by Ciaran Nagle
She stood with her hands on her hips facing him directly, the UN designation on her tabard in full view. A foreign woman driving a UN truck and shouting words like 'urgent' and 'fever' - what could be wrong with that?
'Look, people will die if I don't get through immediately, die do you understand, there's a fever and it's urgent. Get your prime minister on the phone if you don't believe me. But we have to hurry.'
Nancy was taking a huge risk but it paid off. The guard looked anxiously at the phone without moving and Nancy realised why. It didn't work.
It was time to step up the pressure.
'Look you talk to your boss and get it all sorted out. But I can't wait for all that. It's urgent and we have to stop the fever.' Nancy was bombastic and arrogant in a way that she had never been in her life before. She stormed out of the guardhouse into the rain and stomped her way to the truck. Revving the engine she drove forward to within inches of the barrier and wound down the window. The harassed guard emerged and stood in the rain with his rifle pointing at the ground clearly not knowing what to do.
Nancy changed tack again and switched on the charm. Leaning out and smiling as broadly as before she cooed to him. 'Now lift up the barrier and everything will be fine. You're doing the right thing. Well done.' She had no idea how much he understood of her language so she poured as much inflection and meaning as she could into her tone, nodding at him in approval as she did so.
It was touch and go whether the guard would comply. He clearly did not like being ordered around. Especially by a woman. But exactly how to deal with a bossy white female in the garb of the UN driving a huge UN-liveried truck in the middle of the night and shouting about fever and presidents while alternately threatening and cajoling him was a scenario that was unaccountably missing from his training. Reluctantly he pressed down on the counter-weight and the barrier rose in the air.
'Thanks so much, toodaloo,' Nancy shouted cheerily as the lorry shot forward to the crunch of gears.
Lafi emerged from under the dashboard where he'd been hiding. He took his seat and regarded Nancy with a mixture of admiration and astonishment.
'Very nice,' was all he said. Nancy looked steadily forward. Her smile was back on her face.
Kodrob's Squadroom, Central Pentacurse Region, Inferno
Nancy's grainy image inside the neon gas cloud broke up and dissipated as Bezejel froze the action.
She turned to Kodrob with elation. 'See Captain? Just as we said. She's taken control like we predicted all along. She's been dropped into a dangerous environment like a mouse into a hatful of snakes and she's the one doing the biting. That woman was born to boss the world and everyone in it. Don't you ever doubt me again.'
'No, Madam Bezejel, I never doubted you. None of us did.'
'Good. Well don't do it again.'
Bezejel looked past Kodrob at the others, making sure they were equally engaged with the developments.
'What do you think Lafarge? You're an educated man, say something.'
Lafarge, on the spot, stood his ground and preened himself like the aristocrat he once was, born to enjoy the attention of a beautiful female.
'I enjoy to see her drive the horseless wagon past the gun-carrying guard,' he said with a slight bow. 'She has courage that remind me of Joan of Arc.'
Bezejel bristled at the name of a saint.
'There's nothing virtuous about what Nancy did back there. It was all about self-preservation. That little joy toy of scheming, man-chewing, slave-driving womanhood is goosing up my pimples. That dame's got more guts in her little frame than a Hun horseman twice her size. She's an inspiration to every one of us.'
She paused to take in the rest of Kodrob's squad who were standing to attention and regarding her with very serious expressions. Her eyes fixed on Zhivkin, the newest member of the team and an unfamiliar face. Bezejel allowed herself to soak up every inch of the muscular Russian. He was no bigger than Holzman. But whereas the German had a face as unsightly as a nest of wood-lice Zhivkin's swarthy features brought her to the lip of temptation.
She looked him up and down and then she looked him down and up. Then she walked around behind him. Kodrob saw the danger. He hadn't noticed before but Zhivkin was a handsome devil and if he didn't act quickly Bezejel would have him and husk him before they could get any use out of him. The Cossack might think he had nothing to fear from Inferno's uncrowned queen but he had no idea of the inhuman strength the Leader had conferred on her.
Bezejel completed her circuit and advanced on Zhivkin like a cat on a sparrow. Kodrob jumped forward between them. 'Ma'am this is Marauder Zhivkin who is a new and vital member of our team. We need his excellent aerial skills to ensure the continued transmission of messages to the woman Nancy.' He turned to Zhivkin. 'Get out, you're not supposed to be here, you've work to do, Marauder.'
He turned back to Bezejel: 'Apologies Ma'am. Zhivkin is an ignorant hunter from the Black Sea. He needs his ass kicked or else he'll just stand and stare like a village idiot.'
Zhivkin looked at Kodrob with annoyance. He was enjoying Bezejel's attention. He also didn't like being called an ignorant hunter. For a moment he considered making a stand and refusing to obey his new boss. But that would be insubordination which was an automatic husking offence. He thought better of it and gave a stiff, military nod of his head. If he was going to confront Kodrob there would be a better moment on another day. Inwardly he seethed.
'From the Black Sea indeed,' Bezejel was watching Zhivkin as he made to leave the room. 'A nice place, the Black Sea.'
But while Kodrob was just starting to wonder how Bezejel knew about the Black Sea there was an interruption.
Gog at the door signalled to Bezejel that someone was approaching. Kodrob had never heard Gog or Magog speak and realised now that they were mute and used a subtle sign language to communicate with Bezejel. That was convenient if they didn't want others to understand them.
Bezejel looked mildly displeased. She drew up a chair and placed one foot on it. A moment later Hideki strode into the room with a look of purpose about him. He made a half bow to Bezejel. His sword rattled slightly at his side.
'Madam Bezejel, if you don't mind, the moment is approaching when we must begin our active mission. This is an important event and I don't want any mistakes made. May I brief your team?'
For Hideki, this was unusually good manners. But he had burst into her meeting without advance warning and Bezejel did not like to be pushed. She needed to put him back in his place.
She regarded him evenly for a moment and then slowly removed her coat revealing her thigh length magenta dress. Magog stepped in to take the coat and moved back out of the way. Bezejel sat herself on a chair and placed her feet on another one before slowly crossing her legs. All the while she kept her eyes on Hideki. Kodrob was enjoying the battle of wills. Bezejel was clearly the boss but Hideki had a habit of challenging her authority. More out of clumsiness than intent, Kodrob thought. But with her vibrant dress sense and concealed energy Bezejel was a peachy powerhouse of self-control.
The demon princess folded her hands in her lap and waited. It was Hideki who blinked first.
'I should have given you some warning,' he finally admitted.
Bezejel inclined her head a fraction. She wanted more.
'Apologies.'
Bezejel looked over her shoulder. 'Hades coffees,' she ordered loudly so Pu Gash at his petrol station could hear her. 'More bitumen this time.'
Now she turned back to Hideki as if nothing had happened and motioned for him to sit. The tension evaporated.
'Kodrob, get your squad in here. The colonel has something to tell us.'
Kodrob delegated Van Diemen to fetch his team from various corners of the labyrinthine caves.
As he returned Bezejel petted Hideki's ego. 'We have some important activities planned for today, Colonel. But since you're here, why don't you take the opportunity to brief the squad on their active mission? They're excited about what you've
got for them.'
Hideki nodded and made a small 'Hrumph' noise. Bezejel's diplomatic skills were superior to his own.
Authority re-established, Hideki admonished, Bezejel was ready for the next move.
Kodrob's troops arrived and he assembled them in a line in front of his two commanders.
'Listen up to Colonel Hideki, all of you,' ordered Bezejel. 'You may be going into action soon.' She gave Hideki a nod.
The colonel stood to address the Marauders. It was not part of Bushido protocol to remain seated.
'Fellow demons,' he began portentously. 'The first part of the mission that you have been assigned to is about to begin. We are going into the Fourth to make contact with Nancy's ancestor, Mya Ling. I plan to perform the operation on her spirit that will open up the passageways out of her soul and allow us to extract all of her ambition at just the right moment and pass it down a century of Earth time into Nancy. As you know this process occurs to some degree naturally. When humans do evil they pass some of that evil forward to the next generation by what they teach their children. More often unintentionally than deliberately. But we must capture all of the evil, not just some of it. Your job is to protect me from any angels that might be in the vicinity while I perform my surgery.'
'Which time zone in the Fourth are we entering, Colonel?' Kodrob.
'Nineteenth century,' replied the Japanese. '1860's China to be precise. There should be few angels about at that time and in that place.'
Hideki's briefing continued with a large amount of detail on timings, vantage points, signals and other logistics. Kodrob was watching him throughout with growing confidence in his mastery of the tactics. But he still worried about his rivalry with Bezejel and whether he might attempt to steal her authority. Kodrob was afraid of Hideki. But he was even more afraid of Bezejel. He didn't want to have to choose between the two.
Evidently Bezejel had a similar concern.
She took her mug of burning bitumen from Pu Gash who bowed before delivering a second smoking mug to Hideki.
'Kodrob,' she called loudly when Hideki had concluded his briefing, 'remember that you and your team report to me throughout this operation. Colonel Hideki is in charge of the technical details and we must leave him free from the burden of leadership to carry out his delicate operation. He must be allowed to concentrate on his spiritual surgery. Now Marauders, make your preparations. We will postpone our other activities. Nancy is making excellent progress, she doesn't need us for a little while. Be prepared to leave for Earth upon the instant.'
The squad thundered off to arrange their kit and prepare their weapons. They'd have to cancel their immediate plans to go to a squawhouse and get blitzed. But an air of excitement ran through the group like an electric charge. The waiting was over and they were going into action, potentially into combat. If any angels got in their way, they were ready for them.
Heaven's Shore
'Maybe I should visit the Manchur for myself. Maybe there's more to the meeting between Shafner and Mya Ling than meets the eye.' Jabez was sitting alone on a rock, drinking the last of his tea, speaking into his mission journal in his globe.
Every engineering project Jabez had ever worked on required the keeping of a team diary. For the Nancy project he had decided to record all of his thoughts as well as all of his conversations. If the mission failed, he might need to show some evidence of the difficult choices he'd faced.
He stood up from his rock and walked further along the shoreline, flicking an occasional stone ahead of him. As his footsteps crunched on the shingle he continued speaking into the shining orb.
'The scene inside the Russian warship appeared, on the face of it, an innocently charming encounter between two young people. The wardroom was dingy and Spartan. But this was offset by an intense atmosphere of romance and expectation. The question is: was Mya Ling really just a young woman on the make? Was it not possible that she was really in love?'
He paused and listened to the hush around him. This was the only place in Paradise which swallowed up any sound as soon as it was made. The Shore was a land made for secrets. It had to be, so close was it to Inferno. Inferno, there it was. Simmering, just across the divide. You could almost throw a…
He stooped and selected a smooth rounded stone, just perfect for a short flight. It left his hand and he watched it draw its straight line across the chasm - no gravity below to pull it down in an arc. Nearly halfway across it rebounded and came back, dashing itself again on the shore. Jabez threw another and this time he had to duck as it boomeranged back at high speed, glancing off his wing before embedding itself in a dune.
'OK,' he said to himself, 'so the divide is a fact. Not just a label. It keeps them out and it keeps us in. Just like they told us on the induction.'
It was time to get back to work. He spoke into the globe. 'There is no time to make a real visit to the Manchur. But I need to take another look.'
Jabez returned to his rock where he sat down and expanded the globe to room-size. Sitting inside it he called up the recent archive and returned to 1860. He selected and viewed scenes of both Shafner and Mya Ling earlier in the day, before she made the visit to the ship.
Shafner had spent the day in endless report and letter writing.
Mya Ling was staying in paid lodgings at a private house in the village near the new Vladivostok with only an old family servantwoman to look after her. He watched her as she made her way to the little quay and was invited, apparently as a public relations exercise, to go aboard the warship. A Russian flag hanging from a new flagpole on the shoreline embodied the change of national ownership of the region from China to Russia.
Jabez looked closely at the pair's expressions on entering the wardroom to see if they could tell him anything more. The stilted conversation, the fluttering eyebrows, the formal politeness, the giggle, the triad tattoo on Mya Ling's arm. Jabez jerked his head forward. The triad tattoo, where was it? He replayed the scene again. The triad symbol wasn't there. He looked more closely. Mya Ling's forearm, which had been lit in sunlight when he had viewed it earlier, was now in shadow.
'Mission diary,' he exclaimed excitedly. 'The triad tattoo which I viewed with the team earlier is now too dark to make out. Why?' He looked at the window. 'The curtain on the right side of the window is now partly drawn and is obscuring the ray of sunlight which previously shone on Mya Ling's arm, illuminating it. It is not in the position it was in before. That is impossible. History doesn't just change.'
He looked up from the globe for a moment, clearing his head before looking back.
'My memory is clear. I recall when Ruth revolved the scene for us. Sunshine was playing all over Mya Ling's face and upper body. It was part of what made the whole tableau so special. As though the moment was blessed. Now she is all in shadow.'
Jabez was stunned. 'They've broken the rules of engagement,' he whispered in disbelief. He played the scene a third time with the same result.
'Conclusion.' He continued his journal entry. 'Only supernatural forces could have gone back and changed history like that. I know it was not angels. That means it could only be the other side. It means Infernals have not just viewed the wardroom scene from afar, like us, but have actually visited the ship and moved the curtain. They've broken the rules. They want Nancy that much, they've risked a war.' He paused for a moment to allow the gravity of his thoughts to sink in before continuing. 'Questions that must be asked: Why bother to obscure Mya Ling's tattoo? What else were they doing there? Why is Nancy so important to them?'
Jabez collapsed the globe to thumb diameter size and replaced it at his belt. With his heart beating fast he jumped up from his rock and walked briskly forward to the edge of the divide. He perched his feet on the very last grains of Paradise's sand before the cliff fell away into nothingness and looked out towards Inferno. Then drawing in a large breath he shouted with the loudest voice he could muster.
'You shall not have her. You shall not have Nancy. You might get me.
But you will never own her. This I promise.'
Moments later his words were thrown tumbling back at him, zipping past his ears.
Shall not. Nancy. Might get. You. Never. Promise. This I.
The silence returned, shocking him with its power. He stood there a while longer, burning with incandescent rage, a feeling he had never known before.
Vladivostok, Eastern Russia, 1860.
The five members of the squad selected for the mission were Hideki, Kodrob, Holzman, Lafarge and Zhivkin. Van Diemen, Ologu and Pu Gash waited back in Inferno with Bezejel.
In the Fifth Dimension, time did not carry the same meaning - or limitations - as it did in the Fourth. Supernaturals could view and even visit any event of any period in human history. But there was a rule observed by all. They must not interfere with or change anything that had already happened. Hideki's intention to open certain pathways out of Mya Ling's soul was within the rules, but only just. He was not actually changing anything that happened in 1860. He was simply manipulating something that would influence the course of events in 1978.
The five demons had landed inside the Manchur's wardroom and were waiting - invisibly - for Shafner and Mya Ling to enter. Hideki gave one final briefing. 'Kodrob I want you on the deck, alert to any angelic presence. If angels start watching now they will see us, so we have to act fast. Holzman and Zhivkin, go to the shore and keep watch from there. Lafarge, stay with me. Remember all of you, touch nothing. Angels may come here and try to research Mya Ling and her relationship with Shafner. We don't want them to find anything interesting.'
If Hideki's last sentence was ambiguous, it was exacerbated by the fact that Lafarge was looking out of the stern window and not paying full attention.
