Eden's Jester

by Ty Beltramo

  I could tell he was fading. His eyes looked at nothing in this room. His breathing had become faint.

  He grabbed my arm. Even near death his grip was like iron.

  “Relax, old friend. I’ll take it from here. Don’t worry about me.” He had spent his life serving his people. He had given all to make them safer, to make them better.

  With great effort, he took a deep breath. “Been thinking. Don’t know what. You’ve been setup . . . “ It was all he had.

  I sat there and watched him go. There was no fear, only breath after breath. Each taking more effort than the last. Each doing less good than the last. Soon he breathed his last. His soul emerged from his body. A giant rainbow of a snowflake, it pulsed and shimmered with life. Its crystalline latticework was sturdy. It would endure.

  I extended my senses to touch it. Contentment and peace hummed a gentle tune in harmony with its pulse. But it was the calm of a deep sleep--the big sleep. I couldn’t communicate with him. The human body and soul are designed to be a unit. He’d sleep until he returned to that physical state.

  I watched his soul as it flittered about like a leaf caught in a whirlwind, darting here and there, slowly ascending.

  I resisted the urge to follow it and to see its ultimate destination. There was no time. Somehow I knew I’d meet him again someday. On that day, the answers would come.

  “You’re going up, my friend. Call me when you get there,” I whispered. Soon he was out of sight.

  “Maybe you can give me some answers,” I said to no one.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  The land was covered with pyramids as far as I could see. Millions of Builders continued to extend the work. At the center of it all on the peak of the original great pyramid I sat hunched over, guarding the plane like a stone gargoyle. The top was very pointy and not at all comfortable.

  I waited.

  Below me, the grounds were still. When I had arrived, I could see the perimeter of the site busy with new construction. But in the center, there was no one. That would be for the best. Things were likely to get busy over here.

  I sensed a vibration in the land. Something was coming, something big.

  Within minutes, from each of four points of the compass an army of elementals approached. Each army was bathed in a mist the color of one of the four smaller pyramids and composed entirely of one type of elemental. The Builders kept on building, as if nothing else mattered. They were too far away for me to hear, but I knew they would still be singing. The deep peaceful rhythm would have calmed my nerves.

  I jumped to the next great pyramid to my left. I had chosen it as the repository for the birdbath of the Abyss. I’d trap it there and, hopefully, be done with this nonsense.

  The elementals approached me from all sides, converging on my position. From behind the red pyramid approached the fire elementals, behind the blue came the water elementals, behind the yellow came the air elementals, and finally, behind the black came the earth elementals. There were hundreds of them in each army. I’d never seen more than five elementals in one place at one time. Once again, I wished I had a camera.

  As the armies arrived, one elemental from each rose up to meet me. These would be the Pillars. I wouldn’t have the luxury of working with Borse on this. That made me nervous. They each took a position around me, hovering in the air. The atmosphere crackled with anticipation.

  “Greetings, Chain-Breaker,” said Earth.

  “Hello, Pillars. Thanks for coming.” I inspected the thousand or so elementals surrounding me.

  “Why the armies? I thought only you four were required to open one of these,” I said.

  Fire spoke. “It is unlikely that things will go as planned, Elemental-Friend. We desire to be prepared.”

  I laughed. How true it was. When things go as planned, it’s usually a trap.

  “So, are these all the elementals? Or just a delegation?”

  “For the first time in memory, we are all in one place,” Air said.

  That sounded ominous.

  “We have brought all to be with our brother, Biolos,” Earth said. “He feels our presence. But it does not comfort him.”

  “I’m sorry. You should mark this spot. One day, you won’t be able to find it, the way new pyramids are being added around here.”

  “Indeed,” Earth said.

  “Well, I guess it’s time to get to business . . .”

  Before I could speak and tell them which of the pyramids to open, a thunderous boom shook the plane. I looked toward the source of the sound and saw what looked like a flock of geese in a major air battle. Hundreds of figures circled and darted at a few dozen in the center. There, in the center, I could see an object being carried by one. It was Aeson’s artifact. Rolic had gotten it, but hadn’t managed a clean getaway. Its mass, moving at supersonic speed, caused a sonic boom as it entered the plane.

  Rolic’s team was fighting off the attackers valiantly. I felt the echo of high-energy psychic blasts ringing in rapid succession. Figures were falling from the sky in clumps as cones of energy burst from the team, clearing the way forward. By the looks of it, all the fallen were pursuers.

  I started to head toward them, intending to come to their aid. The distance was great, but I could cover it in little time.

  But before I could move, a tidal wave of energy erupted against the plane. Several pyramids in mid-construction crumbled to the ground, covering Builders with debris.

  The whole land shook. A gigantic cloud bank appeared between me and my people. From out of it stepped the largest creatures I had ever seen: twenty-foot tall fat guys. And they looked mad. The Preceptors had arrived.

  “Oh, crap,” I moaned.

  I had guessed they might show. I even expected it. The plan had never been to beat them. That would be impossible. We only needed to beat them to the punch. That was at least possible, since we had the element of surprise--or, at least, we thought so.

  The Preceptors, eleven strong, had navigated perfectly. They were within spitting distance of my friends.

  I started yelling. “Drop it and run, you idiots! Run!” I wished I had had more time to train them.

  The Preceptors stretched forth great glowing hands. A web of lightning formed a giant net, encircling Rolic and his team. They were trapped.

  The giants arrayed themselves in a semicircle in the path of Rolic, Els, and their team. I could no longer see what was happening. The fat Preceptors blocked my view entirely. Explosions of both psychic and natural energy ensued, then stopped. The scene was quiet. No echo of battle reached my senses. No psychic blasts bounced off the hills and pyramids. It was over. The bad guys had the birdbath.

  I looked to where the Preceptors stood. They were still. Then I felt it. That stale energy surrounding the Abyss was flowing. They were using the artifact to bring the demons out.

  I saw no sign of my friends. It was impossible to tell what kind of effect those giant fireworks might have had. I could still sense Els through the glamour. She’d survived. I presumed Rolic and his team had as well. If they were subdued, they would be lunch for the Apolloi. If they were consumed, all my secrets would be ingested by the wickedest bad guys this world had ever known.

  I could sense the Pillars watching me. They were silent and unmoving.

  Checkmate.

  I turned to the Pillars. “Looks like we’ve failed. You should take your people and get out of here while you can. Thanks anyway.”

  “We do not fear their kind any longer, Chain-Breaker. You gave us that gift. We will stand with you unto the end,” Earth said.

  Something in the way he said it indicated that he knew it would be my end they’d be seeing.

  “I don’t have any more moves to make. There’s nothing I can do to resist the Preceptors. They’re too powerful.”

  Water spoke. “We thought as you did once. We had no hope, and had given up our struggles. Then one came whom we did not look for. He came from an unexpected place and gave us a gift.”r />
  “Indeed,” Earth said. “You have taught us that to believe there is nothing left that can be done is error. We gave up, and endured ages of slavery. We should have fought to the last. While we have life, we can always give more.”

  I didn’t like the sound of that. I thought furiously to find anything I might use against the Preceptors, something that might give my friends enough room to escape.

  I swallowed the urge to go out in a nuclear blaze of fury. Not that going out scared me. But I knew it would do no good.

  I called out with all my might into the cosmos, as far as I could yell. I cried for the Patron of Man to return and settle this once and for all. I screamed that my friends would soon be dying, and that evil was gaining the day.

  But there was no answer.

  Well, I couldn’t be lucky enough for that to be completely true. The Preceptors heard me.

  They turned. Their icy gaze blew into me with the force of a gale, chilling me to the bone. I looked back straight into their eyes and stood my ground. At first, there was only murder in those eyes. They intended to destroy me as soon as they could cover the short distance between us. I was an intolerable irritation about to be wiped from their bottoms.

  Then, their murderous stares changed to something else. Something confusing. Recognition. They recognized me.

  “Really, guys. The Preceptors are mad as hell and they’re not going to take it any more. They may not be able to enslave you, but don’t think they can’t destroy you. Just look at those guys.”

  Then it hit me like an avalanche. The setup my friend had sensed. This was it.

  Behind the Preceptors, the grey twister grew. Dark shapes swirling about in its core. Soon, they’d be free. A carnage of souls would be the result, beginning with my friends.

  The Preceptors began to march.

  I knew now. Someone wanted me to free Biolos. Whoever it was, they couldn’t do it. Only the Pillars could open the pyramid. The Preceptors could no longer compel them, but if I asked the Pillars, they’d do it.

  Everything that had happened to me since Death walked into my coffee shop had led me to this spot, this decision.

  I replayed the events of the last several days over and over again in my head. A piece was still missing. The Preceptors were powerful, but they were not all-powerful. There was no way Death was working with them and there was no way they could have foreseen all the things that had happened of late.

  Someone was pulling the Preceptor’s strings.

  The Pillars moved closer.

  “To sacrifice for one’s friends is the way of things. We will remain with you,” Air said.

  Yes. Sacrifice was the way of things. Not around here, or anywhere else I’d been recently. But it was the way of things. At least it should be.

  Time to sacrifice my last piece.

  “Okay, boys. I have a plan. Move your armies between the Preceptors and this position. Keep them away as long as possible. We need to buy some time.”

  They were silent. I took that for agreement.

  “Good. Now, open that pyramid.” I pointed to the original great pyramid, “and let me in. Then keep those guys from coming close as long as you can.”

  “It is a high price,” Fire said. “Can you pay it?”

  “Trust me. I have a plan,” I said.

  It might make things worse, but I doubted it would play into the Preceptors’ hands. What I was going to do they could never expect.

  The Pillars caucused again in that strange speech of theirs. I looked at the Preceptors. The grey twister began to unravel in their midst. Bad things were happening over there. And my friends, if they had survived, were right in the middle of it.

  “Guys, we don’t have time,” I said.

  They reached a decision and, without a word, each floated to one of the lesser pyramids. As they descended down into them beams of light blasted from the smaller peaks into the large pyramid. A high-pitched whine shook the land, and the door to the great pyramid opened.

  I ran through it.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  I found myself in a large hallway. The walls were covered with glyphs similar to those in my birthplace.

  A rainbow of colors emanated from the central chamber at the other end of the hall, several hundred feet away. I walked the length of it, like a man on death row. The other end of this deal was the end of the road for me.

  The central chamber was, surprise, pyramid shaped. And it was big. The shell of the pyramid obviously was not very thick. The glyphs continued into the main chamber and covered every inch of its inner walls.

  Again, I wished I had a camera.

  The writing was beautiful. The information on these walls probably dated back to before the Schism. I’m sure, once this was done, Els and her company would get the knowledge. I just hoped they’d make it public. My guess was that it contained some inconvenient truths for the head honchos of the various Disciplines.

  Floating in the center of the chamber was a shape: a huge elemental that looked from my vantage point to be a giant crystal disco ball. Rays of multicolored light projected rainbows onto every surface. They moved and swam to an unknown rhythm. Psychedelic shapes came and went in bursts, ebbs, and flows. I resisted the urge to look around for the bong.

  I felt myself being studied. No more stalling, I guess.

  “I am Elson.”

  A pause. And then, “Are you sure?”

  Man, did I not have time for this guru crap. “Of course I’m sure.”

  The elemental lowered to my level and examined me further.

  “I am Biolos. Welcome.”

  “I’ve come to free you, Biolos. It is time,” I said.

  Pain emanated from the creature.

  “It has been a long time. A long time. But I do not wish to be freed,” he said.

  “Yeah. I heard that about you. But that’s going to happen, whether you like it or not. Others are coming--Engineers, like me. The Pillars won’t hold them forever. You need to go.”

  There was a groan of such dismay that I nearly cried myself. The grief that flowed from this being was so profound and strong that I wanted to sit down and remain in this place for eternity.

  “Is the Patron not to help? She will aid me, as before,” Biolos said.

  She?

  “I called. He’s—she’s—not coming. All I know is that a bunch of knee-biters are on their way, and I intend to keep you from them. You’re going to be free, once and for all. Your gift won’t be misused in my world, ever again.”

  Biolos sighed an almost inaudible sigh. “You seem reasonable and responsible. Others thought as you did, once. War was the result. Alas, war is always the result.”

  “Yeah. The reason for that, besides the fact that Engineers generally suck, is people are fighting over you to gain control of your abilities. I want to give you the ability to resist them--decisively.”

  “The knowledge I require to defend myself is too costly to obtain, even if anyone would give it.”

  “I will give it,” I said.

  “Oh, Elson. You do not know what you are saying. To learn what I must would mean your destruction, your death. I am a being who gives life. To harm you, even if you were willing, is not in my nature.”

  A huge blast shook the pyramid. Fighting had ensued outside. The Engineers had arrived. The elementals were fighting.

  “Biolos, I have a nature, too. That nature compels me to do things. Sometimes those things are crazy, but they’re right, I’m sure. And right now what I need to do is to let you learn how I’m made so you can resist my kind. With intimate knowledge of my inner self, you’ll be able to resist us. And you’ll pick up some tricks in the process. If you can resist us, you won’t be doing anything really ugly to my world, which, somehow, I know I’m supposed to protect. And I have friends who are about to suffer at the hands of your creation, the Apolloi, who are now free.”

  Biolos was silent.

  I continued. “Now, in a few minutes, the Pi
llars will have to quit this pyramid. They’ll expect you to be able to defend yourself. The way I see it, you have two choices. One, eat my soul. Two, don’t. If you choose not to, you’ll begin again the very abuses that led you here. It’ll start all over again. There’s no time. So what’s it going to be?”

  The disco ball paused. Considering the consequences, no doubt.

  I felt a surge of stale energy.

  “The Apolloi are coming,” I said.

  Biolos came close.

  “I will remember you, Elson,” Biolos said, with greater sadness than before.

  “I would hope so,” I said.

  “I mean, your inner self will be absorbed into mine. I will remember you.”

  “That’s just dandy. Now, get on with it before I change my mind.”

  “Very well.”

  “Hold it. One more thing. Promise me you’ll help my friends. I don’t want them to fall into the hands of the Apolloi. Do whatever you have to, to ensure that doesn’t happen. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

  “I do.”

  “And there’s a special guy named Diomedes who gave his brain to protect you. Help him, if you can.”

  “I will try.”

  Then, without any ceremony, I was attacked by a giant floating disco ball. It was not one of my more dignified moments.

  Biolos wrapped himself around and began to penetrate every joint and spoke of the latticework of my soul, and he wasn’t gentle about it. At first, it felt like I was being unmercifully tickled everywhere, inside and out. Then it became pain--deep, inescapable pain. I wanted to scream, but I had no voice. Helplessly, I watched my entire life unravel, backwards, as Biolos dissected me. He understood life and souls, but mine was a different kind. Knowledge of it would make him stronger, safer. That whole life-flashing-before-your-eyes thing was a torture in itself. I had been around for a long time. Doing it all over again in the span of a few seconds nearly drove me insane. Seeing it all again, at high speed and in reverse, allowed me to notice a few things I wished I’d picked up on before. Some answers were there; I’d just missed them. Pity, I thought, as darkness closed in.