Titans of Chaos

Trismegistus said wearily, "Ophion, get him."

The snake relaxed its grip and I was free. I could not extend anything into overspace, and I stillcould not see.

Quentin cried out in terror.

I tried to get up, but the poison had made all my limbs go cold. I could not rise.

I felt a motion in the air near me. I sensed a looming presence.

A kiss. Someone kissed me.

Colin whispered in my ear, "Wake, sleeping beauty."

Warmth and motion began to filter through to me. Pins and needles stung my limbs.

And wings and tendrils and flukes and songs. I was fourth-dimensional again. Still too weak to getup, but it was something.

I whispered, "Colin! Cure my eyes! I can't see!"

He kissed my eyelids.

Quentin called out one last time, a cry of horror, and was silent. I felt Colin leave my side in arush of motion. I reached after him, and felt fur and bat-wing leather slide away from myfingertips.

There was a horrid scream: "AMELIA WINDROSE! AMELIA!"

Colin was not calling for me; this was his battle cry.

Trismegistus said, "Oh, come now. Puh-leese."

I heard a dull thump as Colin hit the floor.

Light. The smallest trickle of my vision had returned.

And the brightest objects in time or space or hyperspace around me were the icebergs of fate. Iselected the quietly menacing one, the decree of Mavors.

I sent off a tendril to wake the fate, a second one to turn its webs of magic inward on themselves,and a third one to send a message to the fate-thing. Help me. I woke you up. I am your mother.

Help me.

I was not trying to dissolve this particular fate. I wanted to augment it.

"Ah, where was I?" fluttered the floating tones of Trismegistus. "Ah, yes, brutal murder. Oops.

The blond one is getting up again. Hey-here is an idea! Why don't I kill them first, and then castthe spell to abolish any lingering souls or ghosts? Better idea? Much better."

I blinked. I could only see shadows, but I saw the shadow of the slim figure, winged hat andwinged shoes, raising his revolver toward me.

There were lumps on the grass and on the deck to his left and right. My friends? One of them waswriggling and writhing. Being eaten by a snake?

I heard the revolver hammer click.

Nothing happened. No bullet.

Click. Again, nothing.

Click, click, click.

"Hmph! That's odd. I didn't think revolvers could jam! I wonder what is wrong with it."

I blinked. My vision cleared a moment, blurred, cleared.