"I call shotgun!" yelled Karl, and one of the guards smacked him in the back of the head with the b.u.t.t of his rifle. Karl fell forward, dazed. He and Christine were shoved into the middle seat.

"Careful!" warned Gamaliel. "We need him alive." He had to admit that unconscious was, however, an improvement.

The Explorer peeled out of the dirt driveway and headed down the b.u.mpy track that served as a road. Behind them, the towering redwoods were engulfed in flame.

"Heads up," said Gamaliel. "We're leaving the Mundanity Enhancement Field. Ah, h.e.l.l, now what?"

A tall, lean figure was standing in the middle of the makeshift road. He was holding an a.s.sault rifle.

"Mercury!" growled Gamaliel, gunning the engine.

"Wait!" yelled Tiamat as the Explorer bounced crazily along the b.u.mpy ground. "He's going to "

Mercury steadied his aim at the vehicle, trying to follow its erratic movements. The gun was set to manual fire, because he couldn't risk a stray bullet hitting Karl or Christine. He had only one chance. He couldn't rely on being able to manipulate interplanar energy to take out the Explorer, standing so close to the Mundanity Enhancement Field. He hoped he had better aim with an M4 a.s.sault rifle than he did with a ping pong paddle. Or s...o...b..ll. He was not, now that he thought about it, terribly good with projectiles in general.

When the vehicle was only a few yards away, he fired.

The Explorer's left front tire exploded just as it landed in a particularly deep recess in the track. The vehicle veered to the left, its right tires leaving the ground. Mercury, still immobile, was showered with dirt as the tires whizzed past, inches from his face. With the interference the M.E.F. was causing, he needed all of his concentration to harness the small amount of interplanar energy that was available.

The Explorer veered off the track and rolled into the ravine below. The vehicle turned over and over, countless times, shedding pieces of itself as it went, finally coming to an abrupt stop against a large redwood.

Mercury clambered down the ravine, his attention still on the two mortals ensconced in the wreckage. He could only hope that he had been able to channel enough supernatural energy to keep them from being killed. Jumping atop the overturned vehicle, he ripped the pa.s.senger door off its hinges. Inside he found four dazed demons and two miraculously unscathed mortals.

He helped Christine and Karl out of the Explorer. "Get to the road," he said. "I'll take care of these guys."

While Christine and Karl made their way up the ravine, Mercury stood a few yards from the downed Explorer, waiting for the demons to emerge. Slowly they began to pull themselves out of the wreckage. As they did, Mercury fired at them repeatedly with the a.s.sault rifle.

Still too dazed and too close to the Mundanity Enhancement Field to force the bullets to miraculously miss them, the demons took round after round in the chest, howling in pain and staggering backwards. Eventually, though, Mercury ran out of bullets, and still the demons came at him. He pulled a Bowie knife that he had pilfered from the same unlucky guard who had provided the rifle.

"Seize the Antichrist!" barked Tiamat to her minions. "I'll deal with this one."

Gamaliel and the other two demons set off after Karl and Christine, who had just reached the track at the top of the ravine. It was getting dark, and smoke from the growing blaze on the other side of the cottage was making it difficult for them to breathe.

Tiamat turned to Mercury.

"You're causing me a fair amount of trouble," she said, trying to retain a semblance of calm.

"Nothing personal," said Mercury, still holding the knife pointed at Tiamat. "I have a contract to deliver the Antichrist to Lucifer."

"You? Working for Lucifer?" said Tiamat. "I didn't think you had it in you."

"I'm more of a free agent," explained Mercury.

"That sounds more like it," she said. "Always looking out for yourself."

Mercury shrugged. "So," he said, "How have you been? Still building ziggurats?"

Tiamat shook her head dismissively. "I had some problems with outsourcing. Language barriers, you know. These days I'm dabbling in adolescent fiction."

"So I hear," said Mercury. "I've read some of your work. Not bad. I didn't realize you were a writer."

"It's not Shakespeare," admitted Tiamat. "But it pays the bills. Anyway, I can't let you have Karl."

"Well," said Mercury, "I can't let you keep him. So there you go."

The crackle of the forest fire was getting louder. A breeze was picking up, pushing the blaze their way.

"I don't think you have much of a choice," she said, motioning toward Christine and Karl, who were being escorted back down the ravine by Gamaliel and her other two minions. "You're outnumbered and outgunned."

"Won't be the first time," said Mercury.

Tiamat smiled. "Whatever happened between us?" she asked him.

Mercury looked pensively at her. "Well," he said, "there was the status difference. Cherub-seraph romances rarely work."

"True," she said. "That was a problem."

"Also," Mercury went on, "there was that whole 'Wh.o.r.e of Babylon' thing. If I had to pinpoint a moment when our relationship went sour, I think I'd have to go with the first time I heard you referred to as 'The Wh.o.r.e of Babylon.' I mean, that makes an impression on a guy, you know? There were a lot lot of wh.o.r.es in Babylon." of wh.o.r.es in Babylon."

"Oh come on, Mercury. You're not still angry about that that. It was the ninth century B.C. It was a different time."

"Yeah, I get that," said Mercury. "But the the wh.o.r.e of Babylon? That's impressive. That's like being wh.o.r.e of Babylon? That's impressive. That's like being the the hippie at Woodstock. Or hippie at Woodstock. Or the the drunk at Caligula's place." drunk at Caligula's place."

Karl and Christine stumbled toward them, prodded by the b.u.t.ts of the demons' rifles.

"Watch it," Karl snapped. He was clearly getting tired of being pushed, pulled and prodded around.

"Can't we put the past behind us?" said Tiamat. "As you say, this isn't personal. I have some business with Karl here. I don't know how you're involved in all this exactly, but I can a.s.sure you that Karl is worth more to me than he is to you. If you're afraid of retribution from Lucifer, join my crew. I'll protect you. And you'll be in good company. I expect a lot of defections from Lucifer over the next few days."

"Yeah," said Mercury. "I know all about your plan. You're blackmailing Lucifer. He needs everyone to think that the Antichrist was killed by agents of Heaven so that he can withdraw from the Apocalypse Accord and launch a sneak attack. So you threaten to go public with the fact that Karl is still alive if he doesn't release you from this plane and give you authority over the invasion."

"Nice deduction," said Tiamat, nodding with approval.

Mercury said, "It was actually Christine here who figured most of it out."

Tiamat c.o.c.ked her head at Christine, who remained in defiant silence. "A mortal? Deciphering the plans of demons? You always were a joker, Mercury."

"Not this time," said Mercury. "This time I'm dead serious. I can't let you take Karl alive." He tightened his grip on the Bowie knife.

Tiamat laughed. "What are you going to do, kill him?"

In a flash, Mercury moved behind Karl, putting the blade of the knife to his neck.

"What the h.e.l.l?" gasped Karl.

Christine's face contorted in horror. "Mercury, what are you "

"No choice, Christine," said Mercury. "I have to kill him. He's no use to Tiamat dead."

"Mercury," said Tiamat angrily, "Drop this charade. You don't actually expect me to believe you're going to kill Karl."

Karl was terrified. "Don't kill Karl!" was all he could think to say.

"Believe it, babe," Mercury said. "I can't let you take him alive."

Tiamat's minions were creeping toward him, their guns at the ready. Gamaliel remained still, waiting for Mercury to make a move.

"Easy, boys," said Tiamat. "Mercury, let's think about this rationally. If you kill Karl, then Lucifer can go ahead with his plan. He's going to wipe out this entire plane. Is that what you want?"

"Lucifer's plan is doomed to fail," said Mercury. "Uzziel has already been informed of his intentions."

"Uzziel!" laughed Tiamat. "What's Uzziel going to do, send an army of bureaucrats armed with staplers? It would take weeks for Uzziel to get authorization for any kind of military deployment. By then, this plane will be finished. Uzziel is powerless to stop the invasion."

"He doesn't need to stop stop it," said Mercury. "All he has to do is redirect it. I won't bore you with the details, but thanks to a little interplanar jujitsu, the threat from Lucifer has been negated. In fact, the biggest danger right now is that Lucifer will figure out that he's been had, and call off his surprise attack. If he does that, his forces will remain intact and he may still be able to wreak a fair amount of havoc on this plane before Michael can put a stop to it. But if I can deliver Karl dead or alive then Lucifer will go forward with his plan, and Uzziel will take care of the rest. it," said Mercury. "All he has to do is redirect it. I won't bore you with the details, but thanks to a little interplanar jujitsu, the threat from Lucifer has been negated. In fact, the biggest danger right now is that Lucifer will figure out that he's been had, and call off his surprise attack. If he does that, his forces will remain intact and he may still be able to wreak a fair amount of havoc on this plane before Michael can put a stop to it. But if I can deliver Karl dead or alive then Lucifer will go forward with his plan, and Uzziel will take care of the rest.

"So you see," Mercury went on, "I can't risk you throwing a wrench into Lucifer's plan. And frankly, you've always been a bigger threat to this plane than Lucifer and his petty schemes. You're the one Heaven should be worried about. If you manage to return to power... well, I can't let that happen. Which is why I have to kill Karl."

"You can't be serious," Christine pleaded. "If you do this, you're just like them. Playing one side against the other, doing something you know is wrong in the interest of some greater plan you don't even fully understand."

"I understand enough," said Mercury grimly. "There's no other way to stop her. And to stop Lucifer. I have to kill him."

"No!" howled Karl. "I'm sorry I ate all the fries!"

"It's going to be okay, Karl," cooed Mercury.

"Please," said Tiamat. "I know you, Mercury. You don't have it in you."

"Karl, you have to trust me," said Mercury quietly. "Sometimes one of the good guys has to die for the greater good. You understand?"

Karl shook his head as vigorously as he could, given the proximity of the Bowie knife.

Christine urged, "Mercury, don't. Please don't."

"It's like Book Three," said Mercury. "Where the Urlock queen forces Charlie Nyx to kill his friend Simon with the Sword of the Seven Truths."

Karl looked confused for a moment. "But Charlie used his "

"That's right, Karl," said Mercury. "Charlie used his sword to kill Simon. You understand? Because the evil queen forced him to."

A look of understanding began to penetrate Karl's face. "So I have to "

"Yes, Karl. You have to die. Just like in the book. Just like in your favorite book."

"Actually I thought Book Two was more "

Mercury clutched Karl's collar and spun him around so they were face to face.

"I'm sorry, Karl. I have no choice."

"I thought you were my friend!" wailed Karl.

"I am your friend, Karl. I will always be your friend."

"And I... yours," said Karl.

Mercury plunged the knife into Karl's heart. Karl screamed, a terrified, blood-curdling, wake-the-dead sort of scream.

Mercury stabbed him again and again until Karl crumpled into a ball on the ground. Blood was everywhere.

Mercury sank limply to the ground. The blood-covered knife fell to the ground. He cradled Karl's head in his hands. "It's okay, Karl," he said gently. "You can sleep now."

Karl's body went limp.

Christine regarded this horrific scene in disbelief. Quite literally she did not believe what she had just seen. The blood certainly looked real, and she had a hard time imagining that Mercury had been carrying a trick Bowie knife up his sleeve. But she also didn't believe Mercury had killed Karl. Partly because she didn't think he had it in him, but mostly because Karl had used the phrase "And I... yours." Something was off off.

The demonic minions certainly looked convinced, but Tiamat was skeptical. "Is this one of your tricks, Mercury?"

"Does it look look like a trick?" he demanded, still cradling Karl in his arms. Vast quant.i.ties of what looked very much like real blood continued to pour onto the ground beneath Karl. Christine still didn't believe it, but she had to admit that Mercury was a better actor than she would have expected. He looked like he was in real anguish, and his face was as white as chalk. like a trick?" he demanded, still cradling Karl in his arms. Vast quant.i.ties of what looked very much like real blood continued to pour onto the ground beneath Karl. Christine still didn't believe it, but she had to admit that Mercury was a better actor than she would have expected. He looked like he was in real anguish, and his face was as white as chalk.

"No fluctuations in the energy channels," said Gamaliel. "He's not using miracles."

"A trick knife then," said Tiamat, sounding almost desperate to believe that Mercury hadn't had it in him to kill Karl.

"It's a real knife," said Christine, bending over to pick it up.

"Take it easy," warned a minion, gripping his rifle.

"Would you like me to demonstrate?" Christine said bitterly. "I happen to know a pretty good test to determine whether a knife is real. I just cut the head off a demon. If the demon screams like h.e.l.l, it's a real knife."

Neither demon volunteered for the test. Karl's body remained limp. He did not appear to be breathing.

Tiamat approached Christine, holding out her hand. Christine handed her the knife. She regarded it suspiciously, running her thumb along the edge. A gasp escaped her lips. Blood dripped from her thumb, joining the growing puddle on the ground. The knife, it seemed, was quite real. She let it fall to the ground.

The fire had by this time enveloped the cottage and was moving briskly toward them. The smoke was getting thicker and the heat pouring off it was getting uncomfortable.

"We should get out of here," said one of the minions. "Not just anybody can send a Cla.s.s Five. Whoever sent that pillar is probably working on opening a portal to this plane right now, and we do not want to be around when they get here."

Tiamat knelt down next to Karl.

"No!" gasped Mercury weakly. "I won't allow you to desecrate his body. It's bad enough that you made me..." But he didn't have the energy to resist.

Tiamat felt Karl's neck for a pulse. After a few seconds, she stood up.

"No pulse," she said, sounding like someone who had just finished a jigsaw puzzle only to find she had one piece left over.

Christine didn't know whether to be relieved or appalled. Karl really was dead?

Tiamat, however, still seemed unconvinced. Incontrovertible evidence to the contrary, something wasn't right, and she knew it. She turned to squint into the oncoming inferno, weighing her options.