Engines of the Apocalypse

'This isn't divine proof!' She shouted to them. 'This is a recording of only part of what occurred. The Lord of All didn't see what happened underground because 'He' couldn't follow us there!' Kali paused, looking up. 'There is a device,' she went on, 'a device constructed with the aid of Old Race science — a science developed long ago by the elves and the dwarves.' She stared at the blank faces before her and then turned on the Overseer. 'Why don't you tell them, McCain? Tell them about memory crystals and airships and your sphere, and how those machines out there in the sky aren't from the hells but from civilisations far older and more advanced than our own? Why don't you tell them that it was they who left the shiny things in the dirt? Or are you afraid? Afraid that if these people learn the truth, know how you use their tools, that you'll no longer be able to bend them to your beliefs?'

McCain gave Kali time to take a breath and then turned to stare at the jury as if he had no idea what she was talking about. Only she caught the knowing flare of his eyes as his gaze passed hers. ''Memory crystals'? 'Airships'? 'Sphere'?' he said with a chuckle that became a laugh. 'These terms are unknown to me. The only truth I know is that which is shown to me by the Eyes of the Lord.'

The Overseer raised his hands once more and the images returned, playing over and over again.

Keep going, Kali thought, seeing Gabriella DeZantez edging forward from the door, peering up into the shadows.

Unfortunately, just as the Enlightened One was about to become more enlightened, McCain sensed her movement and the sphere, controlled by some unknown mechanism, zipped out of sight.

'It was a trick!' Kali shouted to the jury, but received only unsympathetic glances. She turned to DeZantez. If she was going to bring her onto her side, now was the time. 'You have to believe me,' she said. 'It was there. The images showed only part of the truth, not the whole truth, and certainly not divine truth. It's circumstantial. Give me time and I'll show you the sphere. Give me time and I'll prove to you what happened.'

DeZantez hesitated. Her gaze alternated between Kali and McCain.

'May I remind you,' McCain interrupted, 'that the Enlightened One plays no part other than that of an observer in these proceedings. Her opinion carries no weight.'

'Hey!' Kali shouted at McCain. 'You want an opinion that carries weight, you bastard, I'll show you one!'

She leapt the podium, intending to land a fist in his smug, fat face, but found her neck scissored between DeZantez's twin blades before she could swing. Barely able to speak because of the blades pressing on her throat, barely able to move her head, she strained to look into DeZantez's eyes.

'Please,' Kali implored.

'Not until I know.'

So, that's it, Kali thought. With four words DeZantez had declared her independence, but shattered her hopes that she would act on the injustice that was happening here. The fact of the matter was there was no evidence of injustice, and until there was, the Sword of Dawn was bound by her oath to the Faith.

'Ladies and gentlemen of the jury,' McCain said. 'What is your verdict?'

Kali swallowed, waiting for the word that she knew was going to come.

'Guilty.'

'Guilty.'

'Guilty.'

One after the other, the jury members stood and delivered the same verdict, and Kali was powerless to do anything about it. DeZantez remained stony-faced during the delivery, even when McCain delivered his sentence.

'The Eyes of the Lord have witnessed your crime. The sentence is death.'

'No,' Kali said quietly.

McCain nodded to DeZantez. 'Prepare the gibbet.'

Kali struggled against the grip of the guards that now surrounded her. She had been fully aware that the gibbet was the Final Faith's preferred method of punishment — had been fleetingly aware of it hanging outside as she had been led into the church — but had refused to acknowledge its presence until now. Things all of a sudden became very unreal and she felt a dreamlike coldness ripple through her body. As she watched DeZantez exit the church and found herself being hauled after her into the sunlight, Kali realised that her holiday had finally come to an end here, far out in the backwoods, among strangers who intended to burn her. She felt suddenly, desperately lonely and yearned for Slowhand, Merrit Moon, anyone who could say no, don't do this, this is wrong. But all of her friends were far, far away, thinking other thoughts, and all they would know of her death would be that she never returned home. She was alone and, worse, about to die for a crime she would never dream of committing.

Well, hells, she wasn't going without a fight.

Kali drove her elbows into the stomachs of the goons holding her and slammed her fists into their faces as they doubled over. The pair staggered backwards and she dropped to a crouch, swinging herself around her hands and kicking out, knocking their legs from under them. The guards fell on their backs in a clatter of armour and, as they struggled to pick themselves up, Kali punched both in the face, knocking them cold. She sprang upright, twisting to face Randus McCain. The Overseer swallowed and backed up against the church wall before her less than happy gaze.

Then, Gabriella DeZantez casually walked in front of her, between them.

The Enlightened One had both blades unsheathed and assumed a low, defensive stance. One blade was thrust forward, wavering slightly as if tempting Kali to make a move, the other held back and unwavering, ready to follow through. DeZantez was, in short, prepared for a swift and deadly double strike.

DeZantez spoke one word, but it was enough.

'Don't.'

Kali slumped, her battle tension reluctantly leaving her body, and the guards once more took her. DeZantez sheathed her blades and returned to the duty McCain had given her. Kali stared at the Overseer as he watched DeZantez manipulate the chains that lowered the gibbet from its hanging position on the side of the church, then open the front of the cage. The look of abject terror he had exhibited moments before had been replaced by a twisted smile, and he wiped a small amount of drool from his mouth as he turned to his guards.

'Strip her,' he said.

Strip me? Kali thought.

'Get your farking hands off!' She shouted as the bodyguards began to tear at her bodysuit. Thankfully, she saw DeZantez move forward, at last seeming willing to intervene. Instead of halting their actions, however, she regarded Kali steadily.

'It's better this way,' she said. 'Trust me, when the naphtha comes, you will not wish it to first burn your clothes.'

Naphtha. Perversely, the word made Kali feel even colder than she had before, and she stared at the pipes that ran from the side of the church into the top of the gibbet cage, at the spark ready to ready ignite the substance as it poured onto the victim within. Well, nightmare as this was, she sure as hells wasn't going to entertain McCain more than he already would be.

'He isn't concerned about how easily I die,' she said, with disgust. 'Let me remain as I am.'

DeZantez hesitated, then nodded to the bodyguards. They bundled her into the gibbet, slamming and locking the cage behind her.

'It's your choice,' DeZantez said, turning away.

Kali stared after her and, as she did, became aware of McCain laughing.

'What did you expect?' He said. 'That the Enlightened One would balk at the horror of what is about to happen to you, force me to release you from my custody?' He shook his head. 'The gibbet is an everyday occurrence, girl, don't you understand? Your enlightened friend here has burned countless sinners in her career. Have you not, Miss DeZantez?'

DeZantez stared at Kali, still emotionless, and nodded.

'This might seem like the ultimate horror to you,' McCain continued. 'But it is her job.'