The Marriage of the Living Dark

There were smiles at that

“Can you imagine it? One moment they’ve a fully operational security umbrella, the next ... nada.” He grinned. “You know, I’d love to be there in their command centre when those screens come up again, wouldn’t you? All that white noise coming through the speakers. All those fuzzy little white lines on the screens. And if 11 all be down to you.”

He paused, satisfied with the effect of his words, then nodded. “Okay. You know what to do. Go to it.”

DeVore watched them turn and begin to make their way across to the ships, then jumped down, a feeling of pure elation flooding him. But that feeling had little to do with the waiting ships or the perilous venture on which they were about to set out No. He smiled now because a signal had come, at last, an hour back, from Charon, Pluto’s cold twin, out there on the farthest edge of the system. There where he had spent long years of exile.

A signal had come, twisting, folding its way between the universes, tumbling in and out of existence until it reached him here on Earth. And following it, threading its way along the same existent/non-existent path, a ship. DeVore grinned, then pushed through the door, mounting the steps of the tower, his cruiser waiting on the pad above.

“Robbie...”

The boy stirred, then rolled over. “Daniel?”

“Shhh.” Daniel placed a finger to the boy’s lips, then eased back, away from him as he sat up.

“What is iff’

In answer, Daniel gestured towards the open doorway and the showers beyond. Robbie frowned. He’d been woken before now, by older boys, and taken to the showers. But Daniel? He’d not thought Daniel was like that A little shiver ran through him as he placed his feet on the cold stone floor. Come on, Daniel mouthed. There’s not much time. He swallowed, then padded through, following Daniel into the shower block. A single dull light at the far end threw blurred shadows over the stalls. As he brushed past Daniel, Daniel quietly closed the door. He turned, frightened now.

“Quick now” Daniel whispered. “Ican’t trust anyone dse.” He was holding a knife. A finely-honed stiletto with a bone handle Robbie took a step backward. “I... don’t understand.” But Daniel seemed not to notice his fear. He walked past him and into one of the stalls. “Come on,” he hissed.

His legs feeling weak now, Robbie went across. Daniel was kneeling now. As Robbie stepped up to him, he held out the stiletto. “The scar,” Daniel said, indicating the bright red line on his neck near the base of his skull. “I want you to cut it open for me. But careful. Just part the surface, okay?’

Robbie hesitated. What in the gods’ names was going on? “I ...I can’t.”

“You must. Now quickly. I can do the rest.”

He noticed the mirror on the floor by Daniel’s side, the towel. Grimacing, his hand trembling faintly, he placed the tip of the stiletto against the top of the scar.

“That’s it,” Daniel encouraged. “Now push. But gently. Just enough to part the flesh.”He did as he was told, wincing as the blade cut neatly through, the flesh parting like an opening mouth. Blood weeped from the wound, but Daniel hardly seemed to notice.

“Good,” he said, picking up the mirror and studying Robbie’s handiwork. “Now pick up the towel and hold it ready. Ill need it in a while.” Robbie watched, afraid and yet fascinated as Daniel, staring into the mirror, delved into his own head with the fine blade. At first he didn’t understand. Then he gasped.

As the blade emerged, it drew out with it the finest of silver wires, and at the end of that wire a tiny bulb, no bigger than a five fen coin. “What is thai?’

Daniel snipped the wire, then signalled to Robbie to place the towel against his head. Blood was flowing freely now.

“Can you sew?’ Daniel asked.

Robbie hesitated, then nodded.

“Good. Then sew me up. There’s a needle and thread up there on the tray.”