Apocalypse Rising (8 page)

Using Vandal carried its own complications, but the man was effective, and knew how to keep things quiet. Haden would have his answers, and the Light Touched would be none the wiser. Haden looked at the small clock on the wall and grimaced. He wanted the morning done with, but the hour hand moved faster than his schedule would be comfortable with. He had half an hour until his meeting with Albert, which was not nearly enough time to get the answer Haden knew he would be asking for. Well, if Haden could not answer that question, perhaps he could find the answer to something else.

Haden walked past his assistant, Maggie, knowing that once she had scheduled things with Vandal, she would let him know. In the meantime, he would be paying an Orphean friend of his a little visit. The negotiations had stalled, and he was unsure why. Everything had progressed well; he had even let a couple of things slide through on the contract, knowing the Orpheans would never accept a contract that did not allow them a little trickery. However, they pulled out just the same. Something was bothering them, and he would find out what.

He did not like public transport, but taking his car would just put the chauffer in danger. Even worse, it would make him available to answer questions, and that was something Haden could not stand. He walked down the street, hands in his pockets, absorbing the hate and misery of the people whose morning had driven them to the streets. Haden looked up at the sky and smiled at the black clouds, hovering menacingly, obscuring the tops of the buildings, including the one he had just left. Dark days were upon the world, and that meant good times for him.

Haden stepped into the subway tunnel, the artificial brightness of the place failed to mask the stink of death and decay that lingered within it. People assumed their discomfort with subways had to do with the cramped quarters, or being underground, but the reality was there were things that lived in the dark, that watched, and waited. They picked off the unfortunate souls who found themselves separated from the rest of the human herd. The Orpheans did not hunt the subway tunnels usually, preferring to collect their food farther from home, but to pay them a visit, a trip through the tunnels was necessary.

Haden walked onto the platform, and headed for the edge closest to the wall. Once there, he waited, watching, always watching, and spotted the darker souls in the subway station as they walked through the undecided masses. The rise of secularism in the world helped him more than any event in the previous two-thousand years. There had been darker times, but they were eclipses in an otherwise sunny world. The modern world was more of a heavy fog, clinging to everything, and it never let the light all the way through. The shadows were not longer, but they were everywhere.

The subway train's brakes screeched as it pulled into the station, and the human cattle crowded their way into the cars. Haden used the mass of confusion to slip off the platform, onto the floor of the tunnel below. He turned and walked into the darkness, unconcerned by the eyes watching him from shadowy corners. There were predators in the dark, but they knew him for one of their own, and they knew he would not take kindly to interruptions, so they let him walk unmolested. He appreciated their respect, and did not take it for granted. It allowed him to keep an otherwise difficult schedule.

Haden walked further into the darkness until he reached a place where no light touched the rails. Year after year, the city's municipal workers replaced the lights in this section of the tunnel, but they never lasted more than an hour or two. The authorities declared that the area was plagued by electrical surges that blew out the lights. The people who replaced the lights swore it was haunted. The reality was somewhere in between. Power surges were responsible for the blowouts, but they were mystical, not electrical, in origin. The creatures of the dark liked their privacy and they were diligent in maintaining their hidden places.

A voice hissed out of the darkness. “You tread dangerous grounds, mammal.”

“I come in peace. You have no need to fear me.” Haden’s response was slow and even, as he held his hands open before him.

The Orphean stepped into the tunnel, his lean body was covered with dark green scales that absorbed the little light that managed to survive this close to snake-man's home. He laughed, a sound like steam escaping from a ruptured pipe. “Fear you? It is you who should be afraid, mammal.”

Haden’s eyes flashed crimson in the darkness before he lunged forward, and grabbed the snake-man by the throat. “Do not mistake my overtures of peace for weakness, Orphean.” He squeezed, slightly, to emphasize how easily he could choke the life from the tunnel dweller.

“Release him, Dark One,” said a voice from deeper within the shadow. “He is young, and has not learned his place in the world yet. He should still have the opportunity.”

Haden released the young Orphean and tossed him aside like so much trash. “By your word, Kassaah, but he is only allowed this one transgression,” said Haden. “You know my forgiveness never comes cheap.”

“Of this I am all too aware,” said Kassaah as he stepped from the deep dark of the passageway. He held up a stump where his hand had been. “I once paid the price for your forgiveness myself.” Where the guard might have been a nimble little viper, Kassaah was built like a python. His dark brown scales covered layers of taught muscle that the unwary often confused with fat.

Haden nodded his head toward the Orphean. “And your hand still holds a place of honor in my home.” A reminder of how much control Haden had in their meeting never hurt. The Orphean's hand remained in a locked, hidden, vault that not even Albert was aware of. His collection of bargaining chips had grown quite large over the centuries, and he held its existence close to his chest. “I would have words with you, Kassaah. There is something that confuses me, and I would like some clarity on the matter.”

“Come with me, Dark One. We will speak where more civilized ears need not listen.” Kassaah turned and walked back into the darkness, not waiting to see if Haden followed.

The corridor Haden followed him through was not made by the hands of men, and would not be seen by their eyes, even if they managed to keep the lights on. It was nearly as old as the subway itself, but constructed by means considerably more ancient. The tunnel worked like the portal to Haden's office, only it used power more efficiently at the cost of having to walk more.

To each his own, was all Haden could think. He had considerably more power at his disposal, so he used it. The Orpheans had a power of their own, but transportation magic was not one of their strong points.

They walked through the tunnel, which twisted and turned endlessly, making it impossible to determine direction or depth. Haden knew this was a property of the spell, and that in all likelihood, he was not moving more than a dozen paces past the wall of the subway tunnel. He let the snake-men have their delusions of security, and played their game. Albert needed them for something, and he did not want to force them to do it, so he needed to tread carefully amongst the Orpheans. They were not the worst race he associated with, but their penchant for intrigue grew irritating after a while.

Haden admitted that they had their uses. A couple of years earlier, Haden had hired them to put an entire nightclub in a trance with their music, so that he could incriminate a young starlet in a scandal. It was low work for him, but the collapse of her squeaky clean, teen princess, image had been a fun little bonus in his eyes. Albert had wanted the girl destroyed for some slight, and Haden had done it with gusto. Albert was not a man to cross in general, but to reject his advances could have severe consequences.

The Orphean stopped when they came to a wall full of doors. He paused for a second, walked up to one of the doors, and opened it. This was a new aspect to their defenses, Haden had not seen it before, and he could only guess at what was involved. He wished he had time to study it, but he was on a deadline, and could not afford the delay. Kassaah walked through, and beckoned for Haden to follow

“The doors are new,” Haden said as his eyes adjusted to the yellowish-green light of the room.

“Yes. We thought it best to add another layer of defense,” the snake-man said. “Humans no longer fear the dark as much as they should.”

Once his vision had cleared, Haden saw that they were in what passed for an Orphean negotiating room. The walls were made of a smooth stone, imported from the Orpheans’ home dimension. Its colors shifted constantly in a mildly hypnotic pattern. It was designed to dull the senses of any non-Orphean. The quiet strains of Orphean music completed the scene, creating an environment that left most sentients, and higher animals, at a distinct disadvantage when it came time to negotiate. Fortunately for Haden, only the most powerful Orpheans had even a chance at manipulating him through such means, and Kassaah was nowhere near that strong.

“Please, sit, Dark One,” said Kassaah as he pointed to a pile of cushions on the ground beside a low, circular table.

“Thank you, Kassaah. As always, your hospitality is most appreciated,” replied Haden.

Kassaah laughed, a high-pitched, tittering sound that resembled the sound of nails on a chalkboard, and said, “You usually enjoy our hospitality at our peril. It is a refreshing change to have actually invited you here.”

“There is no reason for us to be enemies today, Kassaah. In fact, I have brought with me a gift for your time,” Haden said before he slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, leather-covered box.

“A gift you say?” Kassaah extended a hand toward the box, but stopped short, eyeing it like it might well have been a scorpion. “And what would this gift cost me?”

“Cost you?” Haden’s voice was filled with shock and insult. “Whatever would make you suspect me of ulterior motives?”

“Experience.”

Haden laughed. There was dark mirth in it, but it was genuine. “So true, old friend; I have been nothing but unkind with you in the past, but I want to change that between us, and I offer this gift. Free of charge.” Haden once more held the box out to the Orphean.

The snake-man took the box and turned it over in his hand slowly, checking it for any external markings that might indicate what was inside. Finding nothing, he stuffed it into a pocket. “So you wish to be friends,” said Kassaah. “Why now? And let us cut to the heart of this bargain”

The steely gaze, through the slitted eyes of his host, was unreadable, the practiced look of an expert negotiator. Haden considered ignoring the request, but it that was a dead end road that would only extend the visit, something Haden was loathe to do. “Very well, I need information.”

“Information you say. Information will cost more than friendship I am afraid.” The Orphean steepled his fingers in front of his face and smiled. He was in a favorable position to start their bargain.

Haden smiled inwardly. “Ahh, but this time friendship means everything. You see, your people have crossed paths with a higher power, someone even I fear, and they have upset him greatly.” Kassaah leaned forward, eyes widening on the edges ever so slightly. “He negotiated in good faith, and still his generous offers were rejected beyond all reason. I am simply trying to prevent genocide.”

Kassaah stared at his guest, trying to gauge how much truth, and how much bluff, was involved. Given Haden’s very nature there was always some of both, but it was the balance that mattered. “Genocide,” said Kassaah, the word came out slowly, like a bandage removed gradually. “What do you mean?”

Haden was the picture of calm concern. “My employer has grand plans for this world, and he had planned to allow the Orpheans to remain a part of it, but the poor negotiating done yesterday did not endear your people to him.” Haden shrugged his shoulders, and said, “What he does not like, he does not suffer to live.”

Kassaah studied Haden, his eyes squinting as if the narrower view would reveal the truth. The snake-man had dealt with Haden on many occasions, and knew he was capable of deceptions that would challenge some of the greatest Orphean rulers. He sensed that there was more truth, than lies in his words this time.

"I cannot change their minds myself, but I can tell you, they are afraid. They felt the powers of Light move through the universe, and the Host's attention lies upon this world," said Kassaah. "We do not favor the light, but we are wary of its wrath."

Haden considered the information for a moment, and smiled. “So the Light moved and the Orpheans blinked? How utterly disappointing,” he said before standing. “It does however make sense. Still, you should talk to any friends you have about reconsidering Albert’s offer. The Light often moves, but rarely do they act. In the last two-thousand years, the Light has done almost nothing direct, always pushing their chores off on some poor, true believer of the mortal plane. And we both know that usually ends in some form of martyrdom.” Haden smiled at the snake-man. “No, there will be no interference this time, not until it is too late.”

“I will do what I can,” said Kassaah.

“See that you do so, friend. Events are moving quickly, and I would not see your people left behind in the offing.” Haden stood and walked to the doorway. He placed his hand on the door, turned back to the Orphean, and asked, “Do you mind if I show myself out, or would you rather maintain the illusion of security?”

“Feel free to show yourself out, Dark One.” The Orphean motioned to the door, and said, “You have given me much to consider this day, and I would take as much time as I may.”