![[Ace 217 Faaraon viimeinen nauru.png]] ## Chapter 1 — The Golden Cage The first thing Ace noticed was the silence. Not an absence of sound. There were plenty of sounds. Water trickled somewhere nearby. A bird called from an unseen garden. Fabric rustled in a faint breeze, and beyond the walls came the distant murmur of hundreds of human voices. But something was missing. The low electrical hum of the Watson safehouse. The occasional creak of the building settling around its inhabitants. The comforting, utterly familiar sounds of the women she loved. Ace kept her eyes closed for another moment. Something soft supported her back. The air smelled of jasmine, warm stone, and incense. A curious combination. She couldn't remember anyone buying incense recently. And she was reasonably certain the safehouse didn't have a jasmine garden. "Okay," she murmured. "Who redecorated?" No answer. She opened her eyes. A painted ceiling stretched above her. Rich blues and reds formed elaborate geometric patterns around figures of birds, serpents, and unfamiliar gods. Heavy wooden beams supported an immense canopy of white linen, its embroidered edges moving gently in the breeze. Sunlight poured between sandstone columns. Ace blinked. Then sat up. "What the fuck?" She was lying on a broad couch covered with silk cushions. A polished bronze basin stood nearby. Beyond it, a low table held grapes, figs, dates, and a beautifully decorated pitcher. There were carved wooden screens, flowering plants in ceramic pots, and an enormous golden statue of a woman with a cat's head. Ace considered the statue. "Well. That's new." She looked down. And stopped. She was wearing white linen. Very little white linen. An elaborate collar of gold and precious stones covered her shoulders, while fine chains draped across her torso and waist. Wide golden bracelets encircled her wrists. Her ankles bore matching ornaments, and her hair had been arranged with small decorative pieces of gold. Someone had spent considerable time preparing her appearance. Ace stared. Then looked toward the ceiling. "Oh, somebody is going to regret this." She pulled experimentally at one of the decorative chains. It came free without resistance. At least she wasn't physically shackled. That was something. She stood, discovering that her bare feet rested on a thick woven carpet. A nearby polished bronze mirror reflected a woman who looked thoroughly unimpressed with her circumstances. Ace studied herself. "Right. Ancient Egyptian luxury brothel. Apparently." She adjusted the linen, making it slightly more practical. "Next question. Where the hell am I?" She walked toward the nearest opening. Two guards stood outside. They were enormous men wearing bronze helmets and decorative leather armor. Each carried a long spear. Ace stopped. The guards turned toward her. One bowed. "My lady." Ace raised an eyebrow. "Morning." Neither man smiled. "Excellent. We're off to a wonderful start." She looked past them. An enormous courtyard lay beyond the columns. Sandstone buildings surrounded a marketplace crowded with people, animals, and stalls covered in brightly colored fabric. The sky above was almost painfully blue. No skyscrapers. No holo advertisements. No distant sound of traffic. Not even a suspicious-looking delivery drone. Ace slowly looked back at the guards. "Okay. I have several questions." The first guard bowed again. "My lady." "First, where am I?" "In the royal market." "Which royal market?" The guard looked confused. Ace waited. Nothing. "Geography isn't your strongest subject, is it?" The second guard shifted slightly. "The Pharaoh has provided every comfort for you, my lady." Ace examined him. "The Pharaoh." "Yes, my lady." "Of course." She folded her arms. "And what exactly does your Pharaoh want with me?" The guards exchanged a glance. "The Pharaoh has chosen you." Ace stared. Then she smiled. A slow, dangerous smile. "Has he?" The first guard lowered his head. "It is the greatest honor." "Sweetheart, I've heard that line before. It generally ends badly for the person saying it." Neither guard appeared to understand. Ace sighed. "Right. Can I leave?" "My lady must remain within the royal pavilion." "That wasn't what I asked." "The Pharaoh will summon you when the preparations are complete." Ace glanced toward the courtyard. "Wonderful. Well, you can tell him I have a previous engagement." She stepped forward. Both guards lowered their spears. The weapons crossed neatly in front of her. Ace stopped. Looked down at the spears. Then up at the guards. "Really?" Neither moved. She took another step. The spears remained in place. Ace reached out and gripped one of the wooden shafts. "Move it." The guard did not react. She pushed. The spear did not move. Ace frowned. She pushed harder. Nothing. That was interesting. The guard hadn't braced himself. His muscles hadn't visibly tightened. He wasn't even leaning into the weapon. The spear simply remained exactly where it was. Ace released it. "Well, that's not normal." She stepped backward. The guards immediately raised their spears. Ace watched them for a moment. Then looked at the space between the columns. She tried stepping through a different opening. The guards moved to intercept her. She changed direction. They followed. Ace stopped again. "So I'm not a guest." "My lady is greatly honored." "No, honey. I'm imprisoned." The guard looked genuinely troubled by the accusation. Ace studied his expression. It wasn't fear. Not exactly. It was the expression of someone confronted with a statement that didn't fit the world he understood. As though the concept of her being a prisoner simply couldn't exist alongside the idea that she was honored. Ace's eyes narrowed. "Interesting." She returned to the couch. Not because she intended to stay there. Because she needed to think. The marketplace was enormous. That much became increasingly obvious as Ace explored the limits of her luxurious prison. The pavilion occupied a raised terrace overlooking the main square. From there she could see merchants displaying jewelry, pottery, elaborate clothing, and unfamiliar metalwork. A procession of heavily laden animals moved between the stalls. Children darted through the crowds. Priests in elaborate headdresses walked beneath banners bearing symbols she didn't recognize. Everything appeared historically convincing. At least to someone whose knowledge of ancient Egypt came mostly from books, films, and the occasional spectacularly inaccurate entertainment simulation. But the details were wrong. Subtly. A statue at the far end of the square appeared taller every time she looked at it. A group of merchants passed the same fountain three times, having exactly the same conversation each time. And a bird suspended above the courtyard remained motionless for several seconds before suddenly continuing its flight. Ace watched it disappear. "Dream." She said the word quietly. Then considered it. It would explain the architecture. The guards. The clothing. The impossible spear. But she couldn't remember falling asleep. Her last clear memory was the safehouse. Mai had been beside her. Shammy had been teasing Brenda about something involving a coffee machine. Yukari had been occupying an unreasonable amount of space on the bed for an animal considerably smaller than a human being. Iris had laughed. There had been warmth. Familiarity. Home. And then... Nothing. Ace frowned. "Okay. Nightmare, then." She looked toward the guards. "Wouldn't be the first." Still, something bothered her. Ordinary dreams usually didn't remain this coherent. The sandstone beneath her feet felt real. The sunlight warmed her skin. She could smell cooking food from the market. And every attempt to leave the pavilion produced exactly the same response. There were rules here. Very specific rules. Someone had established them. Ace stood. "Let's find out how many." She walked to the nearest serving table and picked up a bronze cup. Filled it with water. Then poured the water onto the carpet. The liquid darkened the fabric. Perfectly ordinary. She dropped the cup. It struck the stone with a loud metallic clang. One of the guards flinched. Ace smiled. "Good. Some things work." She picked up a small knife from a fruit platter. Not much of a weapon. But considerably better than nothing. She tucked it beneath the folds of her clothing. Then attempted to move behind one of the decorative screens. The screen had been positioned near the edge of the pavilion. Beyond it stood a low wall overlooking a narrow side passage. Ace studied the distance. Three meters, perhaps. An easy jump under normal circumstances. She climbed onto the low wall. The passage below seemed to shift. It wasn't moving. Not precisely. It was becoming farther away. Ace looked down. The distance stretched. Three meters became ten. Then twenty. Then something immeasurable. She stepped down. The passage returned to normal. Ace stared. "Oh, that's just rude." She tried again. The same thing happened. Someone had made the pavilion impossible to escape by ordinary means. Fine. That left the question of why. And who. Ace looked toward the distant marketplace. "All right, you bastard. What are you hiding?" The answer began with a horn. A low, resonant sound rolled across the square. Conversations faded. Merchants stopped their transactions. The guards at the pavilion straightened. A second horn followed. Then a third. Ace turned toward the sound. At the far end of the marketplace stood a raised stone platform beneath an enormous canopy decorated with gold and lapis-blue fabric. She had noticed it earlier. But now the crowd was moving away from it, creating a broad avenue leading toward the center of the square. Servants hurried across the platform. Several armed men stood beside enormous wooden structures partially concealed beneath heavy linen covers. Ace leaned forward. "What are those?" Neither guard answered. She turned. "I asked a question." The younger guard hesitated. "The offerings, my lady." Ace felt something unpleasant stir in her stomach. "Offerings?" "For the royal auction." She slowly turned back toward the platform. The linen covers were being removed. Underneath stood cages. Large wooden cages reinforced with iron. Five of them. Ace went still. People occupied the cages. For a moment she couldn't make out their faces. They stood too far away, partially obscured by the shifting crowd. Then a woman in the first cage stepped forward. Silver hair caught the sunlight. Ace stopped breathing. "No." The woman raised her head. Even at that distance, Ace recognized her. The posture. The expression. The unmistakable way she held herself when she was furious and trying not to reveal it. "Mai?" Ace moved toward the edge of the pavilion. The guards crossed their spears. She barely noticed. "MAI!" Across the square, the silver-haired woman turned. Their eyes met. Mai gripped the bars. Ace saw her mouth form a word. Her name. Ace shoved against the spears. "GET OUT OF MY WAY!" The guards remained motionless. She tried to duck beneath the weapons. The space between them narrowed. She stepped sideways. The pavilion suddenly seemed to extend endlessly in that direction. Ace stopped. Breathing hard. The world was changing around her. Not randomly. Deliberately. Keeping her separated from Mai. She looked toward the cages again. A second woman appeared behind the bars. Familiar. Beautiful. Her expression more puzzled than frightened. Shammy. Ace's heart lurched. Then she saw the third cage. A woman with dark hair threaded with copper-red streaks stood perfectly still, one hand resting against the iron bars. Golden eyes watched the square. Yukari. The last two cages remained partly hidden behind the guards and the gathering crowd. But Ace already knew. Iris. Brenda. All five. Here. Imprisoned. Ace turned toward the younger guard. Her voice was very quiet. "Who put them there?" The man lowered his eyes. "My lady..." "Who?" The guard swallowed. "They are gifts for the Pharaoh's pleasure." Ace stared at him. Something in her expression made the man take an involuntary step backward. "Gifts." He nodded. "For the royal auction." Ace looked toward the platform. Mai was watching her. Shammy had moved closer to the bars. And Yukari... Yukari was no longer looking at Ace. She was staring toward the enormous doors behind the auction platform. Her golden eyes had narrowed. Ace recognized that expression. It was the look Yukari wore when something ancient had attracted her attention. Something she understood. Something she did not like. The horns sounded again. The entire marketplace fell silent. A voice rose above the square. Rich. Smooth. Perfectly composed. "Let the offerings be presented." Ace went cold. She knew that voice. The enormous doors began opening. Beyond them waited a hall of polished black stone. A figure stood in its shadows. Tall. Regal. Skin so profoundly black that the surrounding light seemed to disappear against it. The Black Pharaoh. Ace slowly closed her eyes. For one heartbeat, she said nothing. Then she opened them again. "Oh, you absolute bastard." The figure stepped forward. And smiled. "My dear Ace." The voice carried effortlessly across the square. "I do hope you are enjoying your accommodations." Ace gripped the edge of the sandstone railing. "Let them go." A soft laugh. "But the festivities have barely begun." The Pharaoh spread his hands. "Surely you wouldn't deprive me of my entertainment?" Ace stared at him. Across the square, Mai stood motionless behind her bars. Shammy was watching the Pharaoh with an expression Ace couldn't quite interpret. And Yukari... For the first time since Ace had known her, Yukari looked at something with neither amusement nor curiosity. Only cold recognition. The Pharaoh appeared not to notice. He was too occupied enjoying Ace's expression. "Welcome," he said warmly, "to my court." Ace did not answer. She looked at the five cages. Then back at the smiling figure in black. And made herself a promise. Whatever this place was, whatever rules governed it, whatever impossible power had brought them here... She would find a way to her family. And the Pharaoh would regret making them part of his entertainment. Far across the square, Shammy slowly lifted her head. A faint breeze stirred the sand beneath her cage. Beside her, Yukari's fingers tightened around the iron bars. Neither woman smiled. And somewhere beyond the brilliant blue sky, something ancient shifted in its sleep. --- ## Chapter 2 — Five Familiar Faces Mai had been awake for approximately twenty minutes. At least, she thought it was twenty minutes. The sun hadn't moved. Neither had the shadow cast by the enormous statue overlooking the marketplace. And the same man had walked past her cage carrying a basket of dates four times. On the fourth occasion, he had tripped over exactly the same uneven stone. Mai watched him recover his balance, adjust his basket, and continue walking. "Well," she murmured, "that's convincing." "Which part?" The voice came from the neighboring cage. Iris. Her friend sat on the wooden floor with her back against the bars, examining a small iron fitting she had managed to work loose from the cage's corner. "The part where we're apparently trapped inside somebody's badly designed historical simulation." Iris glanced at the fitting. "Simulation?" "Or dream. Possibly both." "Great. I was hoping for something with a reasonable explanation." Mai leaned against the bars separating them. "How's the lock?" "Ridiculous." "That good?" "No. Ridiculous as in I can see exactly how to open it, but the mechanism changes every time I touch it." Iris held up the fitting. "This was a pin a moment ago." Mai looked. It was now a small bronze flower. She raised an eyebrow. "Decorative." "Fuck you." "Love you too." Iris tossed the flower toward the opposite side of her cage. It vanished before reaching the floor. For several seconds, neither woman spoke. Then Iris sighed. "Okay. Dream." "Probably." "Whose?" "That's the interesting question." From the next cage came a familiar voice. "I have a few suggestions." Brenda stood at the bars, examining the heavy hinges of her door with professional disgust. "First possibility: someone has developed a neurological interface capable of projecting an entire shared environment." Mai looked toward her. "Second?" "Somebody's drugged us." "Third?" Brenda rattled the bars. "Magic." She pronounced the word with the profound irritation of an engineer confronting equipment that refused to obey its own specifications. Iris smiled. "You say that like it's personally offended you." "It has." Brenda gave the cage door another experimental shove. "The hinges are decorative. The lock is decorative. Hell, half the ironwork is decorative. This entire thing is a fucking insult to competent construction." Mai looked down at the floor. The boards beneath her feet appeared to be solid wood. She crouched and pressed her fingers against one. For a moment, she felt ordinary grain beneath her fingertips. Then the wood became smooth. Then warm stone. Then wood again. "Brenda?" "Yeah?" "I don't think engineering is going to help." Brenda stared at her. "Don't say things like that." Two cages farther along, Yukari was sitting cross-legged on the floor. She looked extraordinarily comfortable for someone being held prisoner. Her hair, nearly black with copper-red streaks, fell over one shoulder. Her golden eyes followed the movements of the crowd with quiet interest. She had spent the first several minutes attempting to change into her fox form. That hadn't worked. She had then attempted something considerably more subtle. That hadn't worked either. Finally, she'd touched the bars and listened. There was something behind them. Not a conventional enchantment. Not a binding she recognized. The iron itself possessed no particular power. Nor did the wood, the lock, or the hinges. The restriction existed somewhere deeper. In the rules of the place. Someone had constructed a world in which Yukari could not leave her cage. And that someone had been very careful. "Well," she murmured, "this is elaborate." A familiar voice answered from the next enclosure. "Unnecessarily elaborate." Yukari turned. Shammy stood with one hand resting against the bars, looking toward the brilliant blue sky. "Good morning, darling." "Is it morning?" "Technically, I have no idea." Yukari smiled. "That's reassuring." Shammy examined the air around her fingers. A tiny current of wind formed, swirling a few grains of sand into a miniature spiral. Then it stopped. Not because she had dismissed it. The wind simply ceased to exist. Shammy frowned. "That was rude." Yukari tilted her head. "Someone doesn't want you playing with the weather." "Apparently." Shammy tried again. This time a faint coolness touched the bars. For an instant, moisture gathered on the iron. Then vanished. Shammy lowered her hand. "Hmm." "Interesting?" "Very." "Troubling?" "Potentially." Yukari looked back toward the marketplace. "Do you recognize the place?" "The architecture?" "The feeling." Shammy considered that. "Yes." Yukari nodded slowly. "So do I." They exchanged a glance. Neither elaborated. Not yet. The horns sounded. All five women turned toward the far side of the square. A procession of priests emerged from an enormous doorway, accompanied by guards carrying ceremonial standards. The crowd bowed. Mai watched the procession for several seconds. Then looked toward Shammy. "Any ideas?" Shammy didn't answer immediately. Her gaze had settled on the black stone surrounding the distant doorway. "Perhaps." "Care to share?" Yukari rose. "Shammy and I have encountered something rather like this before." Mai's expression sharpened. "Something?" "A certain individual," Yukari corrected. Brenda leaned against her bars. "Please tell me this individual isn't another ancient supernatural lunatic." Yukari gave her an apologetic smile. "Would you prefer the comforting answer or the accurate one?" "Goddammit." Iris looked between them. "Wait. You actually know who's doing this?" "Not conclusively," Shammy said. "But you suspect." "Yes." Mai folded her arms. "Then let's hear it." Yukari studied the marketplace again. The repeating merchants. The immovable shadows. The impossible cages. The elaborate Egyptian setting. And the unmistakable sense of being watched by something that found the entire situation profoundly entertaining. "There is one particular being," she said, "who has always had a rather excessive fondness for theatrical cruelty." Shammy nodded. "Especially when he thinks he has a captive audience." Iris closed her eyes. "Please don't tell me..." Yukari's expression became thoughtful. "The Black Pharaoh." Brenda stared. "Oh, for fuck's sake." Mai's face hardened. "Nyarlathotep." "Most likely," Shammy said. The name seemed to linger in the air. For a moment, the distant marketplace fell oddly quiet. Then the crowd resumed its conversation. Mai noticed. So did Iris. Brenda glanced toward the ceiling of her cage. "Did the fucking world just listen to us?" Yukari's smile was faint. "I believe it did." Mai stepped closer to the bars facing the royal pavilion. From her position, she could see an elevated terrace overlooking the square. White linen moved in the breeze. Two guards stood beneath a richly decorated canopy. And between them... Mai stopped. A woman stood at the railing. White linen. Gold ornaments. A familiar face. "Ace?" Iris was on her feet instantly. "Where?" "Across the square. The royal pavilion." Brenda pressed herself against the bars. Then stared. "Oh, you have got to be kidding me." Ace was trying to push past the guards. Their spears barred her way. Even from that distance, Mai could see the fury in her expression. "Ace!" Mai shouted her name. Ace's head snapped toward her. Their eyes met. For one precious moment, the impossibility of the world seemed unimportant. Ace was here. Alive. Conscious. And furious. Mai had never been so relieved to see someone furious. She gripped the bars. "ACE!" Across the square, Ace shouted something back. The words vanished in the distance. Iris moved beside Mai, trying to get a better view. "Is she okay?" "She looks okay." "That's not exactly an answer." "It's the best I've got." Brenda examined the pavilion. Then noticed Ace's clothing. "Oh, this is going to be a conversation." Mai glanced at her. "Brenda." "What? I'm not saying anything." "You're thinking very loudly." Brenda folded her arms. "I can multitask." A soft laugh came from Yukari's cage. "She does look rather splendid." Mai looked toward her. "Not helping." "Merely observing." Shammy had moved toward the front of her enclosure. Her expression softened as she watched Ace. "She knows we're here now." "Yes," Mai said. "And she won't stop trying to reach us." "No," Shammy agreed. "She won't." There was affection in her voice. And something else. Concern. Because Ace was standing alone in the royal pavilion. And if Yukari's suspicion was correct, that detail had not been chosen at random. The square changed. Not visibly at first. There was no sudden movement, no thunder, no impossible transformation. The crowd simply began arranging itself around the central avenue. Merchants stepped aside. Servants carried cushions and ceremonial objects toward the platform. Guards approached the cages. A man in elaborate robes appeared before Mai's enclosure. He carried a polished wooden staff adorned with gold. "Honored offerings," he announced, "prepare yourselves for presentation." Mai looked at him. "Excuse me?" The man bowed. "You have been selected for the pleasure of the royal court." Brenda made a strangled noise. "Selected?" "Yes." "By whom?" "The Pharaoh." Iris looked at Mai. Mai looked at Iris. Then both turned toward the man. "No," Mai said. The attendant blinked. "My lady?" "No." He appeared genuinely perplexed. "The Pharaoh has commanded..." "Then the Pharaoh can reconsider." The attendant stared. For a moment, he seemed unsure how to respond. Then his expression smoothed into the same empty courtesy Mai had seen on the faces of the marketplace guards. "All is as our lord desires." He walked away. Brenda watched him go. "Well, that was productive." Iris leaned against the bars. "I really hate this place." Yukari didn't speak. She was watching the attendants approaching the other cages. Watching the way the crowd moved. Watching the ceremonial platform. And slowly understanding what Nyarlathotep had arranged. A royal auction. Five captives. And Ace positioned separately, dressed as the Pharaoh's favored companion. Yukari's smile disappeared. Shammy noticed. "Yukari?" No answer. "Darling?" Yukari turned toward her. There was no fear in her golden eyes. No uncertainty. But the amusement was gone. Completely. "He has done this deliberately." Shammy looked toward the royal pavilion. "Yes." "Not simply to frighten us." "No." Yukari spoke very quietly. "To make Ace watch." Shammy's expression changed. For several seconds, the two ancient beings regarded one another in silence. Then Shammy looked toward the distant doorway. "Oh." It was a very small word. Almost gentle. But something in her voice made Mai turn. "Shammy?" Shammy did not look at her. "I believe our acquaintance has badly misjudged this situation." Yukari nodded. "Very badly." A guard approached Yukari's cage. He carried a ceremonial chain. "Present your wrists." Yukari looked at him. Then at the chain. "No." The guard hesitated. "The Pharaoh commands..." "I heard you." Her voice remained perfectly polite. The guard stepped closer. "Present your wrists." Yukari stood. She was not particularly tall. Nor did she make any dramatic movement. She simply approached the bars and looked into the man's eyes. For an instant, something in her expression changed. A glimpse of immense age. Of forests that had stood before cities existed. Of old, patient things that did not appreciate being treated as possessions. The guard recoiled. Then blinked. The expression on his face reset. "The Pharaoh commands..." Yukari sighed. "Yes. We've established that." She stepped backward. The guard continued standing there, waiting for a response his limited understanding apparently couldn't accommodate. Shammy watched from the neighboring cage. "That didn't work." "No." "Interesting." "Less interesting than it was five minutes ago." Shammy nodded. Yukari turned toward her. "Do you remember the last time we encountered him?" "At the reception?" "Before that." Shammy considered. Then smiled faintly. "The incident with the impossible staircase?" "Among others." "He did seem terribly pleased with himself." "He usually does." Shammy looked toward the guards. "And you found him amusing." "So did you." "Yes." They were silent for a moment. Then Yukari said, "I don't anymore." Shammy's smile faded. "Neither do I." It wasn't a threat. It wasn't an oath. Neither raised her voice. But the words marked something neither could easily reverse. Nyarlathotep had always been dangerous. They had known that. He had always enjoyed manipulating lesser beings, creating confusion and observing the consequences. They had known that too. But until now, his games had been something they could watch from a distance. Occasionally irritating. Occasionally entertaining. Rarely worth their direct attention. Now he had reached into their home. Taken their family. Placed the people they loved inside a cruel performance. And expected them to find it amusing. Yukari looked toward the royal doorway. Her expression was utterly calm. "He's made a mistake." Shammy nodded. "A very serious one." Mai had been listening. She walked toward the bars separating her cage from Shammy's. "Tell me something." Shammy turned. "Of course." "Can we get out?" "Not by the methods I've tried." "Can he hurt us?" Shammy considered the question carefully. "This is a constructed dream. I don't yet know how much of its harm can follow us into waking reality." Mai absorbed that. "Can he keep us here?" "I don't know." "Can he control what we do?" Yukari answered. "He can constrain our circumstances. That much is obvious." "But?" Yukari met her eyes. "But he cannot make me approve of him." Mai's expression softened slightly. "Good." "And he cannot make me forget what he has done." Shammy moved closer. "Nor me." Iris looked toward Brenda. "That's reassuring in a deeply unsettling sort of way." Brenda nodded. "Yep." Mai turned toward the distant pavilion again. Ace was still standing at the railing. Still watching them. Still trying to find a way through. Mai placed one hand against the bars. "Hold on, sweetheart," she whispered. Across the square, Ace seemed to understand. She raised one hand. Mai raised hers in return. A simple gesture. No magic. No impossible powers. Just a promise between two people who loved each other. I'm here. I see you. We're not giving up. The horns sounded again. This time, the entire marketplace fell silent. The guards moved into formation. Servants knelt. The attendants lowered their heads. Beyond the ceremonial platform, immense doors began to open. Black stone gleamed in the darkness beyond them. The air grew colder. Yukari turned toward the doorway. Shammy stood beside the bars of her own cage, utterly still. Mai glanced between them. "That's him?" Yukari nodded. "Yes." "Certain?" "Completely." A figure emerged from the shadows. Tall. Regal. Draped in rich ceremonial fabric. His skin was so profoundly black that the sunlight seemed unwilling to touch it. He walked with the relaxed confidence of someone who had never seriously contemplated being denied anything. The Black Pharaoh. Nyarlathotep. A delighted smile spread across his face as he surveyed the square. Then his gaze found the royal pavilion. Ace. His smile widened. "My dear Ace." His voice traveled effortlessly through the marketplace. "I do hope you slept well." From her distant terrace came a furious shout. Nyarlathotep laughed. It was a rich, genuinely amused sound. He was enjoying himself enormously. Then he turned toward the cages. His eyes passed over Mai. Iris. Brenda. Shammy. Yukari. He inclined his head in greeting. "Such distinguished company." Yukari said nothing. Shammy regarded him in silence. Nyarlathotep appeared delighted by their attention. "Why, my dear old acquaintances. I trust you appreciate the effort I've made." Yukari slowly tilted her head. An almost affectionate gesture. Almost. Then she spoke. "You should have left us out of this." The words were quiet. But they carried clearly through the square. Nyarlathotep paused. For the briefest instant, surprise flickered across his expression. Then he smiled again. "Oh, Yukari. Surely you haven't lost your sense of humor." Shammy stepped forward. "No," she answered. Her voice was gentle. "We haven't." Nyarlathotep spread his hands. "Then enjoy the entertainment!" He turned toward the assembled crowd. The priests raised their staffs. The horns sounded. And the Pharaoh began his performance. Behind the bars, Yukari watched him without blinking. Shammy stood beside her in the neighboring cage. Neither spoke. Neither smiled. For the first time in their long acquaintance with the Crawling Chaos, they were no longer spectators enjoying the absurdity of his games. They were involved. Personally. And Nyarlathotep, in his infinite delight at his own cleverness, had not yet understood the difference. --- ## Chapter 3 — The Pharaoh's Entertainment Nyarlathotep was having a wonderful morning. The sun shone. The marketplace was magnificent. His servants were behaving precisely as expected. And his guests were finally beginning to appreciate the extraordinary care he had invested in their accommodations. Well. Five of his guests, perhaps, were somewhat less appreciative than he had hoped. The sixth was shouting obscenities from the royal pavilion. He considered that an excellent start. "My friends!" he announced, spreading his arms toward the assembled crowd. "Welcome to a celebration of fortune, beauty, and the incomparable generosity of your Pharaoh!" The marketplace erupted in applause. Thousands of hands clapped. Thousands of voices cheered. Every movement perfectly synchronized. From her cage, Iris watched the crowd. "That's disturbing." Brenda leaned against the neighboring bars. "Which part?" "The applause." "Yeah?" "Nobody's moving independently." Brenda studied the nearest spectators. They were smiling. Clapping. Cheering. All at precisely the same rhythm. Not one looked toward the cages. Not one appeared interested in the people supposedly being auctioned. They were an audience, and their only purpose was to behave like one. "Well," Brenda muttered, "at least we know what passes for quality entertainment around here." Mai looked toward the royal pavilion. Ace stood at its edge, gripping the sandstone railing. Even from across the square, Mai could practically hear her teeth grinding. "She's going to explode," Iris observed. "Probably," Mai said. "Should we be worried?" "About Ace?" "About everyone else." Mai smiled faintly. "Definitely." "My dear Ace!" Nyarlathotep turned toward the pavilion. "Would you care to join me?" Ace stared at him. "Would you care to go fuck yourself?" A peculiar silence descended over the marketplace. Several servants looked horrified. One elderly priest appeared moments away from fainting. Nyarlathotep merely laughed. "Oh, delightful!" He extended one hand. "Come, my dear. Your place is beside me." Ace felt the world shift. There was no warning. One moment she stood at the pavilion railing. The next, she was standing on the ceremonial platform beside the Black Pharaoh. She hadn't moved. The distance had simply ceased to exist. Ace stumbled slightly. Nyarlathotep caught her elbow. "Careful." She jerked her arm away. "Don't touch me." He released her immediately, still smiling. "As you wish." Ace looked around. The platform stood above the entire marketplace. The five cages were arranged directly in front of it. Close enough now that she could see every familiar face. Mai. Shammy. Yukari. Iris. Brenda. Her chest tightened. "Mai!" Mai gripped the bars. "Ace!" Ace ran toward her. Three steps. Four. The distance between them remained unchanged. Ace stopped. Looked down. Then back toward Nyarlathotep. He was watching with undisguised pleasure. "Oh, don't let the architecture trouble you. Distance is such a tiresome convention." Ace took another step. The cage moved farther away. Not physically. It remained exactly where it was. Yet somehow there was more space between them. Ace closed her eyes. Counted to three. Opened them. "You've had your fun." Nyarlathotep tilted his head. "Have I?" "Let them out." "But we haven't even begun." "They're not yours." His smile widened. "Nothing here belongs to anyone without my permission." Ace turned fully toward him. "That's going to be a problem." "Only if you insist on making it one." She glanced toward the cages again. Shammy was watching her with a gentle expression. Yukari stood beside the bars, her face unreadable. Iris raised two fingers in a small greeting. Brenda mouthed something that looked suspiciously like kick him. Mai met her eyes. Think. Ace recognized the instruction without needing to hear it. Mai wasn't asking her to surrender. She was reminding her that charging blindly into impossible rules wasn't going to help. Ace drew a slow breath. Then turned back to the Pharaoh. "All right." Nyarlathotep looked delighted. "Excellent!" "Let's talk." He provided her with a throne. Naturally. It materialized beside his own as though it had always been there. Gold. Ivory. An excessive number of cushions. Ace examined it with profound distaste. "Seriously?" "My dear, you are my honored companion." "I'm your prisoner." "Such an unpleasant word." "Accurate, though." Nyarlathotep gestured toward the seat. "Please." Ace remained standing. He waited. She folded her arms. After several moments, he sighed theatrically. "Very well. We shall conduct our conversation standing." "Wonderful. First question. Why us?" "Why not?" "Try again." He smiled. "Oh, Ace. Must every mystery be reduced to an explanation?" "When you drag my family into it? Yes." The Pharaoh regarded her thoughtfully. "Your little household fascinates me." Ace said nothing. "So many remarkable individuals. So many extraordinary arrangements. Such delightful contradictions." "Get to the point." "You live together, love together, fight together, and somehow continue to believe the universe ought to respect your decisions." Ace raised an eyebrow. "It generally works out better for the universe when it does." Nyarlathotep laughed. "Precisely! That attitude!" He leaned forward. "Do you know how fascinating it is to watch mortals insist upon their own importance?" Ace glanced toward Yukari's cage. Then Shammy's. "Mortals?" A tiny flicker crossed the Pharaoh's face. Then vanished. "An imprecise generalization." "Pretty big one." "My apologies." "Accepted. Now open the cages." "Ah. No." Ace sighed. "Worth trying." Nyarlathotep rose from his throne. "Consider this an experiment." "On what?" "Choice." Ace looked at him. Then toward the five women behind the bars. Something cold moved through her stomach. Nyarlathotep noticed. His smile softened into something almost tender. "Yes. Now you understand." The first attendant approached Mai's cage carrying a wooden tablet. He bowed deeply. "First offering. A woman of uncommon beauty, intelligence, and martial skill." Mai closed her eyes. "Oh, wonderful." The attendant continued. "Possessed of a fierce temperament, suitable for a noble household seeking a spirited companion." Brenda made a noise somewhere between a cough and a laugh. Mai turned toward her. "Don't." "I'm not saying anything." "Your face is." The attendant tapped his staff against the platform. "Let the bidding commence!" A man in expensive linen raised his hand. "Twenty measures of gold!" Another shouted, "Thirty!" A third offered forty. Ace stepped toward the front of the platform. "Stop." The attendant continued as though she hadn't spoken. "Fifty measures!" "I SAID STOP!" The entire marketplace froze. Not metaphorically. Every person stopped moving. Hands remained suspended in the air. Mouths stayed open. A bird hung motionless above the crowd. Even the sound of the fountain disappeared. Ace slowly turned toward Nyarlathotep. He sat comfortably on his throne, one leg crossed over the other. "Yes, my dear?" Ace stared. "What the fuck did you just do?" "Paused the proceedings." "Why?" "You asked me to stop." She looked toward Mai. Mai was still moving. Still conscious. Still watching. The five women in the cages were unaffected. Nyarlathotep gestured toward the frozen crowd. "See? I can be accommodating." Ace approached him. "Let. Them. Go." "Eventually." "When?" "When the entertainment has concluded." "That's not an answer." "It's the only one you're receiving." He snapped his fingers. The marketplace resumed. "Sixty measures!" "Seventy!" The auctioneer shouted triumphantly. "An exceptional bid!" Ace stared at the crowd. Then she laughed. A short, bitter sound. "Oh, you're pathetic." Nyarlathotep turned. "Really?" "You've built an entire world just to force six women to participate in your little fantasy." His expression remained amused. Ace pointed toward the audience. "And you even have to make the audience cheer." For the first time, Nyarlathotep said nothing. Ace stepped closer. "Nobody here actually wants anything. They're just doing what you tell them." The Pharaoh considered that. Then smiled. "Does that make their enthusiasm less satisfying?" "Yes." "How interesting." "And you know what else?" "Do tell." Ace pointed toward Mai. "She'd never choose this." Then Iris. "Neither would she." Brenda. "Definitely not her." Shammy. "Not in a million years." Finally, Yukari. "And you should know better than to try it with her." Nyarlathotep looked toward the kitsune. Yukari met his gaze. Her golden eyes were calm. Utterly calm. The Pharaoh smiled. "Oh, I suspect our dear Yukari appreciates a little theatricality." Yukari did not answer. He raised an eyebrow. "No witty observation?" Silence. "Surely you have something to say." Yukari regarded him for another moment. Then spoke. "You've misunderstood us." Nyarlathotep laughed. "Have I?" "Completely." His amusement deepened. "How intriguing!" Shammy stepped toward the bars of her cage. "She's telling you something important." Nyarlathotep turned toward her. "My dear Sera. Surely you're not taking this personally?" Shammy looked at him. For a brief moment, sadness crossed her expression. Not fear. Not anger. Something closer to disappointment. "Yes," she said quietly. "I am." Nyarlathotep blinked. Then his familiar smile returned. "Well! How wonderfully human of you." Shammy said nothing. The Pharaoh turned back toward the audience. "Let us continue!" And the bidding resumed. Iris had decided she disliked Nyarlathotep considerably more than most of Night City's corporate executives. That was an achievement. A considerable achievement. She examined the bars again. "Okay. New approach." Brenda looked over. "Please tell me you've got something." "Possibly." Iris pressed one hand against a vertical bar. "These things aren't physically holding us." Brenda raised an eyebrow. "Could've fooled me." "They're convincing us they are." Mai looked toward her. "Explain." Iris frowned. "The lock changes. The hinges change. The floor changes. But every time we try to leave, something prevents it." "Yes," Mai said. "Which means the cage isn't the actual restraint." Brenda glanced toward Nyarlathotep. "The rules are." "Exactly." Mai considered that. "Can we change the rules?" "Working on it." Brenda gripped the bars. "Right. Let's test something." She stepped backward. Then walked straight toward the closed door. She didn't touch the latch. Didn't attempt to force it. She simply behaved as though it were already open. For one remarkable second, the iron bars became transparent. Brenda's eyes widened. Then she collided with something invisible. Hard. "FUCK!" She staggered backward. Iris winced. "That looked painful." "It was!" Mai studied the door. "But something happened." Brenda rubbed her shoulder. "Yeah. I discovered imaginary doors can hurt." "No," Mai said. "For a moment, the bars disappeared." Iris nodded slowly. "She changed what she expected." "Exactly." Brenda looked between them. "Great. So if I believe hard enough, I can walk through a wall?" "Not necessarily," Mai said. "Wonderful." "But it means the rules aren't completely fixed." From the neighboring cage, Shammy spoke. "They're being maintained." Mai turned. "By Nyarlathotep?" "Yes." Yukari nodded. "And he's paying attention to too many things at once." Iris looked toward the Pharaoh. "Can we distract him?" Yukari's expression became thoughtful. "Perhaps." Brenda smiled. For the first time since awakening in the cage, it was a genuinely enthusiastic smile. "Oh, I like where this is going." --- Nyarlathotep was enjoying Ace's increasingly inventive insults. He had heard many interesting things over the centuries. Some of them had even been directed at him. But Ace possessed a remarkable talent for combining profanity, sarcasm, and entirely unreasonable accusations about an entity's personal ancestry. "My dear," he said, "you do realize I don't actually have a mother in the conventional sense?" "Then somebody failed spectacularly at whatever process produced you." He laughed. "Marvelous!" Ace stood beside his throne, arms folded. The auction continued. Mai had apparently attracted several extravagant bids. Nyarlathotep had not accepted any of them. Of course he hadn't. There was no real transaction here. No destination. No buyer waiting beyond the gates. The auction existed solely to make Ace watch. She understood that now. And she was beginning to understand something else. Nyarlathotep wasn't trying to frighten Mai. Or Iris. Or Brenda. He was trying to frighten her. The others were instruments. A means of forcing her into helplessness. Ace looked toward the cages. Mai was speaking quietly with Iris and Brenda. Shammy stood beside her bars. Yukari appeared to be studying the sky. None of them had surrendered. Ace smiled faintly. "You're going to be disappointed." Nyarlathotep glanced up. "Am I?" "Very." "How exciting." She gestured toward the cages. "You think putting them behind bars makes them yours." "Within this realm, my dear, I determine what is possible." "Maybe." "Maybe?" Ace smiled. "But you don't determine who they are." Nyarlathotep considered that. Then laughed softly. "Such a charming distinction." "One you'll regret ignoring." He leaned forward. "Are you threatening me?" "No." Ace looked directly into his impossibly dark face. "I'm making an observation." For a moment, something peculiar moved behind his expression. Not fear. Not doubt. Curiosity. He found her resistance entertaining. That was the problem. Every refusal became another part of his performance. Every threat became another amusing line in the script. He had built a world where he could always reinterpret the outcome to suit himself. Ace looked toward Shammy. The ancient elemental had closed her eyes. A strand of hair moved gently against her cheek. There was no breeze. Ace noticed. So did Nyarlathotep. His smile thinned. Just slightly. Shammy stood perfectly still. She wasn't trying to summon a storm. That had already failed. Nor was she attempting to break the cage. Instead, she was listening. Not with her ears. With the part of herself that had known the movement of air long before cities existed. The Dreamlands had their own atmosphere. Their own rhythms. Their own strange relationship between thought and form. Nyarlathotep had imposed his rules upon a portion of that reality. But his rules were not the whole of it. Somewhere beneath the impossible marketplace, older currents still moved. Shammy could feel them. Faintly. Like wind beneath a closed door. She opened her eyes. Yukari was watching her. "You feel it too," the kitsune said. Shammy nodded. "He didn't make all of this." "No." "He's using something that already existed." "Yes." Yukari glanced toward the platform. Nyarlathotep was speaking to Ace again. Laughing. Enjoying himself. "He always did like borrowing things." Shammy smiled faintly. "Without asking." "Especially without asking." For a moment, the old familiarity returned. Two ancient beings discussing a troublesome acquaintance. A shared history. An old joke. Then both looked toward the cages. And the smiles disappeared. Shammy spoke quietly. "We should have taken him more seriously." Yukari considered that. "Perhaps." "I thought he was merely being ridiculous." "He often is." "This isn't ridiculous." "No." Yukari placed one hand against the bars. The iron was cold. Solid. Utterly indifferent. "He chose our family." Shammy nodded. "And he chose to make Ace suffer." "Yes." The kitsune looked toward the Pharaoh. "He won't do that again without opposition." Shammy's expression remained gentle. But her eyes had become very serious. "No," she agreed. "He won't." The auctioneer raised his staff. "Let the second offering be presented!" A guard approached Shammy's cage. Ace stepped forward. "Don't." Nyarlathotep waved a hand. "Patience, my dear." The guard reached for the cage door. Shammy looked at him. The man stopped. Not because of magic. Not because she had compelled him. Because there was something in her expression he couldn't understand. She stood calmly. Quietly. Completely unafraid. The guard hesitated. Then glanced toward the Pharaoh. Nyarlathotep sighed. "Oh, really." He gestured. The guard resumed moving. The cage door opened. Shammy did not step out. The guard pointed toward the platform. "Come." "No, thank you." The man stared. "The Pharaoh commands." "I heard him." "Come." Shammy smiled politely. "No." The guard reached toward her arm. And stopped. His hand remained suspended in the air. His expression became confused. He tried again. The movement repeated. Hand extended. Hand stopped. Hand lowered. Over and over. A loop. Shammy watched with interest. "Oh." Yukari tilted her head. "Did you do that?" "No." "Interesting." "Very." The guard repeated the movement again. Then again. Nyarlathotep rose from his throne. His smile had vanished. For the first time that morning, he looked genuinely irritated. "Enough." The guard froze. Then disappeared. Ace turned. "Well, that's one way to handle staffing problems." Nyarlathotep ignored her. His attention remained fixed on Shammy. The elemental stood in her open cage, looking back at him. Yukari watched from the neighboring enclosure. Neither appeared impressed. The Pharaoh's smile returned. But this time it required an effort. "How curious." Shammy regarded him. "Isn't it?" Nyarlathotep stepped forward. "My dear Sera, surely you understand that resistance is entirely unnecessary." "Of course." "Then why persist?" She smiled. "Because I choose to." The words hung in the air. The crowd remained silent. The market seemed to hold its breath. Nyarlathotep stared at her. Then laughed. "Oh, splendid!" He spread his arms. "Such spirit! Such determination!" Shammy's smile disappeared. "You still don't understand." "Then enlighten me." She looked toward Ace. Then Mai. Iris. Brenda. Yukari. Finally, she returned her gaze to the Pharaoh. "No." Nyarlathotep blinked. Shammy continued, very calmly. "You don't get to demand an explanation from someone you've decided to treat as property." For a moment, the Black Pharaoh said nothing. Then he smiled. A beautiful, terrible smile. "Well." He raised one hand. "Perhaps we should make the lesson rather more memorable." The sky darkened. Not gradually. The brilliant blue simply vanished. A deep violet twilight replaced it. The sun remained overhead, but its light had become cold and distant. The crowd fell silent. The sandstone walls stretched upward. The marketplace grew impossibly large. Ace felt the platform shift beneath her feet. She glanced toward the cages. They were moving farther away. All five. Retreating across an expanding square. "Stop it!" Nyarlathotep ignored her. The cages continued moving. Mai gripped the bars. "Ace!" Iris shouted something. Brenda struck the door of her enclosure. Yukari stood motionless. Shammy watched the Pharaoh. Ace ran. The platform extended beneath her feet. She ran harder. The cages receded. The distance became impossible. Ace stopped, breathing heavily. The Pharaoh stood beside her. Comfortable. Smiling. "Do you understand now?" Ace turned toward him. "Understand what?" "The nature of your circumstances." He gestured toward the distant cages. "You may shout. You may resist. You may threaten me with every colorful expression your imagination can devise." He leaned closer. "But you cannot reach them." Ace looked toward the five tiny figures across the square. Mai. Shammy. Yukari. Iris. Brenda. Her family. Her home. Everything that mattered. The Pharaoh's voice softened. "And they cannot reach you." Ace slowly turned back. For the first time, she understood the full ugliness of his intention. He didn't want obedience. He wanted helplessness. He wanted to make them feel that choice itself was meaningless. And he wanted to enjoy their reactions. Ace stared at him. Then something inside her settled. Not resignation. Not acceptance. Something colder. Clearer. "You've made a mistake." Nyarlathotep smiled. "Have I?" "Yes." "How delightful." Ace glanced toward the distant cages. Even from here, she could see Shammy standing at the bars. And Yukari beside her. Neither had moved. Neither had bowed. Neither had given him the reaction he wanted. Ace looked back at the Pharaoh. "You know what your problem is?" He tilted his head. "Please. I'm fascinated." "You think this is a game." "Of course it is." Ace shook her head. "No." For the first time, her voice contained no sarcasm. No humor. No profanity. Just certainty. "Not anymore." Far beyond the marketplace, something changed. It was almost imperceptible. A disturbance in the violet sky. A pressure beneath the sandstone. A faint sensation of heat where there had been none. Nyarlathotep did not notice. He was too interested in Ace. In her refusal. In the unusual calm that had replaced her anger. "My dear," he began, "I assure you that..." He stopped. Not because Ace interrupted him. Because somewhere behind the enormous marketplace, a distant sound had reached his ears. A single, sharp crack. Like stone splitting. He turned. The far end of the square stood empty. Its ancient gateway remained closed. The crowds were motionless. Nothing appeared unusual. Yet the temperature had risen. Only slightly. Nyarlathotep frowned. Then smiled again. How curious. He had not arranged that. But perhaps it would add something to the performance. After all, unexpected developments were often the most entertaining. He turned back toward Ace. "Now then. Where were we?" Across the square, Yukari raised her head. Her golden eyes fixed upon the far gateway. Shammy turned toward the same point. A warm current passed through the marketplace. Not one of her winds. Something else. Something neither woman had summoned. Yukari's expression changed. Not into relief. Not quite. Recognition. Shammy looked at her. "Do you feel that?" "Yes." "Is it..." "I believe so." For the first time since their imprisonment, Yukari almost smiled. But this time, the amusement wasn't directed at the Pharaoh. It was directed at what he had failed to notice. Shammy glanced toward Nyarlathotep. He was still speaking. Still performing. Still congratulating himself on his cleverness. She shook her head slowly. "Oh, dear." Yukari looked at her. "Indeed." The warm current became a breeze. The breeze became a wind. And at the far end of the marketplace, beneath the impossible violet sky, a thin line of orange light appeared between the ancient doors. Nyarlathotep continued talking. He hadn't noticed. Not yet. Yukari watched the growing light. Then looked toward the Black Pharaoh. "You really have no idea, do you?" Shammy's expression softened into something almost pitying. "No," she murmured. "He doesn't." The light widened. Somewhere beyond the gateway, fire began to roar. And for the first time that morning, the rules of the marketplace were about to encounter something that did not care who had written them. --- ## Chapter 4 — A Deadly Mistake The first thing Nyarlathotep noticed was that the fire was the wrong color. Not that there was anything inherently wrong with orange. He had employed it on numerous occasions. It was an excellent color for burning cities, religious revelations, and the occasional spectacularly unfortunate coronation. But this particular orange had appeared without his permission. That was irritating. The second thing he noticed was that it was getting brighter. Very much brighter. The thin line between the enormous doors at the far end of the marketplace expanded into a blazing seam. Heat rolled across the square. The nearest spectators recoiled. Nyarlathotep frowned. He hadn't instructed them to do that. Indeed, he hadn't instructed them to do anything at all. For the first time since the festivities began, the inhabitants of his marketplace were responding to something other than his wishes. "How curious," he murmured. Ace turned toward the gateway. A low rumble passed through the sandstone beneath her feet. Dust drifted from the columns. The guards nearest the doors abandoned their ceremonial positions. One dropped his spear. Another fell to his knees. The Pharaoh watched them with growing displeasure. "Now, gentlemen. Really." The doors exploded outward. Not into fragments. They simply ceased to occupy their previous positions, swept aside by a pressure that transformed the entire entrance into a towering furnace. Fire erupted from the gateway. A colossal pillar rose into the violet sky, its heart almost white, its outer edges burning orange and crimson. The flames climbed higher than the surrounding temples. Higher than the statues. Higher than the immense sandstone walls. For an instant, the marketplace was illuminated more brightly than it had been beneath the afternoon sun. Ace shielded her eyes. "Holy shit." The pillar continued rising. The sky recoiled around it. There was no better description. The purple heavens seemed to bend away from the flames, their unnatural stars trembling as the fire climbed toward them. Nyarlathotep raised one hand. "Enough." Nothing happened. The fire roared. His expression tightened. "I said enough." Still nothing. Ace turned toward him. For the first time that morning, the Black Pharaoh looked genuinely annoyed. It was a beautiful sight. "Oh," Ace murmured. "You're not enjoying this." Nyarlathotep ignored her. He extended both hands. The marketplace shuddered. For an instant, the enormous gateway vanished. The fire remained. He replaced the gateway with a wall of black stone. The fire burned in front of it. He removed the wall. The fire remained. Ace slowly began to smile. "Having trouble with your decorations?" The Pharaoh lowered his hands. His expression became thoughtful. Then suspicious. Very suspicious. Because something was walking out of the flames. Across the square, Mai had both hands wrapped around the bars of her cage. The sudden blaze illuminated her face. "What the hell is that?" Iris stood beside her in the neighboring enclosure. "I was going to ask you." Brenda stared toward the gateway. "Whatever it is, I hope it knows how to open doors." Shammy said nothing. Her eyes were fixed on the fire. Yukari stood perfectly still. Then, very slowly, she tilted her head. "Oh." Mai glanced toward her. "Oh?" Yukari blinked. Then another expression appeared on her face. Recognition. Followed by something very close to delight. "Oh, this is going to be interesting." Brenda looked at her. "Could you please stop saying things like that without explaining them?" Yukari's golden eyes remained on the flames. "I believe our host is about to receive an unexpected visitor." Shammy gave a soft laugh. "Two, actually." Iris turned. "You know who's coming?" Shammy nodded. "One of them." Mai looked back toward the gateway. The flames parted. A figure emerged. A man. Approximately one hundred and eighty centimeters tall. Bald. Dark jeans. Practical walking shoes. A long burgundy leather coat moving around his legs despite the absence of any ordinary wind. Nearly black sunglasses concealed his eyes. A spider tattoo marked the right edge of his forehead. He walked out of the inferno with the relaxed confidence of someone arriving at a mildly inconvenient appointment. He stopped a few steps beyond the flames. Looked around. And sighed. "Oh, for heaven's sake." Mai closed her eyes. "No." Shammy began laughing. Iris stared. Brenda's mouth fell open. Then she made a strangled sound. "Oh, you've got to be fucking kidding me." Yukari smiled. A genuine smile this time. "Hello, Konrad." The man turned toward the cages. He glanced at Yukari. Then Shammy. Then Mai, Iris, and Brenda. "Good morning." Mai stared at him. "Good morning?" Konrad looked toward the violet sky. "Well, approximately." Brenda gripped the bars. "You're standing in the middle of a supernatural inferno, and that's your opening line?" Konrad considered the question. "Would you prefer a weather report?" Shammy burst out laughing. "Oh, I like that one." "Thought you might, weather girl." Mai shook her head. "Of course." But Konrad wasn't alone. Another figure emerged from the flames. A young-looking woman with blonde hair. She wore dark, practical clothing, fitted for movement rather than ceremony, and a long coat that seemed entirely untroubled by the fire surrounding her. Her eyes were a vivid, unmistakable red. She paused beside Konrad. Looked toward the cages. Then toward the raised platform. Her expression changed. Not dramatically. Not with outrage or astonishment. Something colder. More focused. "Those are your friends?" Konrad nodded. "Yes." The blonde woman studied the five cages. Then the ceremonial platform. Then the Black Pharaoh. Her eyes narrowed. "Charming." Konrad glanced at her. "Quite." She looked toward the captives again. "I'll get them." "Naturally." She was already moving. No further discussion. No instructions. No dramatic declaration. She simply headed toward the cages. And the first guard unfortunate enough to step into her path discovered that he was no longer standing where he had been a moment earlier. Nyarlathotep stared. For several long seconds, the Black Pharaoh said absolutely nothing. Ace watched him. Then followed his gaze toward the man in the burgundy coat. She blinked. Once. Twice. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me." Konrad turned. Even across the considerable distance between them, Ace could see the faint upward movement at the corner of his mouth. He raised one hand. A casual greeting. Ace stared at him. "YOU!" Konrad inclined his head. "Ace." "What the FUCK are you doing here?" "At present?" He glanced around. "Questioning several architectural decisions." Ace opened her mouth. Closed it. Then looked at Nyarlathotep. Then back at Konrad. "Oh, this is unbelievable." Konrad looked toward the enormous sandstone statues. "That one is particularly excessive." "FORGET THE FUCKING STATUES!" "Very well." He turned toward the Black Pharaoh. And the amusement left his expression. Not entirely. There was still something faintly irritating about his composure. But his voice, when he spoke, carried none of his usual teasing warmth. "Nyarlathotep." The name traveled through the marketplace. The crowd fell silent. Even the wind seemed to stop. Nyarlathotep straightened. His smile returned. It was a very carefully arranged smile. "Well." He spread his hands. "An unexpected pleasure." Konrad regarded him. No movement. No theatrical gesture. No visible display of power. Just a bald man in dark sunglasses and a burgundy coat standing before an ancient god. Nyarlathotep continued. "I don't believe we've been properly introduced." Konrad said nothing. "Although I confess your entrance was rather impressive." Still nothing. The Pharaoh's smile sharpened. "And who, precisely, might you be?" Konrad glanced toward the cages. Toward the five women. Toward Ace, standing in the Pharaoh's elaborate ceremonial clothing. Then back at Nyarlathotep. His voice was quiet. Perfectly clear. "Nyarlathotep, you made a deadly mistake." The Black Pharaoh's smile faltered. Only slightly. "Did I?" Konrad said nothing. Nyarlathotep laughed. A smooth, elegant sound. "My dear visitor, I assure you that everything here is proceeding exactly as intended." Konrad looked toward the cages again. "I noticed." "Then perhaps you can appreciate the subtlety of the arrangement." "No." Nyarlathotep blinked. Ace almost laughed. The Pharaoh recovered immediately. "Ah. A difference of artistic interpretation." Konrad's expression remained unreadable behind his glasses. "You removed their ability to choose." The words were simple. Nyarlathotep tilted his head. "Within my own little entertainment." "Yes." "Surely you understand that such liberties are customary within dreams." Konrad regarded him. "Do you?" The Pharaoh paused. For the first time, genuine uncertainty entered his expression. It passed quickly. He smiled again. "Naturally." Konrad looked toward the blazing gateway. Then toward the enormous square. "Interesting." Nyarlathotep's eyes narrowed. "What is?" "Your confidence." Ace covered her mouth. Too late. A snort escaped. Nyarlathotep turned toward her. She spread her hands. "What? He's got a point." The Pharaoh's expression darkened. Then brightened again. "Very well. Let us approach this as civilized beings." Konrad said nothing. "You have entered a realm in which I have established certain rules." "Yes." "Rules which I would naturally expect visitors to respect." "Would you?" Nyarlathotep's smile had become visibly strained. Ace was beginning to enjoy herself. A lot. "Oh, this is getting good." Konrad glanced toward her. "Having fun?" Ace pointed at him. "Don't you start." The faintest smile touched his mouth. Then he turned back toward the Pharaoh. "Where were we?" Nyarlathotep drew himself upright. "I was explaining the terms of my domain." Konrad nodded once. "Yes. You were." The Black Pharaoh seemed reassured. For approximately half a second. Then Konrad added: "I wasn't listening." Ace lost it. She laughed. Loudly. Helplessly. The sound echoed across the impossible marketplace. And from somewhere near the cages came Brenda's delighted shout. "OH, I LOVE THIS GUY!" Seras had reached the first enclosure. Mai's. A guard stepped forward, spear lowered. "Halt!" Seras stopped. She looked at him. Then at the spear. Then back at him. "Move." The guard did not. "The Pharaoh commands that..." "Yes, I gathered." He thrust the spear toward her. Seras caught the shaft with one hand. The guard froze. She examined the weapon. "Wood." Her fingers tightened. The spear snapped. The guard stared at the broken half remaining in his hands. Seras stepped past him. "Thank you." He attempted to follow. She turned slightly. "Don't." Something in her voice ended the discussion. The guard remained where he stood. Seras approached Mai's cage. "Hello." Mai regarded her cautiously. "Hello." "I'm Seras." "Mai." "Lovely to meet you." Seras examined the lock. "Though I'd have preferred somewhere less ridiculous." Mai smiled faintly. "That makes two of us." Seras gripped the iron door. For a moment, nothing happened. The bars remained solid. The hinges refused to move. The entire cage seemed to resist her touch. Seras frowned. "Oh." She looked toward Konrad. He was still standing before Nyarlathotep. "Konrad?" He didn't turn. "Yes?" "These are rather stubborn." "Yes." "Are you going to do anything about that?" "No." Seras glanced back at the bars. Then smiled. "Good." Mai raised an eyebrow. "Good?" Seras looked at her. "Wouldn't want him having all the fun." She pulled. The cage screamed. Not the wood. Not the iron. Something deeper. A sound like an enormous sheet of glass bending beneath impossible pressure. The door twisted. For an instant, its shape became uncertain. A doorway. A wall. A memory of a doorway. Then the entire structure shuddered. Seras pulled harder. The door tore free. Mai stared. Seras tossed the twisted wreckage aside. "There." She smiled. "Much better." For the first time, Mai saw the long, unmistakable fangs. Her eyes widened slightly. "You're a vampire." Seras grinned. "Among other things." Mai stepped out. "Remind me to ask about the other things." "Gladly." Iris shouted from the neighboring cage. "Could we do introductions after the prison break?" Seras turned. "Of course." She approached Iris's door. Gripped it. And pulled. The entire front of the cage came away. Iris stepped out. Stared at the twisted iron. Then at Seras. "Okay." Seras smiled. "Okay?" "I like you." "Excellent." Brenda leaned against the bars of her own cage. "HEY! BLONDE! OVER HERE!" Seras looked toward her. One eyebrow rose. "Blonde?" Brenda gestured toward the cage. "Sorry. Your Majesty of Whatever. Could you please destroy this fucking thing?" Seras laughed. "Oh, I definitely like you." The third cage opened with a sound like thunder. Brenda stepped out. Stretched. Then examined the wrecked door. "Beautiful." Iris turned toward her. "You were just complaining about the engineering." "I was complaining about the original engineering." Brenda patted the broken iron. "This is an improvement." Across the square, Nyarlathotep had finally noticed. He turned toward the cages. Saw Mai standing free. Iris beside her. Brenda examining the remains of her prison. And the blonde woman walking toward Shammy. His expression changed. "Excuse me." Konrad remained motionless. Nyarlathotep raised one hand. "Those are not yours to release." Seras didn't even look around. She reached Shammy's cage. "Hello." Shammy smiled. "Hello, darling." Seras paused. Then smiled back. "Oh, you're lovely." "So are you." Seras glanced at the bars. "Shall we?" "Please." The door resisted. Seras gripped it with both hands. For a moment, the structure shimmered. Its iron bars seemed to multiply. Five became ten. Ten became twenty. Then the entire cage twisted in upon itself. Seras's red eyes narrowed. "Oh, don't be difficult." She pulled. The cage door broke apart. Shammy stepped out. The moment her feet touched the open square, a faint breeze stirred her hair. She looked toward the sky. Then toward Seras. "Thank you." "You're welcome." Shammy touched her arm lightly. Seras paused. Something passed between them. Recognition. Not of identity. Of nature. Seras studied the ancient elemental with sudden interest. "You're not quite what I expected." Shammy smiled. "Neither are you." Seras's grin widened. "Oh, we're going to get along." From the final cage came a soft voice. "I believe it's my turn." Seras turned. Yukari stood behind the bars, her golden eyes amused for the first time since Nyarlathotep had begun his performance. Seras approached. Then stopped. She looked at Yukari. Really looked. Her expression became thoughtful. "Interesting." Yukari smiled. "I was about to say the same." Seras rested one hand against the cage. "May I?" "By all means." The door came apart. Not explosively. Not dramatically. Seras simply pulled it from its hinges. Yukari stepped out with the graceful composure of someone leaving a mildly inconvenient dinner party. She gave Seras a small bow. "My thanks." Seras returned the gesture. "You're very welcome." Yukari's golden eyes lingered on her. "A vampire." Seras smiled. "Yes." "An unusual one." "I've been told." Yukari glanced toward Konrad. "And you work with him?" "Occasionally." "Professionally?" Seras gave her a curious look. "Of course." Yukari smiled. "Excellent." Seras raised an eyebrow. "Is that important?" "Extremely." Shammy joined them. "Believe me, darling. You have no idea." Seras looked between the two women. Then toward Konrad. Then back again. A slow grin spread across her face. "Oh, I think I'm beginning to." Five women stood free in the marketplace. The crowd had stopped applauding. The guards were no longer certain what they were supposed to do. The auctioneer had retreated behind his ceremonial table. And the Black Pharaoh was becoming increasingly irritated. "Enough!" His voice cracked across the square. The sandstone trembled. The sky darkened. Several enormous statues turned their heads toward the freed prisoners. Nyarlathotep raised both hands. "This is my domain!" The crowd dropped to its knees. The marketplace shuddered. The five cages began rebuilding themselves. Broken iron slid across the stone. Splintered wood rose into the air. The fragments twisted, searching for their former shapes. Seras looked around. "Oh, really?" She stepped in front of the five women. Her red eyes gleamed. Nyarlathotep pointed toward her. "You have interfered with matters beyond your understanding!" Seras tilted her head. "Have I?" "You cannot simply enter my realm and disregard its laws!" She glanced toward Konrad. "Apparently I can." Brenda burst out laughing. Nyarlathotep's expression twisted. He turned toward Konrad. "Control your companion!" The marketplace fell silent. Konrad slowly turned his head. For several seconds, he regarded the Black Pharaoh. Then he spoke. "No." Nyarlathotep blinked. Konrad continued, perfectly calmly. "She controls herself." Seras smiled. A very broad smile. Her fangs gleamed. "Thank you." "You're welcome." Ace folded her arms. "Oh, I am enjoying this." Nyarlathotep turned toward her. His smile had vanished entirely. "You." Ace raised an eyebrow. "Me?" "This entire situation is becoming tiresome." Ace looked toward the freed women. Mai. Shammy. Yukari. Iris. Brenda. All five were walking toward the platform. Free. Together. Safe. Ace looked back at the Pharaoh. "Funny." Her smile was positively radiant. "I was just thinking the same thing." Konrad glanced toward the five women. Mai gave him a distinctly unimpressed look. "You're late." He considered that. "Am I?" "Yes." "Interesting." Mai narrowed her eyes. "Don't." Konrad's mouth twitched. Shammy smiled. "Hello, Konrad." "Hello, weather girl." "Lovely entrance." "Thank you." "A little theatrical." He glanced toward the enormous pillar of fire. "I thought the occasion warranted something modest." Brenda stared at the flames towering into the violet sky. "MODEST?" Konrad looked at her. "By comparison." Iris laughed. Yukari approached. Her expression was warmer now. But when she glanced toward Nyarlathotep, the warmth vanished. Konrad noticed. He said nothing. Their eyes met briefly. An understanding passed between them. Then Yukari looked toward Seras. "Your companion is rather impressive." Konrad nodded. "Yes." Seras smiled. "Flattery won't get you anywhere." "Wasn't trying." "Good." Nyarlathotep had been watching. Every exchange. Every laugh. Every casual remark. His carefully constructed entertainment was collapsing into something he hadn't anticipated. A family reunion. Worse. A family reunion in which he was rapidly becoming irrelevant. He raised one hand. "ENOUGH!" The sound shook the entire marketplace. For an instant, the violet sky split. Beyond it appeared impossible distances. Stars that did not belong to any known universe. Shapes that had no business existing in three dimensions. The crowd screamed. The statues bowed. The sandstone beneath the platform cracked. Ace staggered. Mai caught her. Shammy moved closer. Yukari's expression hardened. Seras turned toward the Pharaoh. Her eyes narrowed. And Konrad... Konrad sighed. Not dramatically. Not angrily. Just the long, patient sigh of someone who had encountered exactly this sort of behavior before and found it profoundly tiresome. "Nyarlathotep." The Black Pharaoh stopped. Konrad looked at him. "That's quite enough." For a moment, no one moved. Then Nyarlathotep smiled. A cold, terrible smile. "You presume much, stranger." Konrad said nothing. The Pharaoh spread his hands. "I am the Crawling Chaos." "Yes." "I have worn a thousand forms." "Yes." "I have walked between worlds since before your little reality possessed a name." "Yes." Nyarlathotep leaned forward. "And you believe you can simply dismiss me?" Konrad regarded him. Behind the dark sunglasses, his expression remained impossible to read. Then he tilted his head. Just slightly. "Believe?" The word hung in the air. Nyarlathotep's smile faltered. Konrad raised one hand. Thumb against middle finger. A casual movement. Almost lazy. Ace saw it. And suddenly understood. "Oh." Mai glanced toward her. "What?" Ace began to smile. A broad, wicked smile. "Oh, this is going to be beautiful." Nyarlathotep stared at Konrad's raised hand. For the first time since the nightmare began, something unfamiliar appeared on the Black Pharaoh's face. Not anger. Not amusement. Not curiosity. Uncertainty. Konrad looked directly at him. And smiled. A very small smile. "Goodbye." His fingers began to move. --- ## Chapter 5 — One Snap For one extraordinary moment, the entire marketplace seemed to hold its breath. The crowd had stopped screaming. The enormous statues stood motionless. Even the impossible stars visible through the shattered violet sky appeared frozen in place. Nyarlathotep stared at Konrad's raised hand. Konrad stared back. And Ace, standing beside Mai, had the distinct impression that she was about to witness something she would enjoy remembering for a very long time. "Oh, this is going to be good," she whispered. Mai glanced at her. "You're smiling." "Of course I'm smiling." "Given the circumstances, that's slightly worrying." "Sweetheart, trust me." Konrad pressed his thumb against his middle finger. Nyarlathotep opened his mouth. "Now, just a moment..." Snap. It wasn't particularly loud. There was no thunder. No explosion. No enormous wave of supernatural energy sweeping across the marketplace. Just a small, perfectly ordinary sound. And the Black Pharaoh vanished. One instant he stood upon his ceremonial platform, wrapped in gold and midnight fabric, his impossibly dark skin drinking in the surrounding light. The next, there was nothing. Not smoke. Not ash. Not even a particularly satisfying little puff of dust. He simply wasn't there anymore. His elaborate throne remained. His golden staff struck the stone with a sharp metallic clatter. And the vast marketplace fell utterly silent. Ace stared at the empty space. Then at Konrad. Then back at the empty space. "No fucking way." Konrad lowered his hand. "Yes." Ace blinked. "Did you just..." "Yes." "With your fingers?" "Traditionally." Brenda made a strangled noise. Iris turned toward her. "Are you all right?" Brenda pointed at the empty throne. "He just..." "Yes." "With..." "Yes, Brenda." Brenda stared at Konrad. Then threw her head back and laughed. "Oh, that is fucking BEAUTIFUL!" Seras, standing a few steps away, folded her arms. "Honestly, Konrad." He turned toward her. "Yes?" "Was that strictly necessary?" Konrad considered the question. "No." Seras raised an eyebrow. "Then why?" "He was becoming tedious." For approximately three seconds, nobody said anything. Then Shammy started laughing. Yukari covered her mouth. Mai closed her eyes. Iris leaned against Brenda. And Ace finally lost the battle. She laughed so hard she had to put one hand on her knee. "OH, YOU ABSOLUTE BASTARD!" Konrad regarded her. "You're welcome." "CURSE YOU, KONRAD!" "That's more familiar." The first crack appeared in the eastern wall. A narrow fracture ran between two enormous sandstone columns. Then another appeared beneath the painted ceiling of the royal pavilion. The fountain stopped flowing. Its water hung in the air for a heartbeat before turning into a shower of tiny silver sparks. The assembled crowd began to flicker. Not disappear. Not yet. Their outlines wavered, as though the marketplace were trying to remember what shape they were supposed to possess. Iris noticed first. "Um." Mai looked toward her. "What?" "I think we're losing the scenery." An enormous statue at the far end of the square tilted sideways. Its stone feet remained firmly planted. Its upper body leaned at an impossible angle, then slowly straightened again. Brenda watched it. "That seems structurally unsound." Iris turned. "Brenda." "What?" "We're inside a dream." "Doesn't mean I have to approve of the construction." Seras glanced around. "The place is coming apart." Konrad nodded. "His alterations are losing coherence." Yukari studied the shifting sky. "But not everything." Konrad turned toward her. "No." Shammy closed her eyes. A gentle breeze passed across the square. This time, it didn't disappear. She smiled. "Oh." Ace looked toward her. "What?" Shammy raised one hand. A tiny spiral of wind gathered around her fingers, carrying a few grains of sand. Then it rose into the air. The sand scattered. The breeze continued. Shammy watched it with unmistakable satisfaction. "That's better." Yukari looked down at herself. For the briefest instant, nine magnificent tails appeared behind her. Their copper-red fur caught the strange violet light. Then they vanished as she returned to her ordinary human appearance. She smiled. "Much better." Ace stared at her. "Could you do that the whole time?" "No." "Of course not." Yukari approached and took her hand. "But I can now." Ace squeezed her fingers. The simple contact felt more real than anything else that had happened since awakening beneath the royal canopy. She looked at Mai. Then Shammy. Iris. Brenda. All here. All free. The realization struck with surprising force. Her throat tightened. She hadn't noticed how hard she had been holding herself together until that moment. Mai saw it immediately. "Ace?" Ace shook her head. "I'm fine." Mai's expression softened. "Come here." Ace didn't argue. She stepped into Mai's arms. And held on. Konrad watched them quietly. For once, he appeared to have nothing irritating to say. Seras stood beside him. Her crimson eyes moved from Ace and Mai to the others. She watched Shammy join the embrace. Then Yukari. Iris and Brenda followed a heartbeat later. Six women, standing together in the middle of an impossible Egyptian marketplace, holding one another while the scenery unraveled around them. Seras smiled faintly. "Quite a family." Konrad nodded. "Yes." "They're fond of each other." "Very." Seras glanced toward him. "And you?" Konrad regarded the reunited group. "An inconvenient acquaintance." Seras laughed softly. "Naturally." "Extremely inconvenient." "You came rather a long way for an inconvenience." Konrad didn't answer. Seras looked at him for another moment. Then smiled. "Thought so." Ace finally released Mai. Not entirely. She kept one arm around her waist. Shammy stood close against her other side, while Yukari remained nearby. Iris and Brenda had begun examining the disintegrating marketplace with the fascination of two people who had survived something terrible and were now personally offended by its technical shortcomings. Ace looked toward the empty throne. "He's really gone?" Konrad approached. "From here." Ace studied him. "From here?" "Yes." "Meaning?" "He's no longer controlling this nightmare." Ace glanced toward the sky. The vast violet expanse had begun changing. The impossible stars were fading. Between them appeared patches of ordinary blue. The enormous stone buildings seemed smaller. Less oppressive. For the first time, she could see the marketplace's distant boundaries. "Can he come back?" Konrad considered the question. "Not into this particular arrangement." Ace frowned. "That's suspiciously specific." "Accuracy often is." "Konrad." "Ace." "Don't start." He stopped in front of her. And something about his manner changed. The familiar amusement remained somewhere beneath the surface, but it was no longer what she noticed first. He was looking directly at her. Not at the jewelry. Not at the ridiculous ceremonial outfit. Not at the crumbling Egyptian architecture. At her. His voice, when he spoke, was quiet. "This was just a nightmare, he has no power over you" Ace stared at him. For several seconds, she couldn't find anything to say. The words were simple. But after everything Nyarlathotep had done to convince her otherwise, they mattered. She had spent what felt like hours trapped in a world where nothing she did could bring her closer to her family. Where every attempt to resist had become another source of entertainment. Where the rules changed whenever she found a way to challenge them. And now... Mai's hand rested against her back. Shammy's fingers were intertwined with hers. Yukari stood at her side. Iris and Brenda were arguing about a disappearing sandstone column. They were here. Together. Ace swallowed. "Thank you." Konrad inclined his head. "You're welcome." A moment passed. Then Ace narrowed her eyes. "And don't you dare make a joke about this." Konrad glanced toward the elaborate jewelry around her waist. Ace pointed at him. "Don't." He looked back at her. "I said nothing." "You're thinking it." "An unproven accusation." "Konrad." "Quite a lot of gold, though." "CURSE YOU, KONRAD!" Shammy laughed into Ace's shoulder. And just like that, the tension broke. Not completely. Not all at once. But enough. Yukari had been watching the eastern wall. A long fracture now ran through its center. Beyond the opening, however, she could see something unexpected. Not darkness. Not an empty void. A distant landscape. Hills beneath a pale sky. A river winding between wooded slopes. Farther away, something that looked remarkably like a city stood upon a series of terraces. Yukari moved closer. Shammy noticed. "Darling?" "Come look." Shammy joined her. Together, they studied the landscape beyond the crumbling wall. Shammy's expression became thoughtful. "Oh." Yukari nodded. "Exactly." Ace looked over. "What now?" Yukari glanced back. "Nothing immediately dangerous." "That is an alarmingly specific answer." Shammy smiled. "We're simply noticing something." Mai joined them. "What?" Yukari gestured toward the opening. "Nyarlathotep constructed his little performance here." "Yes?" "But he didn't create everything around it." Mai studied the distant hills. "You mean there's more?" "Much more." Shammy closed her eyes. For a moment, the breeze around them became cooler. Fresher. Different from the dry heat of the marketplace. When she opened her eyes again, her expression was one of quiet fascination. "The Dreamlands." Yukari nodded. "Yes." Brenda approached. "Wait. As in an actual place?" "In a manner of speaking," Yukari replied. Iris joined them. "That doesn't sound reassuring." "The Dreamlands are not an ordinary physical location," Shammy explained. "But neither are they merely an invention of Nyarlathotep." Ace studied the opening. Beyond it, sunlight reflected from the distant river. A flock of birds crossed the hills. Unlike the frozen birds in the marketplace, these moved naturally. Independently. Alive. "So he hijacked part of a real place?" Yukari smiled faintly. "A reasonable description." Brenda folded her arms. "Of course he did." Iris glanced toward the now-empty throne. "Couldn't even be bothered to build his own universe." Konrad, standing nearby, tilted his head. "An accurate observation." Ace turned. "Oh, now you're encouraging them?" "Wouldn't dream of discouraging good analysis." "Goddammit." But her gaze returned to the distant hills. There was something strangely inviting about them. Something that didn't belong to the nightmare. A world beyond the prison. A world that might be worth visiting someday. Under considerably better circumstances. With proper planning. And absolutely no Egyptian auctioneers. Ace looked at Mai. "Not today." Mai smiled. "Definitely not today." Seras approached the group. The last of the enormous cages had collapsed into ordinary piles of wood and iron. The guards were gone. The marketplace crowd had faded into faint silhouettes before disappearing entirely. Only the ancient buildings remained, and even they were beginning to lose their impossible proportions. "Everyone all right?" Seras asked. Six heads turned toward her. There was a brief silence. Not an uncomfortable one. Simply the sudden realization that the extraordinary blonde woman who had torn apart five cages was still standing among them. Iris spoke first. "More or less." Brenda nodded. "Better now." Mai inclined her head. "Thank you for getting us out." Seras smiled. "You're welcome." Ace looked at her. Then at Konrad. Then back again. "Okay. I have a question." Seras raised an eyebrow. "Just one?" Ace laughed. "Oh, I like you already." "Good." "Who the hell are you?" Seras looked toward Konrad. Konrad regarded her. She smiled. "Would you like to do the honors?" He considered the question. "No." Seras stared at him. Then laughed. "Of course not." Ace closed her eyes. "Great. There's two of them." Brenda grinned. "Imagine the possibilities." "Don't." Seras stepped forward. She carried herself with an easy confidence that had nothing to do with her apparent age. Up close, her red eyes were even more striking. And when she smiled again, her long fangs were impossible to miss. "My name is Seras Victoria." She offered Ace her hand. Ace took it. "Well, Seras Victoria, you have spectacular timing." "Thank you." "And an absolutely beautiful approach to prison security." Seras grinned. "I dislike cages." "Funny. So do we." Their handshake ended. Seras looked toward Mai. Then Shammy, Yukari, Iris, and Brenda. It was a brief, deliberate acknowledgment of each woman. No elaborate ceremony. No demand for gratitude. She had helped because help was needed. And now she was meeting the people she had helped. Iris tilted her head. "Can I ask something?" "Certainly." "Are those real?" Seras blinked. "Are what real?" Iris gestured toward her own mouth. "The fangs." Seras laughed. "Oh!" She smiled more broadly. The long, sharp canines gleamed. "Very." Brenda leaned closer. "Well, fuck me." Iris nudged her. "Brenda." "What? I'm impressed." Seras appeared delighted. "Good." Mai studied her thoughtfully. "You're a vampire." "Yes." Yukari smiled. "Not just any vampire, I suspect." Seras turned toward her. Her expression became slightly more serious. "No." For a moment, the two women regarded one another. Then Seras smiled again. "But introductions can wait until we're somewhere with fewer collapsing buildings." A deep rumble passed through the square. The western wall folded inward. Not violently. It simply bent into a shape that sandstone was never intended to make. Brenda watched it. "She's got a point." The marketplace was disappearing. The great canopy vanished first. Then the royal thrones. The ceremonial platform softened into a low sandstone terrace. The distant pyramidal structures faded into the landscape. Where thousands of spectators had once stood, empty ground stretched toward the river. The sky continued brightening. The heat faded. Ace looked down at her clothing. The white linen remained. So did the gold. She stared. "Oh, come ON." Mai followed her gaze. Then smiled. "Well." Ace pointed at her. "Not a word." "I didn't say anything." "You were about to." Mai's smile widened. "Possibly." Brenda made a thoughtful noise. "Actually..." Ace turned. "NO." Brenda held up both hands. "Fine." Iris looked toward her. "You were going to say something." "I was." "What?" Brenda grinned. "She really does look expensive." Ace threw her hands into the air. "WHY AM I SURROUNDED BY THESE PEOPLE?" Shammy hugged her. "Because we love you." Ace sighed. "That is an annoyingly effective answer." Yukari approached and rested a hand against Ace's shoulder. "And because you love us." Ace looked at her. For a moment, the humor faded. She glanced toward the vanished cages. Then back at Yukari. "Yeah." Her voice softened. "I really do." Yukari smiled. But there was something beneath that smile. Something Ace hadn't seen before. Not quite anger. Not quite sadness. A quiet seriousness that seemed older than the strange land surrounding them. Ace noticed. "Hey." Yukari looked at her. "You okay?" "Yes, darling." "Really?" Yukari considered the question. Then answered carefully. "I am now." Ace studied her. There was clearly more to it. But before she could ask, Shammy moved closer. "We're together," the elemental said softly. Yukari glanced toward her. Their eyes met. An entire conversation passed between them without a word. Then Yukari nodded. "Yes." She looked back at Ace. "And that's what matters." Ace accepted the answer. For now. A narrow path appeared where the royal avenue had once stood. It led away from the ruined marketplace toward a low rise beneath the brightening sky. At its end shimmered a faint oval of light. Ace stared. "Please tell me that's an exit." Konrad approached. "It is." "To where?" "Home." Ace looked at him. "Actual home?" "Yes." "Watson?" "Yes." "Coffee?" "Presumably." Brenda raised one finger. "That depends on whether anyone touched my machine." Iris sighed. "Brenda." "What?" "Priorities." "Coffee is a priority." Konrad nodded. "A sound principle." Ace stared at him. "Stop encouraging her!" Seras laughed. Then she turned toward the distant landscape visible beyond the collapsing market. Her expression became thoughtful. "The passage will take them out of this nightmare?" Konrad nodded. "Yes." "And the rest?" He looked toward the hills. "The rest remains." Seras regarded him for a moment. Then smiled. "Interesting." Konrad said nothing. Ace watched the exchange. "Oh, no." Mai glanced toward her. "What?" "That tone." "What tone?" "The one where supernatural people notice something interesting and don't explain it." Yukari looked innocent. Shammy looked even more innocent. Seras smiled. Konrad remained absolutely expressionless. Ace pointed at all four of them. "I KNOW THAT LOOK." Brenda folded her arms. "To be fair, she has a point." Konrad glanced toward the shimmering exit. "Perhaps we should concentrate on getting everyone home." Ace narrowed her eyes. "You're changing the subject." "Yes." "At least you're admitting it." "Occasionally useful." They began walking. Mai remained beside Ace. Shammy and Yukari followed close behind. Iris and Brenda walked together, exchanging quiet observations about the increasingly peculiar landscape. Seras moved slightly ahead. Konrad brought up the rear. The path was solid beneath their feet. The air smelled of distant water and wildflowers. For the first time, nothing tried to stop them. No invisible walls. No impossible distances. No commands from an unseen ruler. Just a path. And the freedom to walk it. Ace noticed the difference. So did Mai. Their hands found each other. Neither said anything. They didn't need to. Behind them, the last remnants of the marketplace faded into the morning light. Only a few scattered stones remained. --- And somewhere beyond the limits of the Dreamlands, far from the six women who had finally regained their freedom, Nyarlathotep became aware of something deeply inconvenient. He had not been destroyed. He had not been imprisoned. He had not even suffered anything resembling a conventional defeat. But he had been dismissed. Removed from his own performance with a casual snap of two fingers. For a very long moment, the Crawling Chaos considered that fact. Then, slowly, his irritation gave way to something else. Curiosity. Profound, delighted curiosity. Who was that man? And what, exactly, had he just demonstrated? Nyarlathotep began to smile. There were others who might find this information interesting. Very interesting indeed. But that was a matter for another occasion. For now, the Dreamlands belonged to their own strange rhythms once more. And six women were walking home. --- ## Chapter 6 — Her Majesty The path home had one rather unexpected feature. It was taking longer than anyone liked. Not because it was particularly difficult. The ground was firm beneath their feet, the air pleasantly warm, and the landscape surrounding them had none of the oppressive qualities of Nyarlathotep's marketplace. The problem was considerably simpler. The exit wasn't getting any closer. Ace stopped walking. "Oh, for fuck's sake." Mai stopped beside her. "Something wrong?" Ace pointed toward the shimmering oval of light at the top of the hill. "That thing has been the same distance away for ten minutes." Mai studied it. "Approximately." "Don't approximately me, sweetheart. I'm developing a personal hatred for impossible distances." Behind them, Brenda sighed. "I was hoping we'd finished with those." Iris looked toward Konrad. "Is this normal?" Konrad considered the question. "For the Dreamlands?" "Yes." "Quite." Brenda closed her eyes. "Of course it is." Ace turned toward him. "Konrad." "Ace." "Can you please make the exit behave like an actual exit?" "It already is." "Then why aren't we getting there?" "Because you're concentrating on reaching it." Ace stared. Mai slowly turned toward Konrad. "Explain." He gestured toward the hill. "You're treating the distance as something that must be overcome. Here, that isn't always a useful assumption." Iris considered that. "So what do we do?" "Walk." Brenda threw her hands into the air. "WE'VE BEEN WALKING!" Konrad nodded. "Yes." Ace pointed at him. "One more answer like that and I'm throwing you into the river." He glanced toward the distant water. "An ambitious undertaking." "CURSE YOU, KONRAD!" Seras laughed. Not a polite little chuckle. A genuine, delighted laugh. "Oh, I see why you enjoy visiting them." Konrad looked at her. "I have no idea what you're talking about." "Naturally." Mai studied the shimmering exit again. Then took Ace's hand. "Come on." "Where?" "For a walk." Ace blinked. "We're already walking." "Not toward the exit." Mai turned away from the hill. Ace looked after her. "You're kidding." "Probably not." Shammy smiled. "I think Mai has the right idea." Yukari nodded. "Dreams can be rather contrary when you insist upon telling them what they must do." Ace looked toward Seras. "Is everyone here going to start talking like Konrad?" Seras grinned. "Not if I can help it." "Thank you." "Though he does occasionally make sense." "Never mind. I withdraw my thanks." And with that, Mai began walking along the river. Ace followed. The others joined them. For several minutes, nobody mentioned the exit. They talked about the water. About the unfamiliar flowers growing along the banks. About the curious little blue birds that seemed determined to inspect Brenda's hair. And when Ace finally glanced back toward the hill, the shimmering doorway stood barely twenty meters away. She stopped. Stared. Then slowly turned toward Konrad. He smiled. Ace closed her eyes. "I'm going to need coffee before I can hate you properly." "A sensible decision." They gathered beneath a tree with pale silver leaves. The doorway stood nearby, its surface shimmering with the faint suggestion of another room beyond it. Ace could almost see the safehouse. A familiar wall. The edge of the bedroom. Something that might have been a blanket. It was the most beautiful sight she'd seen all morning. But before anyone stepped through, Seras cleared her throat. "Perhaps we should finish those introductions." Ace turned. "Oh, right." Brenda looked at the blonde woman. "Because apparently 'Seras, vampire, excellent at demolishing cages' isn't the complete biography." Seras smiled. "Not quite." Iris folded her arms. "I'm listening." Seras looked at the six women. For a moment, her expression became more formal. Not stiff. Not distant. Simply the expression of someone accustomed to speaking with authority. "My name is Seras Victoria. I am the reigning Queen of Night City's true vampire community." Silence. Brenda blinked. Iris raised an eyebrow. Mai's expression became thoughtful. Ace stared. Then slowly looked toward Konrad. "Of course." Konrad said nothing. "Of course you show up with a vampire queen." Seras's lips twitched. Ace gestured toward her. "Not just a vampire." "No," Seras agreed. "Not just a particularly impressive vampire." "Apparently not." "The actual Queen." "Yes." Ace looked at Konrad again. "Do you collect extraordinary people, or is this some kind of hobby?" Konrad considered that. "An unfortunate occupational hazard." Seras laughed. "He's much worse when he thinks he's being clever." Ace pointed at her. "See? You understand." "More than you know." Konrad looked between them. "This is developing poorly." Mai smiled. "For you, perhaps." Shammy approached Seras. There was something gentle and genuinely curious in her expression. "May I ask how long you've held that position?" Seras turned toward her. "Since Alucard disappeared." Yukari tilted her head. "Alucard." "Yes." "The previous ruler?" Seras nodded. "And my predecessor." Mai studied her. "So the succession was automatic?" "Essentially. He was gone, and the position passed to me." Her tone was matter-of-fact. There was no mystery in the explanation. No suggestion that Alucard was secretly directing events from somewhere beyond their understanding. He had disappeared. Seras had inherited his station. And she had taken responsibility for it. Brenda looked intrigued. "That's a rather significant promotion." Seras smiled faintly. "You could say that." "How's the management?" "Complicated." Iris nodded sympathetically. "That part I understand." Seras glanced toward her. "Do you?" "Oh, believe me." Brenda looked at Iris. "Tell her about your old colleagues." Iris gave her a warning look. "Brenda." "What? It's relevant." Seras laughed softly. "Perhaps another time." Ace folded her arms. "So Night City has an actual vampire community." "Yes." "Real vampires." "Very real." "Living among everybody else." "Generally." Ace considered this. Then looked toward Mai. "How many things have we somehow managed not to notice in that city?" Mai sighed. "I'm beginning to suspect the answer is 'most of them.'" Yukari smiled. "Night City has always been remarkably good at hiding things in plain sight." Seras regarded her. "You would know." Yukari met her gaze. "Yes." Something passed between them. An acknowledgment. Two women who understood what it meant to exist in a world that rarely recognized their true nature. Seras smiled. "I suspect you and I will have some interesting conversations." Yukari returned the smile. "I would welcome that." Brenda had another question. Naturally. "So." Seras looked toward her. "Yes?" "How does the Queen of Night City's vampires end up walking out of a giant pillar of fire in somebody else's nightmare?" Seras glanced toward Konrad. Konrad remained silent. She smiled. "Professional cooperation." Ace slowly turned toward her. "Professional?" "Yes." "With him?" "Yes." Ace looked at Konrad. Then back at Seras. Then at Konrad again. "Oh, you poor woman." Konrad inclined his head. "Thank you, Ace." "Wasn't talking to you." "I gathered." Seras was grinning now. "We work well together." "How?" "Different areas of expertise." Iris looked interested. "Meaning?" Seras considered her answer. "Konrad notices certain situations that might otherwise develop rather badly." Ace snorted. "Understatement of the century." "And I sometimes have reason to become involved." Mai nodded slowly. "So you decide independently whether to participate." "Of course." Shammy smiled. "Good." Seras looked toward her. "Good?" "Very." Yukari nodded. "I was hoping that was the arrangement." Seras's expression softened into amusement. "Konrad doesn't give me orders." Brenda raised both hands. "Excellent. Because that would be an absolutely terrifying employment structure." Konrad spoke for the first time in several moments. "Quite." Ace looked at him. "You're agreeing?" "Yes." "With Brenda?" "Occasionally necessary." Brenda grinned. "I knew you'd come around." Mai had been studying Seras with quiet interest. "Something still puzzles me." Seras turned toward her. "Go ahead." "You rule the vampires of Night City." "Yes." "Yet you were able to enter the Dreamlands." Seras nodded. "That's part of the inheritance." "From Alucard?" "Among other things." Yukari's golden eyes brightened. "Dimensional movement." Seras considered the term. "A reasonable description." Shammy smiled. "Not quite the same as ordinary dreaming, then." "No." "And you don't govern this place." Seras laughed. "Good heavens, no." Ace looked relieved. "Thank fuck. I was worried we were about to discover another monarch." Seras grinned. "One kingdom is quite enough." Brenda looked around. "Especially one where the doors keep moving." Seras glanced toward the shimmering exit. "Speaking of which, I believe yours is finally behaving." Ace immediately turned. The doorway remained exactly where it was. For the first time, nobody had to look away to make it cooperate. "Beautiful." She approached it. Then hesitated. Because beyond the shimmering surface, the Dreamlands continued. The river. The silver-leaved tree. The distant hills. The strange city visible through the morning haze. Nothing about that landscape seemed malicious. Nothing about it resembled Nyarlathotep's marketplace. Ace looked toward Shammy. "That world is still there." Shammy nodded. "Yes." "And it's not his." "No." Yukari moved closer. "The Dreamlands existed long before this particular nightmare." Ace studied the distant hills again. "So if we ever came back..." Mai raised an eyebrow. "Ace." "I'm just saying." "Ace." "Not today!" Mai smiled. "Good." Ace glanced toward the shimmering doorway. "Definitely not today." Yukari looked at Shammy. The two exchanged a small smile. Neither said anything. But both had noticed the same thing. Ace wasn't afraid of the Dreamlands anymore. Not entirely. She was beginning to distinguish the place from the cruel performance that had trapped them. And that distinction might matter later. Seras stepped aside, giving them a clear path toward the exit. "Well. I believe this is where we part company." Ace turned. "Already?" Seras smiled. "For now." Brenda looked disappointed. "That's a shame. I was hoping to ask a few dozen questions about your teeth." Iris closed her eyes. "Brenda." "What?" Seras laughed. "I don't mind." "See?" "But perhaps another time." Brenda brightened. "Excellent." Mai approached Seras. "Thank you again." Seras shook her head. "No need." "There is." Mai extended her hand. Seras took it. For a moment, the two regarded one another with mutual respect. Then Mai smiled. "You were very good with those cages." Seras grinned. "I've had practice with inconvenient obstacles." Iris stepped forward next. "If you're ever in Watson..." Ace turned toward her. "Iris." "What?" "We don't just invite supernatural royalty home without discussing it." Seras looked delighted. "Oh, I'm not particularly demanding." Brenda folded her arms. "That's what they all say." Konrad glanced toward her. "An unfair generalization." Brenda pointed at him. "YOU DON'T GET A VOTE." Seras laughed again. Then she turned toward the six women. Her expression grew a little more thoughtful. She looked at Ace. Then Mai. Shammy. Yukari. Iris. Brenda. Her smile returned. "We meet soon in reality too." Ace blinked. "Wait." Seras tilted her head. "Yes?" "What does that mean?" "Exactly what I said." "When?" Seras smiled. "Soon." Ace narrowed her eyes. "Define soon." The vampire queen considered the question. "No." Ace stared. Behind her, Mai made a small amused sound. Brenda grinned. Shammy covered her mouth. Yukari looked positively delighted. Ace slowly turned toward Konrad. He stood beside the silver-leaved tree, hands resting casually in the pockets of his burgundy coat. He was smiling. Of course he was smiling. "Oh, don't you fucking start." Konrad raised an eyebrow. "I haven't said anything." "You taught her that!" Seras burst out laughing. Konrad considered the accusation. "She's quite capable of irritating people independently." "Thank you," Seras said. "You're welcome." Ace stared at them both. Then pointed toward the vampire queen. "You. I like." Seras smiled. "Good." Ace turned toward Konrad. "You. Still cursed." "Naturally." The first person through the doorway was Iris. She stepped toward the shimmering light, hesitated for half a heartbeat, then passed through. The surface rippled around her. And she vanished. Brenda followed immediately. "If there's coffee on the other side, don't drink it all!" Her voice faded as she disappeared. Mai approached next. She paused beside Ace. "Together?" Ace took her hand. "Always." Shammy moved close. Yukari joined them. For a moment, the four stood before the doorway. Then Shammy looked back. Konrad stood beside Seras. The great pillar of fire had long since vanished. The sky above them was pale and peaceful. The Dreamlands stretched away into impossible distances. Shammy regarded Konrad thoughtfully. "Thank you." He inclined his head. "You're welcome, weather girl." Her smile faded slightly. Something more serious entered her expression. "Konrad." "Yes?" "Nyarlathotep made a very dangerous mistake." Konrad regarded her. Then looked toward Yukari. The kitsune stood quietly beside Ace. Her golden eyes held none of their earlier amusement. Konrad nodded once. "Yes." Shammy studied him. "You know what I mean." It wasn't a question. Konrad said nothing for a moment. Then answered. "I do." Yukari stepped closer. "He thought this was another amusing little performance." Konrad nodded. "He did." "He involved our family." "Yes." "And he expected us to enjoy the joke." Konrad looked at her. His expression had become unusually still. Yukari continued, her voice quiet. "We won't forget that." Shammy nodded beside her. "Neither of us." No threat accompanied the words. No dramatic flourish. Only two ancient beings expressing a conclusion they had reached independently. Konrad regarded them both. Then inclined his head. "Understood." And that was enough. Ace watched the exchange. She didn't interrupt. Not because she understood every implication. She didn't. But she knew Yukari. She knew Shammy. And she knew the difference between their ordinary playfulness and the quiet seriousness now visible in their expressions. Nyarlathotep had frightened them. No. That wasn't quite right. He had offended something deeper than fear. Ace squeezed Shammy's hand. Then Yukari's. "Come on." Both women turned toward her. "Home." Shammy's expression softened. Yukari smiled. "Yes, darling." Mai stepped closer. "Coffee." Ace laughed. "Lots of coffee." They turned toward the doorway. But before stepping through, Ace looked back one final time. Konrad and Seras stood together beneath the silver-leaved tree. An improbable pair. One bald man in a burgundy leather coat and dark sunglasses. One blonde vampire queen with red eyes and a smile that revealed magnificent fangs. Ace shook her head. "I swear, my life gets weirder every week." Konrad inclined his head. "An encouraging trend." Ace pointed at him. "CURSE YOU, KONRAD!" Seras's laughter followed them through the doorway. The Dreamlands grew quiet. The shimmering exit faded once the last of the six women had passed through. Konrad stood looking at the space where it had been. Seras joined him. For a moment, neither spoke. Then she glanced toward him. "Well." Konrad nodded. "Indeed." "Interesting family." "Very." "Particularly the two ancient ones." Konrad turned toward her. "Yes." Seras considered that. "They're angry." "Yes." "Not the sort of anger that passes quickly." "No." She looked toward the distant hills. "Does Nyarlathotep understand?" Konrad remained silent. Seras glanced back at him. Then smiled faintly. "Right. Probabilities." "Among other things." "No direct answers." "Generally advisable." She folded her arms. "And you're not going to tell me what happens next." Konrad looked toward the river. "No." Seras sighed. "Sometimes you're unbearable." "Frequently." She laughed. Then her expression became more serious. "Still. He crossed a line." Konrad nodded. "He did." "And you decided to intervene." A pause. "Yes." Seras studied him. "That must have been quite a line." Konrad said nothing. She accepted the silence. After a moment, she looked toward the empty space where the doorway had vanished. "I meant what I told them." "I know." "I'll see them in Night City." "Yes." Seras smiled. "Without you, preferably." Konrad considered that. "A reasonable ambition." "Good." She turned toward him. "Now, how exactly are we getting out of here?" Konrad gestured toward the river. Seras followed his gaze. A small wooden boat rested against the bank. She stared. Then looked at him. "A boat." "Yes." "In the Dreamlands." "Apparently." She folded her arms. "Konrad." "Seras." "Please tell me you're joking." He glanced toward the little vessel. "It appears seaworthy." Seras closed her eyes. For several seconds, she said nothing. Then a slow smile spread across her face. "You know, I could simply leave." "Of course." "Without the boat." "Yes." "And without you." "Naturally." Seras opened her eyes. Looked at the boat. Then at Konrad. And burst out laughing. "Oh, you're absolutely impossible." Konrad inclined his head. "Frequently." Together, they walked toward the river. --- And somewhere beyond the Dreamlands, the Black Pharaoh was beginning to tell a very interesting story about a man in a burgundy coat. A story which, with sufficient care, might soon reach ears that had never heard the name Konrad. Seras knew nothing of that conversation. Neither did the six women now returning to their home. And Konrad, for once, seemed perfectly content to enjoy the scenery. --- ## Chapter 7 — Six Awakenings Ace woke to the sound of Brenda swearing. This, under ordinary circumstances, would not have been particularly remarkable. Brenda swore at malfunctioning equipment, inconvenient people, poorly designed coffee machines, and occasionally at perfectly innocent pieces of furniture that happened to be standing in the wrong place. But this particular outburst was different. "WHERE THE FUCK IS MY COFFEE?" Ace opened one eye. Darkness. A familiar ceiling. The soft glow of the Watson safehouse's nighttime lighting. And, most importantly, a warm body pressed against her left side. Mai. Another against her right. Shammy. Something soft and furry rested across her ankles. Yukari. Ace stared at the ceiling. Then slowly closed her eye again. "Oh, thank fuck." Mai stirred. "That's an interesting way to start the morning." Ace turned toward her. "You're here." Mai opened her eyes. "Apparently." "No, I mean..." Ace stopped. Mai was watching her. For a moment, neither spoke. Then Mai reached across the blankets and touched Ace's cheek. "I know." Ace swallowed. Shammy stirred beside her. "Are we home?" Ace turned. "Looks like it." Shammy opened her eyes. For a moment, she simply looked at Ace. Then at Mai. Then toward the familiar bedroom walls. A slow smile spread across her face. "Oh, that's better." Something moved near their feet. A fox raised her head. Golden eyes blinked sleepily. Yukari looked around. Then made a small, questioning sound. Ace smiled. "Morning, gorgeous." The fox considered her. Then stretched. Nine magnificent tails unfolded across the blankets. Ace stared. "Right. We're definitely home." Yukari gave a satisfied little chirp. Mai smiled. "That's your confirmation?" "Sweetheart, if I wake up with nine fox tails on my legs, I'm willing to accept a certain amount of circumstantial evidence." Shammy laughed softly. Then the bedroom door opened. Brenda appeared. Her hair was disheveled. She wore an oversized shirt, comfortable shorts, and the expression of a woman who had recently suffered a profound personal betrayal. "The coffee machine is off." Ace blinked. "Good morning to you too." Brenda pointed toward the hallway. "OFF." Mai closed her eyes. "Brenda." "What?" "It's the middle of the night." Brenda stopped. Looked toward the window. Then toward the clock. 03:17. She stared. "Oh." A pause. "Well, that explains why the kitchen was so dark." From somewhere behind her came Iris's voice. "BRENDA!" Everyone went silent. Then Ace slowly grinned. Brenda turned. "What?" Iris appeared in the doorway. Her expression was deeply unimpressed. "Did you wake everyone up because the coffee machine wasn't running at three in the morning?" Brenda considered her answer. "Possibly." Iris stared. Then sighed. "Come back to bed." "But..." "Brenda." "Fine." She turned to leave. Then stopped. Looked at the four occupants of the bed. And blinked. "Wait." Ace raised an eyebrow. "What?" Brenda pointed at them. "YOU REMEMBER IT TOO?" Silence. Mai sat up. Shammy's smile faded. Yukari went perfectly still. Ace stared at Brenda. "The marketplace?" Brenda nodded. "The cages?" Another nod. "The fucking Pharaoh?" Brenda's eyes widened. "Oh, FUCK." Iris slowly turned toward her. Then toward the bed. "Oh, no." Ace sat up. "Everybody into the kitchen." Mai sighed. "It's three in the morning." Ace looked at her. "Sweetheart, I just spent an entire nightmare dressed as an Egyptian concubine while a cosmic asshole tried to auction off my family. I am not waiting until breakfast." Brenda pointed at her. "THANK YOU!" Iris closed her eyes. "Fine." A pause. "But we're making coffee." Brenda brightened immediately. "I knew there was a reason I loved you." Ten minutes later, all six were gathered around the kitchen table. Yukari had resumed her human form. She wore a soft dressing gown and sat beside Shammy, her nearly black hair threaded with copper-red streaks falling loosely over one shoulder. Ace had changed into a T-shirt and shorts. She had spent an unusually long time appreciating the absence of gold jewelry. Mai sat beside her. Iris occupied the chair opposite them, looking thoughtful. Brenda was standing beside the coffee machine. Watching it. Intently. Ace regarded her. "Are you supervising the coffee?" "Yes." "Why?" "Because after what we just experienced, I am taking absolutely no chances with reality." Iris smiled faintly. "Fair." The machine began brewing. Brenda relaxed. "Finally. Something in this universe that obeys recognizable rules." Shammy looked toward Yukari. Yukari looked back. Both smiled. Brenda noticed. "Don't." "We didn't say anything," Shammy replied. "You were thinking something." Yukari tilted her head. "Perhaps." Brenda pointed at her. "Foxes are not allowed to be smug before coffee." Yukari smiled sweetly. "Is that a new house rule?" "It is now." Ace laughed. Then the laughter faded. She looked around the table. "Okay." Everyone turned toward her. "Let's establish something." Mai nodded. "Agreed." Ace looked at Iris. "What do you remember?" Iris leaned back. "The cages. The marketplace. The guards. The auction." She paused. "The woman who ripped the front of my cage off." "Seras," Mai supplied. "Right. Seras." Iris looked toward Brenda. "And Konrad being an absolutely insufferable bastard." Brenda nodded enthusiastically. "That part was magnificent." Ace turned toward her. "Details." Brenda counted on her fingers. "Ancient Egypt. Impossible engineering. Mai insulting an auctioneer. You insulting the Pharaoh. Seras demolishing five cages." She paused. Then grinned. "Konrad snapping his fingers and deleting the bastard." Ace smiled. "From the nightmare." "Yes, yes. Technicalities." Mai looked toward Shammy. "And you?" Shammy regarded her coffee cup. "All of it." Yukari nodded. "As do I." Ace looked between them. "Every detail?" "Yes," Yukari said. "Even the part where..." Ace stopped. Shammy reached across the table. Took her hand. "Even that." A moment passed. Ace looked down at their joined hands. Then nodded. "Right." Mai rested her hand against Ace's back. No one rushed her. No one tried to turn the moment into a joke. For several seconds, the only sound was the coffee machine. Then Brenda cleared her throat. "Well." Everyone turned. She looked toward Ace. "I do have one question." Ace raised an eyebrow. "Only one?" Brenda nodded. "Did that outfit come home with you?" Ace stared. Iris slowly turned toward Brenda. "Seriously?" "What?" Mai covered her mouth. Shammy began giggling. Yukari's shoulders shook. Ace pointed across the table. "Brenda." "I'm just asking!" "NO." "Shame." "BRENDA!" Iris buried her face in her hands. And the kitchen dissolved into laughter. For the first time since the nightmare began, it sounded entirely normal. The coffee was excellent. Brenda took personal credit for this. Nobody argued. Some victories simply weren't worth contesting. Mai retrieved a tablet and placed it on the table. "Right. Let's compare the sequence." Ace looked at her. "You're making notes?" "Of course." "At three in the morning?" Mai raised an eyebrow. "Would you prefer we rely on six increasingly contradictory recollections?" Ace considered that. "Fair point." Mai opened a blank document. "Start with waking up." Iris leaned forward. "I woke inside the cage." "Same," Brenda said. Shammy nodded. "As did I." Yukari added, "The same." Mai looked toward Ace. "You were already in the pavilion?" "Yep." "And you couldn't see us initially?" "Not clearly." Mai made a note. Then continued. "Did any of you remember entering the Dreamlands?" Five heads shook. "Neither did I." Iris frowned. "So whoever arranged this bypassed whatever normally separates sleeping from... whatever that was." Yukari nodded. "An accurate way of putting it." Brenda looked toward her. "Can that happen again?" The question quieted the table. Yukari considered her answer. "Not necessarily in the same way." "That's not particularly reassuring." "No," Yukari agreed. "It isn't." Shammy leaned forward. "But something has changed." Mai looked toward her. "What?" "The passage." Ace blinked. "The one we used to come home?" "Yes." Yukari nodded. "I noticed something unusual about it before we left." Mai turned toward her. "Go on." Yukari folded her hands. "The marketplace was a constructed part of the Dreamlands. Nyarlathotep imposed his own rules upon it." "Right." "But the place itself existed independently of him." Iris looked interested. "The hills and river?" "Exactly." Shammy smiled faintly. "And the passage home wasn't entirely gone when we woke." Brenda stopped drinking her coffee. Slowly. Very slowly. She lowered the cup. "Excuse me?" Ace stared at Shammy. "What do you mean, not entirely gone?" Shammy considered. "It's faint." "How faint?" "Very." "Shammy." "Ace." "Where?" Shammy glanced toward the bedroom. Ace followed her gaze. Then looked back. "No." Shammy smiled apologetically. "Possibly." Ace closed her eyes. "Of course." Brenda stared toward the hallway. "You're telling me there's a supernatural doorway somewhere near our bedroom?" "Not an open doorway," Yukari clarified. "That is an important distinction," Iris said. "Thank you," Brenda replied. "I feel enormously reassured." Mai looked toward Shammy. "Is it dangerous?" "Not at the moment." "Could it become dangerous?" "Potentially." Mai nodded. "Then we investigate it properly." Ace looked toward her. "Tomorrow." Mai smiled. "Tomorrow." "Not today." "Agreed." "Because I have had exactly enough of the Dreamlands for one night." Shammy squeezed her hand. "Of course, darling." Yukari smiled. "And perhaps when we do investigate it, we'll discover something rather lovely." Ace stared at her. "Yukari." "Yes?" "Please don't." The kitsune tilted her head innocently. "Don't what?" "Make this sound like a vacation." Yukari's smile widened. "Would I?" Ace looked at Mai. Mai sighed. "Yes." By four in the morning, the immediate questions had been answered. Or at least organized into categories. Brenda had named one category Things That Make Absolutely No Engineering Sense. Iris had added a second. Things Brenda Is Going to Complain About Regardless. Mai had quietly renamed both. Ace considered that an act of extraordinary restraint. They moved into the common room. The safehouse lighting remained low, casting a warm amber glow across the familiar furniture. Beyond the windows, Night City continued its endless nighttime existence. Distant traffic. A siren somewhere far below. The faint glow of advertisements reflecting against neighboring buildings. Ordinary sounds. Comforting sounds. Ace stood beside the window for a moment. Then looked back at the others. Mai had settled onto the sofa. Shammy sat beside her. Yukari had returned to fox form and was making a determined attempt to occupy a suspiciously large portion of the cushions. Iris leaned against Brenda. Brenda held another coffee cup. Naturally. Ace smiled. This. This was what the Pharaoh hadn't understood. Not the weapons. Not the extraordinary abilities. Not the fact that some members of their family were considerably older and stranger than they appeared. This. The ordinary little things. Coffee at an unreasonable hour. Brenda complaining. Mai organizing the impossible into something she could work with. Iris's quiet smile. Shammy's warmth. Yukari's soft fur. The unremarkable miracle of being together. Ace walked toward the sofa. "Move over." Yukari looked at her. Made a small, offended sound. Ace folded her arms. "Don't you start." The fox blinked. Then moved approximately three centimeters. Ace stared. "Generous." Shammy laughed. Mai held out a hand. "Come here." Ace took it. Sat down. And immediately found herself surrounded. Shammy curled against her right side. Mai drew her close from the left. Yukari abandoned her protest and climbed into Ace's lap. Ace looked down at the fox. "You little opportunist." Yukari gave a satisfied chirp. Then rested her head against Ace's stomach. Ace stroked her ears. For a long while, nobody spoke. They didn't need to. It was Iris who eventually broke the silence. "Can I ask something?" Mai looked toward her. "Of course." Iris glanced at Shammy. Then Yukari. "Do you two actually know Nyarlathotep?" Yukari lifted her head. Shammy's expression changed. Only slightly. But Ace noticed. So did Mai. Shammy nodded. "We've encountered him before." Iris considered that. "And you weren't surprised to recognize him?" "No." Brenda looked toward Yukari. "You seemed almost amused when we first realized it was him." Yukari remained silent for a moment. Then resumed her human form. Ace suddenly found herself with a considerably larger occupant in her lap. She grunted. "Okay. Warning next time." Yukari kissed her cheek. "Sorry, darling." She settled beside Ace instead. Then looked toward Iris. "Yes," she said. "I was amused." "Was?" Yukari nodded. "Was." The word carried more weight than anyone expected. Shammy looked toward her. Their eyes met. For a moment, the familiar warmth between them remained. But beneath it was something else. A shared understanding. Iris noticed. "So what changed?" Yukari looked toward Ace. Then Mai. Then the others. Her answer was quiet. "He involved our family." Brenda frowned. "And before?" "Before, he was a dangerous nuisance whose performances were often absurd enough to be entertaining from a safe distance." Shammy nodded. "We never mistook him for harmless." "No," Yukari agreed. "But there is a difference between knowing what someone is capable of and discovering what he is willing to do to the people you love." Ace watched them. For the first time since awakening, she realized how deeply the nightmare had affected both women. Not in the way she might have expected. There was no trembling. No fear. No desperate need for reassurance. Instead, there was a quiet certainty. A judgment made. And unlikely to be reconsidered. Shammy spoke. "He thought it was funny." Iris nodded slowly. "Yes." "He thought making Ace watch us suffer would be entertaining." Mai's expression hardened. "It was deliberate." "Very," Shammy said. Yukari looked toward the window. The faint lights of Night City reflected in her golden eyes. "I used to find him amusing." She paused. "Not anymore." Shammy nodded. "Neither do I." Nobody laughed. Nobody tried to make a joke. Ace reached for Yukari's hand. Then Shammy's. Both squeezed back. "Well," Ace said quietly, "for what it's worth, I think he's an asshole." Brenda snorted. Then Iris laughed. A moment later, Shammy smiled. Yukari turned toward Ace. Her expression softened. "An unusually accurate assessment, darling." Ace nodded solemnly. "I have my moments." Mai kissed her temple. "Occasionally." "Hey!" The laughter returned. But the significance of the conversation remained. Something had changed. Nyarlathotep had not merely frightened six women. He had altered a relationship that had existed long before the nightmare. And although the Black Pharaoh might not yet appreciate the difference, Yukari and Shammy certainly did. Eventually, Iris stood. "Right." Brenda looked up. "Right what?" "Bed." "But..." "Brenda." "It's almost five." "Exactly." Brenda considered this. Then nodded. "Fair." She placed her empty cup in the kitchen. Returned. And held out her hand. Iris took it. "Goodnight, everyone." "Goodnight," Mai replied. Brenda paused at the doorway. Then looked back. "One last thing." Ace narrowed her eyes. "No." "I haven't asked anything!" "Brenda." "What?" Ace pointed toward the hallway. "Bed." Brenda looked deeply offended. Then grinned. "Fine. But tomorrow I want to discuss the vampire." Ace blinked. "Seras?" "Yes!" Iris sighed. "Of course you do." Brenda looked delighted. "Did you see what she did to those cages?" Mai smiled. "Goodnight, Brenda." "Fine, fine." They disappeared into the hallway. A moment later, Brenda's voice floated back. "BUT SERIOUSLY, THE MECHANICS OF THAT WERE INCREDIBLE!" Iris answered from somewhere beyond the door. "BRENDA!" Ace burst out laughing. "Oh, I missed this." Shammy smiled. "We were only gone for one night." "Longest night of my life." Yukari leaned against her. "And now it's over." Ace nodded. "Yeah." She looked toward the hallway. Then toward the bedroom. "Come on." Mai stood. "Finally." Shammy rose beside her. Yukari returned to fox form. The four made their way back to the bedroom. There were no golden cages. No impossible guards. No royal auction. Just familiar walls, soft blankets, and the comforting warmth of home. Ace climbed into bed. Mai settled beside her. Shammy curled close. Yukari found her customary place at the foot of the bed. For a moment, Ace simply lay there. Listening. The distant traffic. The faint hum of the building. Mai's breathing. Shammy's warmth. A soft fox sigh from beneath the blankets. Everything was exactly where it belonged. Ace closed her eyes. "Goodnight, everybody." Mai kissed her cheek. "Goodnight." Shammy nestled closer. "Sweet dreams." Ace opened one eye. "Careful with that phrase." Shammy giggled. Yukari made an amused little sound. Mai laughed softly. And at last, the Watson safehouse grew quiet. Six women slept. Safely. Together. But somewhere beyond the boundaries of their ordinary world, a faint connection to the Dreamlands remained. Not yet a doorway. Not yet a threat. Just a possibility. Waiting to be understood. And this time, whatever lay beyond it would be approached by choice. --- ## Chapter 8 — The Door That Remained The following morning, the clock in the safehouse kitchen went backward. Brenda noticed because she had been waiting for the coffee machine to finish brewing. It was the sort of detail a person noticed when the last twenty-four hours had involved imprisonment in a dream, a vampire tearing apart impossible cages, and Konrad behaving exactly as Konrad always behaved. 11:17. 11:16. 11:17 again. Brenda narrowed her eyes. "Iris." Iris looked up from the counter. "Hmm?" "Watch that clock." They waited. 11:18. Then 11:17. Iris set down her cup. "That's new." "That's offensive," Brenda corrected. "The clock?" "Reality. The clock is merely an accomplice." Iris glanced toward the hallway. "Shammy? Yukari? Could you come here?" A moment later, Shammy appeared with Yukari just behind her. Both looked considerably better rested than the two women in the kitchen. Brenda resented this on principle. "The clock's doing something ridiculous," she announced. Shammy studied it. 11:19. 11:18. Her expression grew thoughtful. "Oh." Brenda put her hands on her hips. "Please tell me you have a better word than 'oh.'" Yukari walked toward the hallway, then stopped and glanced back. "I believe we brought a little more home than our memories." Brenda closed her eyes. "Of course we did." --- Ace was in the middle of telling Mai that a morning without an Egyptian slave market counted as an excellent morning when Shammy knocked on the bedroom door. "Darling? We may have something to show you." Ace stared at the ceiling. "No." Mai kissed her cheek. "You don't know what it is." "I know the voice. That's Shammy's interesting-discovery voice." From the other side of the door came a small laugh. "I can hear you." "Then you know I'm right." Fifteen minutes and two cups of coffee later, everyone was standing near the far wall of the Triad bedroom. It looked like a wall. Ace was particularly attached to this fact. "For the record," she said, "I approve of walls that remain walls." Brenda tapped the plaster with one knuckle. "Solid. No obvious structural change." Iris looked around the room, then toward the kitchen hallway. "And the clock?" "Normal again," Brenda replied. "Which somehow makes me angrier." Shammy stood a short distance from the wall with one hand raised. A gentle current moved through the room, stirring the edge of the curtains. It crossed the floor, curled toward the plaster, and vanished. Ace straightened. "That wasn't normal." "No," Shammy agreed. "But it wasn't hostile, either." Yukari approached the same spot. Her golden eyes narrowed in concentration. "Something remained when we came back. Not Nyarlathotep's marketplace. The route beyond it." Mai folded her arms. "A connection to the Dreamlands?" "A faint one," Yukari replied. "Not an open passage. Yet." Ace turned to her. "I dislike that last word." "It's a useful word," Mai said. "It tells us what we need to investigate." "I knew you'd say that." --- They did not open anything. Mai insisted on that before the first test, and for once even Brenda offered no objection. The nightmare had demonstrated how dangerous another person's rules could become. If this connection was still present, they would examine it without surrendering the right to stop. Iris set a chair near the doorway and kept a clear route back into the hallway. Brenda brought a portable monitor, not because she expected it to understand dream physics, but because changes in the ordinary room might still be measurable. Ace watched them work. "We're doing a safety inspection of a hole that isn't there." "Correct," Iris said. "I love this family." "We know," Mai replied. Shammy raised her hand again. This time she let the breeze slow almost to nothing. A pale silver line appeared against the plaster, barely wider than a thread. From somewhere beyond it came the smell of river water and unfamiliar flowers. Yukari smiled. "There." Brenda leaned closer, but Iris caught her sleeve. "Observe first. Touch later." "I was observing. Aggressively." The silver line brightened. For the briefest moment, Ace glimpsed a green hillside beneath a pale sky. Then Shammy lowered her hand. The line vanished. The wall was ordinary plaster again. No one spoke for several seconds. Mai broke the silence. "Can you make it appear again?" "Probably," Shammy said. "Can you stop it again?" "Yes. At least at this scale." "Then we don't go any further today." Brenda looked disappointed, but she nodded. Ace regarded the wall with renewed suspicion. "So the Dreamlands left us a souvenir." "Not exactly," Yukari said. "The connection seems to follow the route we used to come home. The Dreamlands themselves are still there." "And the Pharaoh?" Yukari's smile faded. "He does not own them." Shammy moved beside her. "He only made us forget, for a while, that there was something beyond his performance." Ace looked from one to the other. She remembered the cages, and she remembered the peaceful river beyond the collapsing marketplace. Those memories did not belong to the same thing, however closely they had been placed together. "All right," she said at last. "We investigate. Carefully. But nobody goes through a wall today." "Agreed," Mai said. --- They spent the afternoon comparing observations. Iris and Brenda checked what they could measure in the ordinary room. Their instruments recorded a brief temperature fluctuation and nothing that could explain a view of a foreign landscape. Mai organized the results and wrote down questions rather than conclusions. Shammy and Yukari compared what they had felt. The boundary seemed dormant unless one of them deliberately attended to it, but neither was ready to promise that it could never be reached from the other side. Ace made sandwiches and told everyone this was her contribution to keeping the investigation grounded in reality. Nobody argued. Eventually Brenda stared at the wall one last time. "I still want to know how it works." "So do I," Iris replied. "That's why we're not rushing it." Yukari stood beside Ace, watching the ordinary plaster. "There are beautiful places in the Dreamlands, darling. Places that have nothing to do with him." Ace considered the river she had seen. "Maybe," she said. "But if we ever visit, I want to be the one deciding to go." Shammy took her hand. "That was always the point." The wall remained a wall for the rest of the evening. Ace counted that as progress. --- ## Chapter 9 — A Door Worth Keeping By nine the following morning, Brenda had decided that the Dreamlands were an engineering problem. By nine fifteen, Iris had decided that Brenda was an engineering problem. And by nine thirty, Ace had decided that both of them needed a hobby. Preferably one that didn't involve discovering new dimensions inside the bedroom. "Absolutely not." Brenda looked up from her tablet. "I haven't said anything yet." Ace pointed at the screen. "You've drawn a door." "Yes." "With a keypad." "Yes." "And a camera." "Naturally." Ace folded her arms. "Brenda." "What?" "It's a supernatural passage between realities." "Exactly!" "WHY DOES IT NEED A FUCKING CAMERA?" Brenda looked genuinely offended. "Because I'd like to know who's knocking!" Iris lowered her coffee. For several seconds, she stared at Brenda. Then she smiled. "Oh, that's actually rather good." Ace turned toward her. "Don't encourage her." Mai, seated at the kitchen table, examined Brenda's design. "Hmm." Ace closed her eyes. "Oh, no." Mai looked thoughtful. "I don't think the camera would work through an inactive boundary." Brenda nodded. "That's the principal limitation." Iris leaned forward. "We could monitor the room itself." "Exactly." Ace looked from one woman to another. Then toward Shammy. "Help." Shammy smiled sweetly. "With what, darling?" "They're trying to install a security system on a dream." Yukari, who had been enjoying breakfast in human form, tilted her head. "Isn't that rather sensible?" Ace stared. A long silence followed. Then she slowly stood. "Right." Mai looked up. "Where are you going?" "To find the nearest sane person." Brenda raised an eyebrow. "In Night City?" Ace stopped. Considered that. Then sat down again. "Fair point." --- The actual investigation began shortly after breakfast. Mai had insisted on a proper plan. Not merely because the situation was unusual, but because their first encounter with the Dreamlands had demonstrated exactly how dangerous an environment could become when someone else controlled its rules. This time, they would establish their own. Or, at the very least, understand precisely how little control they actually possessed. The bedroom had been rearranged. A clear section of floor stood before the apparently ordinary wall. Brenda had placed several monitoring devices around the room. None was connected directly to the anomalous boundary, and she had repeatedly assured Iris that nothing was going to explode. Iris had remained unconvinced. Ace considered this entirely reasonable. Mai reviewed the observations from the previous day. "The connection is dormant unless Shammy or Yukari deliberately interacts with it." Shammy nodded. "Correct." "And we don't yet know whether both are required." "Also correct." Brenda looked interested. "That's today's first test." Yukari smiled. "Then shall we begin?" Ace raised a hand. "One question." Mai looked toward her. "Yes?" "If the wall turns into another Egyptian marketplace, can we immediately close it?" "Yes," Shammy replied. "Without discussion?" "Yes." "Without somebody suggesting we examine the architecture first?" Brenda looked offended. "That was one time." Ace stared at her. Brenda sighed. "Fine." "Excellent." Ace settled onto the edge of the bed. "Proceed with the dimensional nonsense." Shammy approached the wall alone. She placed one hand against the plaster. Closed her eyes. And listened. At first, nothing happened. The room remained perfectly ordinary. Then the curtains moved. A faint breeze stirred the air. Shammy smiled slightly. "Hello." Ace blinked. "Who are you talking to?" "The boundary." "Does it answer?" "Not in words." "Wonderful." Shammy concentrated. A narrow vertical shimmer appeared against the wall. Silver. Faint. Almost invisible in the morning light. Brenda glanced at her instruments. "Interesting." Ace pointed at her. "Careful." "I said interesting, not catastrophic." "Those words have a suspicious relationship in this house." The shimmer widened. A few centimeters. Enough for the scent of unfamiliar flowers to drift into the bedroom. Then it stopped. Shammy opened her eyes. The silver line faded. She looked toward Mai. "I can open a small connection." Mai nodded. "Can you make it larger?" "Probably." "Don't yet." "Of course." Iris recorded the result. "Single operator. Shammy. Partial activation." Brenda examined her tablet. "Minimal measurable thermal variation." Ace raised an eyebrow. "Meaning?" "Meaning my equipment doesn't understand what just happened." "Excellent. Neither do I." Yukari laughed softly. Next came Yukari. She approached the wall with a curious expression. Unlike Shammy, she didn't close her eyes. Instead, she rested two fingers against the plaster and murmured something in a language Ace had never heard. The sound was soft. Ancient. Almost musical. For a moment, nine translucent tails appeared behind her. Their tips glimmered faintly. Then the wall changed. Not dramatically. It became slightly darker. Its surface seemed to acquire depth. A narrow opening appeared, revealing a fragment of pale sky beyond. Brenda leaned forward. "Oh, that's different." Yukari tilted her head. "Yes." Mai watched carefully. "You're approaching it another way." "Shammy listens to the boundary." "And you?" Yukari smiled. "I persuade it." Ace stared at her. "You persuade walls?" "Occasionally." "Of course you do." The opening widened a little. Beyond it, the outline of a distant tree appeared. Its leaves were silver. Ace leaned forward. "Wait." Yukari looked at her. "Yes?" "That tree." Shammy smiled. "Recognize it?" Ace nodded. "From the path home." The tree's branches moved in a gentle breeze. There was no sign of Nyarlathotep's marketplace. No royal pavilion. No cages. Just a quiet landscape beneath an unfamiliar sky. Ace stared. For the first time, the Dreamlands didn't feel quite so threatening. They looked... Beautiful. Yukari withdrew her hand. The opening closed. The bedroom wall returned to normal. Ace blinked. Then looked toward Mai. "Okay." Mai raised an eyebrow. "Okay?" "That's something." Yukari smiled. "Indeed." The next experiment involved both ancient women. Shammy stood to the left. Yukari to the right. Mai remained nearby, watching their faces rather than the wall. Iris and Brenda monitored the room. Ace stood beside Mai. "Everyone ready?" Shammy nodded. Yukari smiled. "Whenever you are." Mai checked her tablet. "Proceed." Shammy raised her hand. A gentle breeze moved through the room. Yukari placed her fingers against the wall. The silver shimmer appeared. Then widened. This time, the plaster did not simply become transparent. It seemed to fold away from the space it occupied. A doorway formed. Not a conventional door. There was no frame. No handle. No hinges. Just an oval opening approximately two meters tall, through which the six women could see an entirely different world. A grassy slope descended toward a river. Beyond it stood the same silver-leaved tree. Farther away, wooded hills rose beneath a pale sky. The air drifting through the opening smelled of water, grass, and distant rain. Ace stared. "Well." Brenda looked delighted. "Oh, that's BEAUTIFUL." Iris stepped closer. "Careful." "I'm not touching it!" "Good." Mai studied the opening. "Stable?" Shammy nodded. "For the moment." Yukari glanced toward her. "Very stable, actually." Shammy smiled. "Yes." Brenda examined her equipment. Then frowned. "That's impossible." Ace looked toward her. "Which part?" "All of it." "Helpful." "No, seriously. The sensors are recording two different environmental conditions at essentially the same location." Iris leaned forward. "Temperature?" "Different." "Air pressure?" "Different." "Atmospheric composition?" Brenda paused. Then looked genuinely impressed. "Close enough to ours to be interesting." Ace sighed. "There it is again." "What?" "Interesting." Brenda ignored her. Mai stepped toward the doorway. Not through it. Just close enough to examine the boundary. "Can we see anything moving?" They watched. A small bird landed on a branch of the silver-leaved tree. It tilted its head. Looked toward the doorway. Then flew away. Ace blinked. "Okay. That looked real." Yukari nodded. "It was." "Can it see us?" "Possibly." Iris looked concerned. "Then something larger might also see us." "Exactly," Mai said. She turned toward Shammy. "Close it." Shammy nodded. Yukari withdrew her hand. The opening narrowed. The river disappeared. Then the tree. Then the pale sky. Finally, the wall became ordinary plaster again. For several moments, nobody spoke. Then Brenda exhaled. "Well." Ace looked toward her. "Don't." Brenda grinned. "That was absolutely magnificent." Ace sighed. "Of course it was." They returned to the kitchen. Mai wanted the observations written down before anyone became distracted. This was optimistic. The distraction arrived in the form of Brenda proposing a name. "DreamGate." Ace looked up. "No." "Why not?" "Because it sounds like a corporation." Iris considered. "DreamLink?" "Also a corporation." Brenda frowned. "DreamDoor?" Ace stared. "That's somehow worse." Shammy smiled. "Why not simply call it the Dreamlands passage?" Yukari nodded. "Accurate." Mai made a note. "Agreed." Brenda looked disappointed. "Not very imaginative." Ace pointed at her. "After yesterday, I am perfectly happy with accurate and boring." Iris raised her coffee. "To accurate and boring." Mai lifted hers. "Agreed." Shammy smiled. Yukari laughed softly. Brenda sighed. "Fine." Then she brightened. "Can we at least call the monitoring system DreamWatch?" Ace stared at her. For several seconds, the kitchen was silent. Then Mai said, "That's actually acceptable." Brenda looked triumphant. Ace slowly lowered her head onto the table. "I surrender." The more serious discussion began after lunch. Mai gathered everyone in the sitting room. The Dreamlands passage was real. It could be opened. It could be closed. And it appeared to connect to the same general region they had seen after Nyarlathotep's nightmare collapsed. But those discoveries created a difficult question. What should they do with it? Iris spoke first. "We could close the connection permanently." Brenda nodded. "Probably the safest option." Ace looked toward Shammy. Then Yukari. Neither seemed particularly enthusiastic. Mai noticed. "You disagree?" Yukari considered her answer. "I don't disagree that it would be safer in one sense." Shammy nodded. "But?" "The Dreamlands are not inherently hostile," Shammy said. Yukari continued. "Nyarlathotep used a part of them for his own purposes. That doesn't mean the entire realm belongs to him." Ace leaned back. "We established that." "Yes." Yukari smiled faintly. "But I think we should consider what it means." Mai folded her arms. "Go on." Yukari glanced toward the bedroom hallway. "We have a doorway to a place most people can only approach through dreams. A place with its own histories, inhabitants, landscapes, and possibilities." Brenda looked interested. "Possibilities?" Ace closed her eyes. "Oh, no." Yukari continued. "Some dangerous. Some beautiful. Some simply strange." Shammy nodded. "And we would be able to visit deliberately." Iris looked toward her. "Without falling asleep?" "Yes." "Physically?" Yukari hesitated. "In a manner appropriate to the Dreamlands." Brenda frowned. "That sounds like a complicated answer." "It is," Yukari admitted. Mai considered. "And if we close the passage permanently?" Shammy looked thoughtful. "Then we lose this particular route." "Could we reopen it?" "Perhaps. Perhaps not." Ace stared at her. "That's a lot of perhaps." Shammy smiled apologetically. "Dreamlands aren't particularly interested in providing guarantees." Brenda muttered something about warranty claims. Iris laughed. Mai looked around the room. "Then perhaps the choice isn't simply open or closed." Yukari nodded. "Exactly." "We could preserve the connection while keeping it inactive." Shammy smiled. "Yes." "Only opening it deliberately, under controlled circumstances." "Yes." Iris leaned forward. "With monitoring." Brenda brightened. "And an access protocol!" Ace sighed. "Of course." Mai looked toward her. "What do you think?" Ace considered. The easy answer would have been to close it. Permanently. Forget the Dreamlands. Forget the cages. Forget the Pharaoh. Never give another ancient supernatural lunatic the opportunity to interfere with their lives. But the easy answer wasn't necessarily the right one. She remembered the landscape beyond the marketplace. The river. The trees. The strange quiet of a world that had existed independently of Nyarlathotep's performance. And she remembered the feeling of walking toward home. Not being dragged. Not being commanded. Choosing. Ace looked toward Yukari. "Do you actually want to go back?" Yukari answered immediately. "Yes." Shammy nodded. "So do I." Ace studied them. "Even after what happened?" Yukari's expression softened. "Especially because of what happened." Ace frowned. Yukari continued. "I don't want Nyarlathotep to be the only thing you remember about the Dreamlands." Shammy reached for Ace's hand. "Nor do I." There was no pressure in their voices. No expectation that Ace would agree. Only honesty. Ace looked toward Mai. Mai smiled gently. "We don't have to go anywhere until we're ready." Ace nodded. Then looked toward Iris and Brenda. "What about you two?" Iris considered. "I'm curious." Brenda grinned. "Extremely." Ace laughed. "Naturally." Mai raised an eyebrow. "And you?" Ace leaned back. Thought for a moment. Then smiled. "Fine." Shammy brightened. Yukari's golden eyes widened slightly. Ace raised a finger. "But." Mai smiled. "Of course." "No surprise excursions." "Agreed." "No opening the passage in the middle of the night because somebody had an interesting dream." Brenda looked toward Shammy. Shammy giggled. "Agreed." "No bringing back mysterious eggs, ancient artifacts, or suspiciously adorable creatures without asking everybody first." Yukari tilted her head. "Even adorable creatures?" "Especially adorable creatures." Iris laughed. "And absolutely no inviting cosmic entities home." Ace pointed toward her. "THANK YOU." Brenda considered. "What about Seras?" Ace paused. Then looked thoughtful. "Okay. Maybe one exception." Mai smiled. "Noted." --- By late afternoon, the decision had been made. The passage would remain. Dormant. Controlled. And subject to rules everyone understood. Mai documented the agreement. Iris and Brenda established monitoring and physical precautions around the bedroom wall. Shammy and Yukari worked together to stabilize the boundary without keeping it continuously open. The process took nearly an hour. It wasn't dramatic. There were no lightning bolts. No explosions. No ominous chanting. Just two ancient women concentrating on something they understood in ways the others could only partially follow. Occasionally, silver light moved across the wall. Sometimes the room smelled faintly of rain. Once, a tiny leaf appeared on the floor. Brenda examined it. Then looked toward the wall. "Did that come through?" Yukari nodded. "Probably." Brenda picked it up. It was silver. Delicate. And completely ordinary to the touch. She turned it over. Then smiled. "Well." Ace looked at her. "What?" Brenda held up the leaf. "Our first interdimensional souvenir." Ace stared. Then sighed. "Of course it is." Iris leaned closer. "Actually, that's rather lovely." Shammy smiled. Yukari nodded. "Yes." Mai examined the wall. "Status?" Shammy opened her eyes. "Dormant." Yukari lowered her hand. "Stable." "Can it be opened without your cooperation?" Yukari considered. "Not easily through this connection." Shammy nodded. "We've established a deliberate threshold." Mai looked satisfied. "Good." Iris glanced toward Brenda's monitoring equipment. "Everything normal?" Brenda examined the readings. "As normal as a dormant doorway between realities can be." Ace folded her arms. "I'll take it." That evening, Ace stood alone in the bedroom for a few minutes. The others were in the kitchen. Brenda was explaining something to Iris. Shammy and Yukari were discussing dinner. Mai was finishing her notes. Ordinary safehouse sounds. Comforting. Familiar. Ace approached the wall. It looked exactly as it always had. Plain. Unremarkable. She placed her palm against it. Cool plaster. Nothing more. She remembered the marketplace. The cages. Mai reaching toward her through impossible distance. The helplessness. The fury. Then the fire. Konrad. Seras. And the moment all five women had stepped free. Ace smiled faintly. "Well." She looked at the wall. "I suppose we could have worse neighbors." A voice answered from the doorway. "Certainly." Ace turned. Yukari stood there, smiling. Ace laughed. "How long have you been listening?" "Long enough." "Of course." Yukari approached. Stood beside her. For a moment, both looked at the wall. Then Ace spoke quietly. "You're sure about this?" Yukari considered. "No." Ace turned. Yukari smiled. "I'm sure the Dreamlands contain wonders worth discovering. I'm sure they also contain dangers." "And the passage?" "I'm reasonably confident we can manage it." "Reasonably." "Yes." Ace sighed. "You're getting as bad as Konrad." Yukari laughed. "Perish the thought." Ace smiled. Then her expression softened. "One thing." "Yes, darling?" "If we go there someday..." Yukari waited. Ace looked toward the wall. "We go together." Yukari reached for her hand. "Of course." "No leaving anybody behind." "Never by choice." Ace squeezed her fingers. "Good." From the kitchen came Brenda's voice. "WHO TOOK MY COFFEE?" Iris answered immediately. "YOU DRANK IT!" A pause. Then Brenda: "OH." Ace closed her eyes. Yukari began laughing. "Home," Ace murmured. Yukari smiled. "Indeed." They turned away from the wall. And walked toward the kitchen. Behind them, the Dreamlands passage remained quiet. Not sealed. Not abandoned. Simply waiting. For the first time, it was neither a trap nor an obligation. It was a possibility. One the family had chosen to keep. And beyond that dormant threshold, somewhere beneath unfamiliar stars, the Dreamlands continued their strange and ancient existence. Untroubled by the small household in Watson that had just decided to become occasional visitors. --- ## Chapter 10 — Beyond the Nightmare They did not intend to spend the day in another world. Mai insisted on making that distinction before breakfast, during breakfast, and once more as Brenda checked the monitoring equipment outside the bedroom. "A reconnaissance visit," she said. "One short excursion. We establish what lies immediately beyond the passage, then come home." Ace looked at Yukari. "You heard the woman. No sightseeing tour." Yukari smiled. "Certainly not." Shammy's expression was entirely too innocent. Ace pointed at her. "You too." "Of course, darling." Iris stood near the bedroom door, where the route back to the living area remained clear. Brenda had finished her checks and was putting away her tablet. "I still can't make the instruments understand what's happening," she said. "But the room's behaving." "That's the part I like," Ace replied. Mai looked around at all five women. "Nobody crosses alone. Nobody follows anything out of sight. If the boundary changes unexpectedly, we return immediately. Everyone agrees?" Five answers came back. Some more enthusiastic than others. --- Shammy raised her hand. Yukari stood beside her and placed two fingers against the familiar stretch of plaster. A silver line formed, widened, and became an oval doorway. Beyond it lay the same grassy bank they had seen before. The silver-leaved tree stood beside the river. Light moved over the water beneath a pale sky. Nothing rushed at them. Nothing announced itself. No Pharaoh waited to deliver a speech. Ace considered that the most promising development so far. Mai went first with Shammy, testing the step together rather than allowing either woman to vanish ahead of the others. One moment they stood in the bedroom; the next they were on a soft patch of unfamiliar grass. Mai looked back. The opening remained behind her. Through it she could see Ace, Iris, and Brenda waiting in Watson. "Stable," she called. "Come through." Ace followed, then Iris and Brenda. Yukari crossed last, letting the doorway narrow to a pale, steady outline without closing it. For a few moments they simply stood together. The air was cooler than in the safehouse. The river made a quiet sound as it moved over stones. High above them, birds crossed the sky in an untidy formation that changed as they flew. Brenda looked delighted. "They're not repeating." Iris glanced up. "What?" "The birds. The marketplace ones repeated their movements. These don't." Mai nodded. "Independent behavior. Different environment." Ace looked toward the distant ridge. "Different dream." Yukari smiled. "Not Nyarlathotep's performance at all." --- They walked as far as the silver-leaved tree. No farther. A narrow path led toward the wooded hills, and something resembling a distant town lay beyond them, its roofs catching the pale sunlight. But the agreed limit was the tree, and Mai had no intention of forgetting it just because the scenery was beautiful. Under its branches stood a small stone marker, almost concealed by the grass. Its surface bore symbols none of them could read. Iris crouched to examine it without touching. "Old?" "Probably," Yukari said. Brenda laughed. "That's not a very useful answer." "An honest one, though." Shammy had moved toward the water. A soft breeze lifted her hair. She smiled, listening to currents Ace couldn't hear. "There's no command in the wind," she said. Ace turned. "What does that mean?" "Nothing here is telling me how to feel about it." For a moment Ace remembered the auction, the forced applause, the guards who could not understand refusal. Then she looked at the little river and the trees moving freely in the breeze. "Good," she said. "I prefer it that way." A small animal emerged from the undergrowth farther upstream. It had the shape of a cat and fur the color of storm clouds, but its eyes reflected unfamiliar stars. It watched the visitors for a while, then wandered away without offering either a threat or an explanation. Yukari smiled after it. "There are locals, then." "And we've just met one," Iris observed. "Very briefly," Mai said. "Which is enough for today." Nobody argued. Ace, in particular, didn't want to spoil the moment by seeing what might happen if they stayed too long. --- They returned by the same route. This time the distance behaved. When they stepped back through the silver opening, the safehouse smelled of coffee and familiar upholstery. Brenda checked the room. Iris checked the group. Mai counted all six without needing to say why. Shammy and Yukari closed the passage together, leaving it dormant rather than sealed. The plaster became ordinary again. Ace rested a hand against it. "So we can choose to go. And choose to come home." "Yes," Shammy said. Yukari smiled. "Provided we're sensible about where we go." Brenda immediately looked toward Mai. "Can we make a map?" Mai considered. "Eventually." Ace groaned. "Oh, no. Now it's going to have a map." Iris laughed. "It'll be better than getting lost." Ace looked toward the empty wall once more. For the first time since the nightmare, her memory of the Dreamlands contained something that belonged entirely to them: six women choosing a short walk beside a river, and six women choosing to return home. It was a small thing. That was why it mattered. --- ## Chapter 11 — An Inconvenient Story Nyarlathotep disliked being interrupted. Not because interruption was unfamiliar. He had interrupted kings at their coronations, priests in the middle of revelations, and entire civilizations at moments they had considered historic. Interruption was one of his favorite arts. Being on the receiving end, however, had proved less charming. He stood in a place that possessed neither floor nor sky. There were suggestions of both, should an observer require them, but nothing held its shape for long. A river of dark light wound through the distance without moving anywhere. Above it hung a collection of doors that opened onto sounds rather than rooms. He was no longer dressed as the Black Pharaoh. That particular costume had acquired an unfortunate association with a small, perfectly ordinary noise. Snap. Nyarlathotep stopped walking. Then smiled. It was becoming funny. Not the humiliation. That was merely irritating. The funny part was that he still could not decide what, exactly, had been taken from him. His marketplace had been his creation only in part. He had borrowed a fold of the Dreamlands, imposed a performance upon it, and expected his audience to respond. They had responded with a man in a burgundy coat and a blonde vampire. The woman had been interesting. The man had been considerably more interesting. Nyarlathotep turned one of the suspended doors toward him. Behind it, an intelligence was arranging memories into patterns no mortal mind could have followed. It did not welcome visitors. Nyarlathotep entered anyway. "I have found something curious," he announced. The patterns stopped moving. *You frequently do.* "Not this curious." *Then perhaps you will explain it without turning the explanation into a trap.* Nyarlathotep laughed. "What a dreadful accusation." He offered a description rather than a name: a small human-looking figure, bald, with dark spectacles, an unmistakable tattoo, and a burgundy coat. An apparent outsider to the dream who had not behaved as an outsider should. The listening intelligence adjusted its patterns. *What did he do?* "He declined to recognize my authority over a place I had shaped." *Many have declined. Fewer have survived the disagreement.* "This one dismissed me." A pause. The patterns resumed, differently. *Dismissed you from what?* "A private arrangement. Nothing of consequence." *You rarely take private arrangements lightly.* "I took this one very lightly indeed." That was true, in its way. Nyarlathotep let the listener notice the contradiction. He wanted questions, not conclusions. A question could travel farther than an answer because its recipient would insist upon finishing it. *And why had he entered your arrangement?* Nyarlathotep smiled. "A matter of hospitality. My guests and I disagreed." He offered no description of the cages. No mention of the auction. And absolutely no suggestion that six women had been the actual point of the performance. The listener noticed the omissions. Nyarlathotep had counted on that too. *You have left something out.* "Almost certainly." *Then why tell me?* "Because I thought you might enjoy knowing that Night City contains a question none of us has yet answered." He departed before the intelligence could decide whether to be offended. That, too, was part of the entertainment. --- ## Chapter 12 — The Useful Half of the Truth The second conversation took place where the idea of an ocean was older than water. Something listened beneath a dark surface. It was neither asleep nor awake, and it had no particular interest in Night City. Nyarlathotep knew this because he had come prepared to give it one. "There is a place," he began, "where the customary rules appear to have acquired an exception." The surface stirred. *Rules are local. Exceptions are ordinary.* "Not this exception." *You said that before.* Nyarlathotep smiled. "Then you remember me fondly." The water remained silent. He described the man again, but differently. This time there was no theatrical detail about sunglasses or an irritatingly calm voice. He spoke instead of a bounded dream and an intervention that had ignored the boundary. The listener was offered the shape of the puzzle, never its cause. *Can he unmake a world?* "I did not say that." *Can he refuse the laws of one?* "An excellent question." *Did he defeat you?* Nyarlathotep's smile became almost affectionate. "We did not conduct a contest." For an instant, the deep water stilled entirely. *Then you were careless.* "I am always careful about the things that matter." *And this did not matter?* "It matters now." The words were chosen precisely. They supplied no instructions and no request for action, yet they made Night City sound newly interesting. Curiosity did the rest. By the time Nyarlathotep departed, the listener had begun considering the possibility that the reality containing Night City might merit closer attention. That was sufficient. He visited another place after that, one where conversation consisted of exchanging possible futures. There he spoke of probability and of a man who seemed comfortable where possibilities contradicted one another. A third listener dismissed the account as an embellished complaint. A fourth requested more information. A fifth declined to hear anything about Night City and went back to its own unfathomable concerns. Nyarlathotep enjoyed that response almost as much as the others. He did not want agreement. Agreement made people predictable. He wanted each listener to react according to its own nature, and he wanted those reactions to diverge. Soon the story possessed several versions. In one, a man had expelled the Crawling Chaos from a dream. In another, Night City was sheltered by a power that answered to no known hierarchy. In a third, Nyarlathotep had misunderstood a local rule and was trying to turn an embarrassing mistake into an interesting mystery. That last version was particularly insulting. It was also the closest to the truth. And somewhere in the widening conversation, a question began to circulate without anyone remembering who had asked it first. *Who is Konrad?* Nyarlathotep did not answer. He had very deliberately arranged not to know. --- ## Chapter 13 — The Other Mistake The Black Pharaoh's tale had begun to move without him. That pleased Nyarlathotep enormously. He listened to its new variations, corrected nothing, and encouraged exactly those uncertainties most likely to inspire further conversation. Some of the ancient beings who heard it were skeptical. Others were indifferent. A few were intrigued enough to remember a particular city when their own unrelated affairs next brought them near it. There was no alliance. No declaration. No procession of eldritch powers setting out to challenge a man in a burgundy coat. Most of the cosmos had more interesting things to do. That suited Nyarlathotep. He had never needed every creature in existence to follow a single plan. One mistaken assumption, offered to the right listener, could produce complications years later. And if nothing came of a particular whisper, he could always tell a better story elsewhere. He settled into a chamber whose walls displayed moments from the recent nightmare. His own throne. The marketplace. The pillar of fire. The empty space left after a snap. He studied the final image for a long time. Then, almost as an afterthought, he turned toward the cages. Five women stood behind their bars. He remembered the faces. Mai's refusal. Iris's scrutiny. Brenda's outrage. The peculiar tenderness with which the women had tried to reach one another even when he stretched the distance between them. And the other two. Yukari. Shammy. Old acquaintances, both. The sorts of beings who had once regarded him with the exhausted amusement reserved for an incorrigible entertainer. He remembered Yukari's voice. *You should have left us out of this.* He remembered Shammy's. *Yes. I am taking this personally.* Nyarlathotep considered the words. Then he laughed softly. "Surely not forever." He knew them as curious, affectionate creatures. They would return to their household, their private lives, their strange little arrangements. Time had always been capable of blunting indignation, especially among beings who had endured a great deal of it. Or so he supposed. The chamber offered him one more image: Yukari and Shammy after the cages had opened. Neither looked frightened. Neither looked grateful to him for ending the game. He waved the image away. Konrad was the more compelling problem. Konrad was new. Konrad had disrupted an experiment. Konrad was a story worth spreading. Nyarlathotep turned his attention back to the conversations moving across the dark. And in doing so, he missed the simplest consequence of all. He had not merely failed to amuse two ancient beings. He had taught them to watch for his hand in anything that threatened their family. They would not hunt him across creation. They would not devote their lives to revenge, or abandon the people they loved in pursuit of a cosmic quarrel. But their former indulgence was gone. When his next whisper reached Night City, it would not find the same amused audience. Nyarlathotep did not know that yet. He was too busy making certain everybody heard about the man who had snapped his fingers. --- ## Epilogue — Now That's My Cue Three evenings later, the Watson safehouse was enjoying a rare and beautiful condition. Nothing was happening. No corporate emergencies. No mysterious visitors. No eldritch cults. No supernatural catastrophes. And, perhaps most importantly, nobody had discovered another impossible doorway. Ace considered this an excellent state of affairs. She was sprawled across the sofa with Mai beside her and Shammy comfortably curled against her other side. A large, unusually smug nine-tailed fox occupied most of the remaining cushions. Yukari had apparently decided that her current contribution to the household consisted of being warm, soft, and deliberately inconvenient. Ace scratched behind one copper-red ear. "You know, for somebody who can become human whenever she wants, you're remarkably committed to taking up the entire sofa." Yukari closed her golden eyes. Her tails shifted. One settled across Ace's lap. Ace sighed. "Yeah. That's what I thought." Mai smiled over her coffee. "She's comfortable." "She's an occupying force." Shammy giggled. "A very fluffy occupying force." Across the room, Iris and Brenda were sitting together at the table. Iris had been reading something on her tablet. Brenda had been examining a completely unrelated technical diagram while occasionally making disapproving noises. Neither activity was particularly unusual. What was unusual was that Brenda had managed to remain seated for nearly forty minutes without dismantling anything. Ace was considering congratulating her. Then Brenda looked up. "I've been thinking." Iris closed her eyes. "Oh, dear." Ace pointed toward her. "No." Brenda stared. "I HAVEN'T SAID WHAT ABOUT!" "Preventative measure." "That's not fair!" Mai laughed. "Go on, Brenda." "Thank you!" Brenda put her tablet down. "Seras." The room became interested. Even Yukari opened one eye. Ace raised an eyebrow. "What about her?" "The cages." Iris sighed. "Of course." "No, seriously!" Brenda leaned forward. "Do you have any idea how much force it would take to tear an iron-reinforced cage apart like that?" Mai considered the question. "Under ordinary physical conditions?" "Exactly!" "Quite a lot." "Thank you!" Shammy smiled. "Those weren't ordinary cages, though." Brenda pointed at her. "THAT'S WHAT MAKES IT EVEN MORE INTERESTING!" Yukari's tails stirred. Ace looked down. "Don't encourage her." The fox made a tiny, entirely innocent sound. "You're doing it anyway." Mai sipped her coffee. "I confess I'm curious about Seras for entirely different reasons." Iris looked toward her. "Such as?" "Her position in Night City." Shammy nodded. "That is interesting." Mai continued. "An entire vampire community, with an established hierarchy, operating in the same city as us." Ace frowned thoughtfully. "And we knew absolutely nothing about it." Yukari opened both eyes. Shammy glanced at her. The kitsune's expression was difficult to interpret in fox form. Ace noticed. "Oh, don't tell me you knew." Yukari gave a soft chirp. Ace stared. "Yukari." The fox looked away. "YUKARI." A shimmer passed across the cushions. A moment later, Yukari sat beside Ace in human form, comfortably wrapped in a loose robe, her nearly black hair falling around her shoulders. She smiled. "I knew that vampires existed, darling." Ace folded her arms. "That's not what I asked." "I didn't know Seras personally." "Better." Yukari considered. "And I had heard that Night City's true vampires maintained their own affairs." Ace looked at Mai. Mai raised an eyebrow. "I suspect this is going to become a familiar pattern." Shammy giggled. Iris leaned forward. "Actually, I have a more practical question." Brenda looked delighted. "YES!" Iris ignored her. "If Seras is a vampire queen, does she have all the usual vampire abilities?" Ace tilted her head. "Define usual." "Enhanced strength. Extraordinary senses. Regeneration." "Fangs," Brenda added. Iris nodded. "Yes, Brenda. We noticed the fangs." "Magnificent fangs." "Brenda." "What? They were!" Yukari smiled. "Different vampire lineages have different capabilities." Mai looked toward her. "And Seras?" "She appears to be rather exceptional." Shammy nodded thoughtfully. "Very exceptional." Brenda leaned forward. "Can she turn into a bat?" Ace laughed. "Seriously?" "What?" "That's your question?" "YES!" Iris rubbed her forehead. Yukari's smile widened. "A cloud of bats would be rather dramatic." Brenda looked triumphant. "SEE?" Mai considered. "I'd be more interested in whether she can become intangible." Iris looked up. "Like mist?" Shammy smiled. "That would be useful." Ace leaned back against the sofa. "Oh, wonderful. Now we're discussing whether the Vampire Queen can become a weather phenomenon." Shammy poked her. "Careful." Ace grinned. "Sorry, weather girl." Shammy laughed. Then Mai glanced toward the window. "She did say we'd meet her again soon." "Yes," Iris said. "In reality." Ace nodded. "Her exact words." Brenda looked hopeful. "Well, I wouldn't mind if she showed up." Iris raised an eyebrow. "Preferably using the door." Ace smiled. "Absolutely. No more dramatic supernatural entrances. I've had enough of those." A pleasant female voice spoke from the opposite side of the room. "Now that's my cue." Silence. Absolute silence. Ace stopped smiling. Mai slowly lowered her coffee cup. Shammy turned her head. Yukari's golden eyes widened. Iris looked toward the hallway. Brenda blinked. Then everyone heard it. A soft, almost musical sound. Like a breeze moving through distant leaves. A thin ribbon of pale gray mist was drifting from the ventilation grille near the ceiling. It descended toward the floor. Curled around itself. And began to thicken. Ace stared. "Oh, you have GOT to be kidding me." The mist gathered into a vaguely human shape. Long legs. A slender figure. The outline of a coat. Then blonde hair appeared. Two brilliant red eyes opened within the shifting vapor. And Seras Victoria stepped out of the mist as casually as someone entering through an ordinary doorway. She was wearing dark trousers, practical boots, and a fitted jacket beneath a long coat. Her blonde hair fell around her face. Her smile revealed two magnificent, unmistakable fangs. "Good evening, everyone." Nobody spoke. Seras looked around. Then smiled a little wider. "Did I interrupt something?" Brenda stood up. Pointed at her. Opened her mouth. Closed it. Then pointed again. "YOU..." Seras tilted her head. "Yes?" "YOU JUST..." "Yes?" "YOU WERE..." Seras waited politely. Brenda threw both hands into the air. "YOU WERE FUCKING FOG!" Seras burst out laughing. And the safehouse erupted. "HOW?" "Can you do that anywhere?" "Does the mist have mass?" "Can you see while you're doing it?" "Do you need an opening?" "Does air pressure affect you?" "Can you turn into bats?" "Can you..." "EVERYBODY!" Ace's shout brought the conversation to a temporary halt. Six faces turned toward her. Seras looked delighted. Ace stood. Walked toward their visitor. And stopped directly in front of her. She examined Seras from head to foot. Then looked toward the ventilation grille. Then back at Seras. For a moment, she said nothing. Finally: "You know, most people knock." Seras smiled. "Most people aren't vampires." Brenda made an appreciative noise. Iris covered her face. Ace stared at Seras. Then slowly grinned. "Okay. Fair." Seras laughed. "I did rather want to make an entrance." "Mission accomplished." "Thank you." Ace folded her arms. "One question, though." Seras raised an eyebrow. "Only one?" "Don't get excited. Brenda has approximately six hundred." "Seven hundred," Brenda corrected. "Of course." Ace pointed toward the ventilation grille. "How long were you listening?" Seras considered. "Long enough to hear my name." Mai looked interested. "So you weren't actually waiting there?" "No." "You arrived because we were discussing you?" Seras's smile widened. "Well, I did promise we'd meet again soon." Ace narrowed her eyes. "That sounds suspiciously like Konrad." Seras laughed. "Oh, please. He'd have made you wait another twenty minutes simply because he knew it would annoy you." Shammy giggled. "That's true." Yukari nodded. "Entirely." Ace sighed. "Goddammit. You're right." Seras looked extremely pleased with herself. It took another five minutes before everyone had settled sufficiently to conduct anything resembling a conversation. Seras accepted a place on the sofa. She also accepted coffee. This astonished Brenda. "You drink coffee?" Seras looked at her. "Yes." "But..." "But?" "You're a vampire." Seras smiled. "Very observant." Iris laughed. Brenda pointed at her. "Don't you start." Seras examined the steaming cup. "Being a vampire doesn't prevent me from enjoying ordinary things." "Food?" "Sometimes." "Wine?" "Certainly." "Chocolate?" Seras looked thoughtful. "Occasionally." Brenda leaned closer. "Garlic?" Seras stared. Then burst out laughing. "Oh, that's an old one!" Ace grinned. "So that's a no?" Seras shook her head. "No, garlic doesn't send me fleeing into the night." Brenda made a note on her tablet. Iris looked at her. "Are you seriously writing this down?" "YES." Seras leaned forward. "Actually, I'd like to see that list when you're finished." Brenda stared. Then beamed. "Oh, I like you." Seras grinned. "I had a feeling." Shammy smiled. "So, darling. About that mist..." Seras turned toward her. "Yes?" "Is it a transformation of your physical form?" "In a manner of speaking." Shammy nodded thoughtfully. "Interesting." Brenda pointed toward her. "SEE? SHE SAID IT TOO!" Ace closed her eyes. "Here we go." Seras laughed. "Certain vampires can disperse their physical form," Seras explained. "Mist is one possibility." Mai leaned forward. "And you retain awareness throughout?" "Yes." "Control over direction?" "Of course." "Can you pass through any opening?" "Not absolutely any opening." Iris looked interested. "Restrictions?" "Some." Seras smiled. "And no, I'm not giving you a complete vulnerability assessment over coffee." Iris laughed. "Fair." Brenda looked disappointed. "That's actually exactly what I was hoping for." "I suspected." Ace folded her arms. "So you came through the ventilation system." "Yes." "Without setting off anything?" Seras tilted her head. "I wasn't trying to make a mess." "That's not what I asked." "I know." Ace stared. Seras smiled innocently. Yukari began laughing. "Oh, she's good." Shammy nodded enthusiastically. "Very." Ace looked toward the ceiling. "Wonderful. We've found another one." Seras's red eyes sparkled. "Another what?" "Another supernatural person who thinks being technically correct is a substitute for answering questions." Seras considered that. Then smiled. "That does sound rather like Konrad." "EXACTLY!" Mai laughed. "Except she's actually answering most of them." Ace paused. Then turned toward Seras. "Good point." Seras inclined her head. "Thank you." Yukari moved closer. Her expression had become genuinely curious. "May I ask something a little less conventional?" Seras smiled. "Please." Yukari studied her for a moment. "Your mist form. Is it something you learned, or something that came with your inheritance?" Seras considered the question. "Both, in a sense." Yukari nodded. "That makes sense." "Does it?" "Yes." Seras regarded her with interest. "Because you change form yourself." Yukari smiled. "Quite frequently." Ace raised one finger. "Understatement." Shammy laughed. Seras looked toward Yukari. "Would you mind showing me?" Yukari tilted her head. "Not at all." A shimmer passed through the air. Her human form dissolved into a smaller silhouette. A moment later, a magnificent nine-tailed fox sat upon the cushions. Seras stared. Then smiled. "Oh, you're beautiful." Yukari's tails swished. Ace grinned. "Careful. You'll encourage her." Seras leaned closer. "May I?" The fox considered. Then inclined her head. Seras reached out and gently stroked the fur between Yukari's ears. For several moments, she said nothing. Then she laughed softly. "Well, that's remarkable." Yukari gave a delighted little chirp. Seras looked toward Shammy. "And you?" Shammy blinked. "Me?" "Konrad called you weather girl." Ace immediately began laughing. Shammy made a face. "Of course he did." Seras smiled. "I assume there's a reason." Shammy raised one hand. A gentle current of air moved through the sitting room. It curled around Seras's coffee cup without disturbing the liquid. Then rose toward the ceiling, carrying a few tiny sparks of reflected light. Seras watched with fascination. "Oh." Shammy smiled. "A little demonstration." Seras considered the movement. "That's not ordinary magic." "No." "You're an elemental." Shammy nodded. "An elemental." Seras's expression became thoughtful. Then warmly appreciative. "Well. That explains a few things." Ace raised an eyebrow. "Does it?" "Quite a few." "Would you care to share?" Seras smiled. "Eventually." Ace threw up her hands. "OH, FOR FUCK'S SAKE!" The room dissolved into laughter. After a while, the questions became less technical. Mai wanted to know about Night City's vampire community. Seras answered carefully but openly. There were true vampires living in the city. They had their own relationships, disputes, traditions, and responsibilities. Some maintained ordinary public identities. Others preferred greater privacy. And Seras, as Queen, was responsible for keeping their affairs from becoming everybody else's problem. Brenda looked impressed. "So you're basically managing a supernatural population inside Night City." Seras smiled. "That's one way to describe it." Iris nodded. "Sounds exhausting." "Occasionally." Ace leaned back. "And the corporations?" Seras's expression became amused. "What about them?" "Do they know?" "Some know fragments. Some suspect. Some have made rather unfortunate assumptions." Mai smiled faintly. "That sounds familiar." Seras nodded. "Night City is very good at producing people who believe they've discovered something they can own." Yukari, back in human form, grew thoughtful. "And what happens when they try?" Seras's smile remained pleasant. But something colder entered her eyes. "They learn otherwise." A brief silence followed. Then Brenda raised her hand. Seras looked at her. "Yes?" "Can you turn into bats?" Iris groaned. "BREN-DA!" Seras burst out laughing. Ace nearly spilled her drink. Mai shook her head. Shammy was giggling helplessly. Yukari covered her mouth. And Brenda looked entirely unrepentant. "IT'S A VALID QUESTION!" Seras wiped an imaginary tear from the corner of her eye. "Oh, you are going to be fun." Eventually, Ace noticed something. Seras had relaxed. Not merely the casual confidence with which she'd arrived. Something more genuine. Her coat lay over the arm of the sofa. She held another cup of coffee. Her boots were comfortably crossed at the ankles. And she was laughing at Brenda's increasingly absurd attempts to classify vampire abilities according to conventional engineering principles. The Vampire Queen of Night City looked entirely at home. Not because she belonged there. Not because anyone had offered her a permanent place. But because, for one evening, nobody expected her to be anything other than herself. Ace smiled. Seras noticed. "What?" "Nothing." Seras raised an eyebrow. Ace shrugged. "Just thinking." "About?" "You're having fun." Seras looked around the room. At Brenda. At Iris. At Mai. At Shammy. At Yukari. Then back at Ace. Her smile softened. "Yes." A pause. "Rather more than I expected." Ace grinned. "Good." Seras looked toward the coffee table. Then toward the hallway. Then back at Ace. "Though I suspect I should apologize for arriving unannounced." Ace laughed. "Probably." "I could use the door next time." "That would be appreciated." Seras smiled. "Noted." Mai added, "And give us a little warning." "Reasonable." Brenda looked horrified. "Wait!" Everyone turned. She pointed toward the ventilation grille. "Does that mean you're never doing the mist thing again?" Iris stared. "Brenda." "What? I want to observe it properly!" Seras considered. Then grinned. "Oh, I'm sure we can arrange a demonstration." Brenda looked delighted. Ace sighed. "Of course we can." It was considerably later when Seras finally stood to leave. Her coffee cup was empty. Brenda's tablet contained several pages of notes. Iris had acquired enough information to generate approximately a hundred new questions. Mai had learned that Night City's vampire community was considerably more organized than she'd expected. Shammy had enjoyed discussing the relationship between mist and supernatural transformation. Yukari had discovered a kindred appreciation for changing forms. And Ace had discovered that the Vampire Queen possessed an absolutely magnificent sense of humor. Seras retrieved her coat. "Well." Ace looked up. "Already?" Seras smiled. "I'm afraid so. I do have responsibilities." Mai nodded. "Of course." Iris stood. "It was lovely meeting you properly." "And you." Brenda approached. "One last question." Iris closed her eyes. "Of course." Seras smiled patiently. "Yes?" "Can you really turn into bats?" A long silence followed. Seras stared at her. Then very slowly smiled. A remarkable smile. Her red eyes gleamed. Her fangs became visible. "Perhaps." Brenda froze. Seras winked. Then turned toward Ace. "Thank you for the evening." Ace stood. "You're welcome." A pause. "And Seras?" "Yes?" Ace pointed toward the front door. "That way." Seras looked. Then laughed. "Of course." She walked toward the exit. Iris and Brenda exchanged a glance. Mai smiled. Shammy giggled. Yukari looked delighted. Seras reached the door. Stopped. Turned. And raised one finger. "Just one thing." Ace narrowed her eyes. "What?" Seras smiled. "Next time, perhaps you could invite me before I have to overhear my name." Ace stared. Then laughed. "Deal." Seras inclined her head. "Wonderful." Ace opened the upper door from inside. Seras stepped through. Then paused on the threshold. Her expression became unusually warm. "Goodnight, everyone." Six voices answered. "Goodnight, Seras!" She smiled. The door closed behind her. And the safehouse returned to its ordinary evening silence. For approximately three seconds. Then Brenda spoke. "WE HAVE TO INVITE HER BACK." Iris burst out laughing. Ace looked toward Mai. Mai smiled. Shammy leaned against Ace. Yukari settled comfortably beside them. And somewhere in the middle of the affectionate chaos, Ace realized something rather wonderful. Nyarlathotep had intended to give them a nightmare. Instead, he'd accidentally introduced them to a new friend. One with red eyes, magnificent fangs, a thoroughly delightful personality, and an apparently inexhaustible willingness to answer questions. Mostly. Ace smiled. "Yeah." She looked toward the closed door. "We really do." --- Outside, somewhere above the sleepless streets of Watson, a thin ribbon of pale mist drifted between the buildings. For a moment, two crimson points gleamed within it. Then the mist dissolved into the night. And the Vampire Queen of Night City went home smiling. THE END.