Rusk moved to intercept him and Jacques decided to go ahead and resume the tone he had set. He reached forward and grabbed Rusk by the throat. With the strength he possessed, it only took little effort to locate his esophagus and rip it out. Blood poured from the open wound down Jacques arm and onto the ground.
Rusk’s face demonstrated astonishment and then shock as he clutched his open throat. He was not able to hold in the blood and his life faded away from him, down his chest and onto the barren ground.
Jims moved to interceded but Babel extended his arm to stop him. Jims was angry but he was just weary enough to obey the gesture of Babel. Jacques smiled at the interaction. “Now that I have your attention, what do you want?”
Jims and Quentin looked over at Babel who stepped forward. “The first thing we want you to do is stop killing our people. We’re not here to fight you. We will if it comes to it but that is not our intentions here. Now, what is your name?”
Jacques smiled with amusement. “You have come to visit someone whose name you don’t even know? How did you even know I was here?”
Babel detected a slight Cajun accent. “I know because I was told by an old friend of yours. Dr. Julius Babel. He lived hundreds of years ago when all of this started. I am one of his descendants.”
Jacques was surprised and his face demonstrated slight agitation. Jims inhaled and prepared for the man’s next action. Instead, Jacques continued talking. “How do you know of this man? He died many year ago and yet you say you spoke to him? Do you think I am a fool? It was because of Julius that I live here. He gave the people hope and I knew there was none. I could no longer be around them.”
“Julius Babel is my ancestor. He came to me in a vision and I can’t begin to tell you how that exactly happened. But I know how all of this started. I know about the facility where you did experiments. I know that the rest of the world is dead, there is only us. And I know about your device.”
“My device? How would you know about such a thing? Is that why you are here?”
Babel nodded. “There are some bad people who have taken over this world. Your device is needed to stop them.”
Jacques sneered. “Why would I give anything to you? You come to my home. You disturb my solitude. I should kill you all and be done with it.”
“And yet you are standing here talking to me and we are not dead.” Babel challenged. “If you wanted us dead, we would all be dead. But instead we are here with you. You should help us because there is good in the world. The world is dead but it is not dead here. We can grow and live peacefully but not with the people who now rule this world. They need to be killed and this device will help us do it.”
Jacques surprised them by laughing. It was a hollow laugh, one of a man who had existed at the edge of insanity for some time. “You speak of peace and yet you ask me to help kill these people. You have not changed. The world has not changed. Why would I help rebuild a world only to see it destroy itself once again?”
Babel could tell he was not going to be able to reason with Jacques. He would continue his conversation but didn’t think that in in the end it would go their way. They needed that device. So instead, as he spoke he began to consider the next step he must take. “Because we can rebuild this world. You have not been around all that has happened, but I can tell you that there has not been violence for some time. Only in the past few decades has war returned to the world.”
Jacques laughed again. “War has always been with us. It may have taken a break but it always returns. If I help you this, it will only be a matter of time before you ask for my help to stop some other conflict. It will not end and for all of my troubles, nothing will change.” He stopped laughing and his now serious face challenged Babel. “I am asking – very nicely – that you leave my home and do not return. If you do, I will kill all of you. Our conversation has come to an end.”
With that, Jacques turned to walk back into his house. Babel knew that once they returned to their group that Jacques would kill them all. They knew of his existence and had become a threat to him. Their death would not change the world. It was only with the device that they could do that. Babel decided to do something about it. He created a fire and blocked Jacques’ path.
Jacques started at the flames that had risen from the ground in front of him. He did not know how they had occurred but did know he could outrun them. He whipped his head to snarl at Babel – a true animal snarl of a man who had become a solitary savage. Then, he ran away from the flames into the direction of the rest of the people of the village.
Babel anticipated Jacques move and opened a separate wall of fire before Jacques. Jacques turned again and Babel expanded that wall of fire to cover the circumference of area around Jacques. Jacques attempted to run through the fire but Babel increased the depths and intensity of the flames and Jacques screamed in pain as the flames scorched him slightly, blistering his skin.
Babel knew that
