He closed his eyes for a moment. There were always consequences. And prices to be paid.
As he so well knew.
Roger the ogre tapped his shoulder.
“Whys I’s still’s heres?” the ogre asked.
Hilario shrugged. Gestured to the Sapphire Witch. “Ask her.”
Roger turned his fearful beady eyes to her. “Uh. Noes thanks.”
Roger should have been sucked back into the unseen world by now. Magical creatures like ogres didn’t belong in the normal world.
But then, the city had changed, hadn’t it?
Even though nothing was different, he could sense a difference in the city. It had been touched, manipulated by magic. There was a taint of magic on everything.
Would it go away in time?
Or was this still another part of the master plan he had been manipulated into?
He pushed back the flash of anger that tried to rise in his gut.
“Lady Sapphire?” he said.
The Sapphire Witch turned her brass rimmed goggles his way. “Yes, clown?”
“Forgive my humble questions,” he said, “But is this what the good wizards and witches of the coven planned?”
A hint of a smile quirked up the corner of her mouth. “I am sure I have no idea what you are talking about, noble clown.”
Which was as good as an admission.
He sighed. Squeezed his eyes shut. Oh how he wanted to go home, wash off his melted greasepaint and put his feet up.
You’ll do…
The coven now had a convenient door into the normal world. And most of their enemies had been vanquished.
Thanks to him.
Wheels within wheels within wheels.
And a not too bright, psychic, morbidly obese clown at the center of them.
Was this something he’d have to atone for, too?
Who would he atone to, anyway? Was there any being out there who cared if he had righted all the wrongs he committed? And if there wasn’t, what was the point of trying to do right anyway?
Maybe he should just go back to the unseen world where he belonged. Go back to hurting things for meager pay.
The Sapphire Witch started to turn away.
“Another question, please, Lady Sapphire,” he said.
She tilted her head his way.
He shifted from foot to foot. His fingers fiddled with the big buttons on the front of his soiled uniform. The question had only just occurred to him.
“If you were under the dark lord’s spell, why did you seek out Rodney the delivery driver?” he asked, “Why did you insist on bringing him with us? Was it you, or was it Queezleyan in the puppet? And if not, when did the switch happen?”
The corner of the Sapphire Witch’s mouth quirked up. “That seems to be four questions, Hilario the Clown.”
Hilario ducked his head. “My apologies, my lady,” he said, “It simply seems an…inconsistency in the chain of events.”
The Sapphire Witch sighed and looked to the still smoldering ruin of the Stung Sparrow. “The dark lord’s spells were not as complete as they hoped. Rodney the delivery driver was something I was able to slip past them. Or so I thought. When we passed to the realm of Despair, Queezleyan took my place. I was returned to Lord Igidbon’s realm for…additional spelling. From there they deposited me in the Gem realm with fresh instructions.”
It all hurt his head. Everything was too convoluted.
“But…how did you know we needed him?” he asked.
She shrugged. “How does anything work in the unseen world?”
Which was as much answer as he would ever get.
They turned to Larry, who was still pleading his case.
“Please, I’m not done yet,” Larry said, “I don’t want to go.”
The last bits of the dead Lord Igidbon flaked away, settling in a ring of gray dust around Larry’s ghostly feet. He was pale in the early morning light. So dim and translucent he was hardly visible.
Gone, but for his voice.
“Hilario,” Larry said, “Do something. Don’t let this thing take me away from…”
Larry’s voice trailed off. His ghostly eyes roved over the blackened wreck of the Stung Sparrow. Then to the woman he had pledged his love to…and lost because of his selfishness.
He turned his translucent head away.
That’s right, Larry. Take you away from what? The mess you left behind? Your flesh and bones are nothing but charred ash in that pit of broken pieces of your life. You have no hands to pick up those pieces. Can’t wrap your fingers around a broom to clean up this mess you made.
You’re dead, Larry. And the rest of us have to clean things up for you. That’s the way the world works. You don’t get to tie neat bows on things for people to come get when you’re dead. Your heart stops beating and your responsibilities end. No matter what state they’re in.
Now it was someone else’s job.
Rachel stirred. Stepped over to the ghost of her former husband. Her face was strained with anger and grief.
“Larry,” she said, “You have to go.”
He shook his head. “I’m scared,” he said, “Where am I going to go?”
Larry raised his face. Looked from her to Hilario. To the Sapphire Witch and Odom and back to Rachel and Hilario.
“Do any of you know? Where it will take me?” Larry asked, “I scared of where it will take me.”
Larry focused on Hilario. His look urgent. Pleading.
What could he tell his old friend? That maybe he’d end up in the good places? Or how about the truth?
“I don’t know,” Hilario said.
Larry threw his head back. Clapped his hands to the side of his face and wailed.
The black angel moved closer.
“Wait!”
They all turned.
From the van stumbled Rodney, the super-duper pizza delivery driver. The man was hollow eyed, his chin covered in black stubble. He wrapped his thin arms around his bare torso. His knees knocked together inside his black pajama bottoms with the
