Jack of Ravens

19

To find out everything that was happening across the city, Gabe drew on the resources at the Oracle and his friendship with the reporter Jack Stimson. The mysterious deaths and terrifying sightings that were destabilising the community continued apace. Fear was rising amidst all the hopeful protest.

Church, Grace and Ice located another Brother of Dragons, straight off the bus from Ohio. He called himself Doctor Jay, a tall, thin twenty year old with a green crushed velvet suit, a hat, cane and never-removed sunglasses.

It was another victory, and as spring moved into summer it felt as if the Void and the Army of the Ten Billion Spiders were losing ground. In New York, 10,000 attended the Human Be-In. In April, 400,000 marched from Central Park to the UN to protest against the growing horrors of the war in Vietnam. And in June the Beatles sang All You Need Is Love’ on TV.

Shortly after the broadcast, Stimson arrived at the apartment in a state of excitement. He was a flamboyant character who matched a double-breasted suit with intensely colourful flowered shirts, and always smoked using a long cigarette holder.

He gave his familiar welcome — ‘Greetings, Chicks and Chicklets’ — before urging Gabe to run for his camera. ‘This is a once-in-a-lifetime scoop, ladies and gents. We all know the greedheads and the suits are trying to shut down the positive energy we’re brewing up here, but now we’ve got proof. Crazy, crazy proof.’

‘What’s up?’ Church asked.

‘Got a tip-off from my man with the fuzz. They’re on their way to a pad on Waller. There’s something inside that could blow open the whole conspiracy.’ He paused. ‘Sorry. The mescaline’s kicking in.’ He shook his head, slapped his cheek and continued, ‘The cops have to get it out before your intrepid reporter brings the news to the people.’ He smiled enigmatically. Here’s the rub, brothers and sisters. They say what’s in that pad is an alien — a sick and dying alien.’ He saw Marcy’s disbelieving expression and held out his hands. ‘Hey, I’m just telling you what my contact said, and they’ve been wrong before. The truth must wait until your reporter blows away the cobwebs. But there’s a story there, brothers and sisters. A big, big story.’

Despite Stimson’s protestations, everyone piled into his car and they were at the house on Waller in no time. A skeletal youth haunted the brightly lit hallway. ‘Don’t go in there, man. It’s the plague.’

Stimson pushed by him and led the way up the stairs. On the third floor an apartment door hung open. Stimson paused when he saw what lay within, but Church and Niamh slipped by.

Sprawled on the floor was one of the Tuatha De Danann dressed in local clothes. He was dying, his face covered with weeping sores, his body partly transformed into something reptilian. As Niamh knelt beside him, his eyes flicked towards her.

‘My queen. Help me,’ he said weakly.

Niamh took his hand. ‘What has happened to you?’

‘When you abandoned our court, like many I came to the Fixed Lands, and to this place.’ His eyelids fluttered as he fought to hold on. ‘There are wonders in this world … many wonders …’ he said deliriously. ‘The Enemy has bound a god. She spreads plague before her. Until now they have not harmed any Golden Ones, but they grow more desperate … They demanded information from me. I escaped, but not before I was infected by her touch.’

Sirens sounded in the distance, rapidly drawing closer. Niamh squeezed the god’s hand to force him to stay awake. ‘What do they seek?’

‘They are searching … for the Extinction Shears.’

Niamh’s breath caught in her throat.

‘They wish to sever the ties that bind the Blue Fire to Existence. They wish to slay all the Fabulous Beasts.’

His hand slipped limply from hers as he expired and his body began to break apart. Beams of golden light shone from within, and gradually his corporeal form transformed to golden moths that swirled upwards, and through the ceiling. Soon there was no sign he had ever been.

Niamh bowed her head in grief at her fellow’s death, but there was no time for mourning. They fled into the night just as the police pulled up and raced into the building.

‘That was an alien?’ Stimson said in confusion.

‘A god. The gods walk amongst us. Aren’t we lucky?’ Doctor Jay said wryly.

Stimson gazed at his notebook blankly. ‘This is beyond crazy. Who’s going to believe that?’ He stalked off to his car.

‘What are the Extinction Shears?’ Church asked.

‘A legacy,’ Niamh replied. ‘They existed long before my people came to the Far Lands. Some say they were created by the gods above the gods themselves. They have the power to cut through the very fabric of Existence.’

‘If they’re so powerful, what are they doing here?’

‘They went missing long ago. None know where they are.’ She clutched at Church’s hand. ‘If the Enemy uses them to cut through the Blue Fire, it will sever us all from Existence. Everything will be under the control of the Void for all time.’