“Marco, don’t do this. Please,” he said.
“She was the only family I had,” Marco said.
Hilario took a shuffled step forward.
“I’m sorry,” he said, “But please, she wouldn’t want this.”
Marco’s face twisted in rage. “Don’t tell me what she’d want,” he said, “If it wasn’t for you, she’d still be alive.”
That possibility had already occurred to him and he wasn’t going to disagree with the detective. Even though Marco had a role in that part of the drama, too.
Come on, quit talkin’ and put a slug in this punk, the gun said.
“Shut up!” Marco raged at the gun, “Don’t tell me what to do!”
“Marco. Put the gun away,” Hilaro said, “We’re on our way to the Ice Realm. Maybe she’s okay.”
Marco jerked the gun back to him. “That’s not what you said earlier,” he said.
Hilario managed a little shrug. “I’m frequently wrong,” he said, “Just ask anyone who knows me.”
“Yeah, you’re a fuck up alright,” Marco said.
Man, you are one giant pussy, dog, the gun said.
The van creaked and shook. Marco spun around. Heavy footfalls rang on the deck.
Hilario shuffled his floppy clown shoes closer. He tried to concentrate on the gun. If he could just get a mental grasp on it…
Odom the Paladin stood up beside the van. His metal chest was bare, showing off his impressively muscled physique. He adjusted his form fitting loincloth. Despite what the Sapphire Witch had said earlier, everything seemed proportional.
The Sapphire Witch stepped out of the van behind him, her leather coat slung over her arm. She tightened her belt and tugged at her shimmery blue shirt.
Marco swung the pistol at Odom.
Odom reached out and plucked the gun from Marco’s hand.
“Hey!” Marco shouted.
Don’t blame me, Mr. Paladin dude, the gun said, he was the one pointing. I’m an innocent victim here.
Odom frowned. “I have a dislike for weapons that talk,” he said.
“Give it back!” Marco shouted.
He grabbed for it, but Odom raised his arm. Marco jumped for it.
He needed to jump a whole lot higher.
The Sapphire Witch slipped her arms into her leather coat. “Give it to me,” she said.
Odom tossed it to her. She caught it and smoothly slipped it into her coat. She turned her brass rimmed goggle covered eyes to Hilario.
“What is going on, clown?” she said.
“It is very clear,” Odom said, “The human is experiencing grief over his dead sister and wishes to end his life.”
The Sapphire Witch shook her head and turned to Marco.
“That is not permitted,” she said, “Not yet.”
Yet? When was it okay?
“Fuck you, bitch,” Marco said, “You’re not the boss of me.”
Odom’s hand shot out. Iron fingers wrapped around Marco’s neck. Lifted him from the ground.
“Your insolence will end your life if you do not apologize to the Lady Sapphire,” Odom said.
Marco spat at Odom’s face. It spattered on the giant’s iron cheek. Tears streamed down Marco’s face.
His voice was barely a croak: “Go ahead you big metal fuckwit. I don’t care.”
The Sapphire Witch spun around. Away from them. Raised her hands, palms out, fingers spread wide. Let out a string of curses.
She dropped her arms. Turned to face Hilario.
“You idiot,” she said, “You used your power.”
A knot twisted in his stomach. “I had to,” he said, “To stop him from…”
Then he saw it. Saw them.
Bat winged forms with writhing serpent bodies pumped their wings against the red sky. On their backs, lumpy forms, their armor dully glinting in the ruddy light.
The creatures dropped toward the barge. Battle cries pierced the hot, sulfurous air.
Oh, this was bad. Very, very, very bad.
38
What had he done?
Hilario’s heart asked if it could stop beating now, since they were surely going to die soon. He told it to stop whining. Other body parts chimed in, saying they wanted to quit, too. He snarled at them that mutiny wasn’t an option. Well, it was, but it wasn’t going to help.
He stood on the silver barge, sweating in the hot, sulfurous air over the burning river Phlegethon, and watched death drop from the blood red sky.
What had he done?
Used his magic to save Marco’s life. Used it to keep the foolish, distraught detective from taking his own life.
Which, apparently was going to get them all killed.
Couldn’t he do anything right?
Odom the Paladin, still holding Marco of the ground by his neck, turned at the war cries from above. Silhouetted against the red sky, the giant, winged serpents tucked in their wings and dove.
The massive, metal paladin grinned and dropped Marco. The giant reached into the van and pulled out his weapons belt. An instant later it was slung around his chest like a bandolier. He drew a massive sword from the scabbard on his back.
“Finally,” he said, “All this talk was boring me.”
The Sapphire Witch spun on him. “Boring? Is that what you thought?” she said.
Odom let out a growling sigh. “Not that,” he said, “That was good.”
“Good?” the Sapphire Witch said, “It that all it was?”
Odom ran a hand over his face. “No, no, you were magnificent in every way,” he said. He nodded to the rapidly approaching death from the sky. “Now I must–”
“Oh, sure, you get what you want, but you never want to talk,” she said, “Why can’t we ever talk?”
“Now is not the best time, my sweet lady,” Odom said, waving a hand at the winged serpents. Who were getting so close Hilario could make out the tusked features of the armored ogres riding them.
The Sapphire Witch crossed her arms over her chest. “It’s never a good time,” she said, “It’s always, I’ve got to go fight this or that. A lady could use a little
