66
The Pyramid
"Old legends are hazy and ambiguous, and in historic times all attempts at crossing forbidden gaps seem complicated by strange and terrible alliances with beings and messengers from outside. There was the immemorial figure of the deputy or messenger of hidden and terrible powers – the 'Black Man' of the witch-cult, and the 'Nyarlathotep' of the Necronomicon." - H. P. Lovecraft, "The Dreams in the Witch-House"
"What are you trying to do?"
Anubimon had kept silent for as long as he could stand to before asking. The Dark Man had just returned to the temple, Anubimon's former place of residence, after a long consultation with Wisemon atop the pyramid. Since leaving Sato's headquarters through the portal Anubimon had watched the pair of them make preparations for what would seem to be a ritual of some magnitude.
Wisemon's book was ever open before him, and he seemed to have been reading something from it aloud as he traced with his feet a vast pattern in the sand that only he could discern, with the gray bulk of the pyramid at its center. The book remained open now, as Wisemon stood at the pyramid's flattened summit, the place where Anubimon had held vigil over the long years, deciding the fate of all the data from deleted Digimon.
Anubimon hadn't been back up to the pyramid's top yet; he was unsure of whether the Dark One would object to his curiosity. His uneasiness had only grown since leaving the underground base, and what comfort there might have been in returning to his old home was swallowed up in it. Why here, of all places? At the top of the pyramid was the great black lens that provided a view into the World of Darkness, but it was for observational purposes only, and not a gateway, like the many Anubimon had been forced to open since the Dark One had come. What were these two searching for, and what horror were they preparing to enact?
Because it would be a horror. Anubimon was certain of it.
The Dark Man turned to him after the asking of the question, his black eyes glittering in the sun like the depths of desert wells, and smiled broadly.
"Why? Can't you wait to find out?" A low chuckle. "I guess not. The excitement is in the air." The lips closed over the Dark Man's teeth, but the smile remained. "How much do you know about me, Anubimon? No, let me rephrase that. How much have you guessed?"
Anubimon didn't respond. He really had little idea of who and what the Dark One was. All he had were surmises and evidence of its powers. The Dark Man had come strolling out of the empty desert night, a smile on his face and a miasma of malignance surrounding him. Wherever he went he wrecked whatever he came into contact with, and had thought nothing of tearing the Digital World's overseer of death and rebirth from his duties to serve the purposes of evil.
Could I have done more to resist? Anubimon wondered. Was I too weak, or too afraid? I was threatened with death, with worse than death, and I know now just how capable he was of carrying out those threats. I have tried to be a fair judge. To fulfill the task entrusted to me, and expiate the evil of my predecessor. But who will undo the sins I have committed?
"My association with Sato-kun is a temporary one," the Dark Man was saying. "Always has been. But it looks like we're going to be parting ways a little earlier than expected. Wisemon is the key. What exactly will happen? I'm not sure. But I do so look forward to finding out."
"I don't believe you," Anubimon answered impulsively. If he hadn't been so angry with himself, he would never have been so blunt. "You must have some idea, or you wouldn't go to all this trouble."
"Oh, it's no trouble at all," the Dark One said. He turned back towards the pyramid. "Come on, Anubimon. It's your homecoming, isn't it?"
Anubimon hesitated for a moment, then followed. He had a feeling that this creature was going to show him whatever it had planned, whether he wanted to see it or not.
"Of course I have an idea of what's going to happen," the Dark Man continued. "But this is still something of an experiment. It's one that I've been planning to conduct for some time, once all the pieces fell into place."
The Dark Man reached the platform at the base of the pyramid and stepped onto it. Seeing Anubimon lingering behind, he snapped his fingers twice. "Hurry up! Don't tell me you're afraid of your old workplace?" He laughed, and despite the heat of the desert Anubimon felt a chill shoot through him. Saying nothing, he joined the Dark One upon the platform, and in the next moment they were upon its identical twin at the top of the pyramid.
Wisemon faced them across the huge black lens set into the center of the roof. The great Book hovered open before him, and Anubimon couldn't say for sure whether or not the impression that the red text had flashed black was due to the suddenness of their teleportation.
"All is ready, Dark One," Wisemon said. "Shall I begin the search?"
"The search for what?" Anubimon asked, real fear beginning to squirm inside him. Since his unwilling recruitment he had lived under a cloud of disgust at the actions of Sato and his associates, and the things he had seen and heard had left him half-numbed with horror, but this feeling was different. Though still with no idea of what Wisemon was prepared to dredge up, Anubimon had a premonition that it would be something…what? Dangerous? Threatening? It wasn't something he could put into words. But it was bad.
The Dark Man held up his hand to cut off any follow-up questions. "All in good time, Anubimon. Sato-kun is almost here, and I'd rather not have to repeat myself. Wisemon… Go for it."
The Dark Man smiled broadly at his student, and in that moment Anubimon had a sudden flash of insight. Wisemon is being deceived. He may understand the dangers from an intellectual standpoint, but he doesn't truly comprehend the forces he will be interfering with. His thoughts were interrupted when the Dark One's hand fell upon his shoulder, giving him a jolt like an electric shock.
"Come on. Sato's almost to the portal, and the view will be better from a distance anyway."
Reluctantly, Anubimon followed the Dark One back to the panel that would transport them to the ground. He kept his eyes fixed on Wisemon as he walked, but the hooded Digimon was engrossed in the great lens, and didn't notice.
Once they were again at the pyramid's base, the Dark Man walked to about the point midway between the pyramid and the portal to the underground maze, before stopping to wait. Anubimon followed, but stopped out of the Dark One's reach. The hairs on his shoulder where the Dark Man had touched it were standing on end, and the blazing sun couldn't quite dispel the coldness that had settled into the muscle. The Dark Man paid no attention to him, looking instead at the portal and smiling like a kid waiting for the performance of a magic trick.
Anubimon could see one of the stone corridors of Sato's base waving beyond the circular rift's edges, and as the Dark One had predicted – Not predicted, Anubimon thought. Known. – there was Sato Katsu himself approaching the desert. In another moment he was through, his outlines snapping into solidity like a mirage become real. He walked towards the Dark Man, eyes darting quickly about at the unfamiliar surroundings, and despite the human's intent to hide it Anubimon could see the confusion and simmering anger in his expression.
Sato stepped up to the Dark Man and fixed his eyes on the other's face. There was ice in his tone as he spoke, but the Dark One's smile never faltered.
"What are you doing out here? What could be more important than being present and making yourself useful when the Chosen Children come right to our doorstep? I don't know if you've forgotten, but we have an agreement." Evidently he was about to launch into a reminder of what that agreement was when the Dark Man interrupted with a reply.
"I remember our agreement, Sato-kun, but something has come up which supersedes it. I'm sure you understand."
"Supersedes it? What could possibly supersede it?"
"Really a bunch of funny coincidences," the Dark Man answered. "You'd be surprised how much happens as a result of funny coincidences."
"This is not the time for levity," Sato said. "You wouldn't be in this world if not for me, and I brought you here precisely for moments like these."
"If you're worried about the Chosen Children, rest assured they will soon cease to pose a threat."
"I want to know what you're doing," Sato said through his teeth.
Anubimon watched the exchange with a kind of morbid fascination. It might be bad for Sato if he failed to control his temper in his excitement.
"Watch long enough and you'll see exactly what I'm doing,"
"I won't be watching," Sato snapped. "You'll stop what you're doing and focus on the problem at hand! They are here! Our opportunity is here!"
The Dark Man's hands shot forward, clamping around Sato's ribs and lifting him off the ground in one fluid movement. Sato's eyes widened in surprise as he looked down into the Dark Man's smiling face.
"I think you're the one in need of a reminder, Sato-kun. I have other responsibilities and proclivities than the ones you marked out for me. Maybe you've forgotten what I represent – the name by which you called me here – and that there are forces out there that dwarf even your master to insignificance."
Sato's feet hit the ground again, and he almost lost his balance as the Dark Man released him. He had felt the grip of terrible claws, but now he could see the Dark Man's hands were as human as they had always been.
Anubimon watched as Sato tried to find his voice. All the blood had gone out of the man's face. The Dark Man had turned his head so that he could see the pyramid behind him, and was still looking in that direction when Sato finally spoke.
"Is that what this is?" he asked breathlessly. His anger and excitement were gone, clearly replaced by unwonted fear. "Something…on that scale? But then…what are you…?"
"He's blind and stupid," the Dark Man said, turning slowly back to Sato, "But no one throws a bigger party."
For a long moment Sato stared without saying anything, and Anubimon was beginning to think that he hadn't heard, when finally he responded in an awed whisper, "It could destroy the universe."
"Quite possibly, but we have plenty to spare."
"I can't allow that," Sato said, though there was no force behind the words. "Everything I've worked for…"
"Sorry, Sato-kun. But that's the way things are."
The Dark Man gave an exaggerated shrug, then turned quickly about, facing the pyramid and giving vent to a burst of wild laughter that seared the eardrums. Anubimon, who had little idea what the two were talking about, but still with panic dancing inside him, automatically scanned the pyramid's summit for Wisemon.
He was easy to spot. He hovered directly over the center of the pyramid, the Book grown to gigantic size beneath his feet, and Anubimon knew that he was staring directly into the black lens. Two orbs, yellow and red, hung near him in the air, and as the sky began to darken Anubimon could see the flashes of blazing color shooting up out of the lens and refracted by the orbs.
Whatever the Dark Man had been working towards since that night when he had taken in Wisemon, they were about to see it happen.