by Joe Ducie
“How do you keep the silverfish out of all these books?” she asked.
“Minor wards and charms. The books are under my protection.”
“Are you actually open for business? That cash register doesn’t look like it’s ever been used.”
“When the mood strikes me, I open the shop, but you never can be sure who’s a customer and who’s an assassin, can you?”
“I’m not sure how many bookshop managers have that problem.”
“You’d be surprised.”
Annie raised an eyebrow and said nothing. I could see a thousand questions quivering on her lips, but it was best to let someone new to all this wonder and horror work their own way around to whatever was on their mind. Too much too soon could be damaging. Not as damaging as a demonic messenger of the Old Gods, sure, but still a trifle worrisome.
“There are other worlds,” Annie said, as if confirming the fact to herself.
“Yes.”
“You’ve been to them?”
“Oh, yes. Many, many times.”
“And there’s, like, this main other world and some sort of city where people like you come from?”
I shrugged. “I was born here on Earth, actually, twenty-five or so years ago, but yes, there’s Ascension City—a shining world of prosperity and wealth, a jewel of the Story Thread.”
“So who are you in this other world? A... Knight?”
“I was a Knight. Most definitely a Knight. Before I was exiled for ending the war, I was commander of one of the most elite units in Ascension City—the Cascade Fleet.”
“For ending the war?”
“That’s another long story. Short version, I bargained with a creature of immense power in the heart of Atlantis—yes, that Atlantis—and lost my shadow and my love in the fine print but forced an end to the Tome Wars. I created a... Degradation. A shield that encircled Atlantis, protecting the city and the powerful relics hidden there. It also crippled the Story Thread.”
Annie threw up her hands, struggling to keep up. “You keep mentioning that. What is the Story Thread?”
“A network of countless worlds that we, people like me with enough Will power, can access through books. Think of the Thread as cities and towns on a map, and books are the roads connecting them all together. It’s actually nothing like that, but you get a rough idea, yeah?”
Annie nodded. I liked the way she nodded, her fringe bouncing. She was quite pretty. “Tell me about the Knights then. What are they?”
“The Knights...” I sighed, somewhat wistfully. “My entire life, up until five years ago, was spent in service of the Knights Infernal and all that they, in their glory, stood for.” And how far we mighty fall... “The Knights are an order of men and women, millennia old, who serve the Story Thread and Forget. We keep the Void in check and deal with the monsters, the unseen, the nightmarish visions of humanity made real.”
“Sort of like a police force then?”
“Sure, I guess. But closer to a military, overseen by a monarchy of powerful Knights and the lords and ladies of Ascension City.”
“You mentioned something about a king before. I’m picturing a medieval castle, with Knights in armor fighting on horseback. Is it anything like that? A king would mean you don’t vote people into power, do you?”
“No, not so much.” I ran a hand back through my hair and frowned. “You have to understand, before I ended them, the Tome Wars had been fought for close to a century. One hundred years of war between the Knights and the Renegades. Not much chance to hold general elections in there.”
“So how do you decide who’s in charge?”
“Power,” I said. “Any kid who graduates from the Academy, at fifteen or sixteen, becomes something like a senator, a politician, in a way, capable of influencing policy and the war effort. For the last few decades, the Dragon Throne has been held by those with the power to seize control and govern the war, elected—in the loosest sense of the word—by a council of the ruling class. We’re soldiers, first and foremost, charged to protect the Story Thread and the wealth of worlds out there, standing strong against the Void.”
Annie pondered that and then nodded. “Okay. So what were you to Ascension City?”
“Almost king, once upon a time, before I was cast into this wonderful, scotch-soaked exile.” I took a sip. “But my rank? During the war I was a field-commander in the Cascade Fleet. Rather prestigious, like Special Forces. But say there was no war, no military designations... I attained the rank of Arbiter before I became a threat to the throne.”
“Arbiter?”
“There’s a hierarchy of five levels to being a Knight Infernal. Apprentice, Guardian, Sentinel, Lord, Arbiter.” I held up my hand and checked them off, one by one. “At nineteen, I was young for an Arbiter. Times were, no one under fifty would even be considered for anything higher than a Sentinel... but you can’t expect children to fight a war and not grow old in the soul, Annie.”
“Arbiter...” she said, rolling the word around her mouth.
“There are other ranks, of course, elements and factions within the Knights that hold varying levels of power and respect against the core five levels. Take the Healers, for instance, those with the knack for learning and using healing enchantments, charms, and spells. A healer might be only a Guardian in the normal hierarchy, fresh out of the Academy, but their skill could make them a Wiser within that particular faction—which is roughly the equivalent of a Sentinel in the main structure. You follow?”
Annie shrugged. “Somewhat. You don’t look much like a healer, Declan. Did you have a specialty?”
“I was good at being a soldier. Let’s just leave it at that.”
“Okay.” Annie folded her hands in her lap. “And the Renegades? Who are they?”
A weak smile came and went across my face. “You met their Queen just last night. Graceful Emily, at Paddy’s. Yeah, I know, she seems too kind and too pregnant to be the leader of a rebellious faction of the Knights Infernal, responsible for a century of bloodshed and war, doesn’t she?”
“Tell me more about the Renegades. Are they like an outlaw gang?”
I sighed. “The Renegades splintered off from the rest of us in Ascension City and set up their own city on one of the empty worlds in the Uncharted Realms—Voraskel, named for their first king. The lunatic who started it all. They followed different laws, different beliefs. They set themselves above the Knights and our key precepts.”
“This all happened a hundred years ago?”
“About that, yeah. The backlash of the Knights and Renegades falling out spilled over onto Earth, at the time.”
Annie’s lips moved as she did some quick math. “About a hundred years ago... are you talking about the First World War?”
“Yes.” I smiled grimly. “The Renegades wanted to use Forget—and our power to navigate worlds—to pillage and plunder. That’s a very broad look at what became a complex society, but the general gist of their insurrection was that no world should be off limits, and if they couldn’t find something they wanted, they’d just write it into existence. A complete and utter abuse of Will, and we’re lucky the war here on Earth only lasted four years.”
“And killed millions!”
“Millions more than you know.” I let that hang in the air a moment. “Now, we may be seeing something similar again. This being the key world, the Knights have members in every level of government across the planet. And have had for centuries. The fact that they’ve seemingly abandoned their posts could, conceivably, have the same effect that the Renegade desertion did a century ago.”
“You’re talking about another World War.”
I shrugged. “Worst case scenario, but it certainly puts things into perspective, yeah? With no teams here on Earth searching for the unfound—kids who can control Will—we could see a lot of unexplained accidents and power grabs. We have to stop that from happening, or a lot of innocent lads and lasses will suffer.”
Annie nodded. “An
d Emissary has to answer for the deaths he caused last night. For Grey.” She clenched her fists. “That’s why I’m coming with you. Why I let you out of that cell.”
“Yes, I know. And fear not, we’ll make him sorry he ever set foot on this world.”
“Good.” Annie leaned forward and swiped the glass of scotch from my hand. She finished the drink in one harsh gulp. “Righto, then. So tell me how we’re getting to this Ascension City of yours?”
“If that bastard hadn’t branded me, we could be there in seconds using one of these fine books.”
“How so?”
“Books written by authors who have some command over Will, however small, can become part of the Story Thread. A Knight can use those books to travel to that world. Some of the greatest stories ever written actually exist, Annie, among the plethora of worlds out there in Forget. I’ve read them. I’ve been there. It’s why we call this world True Earth, because so many stories are set here that they’ve spawned countless copies of Earth.”
Annie licked her lips and her eyes glinted. She had the taste for adventure now, seeing the possibilities, surrounded by a hundred thousand worlds in this shop alone—all just a heartbeat away, if I hadn’t been branded by Emissary. “Like what? Where’ve you been?”
I rubbed my hands together and grinned. “I’ve strolled along the riverbanks on the grounds of Grahame’s Toad Hall. I watched a giant squid glide across the lake at Rowling’s Hogwarts. Oh, Annie, you haven’t lived until you’ve almost been devoured by Dune’s sandworms or watched icebergs of pure diamond crash together on a foamy, purple sea in Auron’s Folly.”
“You’ve done all that?”
“All before my eighteenth birthday, and visited a thousand other worlds out there. What’s your favorite book?”
“The Hobbit,” she said.
“Ah...” My smile faded.
“What? Tolkien didn’t have the power to make his world real?”
I shook my head slowly. “No, no, he did... But Middle Earth is a banned realm, sealed away by the Knights using some very complex and soul-consuming runes and enchantments.”
“So you can’t visit it?”
“No. That story is part of what we call the Dream Worlds. Worlds of the Story Thread cut off from the rest of Forget, for protection.”
“What do you mean?”
“Worlds too hazardous to visit, Annie. Littered with artifacts or creatures too dangerous to unleash on the rest of Forget.” I suppressed a shudder. “One Renegade set a nest of Tolkien’s Orcs loose on some of the more peaceful worlds out there fifty years ago, before Middle Earth was sealed away in the Dream Worlds. They spread like a plague, burrowing and infesting—some even attacked Ascension City back in the eighties, burning the outlying districts. Last I heard, they’re still not under control. And don’t get me started on what the Rings of Power could do in the wrong hands.”
Annie nodded along, but she looked afraid now. “This is a lot to take in, all at once. I’m not sure if you’re just pulling my leg, but after what happened last night... the officers we lost... Declan, are you being straight with me?”
“As an arrow, Annie Brie. How does it feel to tumble through the looking glass?”
“God, is that one real, too?” She rubbed at her eyes, fighting fatigue.
“No, that one’s just a story.”
Annie sighed what may have been relief.
“It’s the Wizard of Oz you’ve got to watch out for.”
Chapter Nine
Surly McSorley
All conversationed out, I left Annie with her thoughts and set about brewing a fresh pot of tea in my seldom-used small kitchen in the back of the shop. Surprised to find teabags, I spent a good two minutes searching for the kettle and found it atop a stack of paperback horror novels—Odd Thomas, by Dean Koontz, as good as it gets—leaning precariously over the stovetop. Fire hazards and kind-hearted fry cooks aside, I set the kettle to boil and dozed leaning against the sink for a few stolen minutes.
In no time at all, I was jolted awake by the kettle’s shrill whistle, and when I returned to my writing alcove, two cups in hand, I found Ethan and Sophie sitting with Annie and chatting about the weather.
“Ah, you shouldn’t have,” Ethan said, reaching for one of the cups.
“I didn’t. One for Sophie and one for Annie. Kettle’s in the back, Reilly.”
Once my apprentice returned with two more cups, I filled Ethan and Sophie in on all that had transpired since I’d seen them yesterday evening. Their faces grew grim as my story progressed through Paddy’s to Hillarys, to the night I’d spent in the cells, and finally back to my shop earlier that morning.
“You’re lucky to be alive,” Sophie said to Annie. “Actually, you too, Declan.”
“Don’t I know it. But Emissary... he didn’t want me dead, ’Phie. He invited me to the ‘ascension’ of Blessed Scion, as he put it.”
“What do you suppose that means?” Ethan asked, sipping his tea, as Annie’s phone chimed.
“Hard to say. We need to speak to the Knights at the Fae Palace. My brother. Rally some support.”
“How wise is that, though? Going back?” Sophie asked. “Last time they clapped you in star iron. And let’s not forget you were attacked and stabbed in the palace itself.”
Annie cleared her throat. “Sorry to interrupt, but I think I have a lead on whatever Scion’s ascension might be.”
I blinked. “How could you possibly...?” She handed me her phone and a few more pieces of the puzzle fell into place. The screen displayed an image of a whitewashed wall in some alleyway, probably in the city. Written on the wall in a familiar, crimson script was yet another message for me.
Blessed Scion on His pale throne
The Younger God sits all alone
Ten thousand years awaiting rebirth
The Everlasting will cleanse the earth
:)
NO RAIN OR HALE
CAN STOP THE NIGHT TO COME!
“How many did he kill?” I asked softly.
“Three,” Annie said. “Another three.”
I’ve already lost count... Two the day before, the six policemen, Grey... And let’s not forget to add the man who tried to shoot me at the uni tav to the red tally. People were dead and getting deader.
“No rain or hale,” Sophie said, reading over my shoulder. “Well, that’s a not-so-subtle shot at you.”
I handed Annie her phone back and cracked my knuckles. “Well, this doesn’t change the plan. Ascension City. Are you two in?”
“Never miss a chance to tango, boss,” Ethan said.
“I guess so, Declan, but you’re courting disaster.” Sophie gave me a tight smile. “As usual.”
“Actually, I think I’m trying to prevent a disaster, for once.”
Ethan put his mug down on the counter and slapped a stack of paperbacks. “Well, what are we waiting for? Emissary could come gunning for you any minute. Let’s grab a book and slip across to Ascension City while we can.”
I shook my head before he finished and rolled up my sleeve, exposing the ugly, black rune scorched into my flesh. Ethan recoiled at the sight of it, and Sophie grimaced. “I’ve no Will. It’s been locked away from me, and it would take more than the power you two have to undo this mark.”
Sophie bit her lip. “I could do it, I think. I’ve never really tried before, but if you talked me through it, Declan.”
“No, you don’t understand. This mark locks me to this world. I can’t travel using Will even if someone else is doing the invocation. At best, it just won’t work. At worst, trying to dive will tear the flesh from my bones.”
“Then what?” Ethan asked. “How do we get to Forget?”
“We can’t cross the Void,” Sophie said. “Not like you. Ethan and I can’t, and Detective Brie certainly can’t.”
I wondered about that and just what Annie could do. “There’s another way,” I said. “McSorley’s.”
Sophie scoffed. “He’
ll shoot you on sight. No, actually, he’ll make you pay your tab first, and then he’ll shoot you.”
“It’s the closest door, and it leads straight to the Atlas Lexicon.”
“What about the Knights guarding it? They won’t let you pass, on Faraday’s order.”
That much was true. “All the Knights Earth-side have been recalled to Ascension City, and we can blend into the crowds at the Atlas Lexicon.”
“Sorry,” Annie said. “What’s the Atlas Lexicon?”
“I’d like to know that as well,” Ethan chimed in.
“A nexus of gateways and portals between worlds,” I said. “Natural waygates, of a kind, amalgamated in one place and not constructed of Will. A train station of inter-dimensional tracks to thousands of worlds throughout Forget. And, of course, Ascension City.”
“Think of Grand Central in New York,” Sophie said. “Only grander. Much grander. I’ve only been there once. Back when it was first conceived, no one thought it could be done—all those doorways so close together. Enough cracks to cause a Voidflood.”
“The Lexicon was the work of a... mad genius, Thomas Lucien Atkinson, and its creation sparked the Tome Wars a century ago. Well, one of the sparks.” I stood and stuffed a novel into my holster. “Travel between worlds was suddenly cheap and affordable to anyone, to the masses in Ascension City without a drop of Will. Before the Atlas Lexicon, you needed a Knight to cross worlds. After, just a few gems for a train ticket. It... Heh, I suppose it ruined the majesty somewhat.”
“I know McSorley’s,” Annie said. “It’s a bar on Murray Street in the city.”
“Yes, my old haunt, until I had a... falling out with the proprietor.”
“That’s one way of putting it,” Sophie muttered.
Annie frowned. “It burned down a few years back, didn’t it?”
“It surely did,” I said. “And it wasn’t my fault. Not one bit. Mostly not one bit. Partly. I saved the old bastard’s life, after the gateway in his basement malfunctioned and started spewing out demons.”
