The garage opened when Fist punched in the combination. He only had to try five times.
[ You know, I’m not sure I trust you in this buggy,] Jack told him.
[ Now you know what watching you pilot a spaceship feels like.]
The buggy had two seats and a large open boot. Its paintwork was scratched, its metalwork heavily dented. One of its front lights had been smashed. Fist shrugged the potato bag into the boot, unplugged the buggy from its charger and clambered into the driver’s seat. The steering wheel and control pedals were all oversized.
[ That should make it easier,] said Fist cheerfully, ramming down the accelerator.
They bounced out of the garage and straight off the road, cannoning between two willow trees. Branches snatched at Jack, almost pulling him from his seat.
[ FOR FUCK’S SAKE, FIST!]
A small stream hurtled towards them. Fist threw the steering wheel around and kicked down on the brake pedal. The buggy shuddered to a halt.
[Perhaps you should let me drive,] said Jack. [ Nobody’ll notice that I’m in charge when we’re moving.]
[ How does he do this?] wondered Fist.
[ Judging by the state of the buggy, it took a lot of practice.]
[Oh. Right.]
Fist slipped out of Jack’s motor centres. Jack slumped then recovered himself. He reached out for the steering wheel and the accelerator pedal.
[Let’s go.]
[ Wait a moment,] said Fist. [Look over there. It’s Grey’s home.]
The stream ended in a small lake. Beyond it stood a campus of rectangular buildings. Each was all window, five storeys high. They caught and reflected a pastoral kaleidoscope of colours – greens and blues from the countryside around them, a dazzling gold-white from the sky above.
[ Not bad,] said Fist. Even Jack was slightly awed. This was the corporate home of Grey. It housed the fundamental processes that defined his patron’s consciousness. Jack wondered how the campus had looked when Grey had been fully engaged with the world.
‘Actually, not too different to now,’ said Grey.
‘Shit!’ Fist exploded.
‘Maybe a few more lights on,’ Grey continued, ignoring him. ‘Some more people here and there, everything a bit more purposeful.’
‘What the fuck are you doing here?’ snapped Jack.
‘This was my home,’ Grey replied casually. ‘Where else would I be? Besides, there’s a ghoulish fascination watching the dead parts of myself.’
‘Kingdom’ll kill you completely if he sees you here.’
‘I’ve become quite good at hiding. I saw all this coming a long time ago. I was prepared. Not like my staff, sadly.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘The centre did not hold. My board sleeps. Everyone who could transferred away from here. The ones that are left – well, it broke them. Look at that lot, for example.’
Grey pointed at a large pair of doors that led into an atrium. A small group pushed its way through them, carrying something long, flat and brightly coloured.
‘A stretcher,’ Jack noted. ‘Someone’s been hurt.’
‘Oh no,’ Grey told him. ‘They’re missing me. They’re trying to do something about it.’
The group walked the heavy stretcher down to the edge of the closest lake. There was a distant sound of chanting, thin voices losing themselves in the empty air.
‘I wish they knew I could hear them,’ sighed Grey. ‘I can’t ever show myself, though. Far too risky.’
‘What are they doing?’
They manhandled the stretcher into a small boat and stood back. Brightly coloured feathers waved in the air.
‘Is that someone tied to it?’
‘I can’t see. And I can’t get any closer to them, Kingdom would spot me.’
One of the small figures held her arms up in the air. The rest knelt round her and chanted. She threw something into the boat, then kicked it away from the shore. It drifted out across the lake. The group roared as flames leapt out of it.
‘I hope it was just a dummy,’ said Grey sadly.
‘I’m surprised you care,’ Jack told him.
‘Oh, I do. I’ve just accepted there’s not much I can do. That’s what you’re here for.’
‘I’m not trying to help you.’
‘No. But you’re not just out for yourself, are you? All those people need you. They need someone to show them a way out of this mess.’
‘Why isn’t the Pantheon helping them?’
‘Kingdom won’t let any of the others in. He livecasts all this to warn people what happens without gods.’
The small figures stripped and started rolling around in the grass, clumped together in groups of two, three and even four.
‘Most of us do our best, you know. We give you an awful lot, Jack.’
‘You take more back.’
‘We’re just trying to help you live, and we need to be alive ourselves to do that. But Kingdom – there’s something else going on there. He needs stopping. Not just for your sake or mine, but for everyone’s.’
‘There has to be change, Grey.’
‘Yes. But not on Kingdom’s terms.’
[ Why are you listening to this jerk, Jack?]
[ Hush.]
‘I’ll be watching. If I can, I’ll help you.’ Grey squeezed Jack’s knee. Despite himself, love flooded through him. ‘That wasn’t me, Jack. I’m not manipulating you now. Remember I’ve always done my best for you.’ Grey vanished as he spoke. His last words were a breeze in Jack’s ear. ‘None of it was just for me.’
[Creepy old fucker,] muttered Fist.
Jack kicked the buggy into movement, and set off again. It took them along the other side of the lake from the group of Grey worshippers. As they passed them a group of black-clad figures emerged from the main doors, ran across the grass, and started breaking up the orgy with baseball bats.
[ That’ll be security,] said Fist.
[ I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.]
The road crossed a bridge, then passed between two of the large glass buildings. A few of the offices were busy. The workers bending over their desks looked like little model figures. Some showed signs of the despair driving the group by the lake. One window was spattered with blood. A body hung from the ceiling of another. Every so often, there would be naked people. Some would be copulating, some perhaps sleeping, some just staring out at a world that no longer made sense.
[Grey’s incorporate,] said Jack. [Everyone’s strings have been cut.]
The parkland surrounding the offices showed signs of disturbance, too. Black, charred stumps implied a small glade of trees, burnt to the ground. A round white circle had been raggedly inscribed on the ground, a human head sketched out within it. There were signs of burning there too. Jack imagined other rituals.
A horn barked behind them, and they pulled off the road. A large buggy roared past, full of security operatives. ‘Watch out, Stabs!’ one of them shouted. It turned off the road ahead of them, bumping over grass, and disappeared behind another building.
[ The sooner we get out of here, Fist, the better.]
[ I’m surprised that Stabs hasn’t had any problems.]
[ They must be too afraid of him.]
Ahead of them, a metal fence marked the edge of Grey’s domain. The road stopped at a checkpoint. An armed security guard waved them down. Jack recognised Kingdom sigils on his uniform.
[ You’d better take back over, Fist.]
A tight grin carved itself into Jack’s face as it became Fist’s. It was lucky they were moving so slowly. Fist could just about keep them on the road. When they pulled up by the guard Jack felt very relieved.
‘Hello, Stabs. Where are you off to?’
‘Making a delivery to Kingdom.’ Fist had possessed Jack’s voice, too. ‘It should be on your transport log,’ he squeaked. The guard reached forward and lifted the silk mask. Fist used Jack’s face to grin at him. ‘It’s me, all right!’ The guard winced and let the mask drop.