you?'
'Assuredly, miz. I'm here to help. For the good of all, and the survival of New Africa, and because the Mamissa doesn't trust my temper.'
She nodded. 'I've seen you before…' She wavered, and then lowered her voice to a whisper. 'Hi, Alex. I can't play games with you, can I?'
'Games are all we've ever played, Acacia. Why change the pattern?'
Their eyes met sideways. For a moment they kept their expressions solemn, then she began to shake with silent ironic laughter.
'So. Here we are again. Just couldn't miss another chance to fight zombies?'
He made an expansive hand gesture that might have meant almost anything. 'Hundreds of us are in it, Cas. Hell has let out for lunch; everybody's going wild.'
What are you thinking, Acacia? There are so many possibilities. If you aren't dirty, you could be wondering if I'm here to bitch up your game. Could wonder if I'm trying to patch things up with you. Whether that will cause problems with Bishop.
If Bishop is rotten, and you are helping him…
Or if you're involved in Sharon's death, God help you. Don't bother trying to kill me out, Cas. I can take more hit points than Godzilla.
'So you'll be with us from here on?' she asked.
'All the way.'
There was a sudden commotion at the front of the arcade. 'Intruders approaching!' Mouser yelled.
'We seek parley!' That was Bishop's voice above the hubbub. Acacia cringed.
The line parted for Bishop and Coral.
He swaggered up to them. 'Well,' he said, examining Tammi's necklace. In his vision, it would glow like an aurora. 'Looks like you've been busy.'
'Should have been here,' Tammi said.
'Would have. Too busy getting ahead of you.'
'Get anything interesting?'
'That would be telling.'
'So what do you want, Bishop?'
'Peace in our time? Surcease of sorrow?' He wandered farther back into the arcade and stood over Acacia. 'Panthesilea.' He bowed deeply. 'So nice to see that you've survived.'
Griffin got to his feet. He and Bishop studied each other for a second before the Loremaster turned back to Acacia.
'Coral suggested this place, but it looked more your speed. Congratulations.'
'Cut the crap, Bishop. What do you want?'
'I was wondering whether any of your people would care to switch teams now, while they still have the chance.'
Twan made a 'hurry up' motion with her hand.
'I wanted to look over the damage,' he said with deceptive casualness. 'Make a body count. We've come a long way.'
He examined the smelted video game. It was a barely recognizable heap of glass and plastic and scorched metal.
'My goodness. You had a time here, didn't you? And lost a Scout. Get anything beside the necklace?'
'That's for us to know-'
'Yes, yes. Let's not be tiresome.'
He took Acacia's hands and squeezed, eyes twinkling. 'Well. It seems you've fallen in with the right group, dear. And who is this? Your guide?'
For the first time he examined Alex carefully. Measuring. Categorizing. 'My memory must be failing me. I could swear Bobo's changed since the Mami Wata ceremony.'
'Changed?' Acacia asked. 'How?'
'Why, he looks so much larger and more competent now. Intelligent, even.' He enjoyed another moment's muse and then stalked back toward the front of the arcade. 'Well,' he said. 'I can see that everything is in line here. I've learned everything that I want to know.'
'Like what?' Twan asked.
'Ah, my little Asian jungle bunny, that is for me to know, and for you to never, ever find out.' He smiled expansively. 'I'll see you again, and sooner than you think!'
Still under the sign of truce, Bishop and Coral backed away.
Twan watched him go, chewing her lip. There was a game going on here, right under her eyes, and she didn't like it. And she didn't like the switch that Dream Park had made with Bobo, although it wasn't the first time something like it had happened. A guide got sick, or twisted an ankle, or screwed up a scenario, and an alternate stepped in. Still… she didn't have to like it.
'All right,' she called out. 'We move out in five minutes.'
Trevor had propped his pack against a papier-mache stone fountain, using it for a cushion. He said, 'Anything?'
'Nothing, Trevor-san. No icons or talismans. No magic, not even in the signs and sigils. Even so, the place must be important. Work was done here.'
'Might I ask, would you call me Mr. Stone, or Stone-san or-'
'Stone-san, of course. Forgive me.'
'Is Tamasan your first name or-'
'My nickname. It more or less means 'Mr. Ball.' My shape, you know, from Beverly Hills High School.'
Holly Frost had climbed a potted tree. She slid down and came back to the fountain. 'Zip.'
'If there's nothing here, then something must be made to come here,' Trevor said. 'Some magical ritual associated with the I le Ife legend, if we knew enough. Or… perhaps one of these trees is needed somewhere else in the building.'
'Ugh.' Holly flopped down against her pack. Stone had looked worn out when Bishop left. Now he had his energy back she judged; in fact he was becoming twitchy. She said, 'So we wait. Tell a story, Trevor.'
'My turn? It'll be lovely not to be interrupted. All right, this was a long time ago, and the Gaming area was just a patch of high desert near Denver. No special effects really…' Trevor settled more comfortably against his pack. 'Three groups of players had gone through ahead of us. Their corpses were scattered everywhere. This one chap was standing upright, not moving. 'Hi, I'm dead,' he said.
'He'd been killed in a patch of cactus, you see. Needles everywhere. He may have been dead, but damned if he was going to lie down.'
Holly laughed. Was this really the only way to keep him from going off half-cocked? Bishop seemed to think so though he kept interrupting the damn stories…
Bishop and Coral were halfway down the stairs when Bishop held out a restraining hand.
'Like, what's the prob?'
'I need to think,' he said. 'Let's wait a minute.'
'Your dime, dude.'
Bishop sat down and put on a thoughtful expression. But most of what he was thinking was, Trevor Stone. You're boiling by now. Impatient as hell, and you want to show me up. How much longer before you make your move?
Stone said, 'Your turn, Tamasan.'
'Hai,' the monk replied. 'I played in Japan once,' he said. 'It was all very formal, the ranks established very clearly. We were supposed to know the legend, I think, but I didn't. I fought when we were attacked. There was never any doubt about who was the enemy. Very different from Dream Park.'
'You missed the mental challenge?'
'Yes.' Tamasan stood up abruptly. 'I wonder if there's anything about the fountain itself?'
There was nothing to do at the moment. The inactivity was wearing at all of them, especially Trevor Stone.
