The First Dragon(79)
“Intention counts,” the angel replied, “and I can see past his countenance into his heart, just as,” he said, moving closer, “I can see into yours.”
Dee shrieked as the great angel moved down to embrace him with wings and arms and eyes of fire. “I’m sorry!” the Chronographer of Lost Times cried out as he burst into flame. “Forgive me! Please forgive—!”
The angel began to glow, brighter and brighter, and suddenly Dee burst into a thousand shards of shadow, all scattering in an effort to escape the purifying light—but it was impossible. For an instant, the island glowed like a star, and the shadows evaporated in Shaitan’s light.
When the companions could see again, the great and terrible creature that had been the angel had been replaced by a young man, dressed simply in a tunic, who had curly black hair and a look of horrible sadness.
“It’s over, isn’t it?” he said, to no one in particular.
“No,” Samaranth said from the doorway of the inn. “It is just beginning, my friend Shaitan.”
The young angel’s expression changed from one of sadness to joy, and he ran to his friend. When Sycorax explained the price of entry, he didn’t even hesitate.
♦ ♦ ♦
“Quickly,” Edmund said to Kipling. “The flood hasn’t hit the city yet. I can still pull you through!”
But to the surprise of all the companions, the Caretaker refused.
“I’m done, I think,” he said. “This was my last mission, my last hurrah for the Caretakers. It’s time for the—what did you call them, Jack? The Young Magicians? It’s time for you to take over now.”
“But why?” Rose exclaimed, suddenly understanding where Kipling was, and what kind of price he paid and was paying still to give them this opportunity. “You can still save yourself!”
Kipling smiled. “I think I already have, dear girl,” he said, stepping back, away from his own trump. Charles saw it first. “Your shadow!” he exclaimed with relief. “It’s come back! Good show, old fellow.”
“That’s why I’d like to stay,” Kipling said. “I lost my shadow by doing a terrible thing for the best of reasons, and then I earned it back by giving you a chance to save the world.”
“Also, you got to stick it to John Dee,” said Laura Glue.
“Yes.” Kipling chuckled. “That too.
“Regardless,” he went on, “I’ve lived two good and worthy lives now, and I get to finish this one watching the destruction of Atlantis. And when that’s done,” he said, wiping a tear from his eye, “I’ll get to see my boy again. Can’t say fairer than that.”
He turned away from the trump. “I can hear it now,” he said. “Time to go.”
“Thank you!” Rose shouted over the increasing noise of the approaching flood. “Thank you, Caretaker!”
Kipling winked at her and turned away as the card faded and went black.
♦ ♦ ♦
“Oh no,” Laura Glue exclaimed. “My hourglass! It’s almost run out. We have to go!”
“I’d love to,” Quixote said, “but our transportation seems to have disappeared.”
The companions’ hearts sank as they realized what must have happened—while the angel was dealing with Dee, his henchmen Mr. Kirke and Mr. Bangs had taken the Indigo Dragon.
“It’s worse than that,” said Rose. “I think they took the Amethyst Box as well.”
“We still have the Master Key, though,” said Charles. “And we have Madoc. We just don’t have any way to get back.”
“The Black Dragon?” Laura Glue asked. “It might work!”
They rushed over to the ship, but all they found was an unconscious Argus, and a massive, gaping hole where the masthead of the angel had been.
“It’s no use,” Madoc said. “We’ll never be able to repair it enough to fly. Not so quickly.”
“We should have left a guard,” Jack moaned. “What happened to Archie?”
“They must have done something to him,” said Madoc. “He would have alerted us otherwise.”
“Still,” said Jack. “We should have taken more precautions.”
“We’re at the end of all things, Jack!” Charles sputtered. “Heaven itself is a stone’s throw out the back door! Why would we possibly have worried about someone stealing the Indigo Dragon? Where would they possibly go with her?”
“Back to the Archipelago, for one place,” said Laura Glue.
“You are not helping things,” said Charles.