Next stop: St. Petersburg! Also in today's issue: homosexual Nimrod, Iblis going through some drama, random encounters.

To Guest53: Well, as Steve Rogers would say: On va voir!


Nimrod woke up in a state of disorientation. This was often the case recently.

Waking up in disorientation had never been an issue before, but it seemed to become a regular thing these days. There had been a lot of travelling lately, and therefore a lot of hotel rooms. A different bedroom every week. He was getting too old for this.

After the meeting with Faustina, they had boarded a plane to Jamaica, to bring the message of the New Peace to the Jann leader, Zadie's aunt. After that, they had travelled to Nepal to seek out the Jinn leader, a reclusive fellow, very hard to find indeed. A week later, Iblis had bested the suburban ghettos of Hong Cong to find the drug den where the Shaitan leader hung out. That left the leader of the Ghul, a lady who resided in St Petersburg, running a night club empire that rivaled the Russian Mafia. Iblis had claimed to be old friends with her. Nimrod had claimed that Iblis didn't have friends. Iblis had fallen silent.

Hotels in Russia were of dubious quality, and they often had to share rooms…and, occasionally, beds. Philippa sharing with Zadie while Rudyard slept on the couch was no big deal. When the issue first arose, everyone had kind of expected them to split into parties of good and evil, but Rudyard had rather snappily said: "If it's all the same to you, dad, I'd rather stay with Miss Philippa and Miss Zadie." It had been all the same to Iblis, but Nimrod and his niece had exchanged a covert glance. Something was rotten between their two Ifrit; at least Rudyard seemed far less enthusiastic than before to follow his father everywhere.

As a result of this arrangement, Nimrod either awoke with Groanin snoring into his ear, or with a woman in his arms, and these occurrences startled him the most, because it had been a long time since there last was any woman to be found in his bed – and then he remembered who exactly this particular woman was. Or rather, who she also was.

Not only did Iblis have the slightly annoying habit to toss, he also latched on to anything and everything while he slept, leeching for body warmth. They would fall asleep in the evening, each of them on his respective side of the bed with their backs on each other, firmly wrapped in their respective blankets. But Nimrod would inevitably wake up each morning with Iblis glued to his chest or back, which somehow embarrassed him more every time it happened. Also the bloody Ifrit would hog all the blankets.

Now, as he had remembered where he was and why he was here and why the scantily clad female affectionately nuzzling his shoulder was here, he groaned quietly and tried to pry Iblis off him. The evil djinn said "Nngh" and budged slightly, alas only slightly. Nimrod squirmed uncomfortably as he felt way too female hair tickling him, and way too female body parts pressed against him. It had been like that with his wife, back in the days, he remembered. She had been beautiful and charming and intelligent and kind, but…way too female. The thought of a female body in an intimate connection with him felt…wrong. It always had. When presented with female advances, he didn't know what to do. Softness and roundness in wrong places, and expectations of things he didn't feel. That was one of the lesser known reasons why the thing with Alexandra hadn't worked out.

He abandoned these thoughts and looked at the alarm clock on the nightstand. It said 3:13, the small hours, the gray hours of the night, no time to get up. But he doubted he could sleep again.

In the dim light he looked at his bedmate's face. His two bedmates, actually. It was hard to remember that the original owner of this body, a real woman, was still in there with Iblis, when she didn't have a way to give them a sign of her presence. Nonetheless, Nimrod believed what Iblis had told him about his deal with her. Why should he make up such a lie? They both knew Perry Reese-Sutherland, she had been Nimrod's friend before her disappearance three years ago. Nimrod wondered if she was awake or asleep in there. He knew for a fact that Iblis, who had complete control over this body, was sleeping, and Perry couldn't do anything until he woke up. Then Nimrod had an idea, one of these slightly silly strokes of perceived genius the brain sometimes cooks up while half asleep at night.

Maybe he could leave his body, right, and float right over? Then he could check on Perry, and maybe have a chat with her, and if he was extremely lucky, Iblis wouldn't even notice.

He concentrated his will and made his spirit drift out of his body, and for a moment he saw all of them from above. Then he floated downwards and very carefully slipped into Perry's body.

What he found inside were indeed two other souls. There was Iblis, his mind all fogged by sleep. He was dreaming some weird dream that involved green cats that could float. They grinned and sang nonsensical songs. But then there was another spirit, and yes, she was awake. Nimrod greeted her, trying to hush the voice of his thoughts, as to not disturb Iblis in his weird feline dreams.

"Hello Perry" he whispered.

"Hello Nimrod" she whispered back. "It's good to see you. I'm sorry for invading your private space like that. It's him who controls all muscle movement up in here, and he's a cuddler, not me. Is that why you're visiting?"

"No, I wanted to talk to you. You know, directly. I don't want to rely on him for translations too much."

"So far he hasn't made any trouble. Did what I wanted him to do."

"Don't trust him too much" Nimrod advised. "Or at all. You know who he is."

He could feel a slight hint of exasperated eyeroll to Perry's thoughts as she answered: "Yes, I know who he is. I often dealt with him and the likes of him back in the days. And I decide how much I trust him. I mean, do I have a choice? He was literally the first djinn who found me ever since I've gone to the coma ward. Iblis has no scruples stealing the body of just everyone. Why me? Why like this? Because he's not without pity, that's why."

"I don't know" Nimrod said skeptically. "He's not the altruistic type."

"Also he owed me. I did him an unexpected favor ten years ago. He believes in paying his debts. Be it revenge or anything else."

"Perry, what exactly was your business with the Ifrit three years ago? What did you do that brought you into this situation?"

Perry hesitated. Then she said: "What I did was…I tried…"

She suddenly paused. Nimrod could feel her insecurity. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Something…"

Then a wave of dread washed over both of them. It was a feeling of fear, of horror, of being cornered, and neither Nimrod nor Perry had any reason to feel that way, but yet they did. It came from someone else, from…Iblis. But Iblis was sleeping…

"That's a nightmare" Perry whispered. "Not too uncommon since he's here. You leave now, I'll try and wake him up…"

Nimrod had never shared a body with someone having a nightmare before. The phenomenon intrigued him as much as it had startled him at first, and he didn't leave. Instead, he turned his thoughts from Perry to Iblis, wanting to see what he was seeing.

What Iblis saw was…nothing. Blackness. Close, too close, too claustrophobic, entrapped and paralyzed, powerless. Black panic on the edges of his mind, threatening to spill over and take his sanity. Okay, alright. No panicking. Deep breaths, or maybe not, air was rare in here. He tried to move, tried to search for a hole, a breaking point, but he couldn't. His prison was all around him, too tight, too close, and he couldn't flex a muscle. Next he tried concentrating his djinn powers, but they were entrapped with him, unable to break the double binding of jade and gold. All fight left him. There was no hope.

Nimrod understood now that he was witnessing a moment of the past, the experience of Iblis being imprisoned in a jade suit of armor. It was dreadful to behold, but he stuck around. Maybe the dream would end with Iblis being freed and how? Who or what had gotten him out?

There was no hope. If someone from the outside didn't free him, he would die in here, and no one would come. They wouldn't find him. They wouldn't even bother. What for? After all he had done.

He thought of Dybbuk, of Rudyard. Poor Dybbuk. Poor confused little thing, now powerless. His fault. Had he cared a little more…but he hadn't. His youngest son. The worst of crimes. And Rudyard, always besides him, just as trapped as he was. Rudyard, his golden boy, second-youngest but with the most potential out of all of them. He had wanted to train Rudyard specially, to build him up to be the Ifrit leader after him, Rudyard who was such a bright boy, who would, when he grew up, be stronger…stronger…no. Rudyard would never grow up. The leadership would fall to someone else, someone unfit to rule, and there would be chaos. His fault, his fault, his fault.

A wet, sticky substance on his face. Tears. He hadn't cried in a very long time. He felt his body trembling faintly, and a bitter laugh escaped him, because that was the only movement the jade suit permitted, vague shivers and tears.

There was no hope. The fatality of his situation eclipsed him as he laughed and cried and it wracked his body, except not because there was no room for wracking. It was all too close, and panic overtook his mind and plunged him into hysteria, and he forgot where he was or who or why. He was a ball of dread and fear, and the fear reached its pinnacle and stayed there, it didn't end, it didn't end, there was no relief, no hope, no hope, ever. No room to move, no room to…breathe…oh god oh god, someone, please, let it end let it end let it end…

Nimrod couldn't bear it anymore. He fled at the speed of light, into his own warm, comfy body. He found that there were no more clingy arms around him; Iblis was back on the other bedside, lying there stiff as a board, his arms crossed over his chest. Exactly the position the great Khan had locked him in.

Nimrod couldn't cope with this. He rolled over, closed his eyes and started taking deep, soft breaths, pretending to be fast asleep. He knew how proud Iblis was. He didn't want to put them both through admitting what he had just seen.

He heard how the body next to him jerked awake, then ragged breathing, some muttered expletives. He squeezed his eyes even more tightly shut. Leave it to Perry to comfort him. She's the therapist after all.

And Nimrod understood the reason Iblis might have had for his deal with Perry. Perhaps he really pitied her, out of an understanding of what it was like to be trapped…for three years! Horrible, isn't it? Maybe that horror had been sincere.


"I always thought Mimi de Ghulle was the Ghul leader" Philippa said, yawning. They were all crammed around a table in a crowded little diner that offered, to Nimrod's delighted optimism, English breakfast.

"She wishes" Iblis muttered from where he sat with his head on the table.

"What's with you?" Nimrod asked. "Was it…not…a good night?"

"Not worse than average. I just regard seven in the morning as a misfortune that happens to other people. Anyway…" he took his head from the table, "Among the Ghul have always been two leading families: the de Ghulles and the Si'lats. They hate each other. The current leader is a Si'lat woman, and when Mimi saw that she had no chance to overthrow her, she put her mind to other, even greedier aims. The position of Blue Djinn. She didn't get that either, of course. Dull woman. I'm glad I get to treat with Sasha and not her."

"Sasha?"

"Natasha Si'lat. Lets me call her Sasha."

A waitress came to take their orders. Nimrod ordered the English breakfast, Zadie the veggie alternative, Philippa some pancakes. Rudyard just yawned and, without opening his eyes, pointed at Philippa and said "What she ordered."

"Can you get me a Vodka Rocks, Anna?" Iblis said brightly, reading the waitresses nametag.

"It's breakfast, dad" Rudyard whispered.

"Oh dear me, how could I forget. And a piece of toast, Anna."

Nimrod clicked his tongue in disapproval. "I hope Perry has serious words with you in there, Iblis. This body has been in a coma for three years, being nourished intravenously. The last thing it needs right now is your poor excuse for a lifestyle."

"Pas devant la domestique" Iblis replied nodding in the direction of Anna.

"What's that mean?" Rudyard asked.

"It means for the stupid Marid to keep it down. People can hear."

"Well if he's right he's right." Rudyard shrugged. Iblis looked at him as if he had just grown a second head. So did everyone else. Disobedience from Rudyard was a new thing.

Anna came with everyone's food.

"I just want you to take care" Nimrod said adamantly. He skewered a piece of bacon with his fork. "We're sharing."

The baffled stares of everyone else moved from Rudyard to Nimrod as he put the fork up to his greatest enemy's mouth and ordered: "Open up."

Iblis glared murderously at him. Then he bit so hard into the fork that his teeth would probably leave indents.

"Oh look, how romantic" the female half of the mundane couple on the table next to them twittered. "You never feed me like that, Josh!"

Philippa and Zadie exchanged looks. Rudyard ducked his head. Groanin was tugging at Nimrod's sleeve, urging him in a hushed voice to maybe let it be. Something horrible was about to happen.

But it didn't.

The door opened and a huge man entered, all broad shoulders and massive, meaty arms and a face that looked like it had been hewn from stone by an extremely grumpy stonemason. All of this was crowned by an unfitting crop of red hair. Nimrod, who was now distracted by Groanin, didn't notice the newcomer, but Iblis did. Not even pausing to take the fork out of his mouth, he raptly followed the man's every movement with his eyes as he ordered a coffee-to-go, slapped some money on the counter and made for the door again.

Did you see that guy? he quietly asked Perry in the recess of his mind.

What guy? Was he pretty? she thought back.

Not in the least. That was Jirjis ibn Rajmus.

Who?

Never heard of Jirjis? He's kind of a big deal in my tribe. Blockhead. Faustina said he wants the leadership. Wonder what he's doing here.

Why don't we go and find out? Everyone is busy arguing right now. We can disappear real quick.

They stood up and crossed the room, pushing past a lot of people until they reached the door. Outside, they could just see Jirjis walking up to a black Mercedes.

Fuck. No way to follow him like that, Iblis thought.

We could steal a car, Perry suggested.

Sometimes I can't believe you're a Jann, Iblis thought at her.

She mentally giggled. Well, I'm in the company of the world's most evil djinn. I could do a lot of bad things and blame them on you.

That's shady.

Just then, Jirjis looked over his shoulder and saw them – or rather, saw Perry – standing there.

"You little bitch!" he called out. "How the hell are you even here?"

What the heck…? I thought you said you didn't know him?

Shit, run! Perry ordered. That's the guy who put the binding on me! He's really really angry at me! I didn't know what his name was, just that he hates me!

Iblis didn't need further explanations. He spun them around and ran back into the diner, slamming the door behind them.

Does he come after us? What now? he asked.

Now we go back and explain things to Nimrod, Perry said calmly.

But as they reached the table, they were met with another nasty surprise. The places where Nimrod and the others had sat were vacated. Only a frazzled-looking waitress stood there.

What the – we were literally gone a minute!

I'll use your voice, Iblis warned Perry as he approached the waitress and flashed her a quick smile.

"Hey, Anna. Can you tell me where everyone went?"

"I'm sorry, Ma'am, I don't know…one second they were here, next second they were gone…they didn't even pay…"

"Oh, don't worry, I'll take care of that" Iblis said absently, taking out his wallet. As Perry ordered him, he gave Anna an extra big tip for her troubles. Then he sat down. The table was still littered with the remnants of everyone's breakfast. And there was his Vodka Rocks. The ice hadn't even melted yet.

Great. This was going great. Jirjis was out there doing god-knows-what, and now the ground had swallowed Rudyard and the goodie-goodies. He took out his cell phone and tried to call Nimrod.

"The number you have been trying to reach is not available at present. Please try again later or leave a message after the…"

He hung up and tried Rudyard. Same result.

Looks like we're on our own, Perry said.

Iblis nodded thoughtfully and ate someone's pancake.