In the Shadow of Men

by Darren Swart

  His only chance would be to throw the box over the edge. Marty looked at Gillian. She knew what he was thinking. She was staring at the gun, with tears in her eyes. She shook her head. Slowly, he removed the wooden box from his pocket. He held it away from his body, handing it to no one in particular. Before McPherson could pull the trigger, Marty slapped the gun and rolled away from the Scot. He drew back to throw the box over the cliff and stopped. His strength left him. It was all he could do to breathe. The sudden paralyzing pain in his back made him look down. McPherson’s other hand firmly held the long thin dagger of his family’s namesake. The blade was as deep as it would go into his side. McPherson left the blade in, as he secured the pistol in his belt and carefully removed the small wooden box from Marty’s hand. When the container was firmly in his hand, he pulled the blade free. Marty crumpled to his knees and pitched sideways. A scream lay frozen in Gillian’s throat. She fell to his side, desperately clutching him. It wasn’t supposed to happen like this.

  McPherson leered, as he leveled the gun at her. He considered the term for this in baseball. A double play is what he believed they called it. He wanted her to look up, so she could take the round between her eyes. But she wouldn’t take her eyes off of Marty. It was of no consequence. It was her time. It didn’t matter if she saw it coming or not. McPherson savored the moment like a rare steak. He squeezed the trigger. The report seemed loud, even amidst the crashing thunder around them.

  Gillian’s head snapped up at the sound of the crack. Much to the surprise of both, Franz’s body fell with a thud between them. The round ripped into his back, as he dove between them. He landed hard on the stone beneath them. For a moment, Gillian watched his eyes widen, as the bullet ripped through his heart.

  There was no time for an exchange between them. There was an instant of eye contact before his eyes hazed over. She watched an ever-widening arc of blood encompass him, mingling with Marty’s on the flagstones. She caught the glimpse of a tiny smile on Franz’s lips before he died. Perhaps it was atonement that gave him peace? They would never know.

  McPherson screamed, “Idiot!”

  He shook his head and adjusted his aim at Gillian. Instinctively, she began to concentrate on McPherson’s energy. She would help him understand the Frenchman’s last thoughts, as the gun exploded in his hand. She never got the chance. McPherson stopped. His gun hand dropped to his side, uselessly. The automatic slipped from his fingers and clattered hollowly to the stone below.

  Coco swallowed the raw emotion, as she watched Franz’s lifeless twitch on the warm stone floor. As she drew back the long thin steel of the blade, she called on the strength of Kuan Yu to guide her hand.

  McPherson’s eyes widened, as he looked down. Gillian thought he almost looked surprised at the broadening crimson oval on his chest. The merest hint of the stainless steel throwing dart protruded from the epicenter of the spot. The little Scot dropped to his knees and slumped forward onto the waiting stone below. Franz’s and McPherson’s bodies lay almost head-to-head.

  Gillian whirled to catch a glimpse of a fleeting black form melting into the shadows of the rock formations behind them. A volley of automatic weapon rounds followed her, but to no avail. Two men in black jumpsuits darted after her, only to be stopped in their tracks by their Squad Leader, Gunter. “Stay with the duke! Don’t let him out of your sight.”

  Like foxes watching a rabbit run into the brush, they adjusted their eyes from the disappearing form and returned their attention to the man in the ceremonial gown before them.

  Coco disappeared like smoke in the wind. She had fulfilled her promise to Franz; partly from loyalty, partly from love. He had never allowed their relationship to become intimate. She thought it odd, but she respected his wishes. She had never stopped desiring him, though. He was such a sweet, strange little man. She missed him already. Quickly, she returned to the present. Black forms were all around her, silently moving toward the Ark. Skillfully, she weaved in and out of the rocks, avoiding them. They were no longer her problem.

  ****

  Gillian’s face filled him and the world began to slow down. In flashes, he saw her lying beside him, fields of orange and purple flowers; the sunrise from that morning. He couldn’t speak. He couldn’t move. There was a horrible buzzing in his ears. Then it began to close in. He viewed his life as a spectator from above. A single tear slipped from her cheek toward him. It seemed to float weightlessly in the air above him. The tunnel began to close in, as the darkness overwhelmed the light. It closed toward the very center of his vision, so that all that was left was a single point of light. And through that tiny pinhole of perfect light, a small hand reached out for him. He smiled, or at least he thought he smiled. He assumed it was Gillian reaching for him. The small hand took his and pulled him gently forward into the light. A beautiful sapphire blue light pushed away the darkness. The child-like hand gently pulled him forward. The dark clouds receded and he saw Rachel smiling radiantly, bathed in light. She welcomed him with a long kiss on the cheek and a hug that she reserved for family. Marty felt warm in a way he had never experienced. Digger walked up beside her. Leaning over, he hugged Marty, as well. Marty looked at them, confused, “Where am I?”

  She placed a gentle hand on his cheek. “The safest place in the universe.”

  ****

  Gillian barely knew that Digger was standing over her. She looked up through the tears and could see the small smile on Digger’s lips. Amidst the grief, she misunderstood the look. “Why are you smiling?” she sobbed.

  “I’m not afraid now. I know what I have to do.”

  She gave him a confused look. “What?”

  He kneeled beside her and kissed her on the forehead. “Trust me. He’ll be fine.”

  She simply stared at him. She wondered if they had all gone mad. Gillian looked into Digger’s eyes. They crackled with some distant energy. He began walking toward the duke.

  Gunter snapped at Digger. “Halt!”

  Digger ignored the petty little man and continued forward. Gillian tried to focus on the entire team, but there were so many of them. There was a short burst from a MAC 10. Instead of falling, Digger disappeared before their eyes. Gillian sat stunned. Her world was unraveling before her eyes.

  ****

  One of the Black Jumpsuits approached McPherson. Never taking his eyes off of Gillian, he retrieved the box from McPherson’s lifeless fingers. He backed away from her, never taking his eyes off her. Gingerly, he placed the box on the small table within reach of the duke and quickly backed away. The duke carefully inserted the last stone. It glowed brighter than the rest. But nothing further happened. Something was wrong.

  It was Gunter that noticed the blue glow emanating from Gillian’s bosom. “Duke!”

  The duke turned to see Gunter pointing at Gillian. She seemed confused until she looked down. She saw the blue glow from her brassiere. There was no sense in hiding the stone any longer. She stood, reached inside her top and retrieved the glowing blue orb. It felt warm to the touch, but not hot. She held it out for all to see in her open palm. “You want it? Fine! Choke on it.” In a final act of defiance, she turned and tossed the glowing stone toward the open face of the cliff.

  The duke scowled, but otherwise seemed unruffled. He raised his open hand. With a small guttural sound from his throat, a glowing orb appeared in his palm. He pointed at the stone and gave a command. It shot toward the falling stone like a tracer round. Like a dog chasing a Frisbee, it engulfed the Sappire in mid-air and raced back. An instant later, it dropped the Sappire in the duke’s waiting hand and hovered there, expectantly. She shook her head in amazement

  The duke turned toward the Ark. Almost with disdain, he plucked the dull stone from the Ark and tossed it to the ground. He pointed his finger at the Ark and the gem moved into position, drawn in by an unseen force Gillian dropped her head in despair. After all they had strived to do, there was nothing left. They had lost.

  The duke turned toward Gunter
. “We don’t need her anymore. Please make sure she does not cause any further annoyance. Gunter nodded and turned toward Gillian, leveling his MAC 10 on her.

  Marty watched the scene unfold from high above. “Rachel, can you protect Gillian?”

  Her laugh was like the tinkling of a chandelier. “Well, of course.”

  It amused her at how easy it was to trick humans. She cupped her hands around Gillian and Marty’s body and blew a bubble of ethereal energy that encompassed them. Gunter watched, as Gillian and Marty disappeared before his eyes. His head turned side-to-side to see if they had moved, or the light was playing tricks on his eyes.

  She looked at Marty. “Sweetie, she will need to close her eyes. When the singularity opens, there will be too much light for her. It will destroy her eyes.”

  Marty nodded. Somehow, he was beside Rachel now. He closed his eyes and reached out to Gillian.

  The Sappirs on all four sides began to flash faster now, in sequence. The dots of light cycled faster and faster until they were no longer dots of light, but a solid ring of blue. The broadening blue circle of light surrounded the relic like a planetary ring. A deep rumbling like an earthquake could be heard from the Ark.

  Gillian began to hear a tiny voice deep within her. Gillian, there is going to be a bright light. I need for you to protect your eyes. It drew her attention back to Marty. She didn’t understand, but she hugged his prone figure and began to rock back and forth. She closed her eyes and wept. Not only had she lost Marty, she was going mad.

  That’s it. Hold me close.

  She hugged him tighter, trying to force some of her life force into him. The odor of ozone grew thick, while the air crackled with energy. Dust and debris began to eddy and boil around the rings of blue light in mini cyclones. The turbulence flowed over her, though she were in a protective bubble. The single ring began to divide into larger spheres broadening around the Ark. The duke’s men began to back away from the Ark, as the energy increased and a hum became deeper and more resonate.

  The voice inside Gillian continued. Sing with me.

  Tears flowed from her clinched eyes. Thickly, she whispered. “I can’t remember any songs.”

  The tiny voice coached her. Sure you do. Row, row, row your boat…

  Softly, she began to sing. She continued to rock back and forth, as she sang. The voice in her head sang with her. “Row, row, row your boat” Row, row, row your boat… It seemed to block out the rumble of the Ark. She kept her eyes squeezed shut and kept singing. The outer ring suddenly flared sending a wave of energy at them. It gently washed over Gillian. She heard the Security Team yelp in pain. She sang louder. Rachel, Digger and Marty watched the duke through a portal of blue energy Rachel looked worried. “His pronunciation is horrible, but I think he just said that my face is a purple dung heap.”

  Marty looked at her surprised. “But I thought he had an ancient script?”

  She smiled, drolly, “He had half the script.”

  They could hear a growing clatter, like a chain about to come off a sprocket. Marty looked at Rachel. “What’s that noise?”

  “The Sappir. They’re confused.”

  Digger looked at her. “Because of him?”

  There was concern in her eyes. “Yes. He’s giving them conflicting commands. They don’t understand, so they’re continuing to cycle up.”

  Marty looked at the duke. “What does that mean?”

  She looked at him grimly. “I believe you call it the Big Bang. Because he is only giving them half the information they need, they continue to harness more and more power. Eventually, they will reach critical mass. This galaxy will be no more.”

  “You mean he can’t open the portal?”

  “Only partially. If he continues, the portal will become unstable.”

  Digger looked concerned. “So, what do we do now?”

  “I can open the portal for him, but I have no directions on where to send him.”

  Marty could see Digger thinking. He looked behind them. Like peering through a telescope, a map of the solar system appeared behind them. Rachel smiled at him, impressed that he had adapted so easily. His brow furrowed. He pointed toward twin suns and twelve planets. “Where is that?”

  “That’s your solar system.”

  “That can’t be. They’re binary suns and twelve planets.”

  “Because you haven’t seen them before now doesn’t mean that they don’t exist. The second sun and those planets are in another dimensional plane. You know it as dark matter. It is the Dark Universe. It is hidden from your view by dimensional barriers.”

  Digger seemed excited. “Are any of those planets inhabitable?”

  She nodded. “Unlike your dimension, there are three to be exact.”

  He pointed to a planet in a color he didn’t recognize. “What about that one?”

  She nodded. “Oronas. It’s very similar to earth. Do you want to send him there?”

  Digger nodded. “Yes.”

  “Very well. This is what we’re going to do…”

  Foot high Cherubs facing each other on the top of the Ark began to glow. Each began to pulse lit from within. The duke watched, as they began to grow. Ever so slowly, they stood in unison from their kneeling positions and turned toward a very startled duke.

  The duke chanted louder. The figures continued to grow. The Sappirs chattered in an ancient, deafening language. The figures grew until they were taller than the duke. Both stepped down from the golden chest and glided to the stone below them. Both glowed so brightly that the duke could barely look at them. He fell to his knees. In a voice like thunder, the angel on the left spoke. “I am Michael. What is it that you seek?”

  The duke trembled before him, without speaking. In a soft voice like that of a waterfall, the angel on the right repeated the question, “I am Gabriel. What is it that you seek?

  In a tiny voice, the duke managed to eke out, “Da’ath, I seek Da’ath.”

  The Security team shrank away in fear. Some fell to their knees, as blood dripped from their ears. Gillian continued to sing. “Merrily, merrily, merrily…”

  The duke arose. With a modicum of composure, he squared his shoulders aristocratically at the angels spoke more confidently. “I command that you to take me to Da’ath.”

  Gabriel thundered, “So be it.”

  Michael and Gabriel turned, facing each other. They drew flaming swords that formed an arch between them. This time, it was Michael who spoke. “Go forth and be recognized, Priest.”

  Somewhat hesitantly, the duke stepped through the arch into the abyss. A great vortex opened and began to draw everything around it in. The Security team clawed desperately at the stones beneath them, but to no avail. One at a time, each disappeared into the giant sucking void. When the last man passed through, a crack of thunder sounded, as the portal closed behind them. The Ark sat silently, smoldering under the dark skies.

  Marty watched as the duke and his men tumbled past him like tumbleweeds through the wormhole and out of sight. He could swear that the duke recognized him, as he rolled by. He smiled at him. The portal closed and it was silent again. Marty looked around to find himself in the library with Digger and Rachel. He looked around, curiously. “So, now what happens?”

  Rachel smiled. For the first time, he saw her as Digger did. She was radiant. “It is your choice. You may stay here, or return to your world.”

  “What about Gillian?”

  “She is on the other side of the plane. She must stay there.”

  Marty nodded and smiled. “I’ve just found her. I’m not ready to let her go.”

  Her eyes glowed, as she smiled. “I thought you might feel that way.”

  Marty turned and instinctively started for the door. Digger didn’t move. Marty stopped and looked at him, quizzically. “Are you coming?”

  Digger smiled and shook his head. “I can’t.”

  Marty looked confused. “Why?”

  “Your spirit passed over without your body.
She can guide you back. I passed over completely, body and soul. I cannot leave until the doorway is re-opened.”

  “But what do we tell your parents, your friends, your loyal following?”

  He smiled. “The truth… I disappeared.”

  Marty looked at them. He could see an almost tangible connection between them. “Are you sure about this?”

  Digger reached over and hugged Rachel at the waist. “Yeah, I’m sure.”

  Marty nodded. He walked back toward them and hugged them both. “I’ll miss you guys.”

  They returned the hug. Rachel responded, “We’re only a dream away.”

  Marty turned back to the door and walked through, without looking back.

  ****

  The voice inside her head had stopped singing. There was silence. She opened her eyes to see him smiling at her. As her lips touched his, she could feel the crackle of thousand tiny electrical charges passing between them. She drew back and drank in his sapphire blue eyes. As gently as she could muster, she slapped him lightly on the cheek. “Don’t do that again.”

  He smiled. It was good to be back. They sat with his back to her, her arms holding him tight. The weathered rock beneath them was swept clean. Not so much as a single strand of cloth belonging to the duke or his men was left behind. A single beam of sunshine broke through the clouds and bathed them in a white glow. Finally, she looked at him and uttered a single word, “How?”

  He smiled. “We have plenty of time to talk about that later. Let’s figure out how we’re going to get out of here.”

  It was a while before she realized Digger was gone. Marty took her hand in his. Quietly, he explained. He wrapped his arms around her, as the tears flowed down her cheek. She shook her head in disbelief. “I don’t understand. Why couldn’t Digger return?”

  “He passed over physically when the doorway was open. He is alive and well, but he’s trapped there until the portal is re-opened.”

  She looked at him. “Can’t we open it?”