Confessions of the Magpie Wizard Book 3: Dissolution (Chapter 78, 79, 80)

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Chapter 78

One never gets used to staring down the barrel of a gun. Once I was back in the main hall of Tower’s ground floor, I was jumped by a pair of men in Japanese Self Defense Force fatigues. I hoped these were Brother Ratte’s “mundanes,” as Maggie had called them, or else we were in real trouble.

“Halt! Hands where I can see them!”

“Of course,” I replied. The soldier on the other end of the rifle didn’t seem much older than me. There wasn’t much that stood out about him; he was the sort of ordinary man we’d slain by the thousands in England. The difference was this time, I didn’t have orcs to take the shots. “I’m no expert on guns, but is it necessary to press the barrel against my head?”

“It is when there’s wizards around,” he said.

“Far enough,” I replied. “If it’s the same to you, though, I’m in a bit of a hurry.”

The gunman’s partner piped up. “And we’re under orders to stop anybody who comes in or out of that office.”

“You don’t need to worry about me, though. I’m Holy Brother Mockingbird. Brothers Ratte or Maus can vouch for me.”

“We’ll see about that,” the second man replied, tapping a plastic device in his ear. Without magic to power a fabricata set, he resorted to more ordinary tools. “Lieutenant, this is Ikuta. Caught a wanderer.” He squinted at me. “I can’t rightly say what he looks like. No, really. He’s a… he? I think?”

I rolled my eyes. Blast Maggie’s magic! “Let me get out my comm. I have a direct line to Brother Ratte. I’m just going to lower my hands and-”

“The heck you are!” shouted the gunman. “If you do, we’ll have a mess to report instead of an intruder!”

I sighed. Still, it was best not to test the jumpy young man. “Then have him call me on my fabricata radio. If you hear his voice coming out of my pocket, that will prove who I am, now won’t it?”

The two men exchanged a tense look before the man with the headset relayed my message.

“Brother Mockingbird, check in.” Brother Ratte’s voice was muffled through the white fabric, recognition dawning in both men’s faces.

“There,” I said. “Now put that bloody gun down!”

“Yes sir,” he stammered, complying and saluting.

I didn’t return the gesture. They had already eaten up enough of my time. I brushed past them, intentionally jostling the gunman as I fished out my commlink. “Brother Mockingbird reporting in. I-”

“Halt,” shouted another soldier. Another pair were covering the elevators. “Keep your hands where I can see them!”

“Oh, bloody Hell! Ratte, call off your dogs!” I didn’t follow the blond man’s orders, instead fixing him with an annoyed glare. Thankfully, he didn’t make good on his threat.

Brothers Ratte, Maus, and a third wizard I didn’t recognize filed into view from a side chamber, runes circling their hands. “Who are-”

With an annoyed snarl, I ripped off the enchanted mask. “There, that’s who I bloody am! Brother Mockingbird! Now let me on those elevators!”

“Not so fast, Mockingbird,” replied Ratte. “You didn’t give your report.”

“Everything’s going swimmingly,” I said, forcing myself to sound cordial. “It seems you’ve got things covered here.”

“Yes, thankfully,” said Maus. “That was a good move with the evacuation order.”

“Did anybody else pass through?” I remembered the extra “ding” from before. My imagination went wild with paranoid theories, even though I rationally knew anybody who counted would be at the arena.

“Besides that janitor we KO’d?” asked Maus. “Nope, it’s just you.”

“That’s why I was concerned,” said Ratte. “Why are you by yourself? Where is the rest of Sister Shrike’s team?”

I jerked a thumb back towards the offices. “They should be hauling the Headmaster through any moment. You may need to help them out; he isn’t exactly a light load.”

“And where are you off to?” asked the new brother. The muscular man was a study in contrasts; his hard bitten, suntanned exterior reminded me of Fera’s man Dante, but he spoke with an inviting tone worthy of a Kindergarten teacher. Judging by the blue highlights of his black Wizard Corps uniform, he was a support wizard.

“I’m going to spring the trap,” I said, pointing upwards. “It’s time to activate the gimmicked Peace Bond and capture the whole student body in one go. And since I don’t much care to run that many stairs, I need to get on the elevator.”

Maus had walked behind me. What a rude bugger; he didn’t even ask before raising the uniform’s half-cape. “Is that the bomb?”

“Yes, it is,” I replied, stepping aside so I could keep him in front of me. “Why?”

“You should entrust it to us,” said Ratte. “Just in case anything happens.”

“You’ll understand if I don’t,” I replied. “This is Sister Shrike’s mission, and she’d have my head if I gave it up. Besides, you don’t know where to plant it.” I left out that Maggie had given me a clearly labelled schematic of the school’s basement; I wasn’t about to hand that over.

Brother Ratte frowned. “And you’ll understand that I don’t like leaving things up to her, all things considered.”

“Then we’ll just have to agree that we don’t always get what we want,” I said, stepping back towards the elevator and tapping the up arrow. “I wanted a hassle-free trip up, yet you’re treating me more like an enemy than an ally.”

The newcomer stepped forward wearing a reassuring grin. “Brother Mockingbird, I think Ratte got off on the wrong foot. We’re just concerned is all.”

“And I don’t know you from Adam,” I said. “Should I shove a gun in your face, too?”

“Oh, where are my manners?” He extended his hand. “I’m Holy Brother Frettchen. It’s lovely to meet you.”

I reluctantly shook his hand. “Yes, charmed, I’m sure.” The elevator dinged behind me, sliding open. “Gentlemen, I assure you the payload is in good hands.” Without another word, I slipped in and hammered the topmost floor.

Once I was on my way, I slumped against the elevator’s wall. “Bloody Hell! These Brothers trust each other less than devils do! Maybe Maggie has a point about everybody dismissing her.” I even took a moment to check my pockets. Everything was accounted for, including the car key I had slipped out of Maggie’s desk when she wasn’t looking. What a relief; I was worried that Brother Frettchen’s friendly demeanor had been a cover so he could pick my pocket.

Just as I had finished recounting the contents of my pockets, my phone came to life. Another call from Kiyo? I didn’t blame her, but I muted the phone without a second glance. The extra buzz told me she had left a voice mail. Poor girl.

The elevator’s doors parted, giving me a much-needed distraction. I slipped through the newly grown windbreak. Did the leaves look a bit less vibrant than they had before? Not a surprise, since they were growing out of gravel and asphalt.

I raised Maggie on her comm. “I’m in position. Are you ready for me?”

“Give it a minute,” she said. “We only just got on the elevator. Did you have a row with Brother Ratte?”

“Just a mild disagreement,” I replied.

“How minor? He told me to get you under control.”

“He called you an incompetent and insisted I hand over the bomb,” I replied. “I told him that this was your operation and he wasn’t going to steal your glory.”

“Why do I feel like you’re editorializing?” she asked.

“Because I clearly am,” I said. “But that’s effectively what happened. Like I told you, I’m on your team, my dear.” For now, at least.

“Well, isn’t that just heartwarming,” she replied.

I could hear Mrs. Perera’s faint voice in the background. “If you two are done flirting, the others could use a hand with Yosuke! He’s flopping like a dang salmon!”

“I’ll be right there,” said Maggie. “I don’t suppose you can activate the Peace Bond remotely?”

“Nope, the Headmaster probably intended to turn it on before he went down to the field.”

I heard a distant string of curses from Paul. I could just make out, “my damn balls, the hell, man?”

“Then stay in your position and count yourself lucky. He fights hard for a one-legged tub of lard.”

With nothing better to do, I checked and rechecked the rows of fabricata batteries. If I focused my Mimic Sight, the charged batteries looked like a solar eclipse: blindingly bright at the edges, but completely blacked out in the center. It was almost pretty, though hard to look at for long.

If I cast my vision down further, I could see the captured Mariko in the clubroom, and the still, prone form of the Headmaster being dragged along the ground by three more brilliant magical signatures. I couldn’t see as far as I normally could, likely due to the interference from so many fully charged fabricata in one space.

I stopped my search, though, realizing that I was draining my own magical energy. The Peace Bond was in perfect shape, as was my own addition from before. I was actually grateful for the lesson that Tachibana had given me on magical transmitters and receivers. I would have been worried about being out of range for the technology jamming fabricata if I had not been assured that like devices could work at any distance.

That weak little voice in my head piped up, pointing out that I was repaying his kindness with death.

“And that’s why I don’t listen to you,” I muttered. “You’re nothing but trouble.”

Chapter 79

Maggie kept me waiting just long enough that I wished I had the GoSato with me, but not so long that I was seriously worried that something had happened to her. My imagination was going wild, though, with scenarios like Tachibana getting himself loose and fighting back. Just as I was ready to go check, I got the buzz on Maggie’s commlink. “Alright, Mockingbird, hit it and hurry down here! You’re going to be famous!”

Now weren’t those words to make a spy’s blood run cold. “Yes, ma’am!”

Magical energy doesn’t work quite like electricity, though the circuitry can look rather similar. They had always assured us that you can’t be electrocuted by raw magical energy, so there are no worries about grounding or wearing proper protective gear.

And yet, with so much of Rose’s captured magical energy flowing through the wires as I joined them together, my hands went numb. That should have been impossible; magic wasn’t supposed to have a physical effect like that unless shaped by a wizard. Some magical researchers would have been ebullient to have made such a discovery. I had a slightly… different reaction. I think my string of profanity would have even offended Our Father Below.

“At least the bloody thing seems to be working,” I muttered.

I stepped back, rubbing the feeling back into my hands as I ran for the stairway. The pins and needles had mostly stopped by the time I had arrived in the AV Club’s room. I had expected a hero’s welcome, but they seemed a tad distracted.

Paul stood rooted in place, his body surrounded by a red glow. I had thought that Tachibana would have eliminated the color for the War Games, so as not to interfere with our vision, until I realized that I had reverted back to the flawed production version. I might have asked the man himself, if he wasn’t bound and gagged in the corner of the room. A redenning bandage on his stump told me he had reopened his wound, and Maggie hadn’t felt like wasting the magic to heal him again.

“Brother B-”

“You don’t have to say my whole name every stinking time!” snapped Paul. “Shorten it up.”

Rei recoiled like she had been struck. “Fine. Brother Jerk, why didn’t you disable the fabricata?” asked Rei.

“Because nobody told me to,” he said, straining against his skintight bodysuit. The suits were supposed to simulate wounds by restricting your movements, and eventually stop you from moving and casting at all once you were considered “dead.”

“At least we know the trap worked,” said Maggie, checking herself in a compact mirror.

“Get me outta here!” shouted Paul.

I winced out of sympathy. I’d been good and trapped during my first war games. I gave him a clap on the arm, my hand stopped a few centimeters away from him by the dully glowing red barrier. “Sister Shoebill wouldn’t understand, Eagle. Those things really bind downstairs.”

“I don’t want your sympathy, I want to move again.”

I scratched my chin, deep in thought. “That’s a bit of a conundrum. If we use a spell strong enough to pierce the barrier, we risk wounding you.”

“It’s the whole point of the plan,” said Mrs. Perera. “Sorry, boy, you may be out of commission.”

“Wait, what?” asked Paul, his voice tinged with panic.

“Not so fast,” I said. “Sister Macaw, do you remember when you used your time manipulation on the kitchen at the Serving Wizard’s House, and it cut off electricity from the power grid?”

“Sure do,” she said. “That Yamada girl makes a good cake.”

“Well, my understanding is that the bodysuits respond to signals from the Peace Bond, telling them that they’re in a ‘death’ state. Svalinn’s Wrath!” I created a fine dagger of energy shaped like a letter opener, sliding in behind Paul. “Cut us off from the time stream, and I’ll have him fixed in a jiffy.”

Mrs. Perera groaned. “You kids are running me ragged. What would you do without me?”

“Hopefully we’ll never find out,” said Maggie. “Make it snappy. We want to present a strong front for the cameras.”

I felt the all-too-familiar sensation of Mrs. Perera copping a feel, but before I could comment, the world outside took on a golden hue. “How is it, Mr. Wilson? Feeling a bit more mobile?’

“No I… oh, wait.” He flexed his arms. “It’s stiff, but I can sorta move. There’s no way I’m going to be able to reach back there, though.”

“That’s why I’m here.” With some effort, we extricated him from his white uniform, revealing the checkered camo bodysuit beneath. I was almost jealous at the way his muscles bulged beneath. Oh, hang it all, I was jealous.

I told myself the rippling physique didn’t do him any good just then. “Hold still.”

“That part’s easy,” he said.

I pinched some of the thick fabric around a mass of circuits, slicing right down the middle of them. The taut fabric loosened, the artificial muscle fibers relaxing all at once.

Mrs. Perera must have been paying close attention, since I didn’t have to signal her. Her skin looked positively ashen, forcing me to lunge forward to catch her.

“Don’t suppose any of you brought a snack,” she murmured.

“There’s snacks in the Sewing Club room,” I said.

“That can wait,” said Rei, shooting to her feet, turning the camera towards what looked like desk from a news show. An image of the Holy Brotherhood’s emblem, a demonic skull being split by a sword, was projected onto the green screen behind it. “The feed’s ready to go when you are, ma’am.”

The Holy Sister didn’t look up from touching up her blush. “And you tapped into the emergency frequencies?”

“Yes, ma’am. Those codes you gave me worked perfectly.”

“Then we should be piped into every video site worth appearing on.” Maggie’s compact snapped shut, the effect of her elegant makeup spoiled by her feral smirk. “It’s showtime. Brother Eagle, by a dear and haul the Headmaster into focus.”

“At least we’ve got wheels this time,” he said.

Headmaster Tachibana’s angry glare drilled into me, but that was the most resistance he could muster. Thank Our Father Below he didn’t have an affinity like the heat vision from Hiro’s Superman comics, or I’d have been a pile of ash.

“I’ll do the talking,” Maggie said, giving me her own intense look.

“I wouldn’t think of stealing your big moment,” I replied.

Mrs. Perera stayed off to the side, declaring herself too exhausted to join in, which was just as well. The diminutive teacher would have barely been in frame. The three of us students flanked Maggie on either side as she stood behind the restrained Tachibana, her hands resting on his shoulders almost gently.

I’m told Holy Sister Shrike surrounded by her followers is one of the most iconic images of the twenty-first century. I’m not sure I would agree, but then, I didn’t get to watch it live. All of our faces appeared completely nondescript, scattered by the fabricata masks. Seeing one person in that state was disconcerting enough, but a small troop of us made us look like a united front. When I look at the footage, even I have a hard time telling myself from Paul.

I could just imagine the shocked staff down on the field, perhaps trying to free the students from the Peace Bond, as every loudspeaker echoed with Maggie’s voice, and our image filled every screen on campus at once.

“People of the world, rejoice! The hour of your salvation is at hand. For too long have the petty tyrants and bureaucrats of the Anti-Demonic League have sat idly by while humanity stands at the edge of destruction. Your true champions, the Holy Brotherhood of Mankind, come again to rescue you and guide you into a new, devil-free age.”

I thought she was laying it on awfully thick, but I supposed she had a hard argument to sell.

“You will have noticed that every student in the school is caught in the Peace Bond. Do not waste your time trying to free them. You may be tempted to rush back to the Tower and free them. That would be a poor choice, if you value the health of Yosuke Tachibana.” She patted his cheek, earning her an angry grunt from Tachibana. “If you don’t, then perhaps you would care more about the Nagoya Tower? An explosive device is ready to topple the whole edifice if our agents at the ground floor give the word.”

Technically, it was still strapped to my back. I’d have to do something about that once we were done.

“Unfortunately, this was the only way we could get your attention. The Anti-Demonic League and the media have seen fit to print lie after lie about us, so we have been driven to extremes. We are an ordinary group of patriots united by a simple goal: the preservation of mankind at all costs. Unfortunately, we have become the failed government’s favorite scapegoat. One of our members perpetrated an awful crime in Taiwan, but our entire organization has been punished. Rogue members of the Wizard Corps attempted to blame us for an internal plot to assassinate the Divine Blade, and nobody questioned it. I’m sure that if they could find a way, they would blame us for the high price of wheat! Yet every day, the Horde takes a little more land, and the powers that be do nothing.”

My, she certainly was bold with her lies! I had to admire the moxie of blaming the Wizard Corps for her own attempt on Maki’s life.

Maggie straightened back up, sighing thoughtfully. “If this is the first time you have heard these truths, that is because we have not been allowed to make our own case. The excommunicated Brother Gyrfalcon’s egregious crimes in Taiwan were used as a pretense to drive us underground. They tell you we are terrorists, and that our beliefs are beyond the pale. That could not be further from the truth. We do not make these threats because we want to. We have been pushed to the brink and threatened with annihilation. Headmaster Tachibana and the Nagoya Tower are both valuable resources in the war against the Grim Horde. This was simply the only way to get your attention.”

She held up three fingers. “Our demands are simple. The Holy Brotherhood of Mankind wishes to guide the world, not rule it with an iron fist. We firmly believe that once the people are allowed to hear us, and have had the lies of the past debunked, people will turn to our truth. First, we demand a complete pardon for all members of the Holy Brotherhood held in prison, regardless of their crimes. To show that we believe in justice, the war criminal ex-Brother Gyrfalcon and his immediate accomplices will be the exception. They are no true Holy Brothers.” She lowered one finger, counting down. “Second, we demand to be permitted to run for office again, like in the old days.” One finger left. “Finally, I, Holy Sister Shrike, will be appointed to the Anti-Demonic League Council to represent the Holy Brotherhood’s will.”

If you watch the footage, you can watch me nodding along. It was as we discussed. It was a Hell of an ask, but my plans didn’t hinge on anybody taking Maggie seriously.

“We have complete control over the Peace Bond,” she continued. “If you push us, the students in the grip of the Peace Bond will find their outfits will begin to tighten, eventually strangling them. Then we’ll kill Yosuke Tachibana while you watch and topple the Nagoya Tower with explosives. We would not want that; the world needs these young wizards. However, the world needs the firm hand of the Holy Brotherhood more. You have two hours to comply. Humanity first!”

“Humanity first,” we all repeated, Paul and I with a bit less enthusiasm than Rei.

Rei hit a remote, cutting off the feed. “That was very stirring, Sister Shrike.”

Maggie deflated as the tension left her body. “Thank you, Shoebill.”

Tachibana grunted, trying to speak through his gag.

Tapping her chin thoughtfully, Maggie nodded towards the headmaster. Paul caught on first, removing his gag.

“They’ll never give in to your demands! As if they would ever follow somebody who does not have the guts to show her face!”

“Oh, that?” She waved him off, flashing him a condescending smirk that even made me want to smack her. “That’s my insurance policy, silly. If they do anything untoward, we can tie each other up and pretend that we were captured by those awful, awful Holy Brothers.” As if flipping a switch, Maggie stuck out her lower lip and a few tears flowed down her cheeks. “It was terrible! They ambushed us all and said they’d kill us if we resisted! I had to think of my students.”

She was convincing, I’ll give her that.

“So you see? That’s why I’ve lived long enough to carry on the Holy Brotherhood’s legacy.”

“That explains it,” said Tachibana. “I imagine you were with those Holy Brothers who tried to kill Asahi. Or should I say, you weren’t with them. You were happy to stay safely behind, while they took all the-”

The meaty smack echoed through the small space. “Brother Eagle, gag him. He’s said quite enough.”

“You can silence me, but mrph!”

“Absolutely right,” she replied. “I can silence you, and you’re the only one here who knows the truth. So you had better hope the League sees fit to trade for you, or you and your life’s work end today.” She turned to Rey. “How is your affinity doing?”

“Just fine!”

“Wonderful,” she said. “Keep track of the news and social media. We want to see if they try to stifle us again.”

“I don’t think they can ignore us this time, ma’am.”

I was excited, despite myself. It almost seemed like a shame I wouldn’t be there to see the standoff to its end. It was time for this little devil to make his exit. However, much like my dear Ms. Edwards, I had no interest in exposing myself to needless danger.

“Speaking of which, ma’am,” I said, jerking a thumb towards my back. “I think it’s time to go deliver our real insurance policy.”

“What’s in the backpack?” asked Paul.

“Magical explosive, I’d guess,” said Rei. “Unless you have a nuke in there, I cannot see how a charge that small would do the trick.”

“Very good,” I said. I turned to bow to Tachibana. “Thank you for everything, Headmaster. I can say that none of this would have been possible without you.”

I didn’t wait for his response; there was no point. I’d heard plenty of enraged mumbling for one day. Besides, I didn’t want to give Maggie a chance to…

“Brother Bald Eagle, go keep him company.”

… assign me a babysitter.

Hellfire and damnation!

Chapter 80

The deeper we went into the bowels of the Tower, the more the thrum of the elevator’s motor was drowned out by a cacophony of other sounds. Rack after rack of servers, the ventilation system, water pumps and devices beyond my understanding combined to make a constant din. It was almost like the Tower was a living thing.

Not for much longer, I reminded myself.

I’d handed Paul the chart Maggie had drawn up, wanting to keep my hands free for casting.

He gave me the side eye as we passed another row of water pumps. “You alright, Mags? You look antsy.”

“It’s eight wizards against the whole bloody League,” I said. “And that’s if I count Mrs. Perera.”

“I’m not too worried,” he said. “Ms. Edwards seems to have things under control.”

I decided not to mention Haru’s fate. I had to give it to Ms. Edwards, she was good at looking out for number one.

Still, things seemed to be going her way, for the time being. Brother Ratte’s people were covering the entrances and exits, and I know I’d get an earful if they ran into opposition.

“We’re here,” said Paul, blatantly ignoring a door’s “off limits” sign. A jet of pressurized water made a fine lockpick.

“That’s a nice trick,” I said, entering the room. I didn’t read Japanese, but I knew warning signs and promises of electrical death when I saw them.

“The school’s full of demonkin, but they can teach you a thing or two about combat magic.”

“Demonkin? Do you really believe that?”

Paul pondered my question. “Might as well be. Demonkin undermine things on purpose, so they’re almost better.” He narrowed his eyes, peering at the sheet of paper. “Blowing this room is going to take down the whole Tower? How? It’s nothing but wires.”

“There’s an awful lot of weight balanced around this point,” I said, relieved to be free of the weighty burden. “Give me that paper, if you would. There’s a good chap.” I studied the notes carefully. “Specifically, a key support pillar is right over here.” I propped the unassuming white box against the north wall. A fabricata built into the face of the unit glued it in place, once I gave it a quick charge. “If Sister Shrike did her job properly, all of the explosive energy will turn it into so much debris. Supposedly, once it goes off, everybody would have ten minutes to evacuate before things get exciting.”

Paul leaned in, tapping an indicator on the side. “It’s completely dead, though.”

I couldn’t help but sigh. “Then I suppose we ought to charge it.” I was glad that Maggie had inflicted him on me. “We’ll take turns. You go first.”

He hesitated. “You sure it isn’t going to go off?”

I held up the remote before stuffing it back in my jacket’s pocket. “It’s completely safe until I recite this spell. Now get charging!”

“I wondered what I was here for,” he muttered. “Stuck on charging duty. Ms. Edwards really makes you work for it.”

“Let’s keep it to codenames,” I said, hiding my amusement. She wasn’t hard to get; she just played favorites.

Paul’s hand glowed as he took hold of a wire that fed into the explosive. “Are you for real, Mags? We’re ten stories underground! We can drop the crap.”

“One never knows who might be listening,” I replied.

“Dating that invisible girl has you paranoid,” he said.

“Well, I don’t think we’ll have to worry about that anymore,” I said, keeping my tone neutral. “After today? We’re all going places.”

“I hope so,” he replied. “You’re freaked out too, right?”

“About what?”

“Ms. Edwards’ backup plan. She turned the waterworks on and off pretty easily.”

“You’d be a fool not to have an escape plan,” I said.

“Then what’s yours, Mr. Smart Guy?”

“Well…” I shrugged, faking a sheepish grin. No sense letting on. “I suppose I’m a fool today, too.”

“Yeah, I thought so.” Wiping beads of perspiration from his forehead, he pointed at a green indicator. Our payload was about a third charged. “Your turn.”

“Very well,” I said, taking the lead. I took some satisfaction in topping it off without breaking a sweat.

Paul looked crossly at me; I’d won our little game. “I guess we should get back to the library.”

I wished I hadn’t been so quick to finish our job. Now I faced a real dilemma; how to ditch Paul so I could go commandeer a getaway vehicle? I supposed I could kill him. After all, who would ever know? We were deep in the bowels of the Nagoya Tower, and I had no intention of seeing Maggie or the rest of the Holy Brothers again in this life.

I discarded the idea. I told myself it was simply too risky. If I missed, I could end up like the Headmaster, or that Holy Sister he had tossed twenty feet. If I were honest with myself, I had a certain fondness for the man and didn’t have the stomach for it. However, since when was I honest with myself? It would be a dangerous habit to acquire at that late a date.

No, subterfuge would be the key. “You go on ahead,” I said, affecting a casual tone and gesturing in the direction of the elevators. I was only a few floors away from the garage. I’d hoof it if I had to.

Sadly, Paul wasn’t so easily thrown off the scent. “Why, where are you off to?”

I jerked a thumb back towards a staff room. “Mrs. Perera said she needed a snack, and I saw a vending machine back there. Her time distortion could save our bacon in a pinch.”

He shook his head. “What, you want to butter her up? Be the sensitive, thoughtful one again? Nuh uh, man. I’m getting on Maggie’s good side. I’ll go get them, and you can go ahead.”

He spun on his heel and was jogging away before I could reply. I blinked twice, thrown by Paul’s response.

“I suppose I was overdue for some good luck,” I said, thanking Our Father Below for setting his mischievous sights elsewhere.

It felt like the longest elevator ride of my life. I realized that I was finally used to the trips up and down the terrifying shaft. My former terror at each jolt no longer plagued me. I had picked a Hell of a time to finally acclimate. I’d never need to worry about it again.

The key I had liberated from Maggie’s desk guided me to car 15-H, which was identical to all of its fellows: white, drab, and inconspicuous. Perfect for my purposes.

I scanned the carport for a moment before letting out all of my anxiety as the deepest laughter I had enjoyed in weeks. “Home free!”

It isn’t often a man dies twice in one day. Soren Marlowe was a fading memory, and now I would never have to be Holy Brother Mockingbird again either.

I stripped off my mask and took out my disguise wand. I couldn’t very well drive down the road looking like nobody in particular. It might draw more attention. I decided on Nurse Kazushi for my first cover, since her image was programmed with a nurse’s uniform. If I was stopped on my way out, I could claim some medical emergency or the like.

Slipping into the car, I noted the uncomfortable, polyester upholstery. “Of all the places to economize,” I muttered to myself. Still, I had done it, and all without offending my simpering conscience. I’d drive out a safe distance and trigger the explosive. From that moment, the Tower’s lifespan would be measured in minutes. Maggie would figure there was some sort of double cross and leave the Headmaster to his fate. From there, I’d give the Holy Brothers and Sisters about, say, five minutes to evacuate. If Maggie’s little cohort wasn’t smart enough to get out of dodge at that point, then they deserved what was coming to them. Then, if I felt like really rubbing it in, I would activate the jamming fabricata I had left on the roof and plunge everything for miles around the school into the stone age.

“And all without taking a single life,” I said to myself. It didn’t seem worthy of a son of the Horde, but it’s what I knew I could live with. I would have to add a few foolish defenders to my story for Girdan; the bloodthirsty old devil loved a good, gory after action report.

I reached up to adjust the rearview mirror, disturbed as always to see another’s face. At least it was a nice one; Nurse Kazushi had a pleasant, rounded face that almost reminded me of Mariko.

As the electric car thrummed to life around me, my stomach sank.

In all of my intricate planning, I had completely overlooked Hiro and Mariko’s fate! Cursing myself, I bolted from the car, ready to rush to their aid.

“Stop it, Malthus! You need to get going!” I turned toward the waiting vehicle, but I hesitated.

My foot lashed out at the hood of my getaway vehicle’s neighbor, shattering the headlight. Was it satisfying? Certainly, but it did nothing to solve my indecision.

How could I have overlooked such an obvious detail? Who was going to rescue them? Rei knew where I’d left Hiro, but she seemed to be having fun playing zealot. I doubted the girl would think twice about him, especially when the Tower was collapsing. And Mariko? Only Maggie and I knew where I had left her, and I’d had to talk Maggie out of slitting the pacifist’s throat!

I checked my watch. There was still an hour and a half before Maggie’s deadline to the government expired. Perhaps I could tell Paul to move them? He was friendly enough with Hiro, and I doubted he wanted to kill his ex.

No, he’d rightly ask why I wasn’t doing it myself.

Perhaps Brother Ratte could send some soldiers?

No, he would ask the same thing. Worse, he might hold Hiro and Mariko’s role in the Taiwan Incident against them and kill them faster than a collapsing tower ever would. Or, perhaps worse, more slowly.

What if I went back? The longer I was in the Tower unaccounted for, the more likely Maggie was to decide I was absent without leave, and they’d surely notice the elevators running as I ferried my frie… as I ferried those humans back and forth. And then what was I to do with them? Drop them off during my escape?

I slapped myself across the face. “No, Malthus, the sensible thing to do is to chalk them up as collateral damage and flee while the fleeing is good! Kiyo’s okay, and so is Rose. Besides, Hiro was going to be a major threat anyway, thanks to your assistance, you idiot! Would you rather deal with him later on the battlefield? If he sees you again, it’ll be his hands around your throat, and he has one Hell of a grip!”

There was still a stone in the pit of my stomach, but I could live with it. I reached towards the door of my car, but stopped.

What of Mariko? She was only a threat to the world’s sugar supply. Memories of our last study session came unbidden.

“You changed things for us all, Soren.”

“You’ve become one of my dearest friends.”

My hand trembled like Mariko’s when she forgot her pills. I ordered it to seize the door handle. I had to flee. Get away from those memories. “Those words weren’t for me. They’re for somebody who doesn’t exist!”

“You’re one of the only people at this school who doesn’t make me feel like a bother or a decoration. I appreciate you.”

I withdrew my hand. I leaned against the wall, cradling my head.

“Weak. You’re weak, Malthus.”

I slammed my armored fist against the wall, almost preferring the pain to my out-of-control sentiments.

“What is she to you, Malthus? She shot you down ages ago. She isn’t your lover. Hell, she isn’t even useful to you anymore! You don’t need tutoring in human magic ever again. You’re going to march back into that car and drive away before you do something you can’t take back.”

Yes, any moment now.

Any moment.

I cursed, slipping my mask back into place as I bolted for the elevators.

Our Father Below take me, I was too weak to do the sensible thing.

********

If you're reading this around the end of May, have a great Memorial Day weekend!

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