Chapter 2
Lilah was now at Lausanne's train station. My train is leaving for Italy in an hour.
She settled down in a nearby cafe. "Double espresso, monsieur." The waiter nodded and fetched her order.
She watched the people leaving their offices. Check out time. Fools. Their world is about to crumble to dust within a week. And they're completely clueless.
Something was definitely brewing in the halls of Wolfram & Hart. She overheard bits and pieces of conversations between the Senior Partners and Gavin.
With Lindsey out of the way, she thought her path to the Partnership was clear. Then Gavin arrived. He was playing hardball – and probably figured that his gender would give him an edge with the firm.
They don't know who they're messing with. Still, Gavin was on to something. Big. He had made reservations for a British Airways flight to the UK. Why?
"Un espresso, mademoiselle," the waiter beamed. Lilah took a sip. Why do the Senior Partners want the Ark of the Covenant? They said something about rewriting history.
No matter. When I find it, the ball will be in my court. They can have the Ark – on MY terms.
"It's a cruel, cruel summer," Lilah began to sing the Bananarama tune. I'll decipher the manuscript on the train. Then we can get this party started.
[Eurail train 81, enroute to Switzerland]
Lorne continued his song, clearly enjoying every word. "... at the Copa ... Copacabana ... the hottest spot north of Havana ..."
Amy joined in. "Where??"
Lorne keyed in. "At the Copa ... Copacaba-a-a-n-a ... music and passion were always a fashion ... at the Copa ... don't fall in love ... Copa – Copa-ca-b-a-a-na ...."
Amy shrieked in delight. "Do you know EVERY song by Barry Manilow?!"
"Sure do. These days, they don't write songs that make the whole world sing. Not anymore." Lorne went off on a tangent. "So what's your story. You were once a rat, I hear. That must have sucked."
"Yeah." She remembered her dangerous experimentation with black magic. And the effect it had on Willow.
A porter tapped Lorne's shoulder. "You are with Cirque du Soleil?!"
"Yeah," Lorne lied, "We've got a big show in Monaco, but we have a charity thing in Lausanne first."
Amy stared quietly out the window. She doesn't want to open up, Lorne noticed. Poor girl, she's been through some rough times.
"Don't let my people-reading skills scare you. Whatever I pick up, it's between you and me, okay? I promise."
Amy smiled. "Thanks, Lorne."
Lorne cleared his throat. "How 'bout I make up a song just for you ... to the tune of Copacabana." Amy laughed.
Lorne began.
"Her name was Amy. She was from Cali. The hottest spot west of Miami. The place was Sunny. It's got a Hellmouth. She was an ex-cheerleader there, she's got witchy powers, beware..."
"Then she went-to-the-UK. She beat the Watchers – no-way. There were guns .. and there was magic ... all the baddies, they were frantic. (What's her name?)"
Amy couldn't resist singing along. "Her name was Amy," she began to sing, "she was from Cali ... the hottest spot west of Miami. Her name was Amy, she was from Ca-a-li ..."
"Magic and potion, by the Pa-ci-fic Ocean. Her name A-my ..." Lorne crooned. "She's found her way ... her name was A-a-my."
Amy smiled. Yeah, maybe I have found my way. After all this darkness. Finally.
[Somewhere in the Sahara desert]
The battle was fierce. Tens of thousands of bodies – friend and foe – littered this wasteland.
"Spare nothing!" one man ordered. "They were spawned from Hell. Send them back there!"
Eric was pleased. His soldiers, despite their losses, had prevailed against this horde of desert demons.
They know we are close to the sacred prize. The Ark of the Covenant, the record of the Almighty's commandments.
One fallen demon clutched in vain at his cape. Eric immediately swung his broad sword, chopping off the wretched thing's arm. Another sword thrust and the beast was smitten.
"The forces of darkness rally for the coming battles!" he declared. "But we have made an oath to defend His word – that given to His people thousands of years ago! Tonight we shall set camp, for tomorrow we press on. The Ark must not fall into the clutches of evil!!" The soldiers cheered. An oasis waited a few miles to the south. There we will rest.
The survivors carried the bodies of their comrades and placed them on the huge funeral pyre. "Ashes to ashes ... dust to dust," Eric uttered, then set the pyre alight. Ten thousand knights had fallen in this battle. They would not be forgotten.
For a thousand years, the Knights of Byzantium defended the world against all manner of evil: both man-made and supernatural. Despotic tyrants, godless pirates, vampires, demons and warlocks. All had tasted the merciless steel of the Knights.
They had received word the servants of the Evil One were commencing one last campaign to plunge the world into the Apocalypse. The Knights' numbers had fallen over the years. Soldiers of long ago empires, mercenaries, Napoleon's armies, the Afrika Corps of the Third Reich: all had slain their share of knights. All had threatened to capture the Ark for eerie purposes.
They all fell to the sword of justice. The greatest test was yet to come.
Later, the knights made camp in the desert oasis. At the rim of the camp, Eric planted his sword into the sand, knelt and crossed himself.
"By God's grace, the Knights will smite these devils and their minions. If we must fall, let it be in the cause of righteousness." Eric mumbled another prayer and crossed himself again. Dinner was ready. A roasted calf on a spit. Tonight we will dine.
Let us feast. Tomorrow we may live to fight again. Or we may die.
Lilah was now at Lausanne's train station. My train is leaving for Italy in an hour.
She settled down in a nearby cafe. "Double espresso, monsieur." The waiter nodded and fetched her order.
She watched the people leaving their offices. Check out time. Fools. Their world is about to crumble to dust within a week. And they're completely clueless.
Something was definitely brewing in the halls of Wolfram & Hart. She overheard bits and pieces of conversations between the Senior Partners and Gavin.
With Lindsey out of the way, she thought her path to the Partnership was clear. Then Gavin arrived. He was playing hardball – and probably figured that his gender would give him an edge with the firm.
They don't know who they're messing with. Still, Gavin was on to something. Big. He had made reservations for a British Airways flight to the UK. Why?
"Un espresso, mademoiselle," the waiter beamed. Lilah took a sip. Why do the Senior Partners want the Ark of the Covenant? They said something about rewriting history.
No matter. When I find it, the ball will be in my court. They can have the Ark – on MY terms.
"It's a cruel, cruel summer," Lilah began to sing the Bananarama tune. I'll decipher the manuscript on the train. Then we can get this party started.
[Eurail train 81, enroute to Switzerland]
Lorne continued his song, clearly enjoying every word. "... at the Copa ... Copacabana ... the hottest spot north of Havana ..."
Amy joined in. "Where??"
Lorne keyed in. "At the Copa ... Copacaba-a-a-n-a ... music and passion were always a fashion ... at the Copa ... don't fall in love ... Copa – Copa-ca-b-a-a-na ...."
Amy shrieked in delight. "Do you know EVERY song by Barry Manilow?!"
"Sure do. These days, they don't write songs that make the whole world sing. Not anymore." Lorne went off on a tangent. "So what's your story. You were once a rat, I hear. That must have sucked."
"Yeah." She remembered her dangerous experimentation with black magic. And the effect it had on Willow.
A porter tapped Lorne's shoulder. "You are with Cirque du Soleil?!"
"Yeah," Lorne lied, "We've got a big show in Monaco, but we have a charity thing in Lausanne first."
Amy stared quietly out the window. She doesn't want to open up, Lorne noticed. Poor girl, she's been through some rough times.
"Don't let my people-reading skills scare you. Whatever I pick up, it's between you and me, okay? I promise."
Amy smiled. "Thanks, Lorne."
Lorne cleared his throat. "How 'bout I make up a song just for you ... to the tune of Copacabana." Amy laughed.
Lorne began.
"Her name was Amy. She was from Cali. The hottest spot west of Miami. The place was Sunny. It's got a Hellmouth. She was an ex-cheerleader there, she's got witchy powers, beware..."
"Then she went-to-the-UK. She beat the Watchers – no-way. There were guns .. and there was magic ... all the baddies, they were frantic. (What's her name?)"
Amy couldn't resist singing along. "Her name was Amy," she began to sing, "she was from Cali ... the hottest spot west of Miami. Her name was Amy, she was from Ca-a-li ..."
"Magic and potion, by the Pa-ci-fic Ocean. Her name A-my ..." Lorne crooned. "She's found her way ... her name was A-a-my."
Amy smiled. Yeah, maybe I have found my way. After all this darkness. Finally.
[Somewhere in the Sahara desert]
The battle was fierce. Tens of thousands of bodies – friend and foe – littered this wasteland.
"Spare nothing!" one man ordered. "They were spawned from Hell. Send them back there!"
Eric was pleased. His soldiers, despite their losses, had prevailed against this horde of desert demons.
They know we are close to the sacred prize. The Ark of the Covenant, the record of the Almighty's commandments.
One fallen demon clutched in vain at his cape. Eric immediately swung his broad sword, chopping off the wretched thing's arm. Another sword thrust and the beast was smitten.
"The forces of darkness rally for the coming battles!" he declared. "But we have made an oath to defend His word – that given to His people thousands of years ago! Tonight we shall set camp, for tomorrow we press on. The Ark must not fall into the clutches of evil!!" The soldiers cheered. An oasis waited a few miles to the south. There we will rest.
The survivors carried the bodies of their comrades and placed them on the huge funeral pyre. "Ashes to ashes ... dust to dust," Eric uttered, then set the pyre alight. Ten thousand knights had fallen in this battle. They would not be forgotten.
For a thousand years, the Knights of Byzantium defended the world against all manner of evil: both man-made and supernatural. Despotic tyrants, godless pirates, vampires, demons and warlocks. All had tasted the merciless steel of the Knights.
They had received word the servants of the Evil One were commencing one last campaign to plunge the world into the Apocalypse. The Knights' numbers had fallen over the years. Soldiers of long ago empires, mercenaries, Napoleon's armies, the Afrika Corps of the Third Reich: all had slain their share of knights. All had threatened to capture the Ark for eerie purposes.
They all fell to the sword of justice. The greatest test was yet to come.
Later, the knights made camp in the desert oasis. At the rim of the camp, Eric planted his sword into the sand, knelt and crossed himself.
"By God's grace, the Knights will smite these devils and their minions. If we must fall, let it be in the cause of righteousness." Eric mumbled another prayer and crossed himself again. Dinner was ready. A roasted calf on a spit. Tonight we will dine.
Let us feast. Tomorrow we may live to fight again. Or we may die.