Disclaimer: The Characters of Jack, Riddick and Iman belong to USA Films, David Towhy, etc. I'm just having a little fun here. OK, I confess. I'm doing this because it's the only way to get the Muses off my back G.
Riddick's Death
Copyright 2003 By Cassandra Houston
Chapter Eleven: The Jesuits
Lillian was able, over the next fifty days, to accept many things about herself and her sister. She was able to come to terms with Jacqueline, who she came to think of as a surrogate sister, loved properly by Caroline during Caroline's last few hours of life. And she and Jacqueline became very good friends.
And so it was very difficult for Lillian to say what she needed to say to Jacqueline when the time came. She'd considered it over the last ten days, ever since Iman had visited them.
He sat with them in their yard, watching the small firespiders crawling over the trees and grasses around the Riddick home. He had been quite quiet all the time he'd been there. And eventually the Riddick's had enough of his silence.
"You may as well tell us, Holy Man." Riddick said, not looking at Iman. "You always say that confession is good for the soul."
Iman watched the firespiders a moment longer. "The eclipse is over." He said, quietly. "Twelve long years later."
Lillian watched as Riddick and Jacqueline stared at Iman. Neither of their faces showed a hint of any emotion they might be feeling.
"What are you plotting, Holy Man." Riddick growled.
"My companions deserve a proper burial." Iman said softly. "I have to go back."
Jacqueline shook her head. "You'll never find their bodies, Iman. You know that, don't you?"
Iman nodded slowly. "Perhaps." He said. "Perhaps not. I have a good twenty years to try, however." He looked at the Riddick's. "I have to try, don't you understand?"
Both Riddick's exhaled sharply and nodded, but did not speak.
"I will leave in ten days." He said. "Jonathan Shin will take my place until I come back. I will stop by here on my way."
The conversation seemed to be over. It certainly moved on to other things. But as they stood beside Iman's shuttle as he prepared to leave Riddick spoke for he and his wife.
"You know how to reach us if you need us." He said, simply.
Iman smiled and nodded.
Now Lillian watched as Iman's shuttle landed again. She stood beside Jacqueline. Iman approached them smiling.
"I am off." He said.
"That's one way of putting it." Riddick said, dryly.
But Iman was in too good a humor to be put off. He laughed richly. "I will miss you, my friend."
As Riddick shook hands with Iman he said again. "You know where to reach us if you need us."
As Iman hugged Jacqueline, she said to him. "And you'd better be careful and keep in touch."
Iman approached Lillian. "I have done as you asked." He said to her. "Are you sure you want to do this."
Lillian nodded, noticing Jacqueline's look as she did. "Want to do what?" She asked.
"I have to go too, Jack." Lillian said. "I have to go and." She struggled for words.
Jacqueline stared at Lillian a moment before she started nodding. "I guess you do." She said quietly. "But be careful, Lillian. Both of you be careful."
Iman handed Lillian her papers, paroling her into his care for the remainder of her sentence. Lillian took them with a nervous smile.
Lillian and Iman smiled and promised they would be careful and keep in touch. And then they got into Iman's craft and left Silva.
Jacqueline sank to the ground at the water's edge and struggled to catch her breath. She found she couldn't think, couldn't see, couldn't breathe. She was close to panic, which was very unusual for her. She'd learned so much about control from Riddick that she would have thought herself incapable of the blind rage and panic she was feeling.
She looked out over the lake. She had come to love the way she saw things now. It was like seeing things in a negative. She watched the dense forest on the other side of the lake. The wind moved the branches of the trees, causing them to dance. She concentrated on the serene scene and worked to calm herself.
Slowly she brought herself under control. She could handle this. It was minor. Over time she'd encountered worse than this. She thought about the John's brothers. She'd dealt with worse.
Or had she?
She heard him walking towards her. He knew that this lake was one of her favorite places on the planet. Its shape was exactly the same as the shape of the lake on Jacqueline's school planet. The lake where they'd made love for the first time.
He sat beside her and looked out over the lake, just as she was. She leaned into him immediately and he wrapped a comforting, protective arm around her.
"You don't have to do shit." He said, calmly. Jacqueline was always comforted by Riddick's voice. Today she needed it more than ever.
She snorted a laugh. "No fucking kidding." She said.
They sat silently for a long time. Riddick let her sort through her thoughts. He hadn't even set out after her until he'd gotten his own emotions under control. He'd tightened his grip on them as he walked to the lake, knowing he'd find her there. He still felt a pang of regret as he sat feeling the only woman he would ever love shake slightly under his arm.
Her shaking slowly subsided. She was regaining control. "Will you come with me?"
Riddick didn't even flinch. "Try and stop me." He said.
Before they left Silva four days later, they received a message from Iman and Lillian. They were back on the desert planet, which Iman was now calling Mawt 'Laylan. He said that the suns were indeed up and there were no signs of the creatures he called Zabani.
Lillian was anxious, but holding up well. He suspected she had some plan for revenge against the Zabani, but she was not sharing it with Iman, at present.
It was good to hear that things were progressing relatively smoothly for them. Jacqueline hoped that things would go at least as smoothly for her on Caliga.
Jonathan Shin met them at the port, which had been enlarged to accommodate all the space travel on and off the planet. As they walked from the port to the I.G.P.S Building, Jonathan repeated what he'd said to them days before.
"He came here with two others of his order." Jonathan began. "At first I could not imagine what Jesuit priests would want with Iman. They came all the way from Loyola, can you imagine that?" The wonder in his voice was obvious. "Father Michael and Father Francesco told me only to contact you and give you their Brother's name. They won't talk to anyone except for you or Iman."
The Riddick's said nothing, which seemed to frustrate Jonathan immensely. He lapsed into silence and brought them the rest of the way to the I.G.P.S building without another word. He took them to the door of the Spiritual Advisor's office and left them there.
Riddick and Jacqueline communicated with their silent language a moment before Riddick opened the door for his wife and followed her inside, closing the door behind them.
Two priests stood in front of the desk facing them. They were undoubtedly Jesuits. They were in the traditional armor and robes the Jesuit order had worn for more than a hundred years now. Riddick noted their weapons; a pistol and a sword. It was no wonder that Jonathan was so uncomfortable around these particular Holy Men.
The taller of the two priests looked carefully at the Riddick's. "We were not expecting two of you." He said. "And we like to see who we are talking to."
"Where she goes, I go." Riddick said simply as he took off his glasses. Both priests gasped when they saw the four silvery eyes before them.
The priests recovered themselves quickly. The priest who had spoken spoke again. "I am Father Michael. This is Father Francesco. We are here to speak with."
Jacqueline said. "I know why you are here." She said. "And I know who you are here with."
Father Francisco stepped forward. "Do you know about the Jesuits?" He asked.
Jacqueline shook her head, but Riddick nodded. "The fighting Holy Men." he said. "I stayed with you briefly many years ago."
Father Francisco nodded. "I remember you. I remember your eyes. And your strength. When I heard that the woman named Jack had a protector, I thought of you." He gave half a grin.
Father Michael interrupted. "Saint Ignatius Loyola said that if God causes you to suffer much, it is a sign that He has great designs for you, and that He certainly intends to make you a saint."
Riddick snorted and rolled his eyes. "Are you telling me I created a saint?"
Father Francisco shrugged. "God used you to change his life, Mister Riddick."
"I never thought of it like that." Riddick said. "I was giving the son of a bitch what he deserved."
Father Francisco nodded. "You are her guardian angel." He said. "You avenged the wrong."
Jacqueline frowned. "That's not a problem for you?" She said.
Father Francisco smiled. "Jesuits have always carried the sword of God, Jack. Sometimes God's ways are difficult to understand. We believe that God used Mister Riddick here to avenge a wrong done to you as well as bring a sinner to us."
Father Michael walked closer to Jacqueline. "Saint Ignatius went on to say that if you wish to become a great saint, entreat Him yourself to give you much opportunity for suffering, for there is no wood better to kindle the fire of holy love than they wood of the cross, which Christ used for His own great sacrifice of boundless charity."
Jacqueline frowned. Father Francisco looked at her. "He needs to atone for his sin. Ask your forgiveness." He glanced at Riddick. "Yes." He said thoughtfully. "Perhaps God has brought you here for a reason." He said to Riddick. "For he may no doubt want to speak to you as well." He nodded. "Will you see him? The two of you?"
Riddick and Jacqueline conferred silently a moment before Jacqueline looked at the priests and nodded.
Father Michael and Father Francisco led the Riddick's through the underground tunnel into the chapel where they could confront Calvin Andrews.
Riddick's Death
Copyright 2003 By Cassandra Houston
Chapter Eleven: The Jesuits
Lillian was able, over the next fifty days, to accept many things about herself and her sister. She was able to come to terms with Jacqueline, who she came to think of as a surrogate sister, loved properly by Caroline during Caroline's last few hours of life. And she and Jacqueline became very good friends.
And so it was very difficult for Lillian to say what she needed to say to Jacqueline when the time came. She'd considered it over the last ten days, ever since Iman had visited them.
He sat with them in their yard, watching the small firespiders crawling over the trees and grasses around the Riddick home. He had been quite quiet all the time he'd been there. And eventually the Riddick's had enough of his silence.
"You may as well tell us, Holy Man." Riddick said, not looking at Iman. "You always say that confession is good for the soul."
Iman watched the firespiders a moment longer. "The eclipse is over." He said, quietly. "Twelve long years later."
Lillian watched as Riddick and Jacqueline stared at Iman. Neither of their faces showed a hint of any emotion they might be feeling.
"What are you plotting, Holy Man." Riddick growled.
"My companions deserve a proper burial." Iman said softly. "I have to go back."
Jacqueline shook her head. "You'll never find their bodies, Iman. You know that, don't you?"
Iman nodded slowly. "Perhaps." He said. "Perhaps not. I have a good twenty years to try, however." He looked at the Riddick's. "I have to try, don't you understand?"
Both Riddick's exhaled sharply and nodded, but did not speak.
"I will leave in ten days." He said. "Jonathan Shin will take my place until I come back. I will stop by here on my way."
The conversation seemed to be over. It certainly moved on to other things. But as they stood beside Iman's shuttle as he prepared to leave Riddick spoke for he and his wife.
"You know how to reach us if you need us." He said, simply.
Iman smiled and nodded.
Now Lillian watched as Iman's shuttle landed again. She stood beside Jacqueline. Iman approached them smiling.
"I am off." He said.
"That's one way of putting it." Riddick said, dryly.
But Iman was in too good a humor to be put off. He laughed richly. "I will miss you, my friend."
As Riddick shook hands with Iman he said again. "You know where to reach us if you need us."
As Iman hugged Jacqueline, she said to him. "And you'd better be careful and keep in touch."
Iman approached Lillian. "I have done as you asked." He said to her. "Are you sure you want to do this."
Lillian nodded, noticing Jacqueline's look as she did. "Want to do what?" She asked.
"I have to go too, Jack." Lillian said. "I have to go and." She struggled for words.
Jacqueline stared at Lillian a moment before she started nodding. "I guess you do." She said quietly. "But be careful, Lillian. Both of you be careful."
Iman handed Lillian her papers, paroling her into his care for the remainder of her sentence. Lillian took them with a nervous smile.
Lillian and Iman smiled and promised they would be careful and keep in touch. And then they got into Iman's craft and left Silva.
Jacqueline sank to the ground at the water's edge and struggled to catch her breath. She found she couldn't think, couldn't see, couldn't breathe. She was close to panic, which was very unusual for her. She'd learned so much about control from Riddick that she would have thought herself incapable of the blind rage and panic she was feeling.
She looked out over the lake. She had come to love the way she saw things now. It was like seeing things in a negative. She watched the dense forest on the other side of the lake. The wind moved the branches of the trees, causing them to dance. She concentrated on the serene scene and worked to calm herself.
Slowly she brought herself under control. She could handle this. It was minor. Over time she'd encountered worse than this. She thought about the John's brothers. She'd dealt with worse.
Or had she?
She heard him walking towards her. He knew that this lake was one of her favorite places on the planet. Its shape was exactly the same as the shape of the lake on Jacqueline's school planet. The lake where they'd made love for the first time.
He sat beside her and looked out over the lake, just as she was. She leaned into him immediately and he wrapped a comforting, protective arm around her.
"You don't have to do shit." He said, calmly. Jacqueline was always comforted by Riddick's voice. Today she needed it more than ever.
She snorted a laugh. "No fucking kidding." She said.
They sat silently for a long time. Riddick let her sort through her thoughts. He hadn't even set out after her until he'd gotten his own emotions under control. He'd tightened his grip on them as he walked to the lake, knowing he'd find her there. He still felt a pang of regret as he sat feeling the only woman he would ever love shake slightly under his arm.
Her shaking slowly subsided. She was regaining control. "Will you come with me?"
Riddick didn't even flinch. "Try and stop me." He said.
Before they left Silva four days later, they received a message from Iman and Lillian. They were back on the desert planet, which Iman was now calling Mawt 'Laylan. He said that the suns were indeed up and there were no signs of the creatures he called Zabani.
Lillian was anxious, but holding up well. He suspected she had some plan for revenge against the Zabani, but she was not sharing it with Iman, at present.
It was good to hear that things were progressing relatively smoothly for them. Jacqueline hoped that things would go at least as smoothly for her on Caliga.
Jonathan Shin met them at the port, which had been enlarged to accommodate all the space travel on and off the planet. As they walked from the port to the I.G.P.S Building, Jonathan repeated what he'd said to them days before.
"He came here with two others of his order." Jonathan began. "At first I could not imagine what Jesuit priests would want with Iman. They came all the way from Loyola, can you imagine that?" The wonder in his voice was obvious. "Father Michael and Father Francesco told me only to contact you and give you their Brother's name. They won't talk to anyone except for you or Iman."
The Riddick's said nothing, which seemed to frustrate Jonathan immensely. He lapsed into silence and brought them the rest of the way to the I.G.P.S building without another word. He took them to the door of the Spiritual Advisor's office and left them there.
Riddick and Jacqueline communicated with their silent language a moment before Riddick opened the door for his wife and followed her inside, closing the door behind them.
Two priests stood in front of the desk facing them. They were undoubtedly Jesuits. They were in the traditional armor and robes the Jesuit order had worn for more than a hundred years now. Riddick noted their weapons; a pistol and a sword. It was no wonder that Jonathan was so uncomfortable around these particular Holy Men.
The taller of the two priests looked carefully at the Riddick's. "We were not expecting two of you." He said. "And we like to see who we are talking to."
"Where she goes, I go." Riddick said simply as he took off his glasses. Both priests gasped when they saw the four silvery eyes before them.
The priests recovered themselves quickly. The priest who had spoken spoke again. "I am Father Michael. This is Father Francesco. We are here to speak with."
Jacqueline said. "I know why you are here." She said. "And I know who you are here with."
Father Francisco stepped forward. "Do you know about the Jesuits?" He asked.
Jacqueline shook her head, but Riddick nodded. "The fighting Holy Men." he said. "I stayed with you briefly many years ago."
Father Francisco nodded. "I remember you. I remember your eyes. And your strength. When I heard that the woman named Jack had a protector, I thought of you." He gave half a grin.
Father Michael interrupted. "Saint Ignatius Loyola said that if God causes you to suffer much, it is a sign that He has great designs for you, and that He certainly intends to make you a saint."
Riddick snorted and rolled his eyes. "Are you telling me I created a saint?"
Father Francisco shrugged. "God used you to change his life, Mister Riddick."
"I never thought of it like that." Riddick said. "I was giving the son of a bitch what he deserved."
Father Francisco nodded. "You are her guardian angel." He said. "You avenged the wrong."
Jacqueline frowned. "That's not a problem for you?" She said.
Father Francisco smiled. "Jesuits have always carried the sword of God, Jack. Sometimes God's ways are difficult to understand. We believe that God used Mister Riddick here to avenge a wrong done to you as well as bring a sinner to us."
Father Michael walked closer to Jacqueline. "Saint Ignatius went on to say that if you wish to become a great saint, entreat Him yourself to give you much opportunity for suffering, for there is no wood better to kindle the fire of holy love than they wood of the cross, which Christ used for His own great sacrifice of boundless charity."
Jacqueline frowned. Father Francisco looked at her. "He needs to atone for his sin. Ask your forgiveness." He glanced at Riddick. "Yes." He said thoughtfully. "Perhaps God has brought you here for a reason." He said to Riddick. "For he may no doubt want to speak to you as well." He nodded. "Will you see him? The two of you?"
Riddick and Jacqueline conferred silently a moment before Jacqueline looked at the priests and nodded.
Father Michael and Father Francisco led the Riddick's through the underground tunnel into the chapel where they could confront Calvin Andrews.