The Kill Society (Sandman Slim)(85)

Raziel lets go of Alice and collapses to his knees. The piece of wood falls from his hand. As he goes down, I see Cherry behind him. She’s trembling. I get it now. She stabbed the bastard in the back with a piece of the killer wood before I even had a chance to move. I wonder how long she’d been planning on killing him? It took her long enough.

Alice is on the ground next to her boss.

“Are you mad?” Vehuel says. “Out of sentimentality you destroyed Death’s weapon? Do you know what this means?”

“That if I destroy nine more I get a free sandwich?”

“Without death, mortal life has no meaning. I know that seems cruel, but endless, pointless life is a true Hell. And you have brought it on all of your own people.”

“No I didn’t.”

I pick up the amber knife. It’s in one piece.

“But I saw you crush it.”

“I’m half angel, remember? If I can’t do hoodoo that will trick another angel, then what am I good for?”

Alice swats my leg.

“You idiot. What if it hadn’t worked?”

“I knew it would. Come on, now. You knew what I was doing.”

“You’re insane. I had no idea at all.”

“See? I fooled her, too, and she’s known me a lot longer than you halo polishers.”

Slowly, Raziel’s body fades and soon it’s gone.

“Is he dead?” says Daja.

“Yeah. Sorry.”

Wanuri puts an arm around her and Daja starts to cry.

Cherry stands with her arms wrapped around herself. She looks like she just saw a ghost, a unicorn, and Hello Kitty having a three-way in a clown car and they didn’t invite her.

I walk over.

“Nice trick,” I say.

“You’re welcome,” she says a little absently. “Is killing someone always like this?”

“Just the first couple of times. After that it’s like folding socks. But that’s just me.”

She takes a couple of breaths and blinks, getting herself together.

“Okay. Wow. That wasn’t what I expected it to be.”

“Maybe you ought to sit down.”

“I’d like that. Can we go somewhere and talk for a minute?”

“Sure.”

I take her around the side of the flatbeds where no one can see us.

“If you want to throw up or something, it’s okay. Everyone’s first kill is rough.”

“No. I’m okay,” she says. “That’s not what I wanted to talk about.”

“Say what you have to say, but no stupid ‘let’s fuck’ lines. I’m sick of that.”

She looks around, making sure we’re alone.

“I helped you, right?”

“I just said so.”

“That means you owe me.”

Great. Where is this going?

“Maybe. What do you want?”

“I don’t want anything. I want to help you some more. I can save you. Don’t you want to go home?”

I get a really bad feeling in my gut and it’s not from being hungry.

“Just say what you want to say, Cherry.”

“All I’ve wanted to do is help you, ever since you got here. I mean, I was surprised as anyone when I saw you, but then I told them and they said it was okay.”

“Who did you tell?”

She hesitates. Balls and unballs her fists.

“I don’t want to say it. But you know.”

“Then I’ll say it for you. Wormwood.”

“Yes.”

Oh, Cherry. How many bad decisions can you make in one life-or death-time? I want to snap her neck. I want to find more of those tree shamblers and feed her to them. But she did save us, fucked-up motives aside, so I just talk.

“That angel attack. The town full of Legionnaires. Those ships on the river. You were telling Wormwood where we were and where we were going.”

“Of course. That’s the first thing they wanted to know.”

“All those breakdowns along the road. Were those you, too?”

“Some,” she says like I caught her stealing from the collection plate. “They wanted us to go slower so they could keep an eye on things.”

“You know, a lot of people died along the way because of your bullshit. All those pathetic souls in those little towns.”

“But you didn’t. I always made sure you were safe.”

“Because Wormwood told you to.”

“Yes. But for me, too. I don’t want to be alone again.”

“Of course.”

Her face gets hard.

“Fuck you, Jimmy. Don’t talk to me like that, like I’m one of those bar girls you used to con into buying you drinks. You let me die, but I saved your ass a dozen times down here. Don’t forget that.”

“And you murdered a hundred people and made Wormwood a fortune. So don’t try to guilt me into anything.” Something nags at me. “Why do they even care about me anymore?”

“That’s the thing. They care a lot. Hell needs to change, just like you say. But not too much. Just enough.”

“Just enough so they can keep making money off the war. Day-trading on damnation futures. What else?”