ALL ROADS LEAD TO CAMELOT

God fashioned the ship of the world carefully

With the infinite skill of an all-master. . .

Then—at fateful time—a wrong called,

And God turned, heeding.

Lo, the ship, at this opportunity, slipped slyly,

Making cunning noiseless travel down the ways.

So that, forever rudderless, it went upon the seas

Going ridiculous voyages,

Making quaint progress,

Turning as with serious purpose

Before stupid winds.

And there were many in the sky

Who laughed at this thing.

(Stephen Crane, "The Black Riders").

- 0 -

Tyki didn't know whether he was walking somewhere, or he was being dragged across the floor or carried, but his numb body was moving. A sickening stench of his own blood hung thick in the air, and a horrifying squelch accompanied his movements. A tentacle—or several—protruded from his back, making that awful squelching noise every time some unknown force pulled his body forward.

Darkness was impenetrable, as if his eyes had been gouged out, but somewhere above him he kept hearing Road's voice reverberating through his skull.

"…Is it my role?" She uttered a sob—a heartrending sound. "Finding you at your worst. Taking you home. Mending your broken bodies and minds again and again. My arms ache, my feet are sore, my body is tired, but I'm carrying your weight because I don't know what else to do."

Every movement came with a jerk, as though Road needed a moment to get her breath and gather her strength before each step. Tyki was now certain that he was being dragged, and the tentacles on his back scraped against the floor.

There was a creak, as if a door was flung wide open in front of them.

"You're running off the first chance you get, chasing after some ephemeral dream of yours. And I'm left wondering. Will you forget me? Will I ever see you again? Or will I be too late again, and you'll disappear in that place humans call death where even my dream cannot reach you?"

They stopped, and Road gently leaned Tyki's body against an uneven surface of a bedframe. Moonlight came through the window in bright streaks. His vision was blurry, but the darkness surrounding him was no match for the surreal radiance of the moon.

Cold girlish hands slipped under his arms, and Road tensed up, trying to lift him onto the bed. She moved him up a few inches before letting go of him with a small, frustrated sigh. Tyki grabbed onto the bed sheets, lifted his legs onto the soft mattress with a tremendous effort and, stifling a groan, rolled over to the side. A tentacle on his back flopped around of its own volition like a fish pulled out of water, and pain pierced his spine with a thousand searing needles.

"Tyki, will you let me do it just this once? I promised you that I'd never do it without your permission, and I don't want to break my promise to you, but you're in so much pain that you're pitiful to look at."

"Road," he croaked. She was kneeling at his bedside, resting her head in the crook of her elbow and looking at him with her brilliant, tear-filled eyes. "This pain, it's—"

"Shhh, don't talk. You're badly injured, but you're going to be all right. I won't let anything happen to you this time… So, please, Tyki, let me join my dreamworld with yours."

Tyki gave a feeble nod.