All the better. If Burnout had time to prepare, their reception could get hot, but if they managed to take him by surprise, they might just smoke him out before he knew what hit him.
Ryan looked at Miranda. "Track him in the astral. Let's pin him down."
Miranda nodded and closed her eyes again.
"Dhin," said Ryan.
"Yes?"
"North, until I tell you differently."
"Copy."
In the cabin, the roar of rockets thundered as the Phoenix II leapt forward. They traveled like that for another five minutes, until Miranda opened her eyes again. "Frag, that boy travels well."
Ryan took the seat facing the mage. "You got him locked?"
Miranda nodded. "Yes, but there's something you should know."
"What?"
"There's a shaman and some kind of spirit with him."
Ryan, who had been lost in his own thoughts for a moment, was snatched back to reality. "What spirit?" He had a sinking feeling inside.
"Don't know," Miranda said. "But it's the most powerful one I've ever seen, and it's inside our cyberzombie."
Lethe, Ryan thought. Who else could it be?
16
In the heavy morning air, the smoke from the small camp-fire sent dim, gray smoke into the canopy of pines. Off to the east, Burnout saw the dark mass of clouds, growing larger. A storm was coming, he could feel its tension in the muggy stillness.
It's nearly upon us, he thought.
On the other side of the campfire, the Kodiak knelt on a gigantic bearskin, which just fit inside the large circle of talismana he had laid out on the rocky soil. His medicine lodge. Next to the Kodiak sat the Heart, gleaming yellow in a giant bear's claw. The Heart seemed to glow dully in the darkening morning.
Burnout glanced up at the Kodiak. The old man had started his spiritual journey almost an hour ago, beginning with soft chants accompanied by the rhythmic rattle of a bone shaker. Now, his painted face was streaked with sweat, and he didn't speak; instead, he simply swayed to some internal beat only he could hear.
Just like old times, thought Burnout.
Since the start of the ceremony, Lethe had said nothing, though Burnout could almost sense the spirit communing outside his perception. The longer they stayed together, the more attuned he and the Lethe seemed to be.
Burnout watched the approaching storm, and a feeling of apprehension grew in him. It felt like… like…
Mercury comes.
Burnout looked down at his ravaged body, the skin of his hands flayed to the chrome, the dermal sheathing poking through a ragged hole in his coveralls. The telescoping fingers that had served him so well were mangled and twisted, severed in places and unable to effectively retract.
Burnout knew he was the most efficient killing machine tech and magic could produce. Both times he'd gone up against Ryan, the simple human-with no chrome Burnout could discern-had proven tougher than anything Burnout could have imagined. Each time, the man had scarred Burnout and come through alive.
Questions plagued Burnout with their unanswerable intensity. Why had this man been chosen by Dunkelzahn? What lay hidden beneath Mercury's human exterior that made him a match for the best that science and the dark arts could produce?
In his peripheral vision, he saw that the Kodiak had stopped swaying and had opened his eyes. The Heart had darkened, and it lay quiet. The Kodiak heaved a heavy sigh and sat upright on the bearskin. Exhaustion lined his face as he spoke. "I have talked with Bear, my son. He has shown me the truth of things, both seen and unseen."
Burnout leaned forward hungrily. "Yes, what did Bear tell you about the Heart?"
The Kodiak's narrow eyes looked sad. "Of the artifact you call the Heart, Bear said simply that it follows its own destiny. It isn't for you or any man to possess and control. It has a place in the sacred dance, and though it might be useful to you for now, it will fulfill its destiny."
Burnout sat back, unsure of how to take what the old man had said. "Does that mean I can tap into it? That I can-"
The old man waved him off. "Your relationship to the… Heart is nebulous at best. You can do with it what you can. It cannot give you back the gift you have thrown away."
Burnout nodded. He had longed to feel the power of the magic arts he had once wielded with pleasure. Now that yearning faded with a grim sigh.
"As the Heart makes its moves according to the sacred dance, you might be able to connect with it. That's all I can tell you."
Burnout knew it was all he could have hoped for and more than he deserved. He was about to stand, when the Kodiak spoke again. "The Bear has spoken to me of the spirit that travels with you."
Once again, Burnout found himself leaning forward.
"The one you call Lethe is directly tied to the Heart and its sacred dance. Though now, through methods unspeakable, it is also tied to you. Bear does not think the two of you can be separated at this time. And even if it were possible, it would most likely kill one, if not both, of you."
Burnout wondered how Lethe felt about being a prisoner inside him.
The Kodiak chuckled. "So I suggest you get used to him, son. It looks as if this Lethe is going to be with you for some time."
Burnout nodded. "I don't want to get rid of Lethe, Kodiak. He's proven himself, and I trust him."
The old man closed his eyes and gave a tired smile. "That's good, my son, because the spirit's presence is the only thing that makes you human. The abomination you've become is tempered by the proximity of Lethe. With him near, you become more than the sum of your parts. Without him, any chance you might have of contacting the essence of the Heart will disappear."
Again Burnout nodded, though this time more to himself. It was just as he'd thought. Lethe was the one responsible for his heightened awareness, his increased memory retention.
The old man's face became grave. "Bear also told me of another who is tied to you and the Heart."
"Another?"
"One who tracks you."
Ryan. So my gut hunch was right.
Burnout stood, suddenly anxious. "Yes, the one called Ryan Mercury."
"Bear told me that the one you call Mercury is even now in pursuit of the Heart that you carry."
So Mercury is coming, for sure. Burnout felt the familiar anticipation roll through him. I will be ready for you, Mercury. You may be the best I've met, but I will destroy you like I have the others.
"This one stalking you, this Mercury, you are aware how powerful he is?"
Burnout nodded. "He is the most formidable opponent I have ever faced, and each time we meet he gets better. He learns more and more of my capabilities, but always seems to be able to surprise me."
The old man stroked his thick beard. "Bear has told me that he is even more powerful than you can imagine."
Burnout gave him a hard look. "In what way?"
The Kodiak frowned. "Bear did not reveal specifics, saying only that the being named Mercury is powerful enough that you, even as… altered as you've become, are no match for him. There is one thing that can be used to your advantage, however."
Burnout looked down at the rain of his body. "Give it to me. I can use all the help I can get."
"Mercury has no idea just how powerful he is."
Burnout looked up sharply. "What?"
"Mercury has come nowhere close to realizing his full potential."
Burnout grinned. "He can't use what he doesn't know about. He is only as strong as he thinks he is."
"He will be here soon," the Kodiak said. "And he comes ready for battle."
Burnout stood. "Then I better prepare. I think Mercury is in for a few surprises when he arrives."