F Wilson: Fatal Error

"She persists," he said, finishing with a prolonged hiss as he leaned over the desk.

Ernst repressed an urge to step back. "But the Internet is down. We succeeded-"

The One's voice remained low; Ernst almost wished he would shout.

"Was the end of the Internet the goal? No. It was elimination of the Lady. And the Lady persists. Therefore you have failed."

Ernst's heart began to pound.

"I did my part. We agreed that strangling the Internet's input was supposed to finish what the Fhinntmanchca began. I delivered on what I promised."

"And yet she endures. I have wasted months waiting for this scheme of yours to bear fruit. It has not. It has proved worthless. Just as you have proved worthless."

For a heartbeat, he feared the One was going to attack him-strangle him, snap his spine, hurl him through the window… a parade of agonizing possibilities marched through his mind.

But he did not. He simply trained his depthless black gaze on Ernst for what seemed like an eternity.

Suddenly, to Ernst's shock, he smiled.

"Fortunate for you, this meeting might have ended differently had not something wonderful happened yesterday."

Ernst found his voice. "Wonderful?"

"Yes!" The One became animated, almost giddy. "Something I should have suspected, but never dreamed possible!"

And then… he laughed. Ernst had never heard him laugh, never imagined he could.

"What-?"

"You wouldn't-couldn't understand, but it almost makes up for your failure. Yesterday I learned something that changes evvvvvverything."

And just as suddenly, his mood darkened. In a blindingly fast move, he reached across the desk and grabbed Ernst by the throat, lifting him off the ground as his fingers squeezed.

"But that does not mitigate your abject failure. You still might prove useful, otherwise…"

The last word hung in the air between them.

Ernst forced his words past the choking fingers.

"I've… dedicated… my life-"

The One's grip tightened, cutting him off.

"At last I can take direct action. I may call on you and your Order for minor logistical support, but now that I am free to act, I will take matters into my own hands. I will finish this myself."

With that he hurled Ernst across the office. The back of his head struck the wall with brain-jarring force, blurring his vision. When it cleared, the One was gone.

At least he was alive. But what had just happened?

You still might prove useful…

Might? What did this mean? Would he not be elevated during the Change? Would he be left to suffer with the rabble?

And what "wonderful" occurrence had spurred such a drastic change in the One's tactics?

Hunger eased and bloodstream properly caffeinated, Jack arrived at Veilleur's front door shortly before ten-thirty. He'd cut a diagonal across the lower end of Central Park to shorten his walk from Gia's place. Traffic signals were still on the fritz but cops and cadets were directing at the major intersections, allowing cars to inch along. Still, he made better time walking.

Gia had whipped up breakfast while Jack had set some logs ablaze in the fireplace. None of them had thought they'd ever be warm again, but scrambled eggs and coffee-hot chocolate in Vicky's case-had worked wonders. He'd left his two ladies preparing to shower and, most likely, nap. No one had slept worth a damn last night.

Jack could have used a snooze himself, but he needed news more-news of the Lady. Neither his cell nor Gia's was working, and she'd canceled her landline last year after the accident. For all he knew, landlines were out too. The only solution left was to walk over and find out.

The doorman knew him by now and let him in. He took the elevator up to the next-to-top floor and stopped outside the Lady's door. He raised his hand to knock, but hesitated.

He'd put off thinking about this. Weezy had had to face the Lady's death alone. He felt bad about dumping it on her, but Veilleur was off on some mission and Jack had had no choice-he loved Weezy like the sister he'd lost, but Gia and Vicky came first, and he was damn glad he'd made the trip to LaGuardia.

Now he had to deal with it: The Lady was gone. But how had she met her end? Poor Weezy…

He knocked. The door opened almost immediately and Weezy stood staring at him, her expression unreadable for a second. Then her eyes closed and her lips trembled and she fell into his arms, sobbing. He held her close, absorbing her sobs.

"I'm so sorry you had to-"

"She's alive!" she said, breaking free and wiping her eyes.

"What?"

"Somehow… she survived."

"Show me."

She led him to a bedroom in the rear of the apartment where daylight filtered through the closed blinds. In the dim light he could make out a shape lying on the bed. He stepped closer and recognized the Lady.

"She looks just the same," he whispered.

"You should have been here last night. She was transparent for a while. I thought-I was sure we were going to lose her then, but…"

With a jolt he noticed something. "She's not breathing."

"She doesn't have to. She's not a real person, and that's not a real human body."

Of course… obvious when he thought about it, but he'd never had to think about it until now.

"But-"

A noise from the front room cut him off. The sound of the door opening. They went to check and found Veilleur standing in the center of the room.

"It's true?" he said. "The Lady survived?"

Weezy nodded. "Yes. How did you know?"

"I would sense her absence. All the way home from North Carolina I waited to lose her, but she never left. She faded and I thought for sure that was it, but she's come back."

Jack said, "But how?"

"I think I know, but…"

He turned and slammed his fist on the big table. It shook the room.

"This means I'm an even bigger fool!"

Weezy stepped toward him. "What do you mean?"

"Rasalom-he knows."

"I thought we weren't supposed to say his name."

He turned toward them, eyes filled with pain. "Say it all you want now. It doesn't matter. He found me in North Carolina. He's seen me. He knows I'm old and powerless. He knows!"

"It's a long story," Veilleur said. "Too long to tell right now."

The three of them had seated themselves at the big table. The Lady was conspicuous by her absence. Jack had recovered from his shock at the news, but not his ire. He resisted an I-told-you-so remark.

"All right, then. When? How long has he known?"

"Since yesterday morning. You said it was too risky and I should have listened. I never should have gone. It took the three of us nearly twenty-four hours to make it back here by car, and all the time-"

"Three?" Jack said. "I thought four of you were going."

Veilleur shook his head. "One of us didn't make it."

"His mother?" Jack said

"No. She's…" He shook his head again. "Rasalom…"

Weezy said, "Maybe he knows about you, but if you keep saying his name, won't he find you and…?"

"Kill me? He had ample opportunity yesterday, but didn't. That would send up a warning flare to the Ally. Besides, he wants me to see everything fall apart, see the Change well under way before he finishes me."

"Well, if we can use his name now, why don't we use yours as well… Glaeken?"

"Yeah," Jack said. "Let's let it all hang out."

"Very well." His expression remained grim. "Call me Glaeken."

"Okay, Glaeken," Jack said. "What change in tactics can we expect from Rasalom? He still can't start the Change-not with the Lady still around. The Ally won't let the Otherness in as long as our reality is listed in the 'sentient' category. So what can he do that he hasn't already done?"

"He can be bolder, more aggressive. He no longer has to worry about the possibility of my lying in wait for him, baiting a trap. He's free to mount open assaults against the Lady."