"She is not meant for you, human," a woman's voice screeched from behind them.
Both James and Camulas turned at the sound and were presented with an odd sight. A woman stood several feet away, adorned in ragged clothes that hinted at refinement—almost as if she had worn her Sunday best before walking away and becoming homeless.
The dress was black and orange, made of silk, and torn in places. It seemed to match her hair, which was haphazard and as black as her dress. A quick flick of his mind told James that she was a sister to the raven—not as powerful, but dangerous in her own right.
"She's a crow," James whispered to Camulas.
The crow heard him but ignored the comment, leaning in and baring her teeth to them as she hissed.
"She is not meant for you," the woman said again, her head jerking about as she spoke.
The image brought to mind a person having a seizure, but as James thought about it, he realized it was more the motions of a bird's head—quick and concise.
"What is it you want?" Camulas demanded.
The woman laughed manically, placing her hand to her mouth as she did.
She's insane, thought James, and he knew it was true.
She had been in hiding so long that she had forgotten how to be human, and as people on the streets witnessed the odd woman with her tattered clothing and her jerking motions, they instinctively moved away, as everyone does around the insane.
The crow calmed in her laughter but refused to answer the question. It wasn't necessary, though. James could sense the reasons for this confrontation. This beast was crazy, reckless, and expendable. That's why the raven had tricked her sister into this confrontation. She wanted to test the power of the Oracle.
Camulas sensed this, and James could feel the man bracing for battle. A quick hand to the man's arm stopped him.
"No killing," James said, and even though he could sense the evil from this bird, he felt sympathy for it.
He could feel its pain. A pain that had evolved as it remained hidden over the centuries, spending time in hiding and losing its mind as it did. He even found her name, her human name before becoming a crow. It was Sarah, a label that had long since lost its meaning for her, and James found sadness in that fact.
The crow approached carefully, keeping her distance from Camulas and closing on a vector that would bring her to James from a safer angle. Camulas adjusted his position, trying to protect him, but both James and the crow moved aside, negating the man's motions.
The woman's head jerked forward and she snapped her jaws as she took yet another step. She was still several feet away, but James knew that she had no intention of stopping. She was going to get as far as she could and when she felt it prudent, she would attack.
Erase her.
The thought came to James, but he had no idea from where. It was much like with the child at the Deli—a part of his mind was offering a solution to the problem at hand. It was something he had always experienced. He often found solutions to problems that no one else could see, but he had never had those solutions voiced so loudly into his consciousness.
Forget, James thought loudly to the crow.
He had picked a point, deep into her past, and tried to send her mind to that place, attempting to wipe out all the bad memories in between. The act worked to some degree, and James could see much of the woman's mind become fragmented. He wished he could heal her. He wished he could make her forget her pain and remember only the good from her past, but she was too far damaged for that, and her mental defenses were too strong for him to fully enter her mind. What he did achieve, however, was a small victory. The crow before him became confused, blinked rapidly, and began to wonder where she was.
James and Camulas watched as she attempted to gain her bearing, and as she ambled about, she wandered too close to the marbled wall. Like a wave crashing upon the shore, the wall moved in the blink of an eye, encompassing the crow and pulling her into it.
James gasped, as did Camulas. Both of them could only stare as the wall slowly reformed itself into the building. The visage of the crow became emblazoned on the surface like an etching, and as James watched, he could see the woman's last remaining movements as her face contorted in pain as it merged with the rock.
Across the street, the raven screeched loudly, causing everyone to turn. There were several people standing about, mouth agape at having witnessed the unbelievable, and as the raw emotion of the raven's voice assaulted the city, these people turned about, trying to locate the primal sound. Only Camulas and James could see her, though, and as they watched, the raven angered. Her eyes turned darker, as if that were possible. She set her hands to the edge of the pedestal she was on and prepared to take flight. James could sense her body beginning to change, offering her a more combative form.
With determination as well as resignation, he nodded his head and raped her. For a moment, his mind invaded her and he felt her anger, her surprise, and even her sadness at losing a sister. James, however, ignored these thoughts and began to take the raven on a journey into her own mind, conjuring memories along the way.
Slowly, she calmed, and as she did, she began to smile. Her wings stretched forth, reaching towards the sky and straining their tendons to the limits. For a moment, James believed that the demon's wings would separate from her back and fall away, the strength in their stretch was that great. Suddenly, she collapsed, and James walked away, hell bent on getting home.
"What did you just do to her?" Camulas asked as he moved to keep pace with the smaller man next to him.
"I just walked her through some memories of her life," he replied.
"And that information produced that result?" Camulas asked.
James nodded.
"Well, I forced myself into her mind and pushed into her memories. When she resisted, I hit her with her own cruelty. It was like whipping someone or beating a dog. After the third or fourth time of me forcing myself on her, she caved in and collapsed."
"And you’re ok with using that tactic?" Camulas asked skeptically as they entered the building.
James turned back to Camulas suddenly.
"Of course I'm not!" James exclaimed, as they moved through his lobby.
Camulas appeared to relax after that admission, but James didn't allow the man much of a reprieve.
"I would never beat a dog," he said quietly, moving towards the elevators and smiling mischievously to himself, even as Camulas stopped in stunned silence, left to wonder if James had been serious.
The two of them headed up to the apartment, where James poured himself a large glass of scotch.
"It' s been a rough day," Camulas stated, wary of the man before him. James sensed the wariness, but just shrugged his shoulders at it.
"You have no idea," he replied as he gulped his drink. This was no time to sip.
Arinai arrived shortly after them; Camulas had texted that there was trouble, and she had moved as fast as possible. James, who was now feeling the alcohol, began to relax.
"What is it?" she asked. "What happened?"
Camulas took a moment to describe the incidents from earlier, and Arinai listened with a grave expression. The entire time, James remained slumped in his living room chair, dejected by his life. After a moment, he took over and began to describe the events of the last few days for her.
"My life is so out of control at the moment, and I have no idea what to do. Although, this scotch is helping," he said after finishing his narrative.
"You’re the Oracle, you’ll figure this out."
James laughed
"Oh, will I?" he asked. "Do you realize how much trouble I'm in? The government is going to question me. The police will eventually find out that Vera was at my place—oh, and I have no idea how I'm supposed to explain that, by the way. Do I tell them that a vampire attacked her and that I needed to protect her? I hardly think they'll believe that story. I also have a hospital looking into my records, not to mention I've taken time off from clients r
ecently to deal with what? Demons? I certainly can’t mention that fact, but my missing hours will come into question. The police are going to want an exact account of where I have been."
He was cracking and Arinai saw it; Camulas did as well. He needed sleep and time, and they needed to help him. She wasn't sure how. Arinai had waited for an oracle her entire life. She was certain that James was that being, but she had never believed he would need her help in such a way; she never believed he would be so weak. She hated to think it, but there it was. Her oracle was weak and needed her assistance. She had always thought it would be the other way around.
"What if I'm not? What if I can't?" he asked her.
She stared at him in confusion. He stood and faced them squarely. "What If I'm not this Oracle, and what if I can’t find a way out of this?"
"I don’t have an answer for you," she replied as her eyes widened with the realization that he had read her mind.
James laughed to himself as he felt Arinai's defenses slam back into place.
She thinks I'm weak, he thought, amused with the idea.
"You think that I'm the Oracle, and I'm supposed to have the answer," he said to her mockingly. "You think I'm supposed to be the all-powerful being?"
"You mistake your importance, human," Camulas growled. "The Oracle is never powerful in and of itself. It’s a source of information; it is insight and wisdom. That ability gives it power, as it did with Delphi."
"And how did that idiot deal with it?"
"Careful, you fool," Camulas growled. "You are insulting beings and powers that you don’t understand." Camulas wasn’t impressed by this man's current actions and showed his disgust on his face. "I thought you were an analyst. I thought solving problems was what paid for all of this." Camulas waved his hand around to include the apartment. "I would think that you could solve your hospital problem and a minor report of venom to a foreign company."
"I solve technical and theoretical problems, you oaf," James blurted out as if Camulas were an idiot, "not problems dealing with the police."
Camulas moved suddenly, but Arinai held him in place. James wasn’t sure how she held him, but he was grateful that she did; Camulas looked as if he were going to swing a punch at him.
James' cell phone rang, and he gladly took the call. He needed a rest from his guests. However, as he answered call he could feel the presence of the others and even hear their conversation. His mind split in two, one side taking the phone call, the other eavesdropping on his friends.
"He has problems," Camulas said to Arinai.
She nodded her head. "Can you blame him? He's encountering a lot of difficulty. His whole life is changing."
"Yours did as well. So did mine. Even his lover is dealing with things better than he is."
Arinai nodded her head. "Vera is remarkably strong. I just hope she continues to remain that way."
James finished his call and calmly poured another scotch, somehow bringing his vision back to a single point. Now that the phone call was done, he could concentrate on just his guests.
"Well, that was the hospital. My privileges have been revoked and my vendor status has been removed. I can no longer consult for them.
"Is that bad?"
"It’s not good," he said with a sarcastic laugh, "and it was strongly recommended that I get counsel. Hell, for the size of this mess, I might need a team of lawyers."
A soft thud sounded throughout the room, and the three occupants looked towards the window. An odd form was attached to the outside, and they could do nothing but stare at it. It appeared to be play dough and about the size of a large pancake. James set his glass down and moved closer to take a look. As he approached, a single large eye opened and stared at him. He jumped backwards and almost fell over, barely catching himself on his furniture before he hit the ground.
After righting himself, he took a moment to catch his breath and then his anger swelled.
"That's it. Get out, now! Get out of here," he was addressing the blob as well as Camulas and Arinai. The blob didn't move, but James re-enforced his command to be ignored, and it fell away on its own. His command was so potent that when he turned back to Arinai and Camulas, he noticed they also appeared to be in a state of confusion.
He didn't care. He took advantage of their distracted mind and ushered them out of his apartment, slamming the newly installed door as he did so. He then returned to his chair, grabbed his scotch and sat down. Taking a deep breath, he sighed and wondered where his life had gone so wrong.
The scotch was now making him maudlin, and it wasn’t long before he reached for his phone. He dialed and prayed for an answer. Voicemail was his only reward. The few seconds that the message played were torture, and he couldn’t decide if he should leave a message. The beep of the system came before he had made up his mind, and for a moment he didn't do anything.
"Vera, it's James," he finally said. "I'm just trying to get a hold of you again. Please call me and let me know you’re okay."
He ended the call and turned his attention back to his drink. This was one problem he could solve: what should he do with all the brown liquid that was in the glass?
Chapter 21
James awoke the next morning and regretted the alcohol from the night before. His head pounded, his muscles ached, and it took time for him to shower and dress. It was time well spent, and he didn't bother rushing. Besides, it wasn't like he had work to get to. Finishing with the shower, he brushed his teeth, dressed, and headed to the kitchen to make coffee.
It was raining and spring was rapidly turning to summer, but you wouldn't know it to look out the window. The Olympics were obscured, and the Sound was filled with choppy waves. It was a scene to match his mood.
With his coffee in hand, James sat and thought about his situation. The only conclusion he could come to was that his life was insane. Or, perhaps his life was fine and he was insane. Maybe he would even end up in an institution, and for as much as he had seen recently, he still didn't discount that possibility.
James hit the power on his audio system and soft music began to play. He quickly changed it. He needed something more depressing. He found the music he was looking for and sat quietly while watching the water. The rain continued to pelt the city, and the darkness from the clouds kept the area in constant shadow—the Oracle's shadows. The shadows that slowly enthroned James as he sat in his chair, listening to music and drinking his coffee.
He never noticed it. It happened so slowly that it would be years before he would make a connection. However, as he watched the darkened city before him, the music of his apartment began to change. If it had made a large jump in genre or tempo he would have immediately known something was amiss, but the incremental change went unnoticed.
At first it matched his mood, dark, somber, foreboding, and even disturbing. From there, it rose slightly, and James could feel anger rising within him. It was undirected, but it was there. As the music continued, the sound of drums entered and the ancient beat filled James with a sense of primal urges. It matched his heartbeat, and as one rose so did the other. Still, he didn't notice his mood change, and if he had, he would not have been able to say whether the drums rose with his heartbeat or if it was the other way round.
The music began to focus his mind and anger turned to determination, which then turned to solutions. He sat up suddenly and went for his phone. Over the next several minutes, he placed a call to his attorney and explained the situation. He also mentioned the government and the police—at least as much as he could over the phone. An initial game plan was established, and James began to authorize the expenditure of money.
His attorney, very competent in his own right, assured James that he would be taken care of. This fact was reinforced several minutes later when James received a return call. All police inquiries would now be directed to the team of attorneys representing Mr. James Connor—his attorney had brought in the entire law firm.
James smiled wickedly—he was pleased
with such quick results—but his attorney assured him that it was a simple matter, helped by having the direct line to the chief of police as well as mentioning the phrase team of attorneys.
Happy with that progress, James set about tackling his next problem. He thought about Vera, but decided to leave her to her own devices. Still, he wanted to check up on her and sent his mind to hers. She was hard for him to see, but he knew that she was still at home and still safe. He even received a flash of insight about her situation. The police continued to monitor her, although the hell hound was now gone, and while he had a bad taste in his mouth for the idiotic officers left behind, he was pleased that Vera had some protection.
His computer turned on at his touch, and the beat of the music drove him onward. Now, it was a more hopeful tune tinged with the need for a completion. James brought up research on the Oracle of Delphi and spent hours learning about the ancient trove of wisdom from the Mediterranean. It was possibly older than either the Roman or the Celtic civilizations and originally may have been a temple to Gaia, the earth mother.
Several scientific expeditions had even been led to the site to analyze minerals, volcanic gases, and the history of the area. The expeditions were footnoted, and James used his technical access to research some of the original notes. He was even able to locate some of the gentlemen who had done the work. Several phone calls and a few cooperative recipients gave him even more information.
Plans began to form, and as the images flashed across his large TV screen/computer monitor, he began to smile. His situation wasn’t so dire, and he could work this out: he knew he could. He even chuckled as his plans began to coalesce, coming to him from parts of his mind that he hadn't realized he possessed. The solutions and details fell into place, and with each new challenge that cropped up as he set his plans into motion, his new senses offered not just answers, but the details to accommodate those answers. His mind went forth to Seattle and the beasts became his eyes, sending him information about the layout of the streets or the location of harder to detect ancients. He even had to smile as he discovered them; they were well hidden. More importantly, he knew that Arinai had been wrong. She and Camulas were not all that remained of that older class.
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