by Karl Morgan
The demon picked up Proctor by the throat and squeezed. “I begin to tire of killing you, old friend, but you have to know that you have sown the seeds of our destruction!” Proctor only squeaked out his last breath and the demon threw his body into the pile of females that quickly ate his flesh and tossed the skeleton into a large pile of other bones.
Another infant was born and grew quickly into the white enforcer. Proctor looked at the bloody face of his new mother who had just feasted on his body and shuddered. He climbed off the mound and approached the demon king yet again. This time he was not crawling and seemed to accept his new existence of being born and dying horribly almost immediately. “Master was very cruel, allowing his own mother to eat him.”
“Proctor, I know you are right, but do you now understand that by being discovered inside Gaius he may understand that we control him and he is just a puppet?”
“Yes Master, Proctor understands that now. When the emperor realized that Bill might be united with the other Bills, Proctor foolishly thought he should tell you immediately.”
The demon smiled, but his long fangs made it more sinister than welcoming. “That was a very good idea, but now we need to find a way to fix this. What ideas do you have, old friend?”
“Master is asking me for advice?” Proctor asked with a huge grin on his face.
The demon opened his mouth and a fountain of fire shot out, instantly incinerating Proctor. When he closed his mouth, the charred enforcer skeleton crumbled into dust. He waved his arm at the mound of enforcers and they disappeared as well. “He’s right! I must have been stupid to ask him of all beings in the universe. I have to figure this out before it’s too late.”
The elevator door opened onto the same transparent hallway that Bill had gingerly stepped into before. This time, he strode out along with the two dogs. Seventeen looked around trying to understand what he was seeing. Bill turned back and said, “It’s a projection. None of this is real.”
Feeling more confident, Seventeen stepped out and began to follow Bill. “For a second there, I thought we were really in orbit. That’s funny, right?”
Bill turned back and replied, “Well, actually, I lied. We really are suspended a hundred miles over the surface.”
Seventeen’s face turned ashen and he turned to head back to the elevator, but there was only the clear wall as far as he could see. “Where did the elevator go?”
“Bill, we don’t have time for this now. Maybe Dom Emmanuel will explain it to you later.” Bill reached out with his hand and a doorknob materialized in his hand.
Seventeen was looking on with his eyes and mouth both wide open. “How did you do that?”
“That’s not important right now, Bill. I need your help to open this door. It seems to be stuck.” Bill pushed against the door with his shoulder, but it barely moved. “This is really strange.” The two men rammed the door repeatedly, and after half a dozen attempts, it popped open.
The office was in shambles. The furniture was either overturned or smashed into splinters. The files drawers were open and papers were thrown everywhere. The only thing unbroken was the bottle of whisky and glasses. “Whose office was this, Bill?”
Bill walked over to the credenza and poured whisky into two glasses and then handed one to the other Bill. “Cheers!” After they took a sip, Bill continued, “I don’t think you’d believe me if I told you. I just don’t understand how this could have happened to him!”
Seventeen chuckled and said, “I don’t know why you’re so surprised. People get robbed all the time. You make it sound like this office belongs to the Lord God Almighty or something.” Bill smirked and shrugged his shoulders. “He has an office?”
“Just relax, Bill. I need a minute to think about this.”
“I’ve never been a religious man, Bill, and what you’re saying makes no sense at all.”
“By now, I’m sure you realize that the universe is not quite what we believed it to be. Remember your demonic form and flying up from Iguazu Falls? How about when I captured that tornado of enforcers and sent them back to their home world, or perhaps when you saw more than a hundred of us in one place?”
Seventeen raised his hands in surrender and said, “Okay, okay, I get it. But what do we do now?”
“The door, that’s it!” Bill shouted and walked back to the same doorway they had entered through.
“Let me guess, the clear hallway isn’t out there anymore, is it?”
“Well, it can be if we want it to be,” Bill replied. “But right now, we need help.”
“Bill, if someone did this to God, I doubt anyone can help us.”
“Just before I ended up at Iguazu, I was with someone I know could help us, but I don’t know why she didn’t end up there with me.”
“Most likely, she didn’t end up with you because someone didn’t want you to have help. It’s just logical.”
Bill looked stunned by the logic of the deduction. “Wow! Thanks for that. It was so obvious that I missed it completely.” Bill walked up to the door and thought of Faith. He pulled the door open and saw the beach on Maui. Troy was standing behind the bar preparing a tray of drinks. Seventeen was next to Bill, gawking at the insanity of what he was seeing.
“Hey Bill, long time no see. Can I make you a drink?” Troy hollered.
“Not right now, Troy. Do you know where Faith is?”
“Which one?”
“Wait a minute, how do you. . .” Troy was smirking at the two Bills. “Never mind, where is the Faith I was with when she and I fought the enforcers on the emperor’s planet?”
Troy smiled and shouted, “Dude, try the intergalactic void. It really sucks that they sent her there. If you find her, say hi for me!”
Bill closed the door and leaned against it. Seventeen looked glassy-eyed and even more confused. “That kid was in Hawaii, right?” Bill nodded. “I think he made drinks once for Audrey and me when we were on vacation. How does he know your friend is lost in space? He’s just a bartender, isn’t he?”
“I sincerely doubt that,” Bill laughed. “I don’t think they teach clairvoyance in bartender school.” Seventeen thought about replying, but dropped his head and walked to the other side of the office and sat down on the floor. “It’s okay. I was there once.” Bill stood at the door thinking about Faith. Even though the lost Faith was from a different reality, Bill focused on the Faith who took him to Iguazu and Maui. He remembered the cocoon where they slept and their fights with the enforcers. He closed his eyes and whispered, “I have faith in you, God. Please help me find your daughter.” He opened his eyes and pulled the door open again. He shouted, “Bill, get over here! I need your help!”
Seventeen hurried over, only to see the vacuum of space outside the door. Very faint stars could be seen, and a woman floated in open space fifty feet from the door. “She has to be dead, Bill. No one can survive open space for more than a minute.”
“She’s no more human than you or me, Bill. Help me look for something so we can reach her. We need a rope or something to tie down because I’m going out there after her.”
Seventeen decided the time had come to give up on his scientific accuracy. He could never understand what was happening, so he just gave into the illusion. The two men rummaged through the drawers and almost immediately came upon a long coil of rope. “I can’t believe this rope was here, but how are you going to reach her?” He felt hot air on his neck and turned to see Chachis had become the huge demon dog again. She winked at Seventeen and he smiled.
It took a few minutes to fashion a collar for Chachis from the rope and tie the other end to the morphed Zelda and the two men. They stood near the door while Chachis was pressed against the wall as far from the door as possible. Bill and Seventeen grabbed onto anything heavy they could find as Chachis took off galloping toward the open door. She kicked off with all her might and flew through the open doorway toward Faith. She reached Faith and grabbed her gently into her jaws just at the rope became
taut.
Chachis’ momentum pulled the three toward the open door. Bill lost his footing and was holding onto the doorjamb with all his strength. Seventeen slammed into him and they both slipped outside. Zelda was clawing with her feet to hold on but still slipping. Just as she was about to pass through the door, she turned sideways and slammed into the doorway and wall and came to a stop. When the rope went limp, Zelda began to move away from the doorway, pulling the others back to safety. Once Bill and Seventeen were back inside, they added their strength to hers and quickly pulled Chachis and Faith into the office and closed the door. The dogs were instantly their normal size and the two Bills were sitting on the floor panting. They closed their eyes and passed out.
When Mary returned to her hotel room, she changed quickly and went to bed. Minutes later, she could hear J.C. and Jonas entering the hotel room and putting Maggie into her bed. Mary’s door opened slightly and J.C. said, “Good night, Mary.”
“Good night, J.C.” He closed the door and both men left the suite. Mary fell asleep and began to dream almost immediately. In her dream, her hands were bound behind her and she was kneeling before the emperor. She was still wearing the nightgown she wore to bed. Maggie was chained to a wall at her wrists and ankles. She was nude and appeared to have been badly beaten. She was passing in and out of consciousness. When she would open her eyes, she glanced at Mary and then passed out again.
“What are we to do with you, slave?” Gaius Claudius Caesar asked. She tried to respond, but realized that she was gagged. “Attempting to subvert the princess is a serious crime. I just can’t decide whether beheading or crucifixion is more warranted. The emperor turned to his left and said, “What do you think?”
Mary followed his eyes and saw Bill Watson standing against the far wall wearing a tunic and toga. Bill looked at her, clicked his tongue, and said, “My lord, I think beheading is likely preferable. In that way, we are rid of this pest immediately.”
“I could not agree more, Councilor,” Gaius said as he drew his dagger. He strode up to her, pulled her head back by the hair and plunged the blade into her neck.
Mary opened her eyes and found herself still in bed. Her breathing was shallow and rapid. She tried to push the stupid dream out of her head. “Bill would never hurt me,” she said to herself. She rolled on her side to try to sleep again, but was startled by the sound of Maggie vomiting. She got out of bed to help. Mary went to Maggie’s door and tapped lightly, “Bestie, are you okay?”
“Come in, Mary. I’ll be okay.” Mary opened the door and walked into the bathroom where Maggie was standing at the sink and brushing her teeth. “Oh God, what a headache! Do you know what happened with Jonas? He didn’t take advantage of my condition, did he?”
“I don’t think so, Mags.”
Maggie spit out the paste and rinsed her mouth. She turned her head and smiled, “Well, that’s a bit disappointing. He didn’t seem the type to act like a gentleman.” Mary blushed and turned her head. “Oh, come on! Don’t get all prudish on me, Bestie. I was just having fun. Why would I want to have sex that I couldn’t remember?” She grabbed Mary by the arm and pulled her into the bedroom. “Come on, let’s get some sleep.” Maggie climbed under the covers and held the covers open for Mary.”
“I can go to my room, if you like?”
“Maggie frowned and replied, “I’m not going to rape you, Mary. It’s just a sleepover. Get in!” Reluctantly, Mary climbed into bed. Maggie kissed her gently and then rolled over. “Good night, bestie!”
“Good night, Mags,” Mary replied.
Maggie was snoring, keeping Mary from falling asleep. After what seemed like hours, Maggie became quiet and Mary fell asleep. An hour or two later, the bedroom light switched on. Mary sat up and saw a man in a military uniform standing at the foot of the bed. “I’m sorry to disturb you, Majesty, but your brother demanded that I come and retrieve you.”
All Mary could manage to say was, “Uh.”
Maggie rolled over, sat up and said, “What the hell are you doing here, Julius?”
Julius looked back and forth between the two identical women. He focused on Maggie and said, “Majesty, as I said, your brother needs you to return to our realm post haste.”
“Screw him!” Maggie shouted. “I just got here and I want to have more fun and buy more stuff. Can’t you guys just leave me alone for a week?”
“Majesty, there is a significant chance the two membranes will separate any day now. If you are here when that happens, you will likely be stuck here for a thousand years.”
“Ah, shit! Why does this always happen to me!” she screamed. “Mary, get out of bed and pack our things. Be prepared to leave within the hour.”
Mary jumped to her feet and bowed, “At your command, your Grace.” She hurried over to Maggie’s luggage and began to pack things.
“Julius, be a good demon and order us all some breakfast, okay?”
The soldier bowed his head and replied, “Yes, Majesty,” and headed out of the room.
“Bestie, I’m sorry,” Maggie said. Mary turned to look at her and saw real remorse in her face. “I really love you, Mary. You’re the sister I never had. As soon as possible, you and I will go on vacation again, okay?”
“Thank you, Mags,” Mary smiled and then returned to her work.
Bill opened his eyes and noticed he and Seventeen were both sitting on a leather couch with their feet up on the coffee table. Dom’s desk was directly in front of them and Faith was sitting behind it smiling back at him. He looked around the room and everything was normal again, with no signs of the destruction he had witnessed. “I suppose you’re going to tell me I should have done this myself?”
“Now why would I do that?” she laughed. “Thank you for saving me, Bill.” Faith turned her attention to the other man and said, “Thank you too, Bill.”
“I’m glad you’re okay, but if you don’t mind me asking, why are you alive after being out in outer space without a spacesuit?” Seventeen asked.
“It’s because I’m an angel, Bill.”
“Uh. . .”
“Bill, don’t let it freak you out, but Faith is also our aunt,” Bill added.
“My aunt, how is that possible?”
Faith stood and walked around in front of the desk and sat on the edge directly in front of the two men. “Frankly, we don’t have time for chit-chat. Bill, how did you find me? I mean I was lost in empty space in a random membrane of the multiverse and you were in another. It doesn’t seem logical that you could open that door and find me.”
“I just thought about you and remembered the times I’ve spent with the Faith from my reality.”
Faith smirked and said, “That really doesn’t help much.”
Seventeen stood up and said, “Actually, I think it proves my point.”
“And what point would that be, Bill number two?”
“I’m Seventeen.”
“Huh?” she grunted.
Bill stood as well and said, “That’s not really important right now, Faith.”
Seventeen shook his head and replied, “Actually, that’s a critical element of my theory.” The others stared blankly at him. “Please bear with me on this. Faith, I am a cosmologist, and so I know a lot about the concept of the multiverse. If the multiverse really exists, it is a natural phenomenon, which means each brane is a separate universe, potentially operating under its own laws of physics, but under the same standards of quantum mechanics. Don’t you see what I’m getting at?”
Bill shook his head slowly from side to side. Faith said, “As truly separate universes, they must operate randomly, and therefore it is virtually impossible that two Bill Watsons could be standing in front of me right now.”
“That is precisely correct,” Seventeen confirmed. “What you don’t know is that Bill here ended up in this brane while you ended up in open space in another. Where Bill found me, there were more than one hundred Bills just like us. And since we had started to arrive in this bra
ne, Bill is the 307th to show up so far.”
“Now that has to be impossible!” Faith exclaimed.
“Not necessarily,” Seventeen countered. “It is possible there are an infinite number of membranes. But if that was true, I would have expected many more of us to be there, perhaps an infinite number. But I think that is incredibly unlikely.”
“So, the multiverse is a fake?” Faith asked.
“Well, things here seem to be real, so that is unlikely,” Seventeen continued. “More likely, this multiverse is a construction buried within the real multiverse.”
“This stuff is driving me nuts,” Bill said as he rubbed his temples to suppress a new headache.
“Who could have constructed hundreds of false universes? Wouldn’t my father be the only one capable of such a thing?”
“Aunt Faith, as I said, I’m a cosmologist. My reasoning is already in question now that I’m some kind of demon and standing in front of an angel. I think we have to rely on you and your father for this one.”
Bill stood again and said, “No, I think this job falls on my sister and me. We were created for this, and now we need to complete the job.”
“Don’t be suicidal, Bill,” Faith said as she touched his shoulder.
“I didn’t think of it at the time, but I think I’m beginning to understand now. When I exiled the enforcers from Mexico City, I just reacted, but now I know it had to be something different.”
“Bill, what are you talking about?” Faith asked.
“Bill, I’m sure you remember,” he said to Seventeen. “I had become an angel and carved a portal into the grass with my sword to connect this reality to their home world.”
“I remember, Bill,” Seventeen grinned. “I’d never seen anything so completely impossible yet still amazing.”
