Modern Magic
Page 226
When he finally spoke, his words were quiet and calm. “I have dedicated all of my life to the elimination of such senseless tragedy. It hurts me that you would believe I condoned this, let alone provoked it, Sarah.”
“Then why didn’t you say anything?”
“It happened very quickly,” Dr. Know said. “Even now, I cannot imagine what I could have said to her to calm her.”
“Has she contacted you?” asked Nobody.
“No. I don’t know where she is. No one whose mind I can touch has seen her. But no one has undertaken a thorough inspection of the zone of destruction. Perhaps the strain of her actions killed her. Perhaps she took her own life. We will learn when we learn.”
Dr. Know straightened his shoulders and looked at Sarah. “What matters now is our reaction to this. The world is still in shock, but soon the accusations will start. This is a tremendously important moment in the history of mankind. The next twenty-four hours may well decide if the world unites in common cause, or splinters into chaos and war. I will need your help to manage this, Sarah.”
Sarah turned her back to him. “You won’t have it.”
“Please don’t allow your grief over what you’ve witnessed to cloud your judgment. You have a responsibility to the world to—”
“Fuck responsibility,” she said, throwing up her hands. “It’s over. It’s time for you to quit. Every scheme you’ve ever hatched leads to greater and greater grief. The more you try to control the world, the more damage you do. I’m quitting. You should do the same.”
“Quitting?”
“I’m leaving. I’m going away, someplace you won’t be able to find me. I’m through being a pawn in your game.”
“Please consider the ramifications of what you are saying,” said Dr. Know.
“Goodbye, Father,” she said, floating away.
Nobody followed her, outside the mansion into the bright sunlight. She hovered a foot in the air, looking back at the mansion, then looking at him.
“You want to come with me?” she asked.
“Yes,” said Nobody. “But…”
“But what?”
“I’m staying for now. I feel as though I should, I don’t know, keep a watch on your father. Stick around and make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid.”
“You don’t have to worry about that. He never does anything stupid. He screws things up with every ounce of genius he can muster.”
“I can meet you later,” said Nobody.
“I don’t know if you’ll be able to find me. I don’t know where I’m going.” She pulled the small radio from her ear and threw it to the ground. “I envy you, being invisible. All I want right now is to vanish from the planet. I don’t want to be the Thrill anymore. And I don’t want to be Sarah Knowbokov.”
“I understand,” he said. “Good luck.”
“I’ll miss you,” she said, swooping down and planting a kiss on his cheek. There were tears in her eyes as she pulled away, and floated off on the wind.
Nobody wiped his cheek.
“Take care,” he whispered.
Chapter Sixteen
Perhaps You Do Learn from Your Mistakes
Katrina sat in the library, lost in the book she held. Nobody sat across from her and studied her face. She looked very old, far older than Dr. Know, too old to be Amelia and Sarah’s mother.
“I wish we could talk,” said Nobody. “I wish you could tell me how you feel, being caught in these circumstances, with every member of your family so powerful. Do you question your sanity? What parts of yourself have you been forced to put aside just to make it through your day?”
The questions weren’t that difficult to come up with. They were the same questions he was asking himself.
Katrina continued reading. Nobody rose, and wandered back to the nerve center. Dr. Know was in animated conversation with a video display showing the President.
“What caused this disaster is irrelevant,” Dr. Know said. “I think it is best treated as an act of God. Perhaps a meteor struck. If people start laying blame, war could erupt throughout the world.”
The President shook his head. “The world is demanding answers. I have every intention of throwing my weight behind the UN’s investigation. And if it’s discovered that you’re behind this, so be it. Not everything can be spun away.”
“Look for all the evidence you wish,” said Dr. Know. “I want to know the truth as much as you. But some truths may be too difficult for the general public to accept. I could mention one you feel the same way about, for example. I say you lay the groundwork now for a story the world can accept that will lead us away from war.”
The President looked as if he were about to unleash a string of expletives. Instead he said, “I’ll take your advice under consideration. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have other calls to take.”
“Of course,” said Dr. Know. The screen went dark. “Hard-headed fool,” he grumbled.
“Doc,” said Nobody. “We should talk.”
“I see you decided to stay,” said Dr. Know. “When Sarah left, I assumed you had gone as well.”
“Sarah has a lot of reason to mistrust you.”
“And you don’t?”
“I think you’re a scheming, manipulative son-of-a-bitch. You’re playing God, and people have died because of it. But I haven’t made up my mind if you’re doing more harm than good. For a while there in Jerusalem, before it all spun out of control, I felt like we might be doing something important. I guess my decision depends on what you do next.”
“I see. I’m curious. What do you think I’m going to do?”
“I know what I would do,” said Nobody.
“Which is?”
“I’d use my damn time machine. I’d erase this. Shouldn’t be difficult. You just need to stop the boy from pulling that pin. If Rail Blade had seen him five seconds earlier, this wouldn’t have happened.”
“An interesting theory.”
“Let’s test it.”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“When I designed my time machine, I did so purely with the intention of gathering information. My plan was to discover Rex Monday’s identity in the past, but I would never have tried to stop him from doing the things he was fated to do. I knew the consequences would be unpredictable and chaotic. As it was, even the act of gathering information changed the world with terrible consequences, for you, at least. If I use my time machine to save Jerusalem, why not use it to stop all tragedies? No plane need ever crash. Every murder could be prevented. But the consequences of such actions are unimaginable. I could do irreparable damage with such meddling.”
“I think I have a fair understanding of the consequences,” said Nobody. “But this is something you caused. Rail Blade was in Jerusalem because of you.”
“My decision on this matter is final,” said Dr. Know. “You waste precious time in attempting to persuade me.”
“Fine,” said Nobody. “And for what it’s worth, I’m a little relieved.”
“Oh?”
“Perhaps you do learn from your mistakes.”
“I try,” said Dr. Know.
“Then let’s talk about Alex.”
“My son? Why? What possible purpose could be served?”
“Sarah told me how you tried to erase all memory of him. I’m wondering, if Amelia is dead, will she also be placed aside? I don’t think your wife could survive it. I think Amelia deserves better.”
“When did you decide to become my spiritual advisor, Richard? Who are you to tell me how to deal with my grief, or with my wife, or my daughters?”
“I’m a man who’s lost everything. I’m a man who knows what it’s like to have the memory of his life erased. Crazy as it sounds, I would like to keep you from this fate.”
“So that your life will have some meaning?” asked Dr. Know. “You get to pass on the precious bit of wisdom you’ve gleaned from your suffering, and hope that gives your experiences some importance?
Is that it?”
“More or less.”
“Then here’s some of my wisdom: The dead are a waste of time. It is pointless to regret the words never spoken, or the opportunities lost, or the feelings never shared. The past should not be changed. The future is the only time worth any concern or energy. You can take my word for this—after all, I’m the one with the time machine.”
“You’re one hard-headed, hard-hearted bastard,” said Nobody. “Maybe you don’t learn from your mistakes after all.”
“If you are finished questioning my emotional capacity, I have a mission for you, should you still desire to work for me.”
“Go on.”
“Since Amelia hasn’t returned, I must assume the worst. The UN is sending a team to investigate the ruins of Jerusalem, to try to discover what happened. My greatest fear is that they will find Amelia’s body and link her to what happened. I want to send you along to sabotage such a mission any way you can.”
Before Nobody could give an answer, there was a clang of metal striking metal from behind him. He looked toward the sound.
Rail Blade stood near, stepping forward in her heavy steel boots.
“They won’t find my body,” she said. “Though I signed my work just the same.”
Dried blood and dust caked Rail Blade’s face. Her clothes were ripped and ragged, her body emaciated but strong. She smelled strongly of stale sweat.
“Daughter,” said Dr. Know. “You’re still alive.”
“You say that so coldly,” said Rail Blade. “A simple observation. There’s no joy in your words, Father.”
“I didn’t think I would see you again,” said Dr. Know.
“Was that a fear? Or a hope?”
“You look exhausted,” said Nobody. “Maybe you should sit down.”
“Your concern is touching. But I’ve passed beyond exhaustion. I’ve discovered resources within me I’ve never imagined. I have no need for food, or rest. I’ve become… something more than I was. I don’t know that I can explain.”
“There is nothing to explain,” said Dr. Know. His voice was no longer cold and calm. Now, an edge of anger was evident. “There is no explanation possible. You have done something unforgivable.”
Rail Blade wiped her cheek, and sighed deeply.
“I have no hope of forgiveness,” she said. “I have no need for it. Does one forgive the hurricane? Does an earthquake ask for grace? You destroyed an entire universe, Father, and created a new one in its place. Who is there to judge you?”
“Daughter,” said Dr. Know. “I believe you are ill.”
Rail Blade stared at him. Her lips were quivering. Nobody stepped backward slowly, removing himself from the path that separated Rail Blade and Dr. Know.
“Ill?” she asked, softly.
“You killed hundreds of people, perhaps thousands. You’ve done economic damage beyond calculation. You endangered the peace and stability of the world. You’ve done more harm to my plans than Rex Monday could have dreamed.”
“Oh,” said Rail Blade, her eyes narrowing. “Of course. Your plans. I forgot whose planet I was on.”
“My work… our work was, is, important. You’ve always been my most trusted ally in my struggle. But this—”
“Ally?” asked Rail Blade. “What a strange word to use for your own daughter.”
“You know what I mean,” said Dr. Know.
“You need not fear for your… our plan, Father. I have learned much from you. There will be no war. Soon, people from all over the Earth will find the message I’ve left at ground zero.”
“Message?”
“I signed my work, Father. I forged a plaque on the spot where the boy fell. The iron from his blood, and the shards of the grenade, have been melded together in this work. I give the world a warning. Jerusalem will not be the last city to feel my touch. Any place that men kill other men over ancient, pointless prejudice, wherever the Earth seems cursed with unhealing hatred, I will cast my judgment. In Pakistan, Northern Ireland, throughout Africa, the violence must stop. I’ve given the world one year. Then, in the places where the Earth is still stained by blood, I will scour it clean.”
“My God,” said Nobody. “You’re serious.”
Dr. Know stared at Rail Blade. He seemed lost in thought.
“Very well,” he said.
“What?” said Nobody.
“One year,” said Dr. Know. “Who can say what a year will bring? Perhaps I’ve been a fool all along. Perhaps I’ve worked too long behind the scenes at peace, and have been blind to the obvious truth. People respect power. They comprehend violence. And perhaps war can only end if another, more horrible threat forces it to end.”
“You’re both insane,” said Nobody.
“Your opinions are duly noted,” said Dr. Know.
“Your opinions are completely irrelevant,” said Rail Blade.
“Amelia,” said Dr. Know. “Richard was correct about one thing. You do seem very tired. I don’t pretend to like what you’ve done. But you are still my daughter, and it bothers me to see you in such a state of obvious exhaustion.”
“I… am weary,” said Amelia. As she said this, her thick steel boots crumbled to dust and she stumbled forward on her bare feet.
“Let me help you, child,” said Dr. Know, extending his hand toward her.
She reached out to him, a single tear trickling down her cheek. She placed her hand in his. As he looked into her eyes, he turned her arm forearm up, and stroked it gently. Then, with a smooth, subtle motion that Nobody almost missed, Dr. Know slipped his hand into his pocket. When he pulled it out, he held a syringe.
Rail Blade gasped as he slid the needle into her vein with a rapid, precise stroke. He pushed the plunger, and released her arm.
She stumbled backward, then collapsed, motionless.
“I’m sorry,” said Dr. Know.
“Oh my God!” said Nobody, dropping to her side. “What did you just do to her?”
“I gave her an injection of pentobarbital,” said Dr. Know. “She felt no pain. She was dead within a heartbeat.”
“I can’t believe it! I can’t believe you just murdered your own daughter!”
“You saw what she had become. You saw what she was capable of. I prepared for this contingency. Perhaps the world will amend its ways in one brief year. But I doubt it. No doubt, in a year, she would have carried out her threats. I couldn’t risk it. Who knows how powerful she would have been in a year? Since puberty, her power has increased at an accelerating rate. I believe this contributed to her mental breakdown.”
Nobody swallowed hard. Looking down at Rail Blade’s pale, still form, he felt an immense sorrow.
“She tried so hard to please you,” said Nobody, choking up. “You were the center of everything for her. And you murdered her.”
“I did what I had to do.” Dr. Know also sounded on the verge of tears.
Nobody reached out, and placed his hand on Rail Blade’s cheek, and wiped away the tear that still glistened there.
Her eyes fluttered open.
Chapter Seventeen
Terrify is a Better Word
Dr. Know pulled his gas gun from his lab coat with one hand, and a small mask for his nose with the other. He turned a dial on the handle as he stepped toward Rail Blade, who was raising herself on her hands, looking groggy.
“Step back, Richard,” said Dr. Know, placing the barrel of the gun near his daughter’s mouth. “This is Sarin. Not as painless as the pentobarbital, I fear.”
Richard staggered backward. Dr. Know pulled the trigger before Rail Blade even seemed to realize what was happening. The pistol gave a small click. Dr. Know’s brow wrinkled in bewilderment.
Rail Blade turned her face toward him, the faintest hint of a smile on her lips. “There’s a small steel spring,” she said, through labored breaths, “just inside the trigger.”
Dr. Know stepped back as Rail Blade sat up. She nearly toppled backward, like a toddler surprised by the mome
ntum her body possessed. She steadied herself, and brushed her hair back from her face. “You’ll also find the taser in your watch has malfunctioned,” she said. “The syringe in your other pocket—the needle just knotted itself.”
Dr. Know nodded. Then, fluidly, he flew forward, delivering a savage kick to her throat. She fell, arms flying limp. He leapt into the air, almost faster than Nobody could follow, and thrust his foot down with his full weight aimed at the side of his daughter’s head. Just before he made contact, a crown of gleaming spikes materialized around Rail Blade’s brow. He landed with a cry of pain, as four inches of slender red steel punched through the tops of his fine leather shoes.
He pulled himself free, hopping backward until he reached his command chair. He leaned against it for support, then cried out once more as the chair came to life. Steel belts snaked out and encircled his waist, pulling him sharply into the seat. Bands of metal snapped from the armrests, pinning his arms. A rake of iron rose from behind the chair and dug into his scalp, forcing his head back.
Rail Blade placed a hand against the wall, her limbs wobbling as she tried to rise. Instinctively, Nobody reached out to steady her, placing one hand on her arm, another on her waist. He felt cold as he realized how stupidly dangerous this was.
But Rail Blade ‘didn’t respond with aggression. She leaned her weight into his arms, and pulled herself to her feet, her breath coming in labored, ragged heaves.
“Thank you,” she whispered, turning to look into his eyes.
“Um,” he answered.
“You,” she said, turning her gaze to her father.
“Finish it,” said Dr. Know, grimacing as he fought against his bonds. “Finish it!”
“You killed me,” she said softly. “You killed me.”
“You killed uncounted innocent people! Now you’ll murder me! Finish it!”
Rail Blade’s weight shifted from Richard’s arms. The air hummed with energy as a second skin of iron seeped from her pores, bringing solidity and strength to her trembling limbs.
A whining wail like a singing saw pierced the room as a steel rail whipped into the air in front of her. She leapt onto it, wheels springing into existence as she moved.