“Welcome back, Fiona. I thought you’d left us,” Orion said pleasantly. There was no trace of menace in his voice now.
“I think you should discuss your differences,” Father Griffith suggested helpfully. He was standing close to Fiona. “Fiona? Why don’t you tell Orion what you said to me?”
“Yes, do,” Orion smiled.
Fiona cleared her throat and brushed her hair out of her face with her left hand. “I know we’ve had our differences, Orion–” she began.
“Not really,” Orion said. “Come, sit next to me,” he added, and his voice was almost tender. She complied hesitantly.
“Tell me…” Orion said, leaning towards her.
Fiona swallowed. “I wanted to let you know that I have no idea what you were talking about earlier. When you said the islanders might be planning something beyond the Veil–” She shook her head vehemently. “I was so scared. I thought you thought … I got confused. I don’t even know what you were talking about!”
“It’s all right,” Orion said. His voice was as soothing as a lullaby. He reached his hand tentatively to her face and gently brushed away a strand of coppery hair. Gently. Ever so softly...he said. “You knew about the Cypress Ritual. You knew that Carl suspected it would take place…”
Father Griffith jerked backwards. Before Fiona had managed to stumble out of her chair. Before her cries… screeching, terrified cries. Before she clung to him, trembling with fear. And screaming, “No! No!”
But Father Griffith did not try to comfort her this time. He made no effort to shield her. He would not stand between her and Orion. Not this time. Not after what he had felt…
“You knew,” he said, looking at her, astounded. “You knew…”
“No!” she screamed, sobbing now.
Yes, you did, he thought. I felt it. You acknowledged the truth of what Orion said… You knew. In your heart, in your mind, was the truth. Now, you are lying.
“You ordered Carl’s death,” Orion said, advancing on her as she ran to the door. Cat stepped into her path adroitly.
“Not going anywhere now, my girl,” she said, catching Fiona’s arm.
“I think we can let her go,” Orion said to Cat.
“Really? Are you sure?”
Bruce had also risen to his feet. “Not such a good idea, I think,” he said. “The police station is probably the best place for her.”
“No,” Orion said distantly. “You can go home, Fiona,” he told her. “Go home and wait for me.”
Fiona opened the door, still sobbing, and left the room.
“Don’t worry,” Orion said. “She can’t do any further harm.”
“She will probably go home as you told her to,” Shady said, “but still, it might be a good idea to send someone after her–”
“Where can she go?” Orion said dismissively. “How far can she run? There’s nowhere. She knows it. I think she will just go home,” he added. “If it makes you feel better, I will ask the Rooster to send someone to make sure she goes home. Satisfied?”
“Yes,” Shady nodded.
Father Griffith appeared to be in the throes of some strong emotion. “What did the mayor mean when he said Orion doesn’t lie?” he asked as he turned to Shady. “Why can he not lie?”
Shady cast a quick glance towards Orion. “Orion doesn’t lie,” he said slowly. “He can. We all can. And Orion, of all people, can… if he wanted to, far more easily than … most. Because of that, he doesn’t.
“He can’t. Because if he does… just once …” He shook his head. “We could not trust him.”
“We – well, I, don’t trust most people most of the time,” Cat declared stoutly. “Even Orion,” she nodded. “Never occurred to me, quite honestly!”
Shady gave a short dry laugh.
“Orion does not lie…” Father Griffith said, mostly to himself.
“Can you imagine a world in which one could not trust Orion? How dangerous it would be?” He gave Orion a searching glance. “Xavier and Blanca would not permit it,” he continued. “No, none of us would.” He drummed his fingers on the table. “Orion knows it.”
Father Griffith turned his attention to Orion and said earnestly, “You said she knew about the Ritual. When you said that, I felt her acknowledging it as a fact. She knew!” he cried.
“Yes, she knew,” Orion said. “And it is also true that she ordered the death of a good and dear person. Carl Volkswahr was everything Fiona is not.”
Father Griffith covered his face with his hands. “And she knew that a child was going to be murdered…” he said to himself. “She also said she cannot leave Pera. Why?” he asked interrogatively.
“She can’t leave presumably because Patron won’t take her on the Flying Fish.” Orion sounded disinterested in Fiona’s travel woes. “I have nothing to do with that. I don’t tell Patron what to do. She wouldn’t listen to me if I tried!”
“Why?” Father Griffith insisted.
“Because no one trusts Fiona,” Shady said. “You want to know why? I’ll tell you. I didn’t want to prejudice you against her too much when we were talking the other night at Lola’s, but it doesn’t matter anymore. I know Fiona. We played in the same LiGa Bridge tournament. You know the people you played against, don’t you?”
Father Griffith nodded silently.
“Three of us won,” Shady continued. “Fiona, me … and Carl…”
“The one who passed away?” Cat interjected.
“Carl didn’t pass away. He was murdered,” Shady spat with venom.
“Please tell me what else you know about Fiona,” the priest asked Shady.
“Until I came to Pera– until I had the sense explained to me by Orion, I would not have been certain, you understand… Back where we’re from, we – well, I don’t want to speak for anyone else, so I’ll say I – I was so accustomed to disregard what I couldn’t touch, see or hear. I didn’t believe in my so-called instincts as I might have… Everything must be verified, I thought.
“Not just me, though,” he added, “Carl told me the same thing. He too… had not believed the evidence of his senses, simply because it was not the sense he was used to trusting–” Shady looked thoughtfully at Orion. “I always wondered how you did it, you know…” he mused with a half smile. “How did you know about the sense?”
“Lucky, I guess.”
“What did you know – about Fiona?” Father Griffith demanded, refusing to be sidetracked into a conversation about Orion’s talents.
“It was after the tournament,” Shady began, explaining the conversation he had had with Carl about the slam hand during which Carl had felt Fiona had made him play the contract.
Father Griffith nodded thoughtfully, listening to Shady.
“I don’t know if you would see it the same way, Father,” Shady said diffidently. “You of all people might think of it differently. I don’t know–”
Father Griffith stared silently out of the window.
“That’s why no one trusted her?” Cat wondered out loud. “A lot of people do that...” she mused, tilting her head thoughtfully. “It’s common… But I do understand, you know… I would have felt the same way. It’s LiGa Bridge. It’s not a normal bridge tournament. But even if it were … yes, I do agree.” Cat gave a sharp nod.
“Most importantly, Fiona doesn’t have the sense,” Orion said decisively. “She’s the only immortal I’ve met who doesn’t possess even the smallest modicum of sense! It’s unbelievable.”
“Yes… you put a lot of stock by that, don’t you?” Cat smiled at him.
“It’s important,” Orion said, looking at her intently. “You may not – no, I know you don’t, actually. You don’t realize how important, yet. It signifies a complete lack… an all-encompassing lack of connection to the outside world. She relies entirely on her outer senses to make her way–”
“The way I used to,” Shady interrupted.
“That’s different, Shady,” Orion said. “You just didn’t kn
ow any better!”
“She also asked me about that man… that Mr. Evan Nightshade,” Father Griffith interrupted. “She talked about him. She said he is her friend.”
“Who is he?” Cat asked, puzzlement creasing her brow. “Are we supposed to know who he is? Bruce, darling, do you have a clue what they are talking about?”
Bruce shook his head. “I vaguely remember the name being mentioned on our way here, during one of our morning sessions, I think–” he smiled wryly.
“I assume the islanders have outside help…” Orion said sullenly. “They couldn’t work out the technical side themselves. That assistant of Carl’s – he’s a nobody. Not a scientist. If he has any information, he won’t be able to work it out himself. He must be taking it to someone else…”
“Outside help? To do what? To lift the Veil or whatever it’s called?” Cat asked.
“Whatever they think they’re going to do, they will fail,” Orion said firmly. “The idiot I spoke to, well he had no real knowledge, but he did have that characteristic blind belief that the islanders share. He believes absolutely that the Dark One will show them the way to the Other Side. Apparently the Dark One is going to show them the way out of their barren islands into a land beyond the Veil where there are more kindred spirits–”
“Well, he has a good point there!” Bruce laughed. “They probably would find kindred spirits on the other side of the Veil. But how? If there is some sort of instability in the Veil, that is cause for concern. We know it worried Carl – with good reason, it would appear.”
“That’s what I will find out. And stop, of course.” Orion added.
“Do you think it has anything to do with this Nightshade person?” Cat asked. “Why would Fiona be interested in him if he wasn’t important somehow? And he came to see you too, didn’t he, darling?” She turned to Father Griffith.
The priest assented. “I went to see him, to be accurate, but he had approached the provincial superior to request a meeting with me.”
“Who is he?” Cat wondered. “What is his connection to Fiona?”
Bruce cleared his throat. “I want to address a more pressing issue: what is to be done about Fiona? It would seem that she is directly and indirectly responsible for a number of deaths and the attempt on your life, Orion. And she is free.”
“That’s up to Orion,” Shady said, deflecting.
“Orion? Why Orion? I would have thought the police would have been a more obvious choice,” Bruce said.
“Her attempt upon my life is of no moment,” Orion said lightly. “Many people have tried to kill me. Many more will try… She was not successful.”
“And that’s it?” Bruce gave him a questioning look. “What about the deaths? And the girl? Cypress, or rather Dalga.”
Orion shook his head and smiled. “No. The attempt on my life doesn’t concern me. The other killings are a different matter…”
“So what now?” Bruce asked expectantly. “Do we call the police to arrest Fiona? And then what next?”
“I see it as a two-pronged attack–” Orion began. “First, I had to eliminate the threat from the islanders. For all their asceticism, they are not used to fighting. They are soft. I believe I have already taken care of any immediate issues–” he paused.
They regarded him warily, unsure…
Father Griffith cleared his throat, and said as delicately as he could: “You told us you had threatened the islanders quite effectively. I think that’s what you’re referring to, am I right?”
“I was referring to the Cypress Ritual. But you are wrong: it was not a threat. I was simply laying out their choices.”
Father Griffith raised his eyebrows. “Choices? I am sure you were very convincing and made them see the correct path.”
“As I said, I was explaining their choices with respect to the Cypress Ritual. I did not think that they, collectively, had anything to do with the Veil business,” Orion said levelly. “If I find out otherwise, well that changes everything…”
Father Griffith shifted uncomfortably. “How so?”
“I would bet there is not a single person in Pera who would not want to rip islanders to shreds with their bare hands if they find out that they are trying to tear the Light Veil, even if the thing is not actually possible. The intent will be enough–”
“I’m sorry, Orion, what are you saying?” Father Griffith asked with mounting concern.
“What am I saying? Have I not been plain enough? I am saying that right now, while I still believe that only the Elder is involved in the attack against the Light Veil, the islanders may live unmolested, on the one condition that they refrain from trying to kill their daughters.
“However,” he continued, enunciating the words carefully, “if I find that more of them knew or were involved in the conspiracy against the Veil, then I will see to it that every single one of them is annihilated. Not a single one will be spared,” Orion said pleasantly.
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“Good God, man!” Father Griffith cried. “Are you insane?”
“That does sound unnecessarily extreme,” Bruce agreed, “and what about the second prong of your attack? Where and whom are you planning to target? It would seem there’s no one left to slaughter.”
Father Griffith waved peremptorily at Bruce. “Please! Now, Orion, you must not even joke in such a manner,” he scolded. “Someone might actually take you seriously. We all know how persuasive you can be.”
“He is not joking,” Shady said dryly.
Father Griffith looked from Shady back to Orion.
“I was not joking,” Orion said.
“It’s not a good idea,” Cat shook her head firmly.
“Not a good idea!” Father Griffith snorted. “It’s the most evil thing I have ever heard! Evil!” Orion is evil. You don’t know him. Fiona’s terrified voice reverberated in his memory.
“Shush, darling,” Cat said authoritatively, patting him lightly on the arm. “Listen to auntie Cat for a minute. It’s not a good idea,” she repeated slowly, addressing Orion “Let me explain why.
“Now, in the first instance, leaving aside the glaring moral and ethical issues, which dear Roland will address as soon as I let him, it is not practical.
“Do you know how difficult it is to annihilate an entire population? Of anything? Have you tried to eradicate rats or mice? It’s an absolute nightmare. And people, believe me, are much worse. It’s been tried. Numerous times. Never works.” She shook her head briskly. “There’s always some baby tucked away, an old woman and a sniveling child rescued in the nick of time. And they are always the victims. Innocent victims who had done nothing to the attackers, who had nothing to do with this so-called plan to tear the Veil.
“You can’t avoid it. However hard you try, trust me, you won’t get everyone. It’s impossible. What about the girls in Pera? The Cypress girls. That pretty one we saw at the dark hall – Sandra – would you kill her too? She’s lived here with her adopted parents for years.
“What about the little thing we brought with us from the islands? She calls herself Dalga now. Wants to have nothing to do with her people: her family… except her brother. Of course that’s how she feels now with the memory fresh in her mind of how they threw her off a rock into the sea to be drowned. But what would happen if you killed her whole family? What about her father? She’s angry with him now, but she will remember, years later perhaps, that he also tried to keep her safe. She already knows it was he who brought her the food that kept her alive, and the blanket that kept her warm. She brought that blanket back with her from the island, remember?
“And later, when she’s grown up, she might come to forgive her father; think maybe he was faced with a terrible choice, and maybe made – if not the best decision, maybe a forgivably poor one. See, those are human things. People need time for such things, but death steals time. If her father’s dead–” Cat paused thoughtfully, “then there’s no time to forgive him. Forgiving the dead isn’t nearly as satisfa
ctory as a true reconciliation in life.
“Her brother, too… if you kill him, you will have made Cypress your enemy. There will be no reasoning. There will just be hatred! For you, and for the people of Pera. Same with Sandra. Those two alone will harbor the most poisonous venom right in the heart of Pera. You certainly could not kill them! Instead, they will harbor this seething, insidious hatred for you and Pera and pass it on to their offspring, and it will fester.
“And also, think of the citizens of Pera. It would be terrible for them. You think you are keeping Pera safe from great harm, but really, you don’t even think the islanders are capable of what you’re accusing them of!” Cat paused for breath.
“True,” Orion agreed, “but they are a threat.”
“They may well present a greater threat to Pera dead than alive, my dear.” Cat shook her head gravely. “Their death will make them martyrs. And the survivors – of whom we’ve already established there will be two, but likely many more – will be pitiful creatures, and the perpetrators will become the monsters.
“You will have created monsters out of the decent people that you meant to protect. Those poor people will have to live with this awful stain on their character for years…for generations. And more than that, my dear, they will be beholden to two of the most insatiable and demanding masters: Guilt and Responsibility.
“I don’t think you want that sort of a burden on your beloved Pera, do you, darling?”
“What is your alternative?”
“There is always an alternative…” Cat said. “But first, tell us the second prong of this attack you were talking about. I am really very curious. You have such a … unique thought process.”
“The second part’s unknown,” Orion replied. “Because I don’t yet know the full extent of this plan, but obviously there has to be an outside element. I mean outside Pera. On the other side of the Veil. The second prong, therefore, entails me going across the Veil to deal with whatever’s out there–”
“Ah,” Cat nodded sagely.
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