‘Yeah, maybe I should just gut you and be done with it.’ Veitch drew his sword. The black fire crackled in stark contrast to the white glow emanating from the Extinction Shears. An unsettled expression flickered across the Libertarian’s face.
‘Brawling is so vulgar,’ the Libertarian said. ‘Can we get down to the matter at hand?’
Veitch looked at the Shears. ‘You’re sure you know what you’re doing with those?’
‘Salazar has made all the calculations. We are nearly ready. A small demonstration will give us the final information we need.’
Church quickly weighed his options, and while Gabe’s attention was fixed desperately on the Libertarian and Salazar, he edged back along the path until he reached the riverside near the Fabulous Beast. I need help,’ he hissed, hoping that it was possible to communicate with the creature while fearing he could end up flash-fried or eaten alive.
There was no response so he called again. As he leaned forward, his hand slipped into the river of fire. He felt a surge of energy, and then a disturbing dislocation. It was as if he was actually in the Blue Fire while simultaneously still able to feel his body crouching by the river. His perception moved through the river like a fish swimming, and he realised obliquely that he was guiding it by thought. It reached the Fabulous Beast, and then, with a shiver, passed inside.
Church’s shock was muted by the sudden rush of sensation; he could feel the Beast’s great power, the energy flowing around it and through it; and he could see a blue world through its eyes, with lines of azure fire running through the rock, through his own body on the bank, through Gabe, all joined. The Fabulous Beast’s mind lay alongside his own, unknowable yet completely accommodating his own desires. With surprising ease, Church turned the Fabulous Beast around and directed it towards the Libertarian.
28
Gabe glanced back. Seeing Church with one hand in the Blue Fire, he returned his attention to the congregation that had moved from the adjoining cavern to the shore of the blue lake. Lying on his belly, he wriggled as close as he could without being seen.
The Libertarian held the Extinction Shears gingerly. A figure emerged from the ruins behind him, and Gabe’s heart leaped when he saw it was Marcy, though her movements were leaden and unnatural. A creeping horror paralysed him when he realised that a black spider was embedded in her left cheek.
‘Why are you putting her through this?’ Veitch said.
‘Perhaps you would like to volunteer.’ The Libertarian cast a supercilious glance at Veitch. ‘It will be interesting to see what happens to her once the lines that tie her to Existence have been severed.’
The Libertarian opened the Shears and a sound like a tolling bell rang across the cavern. Gabe felt a blast of Arctic wind. Shaking, he climbed to his feet. ‘Don’t hurt her.’ He felt ashamed at how weak his voice sounded.
The Libertarian registered a moment of shock, then began to search the cavern for any sign of Church.
Gabe blinked away his tears. ‘Her name’s Marcy. She’s always tried to help people-’
‘You’re talking to me as if I really care about your species,’ the Libertarian said.
‘Please,’ Gabe said. ‘I love her, and … and … she doesn’t deserve this.’
With a shrug, the Libertarian beckoned for Marcy to stand beside him.
The Fabulous Beast rose out of the Blue Fire with a beat of its mighty wings. Its shadow fell across the Libertarian, Veitch and the others, and the Beast opened its mouth. Fire surged out, exploding in liquid fury on the ruins and engulfing many of the spiders. Gabe thought he could hear a high-pitched screaming, like wind through winter trees. The Fabulous Beast soared into the heights of the cavern and then swooped down sinuously, releasing another blast of fire. Gabe couldn’t believe that both attacks had almost magically left Marcy uninjured.
The Libertarian turned from Marcy and angled the Shears towards the Blue Fire. Gabe had the strange impression that instead of shears he was seeing an enormous crystalline weapon. The Libertarian snipped the blades together and the tolling bell sound rolled out again.
One of the young Fabulous Beasts leaped out of the river in convulsions. Lines of blue force lashed around it, unravelling. The Beast opened its mouth to emit an unnervingly human cry of suffering until the final line had unwound and it was gone.
Overhead, the larger Beast twisted and turned with a roar of despair. By the riverside, Church convulsed, looked around in a daze and then ran for Gabe.
‘Delicious,’ the Libertarian said.
‘You don’t know what you’re doing,’ Veitch yelled at him. ‘You were only prepared to deal with the girl. You’re going to do us all in.’
The Libertarian pulled Marcy to him and shouted to Church, who had appeared beside Gabe. ‘You have control over your forces, Mr Churchill, but I have the Extinction Shears. So here is an interesting dilemma for you — the snake or the girl?’ He opened the blades and held them high. ‘One is released without harm, the other loses its puppet strings.’ He smiled at the devastating dilemma.
Gabe silently pleaded with Church, but he already saw the decision had been made. ‘No,’ he said hoarsely. ‘You have to help us.’
‘You won’t understand this now, Gabe,’ Church said gently, ‘but we’re insignificant. This is about something greater than us.’ Gabe could see the heartbreak in Church’s eyes, but knew that it wasn’t enough to stop Church from doing what he had to do.
‘Ah, fuck it.’ Veitch’s voice floated up to them as he darted forward and wrenched Marcy from the Libertarian’s grasp. Etain and Tannis moved to block the Libertarian’s lunge as Veitch dragged Marcy towards another tunnel.
The Libertarian realised immediately that the balance of power had changed and brought the Shears together with a sound that made Gabe’s ears ring. In the blink of an eye, the river of Blue Fire was severed. At the source it appeared to stop at an invisible barrier, and what remained in the cavern rose up in a funnel of flames and entered the Fabulous Beast, which thrashed wildly. Gaping wounds scythed across its scales.
One final blast of purging flame washed through the cavern, taking with it all hint of darkness.
29
Church and Gabe scrambled along the tunnels as fast as they could, unsure whether Marcy or the others had been destroyed in the inferno. But as they clambered out of the hole that gave access to the tunnel network, they found Marcy staggering around amongst the trees, a ragged scar marking her cheek where the spider had been. Gabe lurched towards her across the rolling ground.
‘He took it out,’ she said, dazed. ‘I don’t know how, but he did.’
The sound of shelling and gunfire surrounded them. Plumes of smoke rose up through the vegetation and jets blazed across the sky. The Tet Offensive was in full swing.
Church stopped uncertainly a few feet from Gabe and Marcy.
‘You were going to do what you had to,’ Gabe said. ‘I don’t hold it against you.’
They were all thrown off their feet as trees, vegetation, soil and rock erupted upwards in a deafening explosion. Rising up through the rubble came the Fabulous Beast with slow, heavy beats of its wings. Two Phantom jets roared by to attack the Vietcong positions and had to take evasive action to avoid the creature. As the Beast flew towards the west, Church’s ears rang with a long, low, plaintive cry that broke his heart.
‘Is this a win?’ Gabe said.
Church shook his head. ‘The source of the Blue Fire has been blocked. We’re cut off from it, and whatever energy is left here is going to dwindle. No more Fabulous Beasts will be born into this world.’