Part 45 (1/2)

”Are you sure we need this combat? Couldn't you just die and have done with it?”

”Sorry,” Azzie muttered.

Chapter 5.

Azzie looked around. The twelve Olympians, led by Zeus, were sitting on marble steps near to Babriel, Michael, and Ylith. There were new people there, too: Prince Charming and Princess Scarlet, Johann Faust and Marguerite. They rose as one and advanced into the arena.

”This isn't fair!” Nameless said. ”You're not allowed to summon help.”

”I didn't summon them,” Azzie said. ”They came on their own.”

”I haven't had any time yet to create friends and allies!”

”I know,” Ylith said. ”You chose to go it alone.”

”Too late now,” Michael the Archangel said. He stood at the front of the Heavenly hosts. ”I think we are all agreed that you, Nameless, are quite unsuited to be Supreme Deity. We're going to join together now and dispose of you.”

Then there was a sound of singing, a single strong male voice leading a rousing melody. It was Aretino, singing a Renaissance version of ”Onward Christian Soldiers.” The chorus was made up of all the others - Quentin and Puss, Kornglow and Leonore, Sir Oliver and Mother Joanna, Rodrigo and Cressilda. They formed a tight circle around the combatants and urged Azzie on. But how silly it was to urge him, he reflected, for there was nothing he could do. The power of this creature from darkest probability had already proven too much for him.

”You don't have to die,” Ylith was saying to him. ”Ananke is defeated only if you are. You've had the courage to mount your play. Keep fighting!”

Chapter 6.

All right, a little Greco-Roman wrestling,” Nameless said, a.s.suming a vaguely human form. ”To the death.” He seized Azzie in a powerful grip.

Then Quentin cried, ”You can't kill him!”

”I can't? Why not?”

”Because he's my friend.”

”Young man, you don't seem to realize what an exposed position you're in. I'm the Eater of Souls, my boy. Yours will be like a little maraschino cherry on top of the whipped-cream sundae of this foolish demon here.”

”No!” And Quentin smacked Nameless over the head with his open palm. Nameless reared back on his wheels, baring his teeth, and Puss poked the superdeity in the stomach. Nameless collapsed onto the b.l.o.o.d.y sand. Sir Oliver came into the ring tugging a lance, and with Mother Joanna's help he poked Nameless in the eye.

”Oh, this is too much,” Nameless said as the lance pa.s.sed through his head and he died.

Ananke appeared in the heavens above them, her old lady's face smiling.

”Well done, my children!” she cried. ”I knew you could all cooperate, if the cause were dire enough.”

”So that's why you hatched this scheme!” Azzie cried.

”One of many reasons, my pet,” Ananke said. ”There are always reasons within reasons, and every reason for a reason may itself be scrutinized and its const.i.tuent reasons adduced. Don't question it, my friend. You are alive, all of you.”

And then they all came together into a dance. They held hands, they mounted to the air. Faster and higher they flew, all of them together, all of them there except...

Chapter 7.