Part 19 (2/2)
”I didn't even know the boys had written the first one until they'd sold it,” Dex said. ”And then they sold all their rights to it, so I thought it was over. Some big company was going to deal with it, and the company didn't know me.”
”You're talking about Siegel and Schuster?” Vivian asked, awe in her voice.
”No,” Dex said, ”we're talking about whether or not I violated some sacred oath I didn't even know about.”
”Everyone has heard of the comic book offender,” Blackstone said.
”You're not helping,” Nora whispered.
”The comic book offender?” Vivian asked.
”There's enough about our people in various comic books that we knew someone had blown the whole secrecy thing.” Andrew Vari shrugged. ”Of course, you could say that about myths, or Shakespeare, or any writer worth his salt--”
”We will not get into your indiscretions.” Clotho glared at Vari.
”You're one of the reasons we had to crack down on later offenders,” Lachesis said.
Dex leaned back in his chair, feeling discouraged.
”I don't understand the problem,” Vivian said. ”Dex is offering to help you. Stop fighting him.”
”By sending us to the fortress,” Atropos said.
”Which you promised you would get rid of.” Clotho had turned her glare on Dex. He had been wrong a moment ago. She could be just as formidable, even in her smaller, more human state.
Dex clenched his fists. He would not let anger get the best of him. It took all his control to speak calmly. ”See? This is what I was afraid of. You just don't understand.”
”It was an order.” Lachesis's tone had a bite to it that Dex had heard only once before. ”No one disobeys our orders.”
”Disobeyed.” Vari glanced at Dex, obviously hoping Dex got the message. ”Get your tenses right.”
”You already compromised your position among mortals,” Atropos said, as if Vari hadn't spoken. ”You risk doing even more.”
That was it. He'd had enough. If the Fates hadn't put Vivian in such danger, he'd walk out the front door and let whoever do their worst. But he was afraid it would ricochet on Vivian, who didn't deserve it.
And he had to protect her too. In fact, he wanted to protect her more than he wanted to protect anyone in his entire life.
”First,” Dex said, ”the comic book thing happened a long time ago. The boys, as we've been calling them, are dead now. No one remembers but us. Second, no one has found my cave in all the decades I've had it. Third, that property appreciates every year, and I'm not a rich man. I'm not willing to sell it. Fourth, if people believed comic books--which they emphatically do not-- then my cave would be a d.a.m.n fortress and it would be in the Arctic. And fifth, whether you like it or not, I think taking you there is our only option.”
”To the Arctic?” Clotho asked.
”We're not fond of the cold,” Lachesis said.
”I think he means the cave,” Atropos said softly.
”What kind of fortress?” Blackstone asked. He had been watching the entire interchange with interest. Dex found it odd that even though Black-stone wanted to be in charge, he let this entire conversation continue without interference.
”It's not a fortress,” Dex said. ”It was an experiment. It's a home built inside a cave.”
But he wasn't about to tell Blackstone where the cave was. Dex didn't trust the man enough to do that.
”They called it a fortress,” Clotho said.
”Who?” Nora asked.
”The mortals. Those boys.”
”The boys who are dead?” Ariel asked.
”Siegel and Schuster,” Vivian said. ”But they didn't come up with the Fortress of Solitude.”
”That's right,” Dex said. ”That's what I'm trying to tell you.”
”You told someone else?” Lachesis asked.
”I got the idea from the comic book!” Dex raised his voice.
”I thought you said no one got ideas from comic books,” Atropos said.
”I said no one believed comic books were real,” Dex said.
”But if no one believes they're real, why take ideas from them?” Clotho asked.
”You've been accusing me of putting ideas into them, not taking them out,” Dex said. ”I never told anyone about the caves, not until you decided to punish me for every leak that made its way into the D.C. and Marvel offices. And most of those didn't come from me.” ”You just started the problem,” Lachesis said. ”I did not,” Dex said. ”Half the stuff came from world mythology anyway.” ”Yeah.” Andrew Vari grinned. ”And you guys can blame yourselves for that.” ”This isn't helping,” Vivian said. ”No, it isn't.” Dex stood. He was shaking with anger. He pointed a finger at the Fates. ”You see why someone has chosen to attack you? You're unreasonable. I'm trying to help you and you're--”
”Because you violated a sacred promise,” Atropos said.
”It wasn't sacred,” Dex said.
”You made an oath to us that you would never interfere with mortals again. You promised to get rid of all the accoutrements, and still, still, you have this place.” Clotho stood too. ”If I had power--”
”If you had power, you wouldn't even know I still had the cave,” Dex said.
Vivian rubbed the back of her neck. Dex frowned. He didn't like that gesture. He had a hunch it was connected to this entire mess.
”We were out of time five minutes ago,” Vivian whispered to him.
But the others heard and the conversation stopped. Finally, Blackstone took a deep breath.
”A cave?” he asked Dex.
Dex nodded. ”It's really a vacation home now, and no one knows I have it. The only way in is through magic. I've been fixing it up. It's nice.”
”It sounds perfect,” Blackstone said. ”Let's get the Fates there.”
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