Chapter Twenty-Six
Tyler didn't wait well. No particular reason, he just didn't. Nothing good ever seemed to come from waiting. And really, he kind of resented the big guy in blue ordering him to cool his heels and wait for some kind of witch doctor dude. But he had to admit, the monkey mens' reaction to him made him kind of curious. Why did they want to rip his throat out and no one else's? If the witch doctor dude could figure that out, waiting might be worth it.
"Indeed, waiting could be worthwhile." The smooth, educated male voice came from somewhere up near the ceiling.
Tyler spun to see who had spoken, and finally the man sort of faded into view, little by little. A tall, frail-looking man finally stood solid. He must be the witch-doctor. Tyler had to admit, his entrance was impressive.
"Witch doctor? I am unfamiliar with that term. What does it mean?" The man tilted his head a little and studied Tyler with interest.
Tyler couldn't keep his cheeks from flushing a little at the guy overhearing his thoughts. "It's um, a guy that uses magic and stuff to make people better or put curses on them."
"Oh? That is nothing like what I do. There is no magic, or curses, involved. I am a farechtera. I use the influence of the subconscious mind over the corporeal and noncorporeal portions of a life form to any sort of defect or disease. Did Dorn not explain?"
Cheeks still on fire, Tyler chose his words carefully. "Sort of. He said you use psychic healing." He shrugged. "Same difference."
The guy stared at him with an odd expression, then nodded. "I understand. I was warned most humans are incapable of accepting anything beyond the perception of their five physical senses." He nodded again. "Shall we go?"
Relieved to escape a lecture or a sermon, Tyler agreed and tried not to flinch away when the guy latched onto his shoulder with long bony fingers. In the next heartbeat, they were sucked into a vacuum tube that looked like one big kaleidoscope. Swirling colors and shapes spun by in a sickening display, faster and faster. It sort of resembled when Lyght brought them to the compound, but was more nauseating than awe-inspiring.
Seemed like hours before they landed in a stark white room. He was sure the contents of his stomach would never go back where they belonged. Reminded him of that one ride. The Dead Man's Drop rollercoaster at the amusement park his grandparents had taken him to for his last birthday. With one last hard swallow for good measure, he took a look around.
The room wasn't as white as he'd first thought. It just seemed that way because the lights were so bright and the room was pale colored. But in the center, a big sort of crate sat, draped in white.
"This is why we're here." The witch doctor dude flipped the cloth back to reveal a reinforced metal container with a couple of vertical glass slats on each side. It wasn't anything like the black cube that one dark angel had first put around them. The mean-looking giant in black biker leathers had made quite an impression on Tyler as in he'd had to make sure his pants were still dry when the guy left. The angel had also said Tyler was the reason he'd come. Nobody mentioned it anything about that since. Must not be highly important. Yeah, right.
He leaned to look through one of the glass spaces, struggling to keep his breathing under control. The things just sat there. They reminded Tyler of the drug addicts he'd seen when his grandfather was teaching him self-defense and what he'd need to survive on the street. He moved closer for a better look and one of them raised its head and lifted a lip for a half-hearted snarl. Tyler froze as a chill went down his spine. Even zonked out of their heads, the things hated him. Why? He looked at the doc, wondering if he had a clue.
"Interesting." The doc kept his eyes fixed on the monkeys and urged Tyler closer with a hand on his shoulder. "They have an aggressive response even in this state." He watched closely as one of the others raised its head as well, but didn't seem to have the energy to snarl.
"Why are they like that? Are they drugged or something?"
"No sedation. This is self-induced because of their grief and shame over attacking you."
Tyler's eyes widened with disbelief. Surely those animals—
"Not animals, young man." The doc turned a stern stare to Tyler. "These beings are far from mere animals. They are an amalgamation of both natural and supernatural life forms, brought into existence by evil, for evil, but without inherent evil. These individuals were born and raised amongst the first three Warriors and their…teams. They've shown no prior violent or evil tendencies." He turned back to the creatures. "We're here to discover what links you to them. To find a logical reason for the attack upon you."