by Langland, J.
"So, ready for the Courts?" Antefalken asked.
"The Courts of Chaos? Are we really going there?" Rupert looked anxiously from Antefalken to his father. Tom apparently hadn't filled the boy in on everything. The kid was certainly excited about the idea though.
"That's the next stop." Antefalken nodded. "We'll just fly south to the nearest boom tunnel and hop on over."
"Boom tunnel?" Rupert asked. Antefalken tisked, weren't parents teaching their children anything these days?
"Boom tunnel. It is similar to a Runic Gateway in the Abyss except that they are always on and most everyone can adjust them to different locations. Or at least to the other boom tunnel gateways that they know of." Antefalken told Rupert.
"Why do they call it a boom tunnel then?" Rupert asked.
"You'll see when we try it." Antefalken just smiled and winked at Tom who smiled back.
Woohhhmmm....Woohhhmmm throbbed the archway standing in the middle of the small valley. Antefalken landed a short distance in front of it; Tom and Rupert landed next to him. Through the ground, Antefalken could feel the characteristic throbbing of the boom tunnel. Antefalken smiled at Rupert and then proceeded to the archway.
The archway was a free standing arch made of black marble, approximately twelve feet high and six feet across. Looking through the archway, one saw only an undulating field of various shades of red, instead of the other side. The colors undulated in time to the throbbing sensation. Antefalken walked up beside the arch.
On the left hand side was a small silver plate, about the size of one of Tom's hands. Antefalken reached up and placed his palm upon it. After a moment of concentration he removed his hand and looked at the others. "Ready?" He asked. The pitch of the throbbing had changed just slightly, a human probably wouldn't have detected it, but demons had no problem.
"Sure!" Rupert exclaimed enthusiastically. "This will take us to the Courts?"
"Well, just a short distance outside the city limit. No boom tunnels or gateways are allowed in the city itself. Unless created by one of the higher powers themselves." Antefalken smiled at the two and said, "OK, let's go, follow me." With that, he stepped through the tunnel.
Woooohhhhmmmmmm...BOOM! went the tunnel as he stepped through. As usual, he momentarily lost his sense of balance as the boom tunnel shook him to his core. Otherwise, he stepped out from the tunnel just fine.
Quickly he scanned the surroundings of the exit. No one around to cause problems. Good enough. As he turned back to the arch, Rupert wobbled out, a bit unsteady on his feet and holding his hands to his ears. "Ugh. I see why you call it a boom tunnel." Antefalken smiled.
Tom stepped out, also slightly unsteady from the experience. Antefalken was happy to see that even the truly powerful were not immune to the tunnels. "The Courts of Chaos, Rupert..." he spread his hand in the direction of the city.
Rupert's jaw dropped. Antefalken smiled. He knew what an impressive sight the glass, steel and concrete of the city was. Especially the view from here. This view had been especially tailored for maximal effect on arriving visitors. Nowhere in Astlan did one find sixty story buildings, only the Abyss could produce such magnificence.
As he'd expected, Tom wasn't overly impressed. Or, at least he didn't seem to be. He was studying it some detail. Unless Boggy's story was correct, which Antefalken rather doubted, Tom must have seen the city many times before. "It reminds me," Tom said slowly, "of a rather twisted and stunted version of the Manhattan skyline. Is that supposed to be the Freedom Tower?" He pointed to the Enslavement Services building. "The Empire State building?" He pointed out the Evil State building. Interesting, he knew similar names, but not the correct ones. Was he really a novice? Or had he just not been here in so long that the names had changed?
The buildings did change fairly rapidly, the names not quite so fast. The names had been the same for at least the last three hundred years. "Trump Tower?" Tom asked incredulously. Well, at least he got that one right, thought Antefalken, shuddering at the thought of its namesake Archdemon.
"Almost." Antefalken said. "Let's head on in. I'm going to need to go to the Notorious Dame Cathedral." Tom looked at him cock-eyed. "That I probably should do on my own. I can take you to a bar where we can meet later. In the meantime you guys can just wander around."
"Great!" Rupert exclaimed. Tom looked intrigued, but a little more dubious.
~
Tom was relatively sure he could find the bar again. Its name had certainly been memorable, 'The Ripe Young Maiden's Surprise,' he wasn't sure what the surprise was, and he wasn't sure he wanted to find out. Unfortunately, the bar didn't seem to be in the best part of town. Actually, from what Tom had seen on the way in, there didn't seem to be a best part of town.
From a distance the city had looked rather impressive and shiny, a miniature New York, almost. The closer he got the less the resemblance held. While he'd never been out of the U.S., he'd almost have to guess that if one were to mix Paris and Manhattan together, tossing in the odd bit of London and Istanbul, one might get the Courts of Chaos. It wouldn't hurt if one also projected them into some sort of neogothic future. The whole place was a rather chaotic jumble of science-fantasy and cyberpunk. The sort of place where the ideas of a lot of really bad authors came together, or drunk game designers.
He had just avoided stepping in the waste from something that looked like gryphons pulling a coach, when he'd nearly been ran over by a De Lorean. Every nook and cranny in the buildings seemed to hide some shady-looking character. He didn't know what these characters were doing, and, if they were anything like those at home, he knew he didn't want to know.
The reddish twilight seeping over the towers didn't seem to help the atmosphere much. Or maybe it did, depending on what ambience one was trying to achieve. Garbage collection seemed to be about on par with New York though; he stepped over several bags that may have contained formerly living beings. As a demon walked by with a green Mohawk, he decided maybe the place wasn't that different from home.
Overall, though, the general seediness of the locals, the curious mix of medieval and hi-tech, the apparent crime rate, what appeared to be a demon slave market, the rather over-obvious places of ill repute, everything he'd seen, made him decide that despite a lot of amazing similarities, this place sort of made New York look like Des Moines. Sure, his home town had some areas just as bad, or maybe in parts worse than some of what he saw here, but the whole City wasn't a cesspool; the same couldn't be said about the Courts. There didn't seem to be any good neighborhoods, any ritzy zones. New York, at least, had a lot of very glamorous places. This place just looked nasty all over.
To be honest, not having much to fear for himself, given size comparisons between himself and the local demons, he might come to enjoy the place. It did seem to be the adventurer's paradise, if said adventurer happened to be named Arnold. The only problem was Rupert.
Not that the place intimidated Rupert. Far from it, the kid was gawking like a tourist. Which, Tom supposed, he was. Unfortunately, such behavior was exactly the sort of thing to get one in trouble. Tourists wanted to see everything, and they were always very obvious about it. Survival, on the other hand, demanded that one notice everything and see nothing. More importantly, even if you see something, don't look like you're seeing it. Rupert, being from small villages or maybe a farm even-- Tom realized he didn't actually know where Rupert was from-- had obviously never learned this lesson.
Thus, it was that Tom found himself continually trying to distract Rupert from staring all over the place. Given all the ears around, he didn't want to come out and say, 'Don't gawk," because that would have required enough explanation that everyone would have known they were tourists. Thus, he tried covertly to keep Rupert from staring straight up with his mouth open and drooling. Small chat here and there, trying to point out more harmless distractions than the demons around them.
Actually, maybe he was being paranoid, Tom decided. After all, almost everyone had given them
a wide berth, at least those not in vehicles. Tom had to admit, that if he looked like an overgrown version of Rupert, then they would have to present a rather fearsome spectacle. Nonetheless, looking tough would only take you so far.
Even as he contemplated this, he noted Rupert had disappeared. Quickly looking around, he found that Rupert had veered off, attracted by some sleazy-looking purple demon in a trench coat. If the man tried to sell Rupert a watch.... Tom hurried over to retrieve the boy.
The purple demon glared in annoyance at Tom, but said nothing as he dragged Rupert away. Rupert protested the entire way back to their previous path. "But Tom, he was going to sell me a genuine Vestal Virgin!"
"You can't trust street dealers," Tom snapped. "You don't know what you're getting. If she's here, I doubt she's the real thing."
"But Tom...I've never had a Vestal Virgin!" Rupert complained.
Tom stopped and looked down at the boy, frowning. "Do you even know what to do with a Vestal Virgin? Assuming she doesn't have any nasty diseases?"
Rupert looked down shyly at the ground, tracing circles with his hooves. "No," he admitted, "but you could teach me!" He looked up hopefully at Tom. Tom just groaned, shaking his head. He hurried on, ushering Rupert. He wasn't even sure what a demon would do with one. Rape it? Eat it? Sacrifice it? All of the above?
This town was really not the place for small children. Even if the child was a demon. Maybe if he got Rupert something to eat it would distract him. Actually, that was a bit weird, they'd seen plenty of bars, inns and restaurants, as well as food carts in the city. If demons didn't need to eat, then why the thriving business? Thinking of business, Tom suddenly realized the difficulty in distracting Rupert with food. He had no money! He also had no idea of what demons used for money in the Abyss.
~
"Mmmm..." Antefalken moaned as he rolled over. Lilith seemed to be almost purring in contentment. It had been pretty good this time. Surprisingly, she'd seemed happy with only seven times in the last half-hour. Either she was getting older; he was getting better, or she was having some incredibly interesting business meetings. He doubted the first; he hoped the second, but he suspected the latter. Actually, he'd been quite lucky, apparently his knock on the door had caught her just as she was returning from some meeting.
He got up from her bed and wandered over to the bar in front of the drapes blocking out the red abyssal light. He poured both of them a couple large snifters of brandy. "So?" Lilith inquired lazily as he poured the drinks. "Anything new on your little puzzle?"
"A bit actually," he smiled as returned to the bed with the drinks in hand. "I've made the acquaintance of Lenamare's fourth order. And the Rod has surrounded Freehold trying to route a demon horde."
"A demon horde?" Lilith arched one eyebrow as she propped herself up on her right arm. Her long black hair cascading down her shoulder to the silk pillow.
"Yes, a demon horde." Antefalken handed her the snifter. "Freehold seems to be up to its turrets in invisible lesser demons. We don't know who they belong to, but some of my allies are suspecting Ramses."
"Ramses?" Lilith sniffed, but not at her brandy. "I don't care for the man."
Antefalken smiled. "As I recall you swore eternal vengeance on him after that incident in Oorstemoth?"
"Oh, that was a thousand years ago, you don't think I'd still carry a grudge after that long do you?" She smiled coyly at him.
Antefalken just looked at her for a moment. "A sweet and innocent creature like you? No, not at all." Antefalken said with a smile, amused sarcasm running heavy in his voice.
Lilith shrugged and smiled. "Well, maybe just the teensiest." She took a long sip of the brandy, their eyes locked on each other's. "So," she changed the subject, "what did you find out about this big demon of Lenamare's?"
"Conflicting information." Antefalken said.
"Conflicting information?"
"Yes, after leaving you last time I ran into Boggy at a bar here in the Courts. He knew the demon."
Lilith shook her head, slightly puzzled. "Should I know this Boggy?"
Antefalken smiled. "He's Tizzy's partner," he reminded her.
"Tisdale!" she sat up in bed and took a bigger swig of brandy. "That little pest. Damn. I keep meaning to talk to 'Smody about having him eternally euthanized." Antefalken winced at Lilith's casual use of her pet name for her sometime lover. It seemed almost too close to blasphemy to refer to one of the Triumvirate as ''Smody.' "Unfortunately," she continued in consternation. Of course, being Lilith did had its prerogatives. "I never seem to remember to bring it up when I'm around him." Antefalken was just as glad; he rather liked Tizzy, even if none of the upper echelon could stand the demon. Lilith remained quiet for a moment then gestured for Antefalken to continue.
"Well, Boggy claimed the demon was a newbie, but I've since met him."
"And?"
"Well, he is a bit strange, some things he knows, and some he doesn't. If he is a newbie, then he's a damn impressive newbie. Especially since he has a son."
"A son?" Lilith asked puzzled.
"Apparently, the kid looks identical to his 'father.' Tom, that's the newbie's name, is rather inexact on the whole issue, but Tizzy reports that they're father and son. Boggy claims however, that this Tom is a kid from one of the midtech Earths."
"Puzzling." Lilith said, interested, but obviously not too intrigued. "Well, you know better than to trust anything this Tizzy says. He's one of the most deceitful little pests I can think of. I still don’t know why his accursed master only kept him imprisoned for a few decades in the Cenobite trap. I’d have left him there for all eternity."
“That’s a rather cruel fate, even by your standards.” Antefalken pointed out; Lilith just shrugged.
Lilith took another sip of brandy and continued, "So, what do you and your illustrious Master Damien intend to do about this horde of demons and the Rod of Tiernon?"
Antefalken shrugged, "there isn't much we can do at the moment. Lenamare and Exador seem to have most of the cards. If Ramses is involved, then whomever he's allied with does also. I just don't know if it's Exador, Lenamare or someone else, or if he's really there. The Rod also insists there are at least two to three other archdemon's running around."
"Two to three others?" Lilith asked, apparently surprised.
"Yes, we haven't got a clue who they might be. That's one reason I wanted to talk to you. Do you know of any alliances Ramses' might be involved in at the moment?"
Lilith tilted her head for a moment, obviously trying to weigh what she would say. "Well I do monitor the man, every now and then." Antefalken just nodded, he knew she would, what with her reputation. "I can't think of any alliances with any other archdemons. As for humans, while he might be able to put up with this Lenamare for a while, you know there has been bad blood between Ramses and the various Wizards Exador since the Anilord days."
"That slightly predates my time, but yes, I do recall that Exador's ancestor at the time of the Anilords, Vicar-General Exador, did cause problems for the Anilords."
"To Ramses included, as did the Aniwizard Exador a few thousand years before that." Lilith added.
"The Aniwizard Exador?" Antefalken asked.
"Another distant ancestor of the current wizard," Lilith stated. "Gave Ramses a lot of trouble during his first attempt at Astlanian conquest. The point being, it is highly doubtful that Ramses would be aligned in anyway with an Exador. Lenamare or someone else, perhaps, but not Exador."
"But you don't know of someone else?" Antefalken asked.
"Sorry," she scratched lightly at Antefalken’s chest with the almost claw like fingernails of her right hand. "I do dislike the man, but I've tried to ignore him since I haven't been able to do much about him." She put the now empty snifter on the floor. "Why don't we discuss something more interesting now, something we don't need so many tiresome words for?" She arched her back pushing him back down into the silk sheets of her bed.
"Fine with me..." Antefalken
smiled.
"I'm so gla.a.a.d..." Lilith purred, her blood red lips coming down to meet his.
~
"Boggy!" Tom exclaimed in surprise. He and Rupert had just returned to 'The Ripe Young Maiden's Surprise,' intending to wait for Antefalken. As they'd entered the western style swinging doorway, he noted his friend sitting at a booth over on the left.
Boggy looked up from what looked like a large cup of coffee and smiled. He waved for the two to join him. "Tom!" he said as the two walked up. "What a pleasant surprise." Tom was pleasantly surprised to find that the booth seemed almost designed for demons. The seat was a ways back from the table, and the rear of the seat had a large hole to accommodate tails. It was also high enough of the ground so, while a bit small for Tom, it was certainly much larger than human size. He slid in, Rupert followed. "What brings you here? And who's your doppelganger?" Boggy asked, he also made a motion for the waiter to come over. "Let me buy you some Denubian Choco-CoffeeTM."
"I'm waiting for a friend who had some business in town. This is Rupert." Tom didn't bother trying to explain the resemblance. He couldn't.
"Please to meet you." Boggy stuck out a hand to Rupert. Rupert took it, apparently excited to meet another demon.
"Boggy here is Tizzy's partner." Tom told Rupert.
"You've met Tizzy then?" Boggy asked Rupert. "Haven't seen the scoundrel in some time."
Rupert was nodding happily. "He ended up taking a little trip with us to Astlan, and hasn't been back since." Tom told Boggy.
"You didn't let him wander too far off and cause too much trouble did you?" Boggy asked slightly concerned.
"No, he's in good company in Freehold, behaving himself." Tom hoped.
"Not under duress?" Boggy asked.
"Not at all, in fact the first thing he did was to wander off to kill his accursed master and then returned right to us and been quite helpful."
"Helpful?" Boggy snorted, "are you sure we're talking about the same demon?" Tom just smiled and nodded.
