The Highway West Andrew 227
Chapter Seven: Jack's Bar and Grill
The Caterpillar and Alice looked at each other for some time in silence: at last the Caterpillar took the hookah out of its mouth and addressed her in a languid, sleepy voice.
"Who are you?" said the Caterpillar.
This was not an encouraging opening for a conversation. Alice replied, rather shyly, "I-I hardly know, sir, just at present--at least I know who I was when I got up this morning, but I think I must have changed several times since then."
Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
The deafening church bells assailed their ears. Since Sherman's march to the sea, the church bells of the Southern Baptist Church of Preston had been rung promptly at eight o' clock every Sunday morning. While Preston had not been in the direct line of Sherman's march, more than a few battles were fought nearby. Although the wounds from the American Civil War had slowly healed over the last hundred years, the scars still plagued the small town Preston, Alabama.
It only took a few moments before they realized that they had been teleported into the bell tower. "We need to get out of here!" Cassie screamed, covering her ears.
As they made their way down the ladder, the bells rang again, which only made their ears hurt worse. "Do not the bells hurt your ears, Marguerite?" Elijah asked, seeing that she did not seem effected.
"Nah, I've been to a Motley Crue concert," the vampire replied.
By the time they climbed out of the bell tower, even Marguerite's ears hurt. They gathered towards the end of the hall. Beautiful white wedding decorations lined the church. Several bouquets of expensive and exotic white flowers were strategically placed through out the church. At the altar, two unity candles molded in the shape of angles awaited the bride and groom.
After checking the antique church clock, Ruthie discovered that it was twelve o' clock rather than eight. The only time Ruthie could remember this church ringing its bells at a time other than Sunday mornings was on her wedding day. Her brother James, who had been in charge of the bells for years, decided to ring the bells in honor of her wedding.
Ruthie felt the blood drain from her face, turning it as white as her wedding dress had been. "What's wrong?" Cassie asked.
"I know where we are," Ruthie said.
"Where?" Cassie asked.
"My church back home," Ruthie answered.
"Do you know when?" Caliban asked.
"Yes. The day I got married," Ruthie revealed.
"Do you see Delilah?" Elijah whispered to Marguerite.
"No? Do you?" Marguerite replied.
"No. Why isn't she here?" Elijah asked.
"You don't suppose. . . it's because we're in a church?" Marguerite inquired.
"Why do you think that we're here, Miss Jones?" Caliban asked.
"To stop the wedding."
Although Marguerite knew that Keith, Ruthie's ex-husband, had not been the best husband in the world, she did not and could not understand his impact on Ruthie. The mere thought of Keith sent her heart racing. The service had started promptly at one 'o clock, which meant that Ruthie still had an hour. She tried to remember where exactly she was at noon on her wedding day, but she couldn't. In the morning, she went with her mother to have her makeup done at the beauty salon and then she went to the church conference room to try to relax before the wedding.
"The conference room," Ruthie muttered as she darted towards the other end of the church.
The others, unsure of exactly what was happening, followed. Ruthie burst into the conference room only to see her mother give her past-self advise about her honeymoon. Seeing a younger Ruthie wearing her pure white satin wedding dress sent waves of awe through the others. She looked like a princess or the heroine of a soap opera. To Ruthie, the beauty of the moment only heightened her horror.
"What's the deal?" Marguerite asked.
"Do you really want to know my shame?" Ruthie asked them.
"If I didn't want to know, I wouldn't have asked."
"We need to stop the wedding."
"You already said that. You care to tell us why?" Cassie asked.
"Keith is not the man that I thought he was when we got married. It was so hard. Mamma always told me to save myself until my wedding night. I did. Keith wanted more."
"I do not understand," said Elijah.
Marguerite gave Elijah a dirty look and slapped him on the chest. "I know you just rolled off the hay wagon, but try to put two and two together."
"No. It's okay. I don't understand it either. It wasn't supposed to be that way. I couldn't satisfy him. Not in the normal way. Mama told me that the only way we were supposed to. . .you know, do it was the normal way. She said any other way was the work of the devil. Keith wasn't happy that way. First, he wanted. . . to experiment a little. After that, it got out of control. I wanted to stop, but he. . .hit me. He liked doing that. He would hit me and get excited by it."
The others felt as though a wet wool blanket has been stuffed down their throats. To Elijah it was a foreign concept beyond imaging. Marguerite had always thought of Ruthie as someone born with a silver spoon in her mouth who never had any problems. She always suspected that the reason Ruthie was good was because she had never had the chance to be bad. Knowing Ruthie's past caused Marguerite to view her in an entirely different light. Cassie tried not to cry, but the tears came anyway. She thought about expressing her feeling in words, but her mouth seemed to be paralyzed. She didn't know what to say. Caliban found himself shocked. Ruthie's pureness had become his ideal. Now that Ruthie was not a pure as she seemed, Caliban felt better about himself, much to his own disgust. If Ruthie could find hope, why not Caliban?
None of them dared to speak. It would have broken the silent bond that had formed between them. Eventually, it was Elijah that shattered the silence. "How do you want to stop the wedding?"
"When my mother leaves, I'll talk to my past-self."
It took twenty minutes before Ruthie's mother finally left. "I thought the old battle-axe would never leave. Oh, sorry Ruthie," Marguerite blurted, turning crimson.
"That's okay, honey. She is a battle-axe."
"You think you can handle it?" Marguerite asked.
"I have to."
Ruthie willed herself out of the ghost mode and entered the timeline. "Oh my Lord!" Ruthie's past-self cried.
"Please. Don't scream! I have to warn you!"
As the younger Ruthie opened her mouth to scream, Caliban appeared next to her. His horrifying visage stunned her, cutting short her scream. Her muscles in her face and neck tensed and her eyes rolled back into her head. As she started to faint, Ruthie shook her shoulders violently. "Listen to me! Please!"
"In the name of Jesus, leave me be."
"I am you, girl."
"Yea, you have my shape," the younger Ruthie admitted.
"Look at me. Remember when you and Bobby Washington were trapped in the storm? Remember when you hid behind the curtain to hear Keith ask Daddy if he could court us?"
"Yes. How can you know that?" Ruthie's past-self asked.
"I was there. I am you. Listen to me. God has brought me here to stop this wedding."
"With that?" the younger Ruthie asked as she pointed at Caliban.
"He is a friend. Do not judge him by his appearance."
"Why should I? On the word of a demon?" the younger Ruthie replied.
"Because if you don't, you'll regret it for the rest of your life. Keith isn't what we thought he was. Oh, we ignored his temper. We assumed it would get better, but it never does. Do ya hear me! It never does."
"No. You're lying."
"No. You know I'm not. Remember Sasha? Remember what she told you?"
"She was just jealous," the younger Ruthie defended Keith.
"Was she? Remember her bruises? Do you want those?" Ruthie asked.
The past and future Ruthie cried. "No."
"All that I can ask is that you pray. Jesus haith said 'Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.' If you pray to him and ask him, you will know what to do."
"What will I do?" the younger Ruthie asked.
"Love God," Ruthie answered.
"The portal is here," Elijah whispered to Ruthie.
"I have to go now," Ruthie told her past-self.
"Don't leave. How will I know?" Ruthie's past-self asked.
"You will know. You already do."
"Are you sure that you're ready?" Marguerite asked.
"No. But I've done all that I can do."
"Who are you talking to?" Ruthie's past-self asked.
"A good friend," Ruthie answered.
"The best friend I ever had," the vampire agreed.
Ruthie look one last glance at the girl she used to be. Growing up had been hard with Keith. She only hoped that she made things better. Cassie reached out for Ruthie and took her hand. Ruthie smiled despite her tears. The Five entered the portal as Ruthie's past-self pondered a decision that would change her life forever.
Car horns that sounded like trumpets blasted in their ears. The car lights illuminated the night like lights on a Christmas tree. Along the winding road that crossed the bridge were hundreds of cars waiting for their chance to cross into the United States. Twenty young Mexican boys and girls earned their living by washing windshields and selling oranges. Once the cars reached the checkpoint, a few guards would search the car, accept a bribe, and then allow the car to pass through the gates, cross the Rio Grande, and enter into the United States.
"Que Pasa?" Delilah asked the Five.
"Where were you?" Marguerite asked.
"I got lost," Delilah informed her sardonically.
Marguerite looked over to Elijah who shrugged his shoulders as if to say that he did not know what to do. "Where are we?" Marguerite asked.
Laughing, Delilah performed her version of the Mexican Hat Dance.
"We're in Mexico, Senorita."
"Okay, why are we here?" Cassie asked.
"In the brown Ford to the left is a Papa, Mama, and little baby Marguerite. It seems as though Papa pissed off the government. Said they own too much of the land and the people had no control. He was right, but then what does that matter? Anyway, he found out someone placed a hit on him so he packed up his kid and went to California. Or at least that was the plan. When the car reaches the checkpoint they all go boom."
"Does that sound right?" Elijah asked Marguerite, suspicious.
"I don't know. No one at Sister Mary's knew much about what happened to my parents."
"Then it could be true, yes?"
"Of course it's true. Have I lied yet?" Delilah asked.
Elijah squinted at Delilah as though he were examining her. "I don't know. Have you?"
"She's helped us before," Cassie protested.
"Has she? Has she really helped us?" Elijah asked.
Delilah smiled sweetly. "That's up to you to decide."
The vampire ignored their chatter, staring at the brown Ford. "It doesn't matter. We stop the bomb."
"How?" asked the Fallen.
"No offense Caliban, but you remind me of a local superstition. Night of the Living Dead and all of that. You show up, you could scare them back."
"True, but they need to be told that there is a bomb in there car."
Marguerite rubbed her temples as though her head hurt. "I know. I just wasn't sure if I wanted to meet them."
"I thought you always wanted parents?" Ruthie asked, surprised that the words had escaped her mouth.
"I do. I just. . .don't know if I can handle seeing them."
Cassie put her hand on Marguerite's back and smiled. "You handled everything else so far on this trip. You can do this too."
Delilah smiled her secret smile. "I hate to be rude, but tick tock. . .tick tock."
The vampire nodded to Elijah, who smiled. Walking towards the brown Ford, Marguerite willed herself out of the ghost mode. Surprised, she smiled to see that she looked like her mother. Both of them had the same long thick brown hair and almond eyes. The difference was that her mother looked happy and at peace, Marguerite never did.
Between her father's thick bushy mustache and his large black sunglasses, it was difficult to see what he looked like. His body looked strong as though he had spent many hours in the fields. The shape of his broad nose suggested that he had been in more than a few fights. He seemed nervous as though he knew what was about to happen.
Marguerite tapped on the window. Tense, her father rolled the window down. "What do you want?" he asked in Spanish.
His voice was rich with pride. It was everything that she had hoped. "You have to leave the car. There's a bomb under it," Marguerite replied.
The woman, her mother, shivered at the mention of bomb. "A bomb? What are you talking about?" she asked, frightened.
Marguerite took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. "The Federals put a bomb in your car. It's set to go off once you hit the bridge."
"Oh God, no!" the woman cried.
"Trust me! You need to leave. Take your baby and go. Walk across the bridge, but don't take the car."
"Do we know you?" her father asked.
"Not yet, sir, but I hope to."
"We don't even know your name," the woman protested.
"Marguerite."
"Come on! Come on!" the guard yelled in Spanish.
"I have to go. Don't drive that car across that bridge!" Marguerite told them.
"I won't," her father promised.
"May Saint Mary smile upon you," her mother said.
"She already has."
Marguerite watched as her father turned the Ford around and parked at the gas station. Her father carried a suitcase, while her mother carried her past-self. Together they walked across the bridge to freedom.
"Are you okay, honey?" Ruthie asked.
Stunned, the vampire had trouble filtering her emotions. As the Sanchez family vanished on the horizon, the portal reappeared. "We'll see."
The Five stepped into the portal not knowing where it would take them. Delilah smiled. Although she had lost a few battles, she had won the war.
Jack sat in his easy chair waiting. Although he knew that time had no quantitative meaning in Xanadu, he felt as though he had been waiting for hours. Silently, he smoked his stogie and stared at the tapestry. The threads would not change until the Five returned, but he hoped he could catch a glimpse of what was happening. According to the rules, neither he or Delilah were allowed to interfere. Naturally, Delilah cheated. He focused on the point where the five threads merged and become one.
The thread shifted gray then melted to a dark ebony. The black spread to the other threads, transmuting the tapestry of many colors into the shadow rainbow. The portal, now a swirling black, opened returning the Five.
"What's wrong?" Ruthie asked, noticing the discoloration of Jack's face.
Jack dropped the stogie in his lap, shell-shocked. The cigar burned into his trousers, but the old man ignored the burns. Coldly, Caliban brushed the embers out and put out the cigar. "What happened?"
Jack Covell remembered when he stormed the gates of Auschwitz. Surviving all of the death, destruction, and war, he had thought it might finally end. The Five were the last chance. "The end."
Delilah cackled, waving her hair as though she were in a fashion shoot. "Perhaps I could explain."
"Please do," Ruthie said, politely.
The vampire grunted. "Make it good," she warned.
"You five no longer exist. Oh right now you are still who you have always been. As soon as you leave Xanadu, the timeline will sort out and a new reality will be formed."
"The tests," Elijah muttered.
"Yes, the tests! You all had a chance to grow outside yourselves and failed according to Jack's point of view."
"How did we fail?" Elijah asked.
"Do you really want to know?" Delilah asked.
"Oh, thrill me," Cassie replied.
"Well let's begin with you then, Mount Cassie. It seems as though poor Cassie had been hurt by the fact that a few pimple faced jerks laughed at her. You see, she had the chance to be a queen, but ended up as the jester. Such a sad day. But she had the chance to change things. She never had to live through that day. Well, you ever hear of Nietzsche? You know 'That which does not kill us makes us stronger?' Well you didn't get strong enough. All of us have a time when we decide to be members of the herd or heroes. You never had your chance. It seems as though you couldn't handle your loneliness so you drank Liquid Drano and died. Very poetic. You even left a picture of Steve next to you on the bed."
"You bitch!" Cassie cried.
"But wait there's more."
"That is enough," Caliban barked.
"Oh sweet Caliban. You were the only one the passed the test. I would have sworn you'd be the first to go. I guess I can't win them all. Still, how did it feel to murder the old bum twice?"
Elijah drew Ascalon. "I would not do that if I were you, Kincaid. Xanadu is mine now. What's wrong? Afraid that your life will be different when you get back? Don't worry Tagami fixed that. Even though you screwed up and failed, you'll be just fine. I didn't take into account the fact that you've already traveled in time."
"What difference does that make?" the Chiyanbara asked.
"You can't have a double paradox. Tagami knew what was going to happen so he was able to stop you from killing MacDuff. He knew you would be screwed if you did. So even though you failed you ended up setting your own history. Oh well, three out of five isn't too bad."
"What about my parents?" Marguerite asked.
"Oh, they're fine. You have four brothers by the way. You all live in the San Fernado valley. Your married to a wonder plumber and have three kids."
"I'm married. . .with kids," Marguerite muttered, horrified.
"Oh, you wished you would have had time to travel, but hope one day you'll get around to it."
"What about me? Did I marry Keith?" Ruthie asked.
"No. You broke off your wedding. You remembered talking to yourself but thought it was a dream. It seems as though Bobby Washington decided he loved you after all. You were married six months later and had two boys. Preston was shocked over a white woman marrying a black man. It's a southern thing, you know. Your Reverend told you marrying him was against God. You decided that if God was against your love for Bobby, you didn't want to be for Him."
"Then it is over?" Ruthie asked.
"Oh, of course. See you wouldn't have it any other way. Vanity rules all of you. None of you could see the trees for the forest."
"What will happen?" Marguerite asked, devastated.
"There's this dude named the Shadow Lord. I know his real name but that would be telling. Around two hundred years ago, he found what he thought was a minor artifact of evil. After doing a bit of research, he discovered it was the First Seal of Creation."
"The First Seal of Creation? What's that?" Cassie asked.
"While humanity was still counting with their toes, seven keys were given to the Created to watch over the world. These keys had the power of life and death."Ruthie dropped to her knees. "You're talking about the Seals of Revelation! Oh Lord, the Apocalypse!"
"The what?" Cassie asked.
"The Seals of Revelation! In the Book of Revelations, it has been said that the end of the world will begin with the opening of the first seal."
"The Shadow Lord can open the First Seal of Creation if he can corrupt the three points of his chosen mystical triangle of power. Any guesses where the points are?" Delilah asked.
"The Viper Room," Elijah answered.
"Nope. Try again."
"St. Elmo's Cemetery," Caliban interjected.
"One down. . .two to go."
"Sister Mary's School for Children," Marguerite guessed.
"Good guess Sherlock. One to go."
"Tagami Towers," Elijah said.
"Excellent. You do have a few brain cells between you."
"And we were to stop him?" Cassie asked.
"Oh yes. You were going to do quite a bit. Stop the Shadow Lord, destroy the Seal, and even save the world a couple of times. But when it comes right down to it, it is pretty easy to die for a cause. But can any of you live for one?"
"I can't believe this," Cassie cried.
"It can't be over," Elijah insisted.
"Oh Lord, please give us a sign," Ruthie prayed.
Delilah cackled. "Ha! You pray for a sign when the answer is clear to you. Dear sweet Ruthie. You never even admitted why you wanted to stop the wedding. You didn't want to stop Keith from hurting you, you were afraid you'd like it too much. You didn't mention your adventures together, did you? I didn't think so. You can't stand for others to not think you're perfect. You have to be the angel, even when your not. You could stop all of this, even now, but you won't. You see our way works better. It is not who you are. It's what you want!"
"I thought you said you've won?" Caliban asked.
"I have. You won't go back," Delilah answered arrogantly.
"We can go back!" Cassie cried.
"You can but you won't. Hard to be the hero when it hits you close to home, isn't it?"
"We have to go back," Elijah told the others.
"Agreed," Caliban said.
"Can we stop ourselves? What about the paradox?" Ruthie asked.
"We have to try," Cassie said.
"No," the vampire replied.
"No? What are you thinking?"
Marguerite turned from the others. "If we go back, my parents die. There has to be another way," she insisted.
"There is no other way," Caliban stated.
"The Lord demands a sacrifice. This is our sacrifice. 'The Lord said unto Abraham, give up Isaac your only son.'"
"That's easy for all of you to say, but you had parents. When I grew up. . .I had nothing. Every night I used to cry myself to sleep because I didn't have a mother to tuck me in. I didn't have a father to hold me close. This is what I've wanted all my life! You're asking me to give it up?"
"I don't want ta be married to Keith, but I have to. It is God's will."
"It might be God's will, but it's not mine!" Marguerite barked.
"You think I want to go out on that stage and have them laugh at me? That hurt more than you can ever imagine. It took everything I had not to kill myself. But if I don't, everyone I've ever loved will be dead," said the fairy.
"Everyone I've ever loved left me," said the vampire.
"Although I would never threaten anyone, this is not a choice that can be made for selfish reasons. You have to go with us," the Fallen insisted.
Marguerite's eyes turned scarlet. "Do I?" she asked.
"No she does not," The Chiyanbara interjected.
Angry, Cassie pushed Elijah on the shoulder. "What are you doing?"
"Although I had a father, I missed not having a mother. We can not demand that she make this sacrifice."
Caliban stepped closer to the vampire. "For the world, we have to."
Elijah held Ascalon slightly higher and stepped towards Caliban. "I do not agree with her, but I will not let you take that choice away from her."
Ruthie closed her eyes, trying to think of a prayer. "We should not be fighting."
"Yeah, we should be kicking her ass," Cassie agreed, pointing at Delilah.
Delilah fingered them to come closer. "Just try it. Give me an excuse."
Caliban opened his arms in a gesture of friendship. "I believe that each of us knows the right thing to do. We could argue all night and not get any where. Logic can prove anything. You know what we should do."
Cassie looked the vampire in the eyes with love. "Think about what type of world you're giving to your parents. Who wants to live with demons?"
Ruthie stood and faced the vampire. "Marguerite, I love you. Please. We need you."
Coldly, she held her arms on her hips. "What do you think, Dudley?" "It is a hard choice. If we are to be heroes, these are the choices we have to face. If you can do this, you can do anything. Tagami was the only father I had. He is dead. I tried to kill MacDuff, but I do not regret it. For me, nothing had changed. The question for you is deciding who you wish to be."
"Where'd you read that one? Inside a fortune cookie?" Marguerite asked.
"Hamlet. 'To be or not to be.'"
"Are you going to let them tell you what to do? Is that what you want?" Delilah asked Marguerite.
"I guess that what good friends do sometimes."
"Do this mean you'll come back?" Cassie asked, thrilled.
"Yeah, I guess so."
Delilah stepped closer to the vampire. "You don't want to do that. Think about your parents."
"Do you know what I want?" the vampire asked.
Delilah smiled. "Please, inform me. Perhaps I can arrange it."
The vampire smiles, fangs gleaming. "I want to rip your head off and use it for an ashtray. Can you arrange that?"
Elijah smirked as Delilah's face turned crimson. "Shall we go?"
"Yes, let's go honey."
Marguerite slowly waltzed past Delilah. She turned slightly and blow her a kiss. "Oh, by the way. . .Delilah dear, we'll be back."
The ebony energy portal opened, awaiting the Five. Holding hands, they walked through the portal and into the past. The colors saturated the tapestry. The shadow rainbow banished to the void. Jack Covell lit his stogie and smiled.
"You almost won but your arrogance cost you. You just had to brag. You should work on that. It is a rather strong weakness."
Delilah stomped her feet. "Your faith in them is your weakness."
"Is it a weakness or a strength? Oh by the way, I would leave if I were you. They will not be happy when they return and I would hate to be inside your shoes when they catch you."
Violently, the vampire kicked over the leather chair. "Where is she?"
Jack waved his cigar in his hand, smiling. "She left."
"What the Hell happened to this place? Where in the Hell did she go?" Marguerite asked.
Xanadu had changed from an antique looking bookstore to a seedy looking bar lined with thousands upon thousands of books. A thin layer of smoke clouded the room. Several booths were arranged through out the main lobby. The basic layout of the building had not changed. The tapestry did not move; however, a huge wooden counter had grown around it. "Welcome to Jack's Bar and Grill," he replied, ignoring Marguerite's questions.
"We won!" Cassie cheered.
"Yep! Delilah thought she should split before you guys came back. I wonder why?" Jack asked rhetorically, washing a beer mug with a dirty rag.
"Where is she? I'm going throw down with her!" Marguerite demanded.
"Don't know. Don't care. Doesn't matter. The Bar is ours and open for business."
"What business?" Caliban asked.
"The Bar is a place for the army of light to gather, to rest, to collect information. For now, this place is at your service."
"Is everything restored?" Caliban asked.
"Yes. Everything is as it was before and more," Jack stated.
"What do you mean?" Ruthie asked.
"You've grown."
"Then we have won?" Elijah asked.
"You have won the Bar, if you wish. Nothing more. So don't get cocky."
"I don't mean to be rude, but what is this place anyway?" Ruthie asked.
"We're at the center of the universe. From here, we're connected to everywhere. For an example, the void that you crossed is connected to that portal."
"You've already said that! Tell us something we don't know. What's the point of the Bar?" Cassie asked.
"Knowledge. Within these walls are pages that humanity has forgotten. It's been my dream that this knowledge would give humanity the chance to evolve. Become something more than lawyers and accountants."
"It's a damn library!" Marguerite muttered, shaking her head.
"Oh yea and much, much more."
"Okay. . .so what's so important about Xanadu, or Jack's Crack, that you have to put us through all this shit?"
"As much as I hate to use clichŽs, knowledge is power."
"May I ask what knowledge is stored here that is so important?" Elijah asked.
"Glad ya asked, m'boy. Glad you asked. The sum of human knowledge is stored here if you know where to look."
Elijah smiled, slyly. "Excellent, I wish to know how you came to this place."
"It's a long story."
"Before it was not important. If I am to trust you, I must know."
Jack Covell took a long puff on his cigar. "It started after World War II. Life seemed a little boring. Oh, there were still the Russians, but we had saved the world for democracy and apple pie. I just couldn't go back to the factories, not after the war. So I decided to be a cop, but I quickly found that I didn't like all of the rules and regulations. Eventually, I set up shop as a Private Investigator. I figured I'd found the perfect life with great hours, decent pay when I worked, and even a little excitement now and then."
"Then life got too exciting, yes?"
"I just couldn't let life have its mysteries. One day I got curious and saw a couple of things that were supposed to be secret. The main man downstairs decided I knew too much so they sent a Defiler after me. I got lucky and the Defiler was careless. After shooting him about ten times, the bastard finally died and in his pocket was a Tempus."
"Now, I'm confused. What the Hell is a Defiler? What's a Tempus?" Marguerite asked.
"In a nut shell, a Tempus is a magical totem that gives special powers to mortals and drafts them into the Eternal War. Those who would be good become Sentinels. Those who would be evil become Defilers. I became a Sentinel. I was the last Sentinel."
"Why the last one?" Cassie asked.
"I served my purpose and learned to transcend the flesh. Something happened to the all of the Tempuses. Something happened to the Dreamweb. I can't explain why but they're only attracted to Defilers now. This might have something to do with the Shadow Lord. It might not. I was supposed to be a Guide and help the Big Guy upstairs kick a little spiritual ass, but I was left without Sentinels to teach."
"So then you were assigned here to teach us, yes?"
"Close enough to call jazz."
"We can learn anything here? As long as we ask the right question. Correct?"
"Yep."
"I wish to know MacDuff's history."
"Elijah! We have other matters at hand," Ruthie said.
"No. He's testing me. right?" Jack asked.
"I can not believe what you say until you prove some of what you are telling us. Other have lied to us."
Marguerite smirked. "And you want MacDuff's head on a silver platter."
"Any color of platter will do."
"I can't show you his entire life, but I can show you his focus point. Look into the tapestry and concentrate on MacDuff. Search for the thread that belongs to MacDuff. Yeah, you found it. Now, focus on that thread. Can you see it?"
"Yes," Elijah answered, peering into the past.
As the radiant sun set in the horizon, Finneas MacDuff spotted his wretched new hovel. The small, rotting cottage paled in comparison to Castle MacDuff, but it was all that he could afford since the raid. Most of his clan died that day. The rest were scattered across Europe fighting to survive.
MacDuff elected to remain in his homeland with his mother. The Saxons would never drive him completely off his land. He swore that even in death, he would haunt them for eternity.
His only worry was his mother. Mary MacDuff married at a young age to an old man who was more father than lover. Alone, she looked to her son for companionship treating him like a favorite sibling. She sang and danced and weaved the dark fog from Finneas.
The siege had changed her; violated her. The old women whispered in the village that she had been warned about the massacre by the devil, but choose not to tell the clan. Killing three men in a duel at the tavern silenced the rumors, but the fear remained like a bitter aftertaste.
Trudging through the marsh, the weary warrior felt uneasy. The hovel seemed wrong. The hearth was dark and cold. Smoke should have been snaking out the long shaft, reaching for the night. His mother had let the fire go out and yet as far as he could recall, Mary MacDuff had never failed to keep the fires burning.
Anxious, MacDuff raised his Claymore charging the cottage. Violently bursting through the thin rotting door, Finneas found his mother.
Languidly, she lounged naked in the center of the tiny shack. Her long auburn hair had been braided to her side as though she were about to enter the field of battle. Her sparkling green eyes focused on the think ebony cat that she held close to her breasts. "By Christ's wounds, mother!"
Gazing hungrily at him, Mary grinned. "Hello, my son."
"Mother, what are you doing? Surely, this is the work of Satan!"
She laughed. "I have found a way to win back the castle."
Shaking, Finneas raised his weapon. "Mother, what have you done?"
Her response was silence. She gestured at the candles, positioned in a circle surrounding her with a five foot radius. Despite the damp wind, the wicks ignited. The soft light illuminated her body performing a wicked shadow dance. His eyes wandered from her face to her breasts.
Raw, Finneas dropped his sword. Between her breasts a third nipple had appeared. "Mother? What is this evil? Surely, we can fight it!"
Mary continued to grin, feline-like. The black cat mewed softly and jumped out of her embrace. Startled, MacDuff watches as it slinked out of the cottage. "Remove your gloves, son."
MacDuff obeyed his mother. Delirious, he knelt next to her on the dirt floor. "Come to me, son."
MacDuff obeyed. He always obeyed his mother. "Mother, what is happening? I can call for the priest!"
Purring, Mary directed his hand to her soft breasts. MacDuff gently caressed one and then switched to the other only to touch the third nipple. Although it felt like her other nipples, it felt wet. He brought his finger to his nose and smelled it. The smell of blood tickled his nose. She had been feeding the cat with her blood!
"Don't resist, Finneas. You know that you want this. I've seen you watch me. I've seen you lust for me."
It was almost as though MacDuff had been the puppet and his mother controlled the strings. She rubbed the stubble on his face, admiring it. She whispered soft words. "We have many things to learn about each other, my son."
She kissed her son. At first it was slow, allowing the shock to wash over him like the mist. She felt the passion stir in his blood. The pace quickened. They writhed like animals. The mother tore off the clothing of the son. "Relax, love, and enjoy the feelings."
MacDuff always obeyed his mother.
He awoke to hear his mother chant. It was Latin. Finneas had been tutored by a priest before the dark days. He had never heard these words before. The rhythm reminded him of Mass only the words were recited backwards.
Her scent clung his body. Glancing around the room, he could not find his mother. Covering himself with a wool blanket, MacDuff peered outside.
Naked and covered with mud, Mary MacDuff danced before a huge bonfire in worship. A circle had been drawn around the campfire with gray chalk. Curious, MacDuff stepped into the circle, clutching onto his mother. "Mother! In the name of Christ! What is happening?"
Startled, she looked into his eyes as though she had never given birth to him. Thunder lit the skies. "The Lord of the Hunt is coming."
The wind howled like a banshee. "Who?"
"The Lord of the Hunt. He comes to grant a boon to us."
A black vortex of swirling energy formed at the base of the bonfire. Frightened, the warrior followed his first instinct. Feverish, MacDuff darted towards his sword inside the hut.
Savagely, MacDuff took his weapon and returned to his mother. In his haste, Finneas stepped onto the circle, breaking a link. As Mary screamed, a dark man stepped from the portal.
He was handsome and powerful and clearly of noble birth. Mary dropped to her knees and he smiled gently. "Who calls the Lord of the Hunt?"
Tearfully, Mary smiled. "Greeting, servant of the Goddess. I have taken my son in Her name."
The Lord of the Hunt motioned to MacDuff. Forces beyond the power of men slammed him to the ground. Fingers of mud and stone clutched onto the warrior holding him to the ground. "What are you doing, my Lord?" Mary demanded.
The Lord of the Hunt cackled. "You ignorant bitch! You mess with matters you can not begin to understand."
Mary mentally prepared the words of binding. "What are you doing? You are to serve me in the name of the Goddess."
The Lord of the Hunt grabbed her by the hair and laughed. "I serve no-one. You opened a hole in the Great Barrier and I crossed over. The Lord of the Hunt is dead. I killed him two hundred years ago, wench!"
Mary MacDuff screamed. The dark man's fingers chilled her as though she were frozen in a river of ice. "Some mortals call me Mephistopheles. You couldn't fathom my true name. I am one of the Created. I watched as the foundation of this world was laid. I have destroyed stars. I watched when Adam eat of the tree of knowledge. And you think you can bind me! Ha!"
Even as she spoke the words, she knew they had no power over this dark man. "No! Please!"
The dark man grinned, showing his fangs. "Oh yes. You've made your deal and now I want my pound of flesh."
She twisted and pulled, attempting to free herself from the cosmic force that held her. "You see. You are now mine, body and soul. Hear this MacDuff! I take your mother with me! I will have all of eternity to know her flesh and soul! She is mine! Mine! And there is nothing you can do about it!"
The warrior fought the magical force that held him to the earth. The harder he exerted his energies, the stronger the fingers became. "No!"
Mephistopheles looked at MacDuff, scratching his chin. He was a thoughtful creature who enjoyed considering all of the possibilities. "Oh yes. Her suffering will be legendary, even in Hell."
Frantic, MacDuff fought, trying to buy a little more time. "A deal? Can I make a deal? What do you want?"
The words sparked interest. Mephistopheles looked into MacDuff, searching for possibilities. The mortal knew the ultimate question. Perhaps, he could grow into something useful. "I have big plans for you, Finneas MacDuff. I shall return and make you an offer. I shall return your mother to you once your service has been rendered."
A stream of tears shined on his cheek as MacDuff heard Mephistopheles drag his mother screaming into the shadow rainbow.
Caliban coughed as the vision ended. The experience had dried their mouths as though they had just witnessed an execution. "I believe you," Elijah informed Jack.
Jack nodded. "Yea, I figured ya would."
Caliban considered the possibilities. "And we can do this at any time, yes?"
"Yep. The only catch is that the tapestry tends to wear people down so I'd catch a night's sleep before trying again."
Cassie considered the situation. Her parents would discover her missing soon. She'd have to warn them if she could. But, they would never believe her. She decided that perhaps in a day or so she'd send them a note. Until then, Cassie didn't have a place to sleep. "Where? Here?"
"Yep. I prepared rooms for all of ya. I even picked up your stuff."
"Yeah! I can actually put some clothes on instead of just wearing an illusion," Cassie cheered sarcastically.
Elijah smiled. "I can not see the difference."
"You try putting your bare butt on that couch!"
"No thank you. I prefer my clothing."
Caliban pondered the situation. Events were falling into place too quickly for him to accept everything blindly. "I think we are forgetting things, yes?"
"What do you mean?" Ruthie asked.
"Was Delilah telling the truth?"
"For the first time in her entire existence, she told the truth. You see, the truth hurts more than lies ever can. She wanted to hurt you. That was her mistake."
Ruthie swallowed. Her throat felt like the desert. "Then the world is at risk from them?"
"Oh yeah, you'd better believe it."
Anxious, Elijah gestured to the tapestry. "Then we should not stop."
Cassie sighed, tired. "Look in the last forty-eight hours, I've found out I'm a fairy, fought Morrison, lost Sylvia, snuck into the Viper Room, fought Morrison again, almost got eaten by a giant spider woman, helped kill a thousand year old vampire, found out Sylvia was a vamp, found Xanadu, met Jim Morrison, and had to live through the worst day of my life three times. I need a break!
Ruthie laid her hand on Elijah's chest. It cooled him. "All of us are tired. Even Jesus rested so that he might gain strength."
Jack rubbed his hands, excited. "Oh. . .and by the way I bought food for ya. I put it in the kitchen. There's something for everyone, even you Marguerite."
The vampire smirked. "What'd ya do? Rob a blood bank?"
Jack scratched his bearded chin. "Nope. I bought a slushy at a Zip-in-Go. It should be just like you like it."
The vampire allowed a chuckle to escape her mouth. "Geez, I guess you don't miss much."
Ignoring Marguerite, Cassie started towards the kitchen. "Yeah, thrill me, I'm starved."
"Will we be safe here?" Ruthie asked, still concerned..
"The Bar is yours by right of trial. Even the gates of Hell can't stand against it. You're safe for now."
"For now? I thought we're the good guys and we're supposed to win," the vampire asked, dreading the answer.
"Nope. You're only supposed to make a stand against the darkness. I never said you'd would win."