Under a Killing Moon

UAKM — CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

“Well, Mr. Murphy, I must say, you are full of surprises. I don’t remember sending you an invitation to our little party, but you seem to have found your way here regardless. I can only admire your ingenuity and tenacity… both very fine attributes, by the way. And here you are! With such exquisite timing! Not everyone will be able to say they witnessed the greatest event in the history of the world!”

Perciavl, dapper in a full tuxedo and black tie, looked for all the world like Fred Astaire’s smaller, evil brother. He was in good form, much more animated than the other times I’d seen him. He clasped his hands together and smiled widely. “You’re surprised to see me. I shouldn’t wonder, the way my building blew to pieces.” He gestured grandly. “A most impressive explosion. Who could hope to survive such a cataclysm?

Only the Phoenix! I have risen from the ashes to live forever!”

He was clearly insane. But I wanted to find the method in the madness.

“Why’d you do it, Percival?”

The little man waved a hand at me. “A whim. A distraction. Something to keep my enemies occupied long enough for me to escape. And, I suppose, a morbid interest in reading my own obituaries. Some of them were quite stellar, I must say. It seems I lived quite a charmed life. Not unlike you, Mr. Murphy. I’ve never in my life known anyone who had quite the knack you do for surviving. I’d call you lucky, but you come through again and again.

“Finding the Habuh, for example. The statuette, I mean. I really must thank you for your efforts in securing that for us. It was the one item that had eluded our grasp. The sacred text said that our destiny would be secure only if we had the statuette in our possession.”

Percival moved closer and lowered his voice. “Just bewteen you and me, I believe that prophecies should be taken with a grain of salt, but there’s no harm in hedging one’s bets.”

He stepped back and made a pretense of bowing. “In any case, we are deeply in your debt.”

“So you were the anonymous friend the countess referred to. The one who said I was good at finding things.”

Percival chuckled gleefully. “Ah, yes. The countess… what was it?… Renier. I did indeed recommend you. The task you accomplished for me in the Martian colonies made quite a positive and lasting impression. And, as it turns out, I made the right decision in asking for your assistance.”

I cut in. “But why me? I appreciate the compliments, but it doesn’t seem too logical to count on someone to find your statuette.”

Percival turned away, chortling. “Don’t overestimate yourself, Mr. Murphy. By no means were we depending on your success. There’s a quaint expression for it: I was stacking the deck in my favor. There were literally hundreds of people searching for the Habuh. For some reason that simple logic can’t explain, you happened to find it first.

One of our agents followed you to and from Mexico City, and then relived you of it at the first opportune moment.”

He had been pacing, but stopped suddenly and raised a finger. “I digress. The important issue is your presence here and how we’re going to proceed. The way I see it, you have a choice to make and, depending on your decision, you will either live or die. Let’s address the first option.

“In an hour or so, we will fulfill an ancient prophecy — specifically, the purification by means of the Great Alluvion. It’s a fabulous name for a somewhat unpleasant process.

Those creative minds at Genetic Research Systems labored for years to make our prophecy a reality. It was quite a challenge to come up with a plan that would match the details of the Great Alluvion, as it’s described in our sacred text. It cost me a fortune, but now everything is prepared.

“The fact of the matter is, the Earth has become a rotting shell, inhabited by a mongrel breed of half-humans that infest the pure races with their filthy, mutated genes.” Percival stepped toward me, his hands extended in a pleading gesture. “I ask you, Mr. Murphy, is that to be the fate of mankind? I say it is not! The Earth must be thoroughly cleansed for mankind to be saved! Otherwise, we would simply degenerate into a primitive state and squander the attributes and knowledge it has taken us millenia to achieve.

“Minutes from now, we’ll release the seeds of purification. The Great Alluvion, the baptism of fire that will follow, will destroy all life on Earth, but from the destruction will arise a glorious new age! Then, after the waiting, our genetically pure children will return to a world that, like them, is clean and unspoiled. Though I may not live to see it, I will die peacefully, knowing that I have given mankind a purified world!

“Look around you, Mr. Murphy. You are aboard an Ark of Humanity. This is now the last bastion of mankind. There is nowhere else to go. But the Moon Child is more than a mere haven. It is paradise. The biospheres have been constructed to represent Earth as it once was and will be. Our skies are blue and clean, not red and saturated with deadly radiation. There are forests and rivers and lakes, the likes of which haven’t been seen since the war. There are even deserts and fields and mountains, all filled with their native flora and fauna. I spent the bulk of my fortune on this satellite, creating an orbiting Eden, from which the Earth will be reborn.

“There is everything you could want here! In addition to the ecological wonders, there are aquariums, aviaries, and zoos. We have vast libraries and a superior educational system. Every conceivable form of entertainment is available, from nightclubs to concerts to sports. Any pursuit for the betterment of oneslef has been included.

“And the people! Only the creme de la creme. Artisans of every kind are represented and will teach their crafts to the next generations. Doctors here provide an unrivaled level of care and have been equipped with only the finest machines and instruments. Of course, the arts are well represented. Musicians, artists, dancers, vocalists are all free to explore their creativity and will train our children.

“Above all, the inhabitants of the Ark of Humanity are as genetically perfect as possible — beautiful, intelligent, accomplished. Ten thousand men, women, and children, all bound together by belief and purpose! A desire to create a world free of imperfections. A society of harmony and peace, without fear, without crime.”

Percival paused to take a breath, then walked to my side and place a delicate, manicured hand on my shoulder. “You can share in our happiness, Mr. Murphy. The price is loyalty. If you agree to join us, I’ll release your restraints, and you can begin living your new life.” Percival backed away and left me to decide.

It certainly was a tempting offer. Maybe the best offer I’d ever gotten. Percival’s world was beautiful and clean. From an aesthetic standpoint, my own world paled in comparison. Besides, it seemed that nothing was going to interrupt the cult’s plans. Like Percival had said, there would be nowhere else to go. There were certainly worse ways to spend the next forty years.

But there was something wrong with it. Despite the cosmetics and technology, the Moon Child and everything on it were artificial. Re-creations of reality. Sure, we all wanted the Earth to be the way it was before the war, but we’d made our bed and now we had to sleep in it. Percival’s final solution wouldn’t change that.

I thought of the unsuspecting billions going about their business on the planet below us — people who had every right to live, regardless of their color or religion or genetic makeup. I imagined the crowd at the Brew & Stew, forgetting for awhile how hard their lives were and having a round of drinks with good friends. The image of Chelsee came to mind, sitting in a corner booth, feet up on the seat, sipping tea and reading a book.

She was a Mutant, and if Percival had his way, he’d slaughtered her and everyone like her. That was unacceptable. Chelsee and I had unfinished business. I knew I could never have anything to do with the cult.

“I’ve decided.”

Percival turned expectantly to face me. “You’ll join us?”

“I don’t think so. You see, the way I’ve got it figured, you’re a sick, deranged bastard with too much money and a Napoleon complex. Your plan is the most barabric, ruthless scheme I’ve ever heard of, and everything about it shows you to be a coward of monumental proportions. If I weren’t strapped into this seat, I’d do everything in my power to grab you and choke the last breath out of your rotten miserable body.”

Percival stared at me in stunned disbelief. I wasn’t sure if it’d been my response or just the fact that he wasn’t accustomed to people telling him what they really thought. Either way, his face was getting a little ruddy around the edges. For a moment, I thought he was going to erupt. I watched as he regained control. Hands behind his back, he walked up to me and bent down, so that his face was inches from mine. “I admire your courage, but your decision saddens me. Goodbye, Mr. Murphy. We won’t be seeing each other again.”

Percival straightened up and turned to the bald man, who’d been standing silently in the corner throughout our conversation. “Kill him. When you’re finished, meet me in the observatory.”

The bald man nodded, a hint of a smile on his thin lips. Percival turned to the woman and extended his hand. Come along, Eva. This may be unpleasant.”

The woman didn’t move. “If you don’t mind, Lowell, I’d like to stay. After the things he said to you, I think I’ll enjoy watching him die.”

Percival stared at the woman for several seconds. “Anything to make you happy.”

He reached out and ran his hand over her cheek, then turned and left the room. When the door closed behind him, Mr. Clean grinned openly. “You stupid son of a bitch. What were you thinking? All you had to do was pretend to cooperate. When we let you loose, you could’ve jumped him and at least gotten a couple of punches in before we grabbed you. Now what’ve you got? You’re going to die anyway, and Percival gets off without a bruise.”

I recognized the voice. There was a slight accent to it. “Jacques Fou, alias the Chameleon. I was wondering when I’d finally meet up with you.”

Fou’s grin got a little wider as he started to walk slowly toward me. “Oh, we’ve already met. We just weren’t properly introduced. Maybe I can refresh your memory. I’m sure you have many talents, Mr. Murphy. The one I would hire you for is your knack for locating people and things.”

The countess’s voice was coming out of Fou’s mouth. It was hard to belive that he was the same person I’d met at the beginning of the case. When he finished speaking, he broke into a laugh. “Weird, huh? It always seems to have that effect on people.” He pulled a device from his belt. It appeared to be a gun of some sort, but a type I’d never seen before. Fou noticed me looking at it and held it up.

“Ever see one of these before? Probably not. It’s called a tasc gun — TSC — thermal sonic cavitator. It’s an amazing weapon. The technology’s been around for at least seventy years. Doctors use something like it to dissolve kidney stones without having to perform surgery. It emits an adjustable-frequency sonic wave. At close range, it has an unusual effect on the body. It essentially breaks down your tissue. A high-intensity setting will turn you into a gelatinous pile of bones and fluid. From what I’ve heard, it’s pretty painful.”

“Is that what you used to murder the Colonel?”

Fou adjusted something on the weapon, then looked back at me, stll smiling. “No.

Nothing so technically advanced. I slit his throat with a razor blade. Almost as messy as this tasc gun, but sometimes you just want to get hands-on. If I had a blade with me, I’d probably use it. As it is, I’ll just have to make do.”

Fou took one step closer and raised the tasc gun to my head. Instinctively, I closed my eyes and tensed up. A shot went off, and my body jerked violently. A second later, I realized I was still conscious and I opened my eyes. Fou lay on the floor at my feet. I looked up. The woman, Eva, stood like a statue ten feet away, both hands gripping a pistol.