p class="p1"The sound of dripping water echoed strangely in the darkness./p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1"Daniel felt a great weight and burning pain in his ankles and wrists. He strained to see, but without his glasses and in the sheer gloom, he had no chance./p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1"A wracking cough from somewhere to his left was followed by a long groan of pain./p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1""David, is that you? Where are we?"/p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1"Another groan. Daniel desperately wanted to keep still, as any movement tormented his wrists and ankles terribly, but he couldn't stop his body from moving to try to escape the pain./p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1"Then a scream shattered the dank gloom./p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1""Good fucking god, is that you, Bryan?" Daniel asked the darkness./p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1"The screaming hoarsened, but continued./p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1"A rusty squeaking preceded a dim glow of light. Turning his head, Daniel could see a figure bearing a small lantern. As the man drew closer, Daniel was shocked to see austere, white features above a voluminous black robe./p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1""Who the fuck are you supposed to be?" Daniel demanded. "If you don't let us go you'll be…"/p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1"The man stood by the platform where Daniel was fastened. The dim light allowed Daniel to see that he was fastened with dully glowing chains./p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1"The man smiled gently, but in a way that sent chills down Daniel's spine./p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1""Ah, you are awake. Excellent." The man walked to another platform, and Daniel could now see Bryan, now only making slight rasping noises and he struggled feebly in his chains. The man raised the lantern to see the chains and again smiled. Another few steps took him to another platform, where Daniel saw David stirring./p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1""What kind of sick shit is this?" Daniel demanded. "Do you have any idea who we are or how much trouble you're in?"/p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1"The robed man came back to Daniel's side./p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1""Oh yes, we know precisely who you are. But it seems that you do not know who I am. Why am I not surprised?"/p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1"Daniel was caught speechless./p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1""Qyburn?" Daniel and the robed man turned to where David was chained. "You're dressed like a maester but no chain, so you're supposed to be Qyburn?"/p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1"Another gentle but chilling smile. "Yes, I am Qyburn."/p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1""Bullshit," Daniel cried. "He's a fictional fucking character, just like everyone else on the show."/p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1""Oh no, you're mistaken. I'm not the Qyburn from the show. I am the Qyburn from the books."/p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1"The writers looked in horror at what they assumed was a fan gone psychotic./p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1""Okay, man," David said, trying to keep an even tone. "Enough is enough. It's just a show. Let us go."/p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1"The robed man shook his head briefly. "Unfortunately for you, my colleagues and I are… displeased with your treatment of our story. Even more unfortunately, the fan outrage has given us enough power to create this," he gestured to the darkness around him. "You would know it as the black cells, that is, had you ever bothered to read the books."/p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1"David tried to grab at the man's robe as he passed to examine Bryan again, whose feeble stirrings seemed to please the robed man. As he moved, the hot metal felt like it was burning his hand off and he screamed./p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1"The robed man returned to his side slowly. "Yes, that will be uncomfortable. Drogon heated them, and dragon fire has astoundingly persistent qualities. Pray, do continue, I have never had an opportunity to observe the effects of dragon-heated steel on human flesh. I expect interesting results." Again, the smile./p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1"A croak emitted from the gloom. "Money." It was Bryan. "We have money. If you let it go, we'll give you whatever you want."/p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1""No, that is of no interest to us." The robed man turned toward the door, admitting an enormous, armored figure bearing a bag the dripped out of time with the dripping water class="Apple-converted-space" /span/p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1""My associate, Ser Strong, has agreed to participate on the grounds that he is permitted to use Septa Una's remains in his playing. It should be very interesting for all of you."/p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1"What was left of the Mountain stood by David and extracted what looked horribly like a fractured rib bone from the bag, letting the rest of it drop with a squish to the floor./p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1"Daniel's attention was swiftly drawn from his co-writer's distress as he felt the tip of blade delicately cut into his cheek./p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1"A very familiar face./p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1""Maisie? What the hell as you doing with these crazy people?" Daniel demanded./p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1""Not Maisie. I'm Arya, the one from the show." She lifted the blade a scant inch from his face. "Do you really think I'm stupid enough to die like Elissa Farman?" Another delicate slice. "I am not."/p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1"The blood haze was fogging his vision. Daniel felt that he must soon pass out from the pain./p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1""Why are you blaming us? It's George's book."/p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1"Arya smiled evilly./p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1""Don't worry. If he fails us, he'll be here, too."/p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1"And then there was screaming, until there was no more./p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1"Daniel felt a great weight and burning pain in his ankles and wrists. He strained to see, but without his glasses and in the sheer gloom, he had no chance./p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1"A wracking cough from somewhere to his left was followed by a long groan of pain./p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1""David, is that you? Where are we?"/p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1"Another groan. Daniel desperately wanted to keep still, as any movement tormented his wrists and ankles terribly, but he couldn't stop his body from moving to try to escape the pain./p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1"Then a scream shattered the dank gloom./p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1""Good fucking god, is that you, Bryan?" Daniel asked the darkness./p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1"The screaming hoarsened, but continued./p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1"A rusty squeaking preceded a dim glow of light. Turning his head, Daniel could see a figure bearing a small lantern. As the man drew closer, Daniel was shocked to see austere, white features above a voluminous black robe./p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1""Who the fuck are you supposed to be?" Daniel demanded. "If you don't let us go you'll be…"/p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1"The man stood by the platform where Daniel was fastened. The dim light allowed Daniel to see that he was fastened with dully glowing chains./p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1"The man smiled gently, but in a way that sent chills down Daniel's spine./p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1""Ah, you are awake. Excellent." The man walked to another platform, and Daniel could now see Bryan, now only making slight rasping noises and he struggled feebly in his chains. The man raised the lantern to see the chains and again smiled. Another few steps took him to another platform, where Daniel saw David stirring./p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1""What kind of sick shit is this?" Daniel demanded. "Do you have any idea who we are or how much trouble you're in?"/p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1"The robed man came back to Daniel's side./p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1""Oh yes, we know precisely who you are. But it seems that you do not know who I am. Why am I not surprised?"/p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1"Daniel was caught speechless./p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1""Qyburn?" Daniel and the robed man turned to where David was chained. "You're dressed like a maester but no chain, so you're supposed to be Qyburn?"/p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1"Another gentle but chilling smile. "Yes, I am Qyburn."/p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1""Bullshit," Daniel cried. "He's a fictional fucking character, just like everyone else on the show."/p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1""Oh no, you're mistaken. I'm not the Qyburn from the show. I am the Qyburn from the books."/p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1"The writers looked in horror at what they assumed was a fan gone psychotic./p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1""Okay, man," David said, trying to keep an even tone. "Enough is enough. It's just a show. Let us go."/p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1"The robed man shook his head briefly. "Unfortunately for you, my colleagues and I are… displeased with your treatment of our story. Even more unfortunately, the fan outrage has given us enough power to create this," he gestured to the darkness around him. "You would know it as the black cells, that is, had you ever bothered to read the books."/p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1"David tried to grab at the man's robe as he passed to examine Bryan again, whose feeble stirrings seemed to please the robed man. As he moved, the hot metal felt like it was burning his hand off and he screamed./p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1"The robed man returned to his side slowly. "Yes, that will be uncomfortable. Drogon heated them, and dragon fire has astoundingly persistent qualities. Pray, do continue, I have never had an opportunity to observe the effects of dragon-heated steel on human flesh. I expect interesting results." Again, the smile./p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1"A croak emitted from the gloom. "Money." It was Bryan. "We have money. If you let it go, we'll give you whatever you want."/p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1""No, that is of no interest to us." The robed man turned toward the door, admitting an enormous, armored figure bearing a bag the dripped out of time with the dripping water class="Apple-converted-space" /span/p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1""My associate, Ser Strong, has agreed to participate on the grounds that he is permitted to use Septa Una's remains in his playing. It should be very interesting for all of you."/p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1"What was left of the Mountain stood by David and extracted what looked horribly like a fractured rib bone from the bag, letting the rest of it drop with a squish to the floor./p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1"Daniel's attention was swiftly drawn from his co-writer's distress as he felt the tip of blade delicately cut into his cheek./p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1"A very familiar face./p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1""Maisie? What the hell as you doing with these crazy people?" Daniel demanded./p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1""Not Maisie. I'm Arya, the one from the show." She lifted the blade a scant inch from his face. "Do you really think I'm stupid enough to die like Elissa Farman?" Another delicate slice. "I am not."/p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1"The blood haze was fogging his vision. Daniel felt that he must soon pass out from the pain./p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1""Why are you blaming us? It's George's book."/p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1"Arya smiled evilly./p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1""Don't worry. If he fails us, he'll be here, too."/p
p class="p2" /p
p class="p1"And then there was screaming, until there was no more./p