Passing Through Darkness- The Complete Cycle

by Malcolm McKenzie

  The Metropolitan’s quiet voice cut through the silence. “We need to talk.”

  There was an intimidating air of command about the Metropolitan, Bishop of Our Lady, the Universal Church’s supreme ecclesiastical authority in the known world. He wasn’t a large man or a loud man, but he was a man I took very seriously. He also liked to hold meetings in the basilica, where flights of angels stared down from the high, vaulted ceiling. Even now, I still glanced nervously up at them, worried that they might disapprove of me. The overall impression took me back to when I was a small boy and had broken something old and valuable.

  If the Select were paranoid, it was just because everyone was out to get us.

  Much like the last time the Metropolitan had convened a discussion in the basilica, there was only a bare handful of people present. Father Roric and Father Juniper had joined us, along with General Hake, BlackShield Jarl Lago, and Prophetess. Seated together in two pews, we spoke in lowered voices that were lost in that huge space.

  “There’s only one contingency you failed to plan for, Minos,” the Metropolitan began without preamble.

  “What’s that, Your Eminence?”

  “Victory.”

  I wasn’t sure what he meant, and my expression must have showed it. He continued, “General Hake and BlackShield Jarl Lago pledged their troops to the cause of defeating Yoshana. She is now defeated.”

  I opened my mouth, but he forestalled me with a raised hand. “We are left with quite a large army on our hands. Furthermore, for the first time in a millennium, we have a Church that is not only militant but military, and successfully so. And based on what I hear from the events in Stephensburg, we seem to be back in the business of anointing rulers. Under somewhat questionable circumstances.”

  I didn’t even get my mouth open this time before he raised his hand again. “All of this puts us in a difficult position.”

  This time I got my comment out. “I don’t think we would have preferred the alternative.”

  The Metropolitan’s frown made me wish I’d kept my mouth shut. “No one is suggesting that, Minos. But the Church is not prepared for our current circumstances. I suppose that’s my fault. However, since you’re the author of our victory and the leader of our overgrown army, I thought you should be part of the solution.”

  I dipped my head. “Sorry, Your Eminence.”

  “We don’t need an army, Your Eminence,” Tess interjected. “As you pointed out, Yoshana is defeated. We can return the forces of Rockwall and the Monolith to their homes.”

  Once again I was cut off before I could speak, this time by Lago. “With all due respect, Prophetess, while my men are loyal to the Monolith, they have found great inspiration in your service. I believe many if not most would prefer to remain here.”

  “Mine no less,” Hake rasped, not to be outdone.

  “But there’s no -”

  “Couldn’t we simply transfer the men who want to remain to the Order of Thorns?” I asked. “That way we’re not technically retaining Monolith or Rockwall forces.”

  Father Roric shook his head. “It’s not so simple. The Order of Thorns is a third order. Its members are tertiaries of the Church. Certainly for the Monolith troops, as Josephites, it would be canonically difficult if not impossible for them to join the Order of Thorns without conversion to the Universal faith, which I imagine would be problematic.”

  “Wouldn’t it be possible to formally invest the Order as an ecumenical Christian association?” Father Juniper asked. “After all, I strongly suspect that some of its current members are Reborn rather than Universalists. I’m not sure the doctrinal point has dawned on them or frankly is relevant to their faith and duties.”

  Roric scowled. “Ignorance of doctrine does not excuse heresy. If we have a tertiary order whose members aren’t even part of the Church -”

  “Isn’t the key issue really that Prophetess has brought them to God?” Juniper retorted mildly.

  “Brought them to God, or brought them to herself? With no disrespect to Prophetess, an army formed around a cult of personality -”

  “There’s no need for an army!” Tess protested, voice echoing loudly in the marble hall. She looked briefly embarrassed, but her face fell quickly back into stubborn lines I knew very well. Lago, Hake, Roric, and Juniper all stared at her. The Metropolitan just raised his eyebrows.

  We were back to the point we’d debated outside Stephensburg, one we’d set aside. One where I’d hoped her mind had changed, but it evidently hadn’t.

  I said, “There is, Tess. When Yoshana surrendered to death, it was so you could take up the crusade against the demons and the Darkness unopposed. That war still needs to be fought.”

  “She said that. I never did.”

  “She wasn’t wrong. Not on that point.”

  “If you admired her so much, why didn’t you take her side?”

  “For God’s sake, Tess, I picked you! At more than a little personal cost.” I jabbed my finger into the wound on my face, which hurt. “In case you forgot, I cut off her head. I think I made my choice pretty clear.”

  We glared at each other. Everyone else studiously looked away.

  As the silence stretched on, I said, “Roshel will send an envoy from Stephensburg to let us know what’s going on there. Let’s wait until we get some more facts.”

  At that point everyone, even the Metropolitan, was happy to let the matter drop. Which I guess goes to show that even the most important decisions can be put off if you just make everyone feel uncomfortable enough.

  We settled into a routine as we waited for news from Stephensburg. I did the kind of things I thought a military leader was supposed to do, like holding staff meetings with officers and visiting the wounded in the infirmary. In a strange way that was easier now that I was one of them. My limp and scar were less severe than the hurts they carried, but at least I felt I’d shared in some measure in their sacrifice. A kind of red badge of courage, I supposed.

  While I’d been in the field with the Shadowed Hand and the Monolith troops, Captain Marek of Our Lady’s household guard had worked with General Hake to create a permanent command center in one of the buildings we’d appropriated for barracks. I suppose I could see the Metropolitan’s point. The center of the Universalist faith was starting to look more and more like a military base.

  Tarc came in one day and looked around the new headquarters. The older Select shook his head and said, “You seem to be getting used to being the glorious general.”

  There was an edge to his words, as there usually was with Tarc. He’d never fully forgiven me for killing Lalos, his friend, another Select. Select didn’t kill each other. Although Lalos had been trying pretty hard to shoot me when I’d cut off his head.

  Tarc wasn’t wrong. After our improbable victory over Yoshana, I was feeling more and more comfortable as a commander. Most days I seemed to wind up in our headquarters with the senior officers and a handful of others, even if there was no obvious army business to attend to. Well, it was convenient. And Furat would usually go there with his dog, when she wasn’t playing outside. I liked to be around the dog. She was uncomplicated.

  Tess wasn’t uncomplicated. We had once again set aside the argument over the use of our troops, but I no longer had any illusions I had won. The decision was being held in abeyance, waiting for word from Roshel.

  Roshel didn’t send an envoy. She came herself.

  She found me in the command center. We had the windows open in the vain hope a breeze would cool the sweltering summer air. Sam was breathing heavily, her tongue lolling out, even though she’d been doing nothing more than lying on the floor. The shaggy dog didn’t like the heat.

  It didn’t look like Roshel liked the heat either. She stomped in, dusty and sweaty, hair and blouse plastered to her body. I carefully kept my eyes focused on her face. Even without the aura of seduction the Darkness had projected around her, she was a little too appealing to look at. Somewhat unusually, Tess was wit
h us, watching a little knot of officers play cards. Even I knew that staring too much at the dark-haired Overlord would be hazardous to my health.

  “That ride’s a lot less fun without the Darkness,” Roshel complained, her eyes darting around the room. “I’d forgotten what being saddle sore felt like.”

  Tess opened her mouth, closed it, then asked mildly, “No regrets, I hope?”

  Roshel shook her head. “No. At least not most of the time.”

  “It’s good to see you,” I said. “How’s the situation at Stephensburg?”

  “For goodness sake, Minos,” Tess chided me. “How was the trip, Roshel? Can we get you some water? You look exhausted.”

  The Overlord waved her hand absently. “I’m fine. Stephensburg’s under control. What’s the situation here?”

  “Here?” I was puzzled. “Everything’s fine here. Although there’s a bit of a debate around whether we’ve got too many troops. We’ve been waiting for an update from you to understand the status of the Darkness Radiant.”

  “Too many? Huh.” Roshel blinked, as if distracted. “The Darkness Radiant is completely under my control. Melaret has no legitimacy except for what we give her and she knows it. Not everyone was happy with what happened in the battle, but most of the Knights of Resurrection were with us there. They were Yoshana’s hard core loyalists. The ones who were going to leave have left. Stephen’s men are loyal to the command structure. If he were still alive I don’t know what would have happened, but now they’ll follow me. And of course by extension you, Minos. Who else is there?”

  “No one else,” Tess said, meeting Roshel’s eyes.

  “No one else,” the Overlord repeated. “You know what, Tess, you’re right. I’m tired. If you don’t mind, I’d like to get the men I brought settled and get into something more presentable. Can we continue in more detail over dinner?”

  “Of course,” I said. “Railes, can you get Roshel’s troops situated?”

  “You got it, boss,” my adjutant replied. He turned to her. “How many do you have?”

  “Just a company.”

  “Easy enough. Plenty of room.” And the two left together.

  I turned to Tess. “Can we go for a little walk?”

  It was hot outside in the sun, hotter than in the room. We found shade under a long row of trees. “I’m not the most perceptive guy around,” I said, “but even I could tell something was going on there. That was a pretty pathetic report coming from the commander of the Darkness Radiant, and she’s way too tough for me to believe it was just because she was tired. You have any clue what’s eating her?”

  Tess shook her head and made a little scoffing sound. “You really aren’t the most perceptive guy around. She was hoping Grigg would be here. And she was very disappointed that he’s not.”

  “Grigg?”

  “Oh, for goodness sake, Minos. You told me Roshel had feelings for Grigg, before Yoshana pushed her out of the way. She was hoping that with Yoshana gone, Grigg would be available. You can’t tell me that didn’t go through your head when you were trying to turn her.”

  “I mean, I guess…”

  “Men may well be the thickest creatures on the face of the earth. It’s amazing any of you live to adulthood. Anyway, now Roshel’s upset that Grigg isn’t here.”

  I had to admit I wouldn’t have minded having the big Select back myself, even if it might complicate our lives - especially if he didn’t choose to give up the Darkness. “Do you think he’ll come back?”

  Tess shrugged. “I don’t know. What Yoshana said to him at the end… that hurt him a lot.”

  I nodded. She’d told Grigg that he was superior to me in every way except the one that counted, supporting his woman. Then she’d died. Tess and I walked on a while in silence. She added, “There’s one more problem. Roshel might decide that without Grigg, you’re the next best option.”

  Yoshana’s bodyguard Erev had once suggested exactly that. “Well, I might enjoy the competition,” I suggested.

  “Would you enjoy having Cat skin you alive?” Tess asked with no trace of humor.

  There was no doubt in my mind that was exactly what the paleo would do if I hurt Tess’ feelings. “I think I’d rather not.”

  “I didn’t think so.”

  According to Yoshana, Tess was my woman. I was pretty sure the Overlord had gotten the order of ownership backward in that phrase.

  The command center doubled as the officers’ mess. There was plenty of room in the massive complex of Our Lady for a separate dining hall - seven thousand soldiers weren’t easy to feed, but there was more than enough room in the ancient citadel to house them. The space-saving measure was by choice, specifically my choice. The combination of my rank and my wound was allowing me to indulge a previously undiscovered bone laziness. I just didn’t want to get up and move around. I was more than half tempted to have my bed brought in.

  A lot of the company commanders and all the platoon leaders ate with their men. The group that gathered in the officers’ mess was small - the handful of Rockwall’s colonels and the Monolith’s senior GrayShields, a few captains. Marek of Our Lady’s household troops, Tolf as captain of the Order of Thorns, Railes as my adjutant. Hake and Lago, of course. Cat was there because Tess was. River Mist from the Hidden Moon Clan, even though it was just a squad, and Hafnum Furat, even though he didn’t command anyone but his dog, because - well, just because. Somehow that pair from the Sorrows had honorary officer rank. Sam lay quietly on the floor like a furry white log, hoping someone would drop food.

  Roshel brought a captain she introduced as Teraya. He was a big, dark, quiet man who had come west with Yoshana, one of the terror’s soldiers from her time as Warleader of the Shield, before she’d split with the Hellguard. The current general of the Darkness Radiant seemed like her old self again, relaxed and self-confident. She chatted easily with Hake and the Rockwall officers she hadn’t met. They accepted her instantly, a tribute no doubt to their mutual professionalism and completely unrelated to her stunning appearance. Right.

  Between the main course and dessert she turned to me. “You said before there was some question whether our army was too big. You want to elaborate on that?”

  I took a deep breath. “The Metropolitan pointed out that we’re housing a mixed force of thousands of Monolith and Rockwall troops in Our Lady, who technically answer to their own sovereigns, not us. He didn’t say, but I imagine he was thinking, that seven thousand men also eat a lot. And that’s not even counting the twenty thousand plus you’ve got in Stephensburg.”

  She snorted, “Well, we’re not turning my men over to Melaret. Can you imagine? Anyway, if we released the troops, how would we finish the mission?”

  “Thank you,” I said.

  “There is no mission.” Tess didn’t shout this time. Her voice was calm and cold. It was more frightening that way.

  Roshel gave a little laugh. “Tess, the demons and the Darkness aren’t going to defeat themselves. That’s what the Darkness Radiant was created for. Yoshana stood aside because she thought you could lead us better than she could.”

  “You and Minos keep acting like I should care what Yoshana wanted. I don’t. I never accepted her conditions. I had one mission from God - to defeat her. With your help, I did that. God never said anything about an endless war against the Darkness and the demons. Evil does not end in this world.”

  “I actually cannot believe I’m hearing this,” Roshel said. “You’re just turning away from your responsibilities -”

  “Not my responsibilities -”

  “Hold on,” I interjected, raising my hands. “You said God never told you anything about the Darkness and the demons. Can’t you ask him?”

  “That’s not how prophecy works, Minos. I ask God’s guidance constantly. That doesn’t mean he always answers. He told me I needed to stop Yoshana. That was it.”

  Roshel leaned back in her chair. “Wait a minute. That was all God ever told you, and you’ve been ma
rching around calling yourself a prophet?”

  Tess met the Overlord’s eyes. There were angry tears in hers, but she didn’t blink or flinch. “Yes. It was enough. Saint Theresa of Calcutta had one year of visions from the Lord and then fifty years in a spiritual desert. I can only pray that some day I might be half the servant of God that she was. I trust in him. I answer to him. I don’t answer to you.”

  Roshel turned to me. “Tomorrow I’ll give you my latest understanding of the position of Shield and Hellguard forces. We can start planning the campaign.”

  Tess stood and said to me, “Before you do, read the First Book of Samuel. You can start around chapter ten.” And she left.

  The First Book of Samuel. The Hebrews had wanted a king to lead their armies, so Samuel the prophet was guided by God to anoint Saul. That went okay until Saul decided he could figure out what God really wanted for himself, and started ignoring Samuel’s prophecies. So God picked a new champion. Saul lost a big battle and wound up with his severed head getting passed around the enemy kingdoms as a trophy. After a while his people felt sorry for him and took his headless corpse down from the wall where his enemies had strung it up, so at least the bottom part of him got buried.

  The message wasn’t subtle.

  I sat with the Bible in my lamplit room with my blood pressure rising. First I got mad. Tess had essentially threatened me, in so many words. The parallel was obvious.

  Who did she think she was? Without any guidance from God, by her own admission, she’d decided she knew better than I how to conduct a war.

  After I got done being mad, I started getting nervous. Whatever exactly you believed about Tess, I’d seen her take a full blast of the Darkness from Yoshana and emerge unscathed. She’d engineered the surrender of two Overlords. One of them now answered to us, the other was dead. Even if God had only spoken directly to her once, she wasn’t someone to take lightly.