by JM Guillen
he will know eventually, I reasoned, if the plans you have shared with me hold true.
“Yes.” He nodded slowly. “Thank you for your counsel.”
“What?” Aiden stared. “Do you have some kind of head trauma?”
“No. I suppose you deserve to know exactly what that was.”
“I do not have time for monsters to fall out of the sky,” Aiden retorted crossly. “Sky monsters were never part of our arrangement!”
“Let’s close up shop.” Simon smiled. “I’ll clean up this,” he gestured at the charred thing on the street, “mess.”
“And then?” Aiden asked.
“And then we talk.”
6
“Holy shit!” I leaned away from Alicia and shook my head wildly to clear it. “That’s absolutely insane!”
“Abriel agrees with you,” Alicia said and her whitened eyes sparkled. “As it happens, she often thinks of the choices Simon makes as more than a little reckless.” She paused. “Also, she cautions you on your course language.”
“Do you know how many times he smacked me with that cane?” I shook my head, thinking of the way he had crushed bone with the thing.
“Sixty-three.” Alicia nodded promptly. “At least, while Abriel looked on.”
I shook my head, trying not to laugh. Then, I took a breath and got focused.
“Simon owns this building?” I gestured all around us. “I remember when Dad first moved Knucklebones in here, but he didn’t use nearly as much space then.”
“Simon eventually purchased the entire building instead of just a portion of it. In this way he was able to command more use of the filament that runs through this place.”
“That’s another thing I don’t understand. What exactly is a ‘filament’?”
“There are many sources of celestial power hidden within this world; a filament is simply one of them. It is a ribbon of energy, a current of power between places.”
That idea stopped me in my tracks. I leaned back and regarded Alicia.
“What?” She tilted her head to one side, a motion I had seen a thousand times.
“Alicia is a gamer, just as much as I am,” I explained. “I think she played ALTWorld with me, more than once.”
“Yes.”
“She probably would have used the term ‘ley line.’ That had me wondering exactly how much of you is actually Abriel.”
“I’m very Abriel right now,” she confirmed. “It’s a delicate balance, something I’m learning how to pay attention to. However, I’m not too Abriel.”
“Weird.” I squinted a bit. “This is a whole chunk of a lot to take in.”
“It is. I have to be careful with you.”
“Yeah?”
“We are bound to the meat in our heads in ways Abriel is not,” Alicia said. “She can… process knowledge a lot faster than we can. It would be easy to wear you out.”
“I feel a bit worn out right now, to be honest.”
“It’s good you told me. Abriel can change the method by which you process these memories, if required. They won’t be as specific or crystal clear, but you will have a general knowledge of them.”
“That sounds like what I need.” I shifted in place and stretched my legs out. “Before we do, however, I have one question.”
“If I know the answer, it’s yours.” She smiled.
“Do you think it’s a problem if I share this stuff with the guys? Rehl works here, after all, and Baxter has seen some crazy stuff.”
“In all my time with Simon, he never asked me to hide any specific thing from you. In fact, being open with you is in alignment with my purpose.” She paused for a moment to think. “Part of the assumption Simon made in creating this contingency was that he could trust you. He knew if it came to pass that you picked up Abriel’s token, you would have a great deal of information at your fingertips.”
“I’m not exactly the one who picked it up,” I reminded her.
“That being said, these memories belong to you. There are thousands of other memories Abriel holds, of course, from different places and different times, but these were intended for one Elizabeth Shepherd.”
“Liz,” I wryly jabbed.
“Simon is no fool. He may be many things, but he’s not that. You’re provided with this information because he trusts you. You’re an adult. Do as you will.”
“Well, that’s a relief,” I said. “Maybe when he gets back from wherever the hell he is, he’ll be a little bit less mysterious from now on.”
“Unlikely,” Alicia almost giggled. “Being mysterious is one of the primary benefits of being an old hedge wizard.”
“He’s fifty three.” I grinned, though I knew she likely didn’t get the joke. “And while I trust Simon, the part of you that is still Alicia has to admit there are creepy bits to this story.”
“The part of me that is Alicia,” Alicia bantered, and fixed me with eyes that swam closer to a hazel color than a silvery white, “thinks most of the story is about summoning creatures from other worlds and Silent Gentlemen. Which is more than a little creepy.”
“No, I mean it’s a little bit creepy to consider an adult man made plans for me while I still thought Chuck E. Cheese’s was a good night out.”
“Oh.” She considered for a moment. “Yeah, I suppose it kinda is.”
“Not that Simon has ever been anything other than the perfect gentleman. Some might even say he’s restrained, to a ridiculous degree.”
“Abriel says that, as someone who considers herself to have been intimate with Simon, she thinks you should know he never held a single dire intention. If anything, he thought of you as a wayward daughter that he constantly had to correct.”
“Yeah, that sounds like Simon.” I smiled.
“If you are ready,” her tone slipped back into business casual, “I will share with you the rest of what I have been given. There are two more memories you likely should possess in entirety.” Alicia regarded me with eyes that slowly grew pale. “However, as you have indicated that the process is slightly tiresome, I shall give you the…” Alicia/Abriel seemed to think for a minute, “Cliff’s Notes version of the middle bit.”
“That sounds great,” I laughed. “Just give me what you think I need to know right now. I’m certain later on we can go over these things more thoroughly if we need to.”
“Whenever the Masked Brava desires.” She stretched forward, and her fingers brushed the edge of my face.
My friend’s eyes burned with the radiance of the fallen snow.
***
“Abriel, come.”
It was as if every time he spoke my Name, he cherished it. When he said it, each syllable was a symphony, each sound relished, as if Simon enjoyed a fine vintage of wine.
As always, simply hearing it felt like a chorus of beatific joy that pulsed in my body and sang in my soul. Never had I known as much wonder, as much simple happiness as I did in the moments when Simon called to me.
i am here, simon. I spun around his head and delighted in the sensation of the air, the sounds of the mortal world.
“Who are you talking to?” Aiden sat across from Simon, in a booth that looked as if it had seen better days.
“No one.” Simon looked directly at me, and winked.
“I just watched you wink. At nothing.”
“Remember things for me, sweet one. This may be an important night.”
your will is mine, as always.
“My business partner is a crazy person.” Aiden hung his head between his hands.
“So, things ain’t exactly what you might’ve thunk.” Simon sat with Aiden in a nearly abandoned little diner, and drank a cup of coffee. “Might be the world’s a mite larger than you supposed.”
***
At those words, I startled just a touch from my reverie. When I heard them, I couldn’t help but think of Garrett.
“Liz, you’re a big girl. I bet you’ve already heard the whole ‘the world is larger than you
believe’ spiel.” It rotated its right wrist as it spoke. “Let me ask you. Did that propaganda come from one particular person? Someone who went on to show you how wide the world is? Or do you have other people’s perspectives too?”
“Liz, are you alright?” Alicia regarded me, somewhat disconcerted.
“No,” I said. “I mean, yes. Everything is fine.”
“If you say so.” Alicia reached forward again and touched my face.
***
“You’re fucking right!” Aiden’s hands trembled. “Do you make a habit of keeping horrifying monsters in your secret attic lair?”
“Not a habit, no.” Simon gave him a lazy smile. “However, I am a man who dallies with secrets ‘best left undisturbed,’” he drawled and lent his voice a rumbling gravitas.
“This is bullshit.” Aiden shook his head, and it took a long swallow of coffee. “Things like that aren’t real. Little monsters that fall out of the sky are great for the drive-in theater, but not for a game store in downtown Manhattan.”
“I am sorry.” Simon set his cup down. “You should know I never intended for you to get caught up in my little side business.”
“Oh!” Aiden leaned back in his chair and put his hand to his forehead. “You planned on secretly endangering our customers with little fucking chimpanzee demons.”
“Do you remember this?” As he spoke, Simon reached into one of the pockets of his long coat. He pulled out a familiar playing card—the ace of spades.
“A card?” Aiden wrinkled his nose in the exact same way his daughter did when she was perplexed.
“You do.” Simon spun the card deftly in one hand as he spoke in a soft monotone. “You remember what happened the last time you saw this exact playing card. You remember what we were talking about, and you remember what I did.”
“I…” Aiden’s eyes grew wide, wide as pie plates.
“Yes?”
“You hypnotized me.” His voice held awe, but also anger. “You fucking hypnotized me!”
“Not… exactly.” Simon waved one hand. “The reason I bring this to your attention is because I’d like you to know that regardless of how you may feel right now, you have a very important choice in front of you.”
“What’s that?” Aiden leaned back in the booth and crossed his arms over his chest.
“I can tell you everything.” Simon leaned forward and dropped his voice. “And I do mean everything. All I know about the world hidden all around us, the entirety of my experiences with the strange things that haunt New York.”
“Okay,” he hedged. “Crazy person.”
“It’s a big choice, Aidan.” Simon cleared his throat. “Some things, once you understand them or once you see them, change you. That’s not a threat, it’s a simple fact.”
“Okay, what’s the other choice?”
“I play my high card again.” He raised one eyebrow. “I can make you forget all about this. You won’t know anything.”
“I doubt very seriously that I’m going to forget this,” he snarled. “I watched a fucking angel descend from the heavens and smite Koko the horror-ape.”
“I understand why you feel that way,” Simon empathized. “Yet the fact remains. You didn’t remember a thing about my secret trap door until this evening. I promise you, if it’s what you want, I can put you right back in Knucklebones, no harm done. I’ll make up a story about what broke the window, and I’ll get insurance guys out in the next day or two.” He shrugged. “It’s easy, Aiden.”
“I suppose I should believe you.” Aiden finished his coffee and set the cup on the table with an audible clack. “I mean, you’ve already decided you got to fuck around with my head once before, why shouldn’t I believe you’d do it again?”
“I have done it before, and I will do it now if that’s what you want.” Simon’s words weren’t a threat, but simply a logical extension of the facts.
Yet I saw the flash of pain on his face at Aiden’s words.
“I should have known this partnership was too good to be true,” Aiden groaned as he leaned forward and slumped his head into his hands.
“I feel like you’ve misunderstood me,” Simon said. He leaned forward onto the table and steepled his fingers.
“I fucking hope so.”
“I’ve been a man who dealt with these kinds of things for most of my life, Aidan.” Simon arched one eyebrow. “So far, one hundred percent of the time I’ve been discovered, I pulled my little card trick.” Simon set the card on the table between the two of them.
“Okay.” Aiden nodded. “So it’s not just me you’ve been an asshole to.”
“I make the choices I do because most people, when presented with the truth about their world, don’t want to know it. Most people are children.”
“Well,” Aiden almost chuckled, “I suppose that’s true enough.”
“You have a child. Do you let her make all the choices for herself? Or sometimes do you decide things might be a little bit too dangerous for her, that she’s too young?”
“That’s hardly fair.” Aiden glared at Simon and a slight scowl pulled at the edge of his boyish face. “You’re talking about a parent and a child, and comparing it to hypnotizing other adults against their will.”
“My reckoning is that most people aren’t adults.” Simon cocked his head to one side. “How many of those ape-creatures did you see today?”
“The only one there.” Even as he spoke, Aiden seemed to have a thought. “Unless…” His eyes grew wide. “You’ve already used that card on me once today? Because there were more of those things?”
“Oh, there were more. I didn’t use my little trick on you, however. Most ’a them never made it out of the attic.”
“The attic?” Aiden leaned forward, incredulity splashed across his face. “Simon, how many of those things were inside my place of business?”
sixteen, I handily supplied, full of the knowledge that Simon hadn’t kept track.
“Over forty,” Simon lied with a straight face.
simon! I felt horrified.
“Over forty.” Aiden appeared as if he might faint. “And you… you took care of all of them? By yourself?”
“I obviously had help. You met one of my friends earlier today.”
“Right.”
“So imagine that instead of happening at night, when our little corner of Manhattan is practically abandoned, this had happened in the middle of the day.” Simon leaned back in his chair. “How many New Yorkers do you think I should’a allowed to keep their memory of that event? How many people are adult enough to walk around with the memory ’a rabid ape horrors from beyond the veil ’a reality murdering their way around New York?”
For a long moment, Aidan was silent.
“Am I being an “asshole” by protecting people from what I do?” Simon made air quotes with his fingers. “Should I simply allow mundane humanity to experience otherworldly terrors without intervention?”
“Maybe not,” Aiden groused.
“Maybe not.” Simon’s tone dripped with more than a hint of condescension. “So do you agree with me that most of humanity is a distant fucking throw from being able to comprehend things like this?
language. I still felt a touch surly over the untruth he had spoken.
“Yeah.” Aiden spoke softly, seeming to gnaw on the idea. Then he nodded slightly more vigorously. “Yes. We can agree on that much.”
“Alright. Can we further agree that perhaps, in many cases, I’m actually looking out for people? I mean, think about it, logically, for just five minutes.”
“No, I see it.” He shook his head and took a moment to stare out the window. “You weren’t wrong for comparing it to how I might parent my daughter.”
“So.” Simon leaned back in his chair again, a whisper of satisfaction on his face. “If I deem it necessary to use my little sleight-of-hand trick to make people forget awful things—you agree that sometimes might be required.”
“Sometimes at least.�
� Aiden nodded more vigorously. “Sure.”
“And a few moments ago, when I told you I was willing to talk to you about it… When I said I would let you in on everything…” Simon scratched at his scruffy beard. “What does that mean I think about you?”
“Oh.” Aiden seemed a touch disconcerted. “Uh.”
“The thing is simple.” Simon reached across the table and collected the ace of spades. “If I wanted to, I could make you forget all this right now. I could put you back the way you were and you’d never know the difference.” He tilted his head to one side. “It would be easier on me, that’s for certain.”
“I don’t like that idea.”
“What does it mean if I ask you this?”
“I don’t understand what you mean.”
“If, when dealing with every other person, I assume I am the one who has to be the adult, then what does it mean that I do not treat you that way?”
“That you… think more of me than you do most people.” Aiden shook his head, still stunned.
“Do you want me to show you?” Simon leaned across the table, his voice soft. “Do you want me to show you the world behind the world? You want to see the things that live in the shadows of our city?”
For what felt like an eternal moment, Aiden just stared. A disbelieving, stubborn expression sat on his face.
“I will.” Simon shrugged. “I don’t have to. If you say the word, it’s back to sleep.”
Aidan already shook his head.
“No.” He sighed. “I don’t like the way you handled this, and I don’t like feeling as if you manipulated me, but I suppose I understand.” Halfway through his sentence, a thought occurred to him.
“What is it?”
“Elizabeth is out of this. If you are so damn skilled at making certain people are protected from… from awful things, then you protect her. This isn’t negotiable. I don’t want my eight-year-old child to have to deal with things like this.”
“I promise to keep your eight-year-old child as far away from this as possible.” Simon nodded firmly, and I couldn’t believe that Aidan didn’t see the subtle wording Simon had used. “In fact, I think it might be best if Liz didn’t see me around anymore. Perhaps when she’s in the store, I’ll remain in the attic.”