I frowned at him, and said nothing.
I didnt choose my father, either, Grey said. And he was a piece of work, too. But I do choose how I live my life. So pay up.
I nodded, slowly, and said, Whats it going to cost me?
He told me.
What? I said. That much?
Cash only, he said. Now.
I dont have that much on me, I said.
He snorted and said, I believe you. We going to have a problem?
No, I said. Ill go get it.
Sure, he said, and bowed his head again, as if prepared to wait from now until Judgment Day.
And I shambled back into the house, went in to Michael and asked, Can you loan me a dollar?
* * *
I watched Grey depart, walking down the sidewalk, turning the corner, and continuing on his way. The day had warmed up enough to melt the ice, and the evening was misty, cool, and humid. The streets gleamed. It was very quiet. For a moment, I stood there alone.
If you have a minute, I said to the air.
Uriel suddenly stood next to me.
Look at you, I said. Got your jet plane back.
Undamaged, he said. Michael is a good man.
Best I know, I said. Would you really have nuked Grey if hed come in the yard?
Uriel considered the statement for a moment. Then he said, Lets just say that Im relieved that he didnt make the attempt. It would have been awkward.
I think Im starting to see the picture now, I said. Who was really moving this whole mess.
I thought you might, he said.
But I dont get your role in it, I said. What was your angle?
Redemption, he said.
For Nicodemus? I asked him. You risked that muchyour grace, the Sword, Michael, mefor that clown?
Not only for him, Uriel said.
I thought about that for a second and then said, Jordan.
And the other squires, yes, Uriel said.
Why? I asked. They made their choices, too, didnt they?
Uriel seemed to consider the question for a moment. Some men fall from grace, he said slowly. Some are pushed.
I grunted. Then I said, Butters.
Uriel smiled.
When Cassius Snakeboy was about to gut me, I remember thinking that no Knight of the Cross was going to show up and save me.
Cassius was a former Knight of the Blackened Denarius, Uriel said. It seems appropriate that he should be countered by an incipient Knight of the Cross. Dont you think?
And the Sword breaking? I asked. Did you plan that, too?
I dont plan anything, Uriel said. I dont really do anything. Not unless one of the Fallen crosses the line.
No? What is your job, then?
I make it possible for mortals to make a choice, he said. Ms. Murphy chose to act in a way that would shatter the Sword. Mr. Butters chose to act with a selflessness and courage that proved him worthy to be a true Knight. And you chose to believe that a ruined, broken sword could make a difference. The sum of those acts created a Sword that is, in some ways, greater than what was broken.
I didnt choose for it to do that, I said. Seriously. There might be some kind of copyright infringement going on here.
Uriel smiled again. I must admit, he said, I never foresaw that particular form of faith being expressed under my purview.
Belief in a freaking movie? I asked him.
Belief in a story, Uriel said, of good confronting evil, of light overcoming darkness, of love transcending hate. He tilted his head. Isnt that where all faith begins?
I grunted and thought about it. Huh.
Uriel smiled.
Lot of Star Wars fans out there, I noted. Maybe more Star Wars fans than Catholics.
I liked the music, he said.
* * *
I took the extra box of diamonds and went to see Marcone.
Molly came with me, but I didnt need her intuition to know who I would find there. When we got there, she looked at the building and said, That bitch.
Yeah, I said.
I knocked at the door of the Brighter Future Society. It was a small but genuine castle that Marcone had paid to move to Chicago. It was not lost on me that he had erected the damned thing on the lot formerly occupied by the boardinghouse whose basement Id rented for years. Jerk.
The door opened and a man the height and width of a drawbridge glowered down at me. He had long hair, a mad bombers beard, and enough muscle to feed a thousand hungry vultures.
Your name is Skaldi Skheldson, I said. You know who I am. Im here to see Marcone and his guest.
Skaldi frowned. Skaldis frown would have been intimidating if I hadnt spent the past few days hanging out with the Genoskwa.
I bobbed an eyebrow at him and said, Well?
The frown became a scowl. But he stepped aside and let me in. I said, Thanks, and headed for the conference room. I knew right where it was. Id visited when I was a mostly dead ghost. Skaldi hurried to keep up with me. The fact that I already knew where I was going appeared to leave him a little unsettled.
I didnt choose my father, either, Grey said. And he was a piece of work, too. But I do choose how I live my life. So pay up.
I nodded, slowly, and said, Whats it going to cost me?
He told me.
What? I said. That much?
Cash only, he said. Now.
I dont have that much on me, I said.
He snorted and said, I believe you. We going to have a problem?
No, I said. Ill go get it.
Sure, he said, and bowed his head again, as if prepared to wait from now until Judgment Day.
And I shambled back into the house, went in to Michael and asked, Can you loan me a dollar?
* * *
I watched Grey depart, walking down the sidewalk, turning the corner, and continuing on his way. The day had warmed up enough to melt the ice, and the evening was misty, cool, and humid. The streets gleamed. It was very quiet. For a moment, I stood there alone.
If you have a minute, I said to the air.
Uriel suddenly stood next to me.
Look at you, I said. Got your jet plane back.
Undamaged, he said. Michael is a good man.
Best I know, I said. Would you really have nuked Grey if hed come in the yard?
Uriel considered the statement for a moment. Then he said, Lets just say that Im relieved that he didnt make the attempt. It would have been awkward.
I think Im starting to see the picture now, I said. Who was really moving this whole mess.
I thought you might, he said.
But I dont get your role in it, I said. What was your angle?
Redemption, he said.
For Nicodemus? I asked him. You risked that muchyour grace, the Sword, Michael, mefor that clown?
Not only for him, Uriel said.
I thought about that for a second and then said, Jordan.
And the other squires, yes, Uriel said.
Why? I asked. They made their choices, too, didnt they?
Uriel seemed to consider the question for a moment. Some men fall from grace, he said slowly. Some are pushed.
I grunted. Then I said, Butters.
Uriel smiled.
When Cassius Snakeboy was about to gut me, I remember thinking that no Knight of the Cross was going to show up and save me.
Cassius was a former Knight of the Blackened Denarius, Uriel said. It seems appropriate that he should be countered by an incipient Knight of the Cross. Dont you think?
And the Sword breaking? I asked. Did you plan that, too?
I dont plan anything, Uriel said. I dont really do anything. Not unless one of the Fallen crosses the line.
No? What is your job, then?
I make it possible for mortals to make a choice, he said. Ms. Murphy chose to act in a way that would shatter the Sword. Mr. Butters chose to act with a selflessness and courage that proved him worthy to be a true Knight. And you chose to believe that a ruined, broken sword could make a difference. The sum of those acts created a Sword that is, in some ways, greater than what was broken.
I didnt choose for it to do that, I said. Seriously. There might be some kind of copyright infringement going on here.
Uriel smiled again. I must admit, he said, I never foresaw that particular form of faith being expressed under my purview.
Belief in a freaking movie? I asked him.
Belief in a story, Uriel said, of good confronting evil, of light overcoming darkness, of love transcending hate. He tilted his head. Isnt that where all faith begins?
I grunted and thought about it. Huh.
Uriel smiled.
Lot of Star Wars fans out there, I noted. Maybe more Star Wars fans than Catholics.
I liked the music, he said.
* * *
I took the extra box of diamonds and went to see Marcone.
Molly came with me, but I didnt need her intuition to know who I would find there. When we got there, she looked at the building and said, That bitch.
Yeah, I said.
I knocked at the door of the Brighter Future Society. It was a small but genuine castle that Marcone had paid to move to Chicago. It was not lost on me that he had erected the damned thing on the lot formerly occupied by the boardinghouse whose basement Id rented for years. Jerk.
The door opened and a man the height and width of a drawbridge glowered down at me. He had long hair, a mad bombers beard, and enough muscle to feed a thousand hungry vultures.
Your name is Skaldi Skheldson, I said. You know who I am. Im here to see Marcone and his guest.
Skaldi frowned. Skaldis frown would have been intimidating if I hadnt spent the past few days hanging out with the Genoskwa.
I bobbed an eyebrow at him and said, Well?
The frown became a scowl. But he stepped aside and let me in. I said, Thanks, and headed for the conference room. I knew right where it was. Id visited when I was a mostly dead ghost. Skaldi hurried to keep up with me. The fact that I already knew where I was going appeared to leave him a little unsettled.
