The Marriage of the Living Dark

CHAPTER-9

A NEGATIVE TWIST OF NOTHINGNESS

The sun was rising over the mountains as the tiny party made its way between the bare grey outcrops of rock and up the narrow track through the pines that led to the lower camp. Jagged peaks surrounded them on every side, snow covering the nearest slopes, while close at hand a stream cut deep through the ancient rock and fell, a narrow, crystal-white curtain of ice-pure motion, into the deep shadow of the valley below. They moved slowly now. Four of the five were dressed in the clothes of the alpine wilderness, thick sheepskins and heavy wool leggings, stout boots and woollen hoods. The fifth, a boy of fifteen, wore the thin silks of the city. From pity, one of the group had given the boy a thick blanket, which the lad had gratefully draped over his shoulders against the nighf s bitter cold.

They had walked through the night, climbing steadily, and stopping often along the way, for their leader, the nineteen-year-old, Lin Pei, had sustained a nasty wound to his leg the previous day and needed the constant support of one or other of his fellows. His face, as they made their way up above the rocks and into the camp, was ashen. The journey had exhausted him. Even so, he would not see the surgeon until he had fulfilled the promise he had made to the boy. “Where’s Qiao?” Lin Pei asked, looking about him at the handful who had come out of their makeshift shelters at the sound of their arrival. Pain and tiredness made his voice uncharacteristically tetchy. “He said he’d meet us here. Where is he?”

“He is ... elsewhere” one of them answered, a tough-looking, wind-tanned Han in his sixties called Yeh, reluctant to say any more in the presence of the stranger.

“If s all right,” Lin Pei said, understanding the man’s caution. “The boy is a good friend. He wants to join us.”

Brief looks were exchanged. Again Yeh answered him. “Chao was called away.

Something urgent But he will be here. He promised. So be patient, young Pei. Have that wound tended to before it goes bad. You would not want to cause the woman more worries than she already has, would you?” Pei did not like to hear his adopted mother called “the woman”, no matter the circumstances, and made to answer Yeh sharply, yet as he looked about the familiar circle of faces he saw how their eyes told him to agree, how they gave the slightest nod as if to endorse Yeh’s words. He let his head drop. He was tired, and the wound did need seeing to, but he had made a promise He turned, looking down the slope to where the boy sat among his men, shivering despite the sheepskin, then turned back to Yeh. “Could we build a fire, cousin Yeh?”

“That would not be wise,” Yeh said. “The patrols have increased greatly in recent days. To build a fire out here in the open would be like waving a great flag. Our enemies would be upon us in an instant” “But the boy ...”

Yeh came close and touched Lin Pei’s shoulder with a brown, sun-burned hand. “You rest now, Master Pei. I shall take care of the boy. And when your brother Chao comes, I shall wake you. Okay?”

Lin Pei hesitated, the urge to keep his word to the boy still strong in him; then, realising nothing could be achieved, he bowed his head. “Okay.” Yeh grinned his gap-toothed grin. “Good. Then go and have that seen to. Surgeon Wu is in the end shelter. It is time someone woke the lazy bastard!”There was laughter at that Lin Pei, grateful and yet frustrated, hobbled across. He bent down and rapped on the crude door of cross-woven branches. “Wu Ye! Are you awake, Wu Ye?”

There was a grunt from within, and then the sleepy head of Wu Ye, his dark hair tousled, emerged. “Master Pei!” he said with surprise, then, seeing the bloodied bandage about Pei’s left leg, pushed the mat door aside and bent down, quickly unwrapping the bandage and examining the wound with his fingers, all the while muttering to himself.

“AiyaV he said finally, looking up at Lin Pei. “You should have had this treated earlier!”

Pei laughed sourly. “You think so? Like in one of our friend DeVore’s hospitals, with a pair of armed guards keeping a careful eye on me?” Wu Ye made a face. “At least you had the sense to clean it and bandage it” “The boy did that,” Pei said, wincing at Wu’s indelicate touch, then looking down the slope to where Yeh was handing the boy a bowl of steaming soup, poured from a self-heat can.

“Then you have much to thank him for,” Wu Ye said, nodding to himself. “But this wound’s a bad one, Pei. I can’t do much here. I need to get you back to the Eyrie. I need drugs, my instruments.”

“You’ll have to operate?”

Wu Ye was quiet a moment, examining the wound again, then nodded. “This is bad, Pei. Very bad.”

“Then we ought to go at once. Take the boy.”

“The boy stays.”

Lin Pei turned, surprised to find his brother, Chao behind him.

“But we must take him, Chao.”

“We can’t,” Chao said, matter-of-factly, stooping to take a look at the wound.

“Not until he’s been checked out”

“But he saved my life.”

Chao looked up at that, surprised.

“I got hit and lost my weapon. Two of DeVore’s creatures -his copies - chased me into a compound. They had me cornered. And then he showed up. Shot both of them dead. Two shots.” Pei tapped his forehead, his eyes wide, remembering it “Right here, between the eyes. Such shooting! And afterwards he cleaned the wound and bandaged it for me. Led me down back alleys and got me out of there. I’d have been dead without his help, Chao, or worse - prisoner in one of DeVore’s cells.” “Even so ...” Chao began, but Pei was impatient now. “We have to,” he said. “I promised him!” “No,” Chao said, in a tone that brooked no further argument Then, lowering his voice. “You know the rules, Lin Pei. What if he’s an assassin? DeVore would willingly sacrifice two of his creatures - even a hundred of the beasts - just for a single crack at her. You know that” “Yes, but...” “No buts, little brother. You might be right. He might prove to be a good friend. But what if you’re wrong? What if it was all a set-up?” “You really think ...?”

“That DeVore’s that devious? Yes. I do. And I’m not going to take a chance. Are you, Pei? Do you really want to take even the smallest chance with her life?” Pei dropped his head, suddenly abashed. “No,...” “Then leave it in my hands. I’ll get him checked out. And if all seems well, we’ll see what can be done. But for now he stays here, under guard. Until we can be sure.” Pei swallowed, then. “Thanks.”

Chao reached out and ruffled his younger brother’s hair. “Now lef s get you seen to, neh? I’ll have a stretcher made up and we’ll carry you up. In the meantime...” he looked to the surgeon, “Wu Ye ... have you anything to make my brother sleep?” “I have.”

“But Chao ...” Pei began.

“No arguments,” Lin Chao said, smiling at his brother, then, turning away, he walked slowly down the slope towards the boy.

DeVore stood on the balcony of the great amphitheatre in Bremen, watching expressionlessly as Horacek’s troops marched by in tight columns of eight, their arms raised straight in salute, their leather boots and black uniforms reminding him of another, earlier time. Then he had stood among an admiring crowd, looking on as another took centre stage, but now it was his turn. Inwardly he smiled. There would be no mistakes this time. No decisions born of anger or the effects of tertiary syphilis. This time he would control it all properly. And when it was done these men - through whom he sought to achieve his ends - would in turn be eradicated; would “make way”, as he thought of it And in their place he’d put a much greater, finer race. A race better fitted to venturing out into the universe. A race capable of taking the stars. To his left the dark-faced Horacek bristled with pride in his Marshal’s uniform. DeVore turned slightly, smiling, bestowing the smallest of nods to him, as if to acknowledge what a fine job he had done. But in his mind DeVore was already dispensing with the young man, conscious of the threat he posed. But not just yet, he thought Not while I still have uses for you. For a moment he let his eyes wander, looking out past the endless procession of troops, taking in the packed terraces, the cheering crowds, before they settled on the great white marble plinth at the centre of the stadium where a pile of cracked and fallen basalt lay.

It was the time of the endgame. Within the next six months, the fate of all would be settled. And when the last stone was laid and the points were counted on the great board of Chung Kuo, it would be he who would emerge the Master. There was a brief, glancing touch against his gloved right hand. DeVore turned his head, meeting Emtu’s eyes.

He smiled, thinking yet again how closely she resembled Emily Ascher; how that same strength and determination shone out from her eyes. Yet this copy - grown from the original’s severed finger - was his. Obedient and deadly. The perfect partner, made to last a thousand years.And when she was gone? He smiled and laced his fingers into hers. When her flesh decayed he would make himself another, endlessly, throughout eternity. “What is it?” he asked softly.

“The medals,” she said, reminding him.

“Ah, yes .. .”

He turned back to Horacek. “Josef... let us go down. We must make the presentations.”

Horacek came smartly to attention then bowed deeply. “Master!” You ‘re a proper tittle sewer rat, DeVore thought, smiling into the young man’s burned and blackened face. And yet you’ve proved by far the most useful of my servants. Brutal, excessive, andlacking a single redeeming quality, you were just perfect for me. A mark, a tiving stain upon the day, there to draw people’s eyes toward some superficial shadow, blinding them to where true darkness lies. Indeed, looking at you now, it seems like fate that we met that day. As Horacek straightened up there was a moment’s awkwardness as he realised how intently DeVore was staring at him.

“Master?”

“I was just thinking, Josef. Remembering how we met”

Horacek smiled broadly, showing feral, uneven teeth. “It was fate, Master.”

DeVore nodded slowly, thoughtfully. “So it was, Josef. So it was.” Yes, and so it was fated that Horacek would die violently. Once he had served his use. When true night fell.