warnings: Mild profanity ... "monologuing" ... scientific/magical technobabble ...
8. Dartz
The keeper of the city keys
Puts shutters on the dreams.
I wait outside the pilgrim's door
With insufficient schemes.
"The Court of the Crimson King" ~ King Crimson
The next morning they met at the game shop. To Seto's disgruntlement, Jounouchi and Honda had called in sick and insisted on coming along to ensure Atem's safety. However, he allowed them into the limousine without comment, only stating his disapproval by staring at the two silently with his arms crossed.
"Soooo," Honda eventually said, attempting to break the awkward silence, "This Dartz … can you tell me anything about him?"
Atem glanced toward Seto and when he didn't speak, said, "Actually, I don't know much about him. All I know is that he's some sort of businessman who's very rich, powerful, and mysterious. Why he's involved in paintings that have these sorts of odd properties is beyond me."
"Why is obvious," Seto said, finally speaking up. "It's a method of increasing his power. The question is how he manages the manipulation."
Atem glanced out the window to disguise his frustration, unable to frame an appropriate reply. Naturally Seto would like to think it was a manipulation because he didn't want to consider the implications if it weren't. He knew that Seto would hate to think that someone could sneak so far beyond the cutting edge of science without his being aware of it. It would be so much better if they were prepared for the prospect that whatever it was that Dartz was doing was completely real.
"Y'know, there's nothin' wrong with bringin' along a little help, Kaiba," Jounouchi said.
"I could bring along a team of highly-qualified security personnel if I so desired, but I don't think that's appropriate for this meeting," Seto said without bothering to disguise his irritation.
"Yeah? Well, we're Atem's backup, not yours."
"You're his friends, not his backup, and, as I understand it, you volunteered your services uninvited."
"Pft! You just wish you were as good a friends with Atem as—"
Seto turned his glacial gaze onto Jounouchi so sharply that his jaw clicked shut and he said no more for the duration of the ride. Honda attempted to fill the uneasy silence with random observations and questions about the neighborhoods they were passing through.
"Here we are," Seto announced at last. "This is the headquarters of Paradise Unlimited. I don't foresee any trouble getting in, but you should all be alert, nevertheless."
Seto asked Isono to wait and walked in with the others. Seto motioned to the three to stop behind him while he spoke to the receptionist at the desk in the lobby. In a few moments, he returned.
"Dartz has agreed to see us," he said.
"Without an appointment?" asked Honda.
"I expected he would," said Seto. "It's not every day that the president of another company drops by unannounced."
"I don' see why you didn't make an appointment in the first place," said Jounouchi.
"Don't you think a surprise attack is better? … If it's possible." There was a trace of doubt in Seto's voice as he led them into the elevator. He pressed the button for the top floor and the car took off smoothly at express speed. In seconds the car stopped and the doors slid all-but-silently open.
They stepped out of the elevator and Atem asked, "Did we get off on the right floor?" because the room that opened up before them looked like anything but an office.
"This is the top floor," Seto confirmed, gesturing toward the floor number, which was inscribed next to the elevator doors in gold. However, the elevator doors and number were the only items in the area that seemed in keeping with an office building.
They entered an enormous circular room with high, domed ceilings, well-lit by large crystal windows. A number of beautifully upholstered chairs stood against the walls. Atem took a step into the room, looking down, and said, "What, is that agate?"
"I believe so," said Seto. "Agate floors, walls paneled with rose quartz; this room must have taken millions to outfit."
Atem and the others followed, gawking around at the palatial surroundings. "Is this where you came to sit for the portrait, Seto?" Atem asked.
"Yes," Seto murmured. Striding purposefully to the center of the room, he said, "Where is Dartz, anyway?"
"Just as impatient as when I last saw you, I see."
All four of them turned to the source of the voice, which came from a man entering through heavy mahogany doors opposite the elevators.
The entire atmosphere of the room changed with the man's presence. Atem couldn't quite put his finger on what it was about him, but he carried a kind of aura about him that could only be described as intimidating. As much as Atem wanted to, he couldn't attribute it to his strange appearance. Dartz' abundant aquamarine hair was tied back into a loose ponytail, reaching nearly to his knees. His clothing was even more unusual and expensive-looking than Seto's: An old-fashioned tabard with a flowing train and generous, open sleeves that was elaborately embroidered with gold; his pants tucked into high boots.
"Do you always leave important guests, even those who arrive unannounced, to wander around your offices unattended?" Seto asked.
"It couldn't be helped. And this … you've brought friends. I expected Atem—" Atem flinched at hearing his name, "—but these other young men? Their presence is entirely unnecessary."
"They can hear anything—" Atem began, and Jounouchi and Honda began to voice objections as well.
"I'm sorry, but I really must insist," Dartz said, producing an electronic item that looked like a cell phone or a small remote from his sleeve. He tapped it a few times, and suddenly Atem heard a small groan.
Atem turned just in time to see Jounouchi and Honda collapse to the floor. "Jou!" he cried, sprinting the few steps between them and kneeling next to him. Seto walked over to Honda at a more leisurely pace to examine him.
"They'll be perfectly fine," Dartz said. "I just think our discussions will be more productive if they're more … intimate, don't you agree?"
"What did you do?" Atem demanded. "I won't discuss anything until you tell me!"
"You're just as difficult as I expected," Dartz said. "It's just an electromagnetic field. They're entirely unharmed. I just want to keep this meeting between the three of us and I'm afraid that they'd insist on butting in one way or the other. This way, they'll sleep peacefully until our business is concluded."
"Other than being unconscious, your friend seems all right," Seto said, standing.
"And if I say I won't talk to you until you wake them?" asked Atem.
"What if I ask you to decide whether to continue this meeting or go back home with your friends?" asked Dartz. "I didn't tell you to come here or bring your friends with you. I'm more than happy to talk to you and Kaiba, but I have no interest in involving anyone else. You can accept that arrangement or I can wake your friends and you can go home right now."
Atem stood, his hands balled into fists, and looked at Seto. He knew Seto wanted to go ahead with the meeting and he certainly didn't want to go home with nothing to show for it. "Very well," he growled.
"Good," said Dartz, coming forward. "I knew you were a reasonable man." Now that he was closer, Atem could see that he had heterochromia, with one golden eye and one aquamarine eye. In the back of his mind, he wondered if any of Dartz' coloration was natural. "So, what exactly do you want?"
"I want this to stop," Seto said.
"This? What do you mean?"
"You know very well."
"I'd like to hear you say it."
Seto sighed, frustrated. "The dreams."
"You mean the portrait, isn't that right?" said Dartz. "Admit it. You don't understand how you can know what's going on in the room where your portrait hangs, or why you dream about me."
Seto simply turned away, crossing his arms. Dartz turned to Atem. "But you'll admit it readily enough. You didn't even know Kaiba existed until you met him via that portrait."
"All right," Atem admitted grudgingly. "Tell us. How do you do it?"
Dartz smiled. "You, Kaiba, and the painting—and this place here, with me—are all one. That is, you're in all these places simultaneously. So naturally you experience all three places."
"That makes no sense!" Seto exclaimed, turning back toward Dartz and waving an arm.
"You don't accept that you are more than your body?"
"I don't accept that my mind can be divided like a flatworm."
"Ah, but it's not divided at all! You're thinking in three dimensions."
"You're saying I'm a Guinea pig to prove string theory?"
"No, you're participating in a practical application of what I've learned about the physical world."
"Make yourself clear."
Dartz smiled and said, "Spooky action at a distance."
Like dreaming about the location where your portrait hangs? Or … a painting that moves! Atem scowled and glanced at Seto's face again. He was silent, waiting, his expression set, frustrated, furious. Atem wanted to take his large hand, but he knew that if he did, his own hand would only be thrown aside. As brief as their time together had been, Atem was already well aware that Seto hated the feeling that some other person knew more than he did—or, worse, might even be smarter than he was.
"I should mention that my scientific tradition is a little … unusual," Dartz continued pleasantly. "I follow a path that goes back to the most ancient times. The ancients did not tear things apart as you modern people do. They didn't separate nature from man, science from religion, good from evil. All things are inseparable and interdependent. In the universe, nothing can be truly destroyed, only transmuted. Even modern science has learned this fact."
A sudden realization hit Atem. "You don't think we can do anything, do you?" he challenged, angry. "You plan to tell us everything because you think you hold all the cards!"
"I know you care about this man," Dartz said pointing at Seto, "and I mean to demonstrate that I have him completely in my power—"
"You—" Seto began.
"Why do you think Isis was so willing to cooperate with me?" Dartz continued, ignoring Seto. "I hold her brothers hostage!"
"Hostage?" Seto said. "But I saw—"
"You saw them?" Dartz laughed. "Their bodies? That's nothing! Atem, Kaiba is my hostage as well. I've held him all this while, even before you met him."
"Bastard! You have no—!" began Seto, but Dartz cut him off.
"You know in your heart I do. That's why you're here, isn't it? Well, isn't it?! Why are you here, Kaiba?"
"I … these dreams …"
"… are just the symptom of it, isn't that right?" When Seto simply stood there, face set and eyes down, his body rigid and hands in tight fists, Dartz went on. "I believe it's time for my demonstration."
"What is it that you want from him?" Atem interrupted.
"From him? I already have everything I want from him." Dartz turned his expectant gaze on Atem.
Seto, who was beginning to look sullenly submissive, sprang to life. "Atem will not cooperate with you! Atem—!"
"Don't worry, Seto," Atem said, "I have no intention of giving in to him."
"Please hold any final decisions until after my demonstration," said Dartz. "Follow me, I have something to show you."
He led the way into a small octagonal chamber lined entirely with polished black mirrors, including the floor and ceiling. In the center of the room was a huge crystal. This crystal was extremely large and oblong in shape, set on end so that it was almost as tall as Seto himself. The color was a brilliant aquamarine that almost seemed to glow. The effect was mesmerizing.
Shaking off the effect, Atem noticed Seto, who was looking distinctly on edge.
"Seto?" he whispered.
"I dreamed of this place," he murmured softly.
Atem looked back at the crystal. Without thinking, he put his hand out to touch it.
"You probably don't want to do that unless you like being knocked out for a week or so," commented Dartz. Atem pulled his hand back abruptly.
"I call this the Oracle Stone," Dartz went on. "It's the culmination of all my years of research—or, should I say, the culmination of centuries, millennia of research?
Seto frowned. "I don't see …"
"Let me explain. The ancients approached the world holistically, as I said. Because of this, alchemy, electromagnetism, spirit … everything is connected."
"Start making sense," demanded Seto.
"Shut up and listen. I'll show you. This crystal, for example. The Oracle stone took me decades to learn to make and decades more to grow—"
"But you can't be more than thirty!" Atem exclaimed.
"Can't I?" said Dartz. "I won't go into that now, but depend on it, I am a bit older than that. This stone has only one flaw, where I carefully struck this gem from its base." Dartz showed them a miniature version of the stone, which he wore as a pendant. "This smaller stone is connected to the larger one still, because they were grown in one unit. Let me demonstrate."
With that, he pressed a button on his remote. A small orifice appeared in the middle of the ceiling which admitted a bright ray of sunlight, which streamed down directly into the heart of the crystal. The effect was amazing. Like a prism, the crystal split the light, splashing colored light onto the black mirrors opposite them.
"What … what is this?" asked Seto. "The mirrors don't—"
"They don't reflect the light that comes from the crystal? That's because this is no ordinary spectrum! It doesn't act as an ordinary prism, splitting light into its component wavelengths. No, this crystal transmutes the light into an entirely new spectrum! Each of these wavelengths of light has very special properties. One of these properties is that it is not reflected by these black mirrors; it travels through them into trans-dimensional space."
Seto said nothing, but began looking carefully at the setup, from giant crystal to light beams to mirrors. Atem could almost hear the impressive machinery of his mind hard at work trying to understand the physics of the situation. Could this be faked? Or could what Dartz was saying be true?
When Kaiba looked back, Dartz said, "Now, see the Oracle's child." He held up his pendant for them to see. Even though it was in the shadows, it shined brilliantly, casting its own light into the darkness. "The sunlight does not affect this stone, nor is this stone directly connected to the other one—in any way that we can see, yet the sunlight is transmitted from the parent stone to its child so that the child stone casts its own rainbow. Long ago, the ancients realized that there is much of the universe that we cannot see. Understanding and seeing the unseen is difficult indeed …"
Dartz smiled again and ushered them into an adjoining room outfitted as an artist's studio.
"… but not impossible," he concluded. "You see these paints? All the paint I use are oil paints, but that's where the similarity ends between these and ordinary oil paints."
"Spare us the elaboration," prompted Seto, annoyed.
"Very well, but you should know this: I personally formulated the pigments of these paints alchemically and exposed them to theta radiation from the Oracle stone."
Atem could almost hear Seto's eyes roll. "Seto …" he whispered. As frustrating as it was, they both knew something was going on here. He needed Seto to drop his irritation enough to absorb the facts. Atem wanted Seto's brainpower to work on this problem. "So, what does that do?" he asked aloud.
"When I paint, I bathe subject and canvas in sigma radiation from the Oracle stone. This connects the subject, the painting, and the Oracle stone together."
"I don't understand," said Atem.
"Oh yes you do. I know Seto does," he said. Seto opened his mouth as though to say something, but Dartz continued, "Never mind, I'll make myself clear, then. The soul, gentlemen; have you ever considered what it's made of?"
Seto looked so considerably annoyed by this time that he was about to explode. Atem gripped his arm and whispered urgently, "We need to hear him out or we won't be able to figure out what to do. He thinks we won't be able to do anything even if we know everything."
"I know!" Seto murmured back very softly.
Of course, Atem thought. That's why he's so angry.
"Some theorize that a soul is electromagnetic energy," Seto said finally, his voice taut with frustration.
"Ah, but you don't believe in souls … even now? I wonder how you would explain what has been happening to you, then?"
"I can't."
"And your mind has been opened just a crack. I'm sorry, Kaiba, it can be a very painful process. Conventional science sees energy as something that must be generated somehow, but the soul is something that conventional science doesn't recognize. Kaiba, you must understand that this is because the soul is a transdimensional being, by which I mean it exists in more than this universe. You are much larger than you imagine. But to the point, the soul attaches itself to a living human being. The energy of the Oracle stone in combination with certain compounds can duplicate that process. In this way, you can capture the living soul."
"This—" Seto began to object, but Atem broke in.
"Wait," he said. "Why is this process so … complicated? Why the portraiture? Couldn't you just use that … crystal, or whatever?"
"Ah, you don't miss anything, do you?" said Dartz. "I could trap a soul in the light, but that would only last as long as the subject, the human, was illuminated. The painting is what seals it. Note how primitive cultures fear photography; their fear that the camera will capture the soul in the process of capturing the likeness? This comes from an ancient understanding that there is an imprinting or connection between the likeness and the soul. In fact, the process of capturing the likeness is the final step in entrapping the soul!"
"Do you honestly expect me to believe it takes drawing a picture to trap a soul?!" Seto retorted.
"To be honest," Atem said, "I'm having trouble with that one myself. The crystal and the rays, OK, the pigment, maybe, but the artwork?"
"Believe what you like. Because the soul is transdimensional, binding it is no simple matter. It is an art form more than a cut-and-dry process." He smiled. "You have to bind it to a form similar to the form that it has attached itself to."
"You're saying that you need to create a facsimile compatible with the given soul—"
"Yes! The likeness—in combination with the special pigment—does this, then the energy of the rays from the Oracle stone seals it."
Atem frowned. "This would be similar to Voodoo magic … when a doll is created …"
"Exactly. Very good, Atem."
"Oh, that's too ridiculous to be believed!" Seto broke in. "I've put up with your song and dance until now because I can't explain what's been going on, but this story is so outré that you can't possibly expect me to swallow it! There must be some sort of hypnosis … It has to be."
"My dear Kaiba, you know that it's not, but I'm more than happy to give you another demonstration. Atem can witness everything. First, let's return to the other room."
Atem glanced at Seto with growing concern as they walked the few steps back into the strange, black-mirrored room. He looked extremely reluctant.
"Don't worry so much, Atem!" Dartz said. "You know, I've always wanted to try this." He pressed a button on his remote control and a glass panel descended from the ceiling. "This panel separates out omega radiation from the Oracle stone. Watch."
With this, Dartz walked around the panel into a patch of violet light. "Seto … Kaiba Seto," he called softly.
"What the …" Seto began, but his voice faded rapidly.
Atem looked toward Seto, then stared at him in alarm, noticing that his eyes became glassy and staring. "Seto!" he called, grabbing his arm. Seto didn't respond, but became stiff and seemed unaware of his surroundings. "Dartz!" Atem shouted, turning to him. "What have you done to him?!"
"I've already told you. Observe."
Atem's grip on Seto's arm became tighter as he noticed that Dartz seemed to have a companion on his side of the glass. At first the figure was barely visible, as though it were made of a violet mist almost the same color as the ambient light. Slowly, the figure gained contrast and definition, becoming clearly the image of Kaiba Seto himself! Interestingly, the figure seemed to be clad in a violet misty version of the Egyptian garb he wore in the painting.
"What is this?!" exclaimed Atem.
"I've already told you," said Dartz calmly. "How many times do we need to go over this? This is your friend's soul. Hm … he really isn't very aware when I've called him all the way here, is he? I was afraid of that. Good to know."
"You …" Atem tried to contain his anger. "How can you be so … You're experimenting on a human being here! An important man!"
"Why would I trouble with someone I can't use?" Dartz turned to the filmy figure next to him. "Tell me, what of Argent Entertainment?"
The form began to speak. Its voice was similar to Seto's own voice, but sounded muted, as though coming from a distant place, and strangely thinned and oddly bubbly. "We have decided to go ahead with the acquisition of Argent. The numbers are good and their upcoming projects have been verified as promising."
"There, you see, Atem? His soul is enslaved to me. He'll answer anything I want. Moreover, he'll do what I ask of him, within limits," Dartz murmured in the figure's ear.
Atem nearly jumped as Seto—his physical body—moved. Atem realized that he had a death grip on Seto's arm and let go. He looked into Kaiba's eyes, which were still glassy and remote. "Seto," he whispered. "Whatever you're experiencing, it's OK—"
But the handsome, vacant face was coming closer and closer, and a hand came up to cup Atem's cheek. Atem put his own hand over it. "Seto, it's—" he began, but then lips were gently pressed to his forehead.
"He's a shy one," commented Dartz. "I asked him to kiss you and he chastely kisses you on the forehead. Would you like me to be more specific?"
"You bastard," Atem said, keeping his voice low to keep from screaming, "let him go."
"And if I don't? Just what do you intend to do?" asked Dartz.
What could he do? Nothing. Atem reached for Seto again, finding his wrist. Gripping Seto's wrist firmly, he said, "What is it that you want?"
"You are just as perceptive as Isis said you were. What indeed?" Dartz walked toward him, turning around and motioning toward the room as he did so. "Do you comprehend the implications of all that I've achieved here?" he asked.
"I do," Atem said carefully. "It's … astounding." Not to mention horrifying, he thought.
"You don't have to say it," Dartz said. "You don't approve. It's all right. Nevertheless, I require an apprentice."
"A … how can you—it's out of the question!"
"Please, don't be so hasty. You can't begin to fathom the secrets that you'll be learning. Doesn't that intrigue you in the least? Come on! A man like you …!"
If people weren't being hurt … arcane secret knowledge? It was exactly the sort of thing Atem would want to learn. But he was damned if he would admit it to Dartz.
"How about this?" Dartz went on, smiling. "You can cooperate and help me out, and I'll lay off your very attractive friend."
What had Isis said about the strength of invisible chains? Helping Dartz sounded like assisting the devil, but what else could he do? Nobody but Dartz knew how this stuff even worked! He needed information before he could help anyone. He didn't dare try destroying the painting for fear it might kill Seto outright.
Atem sighed. "If I agree … If! You'll let him go?"
"If I let him go, I have no hold over you, Atem. No, I'll stop manipulating him. I'll minimize the effect so the painting will be all but a painting."
"Kaiba's dreams?"
"He might have one rarely, but the painting will be transformed into a more-or-less normal painting."
"You know, Dartz, I do have a demanding job. When do you expect me to help you?"
"I'll pay you and provide you with an excellent employee for your shop. It's not like I can't afford all this."
"All right, but Yugi gets to approve the person covering for me at the shop."
"Done."
"One other thing. Why didn't you just paint a portrait of me? You could get me to do anything you wanted then."
"Look at Kaiba. Can't you see that there are certain … limitations … to this method? I can tell him what to do, but—"
Atem regarded Seto. As he was, he couldn't function; he had no will. "He can't think, or—"
"He has no will or initiative in this state. He's attenuated. In some ways, he's useless. This process has removed some of his best qualities. That's why I don't dare control him continuously." Dartz smiled. "But it is kind of nice to have him quiet so that we can talk."
Atem scowled. How dare he! "You have me, so why don't you let him go already?"
"Not quite yet. We're working out the details. Let your cousin know about your new job with me, but I don't want you to tell him every little thing about it—Kaiba either. Our work is secret. And another thing. I know you're planning on figuring out every little thing and undoing everything I've set up."
"And?"
"You might change your mind about it when you learn how much you can do."
"I doubt it." You're taking a risk … I hope, Atem added in his mind.
"We'll see about that." He walked back around the glass panel to the violet vision of Seto. "Kaiba Seto, I release you. Return," he said.
The violet mist dispersed and Atem felt the wrist within his hand move—he'd forgotten that he was still holding it.
"Atem, could you let go? My hand's falling asleep," Seto said softly. His eyes were slowly coming back into focus, but he seemed a little confused.
"Are you all right?" Atem asked.
"I feel like … I was daydreaming again about Dartz calling me. Here?!" He looked around, spotting Dartz.
"Let Atem tell you about it," Dartz said. "Our meeting is concluded, so I'd appreciate it if you'd leave."
"Nothing has been decided!" Seto began, but Atem placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping him from stepping forward.
"We've come to an agreement. It's all right."
"I'll have my assistant call you with full details," said Dartz, leading them out into the large hall.
"Details about what?" asked Seto.
Jounouchi and Honda were groaning, waking up. "What happened?" asked Honda, rubbing his eyes.
"Some help you are!" Seto said. "Give me your number. Next time I need a doorstop, I'm calling you!" He marched straight over to the elevator and pressed the down button.
"Don't mind him," said Atem. "Things didn't go the way he wanted, either."
"Did they go all right for you?" asked Jounouchi.
"If I was job-hunting … but, no, I didn't get what I wanted, but I'm working on it."
The trip back was a little tense. Atem had to give a capsule summary of what they'd found out and Seto had not been pleased at all to learn about Atem's decision.
"I don't want you involved with him at all!" he said.
"But there won't be a painting," he said, meaning, I won't be controlled by him, but not wanting to say it so bluntly in front of the others.
"Like Isis," Seto said tersely. Atem could tell he was annoyed that he had to speak in front of Atem's friends. He doesn't feel like he can speak freely, Atem thought.
"I'll find a way around that," Atem insisted. "I won't let him box me in like that."
"You say that, but …"
With that, they finally arrived at Kame Game Shop. Atem told Jounouchi and Honda he'd join them inside in a minute. He wanted a minute alone with Seto.
Seto sighed. "I want to stay and talk to you about this," he said, " but I need to get back. I have meetings, and my brother expects me."
"I understand," Atem said, feeling dissatisfied. "I know you don't like this arrangement, but I don't see any other way," he said.
"I don't like this … dragging you into this. This is my problem, not yours."
"Don't you get it? It's too late. It's already my problem."
For a moment they sat staring at each other in awkward silence. Feeling an unbearable need to bridge the gap between them, Atem reached out and grabbed Seto's hand. "I'll call you. See me tonight—or tomorrow—as soon as you can manage. We need to talk things over, plan things. Whatever. I can't stand leaving things the way they are."
Seto gave his hand an answering squeeze and let go. Atem slid out of the limousine and watched it diminish into the distance with a pang of regret, although he couldn't quite figure out why he felt that way.
Author's notes ...
Thanks once again to my beta - there were two fixes made post-beta, apologies, but I just can't seem to stop finding problems until the last second.
And once again, fantastic support from ohmygodagiantrock, Plume Sombre, eh, EvilMidget6, and AliceMarieSwan! You are all wondrous and your support is more appreciated than I can describe. I hope that you like the way Dartz turned out (despite all the exposition!) - considering all the build-up he got. There will be more Isis coming up; hopefully that will work out well. eh, Thanks so very much for your comments! I agree, this Kaiba is less reserved than I would have him be based on canon and, frankly, I've had a bit of a hard time with him in this piece because of the situation I placed him in (ie, Atem basically meets Kaiba's "essence" before meeting Kaiba). I'm sure he's straying into OOC territory, although I'm trying to keep him as close as I can. :)
Dudes! Can't say I'm crazy about the new preview window ... can't do correx or notes while the preview's up. Sigh.
Well, geez, this is a long chapter! My longest ever, and I didn't think I'd even get it out today because (speaking of insufficient schemes) the next little bits are taking so long to pull together.
Yes, boys and girls, I do apologize for all the technobabble in this chapter, but I needed some sort of explanation for what was going on, and this wasn't a typical haunting. ;) I hope you can bear with me! Here's some of the info ... hey, some of this crap was actually thought out!
Quote: Dartz is more of an Aqua King than a Crimson King, but still ... ;)
Atem's backup: I figured it was inevitable that they'd insist on coming, but I really didn't think Dartz would want them in on the meeting, so ... zap! Sorry, guys.
Spooky action at a distance: A classic phrase used to describe effects in physics such as quantum entanglement.
Even modern science has learned this fact (that "nothing can be truly destroyed"): This is a commonly-held belief in physics from what I understand. This is the basis of the notion that the information held within the matter that falls into a black hole (no longer in the universe per se) is "smeared" on its event horizon.
this is no ordinary spectrum: Total hooey fabricated by my fevered brain.
primitive cultures fear photography: Dartz is being a little biased in characterizing the cultures as "primitive," but it's true that some people initially objected to being photographed for spiritual reasons (some still do, apparently). From what I understand, photographs are sometimes used in sympathetic magic ... which is why I extended this line of thought to the painting. ;)
And now! Care for a preview?
"He lays off as long as you help him? And how long do you do this? Forever?"
"Of course not! Only until I figure out how to undo this whole picture-trap thing."
"Oh, forever it is, then."
"Ye of little faith …"
Yugi gets new help for the shop; Atem and Kaiba hatch a couple of schemes; Isis gets a call; and ... can Anzu take a hint?
