Soul Rider #01: Spirits of Flux and Anchor

by Jack L. Chalker

  "I am here to deliver a message to the Sister General. Can you take one to her from me?"

  The warden looked hesitant. "I can't just disturb her for any old thing. You can take it up with the proper channels."

  "I have no time to be put off by bureaucrats whose job it is to put me off," he responded curtly. "If you get this message to her, she will see me. If you do not, I will raise something of a stink that will be as unpleasant for you as for me. At the end of that time I will probably be hauled off to jail, but the Sister General will get my message in the report and then we will change places, or worse."

  The warden did not seem moved by this, and made as if to close the door. Mervyn stuck his foot in it, then pushed the warden backwards with a shove. Clearly that woman's body he'd tailor-made for himself had a lot of nasty surprises, for the larger, tougher-looking warden flew back as if struck by a sledgehammer. Aghast, Suzl and Cass followed him into the wardens' room.

  Three other wardens were in there and came on the run when they saw the problem. Mervyn reached behind to his long cape and brought out an automatic rifle. They stopped, unable to believe that anyone would commit such sacrilege.

  "Suzl, shut that door. You on the floor—get up and get over with your sisters. Now! And all of you just stand there and stay away from any nice little buttons or consoles. I am a creature of Flux and I will not hesitate to shoot. If I do, the spray this thing makes in stopping one of you will kill all four of you."

  Suzl reached under her shirt in the back and pulled out a small automatic pistol, reinforcing Mervyn and freeing him to move. "You four—come into the outer room here with us. Don't touch anything or try anything funny."

  They obeyed, hands high, but they glared at her. "You'll fry in Hell for a thousand lives for this," one hissed.

  "I already been there, honey, and it don't scare me a bit," she snapped back. "Ca—Kasdi, you watch 'em and if you see one of 'em pull anything funny, you yell and they're gone."

  "You'll never get out of here alive," one of the wardens said smugly. "You know that, don't you?"

  "If I don't, neither will you," came the equally tough reply. Suzl, Cass noted, was loving every minute of this, and there was genuine hatred and contempt in her expression and manner. This was no act. She ached for revenge.

  Mervyn studied the control panel for a moment, checked out its switches and relays, then found the master manual and thumbed quickly through it. He found what he was looking for immediately, and tapped four numbers on the intercom pad— There was a buzzing sound, then an unfamiliar voice answered. "Sister General. What is the problem?"

  "There is an urgent message here for the Sister General's ears alone," he said into the speaker. "It is urgent. Put her on at once."

  There was a sigh at the other end, and the connection was muted for a moment. Finally a far more familiar voice said, "This is Sister General Diastephanos. What is the nature of this emergency?"

  Mervyn looked over at Cass, who nodded. That was her, all right.

  "The Seven Who Come Before have gathered at the gates of Anchor to release the spawn of Hell," he said carefully. "The Nine Who Guard call upon the holy church for aid."

  There was a long pause, and then the Sister General asked, "Who is this?"

  "Pericles," he responded.

  Again there was silence. Finally she asked, "Are my wardens all right? I assume it wasn't easy to get in to use the intercom."

  "They are mad and angry and vengeful," he told her truthfully, "but aside from a slight bruise on one of them they are in fine shape."

  "Who's watch officer?"

  He looked over at the four. One of them said, sourly, "Daran."

  "Put her on."

  Mervyn gestured with the gun and the chief warden came over to the intercom. "She's here," he told her.

  "Daran, this would not have been necessary if you had not refused to carry the message. These people are not criminals, nor are they committing sacrilege. How many are there?"

  "Three, Your Worship," the warden said glumly. "Two have guns, and the third's pretending to be a priestess."

  "She may very well be one," the Sister General snapped back. "Now, listen carefully. You are to escort these three to my office without delay of any kind. Understand? I want no trouble and no revenge. If there is any trouble or any action of any kind taken against them you will all be exiled to Flux immediately. I mean that."

  "But Your Worship—"

  "No buts! Deliver them immediately, healthy, and with no problems and I will forgive all. Do anything else—anything—and you will all curse the day of your birth and the parents who bore you. That is all."

  The watch officer sighed. Mervyn smiled at her and handed her his rifle. She seemed startled, then undecided, suppressing an urge to fire anyway. Instead they walked into the other room, where Suzl handed over her pistol as well. There ensued a great debate among the four in which the watch officer had to exercise abnormal control just to keep them from tearing the three limb from limb or at least working them over with rubber hoses. Once the officer had made her decision, though, she stuck to it. When the warden who had been shoved back tried to attack Mervyn anyway, the watch officer struck her in the mouth with the rifle butt. She looked mad, but finally calmed down, as blood from a small cut trickled from the side of her mouth.

  "Now, then," sighed the watch officer, "let's all go see Her Holiness, shall we?"

  Leaving the guns in the security office and then locking up, they all walked back upstairs, into the chapel, then back into the sacristy. Cass had a feeling of having been here before, but now she was with someone who knew the way.

  Ultimately they reached the first of three-security doors. Obviously the Sister General's own area had been reinforced since Cass had blundered in. Each of the doors could be opened only from the inside, by someone who first could look at whoever was out there and take action if necessary. The wardens generally expected their way to be barred at this point, and action taken, and seemed extremely surprised when each door opened for them with no hesitation.

  Finally they reached the office of the Sister General. It looked much the same as Cass remembered it, although she'd had a very different view the last time. Sister Daji was nowhere in sight, but to the left of the Sister General's huge desk the falcon perch still stood, and why not? On it was a falcon.

  The Sister General looked at the mob, then said, "That will be all, wardens. Retire to your posts and await my instructions." They bowed, bewildered, and exited.

  She looked at the three of them in turn, settling on Mervyn. "I don't have to guess which one of you is Pericles."

  "It's been a long time, hasn't it, Des?" he responded lightly.

  The tone and question startled both Cass and Suzl. It was obvious now that, somehow, these two actually knew each other!

  She came over and hugged the wizard. "You wore that guise just for me, didn't you?"

  He laughed. "I figured if nothing else you'd get a photo from the police with a report on my doings."

  She laughed. "You always were the one for direct actions. But, enough of this for now. I'm going to have problems with my security staff for a long time over you three. What is this really all about?"

  Mervyn looked around. "Is it just us in here?"

  "Yes. I cleared the rest out. Please, all of you, have a seat and we'll talk."

  "Not everybody was cleared," Mervyn remarked casually. "I see we have a spy over there."

  She laughed. "Oh, Demon. Yes, my secretary went roaming in the marketplace while I was away on business and bought her as a surprise for me— Unfortunately, she seems to like the secretary far more than me. She's safe, though."

  Mervyn nodded, and Cass began to wonder if she in fact had dreamed the whole thing. Was it instead some odd story planted in her mind by Haldayne? Was she, in fact, loosed with false information in her mind to contuse and disrupt the Nine? She felt suddenly very confused.

  "Haldayne has taken Persellus and
means to move on the gate," the wizard said simply. "We are mounting a massive force to retake it, supported by myself and two others of the Nine." Quickly, and in a businesslike fashion, he outlined the entire plot, leaving Cass out of it completely, though, as well as Daji and the part Anchor Logh played in it. She listened attentively, her face grim. When he had finished she asked, "What do you want me to do?"

  "How large is your troop force?"

  She thought a minute. "I don't have the exact figures, but not counting the new recruits in training after Census, about a thousand."

  "Let's count the recruits."

  "Then, perhaps a hundred more plus training instructors. But we need a minimum of three hundred to man and guard the borders."

  He nodded. "That's fine. Give me five hundred under your best officers and noncoms. Get them in Flux and I'll see they don't crack. Once we break Haldayne's shield we'll need warm bodies to overrun and root out what's left of Persellus. He's very strong and has had time to prepare."

  "Do you think you'll catch him this time?" she asked, apparently getting caught up in the adventure of it.

  "We're going to try— That's all we can do, no more. There is nothing I would like more, as you well know. Half a dozen times I've had him in my nets and he's managed to slip away. But, with your gracious help, we'll beat him this time, at least."

  "You shall have it and welcome," she responded. "And what will you do with it—after?"

  He shrugged. "Sister Kasdi has a great deal of talent and is now training under me. A church-controlled Fluxland in such a strategic position would consolidate quite a bit and secure the gate for some time."

  She thought about it, and liked the idea. "A church-controlled Fluxland. It was the dream of the Founding Mothers, but somehow it's never come to pass. It would create a church-held domain over a hundred and fifty kilometers southwest." She turned to Cass. "You must do it! You have the best teacher in the world for it. Why, it could be the old dream—the training and university ground for the Church, as Globbus is for wizards."

  "I will consider it. Your Eminence," Cass responded carefully, trying to make sense of all this,

  The idea of her becoming a Sister General wizard to a Fluxland church indoctrination center was ludicrous at best. She wondered what the Sister General would think if she knew who really sat before her in the guise of a tall priestess. Again she felt frustrated that she had no idea what games were being played here, only that everybody seemed to know and understand more than she did-

  It was, in fact, as simple as that insofar as getting the troops was concerned. The Sister General herself would give them the commands and see them off, and they would be ready at the western gate in three days. They were ready now to leave, with a total pass from Her Eminence herself, when Mervyn asked, "Where's that secretary of yours? I've heard some stories about her."

  She laughed. "Daji? Around someplace, I suspect. Absolutely gorgeous body, but rather empty in the head, I fear. I have to keep it that way, if only for security."

  He nodded. "I understand. But if you could spare her for these next three days she'll be most helpful, as your secretary, in clearing away bureaucratic barriers just by her presence. I can use her, so don't worry about what she doesn't know."

  The Sister General laughed. "You're just trying to get her away from me so you can have some fain. But, all right. Take her. I'm going to be too busy for her anyway, it appears, and she only has one thing on her mind all the time, bless her." She pressed a buzzer and there was a muffled response. "Is Daji about?"

  Again a muffled response. She nodded. "Send her up. She's going on a little trip with some friends of mine."

  17

  SORCERERS

  Sister Daji had seemed quite confused when ordered by the Sister General to go with the three nice ladies and do what she was told, but after a tittle heart-to-heart talk in the other room she went along with it, at least grudgingly. Cass could not get over the contrast between the woman she saw now and the one she had seen with Haldayne. It seemed almost inconceivable that this bubble-brained airhead could possibly be a mistress of Hell and conniving plotter -

  They went out the door and down the Temple steps, Daji clutching a small overnight bag. Some birds scattered into the air as they descended the stair, but one bird, a particularly large raven, did not. Instead, he circled and then settled atop one of the lampposts along the sides of the square itself and watched the four figures come forward. There were few people about, although there was some traffic on the streets and a couple of people were sitting on one of the benches in the square, and two yellow-robed Sisters were walking towards the Temple as the quartet walked away.

  Still, Cass had an uneasy feeling she couldn't shake off. Something seemed very wrong, although things had been going well from Mervyn's point of view. It had started with the falcon still in the Sister General's office, grown worse at meeting Daji, and was now building to the breaking point. She looked around nervously, studying everyone in the square, her eyes finally reaching the two approaching Sisters. There was just something about them, something very odd…

  "Everybody watch it!" she cried suddenly. "Those Sisters are wearing boots!"

  "Caw!" screamed the raven almost immediately. "Caw! Caw! Caw!"

  The two "Sisters" split from one another, reaching in and drawing guns at the same instant. Mervyn dropped where he was and pulled an automatic pistol, firing at the closest attacker first. The "Sister" fell back with the force of the shots, blood soaking the front of the robe while her gun clattered as it fell. The other, however, dropped and rolled, and had time to open fire before Mervyn could bring his pistol around. Suzl had dropped at Cass's warning and now rolled towards the first assailant's fallen weapon, while Cass managed to make it behind a post that afforded some protection. Birds and people were screaming and panicking everywhere.

  Daji, however, had just stopped and stood there, looking very confused. As a result, she took the full blast of the second assailant's shots and staggered back, then collapsed on the paving stones, writhing and groaning. Mervyn fired at the assassin but scored only a grazing blow. Then his gun went dead, empty. The woman in yellow, realizing this, stopped, raised her own gun, and pointed it directly at the wizard, who had nowhere to run. A volley of shots rang out, echoing across the square and against the Temple walls, and the killer spun and fell dead.

  Suzl looked a little surprised that she'd shot so well from such a distance, and smugly blew the smoke away from the barrel. Mervyn, however, was in no mood for gratitude or theatrics. "Shoot the raven!" he cried. "The raven'" He pointed to the large bird atop the lamp, but before Suzl realized what he was saying and could make sense of it the bird launched itself into the air and was soon lost from sight to the southwest.

  Cass ran over and helped Mervyn up. "Damn!" he swore. "It was Haldayne and we almost had him!"

  Suzl walked cockily over to them. "He almost had you, you mean. Where the hell did you get that pistol?"

  "Trick compartment in the cape," he told her. "They took the rifle, left the holder, and it was still there. Damn you, though! Why didn't you shoot the raven while you had the chance? I had a spell on you that made you a great marksman. You could have had him!"

  "And lost you," she responded, getting a little irritated.

  "What do I matter?" he growled. "That raven was Haldayne. If we had gotten him we could have taken Persellus without any real losses."

  She shrugged. "Sorry. Next time I'll let you die and shoot every damned bird in sight." She looked around. "Where's Cass?" They both looked, and found her kneeling beside the fallen Daji. A crowd was gathering fast, and police could be heard on their way. Mervyn elbowed his way through and knelt down beside Cass.

  Daji was mortally wounded, but still alive, Gasping, blood running from her mouth, she looked for all the world a hurt and confused child. She choked once, and then something seemed to grow within her, filling her face and particularly her eyes. Her whole appearance to
ok on a different look, and she coughed and gulped down air. "Damn you!" she screamed, in a far different, more self-assured voice filled with hatred and fear. "Damn that bastard Haldayne! Always the genius! Always the double-dealing genius! I should have known, you…" She shuddered and went limp, and her eyes now held a vacancy that even Daji had never known.

  Police and Temple wardens came through, pulling them away. Cass stepped back and shook her head sadly. "It's crazy," she said, not particularly to Suzl although that was who was there. "I actually feel sorry for her. I don't know how I can pity her, but I do."

  Suzl shrugged. "Well, she certainly was what you said, that's for sure. Man! That was weird, seeing her change like that."

  Cass nodded. At least she was vindicated in her own mind about it all— Daji had certainly been with Haldayne, and that meant the rest of it was almost certainly true as well. She looked up for Mervyn, and saw him with the authorities inspecting the body of the first killer. Both assassins were dead, and when the robes were opened they all saw that under those robes were two hard-looking women dressed in farm clothes.

  They spent the next several hours with the police, giving statements of the events. The pass from the Sister General was absolute, and avoided many embarrassing questions about why they were there, but there were still the statements, which had to be checked, typed, and signed, and the individual interrogation of each as to the exact sequence of events. The administrative chief of the Temple showed up to clear the way for them not to have to reveal any more than they chose, and to carry back copies of everything for the Sister General, but it was still a mess— Neither killer was on the registry, nor had they any record of entering Anchor Logh. This bothered them all more than the killings themselves, as unprecedented as they were, because it meant that either there was a leak in the wall guard or else these two had come from the only place where the unregistered could possibly come from—the Temple itself.

  That was not the problem of the trio from the Flux, however. "You know this Anchor pretty well. Can we take different indirect routes back to the gate?" Mervyn asked them.