Tablet of Destinies (53 page)

Tory stood observing Gwyn, nodding in understanding as she wondered: ‘So what's your story, Night Hunter? You are one of the Nefilim. What is to become of you when Anu withdraws?'

Gwyn shrugged.
My access to the physical world will be cut off altogether … no great loss. I have a new and powerful ally who is about to make manifest into the Middle Kingdoms. As at home in my realms as yours, he shall become my apprentice and then I shall rejoin my soul-source before Anu retreats from the astral realms of existence.

‘A new Lord of the Otherworld, hey …' Tory stressed her interest and her reservation. ‘Anyone I know?'

The Night Hunter smiled. ‘Your boy, in fact.'

‘
Avery,'
Tory said with certainty, for his name meant ‘elf counsellor, wise counsellor'. ‘The soul that was once Marduk is to replace you?' She smiled, rather proud of her boy's destiny.

Gwyn began chuckling and Tory frowned, confused by his amusement. He explained:
You think Avery is Marduk incarnate?
He laughed even harder.

‘What's so funny about that?' Tory placed both hands on her hips, although she couldn't help but smile at the extent of his amusement.

You can't see for looking can you?
He dropped a hint and then calmed himself to drop the subject.
You'll figure it out, I'm sure.

‘Don't give me that!' Tory protested.

If you two have quite finished gasbagging, I have a question. Did you mean what you said before?
Shamash demanded a response from Tory.
About me being able to escape the crone's curse?

‘Of course I meant it.' Tory approached the restrained God to assure him. ‘Anu wants nothing more than to have all his manifestations returned to him and saved from Density's torment.'

And I shall be forgiven no matter what else I have done?

Tory frowned as she nodded, noting Shamash's emphasis was on the ‘else'. ‘You must make your own peace with Anu, Shamash, and when you do, all shall be forgiven.'

I just knew you'd say something pathetic like that!
Shamash snarled, seemingly disturbed by the news. He went quiet for a moment of inner debate. At last, he turned his bloodshot eyes of brilliant blue Tory's way.
You've got another problem … or rather Lahmu has.

‘Brian! What do you mean?' Tory demanded an answer, concerned for her brother.

‘Some antagonist you are … don't tell her.' Maelgwn did his best to confuse matters, for he found Tory's alarm amusing.

Shamash's discarded weapon was lying nearby. Tory took it up and aimed it at him, to help speed his decision. ‘Explain quickly and completely, or I shall send you to the crone's service myself.'

 

Cadwallon willed himself to the Governor's side before the vessel had even docked on Kila. The Lord Nergal went with the Chief Justice, so that Cadwallon could keep an eye on him.

The pair found Brian in his private office, working on the address for his first Senate meeting on Kila, only a week or so away.

‘The room was guarded and locked,' Cadwallon explained to his superior. ‘I can't understand how she managed it.'

Such a pity,
added Nergal.
I felt I was really starting to get through to her.

‘All the life-form readings on board the ship have been accounted for, and,' Cadwallon shook his head, bemused, ‘Aya wasn't one of them. She's just vanished.'

This was the last thing Brian needed to hear at present, but he suppressed his urge to start swearing, and set about solving the problem. Out of the fourteen souls that could project themselves beyond this star system, Brian was one of the few who knew what Aya looked like. Even though the Goddess was likely to be still within this star system, nothing was safe to assume as far as the Nefilim were concerned; he would not risk sending any of his other staff after her. All those souls who, like himself, had recently had their psychic talents boosted by Noah's spiritual delving, were otherwise employed and he did not want to drag them from their individual missions without good cause. After all, he could contact them with a thought if he found he was in
need of assistance. ‘Stay and take care of things here, and I shall go after Aya.'

‘Governor.' Cadwallon stalled Brian's departure. ‘I'm sorry for the grief. I'd like to request to go with you.'

That might be wise,
Nergal advised Brian,
as my daughter has a bit of a hankering for you, I'm afraid.

‘I was never this popular when I was single,' Brian joked. ‘I have brain-fry from doing all this office work anyhow,' he assured Cadwallon, ‘and Aya is not in a position to be a threat. I need someone to fill for me … it will be easier if I go alone. If I'm not back inside the hour, send Ethan after me.' He offered a compromise to ease the mind of his Chief Justice and Cadwallon nodded, although he was obviously not keen on the plan.

 

A black palace chamber was where Brian found himself in his pursuit of the missing Aya. The hexagonal throne room had charichalum walls and roof. The black marble floor was inset with hexagons trimmed with gold, set one inside the other into the centre, where a solid gold hexagon made a striking feature. Around the walls were tall, ornate pillars of black marble, finely mottled in gold.

This is the throne room of the palace on Numan,
Brian thought as he sighted the black-clad Nefilim Goddess.
How the hell did Aya manage to get here so quickly?

Aya was floating at the other end of the room, a fact that was in itself daunting. Instead of radiating light, as Brian did, she emanated darkness in the form of an all-encompassing shadow.

Brian tried to extract an explanation telepathically,
but it seemed Aya's shadowy aura was deflecting his attempt.

Surprised, I take it, Lahmu?
She raised her weapon from the concealment of her robes.

Brian folded his arms, undaunted by her aim. ‘The only thing that surprises me is that an intelligent entity like yourself would bother pulling a stunt like this! I am only going to drag you back to Kila for the conference.'

I have other plans.

Aya went on to explain her weapon's dark purpose, and her plan to change Brian's religion.

Once motivated by the selfish side of your nature, I believe you shall find your current lover rather a bore and seek a more like-minded playmate.

‘And together you and I shall rule the galaxy?' Brian's disbelief was reflected on his face. ‘Fire that thing at me, sister, and I shall concentrate all my fighting skills on ripping you to shreds,' he informed her, frankly. ‘And if you think I fight well now, if I were inclined to be underhanded,' he grinned confidently, ‘my skills would improve tenfold.'

Then you would leave me no choice but to destroy you altogether.
Aya pointed out this small flaw in his plan and then fired at him.

Brian caught the dart before it made contact with his body and willing her weapon to him, the dark gun was ripped from Aya's possession. Before it covered half the distance between them, the weapon stopped dead, caught between evenly-matched forces. The tug of war continued until the gun just spun in the centre, not inclined either way.

Your powers have improved since the arena, Lahmu.
Aya found the fact interesting.
But still, you are righteous and I am not — which puts me at a distinct advantage.

Brian remained focused on retrieving the gun. One more bullet in her body would send her straight to hell. However, the gold hexagon in the centre of the throne room floor, opened up, and proved quite a distraction.

Behold. A little something that Shamash industries, once based here on Numan, came up with for the permanent disposal of unwanted immortals.
There was a delighted note in Aya's voice.

Brian glanced into the deep hexagonal pit of charichalum to discover his unconscious wife locked in a charichalum sarcophagus at the bottom of the pit. The head of the black coffin was transparent, so that the occupant could be easily identified.

For a moment, Brian went into deep shock, fearful for his wife and unborn child. He gave up on willing the gun to himself and just willed himself to the gun. ‘She had better be alive, Aya.' He grabbed the spinning weapon and aimed it at the Goddess.

Fire that thing at me, my lovely, and I will not perish so fast that I cannot activate this charichalum smelter and make your lover and unborn child a part of the hardest substance in the universe. And believe me, once mixed with the molten metal, there will be no putting them back together or being reborn again. Their souls will be trapped … not in hell, but in the closest thing to it on the physical plane.

‘Why are you doing this?' Brian yelled, frustrated, hoping to God that one of his mental allies could feel his distress and was formulating a plan.

Someone has to save my kindred from being forced to conform to the Chosen way. All this loving all creatures and doing well by others … it's not natural for us.

‘So what do you expect me to do about it?' Brian prompted, still viewing her down the barrel of the dart gun.

Lahmu can restore the Old World order,
she stated,
only now, the emphasis would, naturally, be on the mining of charichalum.

‘Have you deluded yourself into forgetting that Anu is going to self-destruct?' He pointed out the small flaw in her plan.

What do I care? Once that shield you wish to build goes up, it will be business as usual.

Brian shook his head, knowing otherwise. ‘You cannot exist independent of your life source, Aya.'

All that sun worshipping hocus-pocus is superstitious nonsense. That dying star at the centre of Nibiru's system holds no sway over my soul, or destiny!
she insisted, belligerently, and then calmed herself before suggesting:
So either you turn that gun on yourself like a good fellow, or you shoot me and I make charichalum of your family. What's it to be?

Noah, Tory, Ethan and Robin manifested around the pit in which Candace was trapped. They were each positioned at the four cardinal points.

‘Time to come quietly, Aya,' Tory said, aiming Shamash's weapon at her, now loaded with darts full of gold Orme. ‘Repent and Anu shall be merciful. Activate this smelter and Brian will fire.'

Brian was decidedly worried. What was his sister playing at?

I'd rather be damned,
Aya decided, and to the sound of a mechanism activating, the Nefilim female vanished.

Tory got a shot away, but was unsure if she'd hit her target or not.

The round ports in each wall of the pit opened and liquid charichalum began pouring from them.

‘No!' Brian ran for the smelter, but was dive-tackled by his sister before he leapt to his death.

‘Candace is no longer there, Brian,' Tory shouted over his struggle. ‘The Devas got her out while I was giving Aya her ultimatum. Our circle formed a shield around the Devas that enabled them to do their work without being affected by such a low-grade entity.'

Brian looked from his sister to the others and their nods convinced him that all was well. ‘That bitch is going down,' he promised, determined to see her to hell's gates himself.

‘Pardon my saying so, Governor, but are those the words of an enlightened being endeavouring to aid one less fortunate?' Noah posed, which annoyed Brian no end. ‘I did promise to try and deliver all of Anu's lost souls and I have not given up hope for this one yet.'

‘Give me that, then.' He snatched his sister's weapon to take it along, just on the off-chance that the Goddess would have had a change of heart.

‘I'm coming with you.' Tory attempted to retrieve her weapon from Brian.

‘Brian will fare better alone now that Aya is on the defensive.' Noah settled the dispute. ‘And remember, with all things in the cosmos being connected, to condemn Aya's soul to Density is to condemn a small
part of yourself there too. My advice is to counsel her, Governor, as you would have someone counsel you, were you in her skin.'

Brian nodded, feeling calmer and in a better frame of mind. ‘I'll fetch her back for you, Sage,' Brian resolved. ‘But I can't say I won't be happy to see most of the Nefilim returned to their maker.'

‘Here, here,' all present agreed.

 

On the palace balcony overlooking the deserted capital city of Nibiru, Brian caught up with Aya.

The sky was no longer golden warm, but exposed to space, and freezing. The shield stations had been shut down and many spacecraft were hovering high above, readying satellites for relocation.

Brian was fairly sure that Aya was aware of his presence, but she said nothing as she continued to stare at the remnants of her hometown. ‘Lonely, out in the cold?' he asked.

I never thought anyone would succeed in bringing the shield down,
she said bitterly.
The great civilisation of my ancestors is now a ghost town … you ought to be proud of your handiwork.

‘So, you are sentimental about some things?' Brian noted.

I couldn't care less,
she claimed.
I still find the place quite habitable … I thrive on the cold.

The Goddess was bluffing. Brian could see her shivering, and the dark shadow had lifted from her aura. Tory's dart must have made contact and Aya was trying to con him into reversing the positive effect it was
having on her. If his theory proved correct, all the psychic skill she'd been drawing from the sub-planes had also departed, leaving her as the Devas had rendered her — mortal. Now Brian was glad that he'd not gone seeking revenge guns blazing, as he would have cut his own throat. ‘All of your kin have chosen to return to Anu, Aya —'