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“There’s plenty goes on inside that you can’t see.”
“Nor understand, I’ll warrant. However, its use is plain enough to me. Tell me, what happens to the original soul of a body when this is fired at a possessing soul?”
Ivanov cleared his throat carefully. “It does as well.”
“That is murder.”
“One death is a small price to pay for ridding the universe of Qui
“Aye, the affairs of kings are not to be questioned by their subjects. For that is what makes them kings. Judged only by Our Lord.”
“Can I have one as well, please?” Louise asked.
Ivanov handed her one of the tubes without comment. She checked the trigger button briefly, then put it in an inside pocket on her waistcoat.
Ivanov took one for himself and offered Brent Roi one. The Halo detective shook his head.
“Now all we have to do is find Qui
“Do you have any notion where he might be?”
“Only a general assumption that he’s in the Westminster dome; that’s where he seems to have consolidated his grip on the other possessed. Logically he can’t be too far away from them.”
“I know of Westminster, but not of its dome.”
“Basically, the whole of the London you knew got put under a protective glass bubble. That’s the dome. He could be anywhere inside the city.”
“Then I would suggest you take me to a suitable vantage point. I may be able to determine where large groups of the possessed fester. It would be a start.”
It was the sign of a good leader that he could adapt quickly to changing circumstances. After the last couple of days, Qui
Of course, the curfew had completely screwed up his earlier plans. The possessed from the Lancini had done as they were ordered, and used the night to take over a quantity of people in the designated buildings. But then the day workers hadn’t arrived, and the game changed.
Qui
By late afternoon, deprived of police or emergency services, power and communications, the arcology’s population had effectively been imprisoned in their own homes. Qui
It was almost what he’d originally intended, and achieved with fewer possessed than he’d originally estimated. That weighed heavily in his favour; it was easier to exert discipline over a smaller number. And the arcology, with all its prized resources, remained intact for him to use as he wished. His tightest control was imposed over the Westminster dome, with fear paralysing the nine outer domes, rendering them useless as possible sources of resistance.
With London secure, Qui
He knew it was never going to be that easy.
As the first night wore on, and his possessed battalions continued their mopping-up operation against the civic authorities, he had several technical and engineering experts brought to his headquarters. They were put to work on methods of travel unsusceptible to the SD platforms. A token gesture. He knew the coming war of Night would not be fought with science and machines. It would be personal and glorious, as war was meant to be.
As darkness fell, the bedlam of the demons had grown louder. Qui
Their cold dreaming thoughts infiltrated Qui
Qui
“Qui
“He’s coming.”
Courtney cast a glance towards the huge blackened oak doors at the far end of the cathedral. “Who?”
“God’s Brother, you dumb bitch.” Qui
“I believe, Qui
“Yeah. You really do, don’t you.” He jumped lightly to the stone and marble floor, a wild grin visible before the blackness exuded by his robe eclipsed his flesh. His hood swung round to face the subdued congregation. Over five hundred of them had been mustered now, waiting obediently for the dark Messiah to tell them what he wanted from them. Their numbers were added to slowly, as further non-possessed captives were brought to the cathedral via underground service tu
Those who were brought to him were taken down into the crypt and broken open for possession by a handful of committed followers loyal to His gospel. Qui
Studying the assembled possessed, Qui