David Baldacci - The Finisher

Cletus Loon indeed would be getting his wish. I had drawn him in the first round. I would have to fight and win four times to reach the championship match. Not that I expected, despite Delph’s encouragement, to get that far.

Yet I knew one thing. I was going to beat Cletus Loon. That would be enough for me. I prayed the other females in the competition would survive the first round reasonably intact.

I then looked for Delph’s name and found it less than a sliver later. In the first bout, he would be fighting the huge, vile Ran Digby, the patrol Wug who liked to chew his smoke weed and catch yuck in his great, filthy beard.

A hand grabbed my arm. I turned to see Jurik Krone. I pulled my arm free and stared up at him. I could sense other Wugs giving us space, but staring all the same.

“Madame Morrigone has no doubt told you of your lucky escape from justice,” he snarled.

“Lucky,” I said in a scathing tone. “Lucky to fight males three times my size so they can beat me to death?”

In a loud voice he proclaimed, “I would much prefer to see you in Valhall, traitor. Or with your head no longer attached. That would be real justice.”

Okay, enough was bloody well enough. Now it was my turn.

“And I would much prefer to see my grandfather sitting on Council instead of a stupid git like you.”

The Wugs surrounding us gave a gasp and took a collective step back.

I stepped forward. It had been a long light; I was tired and I was simply mad. And if I did not speak my piece right now, I felt like I would explode.

I pressed my finger into his chest. “My grandfather saw you for what you are and that’s why he didn’t want you on Council. You are a vindictive little weasel that would make a garm seem honorable. All you care about is yourself and your career and to Hel with every other Wug. I’ve met some pillocks in my time, Krone — some nasty, stupid pillocks of the highest order — but you, you beat them all, you lying, worthless piece of dung .” I turned away, but only for an instant. I whirled back around and said, “Oh, and for the record” — now my voice rose to a shriek — “the only thing I’m sorry for is that your arse is not in the Duelum so I could kick it from here to the Quag. Now go straight to Hel!”

I turned around for good and stalked off. I hoped and prayed to Steeples that Krone would attack me because I was so furious that I would not only knock him to the Quag, I would knock the Wug right through it.

I stopped only when I saw Delph staring at me from across the cobblestones. From his stunned expression, it was clear he had seen and heard everything.

I walked over to him.

“Bloody Hel, Vega Jane,” he began. “And Jurik Krone no less.”

“I don’t want to talk about Krone, Delph. He is nothing.”

I watched as Krone and a couple of his Council confederates, including Duk Dodgson, shoved through the crowd of Wugs and headed to the Council building. Krone shot me a loathsome look and then he disappeared from my sight.

I turned back to Delph. “Did you know Ran Digby is your first opponent?”

Delph smiled. “He best hope he has teeth left to spit his slop through.”

“Well, he only has three of them that I can see. I got Cletus Loon.”

“You’ll beat him, Vega Jane. I’ll make sure of it.”

In truth, I wasn’t all that worried about fighting Cletus Loon. What I was thinking about was my meeting with John. I had told him that our parents were gone. I had not even waited to see his reaction. That had been so cruel on my part and I felt terrible guilt for having done it. My Duelum dilemma was a distant second to that. He was not yet twelve sessions. He might know books. But he did not know life.

Delph touched me on the shoulder and lifted me from these painful musings.

“Vega Jane? You okay?”

“I’m fine, Delph.”

He drew closer. “You want to practice this night?”

I wanted to, but I shook my head. “Not this night, Delph. This night I need to rest.”

He looked disappointed, then nodded, turned and walked off.

I watched him go for a bit and then set off. Not for my digs and my last meal. I was headed to the Care with Harry Two beside me. I wasn’t sure why I was going, because my parents were no longer there. But something inside me was telling me I had to go.

When we arrived here, rain started pelting down. Harry Two glanced up at me a few times, probably wondering why we were out in the driving rain. It was cold and I started shivering. I finally stirred and headed to the doors. I had no idea if they would open. I had never been here this late at night. I pushed on the wood and, surprisingly, it opened. I poked my head into the darkened corridor.

My canine kept close to my shins. He wasn’t growling or making any sound at all. He seemed as intimidated as I felt. I moved past all the other wooden doors with the brass plates on them. They were familiar names, but there were also a few new ones as fresh sick Wugs took the place of Wugs who had made their final journey to the Hallowed Ground from this place.

I reached my parents’ old room and gazed up at the brass plate. Or where the plate had once been. Now all I could see was the outline of the brass rectangle that had once read HECTOR JANE AND HELEN JANE.

I spoke the names out loud as I had every time I had visited them for two sessions. I had grown weary of doing so, though now that they were gone, I wasn’t weary anymore. I knew this would be truly the last time I would do so. But I would only be visiting an empty room.

However, when I pushed open the unlocked door I was immediately aware of the presence of someone else huddled in the corner. The room was no longer illuminated. It was as if when my parents left, they had taken the mysterious light with them. But I could still make the shape out.

It was John.

JOHN DIDN’T LOOKup as I walked in. I just heard his sobs. I drew closer and looked at the empty cots before returning my gaze to him. He didn’t look remotely like the grand special assistant to Council who was running roughshod over the poor Wugs building the Wall. Even with his scalped hair and fancy clothes, he looked like a little male Wug who was totally lost.

I went to him, wrapped my long arms around him and held him. Harry Two sat on his haunches while I did so, all the while maintaining a respectful silence. I said things to John that I had said to him pretty much every light growing up. That everything would be okay. That he would always have me. That he should not be sad, for the next light would be better.

When I heard the door creak open about fifteen slivers later, I knew who it was before I saw her. Morrigone came into the room and walked directly over to John.

“It’s time to go, John,” she said without looking at me.

He stifled his sobs and nodded, wiping his eyes with the sleeve of his pristine black tunic. Morrigone put a hand on his arm, drawing him to her. I did not let go of his other arm.

I said, “Let him cry. They’re gone. Let him cry.”

Morrigone gave me what I can only describe as a withering look and I decided to give it right back. She leaned in close and said, “We have you to thank for this, Vega.”

I walked away from John and stood waiting for her in a far corner. It was about time we had this out, I had decided. I’d had my say with Krone this light and now it was Morrigone’s turn. She strode over to me. I must have grown a bit because I noted that without her heels, I would be taller than her. Yet even in my faded, falling-apart work boots, I was not far off her height. I stood as straight as possible, trying to match her loftiness.