by Simon Clark
Paul tried to thaw the mood of cold resentment. ‘Thank you for the supplies. We do need the food.’
The mayor glared at him. ‘Make no mistake this isn’t an act of charity. You’ve forced us to hand over food we can’t spare.’
‘There was the fish,’ Elsa began.
‘Paul, you should have seen Dominion,’ Caitlin gushed. ‘He took some old nets into the sea and caught thousands of fish. There must have been a shoal of—’
‘Caitlin.’ Her father became even grimmer. ‘This man’s spectacle with the fish doesn’t impress me, nor the town’s authorities.’
‘Most people haven’t had fresh fish in months. Dominion caught enough mackerel for everyone. Aren’t you pleased…?’
‘No, I’m not pleased, Caitlin. None of us are. This … Dominion … made a play of catching fish to deceive the town that he was somehow compensating them for the supplies. Not only that he’s trying to create divisions, so people will be saying, “Oh, those transients aren’t so bad after all”, while making the authorities appear unfair in their treatment of them.’
‘All I can say is,’ Paul told him, ‘if your people can accept the fish as a token of our good intentions.’
‘Good intentions.’ Jackson repeated the words as if their taste in his mouth disgusted him. ‘Damn your good intentions.’
‘OK, clearly we can’t change your opinion. All I can do is promise we won’t harm your people or damage any more property.’ He looked at the giant standing by the truck. ‘OK, Dominion?’
Dominion said nothing.
‘There,’ Mayor Jackson nodded as the last box was lifted from the truck. ‘You’ve got the food I promised you. Now, you can stay in the Pharos for the rest of the week. Then you must go. You leave, do you understand?’
‘We’ve nowhere to go,’ Beech protested.
‘That’s not our problem.’ The mayor’s eyes flashed as the anger he’d suppressed began to boil. ‘Just get out of here by Friday.’
Saiban stepped forward out of the shadows as if they somehow gave him his gloomy form. ‘Mayor. I apologize on behalf of us all. You have my word we will leave here by Friday at the latest.’
Paul spoke before Saiban could make any more promises that the God Scarers couldn’t keep. ‘Mayor Jackson, surely you’ve no experience of transients. Those that pass through the transit stations are immediately bussed out of the area. So why do you hate us?’
‘Look at the town. It’s dying. The nation’s economy is in ruins, and it’s all because of you.’
‘But aren’t you happy that some of your people who die go to the transit station and are restored again? Look at us. We’re healthy. The procedure makes worn-out bodies brand new again.’
‘Are you out of your damn mind?’ This was the chief of police. ‘In the last forty years not one single person from this town has been taken to your precious transit station. Once our people are declared dead they go to fatten worms in the fucking cemetery.’
Paul frowned. ‘I’m sorry. I thought—’
‘Well, think again. None of us become monsters like you. We’ve never been invited; frankly, I’m thankful we never have.’
West stepped forward. ‘Maybe not recently but you’ll have had transients serving your community?’
‘The hell we have.’ The chief of police laughed in West’s face. ‘We’ve never even seen one in years.’
Paul shook his head. ‘I don’t understand. The intention was transients would serve you.’
‘It never happened here.’
‘Listen.’ Mayor Jackson held up his hand. ‘I don’t intend to stand here debating what did and what didn’t happen. You are corpses that through trickery have been made to look alive. You aren’t as far as we’re concerned, you’re just disgusting pieces of dead meat. Now: here’s your food. Do what you want with it. Make sure you’ve left here by Friday.’
Dominion spoke. ‘You can’t make us move.’
‘If you don’t go the army will come back and exterminate you. Got that?’
‘I don’t agree,’ Dominion told him. ‘The soldiers won’t be back for weeks. They’ve moved north to destroy the other transit stations.’
‘You’re very well informed,’ the mayor sneered. ‘Who told you this.’
Dominion paused. For a moment he appeared puzzled. ‘I know … that is the strategy. The army isn’t coming back.’
Elsa watched that odd meeting of man and monster on the cliff top as a night-time breeze blew from the ocean. Both the mayor’s people and the God Scarers appeared perplexed by Dominion’s statement. At that moment a faint music appeared to float on the air. It’s the song of the dead, she told herself. A shiver tingled through her body to run prickles of ice across her scalp. The music was beautiful as it was mournful. A sense of such aching and longing ran through it. She glanced around the assembly there. No one else appeared to hear it. No … wait … just for a moment Dominion’s head tilted slightly as if he heard faint notes reaching out to him.
Somehow he knows the soldiers aren’t coming back here. He knows things that no one else does. Perhaps he knows about that song … The breeze drew a long heartfelt sigh around the castle. She closed her eyes as shivers cascaded down her spine. The song of the ancient dead. It’s their way of calling us to return.
Mingled with these thoughts that seemed so troubling yet had the ring of a Bible truth about them were images of Karl. Even the knife wound in her breast had faded to a tingle. Her head spun. She wished this handover of supplies would be over so she could find somewhere quiet in the Pharos so she could endeavour to work out what was happening. Sex, the songs of the ancient dead. SEX. The word throbbed with a crimson light inside her head. SEX. Elsa wanted to find Karl again. Sex wouldn’t be a word then. It would be a muscular act.
The gunshot changed everything. A detonation so fierce its echo stung her ears. Everyone turned their heads, trying to see who’d fired the gun. The posse looked at one another but they stood with their shotgun muzzles pointing at the ground. Then she saw one of the transients slowly kneel down before sagging sideways onto the ground. It was Uri, one the physiotherapists. What she saw didn’t make sense. As he collapsed, like he was nothing more than an accumulation of softly empty clothes, the white-haired man who’d protested about the handover of food appeared to guide him downward by touching the back of his head. This silent paralysis of the group only lasted a second.
Paul shouted, ‘Jackson! We agreed there’d be no violence!’
The mayor responded with, ‘I didn’t order this. It’s nothing to do with us.’
From stillness to a confused mêlée took seconds. God Scarers rushed to Uri who lay still, his eyes staring. His attacker stood over him, bent at the waist while pressing a device of some kind to Uri’s head. As one of the policemen reached the pair, the old man straightened. In the light of the cars Elsa saw what the man held. It was a humane killer used by slaughtermen. Approximately the shape and size of a pistol, it would be used to kill big animals such as cattle and horses. An explosive charge drives a captive four-inch steel bolt through the thick cranium into the brain. Whereas an ordinary bullet might bounce off a transient’s skull, this bolt had penetrated Uri’s skull to gel his brain tissue.
Saiban once again appeared to materialize out of the shadows to stand beside the mayor. ‘I must apologize again, sir, for the disruption we have brought to your town. Our actions are inexcusable. I have done my best to persuade these transients to surrender to your—’
Jackson stopped short of touching Saiban but he gestured with a sweeping motion. ‘Get out of my way.’
‘Of course, sir. I’m sorry.’
Then the mayor called out, ‘Don’t touch any of us. We didn’t plan any of this. Our police will deal with it. Just stay back.’
Saiban obeyed promptly. He moved to a respectful distance from the humans with his hands clasped together in front of his chest, his expression more mournful than ever; his huge sad eyes fixed on
the mayor as if communicating a heartfelt apology for breathing the same air as humankind.
Two clusters formed. One around the white-haired man as the police bundled him to the cars. The second cluster, this one of transients, gathered around Uri. They picked him up then carried him through the gate into the courtyard. Dominion’s shaved head swung left and right. There was a sense of gathering violence in the air. Elsa waited for the giant to lash out at Uri’s attackers. Meanwhile, Paul talked to the mayor. From the body language both of them appeared to be struggling to find common ground despite their anger. Clearly, neither wanted Dominion to begin one of his bone-crunching displays.
Elsa stood beside Saiban. Behind them, a waist-high fence separated the road from the cliff top. Two hundred feet below, the town lay in darkness apart from lights shining through windows to leave a sallow daub on the harbour waters. Briefly, her attention was held by the scene in front of her as the mayor and Paul worked together for once to prevent the shooting of Uri leading to more bloodshed. Dominion glared at the car that held Uri’s attacker. Roll it over. Make it burn. It didn’t take a genius to figure what he was thinking.
A sap crept away from the group. He was one of those thin men whose bodies suggested a brittle hardness, like the shell of an insect. His face bore the blue lines of burst blood vessels as a result of drinking that rough liquor the locals distilled themselves. The man’s eyes fixed on her as he approached. She realized her back was to the fence, which was all that separated her from nothingness. In her mind’s eye she saw the man toppling her backwards over the rail. Already, she felt a clutch of fear as she pictured herself plunging into the streets far below. She thought: I know I’m stronger than him. But I can’t resist in case I hurt him. I can’t break our law. Instead, she took a step forward. The man changed direction. Maybe there was something in her eye that made him rethink his intentions. He breezed past, keeping his distance, but still close enough to envelop her with the cutting stench of alcoholic breath.
A moment later he stood pointing into Saiban’s face. ‘Listen, monster.’
‘Sir?’ That’s Saiban. Polite as ever. ‘Can I help you?’
‘It’s true that your sort can’t touch us?’
‘That is true, sir. Our mission is to serve humanity. We’d never—’
‘Shut it, maggot.’
‘Yes, sir.’
‘And you must obey us?’
‘That is true, also, sir.’
‘Then climb over the fence, and jump off the cliff.’
‘Sir?’
‘That’s an order.’ The man leaned forward. He’d begun to grin so hugely his lips slid back to reveal large brown teeth. ‘Go … and … jump … off … the … bloody … cliff.’
Saiban’s mournful gaze strayed to Elsa before returning to the man. ‘Sir, I’m not being disrespectful. It’s just that I don’t see what purpose it would serve.’
Elsa realized that nobody else on the cliff top had noticed what was happening at this side of the road. The mayor and police chief were discussing the attack on Uri with Paul. The rest of the God Scarers either had carried Uri away or were watching Dominion in case he erupted into a fury of destruction.
It’s up to me to solve this one, she thought. Not that there was much she could do. She couldn’t even touch the human, nor was it wise to shout to the others to attract their attention. A sudden outburst from her part might trigger Dominion into attacking the humans. So, softly, softly does it.
‘Saiban,’ she said, ‘come with me.’
‘Keep away from me,’ hissed the man. ‘Saiban’s going to do what I tell him. Isn’t that right, monster?’
‘If you say so, sir.’
‘Then what are you waiting for? Step over that fence, and jump off the cliff.’
Saiban’s mournful eyes took in the course he had to follow. It was just a couple of yards. It would take only a second to climb the fence then step out into the cold night air.
‘You don’t have to obey, Saiban,’ she told him. ‘If a human tells you to hurt yourself you’re not obliged to comply.’
‘Shut it, you bitch.’ The man’s near-toxic breath made her eyes water. ‘He’s going to obey me, aren’t you, Saiban?’
‘Yes, sir.’ With that he climbed the fence. Beneath him the town stretched out in a dull mass of smoking chimneys and yellow squares of light for windows at this time of night.
‘Saiban?’ Elsa clutched her fists. ‘Why are you doing what he says?’
‘You know why. Since we left the transit station we have committed crimes. Because I failed to stop you I’m guilty as you all are. I’m no better than Dominion.’
The sap grunted. ‘Want to stand there spouting all night, monster? Jump. That’s an order of a human being … your fucking superior.’
Saiban nodded. ‘Of course, sir. My apologies.’ He stared down. The faint light reaching him filled his mournful eyes with silver glints. This isn’t what he wanted, yet his obedience to the human race overrode the instinct for self-preservation.
‘Jump,’ the man hissed. ‘You know you’ve got to.’
‘Wait.’ Elsa stepped up to the fence. The breeze blew her hair back from her face; she felt chill currents run across her scalp. ‘Wait, Saiban. You mustn’t jump.’
‘I have my instruction. I can’t disobey a human.’
‘See, you little corpse bitch.’ The man was pleased with his power over the God Scarer. ‘He’s going to do what I say, then I’m going to do some work on you.’
‘Saiban,’ she whispered quickly. ‘You must not jump.’
‘Elsa you don’t have authority over me: the gentleman does.’
‘Saiban. Listen to me, you will be breaking our law if you jump.’
This gave him pause. ‘How?’
‘Saiban, just look below you. There are houses.’
‘But I have my instructions.’
‘What if you fall onto a house? You’d go right through the roof. There’s a real chance you’d kill people inside.’
‘Fat chance of that happening.’ The sap belched. ‘Now make like a bird. Understand?’
‘Sir, there’s a problem.’ Saiban gulped as conflicting ideas struggled for supremacy. ‘Yes, I must obey you. Especially in the light of my failings recently.’
‘Do it then. Fly.’
‘But if I jump there is a real risk of hurting a human being. To even damage human property would be a greater crime than disobeying you, sir.’
‘Thatta boy, Saiban.’ Elsa felt a surge of relief.
‘Aw, go screw yourselves.’ The man knew he’d been beaten but disguised it by walking away as if bored.
‘Saiban. Give me your hand.’ She reached out to help him back onto the road.
‘Why did you save me, Elsa?’
‘Oh, why do you think? Come on, move it, before he has any more bright ideas.’
‘OK,’ Paul called to his own kind. ‘Listen to me. I’ve reached an agreement with Mayor Jackson. In consideration of what happened to Uri we can stay in the castle for a full week.’
Beech stood in the gateway. Uri’s blood stained her clothes. ‘Are they arresting the guy who shot Uri?’
‘Yes.’
The police chief stepped forward. ‘He’s been arrested for operating a firearm in a public place.’
‘What? You mean you’re not arresting him for murder?’
‘In the eyes of the law,’ the policeman explained, ‘you are still dead. You can’t kill what’s already dead. You follow that, don’t you?’
Beech howled in anger. ‘That bastard blew Uri’s brains out. Look at me.’ She advanced on the cop. ‘Put your hand on my chest; tell me there’s no heartbeat. We’re alive as you are. You’re denying us justice over a technicality?’
The man returned to his posse; they had raised their guns now. ‘I will uphold the law. But I can only charge the man with the illegal operation of a firearm in a public place. That’s all I have to say on the matter.’
&nbs
p; The only one of their kind who could do anything chose not to. Dominion turned his back on the outside world and walked through the gate where his massive form vanished into the shadows.
24
Taste the Blood and Coffin Paint
Silence. Stillness. The dead weight of the events of the past hour crushed down on everyone in the castle. Paul stood alone on the battlements. Seaward, the darkness was total. As for the town he couldn’t bring himself to look at it. Uri was dead. The slaughterman’s humane killer that dispatched cattle and horses with such efficiency dealt with God Scarers too. The bolt discharged into Uri’s skull by an explosive charge had turned his brain to puree.
As Paul stood there with his hands resting on the stone wall the breeze ghosted around the towers to draw out a ghostly sigh. The sound chilled him to the bone. It was the same sound Uri made as his lungs slowed.
‘We’re hard to kill,’ Paul murmured to himself. ‘But not that hard.’
Is this going to be the fate of all of us, he asked himself; are we going to be killed one by one? And if we leave here, where can we go?
Questions surged through Paul’s mind. He still asked himself where all the men and women the transit stations had brought back from the dead had gone. What’s happening to Dominion? Why are parts of his body changing colour? What did the scars mean on his wrists, shoulders and neck? How come he appeared to be remembering facts that no one else in this sorry bunch of refugees from death knew? Had Luna really written the name of her murderer in blood on the underside of the coffin lid? Had Dominion killed her?
At that moment vertigo tugged at him. All he could see was a blizzard of questions without answers.
‘I could jump off the wall.’ The bleak prospect became enticing. ‘We’re all going to die anyway. Why not exit at a time of your own choosing?’ His hands gripped the wall. Air currents produced an unearthly cry around the battlements. Beneath him, surf pounded against the cliff. ‘Come on, Doctor Paul Marais. You know a fall from this height will break even our thick heads. You’ve died once. Doing it a second time should be a cinch.’ Paul looked down into the surf. ‘If the fall isn’t fatal, the sea will finish you. Easy-peasy. Why don’t you do it? It’s not as if anyone will shed a tear over you?’