“I don’t trust you one bit,” Crom said.
“What about you, martial artist?” Thanatos said to Rikki. “Are you a fool, like this one? Or will you convey my offer? Because I tell you this next truly. If we don’t join forces, we will be crushed, your Family and I. Even together, there is only the barest chance we can prevail. But it is better than no chance at all, yes?”
“I fully understand at last,” Sherlock said.
Thanatos was concentrating on Rikki. “So, again, what will it be? Do we continue as enemies? Or do we call a truce until I hear your Family’s decision? For my own part, to show my sincerity, I offer my hand in friendship.” Thanatos held out his. His real hand, not the artificial one.
Rikki-Tikki-Tavi stared at it and then up at the terror of the wasteland. He barely hesitated. Holding out his own, he said, “I will do as you want and convey your message.”
“Excellent,” Thanatos said. “Also convey to them my pledge to be completely honest with you in all matters related to the impending conflict. With that in mind, let them know that if they think they have seen the worst this world can throw at them, they are mistaken. The Lords of Kismet will not give up until your Home is in rubble and the Family extinguished.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
So much was happening so fast that Kanto was having a hard time wrapping his head around it all. To confront the Dark Lord, one of the Family’s worst enemies, a being every bit as vile as the Doktor had been and twice as crazy—-and then do nothing but shake hands and agree to work as allies? It boggled his brain.
Kanto kept quiet as Thanatos escorted them up to the main entrance. The others were also unusually subdued. Eleanor kept shaking her head. Crom glowered at Thanatos but kept his lips zipped. Rikki-Tikki-Tavi seemed troubled, as if he wasn’t sure he had done the right thing.
The lone exception was Sherlock. No sooner did they enter the elevator and it started to rise than he boldly made a remark that astonished Kanto.
“I must commend you, Thanatos, on the efficiency you’ve demonstrated. You possess a keen mind.”
Thanatos cocked his head. “A compliment? You continue to mildly surprise me, detective.”
“I am hardly that,” Sherlock said.
“I know of your infatuation with Doyle’s literary creation. I happened to be listening through A.l.v.i.s. when it was brought up.”
Behind the pair, the synthezoid’s lights flashed a few times.
“So you didn’t monitor us twenty-four-seven?” Sherlock said.
“What need? I have little interest in the inane chatter of monkeys.”
“Is that all we are to you? We’re fellow primates?”
“Fellow?”Thanatos said in a mocking tone. ‘You misconstrue badly. There is no commonality between us. My parents were both mutants. With a difference. Most mutations produce physical changes. They alter the body. The mutation my parents experienced altered their minds. From birth, their intellects were well above average. My birth manifested the same mutation but to the ultimate degree.”
“That explains your intellect,” Sherlock said.
“It also explains why to regard me as human is absurd. I am a whole new species. Mutationem Suprema, if you will.”
“Yet our Warriors defeated you.”
“Correction. It took the entire Freedom Federation to best me, and even then, they only succeeded because I was weakened from a clash with the Lords of Kismet.”
“Speaking of which,” Sherlock said, “am I safe in surmising that the device Blade used to reach southeast Asia is definitely not a time machine?”
Thanatos laughed. “Hardly.”
“What is it, then, if you will forgive my asking?”
Kanto perked up. He was interested to find out, himself. So were the others, he noticed.
“A portal capable of breaching the time-space continuum,” Thanatos said.
Sherlock waited, and when the Dark Lord didn’t elaborate, he said, “That tells me very little.”
“As it is intended to,” Thanatos said. “Did you think I would describe its operation in full? I doubt you could comprehend. Blade blundered badly in appropriating it. Had I not been otherwise engaged, I might have stopped him.”
“Might?”
“Some lessons, detective, are only learned the hard way.”
The elevator pinged and came to a stop.
As he emerged, Kanto glanced anxiously around, half-expecting the Dark Lord had tricked them and more of his creatures would be waiting to tear them apart. But no. The spacious lobby was empty.
The elevator closed and descended.
Thanatos led the way to the wide door and opened it. Beyond, the yellow fog writhed and glowed. Instead of moving aside to let them leave, he turned and faced them, barring their way.
Here it comes, Kanto thought. Sliding his hand up his sleeve, he gripped a stiletto.
“Before you go, there is more I must convey,” Thanatos said to Rikki-Tikki-Tavi. “You and your Family must be perfectly clear on the nature of the threat we face, and the magnitude of the challenge the Reptilians represent.”
“I think we have a pretty good idea,” Rikki said. “One of them infiltrated the Home. It killed our Leader and several of our Warriors and came as close as anything has to bringing us down.”
“A harbinger of things to come,” Thanatos said. “Your Family needs to spread the word. Contact what is left of the other Federation factions. Human and mutants must unite against this common threat or none of us will survive more than a few years.”
“Even you?” Sherlock said.
“There are limits to even my abilities,” Thanatos said grimly. “And as I noted previously, the Reptilians possess technology that in some respects surpasses my own.”
“I will relay your message to the Family,” Rikki said. “We will do what we can.”
“It is the best I can expect, I suppose,” Thanatos said. His hand slipped under his brown robe.
Kanto tensed.
“Take this as a token of my good will.” Thanatos held out his palm, revealing a small cone-shaped object with a grid-like cap.
“What is it?” Rikki asked as it was placed in his hand.
“You are aware, I trust, that the resonant frequency for the human body is generally between nine and sixteen hertz?” Thanatos said.
“I am now,” Rikki said.
The Dark Lord sighed. “Then be furthered enlightened to learn that the resonant frequency for Reptilians is thirty hertz.” He nodded at the object he had given Rikki. “That device enables you to detect them by their resonant frequency. Point it at anyone, or anything, and press the black button in the middle. The meter above it will indicate the frequency. Should it rise to thirty, you will hear a hum. In which case I advise you to kill whatever you are pointing it at as quickly as you can.”
“It’s a Reptilian detector?” Sherlock said in delight. “We can’t thank you enough.”
“Which brings us to one last matter and then you can go,” Thanatos said. “A.l.v.i.s stays behind. You have no further use for it.”
“Fine by me,” Rikki said.
“Then off you go,” Thanatos said.
“A moment, please,” Sherlock said. “Now that we’re allies, Thanatos, or soon will be if our Leader and the Warriors agree, shouldn’t we keep in touch? You can communicate with us through A.l.v.i.s, can’t you? And monitor things at our end?”
Kanto had to admit that for all Sherlock’s weirdness, he did come up with good ideas.
“A useful observation,” Thanatos conceded. “It should have occurred to me. Very well. A.l.v.i.s will accompany you to the Home and from time to time I will use a satellite relay to keep in touch, as you so quaintly phrased it.”
“I suspected you had access to a satellite,” Sherlock said.
“I’m not the only one,” Thanatos said. “The Reptilians have control of several they use to keep the planet under surveillance.”
“The entire planet?
” Eleanor said.
“Be serious, child,” Thanatos said. “They would have little need to surveil the Amazon jungle or the Sahara Desert. But, yes, thanks to their computers, they can train their high-altitude cameras and electronic ears on any spot they so choose. All they need do is feed the GPS coordinates to the satellite.” Thanatos gestured. “My Needle. Your Home. Their prying eyes can be anywhere.”
“I have a question about that,” Sherlock said, but he never got to ask it.
Out of the yellow fog heaved a massive bulk. As long as the SEAL, it was round, like a worm, and like a worm, it had no eyes or nostrils or ears but it did have a gaping mouth ringed with tentacles that writhed and whipped about seeking prey to devour.
In pure reflex, Kanto recoiled and swept up his AR70. A Crawler, the thing was called. Yet another vile mutation spawned by the toxic mix of chemical and radioactive elements unleashed during the Big Blast. Crawlers lived underground, borrowing where they pleased, now and then coming to the surface to feed. Breaching like whales in the sea, they would burst up out of nowhere and enfold their quarry with their tentacles.
Word was that Blade and other Warriors had encountered an adult Crawler in the Valley of Shadow a while back. Now here was another, a younger one, but still it dwarfed them, it dwarfed even Thanatos, who whirled as the Crawler arched toward the entrance.
Kanto had a clear shot, and fired. His rounds stitched the Crawler just above its mouth but had no effect.
Thanatos raised his right arm and a gleaming bolt of white light shot out, slicing into the Crawler like a knife might do. The next instant, with lightning speed, the Crawler’s tentacles wrapped around Thanatos and lifted him, struggling mightily, into the air. Thanatos’s other hand flicked and a small sphere flew into the Crawler’s mouth and down its gullet. There was a crump, and the Crawler shuddered.
Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, Eleanor and Crom charged forward side-by-side. Katana, war axe and longsword sliced deep, and a foul fluid spewed from the wounds.
The Crawler reared high as if to escape their blades. Before another move could be made, before another weapon could be buried, the creature shoved Thanatos, still struggling, down its maw. Its mouth closed, there was a loud crunch, and a pair of feet dropped to the floor, shorn at the ankles.
“Thanatos is gone!” Eleanor exclaimed.
For a few hopeful heartbeats Kanto imagined that the Crawler would retreat into its burrow now that it had fed, but no. He had forgotten. Crawlers were notoriously insatiable. This one heaved further into the entrance, its tentacles reaching out in several directions at once.
Rikki, Crom and Eleanor frantically darted out of reach, or tried to. Eleanor cried out as a tentacle whipped around her left foot and brought her crashing to the floor. Tucking at the waist, she swung Wrathbringer with both hands, severing the tentacle, Then, pumping her elbows, she propelled herself backward. Other tentacles came after her.
Rikki and Crom closed in to help.
Kanto was raising his AR70 when he glimpsed someone or something coming out of a dark recessed alcove to his left. Dreading it might be a new threat, he spun.
It was Thanatos.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Eleanor was dodging a tentacle when she caught sight of Kanto as he glanced over his shoulder and reacted as if he were in shock. She glanced around, and was riveted in shock herself.
Thanatos was striding toward them. Thanatos, alive! As tall. As imposing. His eyes blazing. Dark brown hood and robe and all. Alive, and advancing with his left arm raised. From between his fingers protruded a metallic tube.
Her distraction proved costly.
Suddenly Eleanor felt a tentacle enclose her legs and she was slammed to the floor. She tried to bring her longsword to bear but another tentacle wrapped around her forearm. She saw the Crawler’s great mouth yawn wide and sensed she was on the verge of being crammed down its gullet.
Then Thanatos loomed above her. The tube in his hand glowed. An intense beam of red light shot out. A light that could cut like her sword. With a sweep of his wrist, Thanatos severed the tentacle that held her legs and then the tentacle holding her arm. Stepping over her, he put himself between her and the Crawler.
Astounded, Eleanor lay there as Thanatos swung his arm back and forth. With each swing, the red light carved deep into the Crawler. Again and again and again Thanatos swung. Into her head popped the word laser, from something she had read long ago.
The Crawler uttered a cry and reared on high. The red beam crisscrossed its abdomen, and where the beam struck, goo and fluid spurted. Belatedly, the Crawler tried to turn and escape, but as it moved, whole chunks separated from the rest and fell with loud plops and splashes.
Before Eleanor’s very eyes, the creature was being sliced to pieces. One of them fell near her shoulder, spattering her with gore. Still, she didn’t move. Part of her wanted to. But she was transfixed by the spectacle.
The Crawler stiffened, convulsed a few times, and what was left of it oozed to the floor and lay still.
The red beam seemed to withdraw into Thanatos’s hand, and he lowered his arm and turned.
“You saved me!” Eleanor exclaimed.
“I slew the Crawler,” Thanatos said.
“You cut me free first. Then put yourself in harm’s way so the Crawler couldn’t pull me into its mouth.”
“You make more of it then there was, child,” Thanatos said. “The Crawler had aroused my ire. I was unusually careless, and let it seize me.....”
“And kill you,” Eleanor said breathlessly.
“There is death, and there is death,” Thanatos said. “Blade thought he had killed me once but he was wrong. The Reptilians thought they had slain me a while ago, but they were wrong. I do not die as others do. I am Thanatos. I am unique.” He offered his human hand to her.
Too bewildered to refuse, Eleanor reached up and let him pull her to her feet. “Thank you. I’m in your debt.”
“Nonsense,” Thanatos said.
“I am a swordwoman, Dark Lord,” Eleanor informed him. “A warrior. As such, I am obligated to you for saving my life. Should the opportunity arise, I will return the favor.”
“You’re serious, child?” Thanatos said.
Eleanor went to respond but Rikki-Tikki-Tavi and the others had converged and several spoke at once.
“How are you alive?” Kanto wanted to know.
“We saw you killed with our own eyes,” Crom said.
Rikki looked the Dark Lord up and down and said simply, “Explain, if you would.”
Thanatos smoothed his sleeves and flicked a speck of gore off. “How I am able to achieve what no other can is a secret I will carry with me for as long as I exist.”
Sherlock had hung back but now he came up and said, “My surmise is that you possess the ability to transfer your consciousness from one body to another.”
“That’s impossible,” Kanto said.
Rikki thoughtfully rubbed his chin. “Those statues we saw?”
Sherlock nodded. “They aren’t what we thought. I suspect they are bioengineered forms. In a manner I can’t fathom, he can go from one to another. Inhabit them, if you will. Don them, as we put on a new set of clothes.”
“Give me a break,” Kanto said.
Eleanor had assumed the statues were meant to feed the mutant’s ego. But Sherlock might well be right. As crazy as it sounded, as preposterous as it was to imagine, the evidence of her own eyes compelled her to say, “You can cheat death? You have such power?”
Thanatos seemed loathe to respond, but finally he said, “Science, girl, can achieve the impossible. It unlocks the secrets of the universe for us to exploit as we deem fit. You say I cheat death. But what if death is but a portal unto itself? A means of transferring our consciousness from this level of reality to another? If that is so, it is no great feat, once the dynamics are fully understood, to transfer our consciousness to another form here, instead of into what is euphemistically called the hereafter.”
“Can it be?” Eleanor marveled.
“I have said it,” Thanatos said. He moved aside and motioned. “But we have been delayed long enough. I must be about my own affairs, and you must depart and get the serum to your Home. As we discussed, I will permit A.l.v.i.s to go with you. In due course I will be in contact.”
Rikki nodded and headed out, Crom and Kanto following. So did the synthezoid.
“You are a true wonder,” Sherlock said to Thanatos. “I am glad we met.”
“And you, detective,” Thanatos said, “are one of the few humans I’ve encountered who aren’t a complete waste of atoms.”
Sherlock chuckled as he walked off.
That left Eleanor. “I want to thank you again.”
“No need, girl. I made my motive plain.”
“Still, should you ever need my help, you have but to ask,” Eleanor reiterated.
“You help me?” Thanatos said, and smirked. “I can’t conceive of a contingency where that might come to pass, but I thank you. I must confess. Next to the detective, you amuse me the most. I have almost enjoyed making your acquaintance.”
“Almost?”
”Ever remember, child. We are who we are. Do not project your humanity onto me. As I have made plain, I am not human. I’m a mutant, and proud to be so.”
“Even mutants have feelings,” Eleanor said. She smiled and gave a slight bow and went around him to the entrance.
The others were waiting.
“What was that all about?” Kanto asked.
“We were exchanging pleasantries,” Eleanor said.
“You’re getting to be as weird as Sherlock,” Crom said.
* * *
Rikki-Tikki-Tavi had lost count of the number of times he had to tell the trainees to focus. He did so again as they hurried to the SEAL. “Sherlock, I want you in up front with me.”
“Yes, sir,” the younger man said, sounding surprised.
Synthezoids Endworld 30 Page 18
