41
Consolidation
"'There are sacraments of evil as well as of good around us, and we live and move to my belief in an unknown world, a place where there are caves and shadows and dwellers in twilight. It is possible that man may sometimes return on the track of evolution, and it is my belief that an awful lore is not yet dead.'" – Arthur Machen, "The Red Hand"
Daisuke's group was the first to return to the human world. Though their encounter with Wendimon had ended well, Daisuke knew that the experience had shaken Ken, and had therefore decided that they should get out of the Digital World as soon as they could. For the most part, Ken was silent.
Daisuke hoped that his friend would take what he had said to heart. After the scene with the thing claiming to be Osamu, Daisuke realized, maybe for the first time, the incredible depth of Ken's conviction of his own guilt. Ken saw himself not only as a tyrant but as a murderer and thief. He had been offered forgiveness many times over, but was he even now ready to accept it?
The last group to arrive was Takeru's. Unlike the other groups they had had no violent encounters that day, and without having to put their energy into battle they had been able to stay in the Digital World the longest and destroy the most Dark Towers.
"It seems a little strange," Iori said, "that the enemy hadn't set as many traps today."
"Maybe they're running low on evil Digimon," Daisuke suggested. "We've been taking more down every day."
"That could be," Iori said, and left it at that.
"I've been making progress on Gennai-san's program, but there is still a ways to go," Koshiro told them when everyone had returned and were comfortably seated. "I plan on working into the night to get it finished."
He also informed them of what had happened to the older Chosen that day, and the destruction of two of the enemy Digimon, which went a long way to cheer them. He also let them know that Mimi's flight was scheduled to land at Narita airport within the hour, and that she should be back in Tokyo before nightfall.
Hiraga had just finished talking to the two men who he planned to send to Narita to intercept Tachikawa Mimi upon her arrival there. He was stepping out of the room when a polite cough focused his attention on an odd figure standing nearby. He recognized it as one of the Digimon that had accompanied Lilithmon to the human world, though he couldn't remember its name. It was perhaps how a Sunday school student might envision the devil, with red skin, small horns, pointed tail, and pitchfork in hand.
"I don't suppose I could have a moment of your time, Hiraga-san?" the thing said. In spite of its grotesque appearance, Hiraga found himself reassured by that voice, which sounded perfectly reasonable and courteous.
"I… suppose you can," he said, surprised at how little courage it took. "I'm afraid I don't remember your name."
"Phelesmon," the other answered, and bowed low, one arm across his chest while the other held the pitchfork upright.
"Um, how can I help you, Phelesmon-san?"
"Am I correct in believing that you have just engaged those two gentlemen in there to take possession of a young lady as she arrives in this country?"
Hiraga hesitated, wondering how this Digimon had heard the conversation through the closed door, but in the end he decided it couldn't hurt to be truthful.
"Yes, I did."
"Thank you for your honesty, Hiraga-san. There are few things more valuable than an honest man. But this business at the airport. It does not rest easy on my conscience. To take a person anywhere against her will seems most uncharitable of us."
That put Hiraga back on his guard. It was nothing he would ever expect to hear from one of these monsters. Unsure of how to proceed in the conversation, he felt the urge to explain himself.
"Sato-san wants the Chosen Children brought here. And it's not like they would give themselves up."
"But surely we cannot know that unless we ask them to?" Phelesmon replied.
"Ask…?" Confusion clouded Hiraga's face. He wondered if maybe the Digimon were making a bad joke.
"I am sincere," Phelesmon protested. "Perfectly sincere. I have a natural talent for reasoning with people. Through the manipulation of language, the art of conversation, I can make almost any arrangement I aim to make, depending on the circumstances. I implore, you, Hiraga-san, to leave to me the care of this lady. Rest assured that before the coming night is over I shall have her walking into this very building in perfect freedom."
Hiraga's instinct told him to reject the ridiculous idea. But he did not do so immediately. It seemed to him that Phelesmon was someone to be trusted. The Digimon's voice discreetly proclaimed it somehow. He had opened his mouth to dispute with Phelesmon, but what he actually said was,
"I think that would be for the best. I'll tell the others their help is no longer needed."
Phelesmon nodded graciously.
"I thank you for this opportunity Hiraga-san. I will now take my leave."
He turned, walked around a corner, and out of sight, leaving Hiraga blinking in the hall and wondering why his mind was suddenly so foggy.
As a result of Phelesmon's intervention, Mimi's arrival in Tokyo was a fairly peaceful one. Miyako would have been honored to have "Mimi-oneesama" stay with the Inoue family, but with six humans and three Digimon already crammed into the apartment it had been decided that Mimi and Palmon would do any sleeping they might have time for at Sora's apartment. It was there that the reunion between the partners took place.
As the sun began to set the twelve Chosen Children left their Digimon at their respective apartments and walked over to Rainbow Park. Mimi's apartment had been near the small playground before the move to the United States, and it seemed as good a place as any to meet.
The meeting began with enthusiastic greetings and the usual reminiscing on old times, somewhat briefer than usual because they had already gotten together earlier in the month for the August 1 memorial. Then the sun began to sink lower, the upper sky purpled and the shadows lengthened along the ground. Conversation slowed gradually, until there was a silence. Taichi was the one to break it. His tone was solemn.
"So, what happened out there today, guys?"
There was another silence. Takeru and Iori had nothing to say. Ken looked down at his feet and was understandably silent. Daisuke would have said something if he hadn't caught the gesture and hesitated. So it was left to Miyako to speak up, telling the others about the fort and what its inhabitants had said about the raids on Digimon communities. Once the stream of Miyako's story trickled to a stop, Hikari voiced the question on everyone's mind.
"Those poor Digimon. I wish we knew why they were being taken." She shivered. "It makes it worse not knowing."
Takeru suddenly thought of Patamon. He wished that he had brought his partner with him, regardless of who might notice. This was not a time for Chosen Child and Digimon to be separated.
"The Digimon Kaiser captured Digimon in order to enslave them," Sora said, glancing apologetically at Ken.
"Can they do that now?" Mimi asked.
"We haven't seen any Evil Rings," Iori said. "The Digimon just disappear."
"We might find them," said Koshiro, "if I can finish Gennai-san's program soon."
Yamato was thinking back to the encounter with LadyDevimon.
"They're after us too, now," he said.
"Oh, yeah," Miyako said. "Coatlmon said that whoever sent him wanted the Chosen Children alive."
"But who are they?" Jou asked. "Are they human? I mean, they can get inside our heads somehow."
"The man in my room—" Ken began, but stopped mid-sentence. Was it really a man? he thought. I sensed him before I saw him. It was the same with Wormmon. And his eyes…
"They look human…" Takeru said.
Hikari and Ken looked up at him with almost identical questioning expressions.
"I saw him – or one of them – in my dream last night," he explained. "He may be the same man who talked to Hikari-chan."
"Could you see his face?" Daisuke asked.
"No." There was a brief pause. "Maybe he is human, but he's doing things a human shouldn't be able to do. There's something else…"
There was silence again. Several of the Chosen Children prepared themselves to speak, but in the end none of them did. After a while, Takeru looked up and said with conviction,
"We should get home."
There were only three of them in the room, the two conspirators and their tool. Wisemon's Book hung open in the air before him, and he read from it in a drone. Sato Katsustood to one side, understanding the necessity of the delay but with impatience in his expression. The Dark Man was also nearby. He was smiling, as usual, though with lips pursed and just barely upturned at the corners.
The incantation at an end, the Book fell to the floor. Wisemon lifted one hand. Just above his open palm appeared a luminous red sphere, growing out of nothingness before floating on ahead of him. Once at some distance it resumed its rapid expansion, until it nearly filled one end of the room. Its color darkened from red to black, and the luminous quality faded, until it seemed that they were looking at the gaping entrance of an endless tunnel rather than a solid object.
Sato walked forward and stared intently into the dark.
"Kutouruu futagun," he said, and his voice echoed as if in a vast space. "You know who I serve. You know what I seek. Let one of the Old Ones come forth. Clothe yourself in flesh and answer me. The time has come."
At first it seemed as if there would be no response. But then there was a laugh in the blackness. The sound was bestial, a parody of human vocalization. Wisemon jerked his hands up at the sound, his yellow orb appearing defensively in front of him, and even Sato took a step backwards at that horrific chuckle. A voice followed in its wake, still disgusting and animalistic, but with a wicked intelligence manifest behind it.
"I will answer your call!"
A black, massive shape stepped forward out of the dark as the voice continued.
"I had a dream… a Chosen Child's dream, and it left me with a hunger. If you will allow me into the human world, I will do your work in return."
By now the thing had emerged from the black portal, and stood with its pair of ram's horns almost grazing the high ceiling. The rest of the head was well-suited for the voice; it was like a goat's head, bearded, but the long, slitted eyes glittered with reason and terrible wisdom.
"Well done, Wisemon," the Dark Man whispered inaudibly through his widening grin.
"Very well," Sato said, taking up a small, intricately designed knife and drawing it slowly across his wrist. "This will be our bargain, Panimon."