The Marriage of the Living Dark

(IT II

Horacek’s right hand clamped about his throat, choking off the word. An instant later, Horacek’s left hand joined it, the two hands attacking Schutz’s windpipe with the ferocity of two wild animals.

Schutz’s arms went out, feebly trying to reach behind him, a strange sound somewhere between a wheeze and a howl of pain escaping his grimacing mouth. His eyes bulged - literally bulged - in his face and his whole head seemed to go a strange, bruised colour. And still Horacek squeezed. In the doorway, Schutz’s staff looked on, both fascinated and horrified by the sight And as Schutz fell lifeless to the floor, a collective shudder went through them, as if they had all just orgasmed at once. Horacek looked across, businesslike again.

“Raditz, you’re in charge now.”

Raditz snapped to attention. “Sir!”

“And Raditz?”

“Sir?”

“Remember what you’ve seen, neh?”

There was meat in the soup the next day, little chunks of it

Daniel took a spoonful of the steaming broth, then spat it out pushing the bowl away abruptly. At once everyone at the long table stopped eating and stared at Daniel.

“Out,” he said, distractedly, as if talking to himself. “We’ve got to get out onto the streets. We’ve got to see whaf s going on.” “They won’t let you,” one of the older boys said.

“No?” Daniel said, meeting the boy’s eyes defiantly, forcing him to look away.

“Then Raditz can tell me that to my face, can’t he?”

He stood, looking about him. “Who’s coming with me?” At that many looked down, not wishing to meet his eyes, yet Tom and several others - the older boy among them - got to their feet “Well?” Daniel asked, turning to look about the dining hall. “Anyone else? Or are you all shit-scared?”

Slowly, one by one, they got to their feet, until every last boy in the dining hall was standing.

There were no guards - the boys guarded themselves at meal-times - yet someone in the kitchens, seeing what was happening, pushed through the back door and hurried off, meaning to warn Raditz.

Thus it was that as Daniel and the boys approached the main Guard House, Raditz and his men stepped out They were armed with automatic rifles. Daniel ignored the guns and walked straight up to Raditz. “Things have got to change.”

Raditz laughed. “Says who?”

Daniel narrowed his eyes. “You can listen or you can fight But if you fight you’ll lose. And then you’ll all be dead. So whaf s the point?” Raditz blinked. He had not expected Daniel to threaten him directly. This was a new Daniel, one he hadn’t come across before.”Okay,” he said. “Talk.” “You’ve got to let us go outside.”

“Outside?” Raditz shook his head. “The Man won’t allow it.”

“Ask him. Ask Horacek to ask him.”

“But why?”

“Because it’s time we did the job we were trained for.” This amused Raditz. He hadn’t known they were training them for anything - unless it was as test-fodder for the new-generation mechanoids. Their job was to dig holes and cut rock, that was all.

“And what”s that?” he asked, amused now.

“To patrol his City. To be his shock-guards when the time comes.”

“He’s got guards.”

“Not like us.”

That’s true, Raditz mused. Even the most corrupt of The Man’s guards weren’t as corrupt as these boys.

Yes, but it was still strange that Daniel should be the one to make this request. Unless he had really changed. And who knew what was possible? He, for one, had not expected to see Daniel come out of de-briefing alive. “Patrols?”

“Thafs right,” Daniel said. “Six to a patrol. Eight hours, then back inside.”

“And what1 s to make you come back?”

“These,” Daniel said, tapping the back of his head where the wire was. “Oh, don’t try and deny it, Raditz. I know whaf s in there. I’ve seen it dozens of times.”

Yes, Raditz thought I bet you have.

And in his mind he had the picture of a head, the skull half shot away, the silver threads of the implanted wire showing clearly against the grey of the brain matter.

“Okay,” he said, ‘Til ask.”

“Good,” Daniel said. “And while you’re at it, Raditz, you can tell your cook something for me.”

“Oh, whaf s that?”

“Tell him Commandant Schutz tastes like shit”

DeVore was amused. “Patrols?” “Yes, sir. He claims they’d do it better than our guards.” “And so they would. But do we want them to?” Horacek shrugged. “I don’t see what harm it would do.

Maybe it would even keep some of those golden-eyed cunts in line.”

“Have they been troubling you, then, Horacek?” “No, sir. But they give me the fucking shivers.” “Oh?” DeVore turned, intrigued. “I wouldn’t have thought anything gave you the shivers, Josef.” “Oh, they don’t scare me, if that”s what you mean. It’s just something about them. They seem to know all the time when we’re going to act, and where. If s like someone’s tipping them off.” “Then in all likelihood someone has been tipping them off.

Purge your staff, Josef.” “I’ve done it” Yes, DeVore thought, looking at the odious little specimen.

In fact, it’s a wonder anyone wOL come near you, let alone work with you. But there’s always a willing supply of lunatics, ready to serve a monster like you. Thank the heavens. DeVore smiled. “Okay. Let Mussida have his way. Besides, it might be interesting, don’t you think?” “And if they get out of line, sir?” “Then you’ll blow their fucking little heads off, right?” Horacek grinned like a gargoyle made of tar. “Right, sir!” “Good. Now fuck off out of here. Fve work to do.”

The woman lay where he had left her, tied to the bed, blood smeared over her naked buttocks.

“There you are,” he said, smiling tenderly, then sitting on the bed beside her, stroking her neck and shoulders.

“Who was it?” she asked, turning to look up at him, her face strikingly beautiful. The face of a much younger Emily Ascher. “That little gargoyle, Horacek. He wanted to know if his boys could play games outside their camps.”

“And you said yes.”

“Why not? After all, if s all a distraction. What does it matter what they do?”

He paused, then, “Does it hurt, still?”

“A little.”

DeVore nodded. He had been, perhaps, too brutal last time. But the need had been so bad, the desire to hurt her so great, that he had not been able to stop himself.

Worrying, he thought. To lose control like that... I must get a better grip on myself.

Yes, or next time he’d end up killing her, as he had the boy.

He smiled. Maybe he would give Daniel a tape of that, if he stepped out of line.

Let him know what had happened to his little friend, Ju Dun.

And what might yet happen to him, if he got too cocky. For now he would indulge the boy. Build him. Maybe even set him up as a rival to Horacek.

Yes ... he could see that working beautifully.

But in the meantime ...

“Howard?”

“Yes,” he answered, his hand pausing where it had been caressing the small of her back.

“Would you let me have some of your boys... to play with sometime?” He smiled, his fingers drifting lower, caressing her buttocks, then slipping down into the gap between. “What kind of games have you in mind?” And as he said the word “games” he pushed his finger deep into her, making her gasp with pain. A shudder passed through her whole body. “Just games, Howard,” she said, her voice almost a whisper. “Just something to amuse me while you’re gone.”

Wiping his bloodied finger down her back, he drew the letter D, then smiled. “Okay. But I want to see what you do, all right’”’ “Okay.”

“And Em. I can’t let them live, you know. Not afterwards. You understand that?” She turned her head again, looking up at him over her naked shoulder, and smiled. “I understand.”

She found him in his room, his back to the doorway, painting.

“Ifs for you,” he said, knowing she was there.

Meg stepped closer, looking over his shoulder at the canvas. It was a familiar scene - the rose garden at sunset, the cottage in the background bathed in golden light - but the picture seemed strange and threatening, for in the foreground, dominating the canvas, was a bee, a massive, beautifully-detailed bee, its gold-black shape framed by the blood-red mouth of an open flower. She felt a ripple of apprehension pass through her. Catherine was right. He had changed. And not for the better. This painting had the air of rape. “For me?” she asked.

He looked back at her, a slight edge of challenge in his eyes. “Why? Don’t you want it?”