The Devil's Shadow | The Empty World Sequence

Fourteen

Recalling 1991 AD.

Daniel was shaking.  He swung his feet to the floor and then stood, gauzy fabric rubbing against his fine blond hair as he moved.  He turned, a likely aura of static-charged hair standing about his head.  He was staring at Robert and Robert was staring back.  "I know them, don't I?" Daniel asked.

"I don't know," Robert said and it sounded true.  He looked puzzled. 

The names were all so familiar: the woman Blade Dangerous and her friend John Jett who had sought out Steven Jewel for themselves and then investigated the so-called Vampyres for him.  And Mandy, that name was so close...

A hospital Robert had said Steven had ended up in.  And the woman, Blade, had found him there where no reporter had been able to.  When Robert had told the story Daniel had seen her in his mind before she was described in Louis' words. 

"Ah!" Daniel cried and pulled at his hair.  "What's going on here?"  The words were replaying in his mind.  Robert sipping beer, eating an apple.  They always came up sooner or later, but he licked the sickness because it hurt.  He felt he deserved the pain.  He had loved Steven as a friend, and lost his friend.

And then Louis had come down to the Necropolis dressed in black vinyl and invited Robert to a club with him and Psyche.  But Robert didn't want that sort of pain, it was all wrong.

Robert was, unknowingly maybe, seeking betrayal.  He felt guilt for Steven's pain, even if it was more Niki's fault, and Robert needed to be punished for his guilt.  He wanted Betrayal as he had betrayed Steven.  But he had to find someone to befriend and trust before there could be betrayal.

And that was when Louis had said it: "There's a woman."

"She's onto us," Louis said.  "She spoke to Steven.  Psyche says she's loosing Steven, what is insanity in others now keeps Steven from losing his mind to her.  His thoughts are stronger and clearer everyday. And this woman has spoken to him.  She's even got other's helping her, a hacker to uncover our trail of false identities, and some artsy photographer friend, and a sidekick as well." He had waved his hand before his silent father's eyes.  "I finally discovered her identity, Shade, listen to this: she's one of those supermodels.  Gorgeous, thinks she's Batman, I swear."

"What's her name?"

"You spoke!"

"Her name?"

"Oh!  The best!  Blade Dangerous, now does that sound pretentious as Hell or what?"

Robert only mumbled.

"Look, she's just the thing to cheer you up.  She's gorgeous, blonde, tall, blue-eyed, thin-waisted, voluptuous as all that.  She's your type, kill her, we all stay safe, and you'll feel better...she was on House of Style, buying shoes on 8th Street with Cindy..."

"I always flip channels during House of Style," Robert had said.

"I saw that episode..." Daniel whispered again.

"Maybe you are older than you look," Robert said to Daniel.

"Is this a trick?  Do you know me?"

Robert shook his head.  "Perhaps the telling of the tale will be worth more than I had thought."

"But it's just a story!"

Robert shrugged.  "But we're not sure who we're fooling anymore."

Daniel took a deep breath and looked up at the dark violet ceiling.  "You said they had met up in Steven's apartment, Blade, John, and Robert...and then you mentioned Mandy," Daniel sighed.