by Vox Day
Robin was puzzled for a moment, confused by Gloriana’s unexpected segue into human history. Then, as understanding dawned, he shook his head and cursed himself for the fool he was. Of course such a powerful working could not be concealed completely, but he never thought the Mad One could be so cunning as to hide his treasure under a widely notorious nexus of power.
Perhaps, he considered soberly, the usurper was not as lost in his insanity as everyone imagined. But that was unimaginable, for so cruel was the Mad One, there was insanity and devastation in everything that touched him. He was the Midas of madness, such horrors had he wrought throughout the land, upon man and spirit alike. And yet, there were still darker shadows lurking beyond the horizon.
He dropped to one knee and kissed her hand, like the faery knights of old. “You are still a queen, Gloriana. I thank you, for you have given me everything I need.”
“No, I think not,” she replied tartly. “Know this, my dear fool, if you would rather not inform every spirit on the isle of your intentions, you will need to enter quietly. Also, it has been far too many years and there is too much that will need to be known, and quickly too. I shall prepare a potion, and my lady, Lahalissa, will bring it to you in three days’ time.” She smiled. “I have not stretched my wings in many a year, but I shall send her with you in my stead. I think you will find she has more useful talents than her dancing.”
Three days? Robin was chagrined. His destination was less than thirty minutes away as the crow flies and he was eager to start immediately.
He protested, but she dismissed his objections with a regal wave of her hand. In three days, the Moon would be new and the seal would be at the low ebb of its power. What had lain undisturbed for centuries would keep for another three days. And besides, there was the potion. Knowledge, she reminded him, was not only needful, it was power.
He hoped she was correct. Time was growing ever shorter and the whispers were ever more ominous, more fearful by the day. The daughter of Moloch was coming, and she was a dark and hungry goddess indeed.
Chapter 3
Evil, Corrupted
Everything said so far has the appearance of mere paradox, and by way of reassuring the timid we can confirm that this is so.
—Umberto Eco, Apocalypse Postponed
The night sky was an oppressing shade of deep purple, a clouded ocean of darkness overhanging the lights of the nearby town. Three anxious days had passed, but the Moon’s light was safely obscured by shadow and Robin was confident that their presence was unnoticed.
“For whom do we wait? Gloria told me there would be a third.”
Robin found it interesting that Gloriana’s servant, Lahalissa, referred to the former Queen by her human name. They were waiting for the last member of the party, without whom this venture would be for naught, at the summit of a large hill in Buckinghamshire. Despite the woods to their left and to their right, the hill provided them with an excellent view to the lights of their destination less than a mile away. “Why do you call her that?”
“Call her what?”
“Gloria.” He smiled and shook his head. “Dr. Sprite, it sounds far too silly.”
“Well, she likes to play with words. She was the Fellow and Senior Tutor for English, you know? Not this time, mind you, but the last time around.”
“How very tedious. The last time?”
“Yes, this is her third spell at St. Hilda’s, but this time it’s Classics. She was here with her very good friend, the founder of the college, from the start. I shouldn’t go so far as to say a woman’s college was Gloria’s idea, not at all, but she did help push Dorothea along from time to time when things looked difficult. They were the best of friends; she was absolutely bereft when Dorothea died.”
“You baffle me. Do you mean to say that after she’s been there for a time, she goes away and then returns again? Has no one ever noticed?”
“Of course not! She always returns as a different mortal. The problem is that it falls to me to establish her next identity when the old one is getting too long in the tooth.” The daemoness seemed to flicker, and the pretty exotic dancer disappeared, replaced by a young, weedy-looking woman with a long, thin nose. “Hence the dreary Miss Annabel Queens, who came up last fall to read for Philosophy. Can you believe Gloria actually makes me attend the classes? It’s no wonder those appalling Frenchmen all want to end their miserable lives, with that boring Sisyphus and those dreadful plays. At least Gloria writes the papers; slogging away at those would be simply more than I could possibly bear.”
“I can imagine.” Robin was amused, but he found the thought disturbing too. No wonder the Mad One had never lost his lunatic hold. If the great of Albion had not bestirred themselves to work for her restoration, but had abandoned everything in favor of peculiar mortal pursuits and petty amusements, small wonder that her very memory was fading, even from immortal minds. Humans were contemptible, but their influence could be pernicious and it crept up on one, caught you unawares.
“Have you ever been there?” Lahalissa, back in her normal form, pointed to the great church that perched atop the largest hill in the area, an unmistakable nexus that Robin would have sensed even if he had not been informed of its significance. Somewhere, under that hill, lay the Mad One’s seal. Trees obscured most of the church from this lower vantage point, all that could be seen was the square spire, and, above it, the illuminated golden ball that had entranced so many curious tourists. “Did you know him?”
“Dashwood?” He knew of the mortal legend since he had passed more than a little time in the Oxford library in the last three days, but that was all. “No, I fled when the Mad One arrived, so I was gone long before his time. But I remember the fort that stood there before, when Rome still ruled these hills.”
It was always the same. Power called to power. The Heaven’s King and his minions did their best to construct their fortresses in such places, as if the mighty cathedrals and imposing stone churches were nothing more than massive mystical corks. But cork crumbled over time, the guardians grew lax, and sooner or later, an opportunity always presented itself.
He could feel them, he thought, somewhere nearby, the emanations of that great seal he’d sought for centuries. It was more than a mere nexus; the great spell created by the combined efforts of seven Great Ones had left its indelible mark. It was not so strong that he would have noticed it had he not known where to look for it, but it was there. Oh yes, it was there! The pulsing ambience of the ancient malevolence was almost sweet to him.
And now, standing here on this idyllic rural summit with a cool night breeze blowing through his hair, it seemed his interminable search was at last coming to an end. He trembled with mingled fear and regret, and with some difficulty, returned his attention to Lahalissa, who was speaking to him.
“You still haven’t answered my question,” she repeated. “I confess it frightens me to think there is one capable of shattering a Great One’s spell. Gloriana said even she could not. Is he a Great One, then?”
“No, he is not our kind,” answered Robin, scanning the skies. Was that an airplane to the south? A glowing speck had been lazily circling a point on the horizon for some time, but even as he noticed it, it began moving rapidly towards them. “He is something else altogether, but what, precisely, I cannot say. A child of the Watchers, I imagine, though one who cannot leave the material shadow. Or so he claims. Still, his power is considerable.”
Lahalissa looked skeptical, as well she might, for how could even the most powerful of the Twice-fallen hope to break the power of a seraph, one of the six-winged gods? But she did not argue with him, instead, she gasped out loud when he pointed towards the onrushing flier.
It was no airplane, but a bird, a great three-headed eagle with raging wings of fire shining through the lurking darkness as they beat the air with long, powerful strokes. As it approached them, it gave out a loud cry that might have been a greeting, although a less informed observer might easily have mistaken
it for a warning.
Robin shook his head even as he raised a hand in welcome and caused a bright green light to flare in the sky above him. He had told the newcomer to be circumspect, and even suggested that he take the discreet form of a bird. It seemed, however, that he should have been a bit less circumspect himself with his suggestions. Then again, it could have been worse than a mere tri-cranial fire eagle. But not much worse.
The giant raptor, its golden talons outstretched and shining by the light of the flames, plunged towards the ground. As it landed, however, it transformed into a tall, slender man with bronze skin and close-cropped grey hair. His eyes were uncommonly large, and they glowed with a strange rainbow sheen, as if they were mere prisms for a more perfect light within. When he spoke, his voice was deep. It rumbled as if the earth itself was moving.
“It took me some time to notice that little golden ball over there. I had my eye out for something larger.”
“Do accept my apologies.” Robin introduced the newcomer to Lahalissa. “Lahalissa, of the court of Queen Gloriana. Lahalissa, this is… Worm.”
“Worm? How unusual?”
The strange eyes danced with amusement as they flickered between Robin and the daemoness.
“I imagine it might strike you so.”
“I met Worm a few years ago. I’ve had some experience with transformations, you know, and Worm was a willing student. I believe he’s found the ability rather useful.”
“Yes, I am most appreciative.” Worm bowed his head towards Robin. “And as we agreed, this shall repay my debt to you?”
Robin was quick to assure Worm that there was no debt, that there had never been a debt of any kind. This was a simple exchange of favors between friends, nothing more. There are few who shoulder the burden of gratitude well, and Robin very much preferred to remain in Worm’s good graces. There were angels who despised these demi-mortal mongrels, but Robin knew better.
Lahalissa pointed towards the town. “We can’t walk in there looking like this. For one thing, Worm would freak out every mortal that saw him. And for another, we’ll need an excuse to go down into the basement. There usually aren’t guards there, at the pub itself, but you never know.”
“The pub?”
“The tunnel leads from the George and Dragon into the caves where the Seal lies. If he can’t walk through walls, the only other way would take us right past three sets of guards, one mortal and two human.”
There was a rumble that sounded like thunder, and Robin looked up to the sky before he realized Worm was laughing.
“Then lead us to the pub, little demon girl.”
She shot him an irritated look. “You might be a lion among your kind, Worm, but don’t push your luck with me. And speaking of little girls, Robin, best you become one.”
“Sorry?”
“Do you want to sneak him in or not?” She smirked. “The entrance is inside the little girl’s room. I’ll be invisible, so just tell your Daddy you have to go to the potty, then do what I tell you to do. And Worm, for the love of your mortal mother, do something about those ridiculous eyes.”
She vanished, but he could still hear her airy chuckle, accompanied by Worm’s sub-bass rumble. The Twice-fallen had taken no offense, and appeared to be amused instead. Robin shook his head. Lahalissa was probably right. The point was to sneak in quietly and unobserved, but still, the notion rankled. The tall man blinked, and his strange eyes were suddenly brown, as human and commonplace as one could imagine. He grinned and held out a hand to Robin.
“Ta ta, sweetie. You be a brave girl, now. Daddy will protect you from the scary monsters.”
Biting back an abundance of scathing replies, Robin petulantly flipped his beribboned pigtails back behind his shoulders, then reached up to take Worm’s hand.
The pub was two-thirds empty. Robin sat and kicked his legs, which dangled uncomfortably high above the floor, as he scanned the smoky, high-ceilinged room for signs of trouble. There were few angels taking in the hops-sodden atmosphere tonight, but one could never be sure that the most innocuous-seeming Tempter was not actually one of the Mad One’s roving Eyes. He almost ordered a beer from a passing waiter before coming to his senses and remembering his current guise. No, that wouldn’t do at all.
“Where’s the guards? Didn’t you say there were guards this way too?”
“Down in the caves, but don’t worry.” Her voice was disembodied. “They won’t be any trouble at all. I’ve been here the last three nights scouting out the place, and they’re expecting me tonight. One of them is sweet on me, which isn’t hard to understand when you consider how irresistible I am when I need to be. Of course, the fact that he’s been on duty there for twenty years probably didn’t hurt either.”
Robin grinned in the direction of her laughter. He was starting to appreciate the truth of the Faery Queen’s words. Lahalissa was far more than a mere lady-in-waiting, much less a dancer. Unlike most angels, she had an imagination.
“Why didn’t you tell me? I would have come.”
“Because Gloria didn’t want you following me. You were far too eager.”
Fair enough. “Very well. And how do you plan to explain Worm and I?”
“Worm can wait in the tunnel. You come in a few minutes behind me, as if you are my superior, chasing after me. I can handle the one; I’ve already prepared something for him. Will you be able to take care of one kesh-adim?”
“I should think so.”
“Good.” He felt a soft pair of lips lightly touch his girlish cheek. “Then count to one hundred and tell Daddy to take you to the little girl’s room.”
As she planned, no one paid them the least bit of attention. None of the angels even blinked, though Robin had no way of knowing if it was because they did not see Lahalissa or simply did not care. He felt her hand on his shoulder, guiding him past the women’s loo to an unlocked door, which opened to reveal a stairway leading down to a dank, ill-smelling basement.
They made it down the stairs without incident, and then the daemoness surprised him as she unexpectedly revealed herself, not in any of her previous aspects, but as an image of Divine righteousness. Her lustrous black hair was shortened into a girlish blonde bob, her dark eyes expanded into huge, innocent blue orbs, and her curves were trapped in the bondage of a chaste white robe. If the robe was perhaps a little shorter than was normal for a Divine, and a little tighter in certain places, well, he had no doubts that the effects were intentional.
“Orolin’s a bit of a pervert. He thinks he’s pulling a Guardian.” She batted her impossibly long lashes, blushed slightly and took a deep breath. “And, do you know, I think I might be weakening. Ooh, how much longer can I resist his evil wiles?”
Robin burst out laughing, although Worm rumbled low in his throat with impatience.
“Very well, shall I do the same?”
“No, just pretend you’re a Divine musclehead who’s come to warn him off me. Oro will be so fired up to think he’s getting somewhere with me that any thought we might be up to something else won’t even cross his mind. Just don’t overdo it, I mean, I don’t want him to punch you out before I make my move. Worm, you just wait around the corner, best you stay out of this.”
“As you like.”
A moment later, it was Lahalissa’s turn to laugh when before her stood a hulking, white-winged caricature of a Divine warrior-angel.
“You might want to try to look a little less vacant. And don’t drool either, I mean, that’s really a bit much, don’t you know?”
“Very well.” He made the recommended alterations and gestured around the basement. “So, where is this tunnel?”
“The caves are under here,” she explained, as she kneeled down and ran her hands over a seemingly unremarkable part of the dirty concrete floor. “Worm, move that rack, will you?”
Worm obeyed wordlessly, and Robin watched as she mumbled something he couldn’t quite understand, until a thin line of red light began to shine straight up from th
e concrete. The light traced out a square, and a moment later there was a grinding sound and the outlined square disappeared to reveal a steep set of stairs, lit by a series of runes inscribed on the walls.
“How did you ever discover that?” he asked in wonder. He had not sensed any concealment spell, despite what he considered to be a highly refined ability to detect such things.
“I got stuck standing guard down there for a decade or two myself.” She shook his head at his raised eyebrow. “Don’t ask. And don’t forget to give me a minute or two before you go in.”
She descended the stairs without concern, and again Robin followed, though with a little more trepidation than he would have imagined. He wasn’t the least bit afraid of the guards, but it had taken him so very long to reach this point; now that he was almost in sight of his goal, he found that his nerves were beginning to fray. What if he could not disarm the real guardian? What if they had moved that which he sought, or if the Mad One had learned of his search and was playing with him like a cat with a mouse, allowing him to come this far only to end the game here. Worst of all, what if he had been betrayed by those on whose behalf he acted?
No, that was impossible. He shuddered at the very thought. If after all this time the dream was false, better that he be banished to The Pit, better that he forget it forever.
At the bottom of the stairs, as she promised was an open cavern. A series of unlit torches were fixed to the rock; Lahalissa lit them with a wave of her fingers.
“There’s no need to skulk; they knew someone was coming once the stairs were opened.”
There was a dim light at the bottom of the stairs; it appeared to grow brighter in the direction she was leading them. Small demons squatted and lurked malevolently in the shadows, but Lahalissa strode past them, uncaring, until a small purple creature unexpectedly leaped out from behind a rock and attacked her leg.
