Chapter Three

Schooling my face to calm, I unlock and open the door for him. "Good evening, Emma," he addresses me in a deep, placid voice. "I know I am late, but…there were some urgent matters which required my attention." The statement is simple explanation, not apologetic in the least. Danik passes through the doorway with surprising grace for a man of his size and build.

Danik is practically a giant – a head taller than Peter Grimes, and a bit broader across the shoulders – but he moves about as noiselessly as a panther. He has short bright-red hair and a serious, angular face. His eyes are of a light amber colour that, like his overall appearance, is just this side of unnatural. Even his elegant grey suit seems unnatural, for it throws off little rainbows where the light hits it, much like a fish's scales do.

"It's…it's all right," I say dully as I close the door behind him. "You actually picked a good time. Simon is…"

Danik holds up a hand. "I know where he is at the moment. My good timing is not a lucky accident."

For the second time today, I feel stupendously embarrassed. "Oh. Of course." I clear my throat. "Perhaps we should go to the parlour to talk?"

Danik merely nods. I walk in the direction of the parlour and gesture for Danik to follow me. Though I am getting over my initial shock, I still feel as if my knees might fold up of their own accord at any moment.

We do not speak again until we are both seated in the parlour – I on the couch, and Danik on one of the chairs, which he has turned so as to face me. By this time I have passed into the numbness beyond terror. I cannot say what it is about Danik that frightens me so, for I did not fear him this much even after I first found out what he really was. Perhaps my fear of him is born of one of those little idiosyncrasies of human nature; one becomes accustomed to seeing certain things as forever distant and impossible, even if they are inevitable: and no matter how long one has spent dreaming about or working towards or preparing for such things, one is always shocked when they come to pass.

"I must admit," Danik begins, "That the way in which you accomplished your task was rather surprising."

I blink at him. "You mean you were surprised that I succeeded?"

"No more than I should be. As you are probably aware, I thought that the odds were very much against you from the beginning." Danik crosses his legs and steeples his fingers in front of his chin. "But I would not have played this game with you if I had thought it impossible for you to win. What surprised me is that Simon discovered your powers even though you did not use them in an obvious way – except at the very end, of course. You took a considerable risk."

Danik's manner as he says this is much too casual for my liking. I feel some of my terror being melted away by indignation. "When I did it I thought I was forfeiting. I could not let him die, even to save myself."

"And that, I think, proves your point as much as your actual victory did." The corners of Danik's mouth curl upward in a smile that is wise but devoid of warmth. "I came very close to calling it a loss for you, Emma, but under the circumstances I think that would have been rather…petty of me."

Well, I'm glad you didn't decide to be petty. "You said you were surprised that Simon knew about my powers – what of the Enigmatic Prism? Was that another such surprise?"

Danik does not say anything. He just smiles a bit more, and looks at me for a few moments.

When I understand the meaning behind his look, the last of my terror is swept away in a rush of revelation. "You did know. You knew the whole time. Miranda and the Prism were part of the game." I feel buoyed by that particular exhilaration so familiar to detectives – the feeling that all the pieces of the puzzle are coming together, revealing the sought-after solution. "But they existed long before we made our agreement, so they were not simple obstacles you put in my way. Simon had the Prism long before he…." Oh, good Lord. I can barely breathe, much less speak.

"Impressive," Danik remarks, seemingly oblivious to my distress. "You have learned a great deal in the last three years. But even your partner, if he knew what you know, could not discern the whole truth for himself."

The grandfather clock against the far wall chimes eight. Once it has finished ringing the hour, there is only its ticking to fill the vast and empty silence.

Still I am unable to speak. I stare wide-eyed at Danik, wondering whether or not I really want to know the whole truth. But either way, I know, I am going to hear it.

"This was not simply a way to test you," he says, shifting in his chair. "It was actually a wager between myself and a third party. In truth, it was not so much a wager as an experiment. Even that word does not quite describe it." He frowns and shakes his head. "I should start from the beginning. You could not understand my actions without knowing something of the history behind them.

"You see, when the human race was in its infancy, we were already on the threshold of transcendence. The Transition, as we call it. I was among those who went through the Transition, leaving behind mortal trappings such as physical bodies and emotions. We became creatures of pure energy, imbued with power you could scarcely imagine."

Usually the phrase "power you could scarcely imagine" is no more than hyperbole, but I do not doubt that Danik is using it in the most literal sense. "Do you mean to say…that you became gods?"

"I suppose you could put it that way," Danik says airily. "We thought we had achieved our goal of becoming one with the universe. But Andra – one of the best and brightest among us – realized that we were less than we had sought to be. She tried to warn the rest of us that our Transition was incomplete. By eliminating our emotions, she said, we had kept ourselves from our goal. She said many other things that the rest of us found…uncomfortable. Most of my people believe her to be dangerously unstable."

Andra… The name sounds vaguely familiar, but only vaguely. I've probably met someone named Andra in the past, though I very much doubt she was the Andra to whom Danik is now referring. "The way you speak of her makes me think you don't share that opinion."

For a moment something like sadness flickers across Danik's face, and for that fraction of a second I am not afraid of him at all. "Whether any of us gave her warnings some consideration, instead of dismissing them out of hand, I do not know. We might have killed her, but we had not the means, nor the will to discover them. Instead she was confined to this little galaxy of which this world – and our former homeworld – are a part. We impaired her mind in such a way that she would not even know she was a prisoner, or have the power to escape."

Danik does not sound ashamed, nor does he sound proud. In my horrified fascination I wonder if he is just hiding his feelings or if, as he said, he has lost them entirely.

"I was appointed her guardian," he continues. "I watched her carefully. Though she no longer had the capacity to fully comprehend or articulate the heretical theories for which she had been imprisoned, she had not entirely forgotten them either. That much was obvious from her actions. In her mind she was creating toys and playing games for her own amusement, but in these games I saw evidence that she was right about some things at least…." Danik trails off, looking at me thoughtfully. "I do not think I could explain it to you. Suffice it say that I was willing to give her ideas more serious consideration, but I was not quite sure. Because of that I proposed to her that we play a new kind of game."

He doesn't have to spell out the rest of it for me – it is perfectly, inescapably clear. "You mean that this…this…" – I substitute an expansive gesture for the word I can't find – "it was just a way of proving a point? That Simon and I were guinea pigs in your little experiment?"

Danik is unfazed by the forcefulness of my words, which is probably a good thing. If he had been I might have gotten myself into a lot of trouble. "Nothing so crude as that. First of all, it would be against our principles to treat any sentient creature as a 'guinea pig.' Second, the nature of this test prevented it from being a controlled experiment as such. We did not set up the conditions for the test: in fact, Andra has left this particular world to itself for the past million years or so. This world had developed, all on its own, a set of pre-existing conditions that were close to ideal for our purposes.

"We already knew about the existence of Miranda's people and their realm – called the Negation, as you yourself discovered – which is one of the reasons I made the wager with Andra, and another reason why we chose Arcadia as our playing field. Miranda and the Enigmatic Prism represented a threat that hangs over our heads: something only Andra and I, and now you, know about. We do not know much about the Negation, but we do know that they are aware of us, and that they are very dangerous."

I wonder how many times a person can be scared so badly in a single day. "What of Miranda, then? What did she come here for? And…where is she now?"

Danik uncrosses his legs and leans back in his chair. "Miranda may have been a scout. More likely she was an exile from her own realm. I cannot resolve that question now."

"What do you mean by that?"

"The Prism was linked to Miranda in a way I do not fully understand. It was – or it contained – something vital to her. When it left this universe and she did not, she lost control of her powers, with fatal results."

I feel blessed relief wash through me. "So she's gone for good," I say, feeling gladder as I put it into words. That means she couldn't have robbed the Museum Obscura – but in that case, who did? And how?

Danik nods. "You have nothing to fear from her any longer." He shifts a bit in his seat. "But we have gotten off the subject. My wager with Andra was not simply a way of proving a point. The fate of my people – indeed, the fate of this universe – hung on the question of whether she was right or wrong. The game was but a shadow-play of things to come, although it will be a long time before the crisis breaks."

"I…I think I understand now. But there are other things I wish to know. When you gave me this task, you gave me the impression that you were testing me, or that you had taken an interest in me for some reasons of your own. Obviously that is not the case. So I want to know – why me? Why Simon?" Oddly, though I am still afraid and somewhat angry, my predominant feeling is one of curiosity. Is that due to what Simon would call a habit of the profession, or because of the nature of the truth I am uncovering?

"It is that matter of pre-existing conditions. Andra chose you because your beliefs and disposition are similar to her own, and you happened to be in the right place at the right time. When Andra was impaired, she could no longer consciously understand how her powers worked. I could, so we decided that I should teach you how to use yours. Andra might also have lost interest after a time, since she considers this a mere game, so I am managing it myself. When we began this experiment I chose Simon as your opposite number – in part because his personality and abilities suited the test, and in part because the Enigmatic Prism happened to come into his possession. In a way, it was fortunate that it did."

Danik could not have realized exactly what he was saying, nor could he have realized that his words would produce such a terrible silence, which is only deepened by the ever-present ticking of the grandfather clock. "I think Simon would disagree with you," I say. "I certainly do." I have no idea what expression may be showing in my countenance at the moment, but it must be something fearsome; Danik shifts a bit in his seat, breaks away from my gaze for a moment, and clears his throat before continuing.

"He might – but it is more complicated than that. It was, as I said, fortunate that the Prism ended up in his hands. It was also fortunate for him, as it caused me to save his life."

This sounds so callous to me that I am driven to the brink of rage. I stand bolt upright, stride up to Danik and glare down at him. I know he could destroy me with a single gesture, or a thought, but I don't care. "Yes, but lest we forget, it nearly got him killed in the first place – and it has tortured him ever since. I do not care what the stakes were: even you do not have the right to use a person that way! If I had known…"

Danik, still placid and unperturbed, holds up a hand to silence me. "You are angry that I used him. What about you?"

"I chose to play your game," I answer through gritted teeth. "At least I knew something of what I was getting into. Simon never…he never even…" My words dwindle away into a strange feeling that I cannot name – it is somewhere between anger and sadness. I become aware of the tears blurring my eyes, and struggle to compose myself. For the past three years I have not allowed myself to cry, not even when I was alone, and I am certainly not about to start now.

I slowly back up and sink onto the couch. "He never even had a choice," I finish weakly.

Danik says nothing for a time. I think that perhaps he is being courteous and allowing me to collect myself – but from what he has just told me, I doubt that is the case. He could not think me worth such courtesy.

"You are not quite correct," Danik says flatly. "And I will explain why. First, though, I must say to you: it had to be done. In your mind, I know, that is no justification. But it had to be done."

I fold my hands in my lap and stare at them. In the silence that follows the soft, rhythmic ticking of the clock sounds almost deafening. I do not agree with Danik's assertion that all of this manipulation was necessary, even after what he told me about his own people and the threat posed by Miranda and her ilk. He will have to give me his longer explanation.

Once he realizes that I am not going to reply, Danik breaks the uncomfortable silence. "I did not simply choose Simon because the Prism happened to come into his possession. I chose him because of his character. Simon was already trying to become a creature of pure rationality, with Lightbourne's encouragement – although he could not quite overcome his compassion or his eagerness to do good.

"I watched him ever since he and Lightbourne became involved with the Enigmatic Prism. He seemed almost perfect for the purposes of the experiment; but I was not absolutely certain until he tried to save Lightbourne from the fire in the Museum Obscura, despite knowing of his treachery…"

"…and he was betrayed for it," I finish. "That, I thought, was what made him…the way he is. But am I to suppose now that it was not the sole cause?"

That wise little smile appears on Danik's face again as he nods. "There were other factors, yes – partly of my own making. I took Simon out of the fire and healed his wounds. The Prism I put inside Lightbourne's cane, and made sure that the cane and Simon would be found together. At that time nobody knew of what evil Lightbourne had done: only that the cane was all that remained of him. It was given to Simon while he was recovering at the hospital. He did not know that the Prism was inside until some time afterward. Do you know why he kept the object that was so precious to his former mentor?"

Not to mention the same object that was used to run him through, I think. That question has puzzled me ever since I learned the truth about Malcolm Lightbourne, but I never dared ask Simon about it. I shake my head.

"You have seen the engraving on it. I put it there. When he saw it Simon concluded, naturally enough, that it had something to do with his miraculous recovery. Because of that, when he found the Prism inside, he knew he was meant to be its guardian."

I lace my fingers together. "That's just like him," I murmur, and follow with a short, bitter laugh. "He could never back down from a challenge. Or perhaps he thought it was his duty to keep the Prism. Or both." Oh, Simon… Once more I feel tears gathering in my eyes, and once more I force them back.

"I do not know whether you are right or wrong in guessing his motivations. But as you can see, I did him the chance to decide," Danik says quietly, "Just as I did with you. He did not know what game he was playing, but he knew the risks. And he accepted them." This said, Danik's solemnity fades back into his usual calm detachment. "The mark I put on the cane is not just there for show. It is a symbol of the power I conferred upon him – power that amplified his talents and made him achieve his full potential. My goal was to give him enough pure willpower and mental focus to resist the Prism."

"But that did not work," I say.

Danik nods and crosses his legs again. "Indeed not. You understand that the Prism magnifies the universal human potential for evil and corrupts most of those who come into contact with it. Simon was not corrupted, because he had little of such evil in his character and was better than most at controlling it. I thought his resistance could be credited to his self-control and detachment – his ability to bury his emotions. Upon reflection, I realize that the Prism might have been enhancing this very ability in order to do to him what it had done to so many others. He thought he was protecting himself from it, and all the while it used his own defences to slowly but surely erode all that was good in him."

I have been severely frightened more than once today – nay, in the past few hours. Hearing this gives me fear, too, but of a very different kind: it is not terror I feel, but deep, chilling, insidious dread. "What would have happened, had I not intervened?"

I am not sure what to make of the look Danik gives me. "In all honesty, I do not know. I doubt it would have driven him mad as it has done with others, although it seemed to be doing that in the end. He would have kept his sanity, but he would also have lost his good principles." Danik does not elaborate further, but he does not need to. I can imagine – if only just – what might have happened.

For a while I sit in silence, letting all I have just heard settle in my mind. "I do not know what to think now," I say quietly. "Should I be thankful that you saved Simon's life, or angry at what you made it afterwards?"

"That I cannot tell you," Danik says, "but I think, in the end, I did him more good than ill. Henceforth I shall not interfere with him; he will be on his own. And that," Danik says, leaning forward to look at me with a curious light in his eyes, "brings us to the question of what will happen to you, now that you have won our wager."

I remember his words to me five years ago: you have the potential to be so much more than you are, Emma. I can teach you how. Every time I think of those words I feel the same mix of yearning, curiosity and fear that I did when I first heard them spoken.

"I will complete your training as I promised. Before I can do that, you must conclude your business here, and meet me when you are ready."

A ball of ice grows in my stomach. "When? Where?" I ask.

"You may meet me whenever it is convenient for you," he says – though the tone of his voice tells me that the "convenient" time for me had best be soon. "As to where, there is a confluence of ley-lines outside Partington. You remember where that is, of course?"

In the ruins of Miranda Cross's mansion. How could I ever forget it? "I…yes. But why must it be there?"

"Because in order to keep my promise and teach you how to make full use of your powers, I must first restore them, and I cannot do that unaided." Danik stands up and straightens his frock-coat. "That concludes our business here. Unless you have any further questions…?"

I probably will after you've left and I'm settled enough to think of them. I do not like the tone Danik is taking with me, but I do not think it would do me any good to object. "No, thank you," I mutter, trying to infuse the words with a sincerity that I do not feel. I stand up, feeling as weak-kneed as I did when I came in, and walk with him out of the parlour, into the vestibule and to the front door.

As we reach the entrance hall, I realize that I have one more question. "Danik," I say, "What am I going to tell Simon?" I had always intended to tell him about my powers after the wager was over, but never about the wager itself.

Danik does not even look at me. "Whatever you think is best," he says with a dismissive wave of his hand. What he really means is, it isn't any of my concern.

I open the front door for him. As he steps across the threshold, he looks over his shoulder at me. "Until we meet again." Those are his parting words to me, before he walks down the steps and into the street.

After closing the door behind him, I lean against it as I did before letting him in. My thoughts are leaves in a hurricane, their motion so rapid and chaotic that it is almost enough to make me physically sick.

What am I going to tell Simon?