The Messenger

50

Tyler opened his eyes to see a beautiful woman in an evening gown holding his hand. Why was she so sad?

He was cold. He looked down at his blood-soaked, nearly naked form, and felt shame that this woman was seeing him in this state. Her gaze never left his face, though, and he began to feel certain that she was trying to convey some message to him. The memory of the photo at Amanda’s house came back to him. This was Amanda’s mother. What did she so urgently need him to know?

A moment later, the knife sliced through him again-between his ribs, this time-and the woman disappeared. He strained against the manacles, the searing pain bringing him back to full awareness of his situation.

“Why are you being so stubborn?” Adrian asked. “It’s not as if I’m asking you to return my money. You can have it and keep all your powers. It’s selfish of you to try to deny me this one request, when I’ve done so much for you. Just give me the ring.”

Tyler wanted to scream, knew Adrian wanted to hear him do just that, and concentrated all his efforts on riding out the next few agonizing moments.

Not that Adrian had been denied the sound of his screams. The pincers had been at work, breaking his bones, tearing at his skin, crushing his testicles. That he rapidly healed only gave Adrian another opportunity to torture him when he regained consciousness moments later.

Even Adrian had tired of this, though, and apparently realized that the potion he had forced Tyler to drink-designed to reduce the fevers and further speed his ability to heal-was only going to be of limited use against such harm to Tyler’s body. So Adrian chose to go about it more methodically, and ordered his assistant to take over the job.

That he had coerced his assistant into obedience was not lost on Tyler. There was reluctance in this man Daniel. Reluctance that even Adrian was aware of-no, Tyler realized, that Adrian enjoyed. Daniel’s evident disgust with the role of torturer made his submission all the more delightful to Adrian.

What plans did Adrian have for Daniel? He looked at the skinless form, the pincers, the thin legs, much of which appeared to be borrowed from other creatures, mostly insects and arachnids. Like a self-assembled Frankenstein, although clearly not all the parts had been taken from humans. He suddenly had no doubt that Adrian would make similar use of Daniel.

Despite the fact that Daniel inflicted pain on him again and again, Tyler began to pity the man. Daniel was doomed.

“Is there anyone in your family you’d like me to contact after you die?” Tyler asked him. “Any message for them?”

Daniel looked startled, then afraid.

Adrian began to laugh. He laughed and laughed.

Daniel turned away, but Tyler had seen a look of resentment briefly cross his face.

Adrian moved closer. “What makes you think you will get out of here to deliver any more of your precious messages, Tyler? Didn’t they teach you the story of Prometheus at Eton? Surely some tutor taught it to you even before then.” He laughed again. “But Daniel has no idea what I’m talking about.”

“He gave men the gift of fire,” Daniel said quietly. “He made Zeus angry.”

“Yes,” Adrian said, clicking his eyelids as he blinked in surprise. “And was chained to a rock and had his liver eaten by an eagle every day, and had it grow back in time for the next round-not so unlike our friend Tyler here. But tell me, who taught you anything about Prometheus?”

“We have schools here, too…sir.”

Adrian stared at him for a long moment, then smiled. “Quite. Now, Tyler, you really mustn’t try to tempt dear Daniel into being your ally, because that will make me extremely angry, and Daniel knows more about that than he knows about Greek mythology. Am I right, Daniel?”

“Yes, sir.”

“You see, Tyler, you will make things easier for me and for Daniel and for your beloved Amanda and yourself as well if you simply tell me where the ring is.”

Tyler felt his stomach turn to ice when he heard Adrian say Amanda’s name, but made no response.

“I know all about her,” Adrian said. “I am a little surprised that you chose someone so-what was the phrase her cousin used to describe her, Daniel?”

“Clumsy and unsophisticated, sir.”

Tyler watched in fascination as the ghost of Thelia Clarke reappeared and moved toward Adrian. Her face bore a regal look of disdain, and she swatted at him, almost as if he were one of the insects he half resembled.

Her hand swept through him, and Tyler would have thought her blow had had no effect if he had not seen Adrian’s face change. Adrian turned and stared in the direction from which the ghost stood eyeing him with disfavor. His eyelids clicked rapidly, but it was plain to Tyler that he could not see Thelia Clarke.

Adrian loomed over Tyler. “What damned creature have you summoned here, fool?”

“I’ve summoned no one into your stinking presence. And really, you know far more about damnation than I do, Adrian. If for nothing more than what you’ve done to Daniel, I have no doubt you’ll soon be shaking hands with the devil himself.”

“I ask you who is here!”

“Afraid, Adrian? You should be.”

“Really? I might say the same of you. I don’t suppose that-given your limited view of the room-you can see the bag of quick-setting cement next to this table. I had Daniel fetch it for me from the garage during one of your unfortunate periods of unconsciousness. Isn’t this a wondrous age? Quick-setting cement.” He smiled. “I’m sure you don’t need to see it to imagine what it will be like to be encased in concrete for a time. I promise to leave breathing tubes to ensure that you have plenty of time to enjoy the experience.”

For a moment the image Adrian presented had its intended effect, and he felt fear, cold and unrelenting. It was all too easy to imagine endless decades entombed alive in silence and darkness, unable to move-and unable to die.

Then a hand took his own, and he looked up to see Thelia, smiling and shaking her head, as if to tell him that he should not let Adrian frighten him. Gradually her presence calmed him, and he began to consider the implications of being able to see her, when Adrian could not. He returned her smile and saw Adrian’s displeasure at his smile.

“Did it never occur to you, Adrian, that the rules of the game might not be the same for the two of us? That the way you choose to live affects all else? You’ve always been your own poisoner, Adrian.”

“Cut his throat!” Adrian ordered Daniel.

Daniel approached the table, but he was shaking and seemed unable to bring himself to obey Adrian’s command.

As if forgetting that he did not have hands, Adrian reached out with a claw to grab the knife, but only managed to knock the blade from Daniel’s hand. It skittered across the floor and came to rest beneath a desk.

Adrian turned in fury and grabbed Tyler’s throat with his sharp claw.

Tyler felt the claw pierce his artery, saw the warm blood spray from his own neck, and lost consciousness.

He awoke to hear Daniel screaming pitifully, although Adrian did not appear to be touching him. The sound was horrible, and Tyler began to pray for some way to relieve the man’s agony.

Thelia was still at his side. He saw her cock her head to one side and look up, as if she heard something outside.

In the space it took Daniel to draw a breath, Tyler heard it, too, and eventually, so did Adrian.

“Shut up!” Adrian snapped at Daniel. “Listen!”

The sound was unmistakable, one Tyler would have known anywhere.

The howling of a cemetery dog.