by Nancy Madore
Clive raised his phone to his ear. “Check the copy place around the corner and every restroom in between,” he said after a moment.
“Who’s that?” asked Nadia.
“Gordon. Now tell me exactly what Lilith said.”
Reassured by Clive’s take-charge manner, Nadia suddenly became hopeful. Maybe everything would turn out all right. She stopped crying and thought about his question. “She said she would call in fifteen minutes and tell me where I could find Georgia.”
“Fifteen minutes,” he repeated. “Now, Nadia, I want you to think. Where could she take a body, to get in and out of it in fifteen minutes?”
Just then Nadia’s office phone rang again. Clive picked it up and handed it to her.
“Hel…lo?” she said in a shaky voice. Clive put his head near the phone so he could listen in.
“She’s inside the public library near the park,” said a woman’s voice. The voice was strong and confident, like earlier, but it wasn’t Georgia’s. It was much smoother and more cultured, like the voice of the woman who had visited Nadia’s office before. But the woman on the phone seemed anxious and agitated, which made Nadia wonder if something had gone wrong.
“The library…at Bryant Park?” asked Nadia. “Is she…how is she?” she asked.
“She’s fine,” said the woman, and then she abruptly hung up the phone. Though her tone had been as determined as ever, Nadia thought she detected a tremor in her voice. Was she lying? Or was she simply shaken from the ordeal of going from one body to the next? Nadia told herself it was the latter. It made sense. Ornias had described in vivid detail how excruciating it was to exit a body. Perhaps that’s why it had taken longer than Lilith anticipated.
Clive was already on the phone with Gordon. “She’s at the library in front of the park,” he said, heading for the door. “Wait for me outside…and get pictures of everybody coming and going.”
“Wait for me!” cried Nadia, grabbing her purse.
*
They found Georgia sitting in one of the reading rooms on the first floor of the library, drinking a glass of water. There was a woman sitting next to her.
“Georgia!” exclaimed Nadia, rushing forward to embrace her. “Thank God you’re all right!”
“I found her in the Stokes Gallery on the third floor,” said the woman. “I wanted to call an ambulance but she insisted that you would be coming to get her.”
Nadia’s eyes, which had been resting on Georgia’s face, darted guiltily away.
“She’ll be fine now,” Clive told the woman dismissively. He bent down to examine Georgia while Gordon discreetly led the woman away. “What happened?” Clive asked Georgia.
Georgia was extremely pale. Her eyes looked more enormous than usual—and haunted. “I…don’t know,” she stammered, glancing nervously at Nadia. “It was…weird. The first lady who found me said it was just a hallucination. But it seemed so real. She said I fell down and bumped my head…but I don’t remember that.”
“That first lady,” said Clive. “What did she look like?”
“I don’t remember,” said Georgia. “All I remember is her voice. It was…strong. I thought I was in a hospital at first, and she was a nurse. She said she would call Nadia.” Georgia couldn’t seem to bring herself to look directly at Nadia. Her large eyes kept darting in Nadia’s direction but then settling back on Clive. Nadia watched ruefully from the sidelines. Everything she thought of to say seemed disingenuous.
“Have you been injured?” asked Clive. “Is there a bump on your head?”
“No,” she said. “But it hurts here.” She pointed to a place on her head and Clive felt around the area.
“There’s no bump, but you might want to have a doctor look at it,” he said.
“I feel okay,” said Georgia. “Except for the…hallucination.” Her eyes darted in Nadia’s direction again. “I think I should get back to work. Did the…the press release go out?” She asked Clive this, not Nadia.
“Don’t worry about the press release, Georgia,” said Nadia. “You’re health is much more important.” Georgia looked uncertain about this, so Nadia added quickly—“I’m taking you to the doctor right now.”
“Gordon will take her,” said Clive. “I’ll go back to the office with you and…help you get that press release out.”
Nadia was about to object when Georgia interrupted her. “I’ll be fine with—Gordon, was it?” she asked Clive. Nadia’s heart sunk. Georgia clearly didn’t want to be alone with her. And truth be told, Nadia wasn’t all that anxious to be alone with Georgia either.
“Oh,” interjected Nadia, flustered. “In all the excitement I forgot to introduce you. This is Gordon and Clive. They were, ah…doing, ah…something important…,” she couldn’t think of any explanation for their presence so she just let her voice trail off.
“We’re from IDCE,” said Clive. “We’re coordinating with Miss Adeire on some networking opportunities for her event.”
“Oh?” inquired Georgia, perking up slightly. “I’ve attended your conferences before.” Her gaze darted in Nadia’s direction and then back again. “You’re working with us now?”
“We hope to,” said Clive. “I’m certainly glad we were here to help out today.”
“I feel terrible for causing so much trouble,” said Georgia.
“Don’t give it another thought,” said Clive. “Just get better, okay?”
Georgia smiled at him and, with one final, nervous glance in Nadia’s direction, she allowed Gordon to lead her away to the hospital.
*
“It defies all logic,” said Clive, staring at the ring. “She’s hopping bodies as if it were a piece of cake!” He looked at Nadia. “I really thought she’d come as herself—or, you know, whatever ‘self’ she’s using these days. I thought she might even use a disguise. I can’t believe she jumped bodies twice in an hour.”
“She was on a mission,” replied Nadia mechanically. She was hardly paying attention to what Clive was saying. She felt as if her body was the one that had been invaded.
“She’s first generation,” said Clive. “That’s what it is. Ornias was three generations out, so what he told us might not apply when it comes to Asmodeous and Lilith…and maybe this one too,” he added, holding up the ring. “You say you definitely saw Poseidon? It wasn’t a trick.”
Nadia shuddered at the memory. “It wasn’t a trick,” she said.
“Well, we probably won’t find Lilith now,” said Clive. “Course, there’s still a chance we might find her if she kept the other body, but she could’ve just as well found a new one.”
“She seemed pretty attached to that first one,” said Nadia, recalling how delighted Lilith had been when Nadia remarked on how well it suited her. Nadia couldn’t help thinking of the poor soul to whom the body belonged. She was a prisoner now, completely at the mercy of Lilith.
“We’re going to have to use extreme caution with Poseidon,” said Clive. “If he is a first generation djinn, he’ll be the first we’ve ever interviewed.” He gave Nadia a pleading look. “We need one more thing from you,” he said.
“What’s that?” she asked.
We need a place to conjure him,” he said. “Somewhere private. Outside the city. Where the sound of waves crashing on the beach will drown out any strange noises that might otherwise be overheard.”
“You can use my father’s beach house on one condition,” she said.
One of Clive’s eyebrows shot up with curiosity. “Name it.”
“That I get to be there with you when you do it.”
Nadia wasn’t surprised to see the look of disbelief that flashed across Clive’s features. She felt as surprised as he looked. But somewhere along the lines she had decided to see this through. She didn’t even know exactly when it was that she had decided it. It was just kind of there, appearing out of nowhere like a body that suddenly turns up on shore. And, just like that body that turns up on shore, there was no denying it.
Clive appeared unconvinced. “I thought you wanted out,” he said.
“I thought that too,” said Nadia. “But you and I both know there’s no way out now that we’ve come this far.”
A spark of interest—and admiration—suddenly ignited in Clive’s eyes. “Well, well,” he said, a small smile spreading across his face. “Nancy Drew wants back on the case!”
Though she was still trembling from head to foot, Nadia managed somehow to return his smile. “Mostly I just realized how much you guys need me,” she said.
“Is that so?” he asked.
“Yes, it is,” she said. “You might recall that I’m the one who solved that first case for you.”
“Is that how you remember it?” asked Clive. “Hmm. All this time I thought you were holding us back.”
“Who figured out that that first attack was going to be a plague?” she asked. “And who was the one to realize that it wasn’t Lilith who was behind it, but Asmodeous?”
“You figured all that out…by yourself?” asked Clive skeptically.
“Pretty near,” she said. She was feeling marginally better now that her inner conflict had been settled. And yet, she could already feel a new anxiety curling up in her over what was to come. She ignored it. One way or another she was going to feel bad. Better to feel the anxiety of struggling to do the right thing than the remorse of doing nothing. Though she was aware of the difficulties to come, she was at peace with her decision. “You guys would still be looking for Lilith if it hadn’t been for me,” she continued lightly. “I can’t just sit back and let you bungle this up.”
“Whatever,” said Clive, getting up. “Let’s go then.”
“Oh, no,” said Nadia. “We’ve got a press release that has to go out first.”
“We?” asked Clive, narrowing his eyes.
“Yes,” said Nadia. “You took my assistant and that leaves me one man short.”
“I took your assistant?” objected Clive. “You’re blaming me for that?”
“You’re the one who sent Lilith here,” she said. “You should’ve guessed that she would use someone close to me. It makes perfect sense when you think about it. If I had been the one planning the exchange, I would’ve foreseen the potential dangers and made allowances for them.” Nadia was only half serious when she said this. It was in continuing with her lighthearted teasing about how much they needed her.
Then she saw the look on Clive’s face.
“You’re right,” he said, stricken. “There’s no excuse for how that went down.” He slammed his fist on Nadia’s desk, and then stood staring down at it. Nadia just stood there, watching him in surprise. After a moment his head came up and he looked at her with a pained expression. “Will was right about one thing,” he said. “We have to go by the book from now on. We might be going rogue here, but we still have to follow the rules. We can’t afford any more mistakes.”
Nadia nodded in agreement.
Clive put his hands on her shoulders and looked into her eyes. “I give you my word that I will never endanger you or anyone you care about again,” he said. “No more surprises. From now on, we all have to agree before we do anything. Okay?”
Nadia nodded again. “Okay,” she said.
Clive nodded too. “Okay,” he said. He let his hands fall from her shoulders, clasped them together loudly and proceeded to crack his knuckles.
“Alrighty then!” he said. “Let’s get this press thingamajig out there already!”
Chapter 15
It was nine o’clock that evening when Gordon, Clive and Nadia finally made it out to her father’s beach house on Long Island. Georgia was recovering nicely from her ‘bump on the head’ and Nadia’s press release had successfully gone out. As far as Will was concerned, Nadia was working late and then stopping by Georgia’s apartment to check on her—and possibly spending the night. Everything had worked out okay this time, but Clive was right. They couldn’t afford to make any more mistakes. Each decision had to be carefully weighed from here on out.
They went over the rules and then donned their masks. Gordon, as always, led the proceedings.
Nadia had already witnessed the incredible spectacle of Poseidon’s conjuring once that day, but even so, she trembled with a mixture of dread and anticipation. She had not been able to get the creature out of her mind. She watched, in awe, as Gordon brought the ring to life, first with the dark, furiously churning mist, and then the awe-inspiring appearance of Poseidon himself.
The fourteen foot cathedral ceilings in Edward’s beach house gave Poseidon more space to evolve in, and he took up every inch of it. Nadia heard Clive and Gordon scrambling to get away from the formidable tentacles. She had already taken steps to distance herself when the first signs of the mist appeared.
There was no doubt that the creature before them was Poseidon. He was, in both appearance and manner, a culmination of all the myths that had ever been told about him.
Gordon seemed too startled to speak. They all stared up at Poseidon in wonder as his hot gaze moved resentfully over them. The imperious expression returned.
Poseidon’s voice, when he spoke, was full of authority. It boomed like thunder and carried the sting of his wrath. It was, in fact, exactly how Nadia would’ve imagined the voice of God to be.
“I am Poseidon, god of the sea,” he bellowed. “I command you to release me!”
Gordon made a valiant attempt to take control of the situation. “You are a Nephilim…are you not?” he demanded.
“No!” thundered Poseidon. “I am a god!”
Gordon glanced at the others. Nadia was as stunned by Poseidon’s reply as he was. Wasn’t he obliged to speak the truth?
“But…how am I able to control you then?” argued Gordon.
This enraged Poseidon. “Ungrateful creatures!” he roared. “If it were in my power I would obliterate you from the face of the earth!” This announcement—which Nadia had no trouble believing—was so loud that it made her ears ring. But in the very next instant, Poseidon grew quiet, and almost melancholy, like a violent storm that dissolves into the sea.
“Fools,” he grumbled miserably. “You betray us—your benefactors. Yes, we have our weaknesses; and you, miserable creatures that you are, will use those weaknesses to destroy us all!”
“For the moment I’m just trying to identify what you are,” replied Gordon, trying once again to gain control of the situation. “Are you, or are you not, the descendant of an angel?”
“You dare to compare my grandfather to the Watchers?” he raged, rising up from his former melancholy in renewed anger.
“He wasn’t a Watcher?” asked Gordon, glancing again at Clive. Nadia could feel the hair rising on the back of her neck. Just what were they dealing with here?
“Bah!” huffed Poseidon. “The Watchers! What were they? Disobedient slaves! My grandfather was sent here—sent here—by the Supreme Ones. He is not one of those sneaking, slithering imposters who aspire to live as men! He is one of the heavenly elite! He has knowledge of things that no Watcher can ever know. He was here, when the earth was formed, and he remained here, guiding its progress, for each of the centuries it took to bring your species into existence.” Poseidon grew imperious again. “He was here through it all, even the mistakes—your oldest ancestors.” He glared at Gordon, his expression full of antipathy. “You would compare him to a lowly Watcher? Is the security guard the genius behind the masterpiece he watches over?”
“So…what was your grandfather then?” asked Gordon, confused.
“He is a god!” Poseidon bellowed so loudly it made Nadia jump.
Gordon appeared to be growing frustrated. “Just…to be clear,” he persisted. “We’re talking about Uranus?” Poseidon raised his head slightly with an expression of forbearance, which Gordon took for a ‘yes.’ “And your grandmother?”
“Gaia was chosen
from among the daughters of men,” he conceded, adding stubbornly—“Uranus made her a goddess.”
“Made her a goddess…how?” asked Gordon.
“It is not for us to know how!” roared Poseidon.
Gordon looked doubtful. “Forgive me, but it sounds as if Uranus was an angel—or, at least, of that species—and Gaia was human, like us. Which would make you a Nephilim.”
It was apparent that Poseidon did not agree with this reasoning. “We were brought here to destroy the Nephilim,” he said in a dangerously quiet tone—almost as if he were still on that mission.
“These ‘Supreme Ones,” continued Gordon. “Who are they?”
“They are the reigning body over this universe,” replied Poseidon. “They control all of our destinies. Compared to them, you are less significant than an insect.”
“Do they have a name?” Gordon appeared to be growing more comfortable with his position of authority over this ‘god,’ despite Poseidon’s many impressive efforts to intimidate him.
“They do not reveal themselves to inferiors,” he replied haughtily. “They are the supreme rulers. My grandfather is among them.”
“And the angels that aren’t included in this exclusive circle?” asked Gordon—“What do they call the Supreme Ones.”
“What reason have they to call them anything?” asked Poseidon. “They cannot name what they do not know.”
“Are the Supreme Ones angels?” asked Gordon. “Are they of that species?”
“Those who call themselves ‘angels’ may be of that species,” conceded Poseidon finally. “But they are an entirely different breed—an inferior breed.”
Nadia was astounded—and a little afraid—to hear that these supposed higher beings in whose hands the world rested were as intolerant and egotistical as humans.
“Forgive me,” said Gordon, following her train of thought, “but I had expected that gods would be a little more enlightened than us humans. This sounds like racism.”
“Racism?” Poseidon seemed perplexed by the term.
“Hatred between the races,” explained Gordon. “Surely you’ve heard the word before.”