The Road to Bedlam

by Mike Shevdon

  The Ways are dangerous when tired, they sap the will and divert the attention. It took every fibre of concentration to follow the path left by Raffmir. Gritting my teeth, I swerved around the nodes, whipping tight around the Way-points. I was only barely aware that we headed south, focusing only on the chill path left behind him. We veered past node after node. Then we were there.

  I staggered forward on to solid ground, wrong-footed by the sudden return of gravity and space. Raffmir watched me, his smile loaded with mute sarcasm.

  "If you say anything about style, I will kick you," I said.

  "It never crossed my mind to comment." The lie was obvious in his voice, as he must have known it would be.

  I looked around. We were in a forest on high ground. I could see distant lights through the trees, but there was no obvious sign of civilisation. We were in the middle of nowhere.

  "My daughter is in the middle of a wood?"

  In response, he caught my sleeve and, despite my efforts to shake him free, led me through the trees until we emerged on a clear hillside. Below us was a broad expanse of heath land scattered with small dark buildings and what looked like abandoned vehicles. Beyond the heath was a complex of buildings, white lights arrayed around them. They glowed with industrial brightness, stark against the neglected landscape.

  "There," he said, "we will find your daughter."

  I watched for a moment. There was no sign of occupation, no movement of people or vehicles. The place appeared deserted but at the same time lights blazed in all the offices. Didn't these people know how to switch

  a light off?

  "Where are we?" I asked.

  "Wiltshire."

  "No, I meant, where in particular are we? What is that place?"

  "That is where your daughter is being held. This is the facility in which she is imprisoned. Tonight we must break in to release her. I warn you, it is well guarded."

  "You didn't answer my question."

  "They call it after this heath on which we stand. It is called Porton Down."

  I glanced at him, wondering whether this was some kind of wind-up. "Porton Down? That's the chemical warfare place. The one where they develop nerve gas."

  "And for that reason alone, I would watch where you step. They test fire ordnance on this heath and you might lose a leg if you were to wander unwary, but chemical warfare is not the only thing they do here. There is research into all manner of things. It is true, though, that defence against chemical and biological weapons is their primary purpose. It is the biological aspect that concerns us. This is where they take the dangerous mongrels, the half-breeds out of control, the ones that cannot be contained through other means."

  "How do you know my daughter is in there?"

  "Are you doubting me?"

  "I'm asking how you know. You don't even live on this world. I've been trying to find her for weeks and yet you know where she is?"

  "Ah well, there fortune has smiled upon me. It has gifted me the ability to grant you what no other can. Your daughter's location came to me by happenstance, one of those moments of chance when you know that fortune does indeed play dice, and she always wins."

  "You came upon her by accident." I could not keep the sarcasm from my voice.

  "Not an accident, but I swear that I did not seek her out. Her name came up in conversation with regard to other matters. I made the connection and once the connection was made, it was obvious what must be done."

  "Which is?"

  "That I must bring you here to release her, so that you may be reunited."

  Once again I could hear the clear and perfect truth in his words and yet I felt that there was more that he was not telling me.

  "Swear to me that you are not intending her harm."

  He looked offended. "Have I not already sworn? Would you have me repeat my vow?"

  "I would remind you of it."

  "The reminder is unnecessary. I have already sworn not to harm your daughter or by my actions to allow either you or her to come to harm, but I face a dilemma. What we attempt is not without risk."

  He gestured at the complex of buildings. "If we do not rescue your daughter then she will die tonight, but releasing her is not without danger for you and for her. We may attempt a rescue and in so doing put your life and hers in jeopardy, but without the attempt you will surely lose her. Do you see my quandary?"

  "I understand, Raffmir. Though the question that remains is: what do you get out of this? The way I see it, you could stand aside and let matters take their course. If my daughter is dead, why do you care? Isn't that one less mongrel to pollute your precious bloodlines? With a free hand, you would kill her regardless, so why the effort to save her?"

  "Is it not enough that I would see you unharmed?"

  I thought for a moment. "No," I said. "I want to know why you're helping me."

  At that he looked at his feet and then sidelong at me.

  "Then I must confess my unwitting involvement in the harm that may come to her."

  "Unwitting?"

  He threw his arms wide in a gesture of innocence. "I swear I did not know she would be part of what is done here. There was never any intention that she would become involved. She was brought here without my knowledge or approval and it was only after she was within the establishment that I discovered she was here."

  "You? What would you be doing at Porton Down?"

  "That I am not at liberty to divulge."

  I turned to face him and poked him in the chest with my finger. "Oh no. You don't get out of it that easily. If you are involved, you can't just deny all knowledge and expect me to accept it."

  "It is not my secret to tell." He looked down at my finger and it was my turn to remove it.

  "But you know what's going on. Come on, Raffmir, what are you up to?"

  He shrugged and turned to face the distant buildings.

  I stepped into his line of sight, forcing him to look at me. "You've done something that caused my daughter to come to harm in direct contravention to the vow you made. Otherwise I would not be here. I think you'd better tell me what you've done. Either you explain it to me or I'm going for Garvin and the Warders."

  "By the time you return she will be dead."

  "And you knew that would be the case."

  He sighed. "I suppose that one way or another it will be known tonight. By the time this night is over, what is done will be done."

  I waited for an explanation.

  "The Seventh Court have been funding research into a cure for the condition with which your daughter is afflicted."

  "What do you mean, afflicted?"

  "A way of reversing the effect of fey bloodlines, of returning those who have inherited fey abilities to a normal human life."

  "It's not a disease, Raffmir."

  "There are those who would disagree with you. Within this establishment there are a number of individuals who would gladly receive treatment if it would only reverse the changes visited upon them."

  "And you have been funding this?"

  "The Seventh Court has, through a network of foundations and trusts, yes."

  "That's ridiculous. This is a defence establishment. Surely they check into the sources of their funding? Otherwise they could be infiltrated by spies or enemy agents."

  "We are not spies, though, are we? And we are not foreign. The foundations of which we speak were established in this country hundreds of years ago and have been engaged in supporting research and building understanding for all of that time. There are no enemies here."

  "But why would the Seventh Court get involved in human research?"

  "Because if a treatment can be found then the mongrels can return to being human and the Feyre can return to being fey. The reason for our exile becomes a moot point. You have not lost anything and we have everything to gain."

  "But you would be forcing this treatment on the half-breeds?"

  "It is a humane alternative to culling. You would live as long as you wer
e ever going to. It is a compromise."

  "This is what Altair's been discussing with the High Court?"

  "No. We hoped to, but unfortunately it doesn't work. I will not say that I understand the science but whatever they are doing has the effect of removing the ability to contain the power without quenching it."

  "I don't understand."

  "Nor I, but the effect is simple. Once the treatment is applied, the magic is unleashed and it consumes the subject. They have lost every patient they have tested. Your daughter is the next test subject and they are planning to run the test tonight."

  "My daughter!"

  "I have tried to delay it. I have done everything in my power, I assure you, but she is next on the list. They are very hopeful for the results. Unfortunately I remain pessimistic."

  "This is barbaric! They can't do this on human subjects."

  "They have consent from the patients and from the families. They can do it, and they already have."

  "They don't have Alex's consent. How can they? She's a child."

  "They don't need hers. They have yours."

  Of course they did. I had signed the papers myself. It hit me, then, what they were doing. They were waiting until families were in the position that Katherine and I had been in at the hospital and then putting forms in front of them.

  What was the phrase?

  We will do everything in our power to save your daughter.

  This was what they meant.

  "I know what I consented to, and I didn't mean this."

  "It makes no difference. They have all the permission they need."

  "It's immoral. It's wrong."

  "They believe they are helping them."

  "They're killing them!"

  "In pursuit of a cure. If they can make it work they believe they will save far more than they harm."

  "You know that's never going to work. You know what being fey is like. Once the magic is active, it's there forever. You can't just send it back."

  "They think they can."

  "That's ridiculous."

  "So is putting a man on the moon. They did that."

  I turned away, speechless at the obscenity of it.

  "There is not time for this, Dogstar. If we are to rescue your daughter, it must be now."

  I turned back. "You did this, Raffmir. You're responsible."

  "Did I not bring you here in time to set things right? I am doing everything in my power, but without you tonight's endeavour may fail with tragic consequences. I need your help."

  "Then let's go."

  "This facility has been constructed to contain those with fey abilities, mongrels who have lost control and are capable of murder and worse. It will not be easy to get inside."

  "But you know a way?"

  "Fortunately it has been constructed to stop fey getting out, not to prevent them getting in. It has its weaknesses, but once we begin we cannot stop. There are no friends here, Dogstar, and no innocents. Everyone involved knows what transpires here. Because it is night, the staff is much reduced, but the facility runs continuously – there will be people there."

  "I'm ready."

  "We will go to the roof. They are not expecting us. Their strength is limited and we have the advantage. Once inside we cannot afford for them to organise resistance. We will need to be ruthless."

  "You shouldn't have a problem with that."

  "It is not me I'm concerned about."

  "I can do my bit."

  "Your resolve must be firm if you want to see your daughter again."

  The memory of what a few misguided men had done to the missing girls on the boat returned to me, but in a form that was distilled and cold. It left me feeling empty and full at the same time.

  "I have seen what people do to each other, Raffmir. I don't need a lecture."

  In my mind, though, I began to wonder whether I would be able to contain the anger again, if it was once released. Raffmir watched me. Whatever he saw, it was enough.

  "Come then," he said. "It is time I took you to your daughter."

  He stood close, pointing across the heath to the cluster of buildings. "The building we need is the one at the back there, near the road. That is Bethlem Wing."

  "What did you say?"

  "Bethlem Wing. That's what it's called. Why do you ask?"

  Another piece fell in to place for me. Bethlem Wing, Porton Down. The initials on the B files were BWPD. That was what it meant. He was right, this was where they had taken her.

  "Never mind. How do we get in?"

  "As I showed you on the hill, that day, we must travel to the roof of the building. Once we are there, you must not draw power unless absolutely necessary. The alarms are set to detect changes in temperature, so if you draw power for any reason you will alert them to our presence. Use glamour alone until I give the word."

  "OK. How do we get inside?"

  "I have a way. Once we are in the building we must try and avoid raising the alarm for as long as possible. The longer we have before the alert goes out, the better chance we have of getting in, finding your daughter and getting out."

  "And how do we get out?"

  "We make our escape route as we go in. All we have to do then is get back to the roof and we leave the way we came. The best outcome is they don't know we've been there until after we're gone."

  "Is that likely?"

  "If we draw power the alarms will trigger and they will assume there is a break-out in progress. They will not be expecting a break-in. We still have the advantage."

  "Until we want to leave."

  "Do not get trapped in there, Dogstar. The best of it is that they would break my vow for me. What they will do to you does not bear speaking of, and I would not be the cause of it."

  "And yet you've been funding it, all this time."

  "These are the depths we are driven to. I do not like it any more than you."

  "And yet it continues."

  "Do you wish to argue morality or rescue your daughter?"

  I stared back across the expanse of rough grassland.

  "Good," he said. "Follow me."

  He stood apart, gathering energy until he was surrounded by a white aura of power. The warm night breeze chilled in response until he suddenly vanished. In the glare of the arc lights on the distant buildings I could not see him, but I knew where he'd gone. I stood in his place, focusing on the roof of the building he'd shown me, until the energy thrummed through me and the shadow world was overlaid on to reality. Then I stepped behind the curtain of the world into the space beyond, emerging on to a rooftop surrounded by arc lights.

  Raffmir waited next to a large concrete structure built into the rooftop. Around us, banks of air conditioner units whirred in an incessant breathy hum.

  "Now what?"

  "There'll be a moment or two, then someone will come to investigate."

  "The alarms have gone off already?"

  "No, but the cameras aren't working." He pointed to a pair of wall-mounted security cameras angled to scan the rooftop. Their bare wires hung from them like entrails where he had ripped them out.

  "Why did you do that?"

  "Because we need this door open without raising the alarm," he said, indicating a service door. "Stand over there, out of sight."

  We waited for a few moments until there was the sound of movement from the door. Someone tried several different keys, then the door swung open.

  "…but whichever one it is, they ain't working now."

  From my position towards the side, I could see two security guards emerging. They wore uniforms, but were not military. As the second one emerged, Raffmir stepped out on the far side of them into their line of sight.

  "Ah, I'm glad you've come. We're having some trouble with the cameras."

  "Who the hell…"

  As the first one spoke, Raffmir stepped forward. The security guard jerked and the bright point of a sword punched through the back of his uniform. He waved his arms ineffectually and
sank to his knees. At the same time, his colleague went for the gun holstered at his waist, his scrabbling fingers clawing for the weapon, flipping open the holster. In a second I had my sword drawn, the edge bright against his throat, pressed into his windpipe.

  "Drop the weapon," I told him.

  He held the unholstered pistol out by two fingers and let it fall to the ground, where it clattered heavily.