17.
He had forgotten the feel of physical pain, the blinding agony that left you gasping for breath.
" I always knew that you were nothing but a wimp."
The voice was familiar. So was the taunt. He had heard it often enough.
"So this is where you have been hiding. Get up, you rat. If there is still any honour left in you, get up and face me like a man, Hyoga."
He looked up at his attacker.
"Ilya. My name is Ilya."
As he spoke his true name, reclaiming it for his own, he knew for certain that he had broken once and for all with Athena, Graad and Kido.
"Who cares. You are already dead. By the Unicorn Gallop!"
"Funnily enough, my first thought was how incredibly silly that sounded. All these ridiculously pompous names we gave to our techniques…when they all came down to the same thing: hit your opponent as hard as you can. My freezing blows are just another variation on the theme."
"Saga, Kanon and Deathmask were pretty innovative with their interdimensional stuff, and what about Sorrent with that deadly symphony of his? Not to mention that Pied Piper act he put on with Julian Solo."
"The Spectres of Hades did some gruesome things too. Rune, for one, and Pharaoh…and the titles they gave themselves!"
"That was to make it more interesting, more colourful. A slugfest isn't enough; you have to dress the part. And that, somehow, was supposed to take the sting out of it. A fight to the death is not so bad if it's balletic. It's called Martial Arts, after all."
"Now that is a contradiction in terms. There is nothing artistic about killing people. Oh yes, it looks good, all that song and dance, but you do end up with a dead guy, call that Art? "
This time, he was prepared for it: he caught the blow.
"I do not fight."
"This is not a fight. This is an execution. Only because you were once a Saint do I grant you the honour of my Ultimate Attack, and the chance to defend yourself!"
"I do not fight!"
Ilya Vladimirovich scrambled to his feet and turned his back on the other.
"Wha…what…?"
This was not how it went. When a Saint has made his challenge, combat irrevocably follows. Only when the opponent is deemed unworthy will he break off his fight
"You can't walk away just like that!"
"Can't I? Watch me go."
The Unicorn Saint laughed.
"Go where? Nowhere in the world is safe for you. We will track you, find you, hunt you down until you are dead."
Ilya swivelled round.
"For the moment I am going inside to check on the damage you have done and give assistance to my undoubtedly shocked friends. They are innocents, remember what that is? Pray that none are hurt!"
"Innocent? They gave you shelter! Anyway, casualties will happen when people get in the way of combat."
Ilya was near to the boiling point, but managed to keep calm.
"You should become the new Cancer Saint: that is exactly how Deathmask used to talk."
The Unicorn Saint grew serious.
"Such is the price one has to pay for Peace and Justice. Anyway, Deathmask has returned."
He exulted at Ilya's cry of dismay.
"You didn't know that, eh? All the Gold Saints are back in sanctuary…though some had to be brought back by the combined talents of Mu, the Gemini Twins and Shaka. All except for Aioros and Sion who have been dead for too long. Dokho is the new Pope, of course, and the Libra position is open…"
"Is Aiolia back too?" Ilya interrupted uninterested in Sanctuary vacancies but very much in the possibility of a healer available for Vimi.
Jabu was momentarily taken aback by the other's hopeful question.
"Do you want to die by his hand? Forget it. No Gold Saint will soil himself with your traitor's blood. Prepare to meet your Doom!"
"Jabu, don't be tiresome. My friends may be hurt, I am going in to see if I can help them, so get lost, will you? I am no longer a Saint."
"No, and that is why I will kill you!" snarled the frustrated Unicorn
"Well kill me later!" Ilya bit back, rapidly losing his patience with the fool. Without paying him any more attention, he rushed into the house, where he was met by total chaos.
Crows Hall's lovely drawing room had been transformed into ground zero.
The former Cygnus Saint had to strain his eyes to see through the still billowing dust clouds.
Coughs, moans, sobs, cries of agony.
And then visual: the victims.
Miho was bleeding profusely from a head wound caused by a flint splinter that had almost taken her eye out. Jacob was nursing his right arm. Skippy had fainted. Sunrei was sobbing in mrs. Fields arms.
Esk and his father were sneezing loudly.
Queer was nowhere to be seen.
Uncle Ben, Vimi and Seika were frantically digging something out from under a pile of rubble.
Someone.
Auntie Pauline, the jolly, warm-hearted infinitely generous Sussex farmer's wife had been standing right behind the wall into which Ilya had crashed.
He was beside his friends' side in a flash. Telepathically he called out to the Unicorn Saint: "Jabu, if you have ANY common decency, use your telekinesis and GET HER OUT FROM UNDER THE DEBRIS!!!"
He did not wait for a reply, but started to move a few hefty stones himself. Suddenly the whole mass rose, hovered, and then flew back into the hole left by the impact, effectively (though not very neatly) plugging it.
"Thank you."
"Pauline!" cried Uncle Ben in a dreadful voice, "Pauline…she's na breathin' prop'rly!"
A horrible wheezing sound escaped from auntie's lips, pushing forth bloody spittle.
Carefully, Ilya drew her into his arms.
"What are ye doin' lad, you should'ner be movin' 'er…"
"Shhhh…."
"My Cosmos, I call upon you for healing! Burn!"
The rattling breath grew thin.
Then stopped.
"Pauline!!!"
"No! What good is it being an almost God and all-powerful if I cannot save even one life? Oh, God, God of my parents, help me! Bozhe Moi, she has been like a mother to Jacob and the girls, for their sake, heal, heal, heal!!!"
A sigh, long and even.
Auntie Pauline opened her eyes.
"I just had the strangest dream…I was in a cold, white, dark place, and then I heard the beating of a thousand wings, and there was light, and swans, magnificent swans flying overheard…oh! Why am I lying on the floor?"
She sat up.
"Ooooh…my beautiful home…oooooh…what happened?!!"
"He happened." answered Ilya, bitterly, pointing at Jabu who had entered in his wake.
The Russian stood up to face the Unicorn Saint.
"Well?"
"Well what?"
"'What'?!" Is that all you've got to say for yourself? How about: 'I am sorry I've wrecked your beautiful home and nearly killed you.'? It's called an apology. I know, Saints never apologise, but people do. There is a first time for everything. Go on…."
"Apologise to gaijin scum? What do you take me for?" sneered Jabu, confident that because he talked in his own language no one would understand him. Unfortunately for the Unicorn Saint, mr. Field not only understood but also spoke it fluently.
"A most arrogant and ill-mannered young man, obviously." said the Englishman, dusting himself off," I take it that you are one of those so-called 'Saints'."
The Japanese boy tried to sound dignified as he answered: " I am Jabu, Bronze Saint of the Sign of the Unicorn."
It sounded peevish.
Mr. Field frowned.
"I suggest we switch to a language everyone can follow. I have been told that you spend several years in Algeria, so you must have mastered some French. Speak that if you haven't any English. Perhaps you will also be so good as to explain your presence. I should warn you: there are laws in England about wilful destruction of people's property and causing grievously bodily harm…."
Jabu sounded even more peevish as in halting French he answered: "None of which would have happened if the Renegade had surrendered."
"Surrendered?! You hit me without warning! If I hadn't caught the second blow the impact would have brought the roof down!" cried Ilya.
"Quiet, son. Let me handle him." said mr. Field, holding up a warning hand. "Now then, Jabu, am I correct in assuming you have come for our Ilya?"
"I have come to take him to Sanctuary, dead or alive."
"Do you have a warrant?" came a voice from the doorway.
It was Queer.
A…warrant?"
"Yes, you know, a warrant for his arrest? An official document saying you are entitled to take him? "explained the youngest Field son, his wicked smile twisting his lips, " A mandate, an order, a simple scrap of paper…anything ? No? Then you can't have him. You see, the Law prescribes that even the police can't arrest someone without a warrant. Ilya is a British citizen now and therefore protected by British Law…incidentally, are there any extradition agreements between Britain and Sanctuary? No, of course not, silly of me, there aren't any diplomatic ties, Sanctuary is not recognised among the Nations. Besides, he has the status of political refugee, it guarantees his safety, that's how it works in civilised society nowadays."
By the time Queer had finished, Jabu's jaw had dropped down to his chest.
"You on the other hand have committed criminal acts in this country and I bet you don't even have a passport. Illegal entry of the territory will be but one of the reasons for your arrest." continued Queer. Then he turned to his father.
"I've made The Call, Cap. SIS will be here within minutes."
"Good thinking, son."
"Call? SIS?"
Mr. Field sighed. "Young man, when we engage ourselves to protect someone, we do. Crows Hall is a Safe House. The Intelligence Service keeps a twenty-four hour watch down in the village, and we all know their emergency number by heart. I expect they will want to ask you a few questions. In your own best interests I urge you to cooperate."
Jabu's mouth snapped shut, only to open again and let out the irritating little laugh he had used in his interview with Kate Adie.
"What can you people threaten me with? I give you fair warning, my powers are considerable…."
"We know, we have seen and felt them in action." snapped Skippy, who had recovered from her swoon. She was crouching against the upturned sofa, shielding her swollen belly as her husband held her protectively in his arms, "It brings only destruction…oh…my baby…"
"Tais-toi, sale negresse!" *
"Right, that's it, I won't stand for any more of this." said Uncle Ben, his eyes glittering as dangerously as his Saxon ancestor's must have done when confronted with invading Normans, " Nobody wrecks my home, hurts my wife and insults my family without getting away with it!"
"Nah, Ben, he be nowt but a horrible brat, I know how to teach him some manners!" said Auntie Pauline, and before the Unicorn Saint could say 'Athena' she had him by the ear, pulled him down as she plonked herself on the sofa and him over her knee, and with a hand made rough through hard work deftly smacked him on the bottom.
"You are hitting a Saint, Auntie, doesn't that count as blasphemy among you devout Christians?" remarked Queer, amusedly.
"It's him that's blasphemous, passing himself of as a Saint in the service of a Heathen Goddess an' all. Anyway (smack!) I am sure that even the Good Lord Himself (smack!!) got a spanking from his Holy Mum when he misbehaved (smack! smack!!) !"
"Let go of me!" squealed Jabu "How dare you! You will all be killed!"
"Oh, bravo, death threats now, to be added to the evergrowing list!" chuckled Queer, " Officer, are you taking this all down?"
"Right you are, sir!"
A beefy, big moustachioed Police Constable made his appearance behind Queer. Next to him stood Sir Frederic Mountjoy, DSO, O.B.E, etceteras, agent of SIS or, as most people knew it, MI6. **
"Good afternoon." he said amiably, "Need a hand, Pauline?"
"Nah, it be al right, he's learnt his lesson now, haven't you, lad?"
"Good. Then I do have some questions for him indeed."
Mr. Field gave voice to his surprise at his friend's presence.
"Don't tell me there's such a shortage in the Service that the chief himself has stand on watch…"
"Not at all, I was at the police station on my way here when The Call came, PC Barnes was good enough to accompany me. OK, Barnes, give the lads the all clear sign and show him in."
"Show who in?"
A joyful bark, a screech, and a deep booming voice came in answer.
"Me! Mewwy Chwishmash evewyone!"
In flew a grassgreen parrot, a huge slobbering mastiff and a bear of a man: Sibylla, Janiculus and Nick.
"What on earth…you were supposed to be in Brussels looking after our house and livestock, not bringing them over for a surprise visit…it's against quarantine regulations too! Don't tell me you brought the moggies as well…"
"No, my ex agweed to look aftew them, the othewsh wewe too much fow hew."
"Nick, whatever happened to your voice…your face! It's all swollen!" cried Vimi.
The big man pointed at Jabu.
"Hish fisht connected with it. Came out of the blue lasht evening. Wanted me to tell wewe you awe…told him to go to hell…Cosht me a couple of teeth."
Anyone who had only seen Vimi in her black-dog days would never have believed what happened next. Like a cat she lashed out at the Unicorn Saint, cutting him across the cheek, then threw herself into her friend's arms, burying her face in his beard.
"My poor Nick!"
The man looked as if he would gladly sacrifice any other part of his anatomy in order to hold the frail young woman like this.
"Shoon as I wecovewed I called the numbew you gave me, and Shiw Fwedewic had me picked up and we flew ovew."
"I probably should have warned you but I did not want to spoil your Christmas, " said the Intelligence Officer, "Nick assured me he had said nothing…"
"Sowwy, musht have had a black-out. Can't wemembew a thing."
"Good thing you are a dentist, eh, Nick? " joked Queer, "Teeth…now that reminds me of something…I have it! Fletcher-Parks. All our acquaintances seem to be losing theirs of late. "
"I hope I am mowe than jusht an aquaintance. Beshides, thewe ish no connection, ish thewe?"
"Nick, stand aside please, you're shpitting, I mean, spitting. Sowwy, it's contagious. And yes, there is a connection. Us. Ilya. The Saints. We know Sanctuary got to Miss Asatani and wanted to wipe her memory, what if they planted a memory of mugging in Fletcher-Parks brain when in reality he was questioned too? "
"Hubert, that boy of yours is ripe for the Service." said Sir Frederic, "That is exactly what happened, and we have proof, too."
He produced a photograph from his pocket and held it up for all to see.
The image was fuzzy, but it did show two strangely attired figures holding a limp body of a man, behind an enclosure.
"Care to tell us who those men are?" he asked of Jabu, "The picture was taken by a surveillance camera in our Tokyo Embassy, on the exact day when Fletcher-Parks was supposedly 'mugged'. Their funny costumes, I might add, are somewhat similar to yours."
"I don't have to answer you."
"He doesn't have to." said Ilya, " The funny costumes - yes, they are, Jabu, both funny ha-ha and funny peculiar - are Cloths: Gold Cloths, to be precise, of the Aries and Virgo Saints. Shaka is a master in planting false memories. "
"But Reginald was mugged over a month ago!" cried Seika, " What took them so long, if they read of our whereabouts in his mind?"
"Fletcher-Parks only knew that you are with an English family called 'Field' living outside of Britain. It's a common name. They have been bothering Fields all over the world, I've checked. Like Queer I made the connection between the two occurrences when Nick called me. Had the Embassy's security been a little more efficient we would have know at the time, but they don't keep watch at night and never bothered to check their tapes."
"Hold on! " said Esk, "But you if you knew last night already that we were at risk, why didn't you warn us? Damn it, my wife's pregnant, she's had a fright, we could lose our baby!"
"Let me guess, it's a stake-out, right?" said Queer, "We have been the goat. Bèèèèèh!!"
"Is that true, Mountjoy?" asked his father. Though his tone was neutral, the fact that he used Sir Frederic's last name was significant: mr. Field abhorred that English public-school habit. " Were you by any chance setting up your own little England-Spiel? Sir Colin would have been proud of you.***"
"You know the drill, Hubert. The Office wants results or Upstairs **** will pull the plug on the whole Operation. I have little tangible evidence to convince them it's worth the taxpayer's money. Already they have given me the nickname Mystic Mountjoy on reading my reports. If you hadn't been so adamant to keep Hyoga under your wing…"
"Ilya. He is not a performing monkey, and you should be capable of convincing Upstairs without demonstrations of a Saint's power: that's your job. Were you by any chance hoping to capture another live one? "
"Capture!" laughed Jabu, "Foolish mortals, no one catches a Saint."
With that he vanished.
"Teleportation! The only way to travel!" chuckled Queer at Sir Frederic's astonishment, " You can kiss your tangible evidence goodbye. But then, you never needed that brat, did you? I bet that while we were at Midnight Mass you've got the place wired as back-up, to get it all on tape. That is what I would have done."
"Great Scot! Lad, if you ever decide to enter the Service, you'll be running us in no time!"
"He won't." said mr. Field with perfect assurance, " His appearance and general misdemeanour notwithstanding my son has a conscience and high moral standards he will not leave behind."
"Careful, Cap, you are slipping: that's two compliments you've paid me in as many days. Now that the cat is out of the bag, Sir, can the goats be filled in on the details of the operation? "
"Of course. But may I suggest more comfortable and, more importantly, secure surroundings? That young fellow will tell all and they might come back…this Safe House's cover is blown."
"I don't think that Jabu will dare whisper a word of what happened!" laughed Ilya, " He feel too humiliated. Actually, I doubt he was send by Athena in the first place. Deathmask is…is Sanctuary's executioner, and they know that even he is technically inferior to me in strength. Moreover, if Jabu does tell, Athena will know that Sanctuary's cover is blown as well, she'll have to tread carefully from now on: the Secret must be kept at all cost. She won't risk exposure by coming in force. You've outmanoeuvred her! The Unicorn was probably meant to search for the right Field family but not intervene. In his excitement at finding us he bungled his mission. Typically Jabu. He failed to properly wipe Nick's memory and rushed out to get me, all to impress his Goddess. He always was a terrible ar…erm. Sorry, Pal, Auntie, I almost said something rude."
The two mrs. Field smiled indulgently.
"Another one who'll do well in the Service." chuckled Sir Frederic, " Actually, that's what I thought. If I were Athena I'd keep a very low profile. So I reckon you'll be safe enough. I'll have my lads do something about the mess, Pauline, I am truly sorry about that. And I won't have it said that the Service doesn't clean up after it."
"You'll need the builders in to fix the hole in the wall properly. Sent the bill to Graad! Damage done to a classified building…one more for the list" grinned Queer.
PC Barnes, who had been seriously taking notes, closed his booklet carefully and tugged his mustachio.
"That might be difficult, this being Christmas, but my brother is a dab hand with the trowel, I'll get him to come tomorrow, and if you can promise him a hot meal and some of your great mince-pies, Pauline, he'll be bringing his sons, too!"
'Thanks, John." said Auntie Pauline gratefully, "Let's all go in to the kitchen for a nice cuppa."
"Tea! The great English panacea! " cried Queer, " And we haven't had breakfast yet! Tell you what, I'll stoke up the old AGA ***** and fix us some: sausage, crispy bacon, tomato: the works. We'll feel much better on a full stomach after all that commotion. Nick, for you I'll do my speciality: porridge so sloppy you can slurp it through a straw…"
The big man joshingly cuffed his friend's ear for that.
'That's a lovely idea." said Auntie Pauline warmly, "Thank you, Queer. We also have that big Christmas Cake Miss Marini send us from Italy, and girls, will you help me make some sandwiches? Oh, Jacob- does your arm still hurt, mush? - be a dear then and check if there are any eggs. The hens are off their lay this season, but there is always the odd chance that one thinks it's spring already. My, look at us, all covered in dust and still in our pyjamas and dressing-gowns…I'll draw us baths in the guesthouse…Miho, love, come with me and I'll see to your cheek…"
The farmer's wife was happy to busy herself making everyone comfortable, and barely an hour later they all sat at the large oaken kitchen table over steaming plates, home-made bread thickly spread with fresh butter and mugs of strong, sweet tea.
Janiculus was contentedly chewing on a bone, and Sibylla shared an apple with Queer, perched on his shoulder.
Occasionally a doughty man in commando outfit would enter to fill up a couple of pails with hot water, and from the drawing room came the sounds of people not terribly used to the job of cleaning up, busying themselves with mop and broom and vacuum cleaner.
After a while mr. Field put down his knife and fork, wiped his lips with his napkin and asked: " Well, Fred? Let's have it."
Sir Frederic put a briefcase on the table and opened it. From inside he produced something that made Esk exclaim in envy and admiration: " A laptop! I've always wanted one of those, they are the very latest thing in computers, so practical, you can take them everywhere…
"That is precisely why you can't have it." said his wife firmly, " You're bad enough as it is. With one of those you'll be off 'physicking' in the bathroom next. No way, mate!"
Her husband gave her a quick hug. The young Australian had perked up a bit, but she still looked shaken from the ordeal. The soon-to-be-mother had had a bad fright and that worried him.
" I am so terribly sorry." Ilya apologised for the tenth time, " It is all my fault. I should have been more on my guard. And what Jabu called you was unforgivable!"
" No worries." smiled Skippy, " I've been called worse, Australian white folk are terrible racists too. My people have been compared to gorilla's, and some think we are the Missing Link…one gets used to it."
" One shouldn't." growled Esk, " There is no excuse."
" The boy's Japanese." said mr. Field, referring to the Unicorn Saint, "Up till fifty years ago they were all raised in the belief that a pure-blooded Yamato is one of the Master-Race. Like the Nazi's with Aryanism, and, let's be fair, we English have the same tendencies towards the Scots, Welsh, Irish, Cornish, not to mention the Continentals. However, a Japanese of Korean, Chinese, Okinawan, Ainu or Burakumin origin is still a second-rate citizen.***** and I shall never forget how they screamed 'monster'! when they first saw the black American soldiers, back in '45…"
" Speaking of which, do you also remember the Tokyo Trials?" asked Sir Frederic.
" How can I forget?! The whole thing was uncanny. On cannot condemn a man for a crime that wasn't considered one when he committed it, yet that's exactly what we did! To the letter of the Law, the Trials of Nuremberg and Tokyo were illegal. But in the light of the camps, one just has to rewrite the Law as one goes along, for pure humanitarian reasons. The Trials were a test case for later. That, in my opinion was the only good thing about them."
" Quite."
" I nevew undewshtood how an SOE twained fow shabotage and shtuff ended up intewwogating waw cwiminalsh." Nick remarked. Both mr. Field and Sir Frederic looked uncomfortable.
'Sorry, but that falls under the Official Secrets Act." said the latter.
" Translated that means: none of your business, come back in 1995 when the 50-year taboo has been lifted." said Queer, " At a guess I 'd say they were looking for recuperation material. People that would tow the party line, the sort one can do business with, and hang the rest, literally. Am I right or am I right?"
" Sharp." sighed Sir Frederic, " Too sharp. Yes, Queer, that is what we were doing. Sniff out the 'right' people. One can't hang them all, you have to compromise if you want to rebuild society. And believe me, it beats sabotage and killing people in cold blood. Every man Jack that was hanged had had a fair trial, which is more than could be said for the civilian victims of the War. Your father had already been doing some work in the field, pumping information from German POW's in '44, since it would be his job to pose as a German officer on the run in Japan. It never came to that though…anyway, it's all water under the bridge now. What I wanted to know, Hubert, is whether you remember Koichi Kido."
" I do indeed. The Emperor's boyhood friend and only non-military advisor. One of the big fishes, so not mine to interrogate.
I only met him once, and he struck me as a sly old fox."
" So he was. When it became apparent in '44 that Japan was likely to lose he assembled a 'peace-faction' with 'clean' diplomats, military, even a couple of ex-prime ministers, led by the Emperor's cousin Prince Konoye. In '45 he had them rounded up and arrested as 'defeatist elements' God, I remember the files, complete with very proper interrogations and all, and it was just a set-up to fool the Americans into believing there was such thing as a Resistance movement in Japan, and that they were the ''right' people!"******. MacArthur didn't fall for it, but he knew Kido was right, Japan needed people to deal with the chaos after the capitulation. Well, our Kido, Mitsumasa, was the Old Fox's nephew and a chip off the old block. His Uncle wanted to come up trumps after the war so he send his nephew to ensure that Japan's secret arms depots all over Asia would not fall into enemy hands. When the Kido Senior was captured and sentenced to life imprisonment, Junior became sole depository of the secret of the hidden depots. He started himself up as an armsdealer, selling the weapons that by right belonged to Japan to the highest bidder and pocketed the money: that was the beginning of the Graad fortune!"
" Clever bastard. I suppose that information was in the files Miss Marini found in the Kido safe?"
" Exact. We knew about it of course, but lacked the concrete evidence we have now. Imagine the scandal when we let the world know. The whole paedophile thing will pale by comparison…though as far as human suffering is concerned, that is of course far worse. But by his actions Kido has dishonoured Japan, if he weren't dead already he'd be forced to commit seppuku.******* Kate Adie is on top of the story, ready to blow the lid when we give her the green light. Athena, I mean. Saori Kido, will have her chair kicked from right under her. Graad will be finished."
" Good." said Miho with grim satisfaction, " I hope to be there when she falls. I want to see her crushed."
" You were so vindictive. In your letter to me you spoke of negotiating with Athena, but Jabu's attack really changed your mind."
" It opened my eyes to the fact that she'd never change her ways. You are a better person than I am, Ilya, you still believed in a peaceable arrangement."
" Better or more naïve? No, I had no illusions either. Sanctuary was too set in its ways. However: ' Point n'est besoin d'esperer pour entreprendre, ni de reussir pour perseverer.'"
" Hey! Translation, please!"
" Sorry, Ikki. Approximately: ' It is not needful to hope in order to undertake, nor to succeed in order to persevere.' A Queerism."
"Come again?"
" One of his quotations. William of Orange, right, Queer?"
"Spot on, you'll pass your History examination with flying colours, mark my words. William of Orange combated the King of Spain back in the 16 th century because the latter wished to rule the Low Countries as sole master, without respecting the Freedom and Rights and Privileges the people there had enjoyed for centuries. William won as far as the Netherlands was concerned, and that country became an independent republic. A kind of Revolutionary against Absolutism, he was. Like you lot, in fact."
" I should hope not, wasn't he assassinated?"
" Well, you're still alive."
"Not all of us…"
" Now, now, dear, don't be like that. I'm sure that Athena meant for the best. " mrs. Field tried to pacify the angry Japanese girl,
" She does protect Earth against the other Gods, no?"
" Earth would be better served if they settled their differences like civilised people. Humans do."
" Only some of us do." corrected Sir Frederic, " And fifty years ago we weren't much civilised either. Now, to return to the plan…the next phase will be to wheedle the people of Rodorio out from under the influence of Sanctuary. The Greek government has already been contacted to that end and is happy to recuperate what essentially are Greek territory and citizens, and we have an agent working undercover there. Especially the young are open to the ideas of freedom and being able to leave, see the world, being whispered in their ears. A life of subservience to Sanctuary lacks appeal, apparently, particularly to the girls."
" Good for them if they revolt!" cried Seika, " For centuries they had to breed new Saints, it's time they had there own say. When I lived there I had to fight off those horrible Silver creeps, and even some Goldies propositioned me: Milo, Shura and Deathmask. The latter two just wouldn't take no for an answer, luckily Leo and Taurus kept them in check. Aiolia is a thoroughly decent man, and Aldebaran's a sweetie. He used to have a terrible crush on one of the Rodorian girls, and bring her posies all the time, but he was to shy to speak up…still she went unmolested. Without a Saint to back her, a Rodorian woman would be handed from one to the other, and end up servicing the Sanctuary guards. The Rodorian men never could do anything about it. Everybody knew what was going on, but nobody spoke of it, and we fawned before the Pope in the hope that he would protect us from his men's excesses To be fair, he often did, that was why he was so well-loved."
"Hello, if Aiolia met you in Rodorio, why didn't he make the connection with Seiya? I mean, a Japanese girl in a village full of Greek people, how come no-one mentioned it?" asked Queer.
" The Leo Saint is not very bright. Besides, the Rodorians are just servants to the Saints and would-be Saints: faceless people. I might as well have been wearing a mask. Aldebaran is an exception. You know, for the sake of his girl he might just turn to our side…"
" It's not a matter of sides.' corrected Ilya, " But of what's Right. The Gods must be made to see that they can't keep on fighting for the possession of Earth, and that will only happen if the Saints, united, refuse to fight."
" A Saint Sit-Down Strike!" grinned Queer, " I'll teach you to sing: 'I'll lay down my Sword and Shield, Down By the River Side…I'll study War no More!"
Ilya grinned back. He had heard some of those Songs of Protest Queer favoured, and liked them.
The former Cygnus Saint took a bite of the home-made Pannetone Antonia had sent. It was hard imagining the feisty Opiuchus saint with an apron baking cookies, and as he savoured the taste of the typically Italian cake, a feeling he had no word for invaded him, yet he recognised it, for he had felt it before, and it was something he associated with Home and Family.
"If they could see us now, Shaina home-maker, cookie-baker and future lawyer, me studying to go to school and Jacob going already…would they despise or envy us?"
You are smiling, Hy- Ilya. Care to share the happy thought?" asked Queer.
"Just thinking that the Gods have to become human again."
"They might if they no longer had any following." remarked Vimi.
"Yes there is the religious aspect as well." said Sir Frederic, " We have found an ally in the Vatican."
"What, John Paul's upset because he has competition?"
"No, we checked out the ostensibly Roman Catholic Children of the Star Orphanage and it turns out the priests weren't even priests, it was all a front to stop people from looking. A regular orphanage or a Shinto temple would not have passed scrutiny, but who will bother with a gaijin thing? Clever, but they should not have aired the paedophile scandal: the Papists don't like it when their name is taken in vain…erm, sorry, forgot you lot are Catholic."
"Thou art forgiven." said Queer solemnly, making the sign of the Cross over the Intelligence Officer, "Ego te Absolvo. What about this Tatsumi fellow then, is he ready to spill the beans now that Saori Kido has dropped him?"
"On the contrary, he's ready to take the fall for her, very bushido. The man's a complete oyster. Confesses to everything, claims it's all his own doing, Miss Kido is as innocent as a newborn babe. Still, we are cutting the treads of the web, one by one."
"Like we did, destroying the Pillars of Poseidon's underwater realm." observed Ilya, "However, taking the analogy a step further, Sanctuary may prove as inviolable as Main Blade Winner was."
"That remains to be seen." said Sir Frederic, "At any rate we have the satellites back on line, we can actually see the place. Let me show you."
With deft fingers the man tapped some orders in his laptop. The screen flicked on and showed an aerial view of Greece.
"Zooming in on the region near Athens…there! Ilya, can you tell us more about it?"
The Russian watched with keen interest the images that were so familiar and yet so strange seen from above.
Then he pointed: " That's the great Zodiacal Clock at the very heart of Sanctuary, for one can see it from everywhere, and over there is Star Hill, where the Pope goes to observe the firmament."
"In close up there seems to be some kind of Chapel on top...it bears a cross too."
"The Pope wore a crucifix…"
"That will make the Greek Orthodox Church happy." remarked Queer, "Heathen Gods and Christianity, how ecumenical."
"Quite. A couple of Greek popes are in league with Sanctuary, which makes sense, since they need contacts in the outside world." explained Sir Frederic, "What are those buildings, the Zodiacal Temples?"
"Yes, all twelve, and the thirteenth is the palace of the Pope" nodded Ilya.
"Riveting!" Skippy clapped her hands in excitement, " Thirteen almost intact Greek temples! Esk, if Stevie Hawking would give what's left of his body for the mathematical formula that makes Saints tick, Renfrew, my professor of Classical Archaeology would do murder to have a go at Sanctuary."
Esk cuddled her fondly.
"Sometimes, my love, I think that you only married me because I told you the family farm lies practically on top of on of the Chilgrove Villae."
"It's the lack of ancient classical ruins in Australia that makes my fingers itch. I tell you, the archaeologist in me is playing up.
If I could study those buildings…"
"You'd be dead before you could set foot in one of them." warned Ilya, " Each is guarded by a Gold saint. It took us all of twelve hours to get to the palace, fighting nine of them on the way."
"Dear God, I hope that scenario won't have to repeat itself when we go there!" exclaimed Sir Frederic.
The former Cygnus Saint stared at him aghast.
"Do you plan to storm Sanctuary?! That was considered suicide even for us Bronzes at the time."
"Storm it, no. Besiege it, rather. The idea is to cut of their supply lines. To that end Hubert has brokered a deal with NATO. Though he landed a job at the Council of the EEC it in the early seventies, he's still kept his contacts with friends at the Brussels Headquarters from the days he worked there, and it wasn't hard to convince them with the proof we have of the necessity to move troops in on the area, ostensibly on manoeuvres."
"Supplies?"
"Food, clothing…the land around Rodorio is arid, it can't support the village and sanctuary, not unless you manage to survive on a handful of olives and a glass of goat's milk a day…"
"That would be hard in winter when nowt grows and the beasts are dry." said Uncle Ben the farmer.
"As a matter of fact, they could just use their powers." said Esk, "The principles of teleport is the transformation of mass into energy back to mass. Now, if they rearranged the atomic structure of that mass…"
"Whoa, Big Brainy Brother of mine, run that by us one more time in English for the lay-men!" interrupted Queer.
"Well, in theory they could transform anything into anything. Like they do in that new Star Trek series, food-replicators I believe they call it…"
"You can watch that stuff? I mean, 'Come back Kirk, all is forgiven!' All that streamlined technology and special effects, but they can't get the bald one to pronounce his name the correct French way…and the technobabble, yawn, yawn!"
"Yes, I was in stitches over all that scientific rot too, though Stevie's a fan and plans to star in an episode before he dies.
However, with the things I've witnessed in the last hour, I'm not so sure of my Newton anymore. So how about it Hyoga, sorry, Ilya, can you change rock into bread?"
The Russian shook his head, "I've never tried, and if the Goldies can, they would consider it beneath them, so I don't think they do. Besides, it would involve exact knowledge of bread's atomic structure, one molecule out of place and you'd have something inedible."
Esk looked at him thoughtfully.
"You have a very analytical brain, you'd make a good mathematician."
"The thing is, " cut in Sir Frederic who had got the feeling he had lost his grip on the conversation," We know of regular deliveries to Sanctuary."
"How do they pay for it?" inquired mrs. Field, " Does Athena have a bank-account? Saori Kido has, obviously, but that's a recent development, how did she do it in the past?"
"We intercepted one such shipment…they pay in gold. She must have a treasury bigger than the Bank of England and the contents of Fort Knox put together. I presume that in ancient times she just taxed the peasants like any old feudal lord."
"No wonder Greece is such a poor country and it's economy a shambles." Remarked mr. Field, "It has been sucked dry for centuries. So when are you going to send an embassy, Fred?"
"By and by. We'll have to move earlier taking into account that that young fellow with the horn has warned them."
"One thing worries me." said Ilya, "The coming war with Zeus. Hades is dead, Ares has been ousted from Sanctuary - if it was him that possessed Saga- and Poseidon has joined up with Athena. Sitll, she was adamant we had to prepare for another attack, and we were ordered to train new Saints."
"Yes, the satellites have picked up on one such training session, watch." announced Sir Frederic, " I should warn you, it's pretty grim."
Once more he conjured up an image on his laptop.
The women cried out, and even the tougher men made strangled noises of disgust at what they saw.
The strongest reaction came from Sunrei. Up until then the young Chinese girl had kept quiet, but know she burst out, eyes wide with anger: "I hate him! I hate him! How can he do such things! "
She was pointing at the screen on which, in black-and-white and taken from above but still identifiable man in elaborate winged cloth was bashing at a smaller figure.
"It's Shiryu! He is hurting a child!"
"That," said Ilya grimly, "Is called training."
The small figure fell flat on the ground, face first.
"If he does not rise within two minutes he isn't Saint material and will be discarded."
The little boy did not move. After a while, the Dragon Saint turned away, chose another candidate from the waiting line of children and resumed the exercise.
A couple of guards came and carted the corpse away.
The deadly silence in Crows Hall's kitchen was only broken by the sound of Skippy rushing over to the sink and blowing her breakfast.
"That was not my Shiryu!" wept Sunrei, "She has turned him into a monster."
"No, she has turned him into a true Saint. One who is able to kill his enemy without compassion. I have been told over and over again that sentiment is my weakness. Mastering one's feelings is a must, for a Saint, so much so that one ends up not having any. Shaka who claims to be the man closest to God prides himself in his lack of compassion, and frowns upon his
Pre-incarnation Buddha, who still had it."
Ilya smiled bitterly, " And yet we are supposed to fight for Love, that very Sentiment we must hold in contempt. Shiryu used to set great store by friendship. Apparently, Sainthood and Love have become incompatible for him."
"Military training is all about dehumanisation of the enemy." said mr. Field, " When you stop thinking of the other as a man, you are capable of killing him. Regular soldiers had it easier: they were up against people who could defend themselves, mostly: enemy soldiers. We of SOE were prepared for assassination. Several among broke down during training, and those who came back from a mission more often than not were scarred for life. Killing is never easy, nor should it be."
His eyes met Ilya's, and the former Cygnus Saint realised that mr. Field knew exactly how he felt for the Englishman had once, long ago, struggled with the same questions, the same anguish, and perhaps was troubled still by his past.
Yet without words the ex-SOE agent had given the ex- Saint all the comfort and reassurance he craved.
Sir Frederic returned to the subject at hand.
"We can assume that Zeus too is preparing in a similar fashion. It would be helpful if we knew where his hideout is located, then we could sent him an embassy as well."
Ilya shrugged.
"I haven't a clue. Well, one: Hades realm was underground, Poseidon's under the Sea, so Zeus, being the God of Heaven, should be in a high place."
"Traditionally he throned on Mount Olympus." said Vimi, " That seems unlikely know, what with tourism and mountaineering rampant in the area."
"Pewhapsh he has moved to a mowe inacceshible place…Outew Shpace? The faw shide of the moon?" suggested Nick.
"No air, low gravity, hard to get at: any other bright ideas, Nicky?" teased Queer
"What about the Himalayas?" said mr. Field, " They are as close as you can get to heaven, and empty of tourists, bar Everest where they are cueing up to the top since Hillary…"
"Possibly. Mu might know, he was born there." answered Ilya.
"That's the Aries fellow, right? The one who rearranged Fletcher-Parks dental features with his Virgo pal. Think he would be friendly and inclined to share information on the matter with us, always provided we'd get to him?" asked Queer" By the way, what do they all look like? Can we have a close-up, please."
Sir Frederic obliged, starting with the Palace.
"Hey, is that Athena on her throne? Oh, whoo-hoo, zoom in please…cleavage! Does the job offer for the Service still stand, Sir Fred? 'Cause I'd like to apply for the position of manning your spy satellite's station…boy oh boy, great view, I mean, BIG!"
"Quirinalis, I believe I raised you to respect women and their bodies." said his mother frostily.
"The young man put up a virtuous countenance.
"I do, I do!" groaned the young man in mock-agony, "The chance was too good to miss, I'm flesh and blood after all…besides, if I may make a scientific observation, if that girl's only fourteen then she's been taking hormones. Well, admit it, Hyoga too is overdeveloped for his age, I bet he couldn't pass the pee test at the Olympics, anabolic stereotypes galore, hello testosterone! Sorry Ilya, that was tactless I guess."
"Yet probably true. Come to think of it, Previous generations of Saints were considerably older. I 'm pretty sure my master cheated on his age, for he claimed to be eighteen, that made him twelve when I first came to Kohutec, and Isaac had been training under him for already a year: he certainly looked far more adult. Given that Camu was a gold Saint fourteen years ago and training takes at least five years, he must have started in the womb."
They laughed at that.
"Is it my imagination or is it getting chilly in here?" Uncle Ben suddenly wondered. "Queer, the AGA is still burning, is it?"
"I'll check"
As the young man rose, Janiculus the mastiff yapped.
"What's wrong, lass?"
The dog jumped to its feet and gave a series of deep resounding barks. The sheepdog joined in, and the cats made camelbacks and bushy tails. Sibylla the parrot screeched.
Then the door burst open and a waft of freezing snow-filled wind threw in the mangled corpse of PC Barnes, followed by those of two commando's from Sir Frederic's SIS Unit.
"We meet again, Cygnus!" a cold voice called out.
It was Alexer, flanked by two Blue Graad Warriors.
Instantly Sir Frederic drew his gun from its breastholster and emptied the loader on the men.
The bullets merely ricocheted off a wall of ice.
"Down, everyone!" cried mr. Field, as the projectiles flew every which way, smashing windows and crockery and leaving holes in the wall.
All but Ilya hit the deck. The Russian flared his Cosmos and became Hyoga again, the powerful Cygnus Saint.
But his heart turned as cold as the air surrounding him.
"It is my fault, Bozhe Moi, I told them they would be safe, I should have sensed him coming, it's my fault, my fault, I won't let him hurt anyone!"
"Alexer, I give you two seconds to depart. You know that the three of you together are no match for me."
The other merely laughed.
"I didn't come for battle like that fool Jabu." sneered the Lord of Blue Graad, " The mighty Virgo Saint did not see fit to involve me in his secret search for you; come to think of it, he never told Athena he had read that English diplomat's mind.
She ordered to let the man go. Hah! Shaka wanted all the credit for himself and put that bleater Jabu on the job, but they couln't fool me! I followed him. I knew he would screw up. All that pussyfooting around mere mortals! We of Blue Graad are more expeditive. I have a way of luring you to Sanctuary, where not even you can face down our combined forces. You should have listened to your Master, Hyoga: Love will be your downfall."
With that he snapped his fingers, and his two henchmen rushed forward, grabbing the two people nearest to them: Vimi and Skippy.
Only Sibylla was quick enough to react. Talons outstretched and murderous beak, she went for Alexer's face.
And then they all vanished.
End of Part Two.
To be continued in Part Three: Ascension.
Author's Notes:
* Tais-toi, sale negresse : That's right, Jabu uses the 'N' word. I kept the original French as it will be less shocking
** DSO = Distinguished Service Order
OBE = Order of the British Empire
SIS = MI 6 (see also part II chapter 3) This branch of the British Intelligence Service concerns itself with the exterior (espionage) as opposed to MI 5 which deals with the interior (counter-espionage)
***England-Spiel: SOE or Special Operations Executive, a branch of the Secret Service during WWII specialised in sabotage and assassination in Europe mostly, for obvious reasons, which makes mr. Field, who could pass for a German in the Far East, extra special. They worked closely together with the Resistance. Sir Colin Gubbins, head of SOE send a number of agents to their capture, torture and death in occupied territory, knowing full well that the Nazi's had cracked their code. The plan was to convince them that the invasion was to take place in Holland. This was known as the England-Spiel. It worked, but the callous sacrifices made were certainly not Britain's ' Finest Hour'.
**** Upstairs: In the Jargon of the Intelligence Service, the Boss. In this case, of MI6, traditionally a Naval Commander.
***** AGA = a multifunctional stove, as much part of English Heritage as four o'clock tea.
****** True. A Yamato is a pure-blooded Japanese (crf.Aryan).Okinawa was a largely independent Kingdom till Japan annexed it in 1879. The Ainu, living on the Kurilen Islands, Sakhalin and mostly Hokkaido are an ethnic minority in Japan closer in appearance to the Aboriginals (hence Jabu's blatant racism). The Barakumin are Japan's pariahs: families of tanners and cadaver handlers, 'unclean' professions and they are treated accordingly.
******* Authentic.
******** Seppuku = hara-kiri
The idea of Mitsumasa Kido's post-war activities is inspired by a similar story in a Belgian Graphic Novel series (Yoko Tsuno) by Roger Leloup, in which the (Japanese!) heroine deals with a like criminal.