"Mr., ah, Gorlois, can we hear a bit more about this demon?" Daniel asked, as the man led them deeper into his massive house.
"She's been around since before the city was built." He answered, slowing down to walk beside them. "Sneaking through the ages, always in the guise of a pretty young lady. We lost track of her almost a generation ago; there was a nasty incident in a far away village, and she disappeared in the chaos. We were starting to hope she was dead, actually." He finished regretfully.
"How could you lose track of her?"Sam asked suddenly.
"Hmm?"
"Daniel and I have some experience with demons like yours," she said, "and they usually come with pretty obvious indicators; glowing eyes, deep voices...?"
"Ahh, yes. The demon masks all these things to hide from us."Gorlois said confidently.
"How?"
"She wears a ring, designed by our enslaved ancestors long ago."
"And your sure caused the death of the King?" Sam interjected.
"Of course," said Gorlois, "This sudden shift of power coupled with a murder is her favored modus operandi. The demon is, without question, residing with Princess- Queen- Joceline."
"Eh, sorry-" Daniel interrupted hesitantly, "But why don't you suspect Jack? Isn't everyone saying he killed the King?" Gorlois stopped before a door and grinned at them.
"Your friend is just a player on the board for the demon, Dr. Jackson. On we have a saying; Life is as a river; it comes and goes, but all you get is more of the same." Daniel smiled weakly, remembering a very similar sounding someone. "That is to say, she has done this kind of thing in the past," Gorlois clarified. "Over the years we have been taught to recognize the signs; everything points to Joceline. Our Demon is getting careless. That is her greatest weakness; overconfidence. She thinks that by using a pawn she can make fools of us... but this time history will not repeat itself." Gorlois had brought them to a hall that reminded Daniel of a college dorm. "You must be tired. Might I suggest that you rest here for a few hours, while I and my colleagues plan our next course of action? You will be safe for the time being, but it might be safer to take a room away from the windows. Our organization has always remained a secret to the general public, as well as the government, but it is best not to take unnecessary risks, correct?" Both Daniel and Sam nodded, too tired to really listen to what he was saying.
"At dawn we leave for the palace."
"So you're in the market for a ticket to ride, is that it? Wanna start your own little off-world army? Well let me tell you something, sister, that big old universe out there is no place for a country girl." Jack's snide voice hit it's mark, and Joceline slapped him hard across the cheek.
"Again you underestimate me, my love," she crooned, the smallest hint of impatience creeping into her voice. "But you will learn, soon enough." Joceline left his side and walked back over to the fire.
"Before you arrived here, I had given up hope of ever leaving this retched, empty planet. I had to focus on just surviving." She said bitterly, starting to pace the fireplace. "We chose the people here for their wits, not their bodies; what a mistake that was. At first, our settlement flourished. The people were manageable, competent; we were well on our way to true power. We trained our slaves in the ways of technology and sciences, and they rewarded us with advancements beyond our wildest dreams; tools no others had were at our disposal."
Jack didn't know why she was telling him this, but he listened intently just the same. Joceline seemed to have so many memories she shared with no one that they were overflowing. All the years in insolation had broken something others could take for granted.
"Then, the rebellion." She said, eyes darkening. He could guess the rest from there. "I am the only one left."
Jack felt his eyelids begin to droop, the fatigue brought on by his abusive day starting to take it's tole. But Joceline was almost finished. She closed the distance between them in several swift steps, and pulled a ring from her finger.
"I betrayed you, Jack," a strange, changed voice said, "and the people here are going to kill you for it. But before that happens, you are going to help me one final time."
"I am, am I?" Jack said snidely. Joceline ignored him.
"As we speak, your friends are on their way to save you." She said, almost gleefully. "Arther Gorlois has spent his entire life learning to recognize me, but like you, he has failed his task miserably. Him, along with his rag tag soldiery, will infiltrate this palace in hopes of finding you, and killing me. What he will uncover, however, will be quite the opposite." Joceline was very close to him again, breathing into his face and filling up his vision. She reached for his hand and slipped the smooth, worn ring on his index finger, a sinister grin forming on her mouth. The last sight Jack knew before sleep finally claimed him were the flashing eyes of the woman he thought he had loved.