Chapter Forty Four
The Iron Glove
Grizbine stood at the appointed place, waiting. He didn't like to be kept waiting, but one didn't rush Baal Adramelch, not if one wanted to live to tell the tale. He paced quietly.
"Impatience is not a virtue, Grizbine Du Fae." A voice that was as unhurried as honey spoke. "Why do you call upon me?"
"I have a need," Grizbine declared arrogantly. "And only the great Baal Adramelch can fulfill it." He looked toward the direction the voice had come. All he saw was a solid stone-faced wall.
From the wall came the voice again. "Indeed, and do you intend to worship me as a God?"
The sneer let Grizbine's face. "Worship?"
There was the sound of unpleasant laughter. "What are you willing to give me in payment for your request?"
"The worship of a Kingdom, would that satisfy you great Baal?"
A creature appeared in a dark robe, the hood keeping the sun from its face. "The worship of a Kingdom you say? Intriguing, tell us more."
"I intend to become the next Goblin King," Grizbine stated.
A hand went up. "The Kingdom of the Goblin is ruled already, by one Jareth."
Grizbine spat on the ground. "I wish to eliminate Jareth."
Baal frowned in his hood. "I see." Already, he did not like Grizbine. "Why should I help you?"
"I shall make you the official God of the Goblin Kingdom, and will see to it that children are brought to your altar. Their blood will quench your thirst." The Dark Fae's voice rose with excitement.
"The blood of children… does not interest us." The creature known as Baal turned to leave.
"I can offer you a mortal who bears a Fae child that is not yet born." Grizbine was grasping at straws. "I had planned on ripping the child from her and destroying both. However if a mortal female interests you, you may of course have her…and the brat she carries."
Baal paused, considered and smiled. "What do you want?"
"A weapon Great Baal, a weapon that will destroy the Goblin King." Grizbine smiled.
Baal looked at the Fae before him, and saw a fool. Of course every now and then such a fool could succeed. "I shall give you this weapon you request, and in return, once you've won your Kingdom, I shall be come its God, and the woman will be brought to me. Agreed?"
"You may have her, after I've had the pleasure of dismembering her other two children before her horrified eyes," rejoiced the other.
Baal split a rock open and pulled molten metal from its heart. "Stand back, fool, least thee wants the death you plan for your cousin." At Grizbine's startled reaction, Baal laughed. "We know thee Grizbine, and we know thy cousin." The creature in the dark robe passed a gauntlet to the man. "Give this as a gift to your cousin… he will be dead in an hour. Take care not to place your hand in the gauntlet."
Grizbine raised the gauntlet up, his eyes filled with joy at the thought of his cousin's destruction. "An iron glove, how fitting. With this the Kingdom will be mine to rule." He turned and looked at Baal. "With this, I shall crush the spirit of all who defy me! Perhaps I'll even have Oberon himself slide his hand into this gauntlet and let its grasp cut him down." He wrapped the metal glove in his cloak, departing with secret delight.
Baal watched. Thinking better of his part in this, he sent subtle changes to the metal glove. It would not do to piss off the High King of the Fae, not when he had been an ally. "Oberon," he called softly into the winds. "Beware, you've a serpent in your garden."