The transformation was astonishing. 'Is that the way you really look?' asked Pyrgus.
Beleth shook his head. 'Of course not. All this is just part of the show we put on for old fools like Brimstone. He believes he's a Master of Illusion, but he never thinks to question what he sees himself.' The huge form began to shrink until Pyrgus was again faced with the creature in the scarlet robe. Somehow it looked no less scary than the thing with horns. This Beleth was a formidable opponent however he looked.
'Why, thank you,' Beleth said, again demonstrating how easily he picked up Pyrgus's thoughts. He glanced down at the map, then back at Pyrgus. 'I expect you'll soon be wondering how you got into this mess.'
Pyrgus, who'd started to wonder how he'd got into this mess, felt a nasty little chill crawl up his spine. How could you get away from something that read the plans in your mind as you were making them?
'Not very easily,' Beleth told him. 'So why don't you stop worrying about getting away and in return I'll satisfy your curiosity about one or two things that have been troubling you. How about that, Prince Pyrgus? Do we have a bargain?'
Pyrgus found his headache was getting worse. He didn't like the thought of making bargains with a demon, but just at that moment he couldn't figure out what else he was supposed to do. Clearly he couldn't get away just now, whether he worried about it or not. Besides, he was curious about how he'd managed to end up here and a few other things besides. Starting with why Brimstone had been so anxious to sacrifice him to this creature.
'Well,' said Beleth, 'let's deal with how you got here first and I'll tell you about Brimstone in a moment -save the best for last, so to speak. You're here because we interfered with your portal – that's why you're here. Not many people know we can do that.'
Pyrgus certainly hadn't known. He'd never heard a hint of demons interfering with portals before. He wondered if -
Beleth said, 'We're the ones who sent you off course when you tried to translate to the Analogue World. We had help, naturally. We needed to know House Iris portal coordinate settings. Catching you this time was a lot easier – we already knew the coordinates for your return so it was only a question of watching for the signal and diverting you as you stepped through.'
'But why?' Pyrgus asked.
'Because Brimstone didn't manage to fulfil his contract,' Beleth explained patiently. He smiled, showing little demon teeth. 'So now I have to do the job myself.'
'Just seven groats a week,' the old woman cackled. 'Won't find anything this good for the money anywhere in the realm, young man.' She grinned toothlessly and a knowing look crossed her features. 'Or as private.'
Brimstone stared at his new lodgings with distaste. They consisted of one filthy room with a shuttered window. The bed was a heap of vermin-ridden straw in a corner. The only furniture was a rickety table and a single wooden chair. From now on he would sleep here and eat here – 'Meals is extra,' the old woman added, as if reading his mind.
– – and venture out only after dark. 'I'll take it,' he told the harridan. He tossed her a few coins. 'Here's a month in advance – now piss off.'
She tested two of the coins between her gums and presumably found them satisfactory. 'Thank you, sir,' she said. The knowing look returned. 'Rest assured no one will know you're here, sir. Not while there's breath left in my body. Guarantee my tenants privacy, I do. Guarantee it.' She hesitated at the door. 'Bone gruel for supper,' she said. 'Very nourishing.'
Brimstone turned away as she closed the door and opened the shutter a crack. His room looked out on to an open sewer. He closed the shutter again. At least no one was likely to break in through the window. He went to the table, sat on the chair – which was hideously uncomfortable – and carefully counted the gold coins he had left. He could stay here for quite a while at seven groats a week if the bone gruel didn't kill him off, but he'd have to come out of hiding eventually.
He just hoped Beleth wouldn't still be looking for him when he did.
Pyrgus felt like a balloon tethered to Beleth by an invisible cord. Demons prostrated themselves as their Prince strode through the city streets. Pyrgus followed no more than a pace or two behind, but seemed to be floating rather than walking. His mind was racing now, even though he knew Beleth could pick up every thought.
'Patience,' Beleth cautioned over his shoulder. 'All will soon be clear. And rest assured I shall tell you everything. It's such a delicious plan, I've been dying to tell somebody. Of course I couldn't until now in case word got out. But since you're captive here now, I can tell you all. It's quite, quite marvellous!'
They crossed the perimeter of the city and stepped on to a gloomy metal plain. Stretched across it for as far as the eye could see were rank upon rank of heavily armed and armoured demons. They carried fire lances, stun wands, rocket launchers. They wore bandoleers of laser grenades and biological spell cones. Servo-assisted boots meant they could leap for fifty yards or more. Helicopter backpacks would enable them to fly. They were the most fearsome fighting force Pyrgus had ever seen.
'Salute the troops,' said Beleth.
Pyrgus felt his arm move of its own accord until it snapped off an awkward salute. As it fell back to his side, Beleth said, 'This is what it's all about.'
Pyrgus stared out across the vast army and tried to make sense of it all. 'You're expecting trouble?' he ventured. He wondered if Hael might be threatened with invasion.
'You could say that,' Beleth told him. 'Although expecting isn't quite the right word. It's trouble we shall be starting soon. With a little help from our friends. That's what your song says, isn't it?' He caught the confusion in Pyrgus's mind. 'Well, perhaps it's an Analogue World song. I know I heard it somewhere. No matter. The point is any day now decades of careful planning will bear fruit. There are going to be… changes… in the Realm of Faerie.'
Pyrgus definitely was floating. When he looked down he could see his feet were nearly six inches off the ground. Beleth towed him like a child's toy through the ranks of stone-faced demons. The smell of brimstone was exceptionally strong here, intermingled with the heavy scent of cordite, as if wars and armies were particularly demonic things. Which they probably were, Pyrgus supposed.
'How do you get on with your father?' Beleth asked.
'Very well,' Pyrgus answered loyally, although it was far from the truth.
'I ate mine,' Beleth told him. 'He got old and feeble and useless, but he wanted to hold on to power. So I took steps. Tasted disgusting – stringy, tough, smelly… you know how fathers are – but it's the custom here. You're supposed to absorb the essence that way. Rank superstition, of course, but, well… tradition.' He shrugged.
'So you became King of Hael?' Pyrgus said. He had an idea that if he could keep Beleth talking, the demon might not take time to read his thoughts.
'Prince of Darkness,' Beleth told him. 'The title is Prince of Darkness. We've never had a king here, or an emperor – prince is the highest rank. I was a duke when I ate him. Anyway, the point is when I became Prince, there were a few changes round here, I can tell you. This place had stagnated for centuries. But I made plans, Crown Prince Pyrgus. Would you like to hear about the plans I made?'
'Yes, please,' Pyrgus said eagerly. Maybe it was his imagination, but the more Beleth talked the more his control over Pyrgus seemed to be easing. Pyrgus still couldn't do anything and he had to be hideously careful about everything he thought, but in time…
'I made plans to expand my sphere of influence. That's the way they put it, isn't it? Nobody talks about conquest, loot and pillage any more, although it's much the same thing and such fun. Perhaps since we're friends now, I should speak plainly. I made plans to conquer, loot and pillage the entire Realm of Faerie. And after that to march my legions into the Analogue World, although that's not really your concern. In short, Pyrgus, I made plans to become the greatest Prince of Darkness the universe has ever known.' He stopped, black eyes shining.