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"We're here," said Tiger? Tim, just a bit grandly, "because this room has the best view of what's going to happen. Out there is where we're going to place the Door and then open it by remote control. And then we can stand here and watch, as all the hordes of Hell break out, into the world of men."
"The Door chose those particular coordinates," said Doctor Delirium. "I confess I'm not entirely sure why. Sentimental value, perhaps? Did something important happen here long ago, before the poles shifted, and snow and ice came to cover everything that was here? It doesn't matter. I would have chosen the centre of some great city, for maximum shock and maximum slaughter, but then, that's just me."
"Think what you're saying!" said Molly. "Mass murder? Death and suffering and the slaughter of i
The Doctor paused, uncertain. "I have changed. I know that. I had to grow up. Become… cold. Because I couldn't get the revenge I wanted so badly, if I stayed my old soft-hearted self. I never really wanted to destroy the world, before. It was all about power; about threatening the governments of the world with my wonderful plagues, just so that they would be forced to acknowledge my genius. But that was then, this is now. I will have my revenge. It's all I've got left."
Tiger Tim beamed happily at the virtual view before him. "Nothing like a ringside seat, for the end of the world."
I advanced on Doctor Delirium, and then stopped as he put one hand on the Apocalypse Door. The room felt distinctly warmer, the smell of Hell more distinct. The Door's presence seemed to beat upon the air like great membranous wings. The light was fading, slowly but surely, as darkness pressed in around us. Molly glared about her uncertainly, but none of the other three seemed to have noticed anything. Perhaps because they'd spent too much time in the presence of the Door.
"Is this really what you want, Doctor?" I said. "It's not too late to turn away from the destruction of the whole world."
Doctor Delirium drew himself up to his full height, and glared at me; but close up, more than ever he looked like a child playing dress-up. Not a mad scientist and supervillain, just a small podgy man in a grubby lab coat, standing next to something far more evil than he could ever hope to be.
"Typical Drood," sneered the Doctor. "Still trying to save the world, even when it's far too late. Why? It's not like the world's worth saving. It's rotten, corrupt, and it doesn't care. Let it burn. I wasn't always Doctor Delirium, you know. I had a real name once, a real life in the real world. I was hired right out of college, given all the best equipment and really good money, and all I had to do was make bio weapons for the Government. Nasty new diseases, with which to smite our enemies.
"I wanted to work on cures, but it was made very clear to me that there were no resources, no money, for that. I wanted to achieve great things, but my Government just wanted me to be a mass murderer. And I went along with it… Until a lawyer told me my Uncle had left me a fortune, a secret base and a private army. I quit that very day, and chose a new name for myself, a new identity. And then I set out to make the world respect me, as it never had before. I wanted to be Louis Pasteur; but it was bullies like you Droods that made me Doctor Delirium.
"I gave my life to that cause. I gave up friends and family, all hope for love and happiness, in pursuit of my revenge. It's all I've got left, and I will have it."
"Who was this uncle of yours?" I said. "We never could work that out."
"Oh, that was us," said Methuselah.
"What?" said Doctor Delirium.
"Just standard meddling," said the Immortal. "We regularly locate and identify useful embittered people, and give them funding. Just to see what will happen. I suppose it's our equivalent of poking an ant's nest with a stick…"
Doctor Delirium stared at him incredulously. "You started all this? You pushed me into this life? When I could have been happy? Then I suppose it's only fitting that you should be here for the end. I could kill you; I do want to. But what's coming will be far worse than anything I could do to you. Hell is coming, Methuselah, and all its horrors… And you will grovel at my feet and beg for mercy. And I'll say no."
Methuselah shrugged. "There's just no pleasing some people."
"Nasty little man," said Tiger Tim.
I moved as close to the Apocalypse Door as the Doctor would allow, and studied it thoughtfully. Tiger Tim tried to join me, but Molly moved quickly to block his way. Methuselah stayed where he was, watching us all calmly. Up close, the Door's presence was disturbing. It seemed more real, more there, than the rest of us… I could feel the Door watching me, studying me as I studied it. I started to raise my Sight, and then stopped. I didn't want to See what lay beyond the Apocalypse Door.
The teleport chain lying in a circle around the Door looked familiar. I'd seen that crystal tech before, and there was nothing human about it. Doctor Delirium might claim he invented it, but his genius was with germs. More likely he'd adapted the ring from some alien leftover.
The Apocalypse Door dominated the room, just by being there. Like a ticking bomb, or a murderer with a fresh blade in his hand.
"Where is everybody?" I said, looking in particular at Tiger Tim. "Where are your scientists and soldiers, the mercenaries and the security guards? Why haven't I seen a single living soul in this entire base, apart from you three?"
Methuselah smiled. "You didn't really? think we'd share this sublime moment with anyone else, do you?"
"We cleaned house," said Tiger Tim. "Just like in the Amazon, only not as messy. We didn't need anybody else, anymore. They'd only have got in the way."
"Really quite a subtle organism," said Doctor Delirium. "I released it into the base's air supply, and it ate them all up. Flesh and bone and even their clothing. Hungry little bug, and very industrious. The Door gave me the idea. Of course, I took pains to inoculate myself and Tiger Tim in advance, just in case any of the bug happened to hang around after it was supposed to have dispersed."
"And I don't need any inoculation," said Methuselah. "I am an Immortal and a flesh dancer; after all these years my immune system produces white blood cells like wrecking balls. Though I have to say, given that there could still be a few traces of the nasty thing floating about, for all your protestations, Doctor, I'm surprised you and the witch are still here, Drood."
"I have my torc," I said.
"And I'm Molly Metcalf. The most powerful witch you'll ever meet."
"Witch," murmured Tiger Tim. "Not quite the word I had in mind…"
"Don't push your luck, Timothy," I said.
Molly went back to glaring at Doctor Delirium. "You killed everyone here? Your own people?"
"Why not?" said Tiger Tim. "We didn't need them anymore, and who knows, they might have tried to stop us opening the Door."
"They never cared about me," said Doctor Delirium. "All they ever cared about was my money! They weren't loyal. Mercenaries are never loyal; I've always known that. And they would have died anyway, after I opened the Door." He giggled suddenly, a shockingly childlike sound. "Maybe I'll see them again, ru
Molly looked at me. "Total bugfuck weirdo, and nasty with it."
"Was there ever any doubt?" I looked at Methuselah. "What about the other Elders, the ones who believed in you? Aren't you going to wait, just in case any of them turn up? It's always possible we missed a few."