpers crumpled and windows smashed like broken teeth. The rotting remains of a woman were sprawled next to an open driver's door. Her polished red fingernails were a stark contrast to her peeling milky-green skin. Mercifully she was face down, and a mop of dark cinnamon hair concealed the rest of her face.
“Shall I suit up and check her over for goodies?” Dale asked.
“Negative bro,” Gareth replied. "We cannot waste twilight. We need to get there and back before sunrise." He looked briefly at the accident in the tail lights and returned his attention to the road. "Mum and dad used to bring us to Blackpool for trips all the time," he said in an attempt to get the image of that
bloated corpse out of his head. “Don’t you remember? The Pleasure Beach, the donkey rides, sticks of rock on the pier?”
Dale fingered the well-worn corners of the postcard again. The side that said, "Love M & D" in their mother's looping script. "No," he replied. "I have seen pictures of them of course, but I was so young when we lost them..."
Gareth nodded his understanding, and for the first time took his eyes off the road for a second. His younger sibling was such a strong character, so mature, but right now he looked even younger than his fifteen years. He looked like a child again. Gareth reached over and touched his hand, it was cold, a sure sign of nervousness. “At least we’ve got each other, eh?”
A large sign loomed ahead of them, it had once been painted white with black lettering, but now hung slightly askew. Rust ran down from the rivets like blood from a bullet wound. "Welcome to Blackpool," it said. A skeleton was propped up against one of the aluminum posts beneath, its mouth hung open, tendons as dry and grey as old leather. There was a jagged hole in one temple. Gareth looked for the gun, but it must have been concealed in the long grass.
In the shifting black they could barely make out the remains of prosperous seaside properties, now abandoned or burned out. Some of them had boarded up windows, in others, they could see the flutter of curtains waving like flags behind pane-less window frames. Gareth spotted a rag doll in a tatty red dress sat on a garden swing, rocking in the breeze. Its small hands had been tied to the chains of the swing with cable ties, he turned away when he realised that it was actually the body of a little girl.
"Look," Dale exclaimed pointing to the sky. Below the green tinted sphere of the full moon, they could see a large plastic clown blowing a horn atop one of the lamp posts. It had once been brightly colored, and lit from within like a giant lantern but now it was dark; coated in green moss and dirt, faded from the constant exposure to sea air. It was one of hundreds that stretched off down the promenade. "The illuminations," Gareth confirmed avoiding the black gutted remains of a tram. "Every October they’d take us to seem them. Lit up like Christmas day.”
The people carrier passed under more clowns, a giant mouse, a duck and the little mermaid, but Gareth sensed that there was something missing from the landscape before them. Then he saw exactly what. Huge iron girders had smashed chunks of brick and concrete from the road, blocking off an entire section of the promenade. The top of the tower lay in the water, just beyond the eerie green sand of the beach. At the base of the structure, the mauve painted ironwork had snapped away, hanging over them like a gigantic claw.
"I don't believe it," Dale said, almost in a whisper. "The Blackpool Tower. Gone."
"Looks like we're stopping here," Gareth said. “Time to suit up and enjoy the beach.” He pulled out two large duffel bags from the rear seat, handing one to Dale. The interior of the car was hardly suitable for getting changed, but there was no other option. Gareth switched the interior lights on, and they flickered and buzzed dimly as they pulled on the rubber suit and respirator mask.
“You looking forward to it?” he asked Dale, running gaffer tape around his brother’s wrists where the suit met his gloves.
"Yes, I think so. I'm hoping that it brings some happy memories back."
"That's the idea."
Gareth handed the tape to Dale, and he did likewise to seal off every inch of the suit. “Do you think mum and dad would still be bringing us here if the incident hadn’t happened?” Dale asked.
“We’d probably be taking them," Gareth responded with a grim smile on his face.
They exited onto the cobbles leading down to the beach. Without the headlights illuminating their path, the scene was eerily lit by the heavens- a ghostly luminescent green. Aside from the sound of the sea kissing the shore, the entire bay was silent. Not unusual given the circumstances, still it was odd not hearing the high-pitched cries of the seagulls as they soared and swooped overhead. Glinting emerald eyes blinking down at them from a cloudless sky as they attached their oxygen tanks.
"Let's go," Dale said eagerly, descending the steep bank.
“Be careful. You rip that suit and you’re a dead man." Gareth replied.
After a slow descent, they both set foot on the beach. Dale had removed his shoes, and through the rubber of his protective suit, he could feel the shifting coldness of the sands moving below him. In his hand, he held a picnic blanket by the four corners and, picking a suitable spot lay it out. They both sat talking and joking whilst Dale built sandcastles using the little plastic bucket and spade. It was almost like the good old days.
“You know, I don't think I've ever felt as isolated as this," Gareth said from behind the scratched window of his mask. "I mean, I know for the longest time it has been just you and I, but sat out here on the beach with you like this, without the sun cooking our skin…" he trailed off for a second. “Don’t you feel so… alone?”
Dale stuck a little Union Jack atop his sandcastle and looked out at the frothing waters.
"I've got you, haven't I?" he said,
"What the hell is that?"
Gareth looked to where Dale now pointed, across the waters a small green dot grew in size as it approached the shoreline with velocity, churning the black water into pistachio milkshake. It turned side on to them and vanished for one second behind the North pier, which had partially collapsed into the depths alongside the tower, then re-emerged the other side.
"Is it a boat? Looks like a sail to me?" Dale asked.
"No, I can't see a hull," Gareth replied, getting to his feet.
“Why is it glowing like that?”
“I’m not sure, but I don’t like it- let’s go.”
“Hang On,” Dale actually took a step forward, treading into his sandcastle in the process. The huge triangular shape was now no more than fifty yards from shore. “That’s not a boat, it’s a fin.”
As the words fell from his mouth, the creature rose out of the water. The head contained row upon row of serrated teeth that dropped back down into an endless pink chasm and two dull black eyes set on each side in front of gills that they could have easily stood inside. Gareth could hear it breathing, see the rising humanoid torso dripping with brine and seaweed as it stood fully out of the water on two legs, moving towards the beach like a freakishly large parade float.
“It’s one of them, Dale. Get back to the car now.” Gareth shouted to be heard clearly outside his protective suit. The creature exhaled a long breath of noxious mustard yellow gas that seemed to have its own light source against the clear onyx skies. The waves lapped heavily on the shore as it approached, swelling and frothing over their feet.
“The news said that they only came out in the day Gareth. The day." Dale said, joining his brother on the steep ascent back to their car. It was hard work, the sand sucked around their ankles, and the shifting darkness masked their route. The beach shook as it came ashore, they could feel the sand shifting with each step, and see the glow that it emitted ooze over the cobbles ahead.
"I don't know Dale, I just don't know," Gareth yelled, his voice hoarse. "I've never actually seen one of those outside of the news." Then the hot breath came, they could feel it on their backs as they were enveloped by a dirty yellow fog. Visibility was next to zero, Gareth reached out to touch his brother, to grab his hand. “Dale where are you?” he shouted, his voice hoarse.
“Here. Near the rocks.” The reply came, Dale sounded exhausted, out of breath as he sprinted.
There was a yelp as Dale fell.
Gareth felt the sand kick up and hit his visor. "Dale? Dale?” He spun full circle, catching the briefest glimpse of the huge glowing behemoth trudging towards them with intent. The dull light revealed what looked like round boulder in the sand, but Gareth quickly understood that it was his brother. He skidded down to his side, onto his knees. Dale’s visor had cracked on a rock and the poisonous air that had replaced oxygen was leaking slowly through the inch-wide hole.
Gareth caught a glimpse of Da
le’s listless face, but there wasn’t time to dwell. He lifted his heavy deadweight body over one shoulder with some effort, sinking deeper as he did. He then pushed what he hoped was forward, keeping the rapidly approaching giant behind him. He ascended the cobbles, risking a glance over his back. He was level with the creature’s dead eyes and it reached forward with a clawed hand the size of a small car, missing him by inches.
Back on the road the air was less hazy, and he found the people carrier, doors open wide. He lowered Dale inside, and ran round the front to the driver’s seat, removing his oxygen tank and heaving it into the back with a heavy clunk. The huge luminous fin was ascending from the side of the road, and he threw the car into gear and did a tight U-turn. The wheels squealed, the front of the vehicle kissing the wrecked tangle of metal that was once a shop front- and he accelerated down the road. In the rear view mirror, the monster ambled along the cluttered highway, kicking cars and trams out of the way like toys. Eventually, it shrunk from view.
Dale suddenly coughed, and shifted a little in his seat but Gareth waited until he had passed the Blackpool sign before he pulled over, and hit the extractor fan on the dashboard of the car. He waited with a burning impatience before removing his helmet and testing the air. It was breathable. Just. He looked past the crack in the visor on Dale's face. His sibling's lips were a strange shade of dark purple, and his face looked so ashen beneath the car's interior lights.
“What have you done, you silly boy?” Gareth asked, his voice wavering and his eyes stinging. Dale didn’t reply, but a small smile spread on his face. “Let’s get you back to the farm OK? A few days in the recycled air and you'll be fine.” They both knew that he was lying, with good intentions, of course, at best Dale might develop a terminal lung disease- like so many of their friends and family had in the early days.
On the horizon, the sun was beginning to rise, chasing the shadows beneath cars. Gareth's heart sank further- it would be another fifty or so miles back home and during daylight, they would be like sitting ducks. Not that they were safe at night anymore either. He was reminded of those deep water fish with a glowing lure, and long oversized teeth, and suppressed a shudder.
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