Read Online New Olympus Saga (Book 3): Apocalypse Dance by C.J. Carella - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: C.J. Carella
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Tsar said. His voice sounded strangely normal, coming from a guy with no head, but then again, so did Mark’s. His English had a faint accent but was otherwise flawless. “Age twenty-two. Daughter of Damon Trent, better-known as the Lurker, and Patricia Dark. Born on an alternate reality, one where superhuman powers never developed. You have proven to be an elusive quarry, but you are finally here, where you belong.”
She tried to think of something witty to say but came up with zip, so she stayed quiet.
“You have greatly angered my consort,” he went on. “She wishes to finish what she started, to take the rest of your face and then your life.”
“I didn’t mean to scare her so much,” Christine said sweetly.
“Scare her? Yes, I believe you did, although I wouldn’t be so bold as to say that to her face. She might react harshly.”
She already reacted pretty effing harshly , Christine thought. Good thing there were no mirrors in the cell. She didn’t want to see what that uber-bitch had done to her face. Only knowing she would heal eventually had prevented her from completely losing it.
The Tsar looked at her quietly for several seconds. Maybe he was expecting her to say something to fill the awkward silence. Sorry, dude, I’m not going to beg or ask questions you aren’t going to answer.
“You may be curious to know what is in store for you,” he finally said. “You obviously can’t be trusted in your current mental state. We will need to change it, make you into a more pliable subject. The methods involved will be severely unpleasant.” He paused again to give her a chance to respond. She spent the quiet time doing some math in her head. “There is an alternative, however.” Another pause.
Fine . “Such as?”
“You could cooperate willingly. We would have to establish certain safeguards, of course. For instance, the moment we suspected you of any deceit or trickery, we would execute your companion. It is my hope, however, that once you understand the stakes involved, you will agree that helping our cause is the best course of action.”
Well, that was different. None of the previous Big Bads had tried to reason with her. She was pretty sure the Iron Tsar was playing Good Cop, just like Mark had warned her, but it couldn’t hurt to hear him out, and it could well hurt a lot to not hear him out. “All right, your imperious majesty Mr. Tsar, sir. I’m listening.”
“Ah. I’m very pleased to hear that, Miss Dark. I will try to be brief.”
Christine opened a channel to her faceless boyfriend and listened to the Tsar’s spiel.
Chapter Five
Face-Off
Kiev, Dominion of the Ukraine, March 28, 2013
The Tsar’s words came through loud and clear; my mind-link with Christine was getting stronger.
“I believe you have been made aware of the conflict between two powerful factions in the larger universe,” the bucket-headed asshole began, sounding just as pompous and self-important as the comics portrayed him.
“Yes,” Christine replied. “The Cosmic Nerds in the center of our galaxy, among many others, and the Outsiders.”
“Indeed. Your father and I, among some others, were deceived by an agent of those Outsiders, by a man you know as Mr. Night.”
Christine said.
The Tsar continued his lecture: “Mr. Night and others of his ilk sabotaged the Source from the beginning, you see. We believe the civilization that sent the Source to us intended to select a small group of worthy men, people with the moral fortitude to act as guides and teachers for our species. The Outsider agents somehow interfered with the process, forcing the Source to bestow its gifts at random, blessing the unworthy and the worthy by sheer chance. Weaklings, the mentally defective, and
She tried to think of something witty to say but came up with zip, so she stayed quiet.
“You have greatly angered my consort,” he went on. “She wishes to finish what she started, to take the rest of your face and then your life.”
“I didn’t mean to scare her so much,” Christine said sweetly.
“Scare her? Yes, I believe you did, although I wouldn’t be so bold as to say that to her face. She might react harshly.”
She already reacted pretty effing harshly , Christine thought. Good thing there were no mirrors in the cell. She didn’t want to see what that uber-bitch had done to her face. Only knowing she would heal eventually had prevented her from completely losing it.
The Tsar looked at her quietly for several seconds. Maybe he was expecting her to say something to fill the awkward silence. Sorry, dude, I’m not going to beg or ask questions you aren’t going to answer.
“You may be curious to know what is in store for you,” he finally said. “You obviously can’t be trusted in your current mental state. We will need to change it, make you into a more pliable subject. The methods involved will be severely unpleasant.” He paused again to give her a chance to respond. She spent the quiet time doing some math in her head. “There is an alternative, however.” Another pause.
Fine . “Such as?”
“You could cooperate willingly. We would have to establish certain safeguards, of course. For instance, the moment we suspected you of any deceit or trickery, we would execute your companion. It is my hope, however, that once you understand the stakes involved, you will agree that helping our cause is the best course of action.”
Well, that was different. None of the previous Big Bads had tried to reason with her. She was pretty sure the Iron Tsar was playing Good Cop, just like Mark had warned her, but it couldn’t hurt to hear him out, and it could well hurt a lot to not hear him out. “All right, your imperious majesty Mr. Tsar, sir. I’m listening.”
“Ah. I’m very pleased to hear that, Miss Dark. I will try to be brief.”
Christine opened a channel to her faceless boyfriend and listened to the Tsar’s spiel.
Chapter Five
Face-Off
Kiev, Dominion of the Ukraine, March 28, 2013
The Tsar’s words came through loud and clear; my mind-link with Christine was getting stronger.
“I believe you have been made aware of the conflict between two powerful factions in the larger universe,” the bucket-headed asshole began, sounding just as pompous and self-important as the comics portrayed him.
“Yes,” Christine replied. “The Cosmic Nerds in the center of our galaxy, among many others, and the Outsiders.”
“Indeed. Your father and I, among some others, were deceived by an agent of those Outsiders, by a man you know as Mr. Night.”
The Tsar continued his lecture: “Mr. Night and others of his ilk sabotaged the Source from the beginning, you see. We believe the civilization that sent the Source to us intended to select a small group of worthy men, people with the moral fortitude to act as guides and teachers for our species. The Outsider agents somehow interfered with the process, forcing the Source to bestow its gifts at random, blessing the unworthy and the worthy by sheer chance. Weaklings, the mentally defective, and
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