Better The Devil You Know
"Simple folks never sense the devil's presence, not even when his hands are on their throats."
Mephistopheles, Faust
1.
O, Discordia!
Once again in his quest for the Dark Tower, Roland Deschain of Gilead was alone.
Jack Andolini and several of Balazar's thugs had caught them in an ambush. Third time was the charm, and this time Eddie had been killed. Eddie was a born gunslinger, he had managed to hold his ground when he had fought them as nothing but a naked junkie in need of a fix, and another time in 1977. This time they were ambushed once again while trying to find a doorway to 1999 to save Susannah.
Andolini had been a coward. During fierce gunfight that had followed, somehow Andolini managed to shoot Eddie once in the head. It wasn't quick at all, but slow like Alain's accidental shooting. Roland had expected that if Eddie was going to die, it would have been like Cuthbert at Jericho Hill, but not like this.
Andolini didn't have enough time to shoot again, for in the next second, Roland had shot him right between his eyes. The sight of Andolini lying on the ground with his brains around him was enough for the thugs to disperse.
Eddie had died in Roland's arms, half-delirious. Roland had wanted to put him out of his misery, but he couldn't.
Eddie had died asking for Susannah.
Roland had come across another door the next week, this one leading to Calla Bryn Sturgis. Or, what was once left of it. One of the beams had collapsed, pretty much annihilating the town. Unbeknownst to him, the destruction had occurred some 19 seconds after the writer called Stephen King had been killed from a car accident.
Roland had tried finding some source of intelligent life amidst all the rubble, but to no avail. The stench of death had hung thick across the town. Roland had hoped some had escaped before the destruction, but who knew how long the destruction had spread? Did they try leaving through the doorway cave before it collapsed in on itself? Roland hoped so, but in his heart he doubted it.
On his 15th day at the Calla, Roland did come across some source of intelligent life, but it was even more disheartening than seeing the town reduced to so much rubble.
It was Oy.
Just seeing Oy there, alone without Jake or Callahan, told Roland that the two were probably dead. Roland had no idea how Oy had gotten from the Dixie Pig in 1999 to what was left of the Calla. Perhaps he had stumbled across a door, as Roland had.
Oy walked slowly, even when he saw Roland. Roland guessed the bumbler was in shock, or perhaps it was wounded. When the creature came closer, he could see it was both; Oy was missing one of his paws. It had looked to Roland that it had been cut off with some sharp object. Later that night, Roland realized that it was probably bitten off. As if a rat had gnawed it off.
Roland stroked the bumbler's now-ragged fur in his hands, and did his best to disinfect the wound. Then he wrapped it in some bandages.
That night he had a dream. Roland hoped it was a nightmare brought on by Oy's sudden appearance but he knew it was not so. The dream was horrifying, but in the morning he had mostly forgotten it.
He did remember Jake and Callahan fighting in the Dixie Pig, fighting hordes of vampires, low men and other monstrosities. He saw Jake rise one of the sharpened plates and swing it to decapitate some horrible creature that resembled a rat. (Later he would come to realize that this was the Sayre Callahan had told them about). He saw Pere Callahan attempt to shoot another low man only for a creature that resembled a bird (taheen, Roland thought) knock it out of his hands with a claw. He saw a vampire's dead fist punch Jake in the stomach, causing the boy to gasp for breath, the bag of Orizas falling from his hand. He saw Callahan cry out in anguish--
And then Roland had woken up. His face was very white. Even though he didn't see it, he knew that Jake and Callahan were dead. Susannah…what of her, and the being, Mia, that was inside of her? What of the chap? Did it survive? Roland thought it ironic that after all the work the Crimson King's minions had gone through, that the baby would be trampled under a riot.
But now, Roland was alone, save for a billy-bumbler missing its paw.
During the next four days Roland set up camp, making a small tent for the two sleep in. Roland had stored some food but their supply was dwindling.
That night, Roland had another dream. This time, he and someone else (who they were, he could see not) were 19 feet away from the tower, when the last beam crumbled, causing destruction. The tower stood there for one moment and then…
(O, Discordia!)
Roland woke up, breathing heavily. Next to him, Oy moaned in his sleep. It appeared he was having bad dreams of his own, too.
Then he noticed the crackle of the campfire outside. Roland grabbed his gun and walked outside.
There, sitting at a log by the fire was a figure shrouded in a dark robe. Even though his back was turned to him, Roland knew who it was.
It was Walter.
Roland had a mad urge to fire his gun and shoot Walter right in the back of his head. But it was not in Ka's hands for the sorcerer to die tonight.
Instead he walked over and sat on the log on the opposite side. Walter looked at the gunslinger calmly. If he was surprised, he did not show it.
"How long have you been waiting here?" asked Roland.
Walter shrugged. "Does it matter?"
Roland didn't answer. Nothing but the crackling of the flames.
"I should kill you right here, after what you did to Jake and--"
Walter raised a hand to silence him. "I did have a hand in the creation of the chap, say true. That being said, I was not in the Dixie Pig when the battle occurred nor was I aware of it."
"How can that be, you being so high up with the Crimson King?"
Walter shrugged again, this time giving a small smile.
"Why are you here?" Said Roland, already knowing what the answer was.
"All in good time." Walter said with a small titter. "All in good time." He gestured to a nearby area of rubble that reminded Roland of the golgotha the two had palavered in before. "Follow me."
Oy peaked his head out from the tent and slowly limped over to the gunslinger. Roland put Oy over his shoulder and got up.
The man in black walked across the Calla and the gunslinger followed.
(A/N: I am perfectly that some things in this story require suspension of disbelief, such as Roland's dreams and the doors. Please bear with me on this.)