On the Edge Part 18

One more step. Rose felt her body quake. The shock traveled down her arm, and he glanced at her. She gave him a bright, rea.s.suring smile.

Slowly, little by little, they pa.s.sed across the boundary, and when the last spark of magic died within Declan, she gave him all she had. Another breath and they were through.

Declan stumbled and shook his head. aThat was considerably easier. Rose?a She sank onto the gra.s.s, struggling against sharp pain in her stomach. aGive me a minute.a He knelt by her. aAre you all right?a She cradled a spiky knot in her stomach. aFine. Just aftershock. Taking someone across the boundary takes a bit of effort, thatas all.a He picked her up.

Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) aThereas no need to hold me,a she told him. aItas just harmless pain. Itas pa.s.sing already.a He ignored her. aWhat wouldave happened if youad let go?a aYou wouldave died,a she said. aMy magic wouldave torn out of your body, and the shock wouldave killed you.a aYou missed your chance to do away with me.a aDrat,a she said. aI guess thereas always next time.a A moment later she made him put her down, crossed the boundary, and got her truck.

Despite it being Sunday morning, when a good number of the Brokenas citizens flocked to churches, the Wal-Mart parking lot was crowded.

She swiped a cart. They walked in side by side, and Declan stopped. His eyes surveyed the crowd, taking in the electric lights, the bright colors of the packages, rows of gleaming primary color picnic gla.s.sware on his right . . . He reached for her and firmly took her arm.

aWhat?a aToo many people,a he said quietly. aToo loud.a His face closed in, and she was sure that if they had been in the Edge, his eyes would now glow pure white.

He resembled a soldier in enemy territory, expecting a sniperas shot from behind every aisle and a land mine under every floor tile. His magic remained in the Edge; his swords and rifles and even her gun stayed in the car. It was a lot to take in.

She slowly pushed the cart to the side, to a display of fresh flowers. aLetas stop here for a little while.a They stood together, watching the crowd. After a few minutes the tension in Declanas shoulders eased.

aBetter?a she asked him.

aYes.a aLetas try walking,a she said. aWeall take it easy.a Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) They moved down one of the wider aisles. A couple of young girls coming the opposite way gawked at Declan, giggled, and scooted out of the way. Rose glanced at him. He had forgotten his ball cap in the truck, and his hair fell down over his shoulders, clasped together by a piece of leather cord. His broad shoulders strained his green sweats.h.i.+rt. Head pulled the sleeves up to his elbows to reveal forearms corded with muscle. The jeans molded to his long legs. The Broken stripped him of the dangerous power-sharpened edge and haughty perfection. Here he was just a man, a bit rougher about the edges and a lot s.e.xier than most, but knitted from the same fabric as all the other people instead of being carved from a glacier. And the air of menace that lingered about him made him devastating to all things female.

An older woman at the jewelry counter nearly dislocated her neck, trying to get his attention. A housewife fussing over a little girl in a cart looked up as they maneuvered around her and simply stared, openmouthed. A woman at the clothes rack raised an eyebrow, tugged her low-cut white blouse lower, and followed them with a determined look on her face.

Just what they needed, more attention. Rose took a sharp turn into the aisle running between the shoe section and sporting goods and glanced behind her. Six women, some discreetly, some openly, followed them. It irritated her to no end.

aI shouldave made you wear a hockey mask,a she murmured.

Declan glanced back and unleashed a dazzling smile. One of the younger girls squeaked like an unoiled door. Somebody mumbled, aOh, Lord.a aStop that!a Rose snapped.

aStop what?a He turned to her, and she found herself on the receiving end of that same smile. She couldave Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) stared at him for a year and never gotten tired. aThat,a she said firmly. aQuit it.a aIs it upsetting you?a The adoring crowd seemed to have grown. aYouare going to cause a riot.a aYou think so? Iave never created a riot before. I did cause a brawl at the last formal. A large number of young women there actually arrived with the expectation of seducing me into matrimony, and a couple of their mothers came to blows. It was hilaria"I mean, dreadful.

Simply dreadful.a aYes.a Rose sighed in mock pity. aItas awful to be rich and mind-bogglingly handsome and have women fawn over you. My heart bleeds for you. Poor dear, how do you manage?a aSo you do think Iam handsome.a She actually stopped for a second. aDeclan, Iam not blind.a He looked disgustingly smug.

aOh, get over yourself.a aNot just handsome but mind-bogglingly handsome,a he said.

Head never let her live it down. She spun about and fixed their audience with a look of withering scorn.

aLadies, have some decency.a The crowd scattered.

aAnd now youare feeling possessive.a aI think I liked you better as an icy blueblood.a She shook her head and dropped another set of blue candles into the shopping cart.

NINETEEN.

ROSE surveyed Declanas preparations from the porch.

A Sand-n-Sun inflatable pool, twelve feet across and about three feet high, sat in the middle of the lawn.

The water shone under the afternoon sun. To the left, Jack sat in a pine tree, staring at the water with a Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) wistful look on his face. Georgie stayed inside. He would never refuse to come outa"he was too polite for thata"so he quietly hid in the attic, probably hoping they would forget about him.

The screen door swung open, and Grandmother came to join her. lonore looked better. Her hair was teased back up, and she had gained a bit of spring in her step. She stared at the lawn.

aWhat is that boy doing?a aAccording to him, heas implementing his plan to have me.

With all my thorns.a Grandma blinked. aHe said that?a aHe did.a And she was a stupid fool, because every time she thought about it, her heart beat faster.

aHeas trying hard, no?a Rose nodded.

Declan had bought a measuring tape and very carefully measured the distance from the pool, marking the points with white paint. Next he cut several sticks about two feet tall, sharpened both ends, and hammered the sticks into the marked points. He impaled the candles onto the sticks and then strung white clothesline between them. From the height of the porch, the clothesline formed a complex geometrical figure, a sevenpointed star enclosed in a circle, with the pool in the exact center.

aWell, itas a sigil,a Grandmother said.

Rose had tried to study sigils before. Mystical signs, sigils were most often used in summoning and alchemy. Some of them signified true names of magical beings, and some channeled magic into patterns. It was boring as all get-out, but shead forced herself to learn the basics.

aLooks like he used a single piece of string,a Grandmother murmured.

Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) Rose found the knot and tried to follow the clothesline with her gaze. The stretches of string crossed, under, over, under again, and came back to the same first post.

aYes,a she said.

aDefinitely a sigil,a Grandmother said.

aGrandma?a aMmm?a aDid the boys tell you about Ca.s.shorn?a lonoreas eyes darkened, taking on a strange, predatory aspect. aYes. Yes, they did.a aHeas in the Wood,a Rose said.

Magic swirled around lonore, dark and frightening, like black wings. aOf course,a she said evenly, her face terrible. aWhere else would he be? Thinks he can hide in our back-yard, does he? Weall find him. And once we do, Iall bring the power of all of East Laporte onto his head for daring to touch my grandchildren.

Iall see him weep b.l.o.o.d.y tears before this is over.a Rose s.h.i.+vered.

Declan emerged from the driveway, carrying the grill from the truck. He set it at the starting point of the star, dumped some charcoal into it, and brought over the large metal bowl filled with powdered herbs.

There were so many things they didnat know yet. And Declan was their key to finding them out.

aHe has half of my supply room in that bowl,a Grandmother said. Rose snuck a peek at hera"the dark magic was gone, as if it had never been.

In the yard, Declan drenched the charcoal in lighter fluid and lit it. The flames surged up, licking the briquettes.

aDo you think he can help Georgie?a Rose asked.

aWeave tried everything else. He canat hurt, I suppose.a Grandma sighed. aBut if you donat want to leave with him, you should stop helping him.a Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) aIam doing it for Georgie.a aI know, child. I know.a lonore petted her shoulder and went inside.

Rose hopped off the porch and approached Declan. He spread the coals with an oversized fork and glanced at her through the cloud of sparks.

aAre you planning to summon a demon?a she asked.

He grimaced. aNo.a aJust checking.a He threw a handful of herbs into the fire.

aBut you are summoning something?a aAn image. Iam also binding it to the water.a He tossed another handful into the fire. The greedy flames pounced on the herbs, sending aromatic smoke into the air.

aProblem is, I have to reach across the boundary into the Weird. That will take a fair amount of magic. Iall need a sacrifice. Just not sure if what I have is enough.a The first hesitant traces of magic swirled along the clothesline. The water in the pool darkened.

Declan began to intone something in a steady monotone. She didnat recognize the language, but she felt his effort and the roiling current of magic vibrating within the sigil.

He chanted for almost a half hour, his face quaking with the strain. She sank next to him on the gra.s.s. The sound of his voice lulled her into a kind of trance. Shrouded in clouds of fragrant smoke, he seemed otherworldly, like some arcane sorcerer from a fairy tale.

Then Declan clasped his hair in a tight grip, drew the knife, and sliced it off.

aAaaa!a It happened so fast, all Rose could do was gasp.

aWhat?a He threw the hair into the flames.

aYour hair!a Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) aThatas why I grew it,a he said, glancing at the water in the pool. aPower reserve. Three yearsa worth. But itas not enough.a Rose stood up, gathered her hair, and held out her hand.

He handed her the knife. She severed her hair with one sharp stroke and threw it in the fire.

aMost women would rather die than cut their hair,a he said.

aItas just hair,a she said. aI would sacrifice a lot more to keep Georgie alive.a The water within the pool bubbled up, rising, twisting into a huge translucent dome.

Something b.u.mped Roseas elbow, and she jumped. aJack!a He regarded her with solemn eyes and held out his hand.

Declan pa.s.sed her the knife, and she handed it to Jack. He sliced a lock from his head and tossed it into the fire. It went up in flames.

aSmells awful,a Rose said, ruffling Jackas hair.

The water swirled, geysered up one last time, and snapped into shape.

SOMEONE was coming up the attic stairs. Georgie looked away from the picture. The attic belonged to him and Jack. It was a wondrous place. Huge piles of junk gathered against the walls: books, weapons, rusty contraptions, drawings, parchments . . . Down in the house, Rose cleaned up any hint of dirt and clutter, but here everything was messy and dusty. He liked it up here. It was quiet, and he could dream. Sometimes he imagined himself to be a pirate like Grandpa in the hull of his s.h.i.+p filled with treasure. Sometimes he was an explorer like Dad. Sometimes he was a demon . . .

A blond head emerged, followed by the rest of Declan. His long blond ponytail was gone, and his head looked lopsided, the hair on one side longer than on the other.

Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) The blueblood paused for a moment, taking in the gloom and treasures, and looked at Georgie on his seat on a punching bag by a narrow window. Georgie sighed.

There would be another talk about letting things die and atake their natural course.a Head nod and do what he always did. A waste of time.

Declan crossed the floor, crouched by him, and looked at the metal frame in his hands. George offered it to Declan.

Grandpa Cletus stood in the picture. Very tall and red-headed, he wore loose dark pants and a light s.h.i.+rt, with a triangular hat set at a jaunty angle. A carbine, an ancient musket, rested across his shoulders, the stock held in his right hand, the barrel pa.s.sing behind his neck. In his other hand, he held a long rapier, leaning on it slightly as if it were a walking stick. His eyes were alight with crazy mirth. Grandma said he looked like a grown-up version of Jack, wrapped in pirate garb. When he first dragged this picture down to show her, she clicked her tongue and said, aFiercely loyal and utterly unreliable.a She didnat smile for a whole day after that, and he hid the picture in the attic with the rest of his stuff.

aGrandpa,a George said, in case Declan failed to figure it out.

aI see.a aWhat happened to your hair?a aI got tired of it.a George nodded and looked at him, waiting for a lecture.

aIave made something for you,a Declan said. aIad like it if you came to see it with me.a George followed him outside. A kiddie pool was in the middle of the lawn. Around it was a big complicated design made with rope and sticks. They climbed through the ropes. Declan stepped over the lines, while Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) George ducked underneath, and they stood together at the rim.

A transparent dome rose in the middle of the pool, all the water bound together tightly by the magic. Within the dome sat a small settlement of crooked huts. Fields and forest surrounded it, giving way to a green plain. The top of the dome glowed with soft silvery light, and he could see every detail of the village, from the stones on the well to tiny creatures scurrying about.

Shaped like little human-looking foxes with red, brown, and black pelts, the creatures went about performing small tasks, carrying water, tending the fields, fixing the thatched roofs. Georgie stared, mesmerized.

aWhat is that?a he asked finally.

aItas a willworld. Do you know what a computer is?a Declan asked.

aYes.a aThis is similar. Itas the Weird version of it, only unlike a computer, the willworld has a very specific purpose. It only does one thing, but it does it really well. I made it for my graduation project when I finished gymnasium.a aDid it take you a long time?a aA couple of years. The willworld itself is back at my house.

This is just a facsimile . . . a copy. Itas an exact image of the device, made of water and magic and linked by magic to the original. You might say itas a three-dimensional reflection. For all practical purposes, itas pretty much like having the real thing at your disposal.a George watched the foxes as they carried long stalks back to their huts. aAre they alive?a aNo. Theyare magic constructs. Strictly speaking, they donat actually exist. If you were to break the dome, Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) you couldnat pick one up. The whole thing would simply go dark. Look here.a Declan walked over to the side, where a watery control panel protruded from the dome. aThe willworld is a simulator. It lets you study the progress of civilization and see how it might develop. You control the world.

You can make it rain or you can cause a drought. Here.a He turned a dial.

Water rose within the dome, streaming over the fields. The foxes climbed atop the huts. He turned the dial the other way, and the waters fled.

Declan tapped the keys. The inside of the dome swirled and formed a small white-walled city with gardens and carved white towers. aThis is a standard city, a kind of default. Everything is going well. There is plenty of food, the weather is mild, and the civilization prospers.a Georgie watched the city for a few minutes. Tiny foxes in bright robes lectured before their students in the gardens, strolled through the marketplace, and danced in a square while two other foxes played oddly shaped instruments.

Declan pressed another key.

aSee this sign?a He pointed to a horizontal double loop in a small window. aI just set their generation length to infinity. They are now immortal. They can kill each other, but they wonat die of natural causes. I also sped things up a little, so we donat spend all night watching a single scenario. Now this city is stored within the willworld. Anytime you wish to return to it, push this b.u.t.ton right here and the world will be reset.a For the first few minutes nothing happened. Then the city began to grow. It filled the fields, spreading, sprawling, growing higher and higher. In twenty minutes the city completely swallowed the dome. Streets Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) became tunnels. Towers turned into tall contraptions.

Creatures stumbled about in crowded streets. The city had grown filthy and dark, its buildings decrepit.

aWhatas happening?a George whispered.

aOverpopulation. There are too many of them. There is not enough food or s.p.a.ce. The old ones wonat die, and they keep making more children.a In thirty minutes, the creatures began falling on the streets, crawling through the filth, searching for sc.r.a.ps of food. Declan reached to reset the dome.

aNo. I want to see,a George said.

aIt wonat be pretty,a Declan warned.

aI understand.a Declan let it go.

Fires broke out. The creatures formed gangs and began ripping each other apart, feeding on the severed limbs.

George stumbled away from the dome and closed his eyes.

aAre you unwell?a Declan asked.

Georgie shook his head. They ate each other. The little foxes ate each other.

aLet us continue then. Take two.a George looked at the dome in time to see the darkness swirl.

The perfect little city reappeared.

Five minutes into it, one of the foxes began to cough. The cough spread, first to the neighbors, then farther, engulfing the entire city.

aThe plague,a Declan explained. aTheyare sick, but they canat die. Sometimes death is the only way to stop the spread of infection. This sickness canat quite kill them, but there is no cure.a They watched the foxes shamble about in the dark, coughing in misery. When they started falling from exhaustion, George asked him to reset the dome.