Rogue (32 page)

“WHATEVER YOU SAY,” said Jericho, glancing to his left, annoyed, which led Will to wonder if Coach could actually see Dave at the moment.

“Lead the way, Brooke,” said Will.

Brooke clasped her hands together and closed her eyes in an effective simulation of deep emotion. “I'm so grateful that you're willing to listen to me.”

“Just keep your hands to yourself,” said Nick. “No touching.”

Brooke made a refined gesture for them to follow and led them down the passage toward the elevator. She held up one hand and a perfect sphere of pale white light appeared around it, lighting their way.

We're not the only ones still evolving,
Ajay sent to Will.
I'm getting a very strong intuitive sense that she's much more powerful than she appears.

Let me know if you notice anything else,
sent Will.

They walked quietly behind her. Will watched Brooke closely, the elegant sway of her body, her long blond mane bouncing slightly with every step. Even in the depths of the Never-Was, her hair looked perfect.

Dave appeared, walking beside Will, watching Brooke as well.

“Didn't figure that one for the treacherous type,” said Dave.

“Join the club,” whispered Will.

“Best keep a close watch on this one, mate, not that that's rough duty under any circumstances,” said Dave. “Things are about to get messy.”

WILL'S RULES FOR LIVING #17:

KEEP YOUR FRIENDS CLOSE. KEEP YOUR ENEMIES IN A BAG AT THE BOTTOM OF THE RIVER.

Brooke led them onto the waiting elevator platform. As soon as they were all on board, the gears engaged and they ascended. Brooke stood in the center. The rest of the group deployed around her in a full circle; all of them turned toward her, watching her raptly.

Brooke clasped her hands together, holding the ball of light she'd generated like a baby bird, and looked up toward a point on the wall above their heads, not focused on anything in particular, smiling blankly. It reminded Will of smiles he'd seen on political wives standing next to their husbands at public events. He realized it was probably a look Brooke had learned from her mother.

Dave walked over next to her, studied her, then walked around her, giving her the once-over from every angle. Brooke never gave the slightest indication that she sensed his presence.

“What are you doing?” asked Will quietly.

“I'm looking for where she keeps the darkness,” said Dave.

“Did you find it?”

“Oh, it's there all right, but it's way down deep. I mean, like the bottom of a mine shaft deep. She's a gnarly piece of work, this one, mate.”

“Did you ask me something, Will?” asked Brooke, directing that spooky smile toward him.

“I said how did you find us,” said Will.

“I just seemed to know where you were,” she said. “I've always felt we had a special connection, Will.”

Brooke looked back up again. Light began to seep in from the room above. They were getting close.

Behind her, Nick stuck his finger down his throat and mock gagged.

“Not much longer now,” said Brooke to no one in particular.

She turned her hands over and the globe of light she'd been carrying gently popped and disappeared. The elevator slowed for the last few feet and clicked into place with a slight whoosh as the floor leveled into the foyer. The room was completely empty, just as they'd left it, but that didn't mean much in the Never-Was. Will blinked on the Grid and confirmed they were alone.

“This way,” said Brooke.

She made her tour-guide gesture again and walked toward the doors. They swung open ahead of her, like doors at a supermarket, and she walked through.

Did you do that?
Elise asked Will.

Will shook his head.

“That was me,” said Dave, appearing outside, holding the doors open as Will walked past him. “Old habit. A gentleman always opens the door for a lady.”

Brooke led them out from under the portico onto the broad patio in front of the dome where they'd left the horses. As she passed the animals, they stirred and whinnied nervously. The stallion that Brooke had ridden earlier reared up as if he was about to strike her.

Brooke turned toward it, hands up, instantly ready to defend herself, but Elise reacted more quickly, making a small gesture and sending a thought that instantly backed the horse down. It trotted away from Brooke, around to where Elise was standing. It nuzzled her arm and she patted his muzzle, calming him further.

Brooke papered over her anger, painted that bland smile back on again, turned, and continued walking toward the stairs.

Horses don't lie,
sent Elise to Will.
They don't even know how.

Keep them close by and ready,
Will responded.

“You're not even going to believe this,” said Dave.

Dave popped into Will's vision, standing about twenty yards ahead of them at the top of the stairs, looking at something down below. Will blinked on the Grid, and at first couldn't comprehend what he was seeing: The entire plaza at the foot of the stairs appeared as a sea of red. Ascending the stairs toward them was a line of towering figures, seven of them, at least twenty feet tall, moving slowly and steadily in sync.

Stop at the top of the stairs,
Will sent to Ajay and Elise.
Not too close.

Then he gave them a few instructions. Ajay handed Will something from his pocket.

“Can they see you?” asked Will quietly.

“CAN WHO SEE ME?” Jericho, padding along next to him, replied.

“I wasn't talking to you,” said Will.

“Who
are
you talking to, then?” asked Nick, walking on the other side of Will.

Jericho shushed him, which sounded more like a growl.

“Like I said, they can't see me, mate,” said Dave, looking down at the top of the stairs. “Not unless I'm in Wayfarer form. Your move now. Following your lead.”

Will whispered a few words to Dave, then turned to the others. “I'll say when.”

“When what?” asked Nick.

“When it's go time. Don't show them you're frightened.”

“Show who?” asked Nick.

“Them.” Will nodded toward the stairs.

Brooke stopped at the top of the stairs and turned to face Will and the others. They walked a few more steps forward until the plaza below came into their view: The entire space was filled, to the margins and beyond, with a mix of the black-clad guards and a varied assembly of the battalions they'd seen outside the walls.

Thousands of monsters.

Will sensed movement on their level, turned, and saw that to the left and right of their position more guards and creatures were rushing into position on either end of the broad veranda, forming a line at least ten figures deep that cut off any possibility of retreat.

“And them,” said Will.

He nodded toward the seven Makers floating into view up the stairs toward them. They at first appeared to be nearly identical, but the robes they wore were each of a slightly different hue, and their shapes and postures varied even more noticeably; taller, shorter, more fluid, less graceful. The hooded cowls of their robes concealed their faces. He wasn't entirely sure how—something about its posture—but Will recognized the one just to the right of center as the Maker that had spotted them at the construction site. The taller one next to it, in their middle, possessed an unmistakable aura of authority, and its regal bearing radiated an oppressive sense of power.

“Diapers don't fail me now,” said Nick.

“HOW'S THE PLAN WORKING SO FAR?” asked Jericho.

“Ask me in a couple of minutes,” said Will.

The Makers floated up and swayed to a stop at the top of the stairs, spreading out in a half circle around Brooke. The one Will took to be their leader hovered just behind her; it leaned over slightly and appeared to be conversing with Brooke, who was doing most of the listening, although Will didn't hear any words. Dave blinked out from his spot near the steps and then reappeared between Will and Jericho.

“Recognize any of these mugs?” asked Will.

“I never got this close before,” said Dave; then he gestured toward the one leaning down toward Brooke. “But I'd take that one for the big enchilada.”

“Dad?” asked Nick, starting toward the one in the center, holding out his arms. “Is that really you? It's me, Nick.”

Elise pulled him back by the collar.

“What do you think, Ajay?” asked Will.

Ajay's eyes were huge and shining, darting around, taking everything in. Will was pleased to see that he didn't appear the slightest bit frightened.

“Astonishing,” said Ajay quietly. “Their minds are extraordinary. The most advanced computers we haven't even contemplated yet can't touch the level of complex intelligence I'm sensing.”

“Why are you whispering?” asked Nick, whispering.

“I believe there's a good chance they could pick up on anything that passes between us telepathically. That's why it's best we speak aloud, in which case there's a good probability they can't hear us very well if we keep our voices down.”

“But wouldn't that be true of anybody?” asked Nick.

“LET THE GROWN-UPS TALK.”

“Can you tell what they want?” asked Elise.

“Not in the slightest. This is somewhat difficult to convey, but they seem to have moved beyond what we would normally think of or recognize as ‘thinking.' ”

“Oh, no, that makes perfect sense,” said Nick.
“Not.”

“By that I mean they don't pair emotions with their thoughts, and they're not connected to or driven by them. It seems they may not even possess feelings at all.”

“Of course not,” said Elise. “That makes it so much easier for them to annihilate things.”

“There's something indescribably…remote about them. I don't know how else to describe it. It's as if they aren't all here.”

Will looked over at them and got an idea. “I can work with that.” He leaned in and whispered the idea to Ajay, who raised his eyebrows in interest.

“I will certainly try, Will,” he whispered.

“Just let me know,” said Will. “I'll try to keep 'em busy until then.”

“Of course, Will. And, failing that, I suppose we can console ourselves with the idea that we're making history here, my friends. Face to face with the first truly alien race.”

“THAT WON'T BE MUCH COMFORT IF THEY FLATTEN US,” said Jericho.

“So let's hit them first,” said Elise.

“Soon,” said Will. “But not yet.”

Brooke appeared to finish her “conversation” with the central Maker. She turned back to them and took a few steps in their direction.

“They'd like to speak with you first,” she said to Will.

“That's all of what Tiny just said to you?” asked Nick. “Take me to your leader? It was yapping at you for over a minute.”

“Come with me,” said Brooke, holding out her hand to Will. “I promise they won't harm you.”

“Don't do it,” said Elise.

“Or at least don't hold hands with her,” said Nick.

“Ready?” said Will to something behind him.

“I'll be right behind you, mate,” said Dave.

“Everyone else stay here,” said Will.

He winked at Ajay, then walked forward but didn't take Brooke's offered hand. Brooke withdrew it with only slight embarrassment and moved along with him. Will didn't look at her once.

“I didn't believe it at first either, Will,” said Brooke intimately. “I do so understand how you feel, but I've learned that they truly do wish us well and I believe them. Your grandfather was right about them—”

“You can stop talking now,” said Will.

For the first time, a flash of genuine anger cut through her moony, placid exterior; her cheeks colored and her eyes turned steely.

“You are a very naughty girl,” said Dave, appearing right behind and speaking in her ear.

Brooke didn't react. And she covered her anger in a quick transition to hurt feelings.

“I suppose I deserve that,” she said.

Will paid no attention to her and kept his eyes on the chest of the Maker in the middle, ignoring the cowl. He blinked on the Grid as they slowly advanced. Then he looked at each of the Makers in turn. He noticed a couple of things he was expecting to see, and one thing he didn't see that confirmed what he was thinking.

He stopped ten feet away from the one in the center. All of them swayed gently, like boats moored at a dock, bobbing in the water. The one in the center hovered forward a few feet and raised its arms grandly and looked like it was about to say something important, and so did Brooke—maybe to translate for it—but Will spoke up first.

“You're probably wondering why I've called you here today,” said Will in a loud, clear voice.

Neither Brooke nor the swaying Makers responded; somehow, they looked surprised.

“I know, I know, you think you're running the meeting, and why wouldn't you? You're used to having it your way; I get that. I mean, look at all you've done with this place. Amazing work, truly, an almost completely real fake reality. Populated with all these perfect idiot minions you've put together, hanging on your every word. Congratulations. Must be a really powerful feeling. Godlike, even. Well, not quite, but close, no doubt about it. You are definitely a force to be reckoned with.”