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| Chapter Twelve: The Joker in the Deck of Cards | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| By Richard LeBlanc | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Just outside of the maze of cards - Calloway stopped. He took out the small bag of prizes he had one and yet to use. If - what he believed was true - there would be at least ten deathtraps in that maze. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "One more stop between me and the Doctor," he muttered to himself. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "And then what?" the ghost asked - poking its head over his shoulder. Calloway frowned as he put the items back in the bag. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Go away," Calloway muttered as he entered the maze. The ghost mimicked him mockingly as he followed. The vampire looked around at the walls that were human-sized playing cards. He looked at the roof and saw lines that crossed the hall parallel to the cards. "The lines form boxes - not good," he muttered. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Maybe turn around and find another way?' Luther suggested. Just then a joker card slammed down blocking the way out. The face of the joker - was that of Doctor Jest. "Or not," he added. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "All of the cards are different," Calloway mentioned. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "That is usually the case in most decks," Luther pointed out. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "No that isn't what I mean - look at this one," he began - as he traced his fingers over the detail on a ten of spades. "Then - look at this one," he said as he pointed to the eight of hearts that was opposite it. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "This means what?" Luther asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I don't know," Calloway remarked as he cautiously made his way down the hall. As he passed the king of hearts - the eyes blinked and followed him. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "The walls have eyes," the ghost mocked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I know," he retorted. He then stopped. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Problem?" the ghost asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "These - cards - they're the same," he muttered. Just then - another joker fell from the roof like a guillotine blade. He was about to race forward when another joker card fell down boxing him in. "Badness," he muttered. The joker cards blinked and smiled. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Welcome to my duck of cards want to shuffle?" Jest asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I'll pass," he replied. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You are no fun. Here is the way this game works. Throughout this little maze - are numerous rooms such as this. To progress - you need but solve the puzzle each room offers. Answer the riddle use the key a door will open - you are on your way," Jest stated. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "As easy as all that?" Calloway asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Well - no. you see - there is a limit as to how much time you have to solve each puzzle - then a deathtrap springs into effect causing all sorts of unpleasantness. Anyway - here we go. Ahem - the riddle here - is clear to see - be it left or right - it may be. What is real and fake - truth yet lie - in the hands of mortals - thousands die - enjoy," Jest concluded as the Joker images became still. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I wonder," Luther began as the floor began to slowly slide into the wall. Calloway looked down and saw a dark shimmering pool. "Ooo want to take a swim?" he asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I'll pass," he muttered as he pondered the riddle. He looked to the card to his left - it was the queen of hearts - one designed to look like the Virgin Mary. Across from her was the king of hearts that looked like a disturbed Jesus. "Real and Fake - true yet lie," he muttered. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "In the hands of mortals death - blah-blah-blah. Get on with it already," the ghost rebutted - hoping to derail his train of thought. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "He made mention of left and right," he began as he rummaged through his bag of prizes until he found a scorched piece of wood. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You know the answer?" the ghost scoffed. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "The only thing it can be is faith. It is supposedly real to those that believe it - yet with no way of proving it - it would be fake. Those that believe - would swear it to be true - whereas other faiths would say it is nothing but lies," Calloway said as he looked for anything that might resemble a lock. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "But how could it kill thousands?" the ghost challenged. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Inquisition - crusades - witch hunts - take your pick," he replied as he studied the two cards carefully yet quickly while trying to maintain his balance. "Where is it?" he muttered as he looked at the king again. He saw Jesus holding up a wooden bar before a sun. "Not the trigger," he muttered as carefully pushed the sun in. as he did he saw a hole just big enough for the scorched wood to fit in. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Running out of floor hero," the ghost pointed out. Calloway ignored the ghost and slipped the wood in so that the image showed Jesus with a cross in his hands. When he released the sun tile he was holding it - the device locked. "Ready to dive captain?" the ghost mocked as the Jesus card fell into the floor. Calloway leaped into the next chamber just as the last of the floor slid into the wall. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I am not going to like this place," Calloway muttered as he looked down at the bubbling tar pit he almost plummeted into. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| After a short walk through the maze - Calloway reluctantly found himself by similar cards. He sighed as he stepped in. like before - two joker cards slammed down - boxing him in. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "How are you liking the game so far?" Jest asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "What is getting me through is the though of me with my hands around your throat," he rebutted with a smile. Jest quietly laughed as he looked around. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "As you are from that part of the world - or should I say - your line - this one should be - very interesting indeed," Jest began. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Get on with it," Calloway muttered. Jest quietly laughed as he closed his eyes. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "In abundance - possessed by all - not appreciated until gone. Work with that one smart guy," Jest mused as two panels opened up by the roof causing two steady streams of sand to fall into the room. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I think I know the answer - but I'm not telling," the ghost mocked. Calloway looked at the cards on the walls beside him - the ace of spades - and the jack of spades. They were dressed like figures from Egyptian mythology. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I think I know it too," he began as he reached in his bag and took out a rusted bronze coin with an odd x like mark on one side. He turned it on its side - it looked like an hourglass. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "That the key?" the ghost asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I believe so," Calloway remarked. The ghost reached over and flicked it from his fingers. Calloway watched as it bounced off the wall and fell into the sand. "You filthy!" he shouted as he dove down where it landed and fished around for a few minutes until it was back in his hand. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "That was funny - you should have seen the look on your face," Luther mused. Calloway began to muttered as he looked at the two cards tracing his fingers over the hieroglyphics. He traced his fingers down the wall until he found a groove in the wall the same size. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "The answer," he began as he put the coin into the groove. "Is time," he replied. The sand stopped pouring in. just then the card he had put the coin in tilted back a bit. "Oh crap," he muttered as the floor slanted causing him to slide with the sand out of the room. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Some unknown amount of time later - in the control room - Jest was standing over a scale model of the maze Calloway was in. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Such a crafty snake," he mused as he reached in and moved a small action figure that looked like Calloway down a hall. "One last test - will he pass?" he pondered as he took out a tube like stone and balanced it on the edges of the card maze. "Or will he flat out fail?" he mused as the rounded rock began to roll down small grooves towards where the action figure was. "It is getting closer - will he succeed? Will he do the impossible - or just die?" he asked curiously as the rock rolled slowly towards the action figure. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| It was then that he could hear something. He smiled as he got up and walked away from the maze and made his way over to the metal door. He did some math in his head and then looked at his watch. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Five - four three two," he began. He opened the door - grabbed Calloway dragged him in - slammed the door shut as a large tube-like rock - similar to the one he placed in the maze a moment ago slammed into the door. "One," he concluded as he looked over at the Setite that was in a state between shock and disbelief. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You?" he began. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Congratulations!" Jest said happily as he hugged the stunned Follower of Set. "You have done - the impossible. To be honest - I didn't think you would make it passed the werewolf. If I was a betting man - I would have lost money there," Doctor Jest said as he released Calloway and happily made his way over to his desk. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Calloway blinked in sheer disbelief as the Doctor seemed to write down some notes on a clipboard. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Hello?" he remarked - Jest looked over and smiled at him. "What the fuck is going on?" he demanded. Jest blinked as he put his pen down. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Well - I do experiments of sorts . Every now and so often I need test subjects," he began. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You fucking used me like a lab rat?" Calloway interrupted. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "In a manner of speaking I guess you could say that," he admitted. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You are pretty fucking calm for a person about to be brutally beaten!" he shouted. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You don't want to hit someone as - charming as me do you?" the Doctor asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "No I suppose not," Calloway began but stopped. He glared at the Malkavian that was imposing his will on him. "Fuck off with the domination tricks!" he added angrily. Jest quietly laughed as he motioned for Calloway to have a seat. "I'd rather stand," he muttered. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "So be it. You are pissed at me - and hey - I can understand why. However," he began as he looked around the room - then at him. "I am not the one who instigated this. As I recall - so many moons ago - a certain brash Setite meandered into Eco looking for yours truly. Bullying some friends of mine - and charging in like some mad crusader," he pointed out. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "He's got you there," Luther piped in. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Shut up," Calloway hissed. Jest quietly laughed. "What the hell is so funny? Say me and I will rip your god damned fangs out!" he warned seriously. Jest smiled as he picked up his clipboard and put on a fake pair of glasses. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You want to know what I found out about you?" he asked curiously. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I couldn't care a less," he retorted. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You're lying - so I will tell you. You have spent a majority of your life doing physical hardship. You shy away from most modern firearms - and have an affinity for knives. This tells me that your line of work before your walk into the endless night - was questionably legal - a Private Investigator or body guard or something. You did something bad with a gun - and it almost got traced to you - hence - you opted to use knives. By the way you use them - I would wager you spent at least - ten mortal years practicing," Jest began. Calloway blinked in amazement. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Is he for real?" Luther asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Once over - as a snake - by your diligence - your mentor or sire - whoever sent you here - saw the promise in you - you impressed him or her," he continued as he turned the page. "And by the way you serve without question - I am wagering he has you seriously blood-bonded," he added looking at the next page. "How am I doing so far?" he asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Is there a point to this?" he rebutted. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Okay - Lastly - you - are touched. You are special and different from the others he or she has chosen. You have a sharp mind - that is almost as sharp as your daggers - which are on the table behind you," he began. Calloway looked over his shoulder and saw his silver daggers. "Not always relying on brute force - you use - cunning - finesse - intelligence - that - I find odd - in one that has followed the path of a serpent warrior," he said as he tossed the clipboard aside. "So - tell me hero - what do you want for winning the game?" he asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Uhm - your fucking head on a platter?" Calloway rebutted. Jest sighed and shook his head. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You could at least be original," he replied motioning for the vampire to look over on the shelf. Calloway looked over and saw a realistic severed head of Doctor Jest. "Now - seriously. You have taught me something. And when I learn something - I reward the teacher. So what do you want - or should I say - what does your sire, master, mentor want?" he asked curiously. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I was told to find you," Calloway began. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "And you have. Here I am - now what?" he rebutted. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "That was all the message said," he answered. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Message? Message you say? Do you still have?" he asked. Calloway put his foot on the table - hiked up his pants and pulled out the scroll he had stored in his sock. Jest walked over and looked at the message. "Hmm - seems straight forward enough," he said to himself. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "What does?" Calloway asked. Jest smiled as he put the scroll away. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Oh nothing. You know - I haven't been so amused - since the last time I got to play in Eco. For that - plus the lesson that you taught me - I owe you - one favor. No! I won't hear another word about it. When the time comes - you will need help - and help you will have!" he said triumphantly. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Whatever," Calloway muttered. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Oh - there is no tiny problem," Jest began as he slowly turned and smiled an evil sinister smile. "No one that knows of this place - can leave here - alive," he mused. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Just then the lights flickered off. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| A second later they flickered back on. Calloway was back in the asylum haven standing before a confused looking Slap Happy. He shook his head and looked around. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You okay partner?" Slap Happy asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "What the hell is going on?" he muttered. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "What are you talking about?" the other Malkavians asked as one. He was going to reply - but his mind was a blank. He looked around the haven. He say a little girl pale - painting a picture in blood on a wall. He blinked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You seem to be in another place?" Slap Happy remarked. Calloway looked over at the Primogen. He then looked at the wall the girl was painting on. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Was - was there always a wall there?" he asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Yeah - it sort of keeps the place from falling down," he replied sarcastically. Calloway shook his head as he walked over to the staircase and sat down. "You - uhm - you said that you wanted to play a game?" he reminded. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Game?" Calloway asked - trying to think back. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Man - you are gone. I like that. You know - not many people have the gusto to walk into a den of Mooks. You got guts," Slap Happy stated with a smile. Calloway looked over at the smiling lunatic. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Thanks - I think," he muttered. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Oh - that reminds me. A friend of mine said that - a gutsy kind of lunatic might happen by. If he does - I should give him this," Slap Happy teased as he danced over to a table and brought over a cake box. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "What is this?" Calloway muttered. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "A present. Enjoy - you earned it," the Primogen remarked with a wink as he danced over to where a remote was. Calloway was going to pursue the issue - but something told him it was wiser to let it drop. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I'm going to leave now," he stated as he got up and slowly made his way up the stairs. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Don't be a stranger!" Slap Happy called out as the visitor vanished from sight. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Think he bought it?" a scarred-face Malkavian asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "After an appointment with the Doctor - he'll buy just about anything he is offered. Come! We have games to play - pranks to pull!" he called out happily. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Later that night - close to sunrise - Calloway was safely back in his haven in the Warzone. He put the box on the table and carefully opened it. Inside was an object wrapped in a cloth-like material with hieroglyphic markings on it. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I have a feeling - this - is what he wanted," he pondered out loud. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You returned," a soft voice said from the shadows. He looked over his shoulder and watched as a Setite dancer stepped out from the shadows. "It was a while - I was worried something bad had happened to you," she began. He was going to reply when he saw an image of a giant squid. He sat down as he saw other more bizarre sights. "You okay?" she asked curiously. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I don't know," he replied. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Did you find him?" she asked. Calloway picked up the item that was in the box. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I believe so. The details are sketchy and what I'm seeing makes no sense at all," he replied. She smiled as she walked over and looked at the wrapped item. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "May I?" she asked. He placed it in her hands and watched as she slowly unwrapped it to reveal a golden talisman. "Huh - that Mook did have it," she said with a smile as she wrapped it back up. "What do you remember?" she asked curiously. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You wouldn't believe me if I told you," he rebutted. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I have known you for quite some time. You have never told me anything I couldn't believe - and I am a very skeptical person," she said as she put the item in the box and sat down on his bed. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "This might be the first," he pointed out. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Really? How interesting," she began as she watched the shadows slipping away through the boarded up window. "The dawn is coming - may I stay here?" she asked curiously. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Sure - does Snake know you are here?" he asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "He sent me to house sit this place until you returned," she answered. He smiled as he sat down on the bed beside her. "So what will it cost me to hear this tale?" she asked curiously - playfully coiling her arm around his. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I'm sure we can work something out," he replied with a smile as the two began to kiss. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The End? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||