Destroyer of Worlds

1

After Church had explained what the future held, he took Ruth away into the desert and left Shavi, Tom, Hunter and Laura sitting around a large campfire, drinking a potent brew that some of the Norse gods had brought with them.

'So, an eternity of fighting. Could be worse,' Laura said.

'It's going to play murder with my plans for a Caribbean holiday.' Hunter prodded the fire and sent a cascade of sparks shooting towards the stars.

Laura saw Shavi smiling to himself as he looked around the circle. 'What are you thinking, Mr Enigmatic Seer?' Laura prompted. 'Or is it more of your weird sex fantasies?'

'I am thinking that this has ruined Church's motto for his T-shirts. No happy endings, he said. And here we are. This…' he gestured expansively '… is more than I could ever have hoped for. The best of friends, a family, even. We faced death, we faced heartache, and we moved beyond them, together, by relying on each other. And we built bonds that have enriched us all. I am very, very happy.'

Nobody spoke for a while as they reflected on Shavi's words and realised the depths of those bonds. But then Laura glimpsed Tom's face in the firelight. In it were fears and doubts she recognised.

'Don't think you're getting away, you old bastard,' she said.

Tom flashed a suspicious glare her way.

'You're one of us. If I haven't got you, who am I going to torment?'

'I am not a Brother of Dragons,' Tom said.

'No, you are our guide, our wisdom, our conscience,' Shavi responded. 'Jiminy Cricket! We need you.'

'That'll teach you, old man,' Laura said. 'You're going to have to spend an eternity listening to Shavi ramble on about the philosophic connections between the fluff in his belly button and the way a bumblebee dances. We can all wallow in our misery together.'

Laura saw the relief on Tom's face as his fear of loneliness drained away, and she felt a sense of satisfaction that she had secretly helped him. They were more alike than either of them would have cared to admit.

'Then I will accept my miserable responsibility and attempt to drill some sense into all of you,' he grumbled. 'Have pity. My life is over.' He took out his tin and carefully constructed a roll-up from his dwindling supplies, a smile playing on his lips.

Laura stood up, stretched like a cat and took Hunter's hand.

'Sex?' he said.

'Like you stand a chance with me. It's only been charity, didn't you realise that?'

She hauled him away from the light, enjoying the feel of his hand in hers. 'You're not inviting your friend over for a drink?' Laura indicated the silhouette of the hooded giant away in the desert.

'He's not a great socialiser.'

'He going to be joining us in the Great Beyond?'

'It'll be like having children without going through the whole childbirth thing.'

'That's how I always wanted children.'

In the shadow of a dune, they held each other, and kissed.

'I've got a question,' Hunter said after a while. 'What's your name?'

'You know my name.'

'Not that DuSantiago bollocks. That's for the idiots you wrap around your little finger. This is me.'

'Privileged information. I've never trusted anyone enough to tell them that. Once someone knows your real name they have power over you. Don't you listen to any of Church's crazy ramblings?'

He waited.

'Smith.' She sighed. 'Laura Smith.'

'You see, the reverse is actually true,' he said. 'Now you have power over me.'

They kissed again, and it felt as if it would go on for ever.