The Known/Unknown Quantity

Chapter 194: Clarity Enables You to Accept Without Illusion

Chapter 194: Clarity Enables You to Accept Without Illusion

"Come again?" Crowley asked, taking off his glasses.

"Who are we meeting, demon?" Anathema emphasized. "Fall fairy, or spring?"

"Woll, fall of course."

"Crowley, you idiot. The fucking fall fairy!?!" Anathema darted up; her skirts went full on whirling dervish as she spun around. "Is it fall?"

He thought for a moment, then shrugged. "Southern Hemisphere." Rising, he began to circle her, and then the knoll in a jittery sort of way.

The witch froze. "Oh my god, really?"

"Best I figure."

"You never questioned it?"

"Um."

"Demon, has it always been like that?"

"Woll, no," he admitted, looking at the knoll, who seemed preoccupied with a puddle it was making, as opposed to sucking up per its function. A bit soggy, now that he thought about it for a knoll. I'mean, they can be really soggy, but this one was downright a bog on feet—

"You've been enchanted."

Now he was the spinning top. He yanked his eyes away to her so fast he hurt his neck. "Augh! Fuck! Enchanted!?! Me!?!"

"Happened before. You were poisoned."

Crowley sniffed and waved dismissively," Yeah, but that's over and done with now."

"Is it?"

The demon stormed back to argue the point, then went slack. "Oh....shit.....no......"

"That's what I thought. She's been influencing you. She's taken over for the other queen and made you accept the change without question."

"The bloody bitch."

"And maybe, she's making you think whatever payment she requires is quite harmless, but necessary."

"Now hold on!"

"Crowley—"

"Shut up for a minute, will you!" The demon grabbed his head and leaned against the wall. "Bloody hell, bloody hell, let me think.....I...I just...." He started to slide to a sitting position and the witch raced to catch him. "No...no....but there's no other recourse...."

"Demon," she declared, but he pushed her away, staggering to his feet.

"This is it! Nothing else!"

"Don't play the Knight of Wands and Swords!" she shouted.

"Bugger off with your Knight bullshit!" he blurted back, nearly frothing. "Okay, so she blindsided me! Should have caught it from the start. But all she did was tap into whot I already knew from the start!" He swooped back and leaned into her face, thumbing his chest. "You see any other use for me in those cards of yours? You see any other way? Cause I'll take it! Crack a window! Show me the light, any bit of light!" His voice was going mournful now, hopeless, thick. "Cos I'll take it! I'll do anything not to walk this path! Just! Point!"

Anathema lost all her breath. Her mouth worked, her eyes bulged, her clever mind race. And he waited, unblinking and panting. But she could not point out a way.

He sighed, his head falling. "Thought so. S'all right. Not the messenger's fault." He walked away, and she finally gasped for air, and made herself straighten.

He stood in the darkness, in the corner, those rail thin shoulders stooped.

And all she could offer him, was this:

"Listen to me, demon. We have been given nothing but riddles from the start. And not everything has turned out as we translated. The ending might not be so hopeless as it seems."

"But it is still fated," he said flatly. "It's all we have to go on. And it repeats its phrases in so many voices. Can we ignore it?"

"You trust this path?"

"I have no choice."

"But you can't trust her."

Crowley turned at the shoulder, his eyes glowing. "I can't even trust Aziraphale at the moment. But I trust, glumly I might add, that whot will be will be."

"And what must be is for the children, is it not?" a lyrical voice piped up from the door.

All eyes turned to see a creature more alien and arborescent than it had ever been. They couldn't help but be stupefied at its appearance.

"Well," laughed the fall queen. "Perhaps we should assuage your fears, dear girl, before we proceed."

"Woll, don't worry about me, then," Crowley muttered.

"We wouldn't dare," the queen sneered, showing the Venus Flytrap teeth. "Clear heads must prevail."