Eden's Jester (30 page)

A pause. And then, “Are you sure?”

Man, did I not have time for this guru crap. “Of course I’m sure.”

The elemental lowered to my level and examined me further.

“I am Biolos. Welcome.”

“I’ve come to free you, Biolos. It is time,” I said.

Pain emanated from the creature.

“It has been a long time. A long time. But I do not wish to be freed,” he said.

“Yeah. I heard that about you. But that’s going to happen, whether you like it or not. Others are coming--Engineers, like me. The Pillars won’t hold them forever. You need to go.”

There was a groan of such dismay that I nearly cried myself. The grief that flowed from this being was so profound and strong that I wanted to sit down and remain in this place for eternity.

“Is the Patron not to help? She will aid me, as before,” Biolos said.

She?

“I called. He’s—she’s—not coming. All I know is that a bunch of knee-biters are on their way, and I intend to keep you from them. You’re going to be free, once and for all. Your gift won’t be misused in my world, ever again.”

Biolos sighed an almost inaudible sigh. “You seem reasonable and responsible. Others thought as you did, once. War was the result. Alas, war is always the result.”

“Yeah. The reason for that, besides the fact that Engineers generally suck, is people are fighting over you to gain control of your abilities. I want to give you the ability to resist them--decisively.”

“The knowledge I require to defend myself is too costly to obtain, even if anyone would give it.”

“I will give it,” I said.

“Oh, Elson. You do not know what you are saying. To learn what I must would mean your destruction, your death. I am a being who gives life. To harm you, even if you were willing, is not in my nature.”

A huge blast shook the pyramid. Fighting had ensued outside. The Engineers had arrived. The elementals were fighting.
 

“Biolos, I have a nature, too. That nature compels me to do things. Sometimes those things are crazy, but they’re right, I’m sure. And right now what I need to do is to let you learn how I’m made so you can resist my kind. With intimate knowledge of my inner self, you’ll be able to resist us. And you’ll pick up some tricks in the process. If you can resist us, you won’t be doing anything really ugly to my world, which, somehow, I know I’m supposed to protect. And I have friends who are about to suffer at the hands of your creation, the Apolloi, who are now free.”

Biolos was silent.

I continued. “Now, in a few minutes, the Pillars will have to quit this pyramid. They’ll expect you to be able to defend yourself. The way I see it, you have two choices. One, eat my soul. Two, don’t. If you choose not to, you’ll begin again the very abuses that led you here. It’ll start all over again. There’s no time. So what’s it going to be?”

The disco ball paused. Considering the consequences, no doubt.

I felt a surge of stale energy.
 

“The Apolloi are coming,” I said.

Biolos came close.

“I will remember you, Elson,” Biolos said, with greater sadness than before.

“I would hope so,” I said.

“I mean, your inner self will be absorbed into mine. I will remember you.”

“That’s just dandy. Now, get on with it before I change my mind.”

“Very well.”

“Hold it. One more thing. Promise me you’ll help my friends. I don’t want them to fall into the hands of the Apolloi. Do whatever you have to, to ensure that doesn’t happen. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“I do.”

“And there’s a special guy named Diomedes who gave his brain to protect you. Help him, if you can.”

“I will try.”

Then, without any ceremony, I was attacked by a giant floating disco ball. It was not one of my more dignified moments.
 

Biolos wrapped himself around and began to penetrate every joint and spoke of the latticework of my soul, and he wasn’t gentle about it. At first, it felt like I was being unmercifully tickled everywhere, inside and out. Then it became pain--deep, inescapable pain. I wanted to scream, but I had no voice. Helplessly, I watched my entire life unravel, backwards, as Biolos dissected me. He understood life and souls, but mine was a different kind. Knowledge of it would make him stronger, safer. That whole life-flashing-before-your-eyes thing was a torture in itself. I had been around for a long time. Doing it all over again in the span of a few seconds nearly drove me insane. Seeing it all again, at high speed and in reverse, allowed me to notice a few things I wished I’d picked up on before. Some answers were there; I’d just missed them. Pity, I thought, as darkness closed in.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

I found myself on my back looking up at a gently rotating psychedelic blob. Staring straight up at it made me want to vomit.
 

It was Biolos, but he was no longer crystalline nor spherical. He looked more like fifty gallons of many-colored paint in zero gravity.

“What happened? Did you chicken out, you coward?” I said. I could hear the battle right outside. Time was almost up.

“Not at all, Elson. I learned exactly what I needed,” Biolos answered. The dismay that had permeated the place was gone. Now expectant joy flooded the chamber. There was something familiar about it.

“I don’t understand,” I said.

“Duh,” Biolos said. Uh oh.

“Biolos, you’ve changed.”

“Yeah. Like I said, I got what I needed. And you’ve rubbed off on me, but just a little.”
 

There was a slightly sinister sound to that. Great. Not only had I unleashed a super powerful elemental into the world, I’d made it a cynic at the same time. Perfect. I could hear any remaining karma points I had flushing down the cosmic toilet.

“If you took what you needed, then why am I still alive? I thought the kind of dissection that you needed would be lethal to an Engineer,” I said.

“Yes. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that you’re not an Engineer.”

“What?”

“I said . . .”

“Yeah, I heard what you said. I don’t know what you mean.”

“You’re not an Engineer.”

“What?”

Biolos sighed. “This is going to be a long day, I can tell already.”

“How can that be?” I asked. “How did you get what you need, if I’m not an Engineer?”

“Ha! Now that’s a good question--two, in fact. Concerning the second, you have studied the inner workings of Engineers all your life. That, your unique skills and tricks, combined with the knowledge you gained of Melanthios through the inspection of his enchantment, was all I needed.
 

“Concerning your first question as to how can it be that you are not an Engineer, I do know the answer. But I’m not going to tell you.”

“What? Why not?”

“Let’s just say that, like you, I’m very loyal to my friends. If a certain friend of mine wanted you to understand everything in one shot, he’d have told you.”

“Well, that’s just great,” I said.
 

“Hey. Don’t sweat it. We’re friends, almost brothers, you and I. So I won’t leave you hanging, Elson. I’ll do something for you almost as good.”

“What, you’ll kill me after all?”

“Uh, no. But I’ll tell you something about your role, your purpose.”

Now, that sounded good--finally some clarity. “I’m all ears,” I said.

“You are the Jester.”

Okay. “And . . .”

“The Jester’s purpose is to challenge all convention. All things that endure must withstand his will. Death kills. The Jester sifts.”

“And . . .” I said.

“And that’s all I’m saying.”

Nice. Before I could berate Biolos with any particularly creative insults, the door to the pyramid erupted with fighting, right on time.

“Well, I’ve got to go. There’s payback that needs to be administered--with about a million years of compound interest.”

What had I done?

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Biolos shot down the hallway, out the door and collided with a crowd of Engineers rushing in. The clash was spectacular. Energy bursts that shook the foundations of the great pyramid ensued. Within about three seconds Engineers were fleeing in every direction. I could hear Biolos laughing as he went.
 

Those unintended consequences were going to be the end of me for sure.

I emerged from the pyramid and entered a sea of violence. Thousands of Engineers were pressing against the combined armies of the elementals. It was a strange sight to see. The Engineers, being spirit beings, were naturally resistant to the forces of the elementals, which influenced the material world. Likewise, the psychic energies of the Engineers had little effect on the elementals.
 

But the primal power of the elementals wreaked havoc with the pyramids. Dozens had been destroyed, prompting Builders to appear and commence repairs immediately, despite the ongoing battle. Thankfully, the Builders appeared to be immune to the weapons of both sides.

The whole thing looked like some form of dance rumble out of a Broadway show.
 

The Preceptors had their hands full. Biolos, more powerful than ever, was circling like an angry hornet, casting laser-like beams of energy at any of the Apolloi who were foolish enough to cluster around the Preceptors. Each shot immobilized one of the creatures. But Biolos’s movements were becoming more and more erratic as I watched.

I could see the problem at once. The smarter Apolloi were making a run for it. Biolos, for all his new strength, was not fast enough to herd them together and fight them at the same time, all the while trying to avoid the howitzer-like attacks of the Preceptors.

At that moment, the hair on the back of my neck stood on end. I turned and looked up at the top of the pyramid. A dark figure perched on the peak, its face shrouded in shadow. Its heavy black cloak billowed to one side in the wind. A large scythe rested lazily on one arm. It casually surveyed the scene before it, as if the outcome was only of passing interest.

 
I pointed at the figure, then violently pointed to my feet. The creature slowly looked behind itself, then back at me, raising a pale hand, pointing to itself in a questioning gesture.

I mouthed, “Yes! You!” and again thrust my finger in the direction of my feet.

The creature slid down the side of the pyramid, stopping right in front of me.

I got in Death’s face. “You! I said ‘key’ operatives. K-E-Y. Key. Not ‘all.’ What were you thinking?”

“You did? Really? I was sure you said ‘all.’”

“I would expect someone with your responsibilities would pay closer attention to details like that,” I said.

He pulled the hood back to reveal his fair-skinned face. His blue eyes sparkled. His blond hair waved in the wind.

“Well, I’m sure
someone
said ‘all.’”

“Someone? Would that someone possibly be Diomedes, per chance?” I asked.

“Yes. Diomedes. He must have said ‘all.’” He shrugged. “Besides,’key’ is such a subjective term. It could mean anything.”

I rolled my eyes. “Right.”

He waved his scythe at the battle. “Just like old times, don’t you think?”

A feeling of déjà vu hit me.
 

“No. What do you mean, ‘old times?’” I asked.

His teeth twinkled in a giant grin.
 

“Still don’t remember, huh? You and I, we put Biolos in that thing,” he said, pointing his scythe now at the pyramid, “the last time. The Patron sent us here, you and me, when this whole thing started. Way back. We fought—just like this.”

Something about what he was saying rang true. I could feel it. There were memories, deep down, calling out, but I couldn’t get a handle on them. They eluded me like the name of a person I met long ago. It was right there, but defied any attempt to bring it forward.

He sighed. “Okay, a quick recap for the brain-damaged member of the team. We planned to capture Biolos and imprison him here. But the Preceptors held him, so we lured them into a trap to attempt an ambush. At the last minute, they were made aware of our plans. We still don’t know how. So we had it out with them. Scoubalos held Biolos’s leash. You fought him personally.”

“Scoubalos?” The name was familiar, but I didn’t know of any Preceptor with that name.

Death nodded. “That’s why there are only eleven Preceptors now. They’ve got number twelve locked up in some padded room on Mount Megiddo, peeing himself. You both ended up--how can I say it--brain damaged. Scoubalos has never recovered, as far as I know. It took you a long time to show any signs of life. You weren’t dead, but for all the mental activity we sensed, you might as well have been. We placed you in that cave and sealed you in, to protect you. For ages, literally, you stayed there. Then, for no reason we could see, you awoke. We nurtured you back to health--‘health’ being a relative term, not meant to imply anything about your current mental state. You’re a lot more mellow than you used to be.”