Daemons Are Forever

“You still think he’s going to die here, in this time, helping us?” I said.

“Oh yes. A glorious death…but still no peace for the wicked. He will die and become me, and I… will linger on for centuries to reach this place, this point in time. And all I can say is, there had better be a bloody good reason for it.”

“You still don’t know why you’re here?” said Molly.

Jacob favoured her with his usual nasty smile. “Hell, does anybody?”

“You’re not a hologram, are you?” said Giles.

“Wouldn’t lower myself,” said Jacob. “I am one hundred percent ectoplasm, and proud of it. I can walk through walls on a good day, though mostly I don’t because it’s very disconcerting. What’s the matter, warrior; don’t they have ghosts in the future?”

“No,” said Giles. “We’re civilised.”

“Let’s get to the Sanctity,” I said. “If only because this conversation is starting to make my head hurt. Molly, Giles, stick close to me, and don’t kill anyone unless you feel you absolutely have to. Jacob, you coming?”

“Wouldn’t miss it for the netherworld,” said the old ghost, gri

I used the Merlin Glass to transport us to the corridor right outside the Sanctity. It seemed even a glass made by Merlin couldn’t break through Strange’s other-dimensional protective barriers. So we all stepped through the enlarged mirror into the corridor, and immediately found ourselves facing half a dozen men standing guard outside the doors. They were all big muscular types, who might as well have had the word thug tattooed on their low foreheads. There’s always a few, in every family. I blame bad toilet training. The guards moved quickly to block our way, scowling in their best intimidating ma

“No admittance,” the head thug said coldly. “The Patriarch is not to be disturbed.”

“What a pity,” I said. “Because I really feel like disturbing him. You don’t recognise me, do you?”

“No,” said the head thug flatly.

“How soon they forget,” murmured Molly.

“Don’t care, neither,” said the thug. “Doesn’t matter who you are. No admittance, no exceptions. Now piss off, or we’ll hurt you.”

“No one does decent threats anymore,” said Molly. “They just can’t be bothered to make the effort to be decent henchmen.”

“I really don’t have the patience for this,” I said. “Jacob, do you think you could…”

The ghost thrust his ancient gri

It was sometimes all too easy to forget what Jacob really was: a dead man walking, only held together by an inhuman effort of will.

Jacob took a step forward, and the thugs just broke and ran, departing screaming down the corridor. Jacob laughed softly, and I winced. There was nothing human in the horrid sound. And then suddenly he was just Jacob again, my old friend and support. But after seeing what he really was, or could be, I had to wonder if I’d ever be able to look at him the same way again.

He must have sensed something, because he turned and looked at me uncertainly. He tried to smile, but it wasn’t very convincing.

“Sometimes … I feel like I’m just the tip of an iceberg, Eddie, and that if I ever found out just how much more of me there really is, I wouldn’t be me at all. That’s why I need to keep my living self close; he reminds me of what it is to be human. To be only human.”

“Wonderful,” I said, deliberately keeping my voice light. “Something else to worry about.”

Jacob managed something like his old grin. “It’s not easy being a ghost. Or everybody would be doing it.”

“Fascinating,” said Giles. “You people have taken psychological warfare in a whole new direction.”

“Can we please burst in on Harry and ruin his day?” said Molly. “I’m feeling an increasing need to hit someone.”

“Yeah,” I said. “It’s been that kind of a day.”

I kicked in the Sanctity doors, and we all stormed into the great open chamber. Strange’s rich crimson glow had expanded to fill almost half of the massive hall, but it no longer projected the old comfort and reassurance. Harry broke off from shouting at his advisors and spun around to face us. He recognised me immediately, but instead of the surprise I expected, after eighteen months away and no guarantee I was ever coming back, all I saw in his face was a cold, calculating anger. Behind him, his advisors’ jaws dropped in a quite satisfactory ma

“Where the hell have you been?” he demanded. “Typical of you, Eddie, not to be around when you’re needed. And where are my guards? They’re supposed to keep out…u

“Your guards will be back,” I said. “Eventually. There’s only so far they can run before they run out of grounds. One of them called you Patriarch. When did that happen, Harry?”

He sniffed loudly. “Someone had to take charge, after you abandoned us to go play with your Time Train.” He looked disparagingly at Giles. “It took you eighteen months to find…him? A barbarian with a sword?”

“I am Giles Deathstalker,” said the future warrior, and there was something cold and very dangerous in his voice that shut Harry up immediately. “I am Warrior Prime to the emperor Ethur, commander of his armies, and conqueror of worlds. Do but say the word, Edwin, and I will make him kneel to you. Or I could cut off his head. I’m really quite good at that, and it just might stop him yapping.”

“A nice thought,” I said, “but leave it for later. You can forget that Patriarch crap, Harry; I’m back, and you can return to the substitutes’ bench.”

“You really think it’s going to be that easy?” said Roger, stepping forward to stand at Harry’s side. “Harry’s been ru

“When I walked in, this room was full of barely suppressed hysteria and panic,” I said calmly. “Not what I’d expect from a Patriarch. And really, Harry, is this the best you could do for advisors? I wouldn’t take their advice on how to pick my nose. I swear, I take my eye off this family for five minutes, and everything goes to hell.”

“Five minutes?” said Harry. “Eighteen months! We didn’t know whether you were dead or alive, or captured, or gone over to the enemy, or ever coming back! And now you swagger back in here with a smug smile and a condescending word, and what have you got to show for it? One man!”

“One Deathstalker,” said Giles. “And that makes all the difference.”

“He’s big,” said Sebastian.

“I had noticed,” said Freddie.

“And he’s got a really big sword.”

“Best kind.”

“What happened to my I

“The Armourer is back in the Armoury, where he belongs,” said Harry. “And Pe