Just because I was pumped up and ready to take on the main contender didnt an I wasnt shitting myself. Even with a solid belief in my ability to handle myself and with a good bunch of powers at my disposal, I knew full well that I was capable of screwing this up. Or being screwed over by those around .
My encounter with Gideon had shown only too well that I was vulnerable. I wasnt the only one who had powers.
I did, however, have an army of the dead. They were particularly good at not being coerced and manipulated. The only way they would turn on was if Joshaya turned them against , which I assessed as a 40% chance.
That might seem a bit low, but I was constantly reevaluating the numbers. I figured Joshaya was far more likely to pull so shit after Id dealt with Peter. People arent self-serving, untrustworthy gits all the ti. Mostly they wait until they can get sothing out of it.
I hadnt actually seen Joshaya in a while, which wasnt a great sign. Then again, maybe he was making life difficult for soone else. If things didnt go as planned, perhaps I should try to get my allies to join forces with my enemies.
I got back down to ground level with my troops andering around behind . What they needed was a good old-fashioned target to focus on. If for so reason Peter was still able to affect them in so way, I would do so hacking and slashing in the adjacent world where no one could fight back, the way an aRPG was ant to be.
There was still a sense of futility and an urge to surrender that was more pronounced than my usual level of futility and my persistent urge to surrender, which ant Claires powers were still affecting even though Id cut off every vine sprouting out of her body. I was missing sothing. Id done the sa to Peter before and it hadnt worked then either. Id put it down to Maurices power, but maybe there was more to it than that.
The one person I hadnt shorn of their connections was Jenny. If Claire was reaching through her, then that was the obvious snip to make. I was reluctant to do it unless I had to. Claires influence was still only encroaching slightly on my self-control.
Were going to have to get into that spire over there. I pointed at the spire furthest from where we were. And then I expect it will be a fight to the death with no quarter given by either side. This is what it cos down to.
Flossie raised her hand. Can we get sothing to eat first? Ahve been on my feet all day and havent had a bite since breakfast.
This was plainly untrue. Damicar had been feeding her at regular intervals of about five minutes.
Yes, good idea. Dudley, take her back to the palace and ask Damicar to sort sothing out.
Despite the unnecessary calories, I preferred to leave Flossie and Dudley out of this. If they were turned against , I would find it hard to do what was necessary. It would be fine if I had to kill both of them, but if it was only one, the surviving mber would never stop whining about it.
Are yo sure? said Flossie.
Yeah, sure, off you go, I said. Caim, you take point. You and your druids shouldnt be affected by Peters ability.
Wait, said Flossie. Yo sound like you dont want us to co.
Not only was I supposed to let her off any Battle of the Planets duties, I had to make it seem like she was doing the favour.
I need you out of range so Peter cant ss with you, I said. If he takes control of you or Dudley, my chances of winning are greatly reduced. Like fuck they were. Plus, we might need a quick getaway. See if you can find out where your cowardly dragons disappeared off to.
Flossie sucked in her lips and nodded curtly. Everyone worked better when they knew what they were doing and why, even when it was complete bollocks. And the harsher you were about how you told them, the easier it was to get them to play along. It cos down to clarifying roles. You may not like the role youve been given, but youre far less likely to complain while doing it.
Nice and friendly get you nowhere. Honest and helpful, likewise.
I should point out, just because I understand thats how the system is optimised, doesnt an thats how I play the ga. One of the reasons I dislike being in charge is knowing the lengths I have to go to in order to get things done. And by lengths, I an depths.
Nevermind separation of church and state, its the separation of decency and efficiency that bothers . The fact I was no longer on the receiving end didnt make it any better.
Flossie and Dudley went off, secure in the knowledge they were important and valued. Knowledge is power, just as electricity is when you lick your finger and stick it in a socket.
We marched across the city well, I sort of shuffled and everyone kept ti with and reached the spire in about twenty minutes. I held Jennys hand on the way because who knew if I would ever get to again after what I had planned.
The door to the spire was open. We were expected. While that made the open door feel a bit ominous, I would always take that over having to break my way in and ruin my manicure.
You first, I said to Jenny.
? Why ? She was naturally suspicious of my motives, as she had every right to be.
Theyre using you to get to , so its best if you confront Claire directly. Maybe theres still a chance you can get through to her and I wont have to kill her.
Jennys eyes narrowed. Are you really hoping to avoid killing her, or do you just want to use as a human shield?
As they taught us in that one lesson at school where they explained how to do finances, a little from column A, a little from column B. Jenny seed uncertain if she should trust . So people might take that as an insult, but I saw it as proof that the girl had her head on straight.
That didnt an I was going to treat her any nicer, though. One of my failings (even though I saw it as a positive) was my desire to be kind and generous. Dont laugh. The problem was that it usually rebounded on in so way, so the lesson Id learned was to be very careful how I used my powers of good. Powers of evil are much more reliable.
For example, I might be in a cafeteria eating lunch, and a chip falls off my plate onto the floor. My natural instinct is to pick it up and put it on the side of the tray. There are people whose job it is to clean and pick stuff up, but its not nice to leave litter, and I was raised the proper way, with sha and belittling.
But without fail, later on during that sa al, I will look up from my empty plate and go, Oh, look, I missed a chip. My lucky day! And then Ill eat the floor-chip.
This is the pattern I ended up recognising after the fifty-millionth ti. Mind like a sharp knife, .
You learn that if you just do the least possible in terms of making the world a better place, youre far more likely to have an easier ti of it.
Its not that no good deed goes unpunished, its that no deed goes unpunished. Dont do deeds.
If you leave the chip on the floor, youre much less likely to absent-mindedly pop it into your mouth. Unless youre a Scouser, of course.
Bit uncalled for, that. Why have a go at a resident of Liverpool for no reason?
The strange thing about prejudices is that if you spend ti with the people you make fun of and deride, you find it much harder to mock them. Blacks, gays, Jews. Hang out with them and you find they dont really live up to their stereotypes any more than any group does. Although, if you want to make really accurate and hurtful jokes about soone, spend even more ti with them. We hurt the ones we love because we have the most ammunition on them.
So, I dont really have anything against Scousers. Mind you, they did do an experint on a TV show once where they left an open envelope next to a letterbox in cities across the UK, as though soone dropped it, and put a ten pound note in it with a letter to Timmy on his birthday. So people sealed and put the letter in the letterbox. Others pocketed the cash. What does that tell you? Not very much. But Liverpool was the only city where people took the money, turned the envelope over and peeled off the stamp.
You dont think the guy with the lightsaber should go first. She pointed at Caim.
No. We might need him later. You guys stay here in case of an attack from the rear.
She frowned, possibly because she sensed sothing off about the way I was acting. No gay joke following an attack from the rear comnt? Id have to be more careful in the future.
She seed to be about to say sothing, then turned to face the spire.
Okay, said Jenny. If you want to go first She took a breath stepped through the dark and foreboding doorway.
Guys, wait here in case of attack from the rear, I told Caim and his boys. I stepped into the spire right behind her.
Ooh, youre very close, she said.
No point holding a shield away from your body, I said. Youll never feel the benefit.
You seem angry.
Well, Claire and Maurice have made quite a cock-up of things. Im not in the best mood Ive ever been in.
We kept walking up the stairs. There were small electric lights set in the wall that flickered as we climbed past.
You seem angry at , said Jenny.
I suppose I am. You said you would never let go, and then you did. I guess Im disappointed.
Youre the one who cut off, she said, a little spikily.
You could have stopped .
Thats not And you waited until now to bring it up?
I would have brought it up earlier, I said, but Im a terrible coward.
I wouldnt say you were terrible, she said.
Its the part where you all thought you were doing what was best for that I find hard to take, I said. Why couldnt you have just told and gone down with the ship?
I wanted what was best for everyone, said Jenny, not just what would be best for us.
Why?
Because What do you an, why? Isnt that a decent thing to want?
Not if it risks everything we had. Im not saying I wouldnt want to help the others, but why didnt you put first? I would have put you first. Hell, I would have let the others go even if it wasnt necessary.
Jenny stopped and looked down at . I dont know why youre saying all this. Its not like I can change what happened.
No, youre right. But Id like to think you would do things differently next ti. Not allow Claire inside your head, for starters.
Are you saying I shouldnt let other people control , or that I should only let you control ?
I gave her question so serious consideration. I think you should only let control you.
Her face twisted into a scowl. She hadnt expected to say that.
You would want to be that sort of a girlfriend?
Look, youve always said youd do whatever I asked of you, and I responded by never asking you to do anything you didnt want to do. A perfectly lovely arrangent, and see where it got us. Why not cut to the chase and follow my orders explicitly. Im usually right almost half the ti.
What if I dont want to?
Then I can cut the connection between us again and we can go back to our separate lives, with occasional sex, you know, if you have an itch that needs scratching.
No, said Jenny.
To be honest, Ive been thinking maybe this would all be a lot easier for everyone, for the best, if we cut it off between us permanently. Im sure there are other n you could form so kind of attachnt to.
And you? she asked, still perplexed.
Well, n arent really my type, but you never know. Worth considering. The cutting it off part, not the n.
No, it isnt, said Jenny. Either of them. I know I said I wouldnt allow you to leave, and youre right, I ssed up. I regret letting it happen, even if it was for the best. I wont let it happen again.
I took out my wooden sword. Sure. But right now Claire is using our reford connection to get to through you. The only way to stop her is to break it so Im untouchable again.
No, said Jenny.
Theres nothing you can do to stop , I said. Once I phase into the adjacent world, my word is final.
No. Jenny backed away up the stairs.
You cant run, Jenny. Ti freezes when I leave my body. My sword began to glow.
There was real fear in her eyes now. And pain. NO! she scread, tripping backwards, hand held up to deflect my blow. No! No! NO!
My sword rose into the air.
If I was going to really do it, I would have to be in the other world. Jenny wasnt really thinking straight. She was quite worked up. You know how won get, all emotional. Although, in Jennys case, these feelings are sowhat amplified.
As I brought my sword down, Jenny let out a piercing shriek. You have to know soone really well to get them where theyre weakest.
There was another shriek from above us.
Claire said Jenny. She was sitting on the step, tears in her eyes. You used to get to Claire.
Connections work both ways, I said.
You werent going to cut it.
Not today, no.
She nodded slowly, understanding. She got to her feet. If you ever do, if you decide thats whats best and take the necessary steps to cut off, I will kill you.
I dont think Ive ever seen her so serious. She turned around and walked up the stairs. I followed her. Love is a horrible, cruel, evil thing when you really look at it. But whats the alternative?
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