CALEDON RISING -PART THREE
by Brian McCrary - fenris@phnx.uswest.net
DISCLAIMER -- As everyone knows, Gargoyles and its various characters are the
property of Buena Vista television and the Almighty Mouse. This story and any
subsequent stories I might write with these characters are for my own pleasure and
the enjoyment of others, and not for profit -- so don’t sue me. Any additional
characters to the Gargoyles universe that may appear herein are my own creations,
so please don’t borrow them without my permission. Now, on with the show!
P.S. If you like my work, send me feedback; it keeps me writing!
***
“‘Thailog’? Are you certain?”
“That is what MacDonald said to me, Xanatos,” Goliath replied, looking at the
worried countenance of the man behind the desk. “I can only assume we were
mistaken in believing he perished in the fire at the ... ‘amusement park’.”
There was less than half an hour before dawn as Goliath finished bringing
Xanatos up to date on the previous night’s revelations. The tale of the Hidden Clan
he had pared down to its basic elements; that there were other survivors of Clan
Wyvern, that their clan was involved in the human’s business world, and that they
had revealed themselves to bring Clan Manhattan and Xanatos a warning.
Xanatos rose and began pacing back and forth, showing more agitation than
Goliath had ever seen. “This could be very bad,” he muttered, speaking more to
himself than the gargoyle. “I haven’t mentioned it before, because it didn’t seem to
concern you or the clan, but my business has been under attack for the last several
months, by someone who knows me well enough to anticipate every attempt I make to
strike back.”
Big business and high finance were alien concepts to Goliath, but he could tell
from Xanatos’ demeanor that the news had disturbed him greatly. “This ... ‘attack’ ...
how serious is it?” he asked.
“At the moment, it’s not much more than a minor annoyance, but the problem
is growing worse all the time. On top of that, my adversary is absolutely cold-blooded
when it comes to collateral damage; the stagnation of the Asian markets, the collapse
of the Russian economy, even the continuing unrest in the Balkans, all are being
triggered by this maniac’s manipulations of the world market in his efforts to reach
me.” Xanatos shook his head. “That’s why I have a hard time believing it’s really
him,” he continued. “Not that Thailog would care one bit for all the pain and
suffering being generated, but it means that whoever is behind it is also taking huge
financial losses, and for all his other flaws, Thailog respects money too much for
that.”
“At least he did,” Goliath said, musing. “Thailog was always unstable;
perhaps his repeated failures have pushed him over the edge.”
Xanatos shrugged. “Possible, I suppose.” He smiled grimly. “I have to
wonder what MacDonald discovered that made him decide to open up; from what
you’ve said, Caledon Rising prefers to move behind the scenes.”
“I, too, am concerned. Aislinn, Caitrin and MacDonald will be here later
tonight; they have promised us answers at that time.”
“I hope so,” Xanatos replied. “Owen has been tracking some other problems
that I didn’t think had anything to do with my unknown enemy. If Thailog is
involved, we may be in for more trouble than we’ve seen since ‘great-grandpapa’
paid his little visit.”
“Whatever the trouble, the clan will aid you.” Goliath smiled at the look of
surprise on Xanatos’ face. “You were right; you have proved yourself to truly be the
clan’s friend; we do not abandon our friends ... David.”
Xanatos solemnly offered Goliath his hand, an odd look on his face as they
clasped forearms. “There aren’t many people I can call ‘friend’, Goliath,” he said
softly. “I’m honored that you’re one of them.” One of his patented sardonic smiles
flickered across his lips. “Maybe one day I’ll be able to say the same about your
detective?”
Goliath chuckled. “I believe Elisa has a memory even longer than a
gargoyle’s,” he replied. “I would not, what is the human expression ... ‘hold your
breath’?”
Xanatos laughed. “Ah, well, I never could resist a challenge,” he said, his eyes
wandering to the window and the view of Stirling Tower in the distance. “Will she be
joining us tonight?”
The gargoyle leader frowned. “I do not know,” he admitted. “Something was
troubling her last night, something involving her work. I tried to talk to her about it,
but at times Elisa can be a bit ... stubborn.” Goliath flushed a little as he recalled the
method Elisa had used to divert his questions. He sighed. “I can only hope that
whatever it is, she will tell us if she needs our help.”
In point of fact Elisa would have dearly loved to vent her frustrations by
talking to Goliath, but she knew there was nothing he could do to help her; the clean-
cut solutions that were the gargoyles’ stock in trade were useless in dealing with the
quagmire that was the world of city politics. All she could do was grit her teeth and
weather it out, and hope that before long it would blow over.
‘At least I got some of it out of my system by talking to Caitrin,’ she thought to
herself. Which was surprising, in and of itself. She didn’t make a habit of spilling her
guts when something was bothering her, and certainly not to someone she’d only met
a week or so before. But there was something about the girl that made her easy to
talk to, a feeling that she wouldn’t be judged whatever she said, nor would anything
she said ever be used against her. “Must be a Druid thing,” she chuckled.
Tuesday morning, at least, started out significantly better than the previous
day. Elisa awoke feeling refreshed for what seemed like the first time in weeks,
Cagney a warm, purring lump in the bed next to her. After a quick shower to knock
the last of the cobwebs out of her head she donned her signature work outfit, wincing
a little as the strap of her shoulder holster brushed against a bruise on the side of her
neck. A wistful smile crossed her face as she applied a light coating of concealer to
the evidence; she’d have to remind Goliath to be a little more careful. Not that she
minded, really, but Matt had already warned her about the rumors that the “ice
princess” had thawed for *someone*. He’d come down hard on a couple of uniforms
whose remarks were going over the line, but she had to maintain a professional
relationship with the other officers on her own merits, and a ‘reputation’ wouldn’t
help.
A toasted bagel with cream cheese, a cup of coffee and one can of cat food(for
Cagney) later, Elisa headed into work. Traffic was no more insane than an average
weekday in Manhattan and she made it to the precinct house with time to spare. A
quick perusal of the night logs showed nothing out of the ordinary, so she settled
down to catch up on some of her backlog of paperwork.
The phone on her desk beeped at her. “23rd precinct, Detective Maza
speaking.”
“Come to my office, Maza,” Captain Chavez’s voice answered her. “We need
to have another ‘chat’.”
Elisa grimaced. “Right away, Captain,” she answered. ‘At least she didn’t
shout my name across the room this time,’ she thought.
“Have a seat, Elisa,” Captain Chavez said as the detective closed the door.
“And don’t look so nervous; you’re not in trouble. Far from it, as a matter of fact.”
“I don’t understand, Captain,” Elisa said truthfully.
“I received another phone call this morning,” Chavez replied, chuckling when
Elisa groaned. “I know what you mean; that was my reaction at first, too. However,
this one was quite different. This time, the Mayor himself called me.”
“The Mayor?” Elisa repeated, surprised.
The captain nodded. “He called, and I quote, “to apologize for any
interference by my staff in the smooth running of your operations.” He went on to
state categorically that he, personally, had no qualms about your professionalism or
your ability to do your job, and he hoped you would forthwith be returned quote “to
the duties you are so eminently qualified to perform,” unquote.”
“Oh, brother!” Elisa whispered, her eyes slightly glazed.
““Oh, brother,” indeed,” Chavez echoed dryly. “I don’t know who put a bee
in his bonnet about you, but whoever it was did the trick. Starting tomorrow you’re
back on night shift, working with Bluestone both on and off the Gargoyle Task
Force.”
“Thanks, Captain. I’m really sorry about all this --”
The captain held up her hand. “Don’t apologize Elisa; none of this mess was
your fault. Your tail got caught in the gears of Manhattan’s political ‘machine’. I’m
just glad you got loose without losing more than a couple of feathers.” She grinned.
“Now get out there and get back to work!”
“Yessir!” Elisa laughed back, snapping off a mock salute. She returned to her
desk in a much lighter mood and set about getting ready to hand her current caseload
back over to the day shift.
“Got a message for you, Detective,” one of the uniforms said as he passed by
her desk. He handed her an envelope with the Caledon Rising logo embossed on one
corner.
“Thanks,” Elisa said absently to his retreating back. She picked up her letter
opener, a butterfly knife she’d taken off a street punk while she was still in uniform,
and slid the blade under the flap. Inside was a single sheet of stationery. She opened
it and began to read:
“Elisa;
I hope you don’t mind, but after you left I told Uncle Colin
about the problems you’d been having. He was very annoyed that
anyone should be giving you any trouble because he asked you out, and
promised me he would deal with it.”
“Terrific,” Elisa muttered. “Now I have *another* overprotective male to
worry about!” She continued reading:
“He went out early this morning and when he came back he had
a very smug look on his face, so I guess whatever he did went well. He
told me to let him know if you have any more problems of that nature,
that he would enjoy “drowning a few more rats,” whatever that means.
“In any case, please be there tonight. If our information bears
out, ‘T’ is a bigger threat than you can imagine; it will take our
combined resources to eliminate it.
“Caitrin”
Elisa sat lost in thought for a moment, gazing at the note without focusing on
the words. She wondered if, subconsciously, she’d known Caitrin would tell her uncle
what she’d learned from Elisa. It would go a long way towards explaining why she
wasn’t any more upset than she was about the young woman’s violation of her
confidence.
Finally, with a small shrug for questions that lacked easy answers, she got back
to the business of tying up all the loose ends of her ‘day job’.
***
The sun was inching towards the horizon as Elisa entered the lobby of the
Eyrie Building. She had stopped at home long enough to feed Cagney, grab a quick
shower and change her clothes before racing the sunset across town. A quick wave to
the security guard passed her through the lobby and into the express elevator.
“Time to spare,” she said to herself as she stepped out into the courtyard. The
castle’s wall were changing to gold in the fading light as she jogged up the steps to the
parapet. She smiled fondly at the tableaux; sunrise had caught Angela and Broadway
in the middle of an embrace, and the expressions frozen on their faces made it clear
how they felt about one another.
As she glanced away from the couple her eyes came to rest on Brooklyn and
she frowned. Like Angela and Broadway, Brooklyn had been caught with a telltale
expression on his face. Unlike the young lovers, the expression frozen in place as he
glanced over his shoulder was one of pain and loneliness.
Elisa gazed up at Brooklyn’s stone features pensively. She knew that when
Angela had first arrived Brooklyn had pursued her as aggressively as his two rookery
brothers, but when she had chosen Broadway the brick-red gargoyle seemed to
accept her decision with equanimity. It was plain from the raw emotion trapped in
his expression that that was not the case. Elisa wondered if Goliath knew just how
much pain Brooklyn was feeling, and decided that, as soon as the current crisis was
past, she would find some way to help Brooklyn resolve his conflicts.
A familiar crackling sound heralded the dropping of the last edge of the sun
behind the horizon. The frozen scene that had caught Elisa’s attention disappeared
in an instant as the clan greeted the new night with a collective roar.
“Hi, guys,” Elisa called as the winged shapes of her friends relaxed from their
‘morning stretch’.
“Hi, Elisa,” “Evenin’ lass,” “Hullo,” came the various replies.
She glanced up with a smile as the sound of air rushing against wings heralded
Goliath’s arrival. “Hi, Big Guy,” she said as he enfolded her in his wings. She barely
noticed Hudson’s voice directing the rest of the clan off to their breakfast as her
beloved leaned down and kissed her.
“I was not certain you would be joining us tonight, my love,” he said as they
came up for air. “Am I to assume that whatever was troubling you is no longer so
great a problem?”
Elisa stepped out of his embrace with a laugh, taking his hand in hers and
heading down the stairs. “No longer a problem at all, Goliath, she answered. “Not
that it didn’t have certain side benefits,” she continued mischievously. She grinned at
his perplexed expression. “Coming up with ways of distracting you from asking
about it, for one,” she said slyly, one hand drifting up to the fading bruise on her
neck. She laughed again as a blush spread across Goliath’s features.
Secretly Elisa was surprised at her own behavior. Had anyone told her as
little as two years ago that she was capable of playing the coquette she would have
laughed in their face -- if she didn’t deck them first. But Goliath -- stern, sensible,
passionate Goliath -- brought out a side of her she thought long lost, and was happy to
have found again.
As they reached the courtyard Owen Burnett stepped out of the shadows.
“Good evening Goliath, Detective Maza.”
“Hi, Owen,” Elisa replied as Goliath rumbled his own greeting. Her
mischievous mood still bubbling under the surface, she asked innocently, “Heard any
good fairy jokes lately?”
A slight tightening around the eyes was all the reaction Owen showed to her
jibe. “Mr. Xanatos asked me to inform you that our guests should be arriving in the
next hour.”
“Tell David that the clan will be ready,” Goliath replied. Elisa frowned up at
him as Owen nodded and walked away.
“‘David’?” she asked. “When did you and Xanatos get so chummy?”
Goliath sighed. “I know you still have reservations about Xanatos, Elisa, but
he has shown his contrition as far as his actions towards the clan are concerned.” He
rested his hands on her shoulders, her stiffened back indicating the departure of her
playful mood. “Perhaps you, too, could make peace with him --”
Elisa jerked out from under Goliath’s touch and whirled to face him, her face
set and angry. “Make peace? After all he’s tried to do to you, to us? After what he
*did* do to my brother and the other mutates? Never!” She made a visible effort to
calm down. “Because in the end he saved you and the others, because he restored
your home to you, I’ve given up on putting him behind bars. I can even be civil to
him, and, so long as I don’t think about it too much, things will stay that way. But
friends?” She shook her head. “I don’t put qualifiers on my friendship, Goliath, and
as far as Xanatos is concerned, those qualifiers will always be there.”
“Shhh, Elisa, I understand,” Goliath soothed, wrapping his wings around her
once again. He felt the tension drain out of her as he stroked her hair. “You are
right; I should not have asked it of you.”
“What about you, Big Guy?” she asked, a worried expression on her face.
“How can you trust him, after all he’s done?”
“Perhaps because I understand him, Elisa,” Goliath replied. “Xanatos is truly
a man born out of his time. He would have been at home in the days when Castle
Wyvern thrived on the Scottish coast, as a noble in a time of feudal overlords. That is
why I know, of all his actions, he regrets what was done to your brother the most.”
He nodded at Elisa’s disbelieving look. “Your brother became his vassal, Elisa, and
he betrayed that trust. For one who thinks as Xanatos does, there is no greater
failure.”
“So does that mean that Xanatos thinks of you as his ... ‘vassal’, was that the
word?”
Goliath shook his head. “No, that is how Xanatos thought of us at first, but
now he accepts me as his equal. On those terms we can be friends, and as such, I can
trust him.” He chuckled at Elisa’s snort of disbelief. “I know it makes little sense, my
love, but it is the truth.” He paused, and then spoke as if quoting; “‘One can make
friends with the lion so long as one respects his teeth and claws.’”
Elisa looked up at him curiously. “Who said that? Shakespeare?” she asked,
knowing his fondness for the Bard.
“Actually, I believe ... I did,” he replied with a laugh.
“Oh, you --!”
***
The clan was gathered and waiting expectantly for the arrival of the three
from Caledon Rising. Hudson was especially anxious to meet the descendants of Clan
Wyvern, more proof that his race was not dying out.
Caitrin and Colin arrived first, pulling up to Xanatos’ private entrance in
their corporate limo. Owen met them and conducted them upstairs, where after a
brief introduction to the rest of the clan they headed for the parapet.
As they stood looking out over the city Colin removed a small transceiver
from his pocket and spoke into it. “Cary to Grace,” he said. “all clear on the
Riviera.”
A tinny voice replied. “Grace to Cary. The Kitten’s on her way.”
“And I thought *I* was security conscious,” Xanatos murmured to Fox.
Colin glanced at his hosts, a slightly embarrassed look on his face. “Sorry;
rules are rules,” he said by way of an explanation.
“I don’t understand,” Angela said with a puzzled look. “Who are ‘Grace’ and
‘Cary’?”
“It’s from an old Alfred Hitchcock movie,” Colin explained, “set on the
French Riviera. It’s called --”
“‘To Catch A Thief’,” Broadway interrupted, “starring Grace Kelly and Cary
Grant! Sure, we watched that a few months ago.”
“That’s the one,” Colin agreed. “Well, for our honeymoon Aislinn and I
rented the villa that Cary Grant used in the movie. It always makes sense to use code
phrases that others aren’t likely to guess.”
“That must have been interesting,” Elisa remarked. “Wasn’t hauling a six-
foot tall gargoyle statue to the beach with you a bit ... conspicuous?”
“Not really,” Colin replied. “You see, Aislinn was human at the time.”
“Human!?!” “What?” “How is that possible?”
“I’ll explain later,” Colin promised, still looking out over the cityscape. “In
the meantime, here comes the last member of our little group.”
A few seconds later Aislinn landed next to Colin on the rampart. Unlike her
previous clothes, her outfit this night was selected for maximum invisibility; black
fatigue pants with wide legs to allow for her feet and heel spurs, a black SAS style
pullover with reinforced shoulder patches and special slits in the back for her wings,
and a black stocking cap pulled down to cover as much of her hair as possible. She
eyed the clan warily for a moment, then gave Colin a quick hug.
“An uneventful flight, my love?” he asked, releasing her from his embrace.
“Aside from dodging a Medevac helicopter, yes,” she replied with a chuckle as
she removed her cap and shook out her hair. “The skies here are a bit more crowded
than at home.”
She looked around at the others, then approached Hudson. “Greetings,
Elder,” she said, holding her hand out for the traditional clasp of forearms. “It is
good to see you awake at last, after all these centuries.”
Her eyes glimmered with a hint of unshed tears. “You cannot know how long
we have waited for this day. So much of our history was lost in the massacre, so much
of the ways of the clan. There are many questions that only you can answer for us,
many of the old traditions you can restore to us.”
The old gargoyle returned her grasp firmly, but shook his head. “The name’s
Hudson now, lass,” he replied. “We canna turn back the clock to the old ways, no
matter how we might wish to.”
“But that’s the way of the world ... Hudson,” she replied a little wistfully. “It is
not change itself that worries us, it is change without knowledge. How can we truly
trust in what we build if we don’t know the foundations it rests on?” She smiled into
Hudson’s good eye. “You can help us to remember those foundations, Elder. You
can help us avoid the mistakes we might otherwise make.”
“Oh, change isn’t always bad, is it?” asked Xanatos as he stepped forward.
“We haven’t been formally introduced. My name is --”
“David Xanatos, I know,” Aislinn interrupted. She eyed the businessman
levelly. “We do not know of all your activities, Mr. Xanatos, but we know enough
that if there were any other way, we would not be having this conversation. Your past
history does not inspire the Hidden Clan’s confidence.”
“Now, just wait a minute --!” Fox erupted angrily. Before the confrontation
went any further, Hudson stepped between them.
“Easy, now,” he said, separating the two. He turned to Aislinn. “That was not
well said, lass,” he stated severely. “If we, who ha’ borne the brunt of Xanatos’
schemes over the years, no longer have a quarrel with him, who are you to naysay his
change of heart?”
“Hudson is correct, Aislinn,” Goliath added. “True, he was once our enemy,
but no more. David Xanatos is a Clan Friend, and if we are to work together, you
must accept him as such.”
Aislinn looked from Goliath to Hudson, then glanced over at Colin, who gave
a short nod. “Very well,” she said. “Elder, I apologize for my earlier words. Goliath,
you also are correct; if Clan Manhattan and the Hidden Clan are to work together,
we must trust each other’s judgment.” Finally she turned to where Xanatos stood
next to his still steaming wife. “David Xanatos, I greet you in the name of the Hidden
Clan,” she finished, extending her hand.
Solemnly Xanatos shook her hand, then broke out into one of his trademark
smiles. “Well, now that all the formalities are out of the way, shall we go inside and
discuss how we’re going to save the world?”
The group filed down the stairs, heading for the main hall. As Caitrin passed
by the trio Brooklyn suddenly yelped and jumped off the stairs, his wings snapping
open to keep him from crashing into the fountain in the courtyard. Broadway and
Lexington quickly joined their brother where he stood staring at the retreating figure
of Colin’s niece.
“What happened, bro?” Broadway asked. “You looked like someone stuck
you with a hot poker.”
“She -- she *pinched* me!” Brooklyn said indignantly, rubbing his backside.
“Who pinched you?” Lexington asked. Just then Caitrin glanced back over
her shoulder, and with a mischievous smile, winked.
“Jalapena,” all three said as one.
***
The group gathered around the table in the great hall looked up expectantly as
Colin MacDonald rose to his feet. “Now that we’re all here, I can explain the
problem facing us,” he began.
“You mentioned ‘Thailog’,” Goliath interjected. “How is it that you are
aware of his existence?”
“Thailog first came to our attention when, as ‘Alexander Thailog’, he joined
forces with Dominique Destine and formed Nightstone Unlimited. Our agents had
only recently determined that Dominique and Demona were one and the same.”
Colin smiled bitterly at their reaction to the name of Goliath’s former beloved. “Oh,
yes, we know of Demona; a rogue, immortal gargoyle bent on the destruction of
humanity was hardly likely to escape our notice, though her origins and how she
gained immortality is still a mystery. Demona’s vendetta has cost us dearly; over the
centuries many clan members have been injured or killed by the Hunters in their war
against ‘the Demon’, as they call her.”
“After Thailog and Demona left Europe we lost track of him,” Aislinn
continued. “Demona surfaced in the United States as Dominique, but Thailog had
gone underground.
“At that point we knew nothing of Thailog’s origins. We had no visuals of
him, so we were unaware that he was a mirror image of Goliath, save for coloring. In
fact, if it wasn’t for a young hacker who is a clan friend, we probably still wouldn’t
know how Thailog came to be.
“Sean was surfing the Web one night, hunting for chinks in the security
programs protecting various sites from unauthorized access. He isn’t a destructive
hacker; he doesn’t plant viruses or delete files. He just likes to see what other people
are trying to keep secret.
“This time, Sean hacked into the restricted files of Gen-U-Tech, into the work
notes of a Doctor Anton Sevarius.” Aislinn nodded at the looks that passed between
the clan at Sevarius’ name. “He discovered the geneticist’s files on gargoyles, and on
the cloning projects he had undertaken. Sean copied all the files he thought would be
of interest to our clan, then left the system, erasing any evidence of his presence as he
did so.
“Needless to say, Thailog was immediately moved up on our ‘threat board’, as
the saying goes,” Colin said. “An informer at Nightstone told us that Thailog and
Demona had parted company, but had no idea why.”
“What caused it was, Thailog tried to kill me,” Angela said as Broadway
slipped an arm around her shoulders. At Colin’s quizzical look, she added, “Demona
is my mother.”
“Your *mother* --!”
“A very long story, for another time,” Goliath interrupted in a tone that
brooked no argument. “It is enough to know that Thailog and Demona fought, and
we believed Thailog to be dead.”
Colin shook his head. “We’d all be far better off if you were right,
Goliath. Unfortunately, he survived, and has moved his base of operations to the old
Soviet Union, to the Ukraine to be precise.”
“How did you find that out?” Xanatos asked sharply. “My own agents hadn’t
even discovered that it was Thailog we were facing, let alone where his headquarters
were.”
MacDonald smiled thinly. “Our organization is somewhat older than yours,
Xanatos, and our network of informants in that part of the world is far more
extensive.” His expression turned just the least bit smug. “One could say some of
our sources are most ... ‘illuminating’.”
Xanatos jerked as if slapped. “You mean --”
Aislinn laid a restraining hand on Colin’s arm. “My mate tends to be
overfond of melodrama,” she apologized as Colin flushed. “To keep matters simple,
though no member of the Hidden Clan belongs to the Illuminati these days, in the
past we shared closer ties. One result is we still have sources within their
organization, favors owed for favors given. We let our sources know we were
interested in anything they had on someone called ‘Thailog’; they not only reported
his arrival in the Ukraine, but his connection to you.”
“But why, if this information concerns me, didn’t they pass it on to me
themselves?” Xanatos asked, annoyed.
“Did you ask them to keep you informed?” Colin pointed out. “The Illuminati
have never had a reputation for volunteering information. If you didn’t request
updates, they’re unlikely to provide them.”
“Another thing; for all their claims of omnipotence, the Illuminati suffer from
the same bureaucratic ills as any other old, established business,” Aislinn said. “Most
likely the pertinent file is backlogged on the desk of some remf, and --”
“Excuse me; ‘remf’?” Brooklyn interrupted.
Aislinn blinked, blushed, and quickly explained as Colin choked back a laugh,
“A ... slang expression I picked up in my youth; it refers to an office lackey who
makes life difficult for the people doing the real work.” She glared at her mate as he
leaned over to Brooklyn and whispered what ‘R-E-M-F’ stood for. Goliath’s second
snorted, then looked up at Aislinn innocently.
After giving Colin a look that screamed ‘doghouse’, the Hidden Clan gargoyle
returned to the subject of the meeting. “At any rate, given the preliminary
information to work with, our own agents were able to trace Thailog to Kiev; from
that point his trail is much harder to follow. He has formed connections with the
Russian Mafia and is using their people as his go-betweens.
“With Thailog in hiding and given the chaotic nature of organized crime in the
former Soviet Union, all we could do was monitor the situation and wait for a break.
That break showed up two months ago.
“One of our people reported that a physician with connections to the Russian
Mafia dropped out of sight unexpectedly, apparently the victim of a kidnapping. He
was missing for two weeks before he was found dumped in an alley. He had been
horribly beaten, his spine snapped in two places, and was close to death. Our agent
managed to sneak into the security ward of the hospital and talk to him.
“Before he died, the physician told how he had been blindfolded and taken
from his home to a large, abandoned industrial building. There he was ordered to
work on a patient whose description matches Thailog’s but with some telling
discrepancies.”
“What sort of discrepancies?” Elisa asked.
“He described his patient as ‘a monster, horribly scarred by fire’. Apparently
whatever injuries Thailog received in his last encounter with Demona never fully
healed. He also said the ‘creature’ was wasting away from an unknown illness. When
Thailog’s sickness proved beyond the doctor’s skills, Thailog flew into a rage and
attacked him. It was while beating him almost to death that he shouted a threat that
the doctor in turn passed on to our agent.
“According to the physician, Thailog said: “If I must die, then everyone on
this stinking ball of mud dies with me, starting with my fathers!””
“I take it you have some reason to believe that Thailog was engaging in
something more than dramatic rhetoric?” Xanatos said into the ensuing silence.
“We do. We found out that the part of the Russian mob that Thailog is
working with deals mainly in illegal arms, mostly ex-soviet military hardware.
They’ve brokered deals with countries in the old Soviet Bloc, the Middle East, Africa,
and South and Central America. They also have acted as a pipeline to some of the
more fanatical terrorist organizations still operating.”
“Sounds like a fun bunch of guys,” Brooklyn said sarcastically.
“Oh, they’re a laugh a minute,” Colin said bitterly. “One of the reasons the
Balkans keep flaring up is that the Russian mob is deliberately provoking
confrontations; there’s nothing like a good atrocity to drum up business.”
“What is most disturbing,” Aislinn continued, “is that several of the arms
shipments have been backtracked to one of the old Soviet arms depots in the Ukraine.
We’ve discovered that, in addition to being one of the largest arms caches built by the
old Soviet Union outside the territorial borders of Russia, the depot served as
camouflage for something far more dangerous: a soviet missile site.”
“Good God,” Xanatos breathed, his face white. “A dying megalomaniac with a
grudge against the world, and access to nuclear weapons.”
“That is what we’re afraid of,” Aislinn affirmed. “We know that, all the scare
stories in the media to the contrary, the military officers who guard the old Soviet
nuclear stockpiles take their jobs very seriously, but even they must have their limits.
Thailog has been working hard to destabilize their economy, no doubt to make the
military more susceptible to bribes. If their families get hungry enough, Thailog
*will* get what he wants -- access to the silos.”
“If he gains access to the missiles ... he’ll launch them,” Xanatos said in a dead
voice.
“How could he?” Lexington asked. “The Soviet computer systems are
kludgier than hell, but they’ll still be encrypted and safeguarded against hackers, and
no matter how hungry they get I can’t believe the officers in charge of the missiles
will just hand over the launch codes.”
“They won’t need to,” Xanatos said in that same dead tone. “With his IQ and
the knowledge he was programmed with, he should be able to break into virtually any
computer system in the world. Once he reaches a master terminal no security
lockout will stop him for more than an hour or so.”
“Our main problem is tha Thailog is working through layers of
intermediaries; we can’t pinpoint his location well enough to send in any operatives.”
Colin looked at Xanatos intently. “Our only chance is to find some way to lure him
out into the open.”
“Then it’s bait yuir after looking for,” Hudson said, tapping one claw on the
table. “And yuir thinking Xanatos be the bait.”
“And Goliath,” Aislinn amended. Her gaze shifted to Xanatos. “If the trade
papers reported that the head of Xanacorp was touring his business interests in the
old Eastern Bloc, and then made it possible for him to access your itinerary, we don’t
think Thailog could resist coming after you.”
Colin smiled grimly. “Every indication is that he hates you too much to let the
chance to kill you with his bare hands slip by.”
“And where do I fit into your plan?” Goliath rumbled.
“You would be traveling as part of Xanatos’ security detail, on loan from his
‘special castle security team’. We thought the name ‘Guy O’Liath’ should do the
trick.” MacDonald smiled. “I know it sounds too obvious, and that Thailog might get
suspicious; but if the chance to nail one of his ‘fathers’ might draw him out, the
chance to nail *both* --”
“Will definitely do the trick,” Xanatos agreed.
“And how am I to accomplish this?” Goliath asked. “The means Demona uses
to turn human are not available to me.”
“We wouldn’t suggest this if we didn’t have the means to accomplish it,”
Aislinn said. “Caitrin, if you’re ready ... ?”
Caitrin nodded and rose from her chair, removing a small silk pouch from her
purse at the same time. Aislinn stood as well and the two females moved away from
the table to a clear section of floor.
“Remember earlier, when I mentioned Aislinn’s and my honeymoon?” Colin
asked as Caitrin opened the silk pouch. “This is how it was managed.”
Caitrin withdrew a bronze medallion from the pouch and handed it to Aislinn.
As Aislinn draped its cord around her neck, allowing the pendant to rest above the
swell of her breasts, Caitrin slipped off her jacket, revealing a sleeveless, loose-fitting
top with a low-cut back. She kicked off her shoes and stood facing Aislinn, clasping
forearms with her. Both closed their eyes and began to sway gently from side to side,
oblivious to the soft blue light emanating from the pendant. In a clear, measured
voice, Aislinn spoke:
“CAGHLAA STHOO.”
The glow from the pendant grew until it enveloped both figures, obscuring
them in sapphire radiance. The light pulsed and throbbed to the beat of their hearts,
each outline shifting until they matched rhythms. Suddenly the light flared to
blinding intensity, forcing everyone to shut their eyes against the glare. As their
vision cleared they gaped at what stood before them, even though they half-expected
it.
Aislinn was human.
Caitrin was now a gargoyle.
Aislinn’s blue skin had faded to a pale, Nordic complexion, her golden hair
shifting to a blonde that was almost white. Her violet eyes had changed to an icy blue
rimmed with black, her eyebrows a wispy blonde that matched her hair. Her facial
features, striking as a gargoyle, were stunningly beautiful as a human.
Brooklyn barely noticed the changes in Aislinn’s appearance, his gaze riveted
to Caitrin’s new form. Surprisingly, her similarity to Angela was lessened by her
transformation, the bone structure of her face altered in subtle ways that made her a
unique individual rather than a blurred copy. Her sable hair had shifted to the
midnight blue of a moonless night, her skin from its former golden tan to the soft
green of a spring meadow.
Brooklyn suddenly realized both of his rookery brothers were watching him
with amused smiles on their faces. He glared at them for a second before returning
his eyes to Caitrin, only to discover her looking at him in turn. There was a wistful
half-smile on her face that he couldn’t quite understand, but somehow he knew if
figured it out he’d know every important thing there was to know about Caitrin
MacDonald.
Aislinn ignored the by-play going on between her stepniece and the second-in-
command of Clan Wyvern, addressing her remarks to the rest of the group. “As you
see, we do have the means to transform any gargoyle into their human counterpart;
all it requires is a human who is willing to become a gargoyle in turn.”
“Where did you obtain this talisman?” Goliath asked.
“The amulet was crafted by the Archdruid, with the aid of both human and
gargoyle disciples,” Aislinn explained. “At the beginning of what is now referred to
as the Industrial Revolution the Hidden Clan decided that some of our number must
go out into the world and study human methods and technology. The Archdruid
created the amulet so the gargoyles would not be dependent on their human clankin
for their learning, but could themselves attend the humans’ universities. For their
own part, there have always been those of our human brothers and sisters who have
envied us our strength and longevity, not to mention our ability to glide on currents
of air; this gave them the opportunity to experience a gargoyle’s way of life from
within.”
“How long does the transformation last?” asked Xanatos.
“Until whoever wears the pendant decides to reverse the spell,” Aislinn
replied. “Caitrin?”
With a small sigh the young woman-turned-gargoyle again joined arms with
her stepaunt. Moments later both were restored to their original appearance.
Aislinn recloaked her wings around her shoulders. “There is no discomfort in
the procedure; indeed, we have used it on occasion when one our human clankin was
severely injured so they could enjoy the curative powers of stone sleep. Even in their
weakened condition the transformation presented no difficulties.”
“In addition, the druids have also created these,” Caitrin said, pulling several
smaller pendants from the pouch. “These were crafted so that our scouts could go on
long patrols without fear of being caught helpless in the daylight.”
“That sounds like the talismans the South American Clan uses,” Broadway
pointed out, “so they can guard the rainforest night and day.”
“I know nothing of this ‘rainforest clan’, “Aislinn said, “but I am familiar with
these amulets. For up to seven days they will let you deny stone hibernation, but
when you remove them you must be somewhere safe, for you will be locked in stone
for however long you have denied the sun.”
“And if you don’t take it off?” Brooklyn asked.
“Then on the eighth dawn you will sleep anyway, but someone will have to
remove the amulet for you ... and that is not pleasant.” She pulled the neck of her
sweater down far enough to reveal an irregular scar below the base of her throat.
“Overreach the amulet’s power and it becomes part of you, and you will sleep until it
is chiseled from your stone flesh.”
Goliath accepted the amulets from Caitrin, separating two of them and
passing them to his daughter and her beloved. “Broadway, Angela, you two will
accompany Xanatos and myself on this mission. Do not wear those until we are on
our way.” He held up his hand as Brooklyn started to speak. “Brooklyn, I need you,
Hudson and Lexington to remain behind and guard our home.”
“But, Goliath --” Brooklyn started to object.
“If an attack should fall on the castle while we are hunting Thailog I will need
someone here I can rely on to defend not only our home, but Fox and Alexander,”
Goliath pointed out.
“Thank you, Goliath,” Xanatos said sincerely.
“No thanks are necessary; your family, like yourself, is part of the clan now,
and as such, part of our protectorate.” Goliath noticed the slight frown that crossed
Elisa’s features, but fortunately she held her peace for the moment.
“When do ye depart, then?” Hudson asked.
“We are waiting for one more of our scouts to arrive so that both Goliath and
myself can take on human form,” Aislinn replied. “After that it is just a matter of
priming the trade papers with news of your inspection tour; we should be able to
leave by the end of the week.”
As the meeting broke up, Hudson approached Goliath. “Tell me the truth,
lad; why are ye really leaving me behind this time?”
Goliath laid a hand on his mentor’s shoulder. “Aislinn reminded me of
something I had let slip my mind,” he explained. “You *are* our clan’s Elder; if
something were to happen to you, all your knowledge of our clan’s history and ways
would be lost.”
“But you were taught all that as a hatchling, and the other lads as well,”
Hudson protested.
“True, but none of us were what one would call good students,” Goliath
replied with a wry smile. “We remember only part of the whole, as the Hidden Clan
does.”
“What would ye have me do, then?” Hudson asked.
“While we are gone begin setting down your knowledge so that it will be
preserved,” Goliath said. “Xanatos has facilities in the library that will transfer your
spoken words directly to the computer; from there it can be printed onto paper.”
“Weel, that’s handy, at least,” Hudson grumbled good-naturedly. “And who’s
going to show me how to use this modern sorcery? Lexington, no doubt?”
Goliath laughed. “I could always ask Owen to show you how it works ...”
“No, thank ye,” Hudson said hastily. “Ever since I found out he’s that fairy
trickster in disguise, I canna relax around the man. I keep expecting him to conjure
up a cream pie like that loon shot you with that time --”
“I assure you, I outgrew such amateurish pranks millennia ago,” Owen said
from behind Hudson, causing the old gargoyle to jump.
“Dinna be doin’ that, ye fae weirdie!” Hudson shouted at Xanatos’
majordomo. “Ye scared me out of two years’ life, and I havena none too much to
spare!”
“My apologies,” said Owen, just the suspicion of a twinkle in his eyes. “Mr.
Xanatos would like you to join him in his office, so he can finalize the travel plans with
you,” he said to Goliath.
“Tell him I will be along shortly,” Goliath replied.
Owen nodded and walked away. “You should not let him get to you like that,”
Goliath chided Hudson.
“Aye, I know, lad, but I canna seem to help myself,” Hudson sighed. “It must
be age, making me set in me ways.”
“Hudson, I seem to remember a story about a young gargoyle at Castle
Wyvern who became addicted to practical jokes, so much so that the Leader of the
Clan was almost forced to banish him ...”
“Aye, I remember the tale well,” Hudson nodded. “They cured him of his
poor jests by having every member of the clan repay each trick in kind, until he
became deathly sick of the game.”
“Perhaps someone else might profit from that lesson ...?”
A slow grin spread across Hudson’s face, and his good eye began to glow.
***
“I don’t like it.”
Elisa stood on the parapet where she first met Goliath, her arms crossed as
she looked out over the city. ‘I seem to be doing this a lot lately,’ she thought to
herself.
Goliath came up behind her and wrapped his wings around her. “I, too, would
prefer it if you were able to accompany us, my love,” he said, snuggling her close to
him, “but you have only just been able to return to the work you were born for. To
ask for time off now, and when you would not be able to explain why --”
“I know,” Elisa said angrily, “but it doesn’t mean I have to be happy about it!
You’ll be half the world away, and I won’t be there to help you. If something happens
to you ... Goliath, I don’t think I could stand that ...”
“You are strong, Elisa,” he murmured in her ear. “Sometimes I believe you
are the strongest person I have ever known. If something did happen to me --”
“No!”
He gave her a little shake. “If something did happen to me, I would depend on
you to help my ... to help OUR clan to survive, even if it means joining the hatchlings
on Avalon. Promise me, Elisa, that you will do this?”
Her shoulders slumped. “I promise,” she whispered.
“And I, in turn, promise that I will return to you, even if I must defeat Death
itself. You and I are one, beloved, now and forever.”
With a choked-back sob Elisa turned in his arms, burying her face in his chest.
As he stroked her hair she quieted, then turned her face upwards, linking her arms
behind his neck and pulling his face down to hers. Their lips met with the same
electric spark that had marked their first kiss. A low, bass growl rumbled in
Goliath’s chest; as their kiss deepened an answering growl began to form within her.
Finally, they reluctantly broke their embrace, the light of aroused passion dimming
from Goliath’s eyes as Elisa stepped out of his arms.
Elisa managed to control her breathing as her heartrate slowed; each time
they kissed she felt herself being swept away by emotions so intense they almost
frightened her. No man -- no male, she amended -- had ever made her feel like this
before. It went beyond the merely physical, to a point where it felt like their souls
were intertwined. Elisa had always been cynical about the idea of soulmates; now she
had found hers, and nothing would ever make her let him go.
As she collected herself, a strange thought crossed her mind; though she and
Goliath had become lovers, she knew he always held back, afraid of hurting her
fragile human body. What would it be like, she wondered with a blush, to love him as
a gargoyle, mating in the sky as Angela had described it to her?
***
Guy O’Liath stood before the mirror in his quarters, fumbling awkwardly
with the knot of his tie.
“Here, let me do that,” Elisa said, pushing his hands aside. “My father never
could get his straight, either.” She expertly adjusted the Windsor Knot to its correct
proportions, giving it a final tug to settle it into place. “There, that ought to do it.”
Xanatos had suggested and Aislinn had agreed that Goliath should transform
a couple of days before they departed so that all the necessary travel documents could
be prepared. “You could also use a change of clothes,” Xanatos had commented
dryly, eyeing Goliath’s loincloth. “That may be Haute Couture for the gargoyle set,
but it’s *not* what my security staff wears.”
Goliath tugged self-consciously at the collar of the Yve St. Laurent shirt and
at the sleeves of the Armani suit. Though he would never admit it, he rather enjoyed
wearing modern clothing, though the shoes had taken some getting used to.
He turned and smiled fondly at Elisa; she was curled up in one of the suite’s
large, comfortable chairs, her body enfolded in a thick, warm robe. Though she
couldn’t ask for leave to accompany him, she had swapped around several of her
shifts so she could spend some time with him before he left on his mission. The days
they spent exploring the city, Elisa reveling in the ability to take a walk through the
park or eat in a restaurant with her beloved without causing a panic. Their nights
they spent exploring ... other things.
Goliath noticed the failing light of sunset spilling through the suite’s windows.
“It is almost time, my love,” he murmured.
Elisa rose from the chair and wrapped her arms around him. “I know,
Goliath. I’m ... I’m not going to see you off.” Her hand covered his mouth before he
could speak. “I know it’s silly, but I’m going to stay here and pretend you’ve just
gone out for a minute and will be right back.” She smiled through tear-filled eyes.
“Besides, I’m lousy at good-byes.”
“Elisa, I *will* come back to you,” he tried to reassure her.
“I know, Big Guy, and most of me believes you,” she replied, “but part of me
is terrified I’ll never see you again. I waited so long to find you; I can’t lose you
now.” She clung to him, her mind racing in circles. ‘This is how the wives of police
officers must feel,’ she thought dazedly. She had always felt so smug, so independent
when other officers talked about the hell their wives and loved ones went through;
now, for the first time she understood. ‘How do they do it?’ she wondered. ‘How do
they watch their men leave, day after day, knowing it might be the last time they see
them alive?’ Something her mother had said years ago suddenly flashed into her
mind.
“We accept the risks, Elisa,” her mother haid said one day when, as a child,
she had come in after her father left for work and found her mother crying. “We
accept them because if he stopped doing his job, he wouldn’t be the man we fell in
love with anymore. So we hide our fears, and we smile and wave, because having us
to come home to sometimes gives him that extra edge he needs to make it back.”
Elisa hadn’t understood at the time, but she did now. Goliath could no more turn his
back on this than she could turn her back on Tony Dracon or one of his crowd. If he
did, he would cease to be Goliath, and that would be a far crueler loss than any mere
physical death.
Finally, controlling her tears, she stepped back and squared her shoulders.
“I’ll be all right now, Goliath. Now go on; the others will be waiting.” Elisa shook
her head as Goliath opened his mouth to speak. “No good-byes, Big Guy, and no
more promises. You’re just going out to pick up a newspaper, or some dinner, and
I’ll be here when you get back. Go.”
She watched as he silently exited the room, the door closing softly behind him.
As the bolt clicked her resolve crumbled and she flung herself on the bed, the pillows
muffling her tears.
END OF PART THREE
Coming Soon - Caledon Rising - Finale
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