“Yes,” the High Prophet nodded. “Of a sort.”
“Of a sort?” Homski said. “Could that mean there’s another meaning?”
The High Prophet bowed his head and shook it. “I would not presume to interpret The Word of Spragmos.”
Homski covered his mouth. “Of course not, Your Holiness. I wouldn’t dream—”
The High Prophet raised his hand. “I know, Homski. I know.”
“I brought light,” Karnage said. “That makes me the Lightbringer.” A low murmuring rippled through the crowd like a pebble splashing the surface of a pond.
“Yes, you keep saying that,” the High Prophet said.
Karnage said it again: “I’m the Lightbringer.” The crowd’s murmuring increased. The ripples grew stronger. Karnage wondered how big of a splash he could make.
The High Prophet shot Karnage a dangerous look. “Just because you continue to say it, that does not necessarily make it true.”
“I’m the Lightbringer,” Karnage said.
“Is he the Lightbringer?” Homski asked.
“It’s not my place to say,” the High Prophet said.
“I’m the Lightbringer,” Karnage said.
A fist shot up at the back. “All hail the Lightbringer!”
“See?” Karnage said. “Lightbringer.”
The High Prophet raised his hand. “We shouldn’t rush to hasty conclusions.”
“What should we do, Your Holiness?” Homski asked.
The High Prophet’s face was serene, a stalwart rocky crag on which the crowd’s waves had crashed to no effect. He remained calm. Tranquil. Unperturbed by the storm raging around him. He smiled into the nearest lens. “Why, we should do nothing.”
Homski blinked. “Nothing?”
The caption on the screen changed to “HIGH PROPHET: ‘DO NOTHING’ - LIVE!”
The High Prophet shrugged. “There is nothing for us to do. We are but servants of The Word, and The Word…” The High Prophet leaned into the nearest D-Pad. His face filled the screens. His blue eyes sparkled. “…is The Worm.”
The crowd bowed their heads and chanted, “Mama-oo-powpow.”
“But I’m the Lightbringer,” Karnage said. No one paid him any attention. They were too caught up in their Mama-oo-pow-pows.
The screens changed to a two-shot of Karnage and the High Prophet. The caption underneath read “THE WORM IS THE WORD - LIVE!” The High Prophet placed a hand on Karnage’s shoulder. He raised his other hand towards the congregation. “It is no coincidence he was sent to us on Arbiter’s Day, my friends. This is all part of Spragmos’s plan. The Heathen’s claim will be tested by The Arbiter Himself!”
The crowd gasped. The screen caption changed: “HEATHEN: WORTHY? - LIVE!”
“But I’m the Lightbringer,” Karnage said.
The High Prophet put an arm around Karnage. “So you keep saying. But we are mere mortal men. It is not our place to make these decisions. No, The Worm will decide.” The High Prophet gestured towards the audience. “For The Worm is The Word. Mama-oo-powpow!”
“Mama-oo-pow-pow!” The crowd shouted.
The High Prophet grabbed Karnage’s hand and shook it. “Congratulations, friend. You are heading for the Finale. Take him to the Green Room!”
The crowd cheered wildly as the guards led Karnage away.
CHAPTER EIGHT
The Green Room was an old fallout shelter deep in the bowels of the WTF. As far as Karnage could tell, there was nothing green about it. The walls were a dingy grey and a single LED lantern barely clung to life in the middle of the ceiling. A bench lay along the wall on one end of the room. On the other wall, a large D-pad displayed a steel double-door leading onto the testing grounds.
A young man sat on the bench, watching the screen raptly. Another lay motionless in a pool of blood on the floor. The man on the bench glared at Karnage as he entered the room. He sneered.
Karnage nodded. “Howdy.”
The man ignored him. He turned his gaze back to the screen. The steel doors opened, and a young woman emerged from the darkness.
Miki’s voice poured from the screen. “And now here’s Stephanie Blyskosz, readying for her meeting with The Worm.”
The doors shut behind Stephanie with a loud boom. She jumped, then put on a brave face. She waved to the stands. The crowd cheered.
Paco’s voice joined Miki’s. “Stephanie was our highest scoring female contestant this year, as well as the highest scoring on record.”
A giant shadow overtook her. She looked up. Her eyes went wide and she screamed. The video cut out as an angry, squiggly screech shook the entire complex. As the screech faded, the video signal came back. Stephanie was gone. Nothing but churned earth remained at the base of the doors. The crowd cheered wildly.
The young man snorted and shook his head in disgust. “Pathetic.”
The screen changed to show Miki and Paco standing on the arena floor, wearing headsets and holding clipboards.
“I think she just set a new record,” Miki looked at his clipboard, “for the shortest-lived contestant, lasting for a grand total of five point six seconds.”
“I thought for sure she’d last longer than that,” Paco said.
“As I think everybody did. But, as always, The Worm has the Final Word.”
“Mama-oo-pow-pow, Miki. Mama-oo-pow-pow.” Paco turned to the camera. “We’ll be back after this.”
The screen changed to a shot of Melvern staring into the distance, as his voice-over extolled the virtues of a life dedicated to Spragmos. The young man finally looked away from the screen. He stood and faced Karnage. A Worm-shaped nametag stuck to his shirt proclaimed him to be Ajay. He looked Karnage up and down. “So, you think you’re Worthy, do you?”
“I’m the Lightbringer,” Karnage said.
“Yes,” Ajay nodded at the screen. “I saw your little performance.”
Karnage nodded at the body near Ajay’s feet. “What happened to your friend there?”
Ajay barely glanced at the corpse. “He dared to question The Word. And Spragmos judged him accordingly.”
“Spragmos killed him?”
“No,” Ajay said. “I did.”
“Does that make you Spragmos?”
Ajay smiled. “You mock me.”
“I do,” Karnage said.
Ajay shook his head. “I pity you. Your Worm lies in a deep slumber. I can sense it. One wonders if it will ever waken.”
“And your Worm’s awake, is it?”
“It is. Thanks to Andy.” Ajay looked down at the corpse and smiled. “Spragmos had a role for him to play. He was sent here to test my faith. To try and fill my head with lies and doubt. But I have passed this test. Walked through the fire as Spragmos decreed and emerged reborn. My Worm is truly awake now. And Spragmos will judge me Worthy.” He puffed out his chest. “For I am the real Lightbringer.”
“No you’re not,” Karnage said.
“I am,” Ajay said.
“I’m the Lightbringer,” Karnage said.
“No! I am the Lightbringer!”
“Just cuz you say it’s so don’t make it true,” Karnage said.
Ajay bared his teeth. He looked as if he were about to attack Karnage. Karnage hoped he would.
The door to the Green Room opened behind them. Homski stuck his head into the room. “Ajay? It is your time.”
Ajay closed his eyes and let out a deep breath. He opened his eyes and smiled at Karnage. “You are not Worthy. Spragmos calls for me now. I go to become one with The Worm. And once He has judged me Worthy, it will be your turn to meet your fate.”
Ajay turned and left. The door slammed shut behind him.
Karnage had barely sat down before the door opened again and Tristan sashayed into the room.