The Big Meow

But the claw slices both ways, Rhiow thought. The split wasn’t clean! Though the body was gone – suicide, murder, who knew which? – there was still some scrap of willingness to have a body tangled in the estranged soul: enough to allow enacture. So one of sa’Rraah’s little friends whispered in Dagenham’s ear and told him how to find her and use her: the kind of tool you couldn’t make out a whole wizard, alive or dead. She’s what Dagenham’s been using to do Tepeyollotl’s work, with the coaching of his dark Mistress’s pets.

Yet the soul itself hasn’t given up its connection! It’s been trying to come back, to heal the wound, to remake the agreement with the Powers broken after it gave up life and forsook its Oath.

Yet the claw really did slice both ways, and not necessarily in their favor. Until she fully remakes the bond to the Powers, she’s still the Lone One’s claw, not Iau’s. And it came to Rhiow in that moment that seeing this wizard remade, even if she should die in the next moment, was more important than the errand that they originally thought they’d come on.

People, at all costs, we have to keep her from enacting that spell! Rhiow said. She may have a trigger for that wizardry stored in her mind, but it won’t be one she built or put there. Dagenham, or one of these others – they’re the key. The Dark Lady’s just –

A cat’s paw? Helen said. It was a joke, but her mind’s voice was grim.

It’s in one of their minds, Rhiow said. But it needs to be jostled loose. We have one who can See – She caught Arhu’s eyes across the circle, where they glinted ever so faintly in the torchlight – and one who can Hear —

I understand you, Hwaith said.

Let’s see how this unfolds for a few moments more, Rhiow said, watching Dagenham. As soon as they make any move that looks like the activation of this spell –

I think we can find a way to disrupt them a little, Helen said.

“And now comes the time of gifts,” Dagenham was saying to his circle. “As we give to the Strong Ones, and through them to the Great Old One, so He gives to us. Now, at this final moment, commitment means most, and will be most rewarded. Who will give himself to the Great Old One so that the world can be changed?”

And suddenly everyone in the circle was looking at Dolores.

“Or herself,” Dagenham said.

“…Give?” Dolores said, looking around her in confusion. “What do you mean? I mean, I promised to let them into my life, you showed me the words to say – “ She looked over at Ray.

“Yes, I did,” Ray said. “And here’s your chance to achieve greatness of a kind you’d never have had a chance to achieve in your career, which frankly wouldn’t have had that long to run anyway… considering what’s going to happen tonight.”

Her mouth dropped open: she glanced around her, now, like someone realizing for the first time that she had been led into a trap, and by someone she’d made the mistake of trusting. “Ray, what do you mean, I thought that you and I – “

“Yes, you did,” Ray said. His voice was astonishingly casual. “I tried to explain to you earlier that plans had changed and that we were discussing an entirely different kind of immortality now. Something much better than just the silver screen… something a whole lot more permanent. Anyone who gives herself to the Great Old One now will live forever in ways that no one alive can understand. You’ll be worshipped, and adored… through Him… by whatever beings remain alive after tonight.”

Dolores’s eyes went wide. “You do it yourself then, if you’re so hot on the idea!” she cried, and whirled to run for the door. But before she could move, the two robed figures on either side of her had her by the arms and were restraining her where she was.

Her screams fell with surprisingly little effect into the dead weight of the air, as if something was pressing down on the space, smothering them. Here we go… Rhiow thought. Sif? Hold yourself ready – I’m going to have to construct something on the fly.

Say the word.

From across the circle, Helen said, It’s all right, Aufwi, let me down —

I’d nearly forgotten you were up there. Where have you been keeping your mass?

It’s no big deal, I’ll show you later. Give us the high sign when you’re ready, Rhi —

“No! Ray, no, why are you, what are you doing, why are you just standing there, help me, I don’t want to do this!” She was screaming now. Most of the people standing around the circle simply looked at her. And Dagenham moved the thing he was holding two-handed into one of his hands, and reached into his robe with another, and came out with something that was just as black, but glinted in the torchlight.

It was a short sharp slice of obsidian, razory-keen. He passed it to the robed figure standing next to him: and the figure reached out a shapely hand to take it from Dagenham, and turned toward Dolores, and laughed… that tinkly little laugh.