20 Sylvia and Jiho Misunderestimate George
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John sat, seconds slowly gathering into minutes, like a statue positioned to meditate on a large wall clock in their suite. The minute hand edged onto 3:55. He could hear the clock ticking as he watched the hand sweep around. He checked another statue, George, who was sitting in front of the fireplace eyes fixed on the fire. She hadn't said a word for at least 15 minutes nor moved for as long. Something was nagging at him. Not sure what. He glanced over at Taylor, the third one in their little trio of statues, who was sitting immobile across from George, but he was staring out the window. This huge room felt like a tomb. The meeting would be downstairs in an expansive convenient meeting hall proposed by Mr. Kendricks. They really should be going.
He got up and walked across the room to stand on the right side of the floor to ceiling landscape window and studied the activity, cars and trucks and people, far below on the street. All those living people going about their business, making choices, oblivious to this other reality he was trapped within. If he had made other choices…perhaps he would still be one of them. He looked away at his two still unmoving companions. What was the point? This was his world now.
The elevator dinged signaling someone arriving. Probably Reggie and the others were returning from their latest shopping excursion. The target was shoes, if he remembered their talk an hour or so ago, very important shoes. When they heard the meeting had been set for this afternoon they decided to make the best of the time they had left figuring that this little family trip would be brought to a conclusion soon. He looked over at George, and then Taylor. Still like two statues. Odd, because they had been talking freely less than an hour ago. Taylor was curious about the recent goings on at Seattle, and then with Maria in Los Angeles.
The lock clicked and the door opened and Grace exploded into the room. "They took both of them." She was breathing heavily more from an adrenaline rush than exertion, elevators not being too demanding.
He met her halfway. "Who? Who took who?" Jesus fucking Christ. He had a feeling this wouldn't go down easily. Conrad wouldn't just walk into that meeting and give up. But the problem for Conrad was that his sainthood took a lot of options off the table. He never felt threatened when Conrad had ghosted him off.
"I don't know who. I do know that they're reapers. They said if Reggie and Joy didn't go with them they would ghost them. Then they all walked away."
"Jesus. OK. Grace. Can you describe this they?"
Grace closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then opened them again. "Yeah. Yes. There was a woman, white. And the other one was a big man, young, dark skinned, probably Indian or from that region. He didn't speak. Just her."
Both Taylor and George walked up behind him. Grace turned her attention to George, but it was Taylor who spoke. "Those are two of Conrad's followers. Probably Sylvia and Jiho. You didn't see any others?"
"No. No one else. We were trying on shoes in Nordstrom's and she walked up and smiled and took them. The big guy stood just behind her.
John asked, "And you? Why didn't they take you?"
"They didn't say. The woman pointed at Reggie and Joy and told them to come with her." Grace again focused on George. "George?"
George paused for way too long for his comfort and said, "It'll be OK, Grace. They won't hurt them." She turned to Taylor. He was sure she would say something more. He needed her to say something more. They must be close by and she could deal directly and immediately with these two reapers.
It was Taylor who spoke. He closed his eyes and shook his head slowly. "Damn. I had hoped…" He opened his eyes and met those of George.
Whatever he had hoped he didn't finish explaining. John suspected that they knew more than they were saying. Not a hard conclusion to reach given they hadn't said much for some time. He knew that whatever fed those reaps directly into their brains could also likely feed other things too. He just wasn't sure how much of that George and her kind were aware of. They seem to take these occasional insertions of suddenly needed facts, or skills, like that ability to speak an entirely new language for a reap, as a given without question. And now, he got a feeling that George was connecting to something much more. It was that same feeling he got in the warehouse. Second exposure he recognized it, could sense it, and was alert looking for any further tells. Finally. He knew it was no more than several long seconds, but it felt like several minutes. George said, "Let's go down to the meeting."
He wasn't sure whether he was expected to go or not. But for the fact that Reggie had been taken he probably would have stayed out, but not now. He really would prefer that Grace stay here, but when he glanced at her face he knew that was going to be futile. The four left the suite together and entered the elevator.
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Grace wasn't about to stay behind. Still she also wasn't keen on getting so close to all these reapers. Those two were dangerous, the two that took Reggie and Joy. She knew this wasn't going to go down easy. There was no way Conrad and his group would just roll over and take whatever was coming their way. George was walking in front. Grace stayed close to John. Taylor walked in sync with George. She didn't wear that long black hoodie thing she liked to use on her reaps. That thing on one level looked odd, but combined with her eyes and the way she carried herself it could also be downright scary. Grace kinda assumed she would wear that, maybe to look older and more intimidating. John told her that some of these reapers were more than a hundred years old, like this Taylor guy. He was friendly and she felt safe around him. John told her about the two bad ones that grabbed him the year before and how George… What was it? Dusted them both. She was sure there were more of the dangerous type here at this meeting. She wasn't afraid per se. George wasn't the oldest but she was the strongest…according to John. Still. George had dressed in a light casual jacket and wore a red short flared skirt over well worn jeans. An odd combination to go to a power meeting. It was too cute and made her look so young. Seemed like the wrong way to go here.
She didn't know where this meeting room was, but George did. George led the way down a long wide hallway with the same marble on the floor as used so much throughout this hotel. This hallway was one of several access pathways leading to an open area where the people who had built the hotel had also decided to place the same marble on the very wide floor area all along the way leading to the great meeting hall. They entered an open area. The glass wall barrier on their right was a floor to ceiling heavy glass window through which the outside courtyard like area was visible. Interspersed among all that glass were big double doors to the outside. And on the left the same marble extending from floor to well above her head level. This meeting area was intended to accommodate a large crowd. How many reapers would show? How many were there in the San Fransisco area? They left the last of the living back a few doors ago and in the hotel proper. Someone had arranged to keep their get together private. Guards stood at the first of the doors they passed through from the hotel, but through these areas there was just open space empty of people, and the sounds their steps made on the hard marble. She saw a few more guards standing outside in the courtyard area. No one would disturb them. They passed several double doors on their left. Other rooms or entrances to the same hall? George seemed to have a destination in mind. She picked one particular set of double doors and walked through. They followed her inside.
Inside the lights were a bit on the dim side for her and she had to squint. She could make out the shapes of dozens of people. Probably this lighting was plenty bright enough for the reapers.
George turned to Taylor. "Could you raise the lights?"
Taylor motioned towards the hotel manager and he moved over to an alcove and the lights grew brighter until they reached something close to comfortable…for the living. The walls here too were covered in that same marble up to perhaps seven feet. The exception was the wall at the far back where the marble extended to the ceiling and framed a generous dais or stage maybe three feet higher than their level. Now she could see at least a hundred people standing in two's and three's about the room. George paused, looked around seeming to take in each and every reaper. She started walking towards the front. No one moved as the four of them passed through the gathering. A few smiled. Most projected indifference. Well, maybe when they looked at her. Though no one overtly scowled her way, Grace did not feel welcome. She could see the only chairs in the whole wide room were on the dais. Should she go up there too. Maybe not.
George stopped short of the steps and turned. This was going to be a hard crowd. No warm up, no drinks, no tables. All of them were directed to be here. Standing room only. God damn if George didn't smile. How could she smile? Reggie and her own mother were with two of the bad sort of reaper, and they were no where in sight. Taylor stood off to her side and faced towards the gathering.
George said, "Please step forward. I wish to greet each of you."
And then the reapers moved to form a single loose line and one by one approached her. Grace saw George's eyes were brown. This was the original George. George must be allowing Grace to see that other in-between place John often told her about. Grace turned to look over the reapers in the line and all facing their way now. A few looked as young as George. Most seemed much older. She noticed some in police uniforms and another in what was probably a UPS uniform. A few wore what she took to be medical scrubs under jackets. Several men and women were in business suits, but many others were dressed in casual street clothes that would not draw attention. They were of all races. One reminded her of Mason. It struck her that outside of this room, if she met any of these people again, she wouldn't, couldn't recognize them. These faces were the faces of their original living forms. Was George deliberately hiding from her the faces these reapers presented to the living, to her, outside this room? Outside she would only see the faces of the undead forms shown to all the living. George took the hand, or sometimes hands, of each and as she made the connection she looked them in the eye. She would say a few words smiling as she did so. Mostly this was returned. A few seemed uncomfortable, some very uncomfortable. As each reaper finished they walked back to where they had started. It didn't take so long. Grace wasn't bored, but she couldn't help shifting weight from one foot to the other. What about Reggie and Joy? John stood next to her like a statue. How could he be so calm?
She wasn't sure which one was Conrad. George didn't do anything to single him out.
After the last had shared hands with George and everyone had returned to their chosen places on the floor. One young man stepped forward. This must be Conrad. He said, "George. Ms. Lass."
George was no longer smiling. She wasn't looking at him either. She was looking towards the entrance.
Conrad said, "George."
She turned to him.
He continued, "Ahh, for some reason, we're missing two of our…colleagues. We've prepared some remarks…"
"Your remarks won't be necessary."
Conrad's demeanor shifted from befuddled to indignant. "Excuse me. We don't get to speak in our defense? What kind of justice system is this?"
Grace could tell that his on switch had been toggled. And from what John had told her he was just warming up. He moved toward the front turning to face the scattering of reapers. Another man moved closer to him, probably one of his followers.
Conrad continued speaking his voice rising to fill the hall, "We have something to say, to you, to all of you, about this system…"
Taylor broke in to remind him. "Conrad. You seem to have misplaced two of your followers." Two reapers hadn't shown up as requested.
That reminder flummoxed him. "Ahh, I don't know where they are. They're supposed to be here. We had arranged for each of us to give prepared remarks."
George turned and walked up the few steps to stand on the dais and from there she was visible to everyone in the room. She looked so young. She walked across the front of the dais and stopped at one end. "They're coming now."
They all turned to face the main doors which opened on cue. Sylvia walked through holding Reggie by the hand. The big man had Joy in tow. Joy looked upset. There was no way she could break the hold of the brown hulk. Reggie seemed by comparison calm. Any situation in which she didn't get shot was to her weighted on the positive side of her post Ferguson mansion scale.
Grace looked over at John. She knew he had that gun under his jacket and he made no move to draw it. He was glaring at Sylvia, but made no move. George was stone faced as was Taylor. The one person in the room, maybe two, that had some sort of reaction was first Conrad, and then maybe that nervous guy sticking close to him.
Yes, she could see it on his face. Conrad was angry now. "Sylvia, what are you doing? Are you insane?" And the anger was obvious in his voice.
The tardy reapers pulling their charges walked right up close to where Conrad was standing and in front of the dais. George made no move but her eyes were cold, dangerous. Grace could see the danger there, so obvious. Grace glanced over to Reggie, who seemed to gain confidence seeing her sister so close. Reggie didn't struggle but turned her attention to the woman, Sylvia who had a firm grip on her wrist. Was that a tiny smirk on Reggie's face? Joy was gaining confidence too but it was expressed as her getting visibility angrier openly trying to break the grip of the big man, who didn't even notice her struggles. Grace could see he was paying close attention to Sylvia, clearly in charge, and it crossed her mind that he, and this Sylvia, were clueless.
Sylvia smiling said, "I'm just bringing these two home. We found them out lost and wanted to make sure they found their way to their dear sister…" She looked at Joy. "…And daughter."
Taylor looked over at George. George head tilted ever so slightly and her eyes fixed on Sylvia. She was studying Sylvia like a cat watches its prey well within range, not moving, but if she had a tail the tip would be twitching, hinting at the power restrained, ready to explode. Grace saw the danger and wondered. The other night she heard Taylor describe Conrad and his group as all being young newly made reapers who hadn't really adjusted, who hadn't really learned the reaper world ropes. Grace was surprised when Taylor turned to Sylvia and spoke, "OK. Both of you. You've made your point. Let them both go. You gain nothing with this."
"We will have our say…and then we will go our way. And Taylor. Please, we're all dead here so don't make idle threats." She spoke louder, "We're all dead. What more can they do to any of us?" She faced Taylor. Reggie stood impassively waiting. Joy was not moving by default, no matter how she tried to fidget she couldn't go anywhere with the big man holding her by the wrist.
Sylvia obviously had already totally discounted George after the briefest of glances her way. And now Sylvia didn't even look at George, just Taylor. Grace was careful to keep her face still, to betray nothing of her thoughts. She smiled inwardly. Was that the tiniest of smiles wanting to break out on George's face?
George spoke for the first time in front of the newcomers, "You will say nothing."
Conrad moved closer to Sylvia and Reggie. "Let them go. We will have our say."
"Conrad. Don't be a fool. The girl just said we won't be allowed to speak."
Conrad turned from Sylvia to George and back, flummoxed. He had lost any control, if he ever had it. Sylvia had her own mind and her own approach and she didn't care what Conrad thought. They were threatening to ghost the two of them if they didn't get what? A chance to talk? Did they really think they could persuade all these reapers to go against…that power…upstairs management? What had George said the night before…like Mayflies.
Taylor spoke up. "You are all very close to the edge with this. The Dark is close. I can feel it. I've seen it come many times. It can and will come for reapers who cross…"
Sylvia shook her head. "Oh, Christ, Taylor. Cut the crap. We're the ones working to do good, to fix these horrible wrongs that the living have to endure just because this power you want to worship orders it. It is evil. We have been working for evil. We all have to stand up and say no. There is no Dark. And this little girl, here, can't do anything to anyone."
Grace saw the big man's hand release Joy and he staggered back. He looked shocked. He didn't do that on his own. Joy scurried out of his reach over to John and her. The man regained his balance and fixed onto Joy. He started moving to retake her, but before he had moved two steps he rose abruptly into the air. He yelped. She heard several of the reapers gasp and the closest scrambled away. She probably added hers to the many. Before they could let the air out the huge man in an eye blink flew over George's head and smashed into the marble wall behind her. He hit hard with a loud crash and dropped with a thud to the dais floor. No one moved for a long breath. He groaned. He was bleeding from his head and all his extremities from the crushing impact. Grace look up at the wall and saw that his impact had created a deep depression, the marble was pulverized, and parts falling out. The big man couldn't get up. Both arms appeared broken, and his legs. His head was definitely damaged and bleeding. He didn't ghost. She knew reapers could ghost and heal completely but this big guy…wasn't. He screamed. "Why can't I…?"
George stepped closer. Grace had heard from John and Reggie about that dark thing…but seeing it was something else. It started from around George's feet and grew like a fast explosion of blackness, the absence of light, engulfing George. It rose up and she disappeared within it. The thing was huge towering up 10 maybe 12 feet and then it struck down swallowing the man…and it…they were gone. George turned to face Sylvia. Sylvia was faced with a startling new fact - the Dark was real. The little girl had teeth, and she, Sylvia, was standing in front of her holding her sister. Grace saw the Dark start forming behind Sylvia. Several reapers yelped and those nearest to Sylvia moved quickly to put distance between it and themselves. The Dark swelled from nowhere to fill a tall column of space directly behind Sylvia, who seemed to sense her danger. She just began to turn when it swallowed her and as before they both were gone. Reggie's eyes went wide, she cried out and fell to her knees. John jumped to her side taking her by each arm. He pulled her up to standing. Reggie had gone pale. Her eyes were vacant staring off at nothing. John tried to get her to focus on him but she looked through him. Reggie took a deep gasping breath and seemed to catch sight of John. He helped steady her.
George said, "John, please take her upstairs."
John left with Reggie followed closely by Joy. Grace stood in place. She didn't know why she stayed. Maybe she wanted to see how this would finish. Adrenaline was rushing throughout her system. She felt alive, never more alive than this moment here and now. She herself had now seen the Dark, that maybe gateway to Hell itself. She was standing in a room surrounded by the undead. And she was alone with them, among them, but not of them, watching Death dispense its justice on its agents. She held her breath waiting. She was pretty sure that this was not something often seen by someone on this side of the life death dividing line.
George said, "Fletcher."
That nervous man stepped forward and away from Conrad. "Yes."
"You interfered with the destinies of the living, and deliberately failed assigned appointments."
Fletcher looked down at the floor. He perhaps knew it was too late. He looked up and into George's eyes. "Yes. Yes, I did."
George studied him for several long drawn out heartbeats. "The Dark will be close to you. Fail again and it will take you. It's your choice."
Fletcher realized he had another chance. He let out a breath and moved away back into the crowd.
"Conrad."
Conrad stepped forward and looked directly into her eyes.
The two regarded each other for more than a minute. Grace suspected that Conrad also had a choice. He had not attempted to threaten the living to gain leverage over Death. And his motives were pure, he honestly believed in his cause. But he had to climb down now, or what? Grace felt that long minute stretch as Conrad stood at his own crossroad of free will.
Taylor said, "Be careful what you say, Conrad, your fate depends on the words you choose now, the path you choose from here."
"Ms. Lass, please don't allow the actions of those two to bias you now. Please listen to our cause…"
That was not what George wanted to hear. "No."
"No?"
"No. Conrad. Go away."
Then something changed about his look. She didn't understand. He seemed startled. George turned away from Conrad and addressed all those present. "You all have a job to do. A sacred duty to reap and escort souls, to maintain the balance. It is not up to me, or you, to decide the destinies of the living. The Dark will be close. Don't fail in your duties. This gathering is concluded." And with that she walked over to the steps and down to where Grace was standing. "You ready? Let's go see how Reggie is doing." And headed towards the door they had come through, Grace followed closely. This time all the reapers moved well away from their straight pathway to the door. Several of the reapers standing on the edge, actually now she could see that many of the reapers bowed their heads as she passed. Grace reflected on something John had mentioned in passing about how quickly these happenings spread among reapers. Being present at a demonstration of raw power no doubt trumps hearsay. John didn't believe in coincidence when it came to reapers and their goings on. She would ask him later, but it struck her as odd that these four brand new reapers were together like this, and then allowed to even start this…nonsense. Taylor was surprised by it as were he said several other of the older reapers. Maybe they were pawns sacrificed towards some larger purpose. That left her cold, that thought, because…she would be nothing more than a pawn. Maybe John was right. Maybe she should stay away from all this. She didn't belong in this…whatever it was, this pattern being spun by Fate.
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Grace and George walked through the long wide gathering area and back through the hallway towards the main hotel lobby without speaking. They made their way through the lobby and into the elevator. Once inside Grace said, "George." George turned to face her. "I don't understand." Her eyes were blue again. Grace asked, "On the first two the hammer dropped, hard, that Dark gateway. But Conrad got nothing coming his way. Wasn't he the leader?"
"He's no longer a reaper."
"No longer a reaper? What does that mean?"
"He's a now ghost. A ghost that cannot cross over. He no longer has any physical form in this dimension."
"For how long?"
"I don't know."
And then the door opened and she exited.
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Reggie was already in bed when Grace and George got back to the room. John was waiting sitting near the fireplace as was Joy. John was worried. Joy was festering. She glared at George when she entered the foyer, and then walked away to her room. George walked back to check on Reggie followed by John and Grace. They entered quietly leaving the lights off. The curtains were pulled tight to block the outside light. She and John stood near the door. George approached Reggie in the dark. Grace could make out her placing her hand on Reggie's forehead and leaving it there for almost a minute. Grace guessed she was checking on her soul directly or was she fixing something? George seemed satisfied, or finished, and walked back out. At the bar George got a bottle of water and sat down in front of the fireplace. Grace and John took seats.
"Don't worry, John. She will be fine."
John asked, "What exactly happened to her?"
"John, she's fine. She got touched by the Dark when it took Sylvia."
Grace couldn't help stating the obvious - even if it was dumb - at least she tried to state it. "You…you…"
John helped. "George, you were swimming in that thing."
"I am not one of you."
"You're undead."
She nodded and took a drink.
Grace asked, "So. Are we done here? Two in Hell. One teetering on the edge. And the leader is…a ghost?"
John's curiosity was touched. He hadn't seen the Saint's judgement. "What happened to Saint Conrad?"
"Conrad is no longer a reaper. He's reverted to being a ghost, with a twist. He has no lights option."
"Hmm. That's a new one. So what? He wanders the Earth forever stuck in between."
She nodded.
Grace asked, "Forever? Really? How long?"
"I really don't know, and I really don't care. He's caused enough chaos mucking things up."
Grace asked, "Are we leaving tomorrow?"
She nodded again. "If you want those shoes, you should get up early."
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Conrad stood in the great hall alone but for one other. That other had waited until everyone else had left. Not one had offered to talk to Conrad as they left. Even Fletcher had only glanced his way as he walked out, alone, the others, even his reaper family, letting Fletcher stew on his own. The sight of that Dark gateway thing had probably tipped Fletcher over his personal limits. In the abstract Fletcher believed in the cause, but when it came time for bones to get crunched and for blood to flow, his that is, he was out. Conrad was perversely proud that Sylvia and Jiho were willing to confront the Lass girl even though he couldn't approve of taking the two women like that, well, threatening them as they did. That was too far. That other walked closer.
"Conrad."
"Taylor. Go ahead. Say it."
"Say what?"
"I told you so. Go ahead."
"You should probably leave this area, Conrad."
"More advice?" He chuckled more to himself. "I should probably listen."
"You've got a long haul ahead of you. Someday, maybe, you will be allowed to cross, or, maybe you can regain your status as a reaper."
"Really? You know if I become a reaper again…"
"Yeah, Conrad, it's that kind of talk and that kind of stubborn attitude that will really make this sentence a long drawn out torture."
"Why didn't…upstairs just let me cross over?"
Taylor sighed. "Conrad, really? Every reaper wants to cross over. Do you think any of us likes what we have to do every day?" Conrad gave him a skeptical look. Taylor continued, "Your refusal to cooperate won't be…can't be rewarded. Reapers that don't get with the plan just go away. They don't cross over. And if they don't get the Dark, they become ghosts and are ignored, shunned. Actually I'm surprised you didn't get the Dark. Really. I was expecting it, most of us were. You're lucky."
Conrad didn't feel lucky. "Well. At least I can't have those nightmares anymore."
Taylor smiled. "A big improvement." He put his hand out. "You'll have plenty of time to reflect on what you've done and what was done to you. Good luck. I wish you the best."
Conrad took his hand. "You know, Taylor, I didn't have a choice." He let go and looked around.
"I know, son, I know."
Conrad asked, "Which way do you suppose is Ohio?"
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Taylor watched Conrad leave through the wall. God, but he had been doing this so many years. Conrad wasn't the first under his care to go walking down the wrong side of the road. He wouldn't be the last. He would be getting a replacement soon. The sad thing was that he was sure that upstairs knew Conrad could never have worked as a reaper, not with his past, his horrific death. He pondered why they would do that to the kid. He had watched them pull strings for more than a couple of centuries. He knew they played a long game towards goals he didn't understand. He suspected it had more to do with that Lass girl than anything to do with Conrad. His thoughts along those lines had grown as soon as he heard from Rube about the extremely odd events centered in Seattle…in connection with that girl it seemed. He couldn't have guessed it back when he was in Seattle, but now reflecting on those events, he was sure that Rube's odd placement so near his family, the collision with the old Chinese reaper, God when he considered the patterns, Pauline's fate. Was that somehow tied in? Was Conrad a necessary sacrifice in some larger scheme? They weren't cruel but they were cold. They allowed the little group of revolutionaries to have their fling, tempt a few, and then brought down the hammer on the lot. Would Sylvia and Jiho have grown into responsible reapers if they had never met Conrad? If they had different reaps earlier, reaps in which the Dark showed up? They were tempted out on the wrong path and were now paying a very heavy price for giving in to that temptation. Still they made the bad choice of threatening two of the living so blatantly. He looked around. That marble wall behind the stage area was testimony to the power that Lass woman could bring to focus on a soul. He had never seen that before. And so young. He had heard a rumor she was a reverse gateway for Death itself to peek into this world. He brushed the idea off before, but now he wasn't so sure. He would prefer not to see her again in San Francisco. She was Death's enforcer and a means short of using the Dark to look a reaper in the eye directly to encourage improved behavior. Why was she placed with Rube? He mulled that thought over until the more important question intruded. Why was Conrad placed with him?