The Price of Life

by T. M. Nienaber

  Kristopher’s office was in what used to be the dining room on the first floor, but he rarely stayed there, which meant he treated the whole house as his office. Kristopher had started accepting applications for interns to help with his campaign, and ever since his TV appearance they had been flooding in. His office was now filled with young politicians answering phones, making calls, setting up appointments, and sending out mail. At any given time at least ten interns would be running in, out, or around the house on various important missions. The only thing Lucian liked about them was that he no longer had to get his own lunch.

  “Lucian!” Kristopher screamed down again.

  “I think that’s enough for the day.” Lucian smiled and ignored Kristopher’s call. “Thank you for your interest.”

  The handful of opportunists nodded, none of them looking too interested anymore, and headed for the stairs. Lucian busied himself with organizing things on his altar-desk, waiting until the last student walked through and closed the door before making an effort to head up himself.

  Kristopher was waiting impatiently as Lucian finally made it to the first floor, tapping his foot and looking impatient. “Where have you been! I have a lunch meeting of vital importance and you’re personally making me late.”

  “I’m sorry, Kris, I didn’t realize you were up here. What did you need me for?”

  “I have an important lunch meeting.”

  “Yes, I got that, anything else?”

  “Of course there’s something else. This meeting is with a group of representatives from the capital to discuss the possibility of bypassing the election. Before I go I need to know what I can offer them.”

  “What do you mean offer them? You aren’t planning on having them here for lunch are you? I’m not sure if you’ve seen our kitchen but I promise you it’s not fit for entertaining.”

  “Of course I know we can’t entertain here. Unless it’s a function for your people. I need to know what I can offer them. Honestly, Lucian, if you’re trying to make me late you’re hurting yourself too.”

  “Offer them what, Kristopher, I don’t seem to understand you. You may forget but I am quite a bit older than you.”

  Kristopher sighed and looked at his watch. “Offer them to let us bypass an election. What kind of perks can I say you’ll provide for them? I was just going to offer them free resurrections for themselves and immediate family members. But I need your approval and cooperation.”

  “How many are there?”

  “Ten.”

  “Fine, but the resurrections will be performed by other members who I have trained and deemed worthy. I will not waste my time being on call for your bribes.”

  “That’s fair, I just won’t mention the who and they won’t think to ask.”

  “One more thing.”

  “Oh, alright, but you really are making me late.”

  “It’ll just take a minute.”

  “Just ask me, Lucian.”

  “Shouldn’t they agree to this because you’re the best man for the job without a doubt, not because you have the best perks?”

  Kristopher laughed. “You must be older than you look. Politics haven’t been played like that in years.”

  Lucian watched his partner go and then went to his lab. He wasn’t sure what to think about the election. If they bypassed it there would be fewer broken campaign promises to account for, but the people wouldn’t be as solidly behind them. It seemed like a mess either way. There would be problems if Kristopher wasn’t able to solidify his power quickly. It would, however, get the fine print out sooner, which meant a member influx for Lucian. Lucian saw about ten new members a year on average, and if he could get twice that in people who were actually devoted it would be a huge gain. A bypassed election also meant less Kristopher. He’d have to be off dealing with affairs of state instead of bothering Lucian, another perk.

  A day Kristopher free, Lucian had forgotten what they were like. He leaned back in an uncomfortable stone chair and closed his eyes, ordering his undead men to guard the door. Those overzealous interns got into everything. Lucian dreamt of Miriel, of her being alive and out hunting with him. It was an excellent, Kristopher free dream interrupted all too soon by the politician himself. Lucian forced himself up and out into the entryway where Kristopher could share his news. The lunch had only lasted two hours, a unanimous and instant decision.

  “We get to bypass the election. Things can start sooner, less paperwork, less effort. Just some papers to sign and an emergency vote for the citizens to agree to it, but that’s really more of a formality. Kris continued to talk while he walked to his office. “Can you get Thing 1 and Thing 2 out of here?”

  “No. I don’t trust you and it’s nice to have some extra weight while you’re making decisions.”

  “Lucian, honestly.” Kristopher threw down his pen and pushed the papers in front of him further away. “Now, Lucian.” He put his elbows on the newly cleared table space and leaned forward. “You know this is all just politics, it takes time to play the game. And while you have certain attributes, knowing how to play my game isn’t one of them.”

  “Maybe not. But whatever game you think you’re playing, your life now has rules that can’t be interfered with.”

  “And what the hell, may I ask, is that supposed to mean?”

  “How many days have you been too busy to kill? If some religious nut were to assassinate you as you stood on live TV signing the papers that give you control of the country --” Lucian leaned across the table, pushing Kristopher’s neat piles of paper to the floor. “Would you get back up again?”

  “No one’s going to kill me. I’m their savior.”

  “But if someone tried and believe me, they will, not surviving wouldn’t help your cause.” Lucian motioned discretely to the two zombies standing guard on either side of him.

  “Is that a threat?”

  “More of a friendly reminder. Don’t upset the one person who knows just how to bring you down. There are plenty of things I can do that you have yet to discover.”

  “Like your meat shields over there.”

  “I don’t need a shield, Kristopher. I’ve killed my man of the day.” Lucian winked and stood up, walking back to his new favorite hide away.

  Kristopher leaned back in his chair and decided it was time to rethink exactly what his strategy would be. Once he had his position Lucian would get his power. Maybe then the necromancer would be distracted enough to let Kristopher handle things the way he wanted to. Maybe it wasn’t a good idea to get rid of that bitch Miriel so soon. Then again, he’d be able to use that to keep Lucian from killing him for a while if he had to.

  “You, intern, in here,” Kristopher stood back up and screamed out into the hallway. A doe-eyed intern rushed over, was stabbed in the chest, and carried off into another room by a slightly lucky but mortified second intern.

  “Well, safe for one more day at least.”

  “You.” Lucian whispered through a crack in his door and the second intern jumped, screamed, and found himself unable to move. “Bring me the body, don’t tell Kristopher and he won’t kill you.”

  The intern nodded, more than grateful to get rid of the body. Lucian smiled and pulled it into his lab. “Well.” Lucian looked over the body, focusing on his face for several seconds. “There’s a good chance Kris won’t kill him tomorrow. That’s as good a deal as any he’ll get in this house. Much more interesting than the democratic national convention though. Now don’t look at me like that, you’re the one who went running when he called.” Lucian looked the intern over once more then kicked the body over so he was face down on the floor. From person to parts in less than five minutes. Tragic, yes, but fresh spare parts were so hard to find.

  “Alright, Lucian, stop sulking and creating undead body guards. Get out here. And try to look like you’ve showered sometime this week.” Kristopher shouted through the door, something about Lucian’s new friends kept him from wanting to go anywhere near a roo
m so full of death it made him fear for his own immortality every time the door opened. Who knew what might come out next time.

  “Why, exactly, are we now so concerned with my hygiene.” Lucian opened the door just enough to stick his head out, not that he was hiding things from Kristopher, it was just nice to watch him squirm.

  “We have a press conference. You wanted to be involved.” Kristopher smirked. It was nice to be in familiar territory again. “Oh, and wear something that says cult leader without screaming Manson family. You have one hour, good luck.” Kristopher resisted the urge to wink and Lucian looked ready to spit fire.

  “Thanks for the one hour heads up. Should I plan a speech?”

  “You’re a figurehead. Keep the dead from dying and no one cares what you say.”

  Lucian sighed and shut the door while Kristopher walked triumphantly back to his desk.

  “Hmm, you, Thing 1, what kind of message would you subconsciously get if I wore this?” Lucian held out an old robe, one that had been buried under the floorboards with the body parts.

  “Mahrm?”

  “Yeah, that’s what I thought.” Lucian threw the robe on over his clothes, not bothering to shake the dust off. He understood the importance of appearances but was far from motivated to play along, regardless of what Kristopher expected.

  “Lucian!” Kristopher shouted outside the door.

  Lucian stood on the other side of the door. He thought he had every intention of opening it and following Kristopher, but once there he couldn’t bring himself to open the door. He wanted to make Kristopher wait, to hear him squirm with impatience outside and, even more than that, he wanted to know Kristopher wouldn’t leave without him.

  “Lucian!” The tone was louder and shorter.

  Lucian thought he heard a foot tapping. He went back over to the bookshelf and grabbed something to flip through. He wasn’t actually reading, just turning pages and casually glancing at the door.

  “Lucian, honestly!” Now the tone was frustrated, heading towards anger, but it still came from right outside the door. Kristopher wasn’t moving.

  “I’m sorry, Kris, I didn’t hear you. Been here long?” Lucian swept through the door managing to make the robe look intimidating and not like a dress.

  Kristopher stared ahead of him, his breathing quick and shallow, his teeth clinched, and his nostrils flared. “We’re going to be late. This isn’t the kind of thing we should be late for.”

  “I agree! Really, Kris, why did it take you so long to get me?”

  By now Lucian’s two minions were flanking him and Kristopher wouldn’t have been able to do anything if he’d wanted to. Lucian loved the way Kristopher flinched every time he called him Kris. Lucian made a note to use the name more often.

  Lucian brushed passed a seething Kristopher to the two main doors, holding one open he turned back to his partner. “Honestly, Kris, we need to get going. Like you said, this really isn’t the kind of thing we should be late for.” Lucian walked outside and chuckled as he heard Kristopher stomp to the door and slam it closed.

  “Just remember, Lucian, you don’t get to do any talking.”

  ***

  “I would like to thank everyone, not only the high powered government officials who’ve made this opportunity possible, but also the average citizens. Average citizens who I hope will have enough confidence in me to make this opportunity a reality not just me, but for our soldiers, our neighbors, and our families.” Kristopher paused and the room erupted into applause. He stood behind a podium and in front of about eight different microphones. The background behind him was the color blue synonymous with political press conferences that interrupted all previously scheduled programs.

  Lucian stood silent and off to the side, but he had made it on stage this time. He felt ridiculous dressed the way he was, but he supposed Kristopher was right, it did send out the right signals. Ignorant people expected things to look and act the way they always imagined them to. They would be less willing to believe it wasn’t a hoax if he was dressed in a suit and tie.

  “And now allow me to introduce the man working beside me as a partner. I’m sure you’re all wondering how I’ve come to offer such an incredible gift, and this is the man who can tell you everything you need to know. He is the leader of the religious Order of Resurrected Life.” Kristopher made up the name on the spot and hoped Lucian would take the hint to leave the word cult out of his vocabulary at least for now. “And now, without any further delays, I introduce to you my partner, and friend, Lucian of the Order of Resurrected Life.” Kristopher stepped aside and there was the obligatory applause.

  As Lucian stepped up to the podium a hush fell over the crowd for several minutes, his appearance must have had more of an impact than he thought. Finally, Lucian tired of the awed silence and started to talk, which seemed to shake everyone else out of their trance. Lucian had nothing prepared, as Kristopher had informed him his only job would be to stand around. It was funny how hard the politician was trying to make him look like an idiot in front of a crowd. “Now, I’m sure you’re all curious about how I do what I do. I could stand here and take you through centuries of history that would bore you all and not answer anything. Or, I could let you ask me directly what you’d like to know. So, I’m now open for questions.”

  Kristopher was both proud and angry, Lucian couldn’t have been better. He was presenting an open door, proving he had nothing to hide, knowing that with such a last minute opening there would be few questions so penetrating they would put him in a bad light or dig up things he didn’t want to discuss.

  “Is it true your religion gets its power from the devil?” A reporter in the back shouted.

  “Now there’s a sensational question.” Lucian chuckled, he was wondering when someone was going to bring Satanism into it. “We aren’t given magic powers from any kind of supernatural figure. What we do requires an in-depth knowledge of death as well as the techniques necessary to reach people in that state. We are more scientists than a religious group, and we know no more about what happens after a permanent death than you do.”

  “So you’re saying you don’t know what happens to someone after they die but before you bring them back.”

  “Not at all. Normally when someone dies they enter into a waiting room, what the Christians think of as Purgatory, to come to terms with death. There are some cases, such as long term illness sufferers who have come to terms with death, who seem to bypass that place altogether. In those cases it is impossible for anyone but a person with highest skill to bring them back because we are pulling from a place we know nothing about.”

  Kristopher thought about the voices he’d heard during his death. Lucian was lying. That space wasn’t empty. He started to think about the possibility those people who were hardest to get back had been taken by those things on the other side, and Lucian had to fight with them to get the soul back. Kristopher shuddered. He was glad Lucian reminded him to kill today.

  “Have you ever been dead before?”

  “Not recently.” Lucian grinned and the crowd laughed.

  “How will your religion handle political involvement without overstepping bounds of separation of church and state?” It was the first intelligent question asked all day. Kristopher worried about the answer, this one meant something.

  “I have no intention of making this a mandatory religion, or of making any other religions illegal. Of course, we will accept new members, as we have been doing for centuries. I have no ill will towards anyone who chooses not to join. I and the members of my organization are citizens of this country just as you are, and we saw the chance to do something that could really have an impact. We have joined with Kristopher not out of political bent or party loyalty, but because he was the only person willing to give us this opportunity to make a difference. I hope you’ll do the same.”

  Kristopher applauded and nudged Lucian away from the podium. It was a brilliant speech and the note they needed to end on, anything e
lse would break the atmosphere. “I’m afraid this concludes our press conference, but I would ask that you remember Lucian’s words when you vote on the election bypass.”

  Kristopher waved and Lucian walked off the stage. If the election bypass was passed it meant Kristopher would be immediately granted all the power and authority he wanted without having to wait for election season and compete for the spot. It was the best possibility, and after Lucian’s speech Kristopher was positive of it going through.

  “Come on, Lucian, time to hurry. We have to start setting up strategies to get things fixed up. Things have to get better before we get our way. I have to call and assemble my Cabinet, get them here as quickly as possible.”

  “Shouldn’t you wait until you’ve gotten everything in writing?”

  “Of course not, why bother with technicalities.”

  “You could lose,” Lucian offered halfheartedly. “And what do you mean get the Cabinet here? Isn’t it traditional for you to go to them.” Lucian saw his Kristopher free time go up in smoke.

  “Not anymore. I have to stay close to where you’re based, make sure things are running like they should be. And we have such a nice set up already.”

  “Of course.” Lucian suddenly felt very depressed.

  “And your house is so large it shouldn’t be a problem for ten or so people to move in for a while, until we get things back to normal and they can venture out and get another house here.”

  “And will you be one of those people moving in?”

  “Of course not, I have a much…cleaner house not too far away.”

  Lucian didn’t bother to conceal a sigh of relief. The pair reached Lucian’s house together only to immediately part ways. Lucian went to his basement to call a meeting of his elders. Kristopher went to his office to call in his Cabinet.

  15. The Year Before the War (Miriel and William)