"Aiiiiiiiiii!!!!!!!!!"
Down the world, accelerating, snakes hissing from the blur as I plummeted, my mind going blank, and dreaming, so that I landed in somebody's soft arms, and they were raising me up, and this soft voice calling to me, softly, from the dream's mouth.
"I've got you, Scribble," the voice said to me. "I've got you in my arms."
I opened my eyes to see the Game Cat's crooked smile.
He was floating in the tunnel, holding me tight, one-handed, like I had no weight on me, like I didn't have a Thing on my back.
"Cat!" I called out, just the name, the one word. All I could manage.
"Never mind," he said. "Just watch this."
The Cat raised up his free arm. There was a ball hammer in it, and I could see the snakeweed sap dribbling there, on the head.
Takshaka came down fast for him, hissing with anger and frustration.
So I guess the snake lost the edge, losing to anger.
Cat was super cool. He swung the hammer around, in a wave of heat. And then swung it back, inch-perfect, timed like a Vurtball player, going for the winning pitch.
Met that snakehead, full on.
There was a clang of light, then a hissing, burning sound. And the crunch of flesh against steel. Something went sliding past my head, and when I turned to look, I could see Takshaka tumbling over and over, tail whipping, screaming, blood pumping from his face. He fell into the jaws of numbers. The equations closed over the King Snake, biting shut, until only his cry was left. And then his long body was snapped in two. An explosion of orange sap, spraying all over. Me and the Cat covered in it.
Game Cat dropped the hammer after him. "You think I do this for just anyone?" he whispered, snake juice dripping off his face. "You think I'm doing this for you?"
"You killed him?"
The Cat took a yellow feather out of his pocket. "You don't kill something like Takshaka. You just win the current game."
"Thank you."
He placed the feather in his mouth, working it. One by one the list of Stash Rider crimes deleted themselves from the air. Cat pulled out the Takshaka feather, placed it in my mouth.
"This isn't for you," the Cat answered. "This is for Tristan."
Then I was gone, pitched out, jerked back, where no jerkout switch ever lived.
I must have passed out some few seconds there, on the field of mud, because when I opened my eyes there was this smiling face staring down at me.
"I don't know what you did, mate, but that snake just went woomph! It was great."
I felt a strong hand clutching under my shoulder, and then lifting me up, until I was looking direct into this Asian face. The rain was dripping over his colour, like rain in the dusk. His black hair was wetted down all over his eyes, but I could see the life in them, the energy.
"Go for it, mate," he said. "Whatever it is."
Then he was leading me over the grass, to where Twinkle was waiting. I was looking all around, expecting a snake to come hunting for me. But there was no sign, no colours, just the grey rain pock-marking the waters of the boating lake.
I fell into Twinkle's arms.
She reached up for my face to scrub some of the mud away. It felt good, her touch. I took the young man's hand in mine. He smiled. Over his shoulder I could make out the rest of the lads running wild, away from the lone cop. He was naked in the rain, the kids sprinting away with his clothes, and no doubt the gun. Cop sure looked lonely out there, in the drizzle, pink and shivering.
"You do good, now," the Asian said, and then walked away, into the rain. Over on the playing fields they were shutting down the system; the lights going out, one by one, until darkness settled.
Midnight.
Twinkle took my hand. There was still some dogshit on me but the rain was taking care of that. But the Thing on my back was - The dead weight of…
I was suddenly back on the field, feeling the bullets hit. But now seeing for real where those bullets had landed.
They shot the Thing," I said to Twinkle.
"Don't worry," she said.
But I couldn't stop crying. "Thing is dead."
All I could say. All I could think about
Because that was Desdemona gone.
"Keep going, Mister Scribble. Big Thing saved you."
"What for?" I asked the girl. "What for?"
Because you can't swap death for life.
Not even in the Vurt.
The boating lake shining with the last remnants of the day. The bag of dead flesh on my back. Me and that young girl, walking along the water's edge.
Heading for nowhere.
Shit cleansed in the rain.
DAY 24. "Tough shit."
"You know where the Slithy Tove is?"
"Sure. It's just over the hill. We passed it."
"That's where Barnie works. You remember Barnie?" Twinkle nodded. "He'll help you. Go there. Through the trees. Keep to the darkest roads you can find."
"Mister Scribble…"
Her young face was wet from the trip.
"You're on your own now, kid," I said.
"What about you, Scribble? What are you going to do?"
"Some things."
"Keep the faith."
"That's right Keep the faith. Go on now."
Twinkle set off, into the dark morning, through the breath of trees. She looked back just the once.
"Keep going," I called.
Keep going.
I pulled off one shoulder strap, and then the other, until the Thing was loose. I lowered him to the ground.
His dead eyes looking up at me.
I think they were his eyes.
Thing was dead, for sure. Two holes in his back where the bullets had lodged.
But that's not good enough. I had the Curious feather out of my pocket, and I was forcing it into his mouth, if that was his mouth? Any orifice would do. Pounding and pounding on his chest. "Come on! Come on!" Working the feather some more, deep enough for Lazarus, so why not the Thing. Bringing my fists down on his chest… thinking about the Beetle and Mandy and how I'd lost them for nothing… bringing my fists… bringing my fists down… again and again…
Nothing.
It brings nothing.
His dead eyes.
I have lost you, my alien… and all that goes with you.
I pulled the feather out. Then picked his body up, carried it to the lake's edge.
I lowered him into the waters.
The Thing floated for a moment, until the water had soaked through to every vessel. Then he sank away. Beneath the waves.
It's over.
I looked back to where the Asian kids were packing up their gear. The rain was letting up some, and the road seemed miles away, like I was free and safe for a while.
Don't believe it. We're neither free nor safe, until we've earned it.
I walked over to a clump of trees, found the place there, amongst the flowers and the insects, where Desdemona and I used to lie down, hidden by the leaves, to take our pleasures. The lake glimpsed between shadows and branches; flickers of yellow coming off the feather.
Time to go.
But where? You've got nothing to give, Scribble, what's the point?
I put the feather to the very edge of my bottom lip.
Pulled it away again, trembling, unsure.
So long we have travelled for this.
Feather back in.
Deep this time.
Felt the glitters there; a curious shade of yellow.
Desdemona calling.
In my last moments of reality I pulled out the feather and placed it in my pocket. The Curious Yellow coming on…
Desdemona, somewhere…
An end to fasting.
My face bathed in a yellow light
"Looking good, Stephen."
"Cheers."
"You've done well. You should feel proud."
"I know that. But I can't help feeling down."
"Don't say that. You got through."
I moved the razor across my cheek, revealing an area of skin, and then wiped the foam onto a flannel.