Heinrich totally disappeared, but he must have let go of Hiroyasu partway through. The Iron Guard re-formed, solid, but his body had fused with the metal. The left half of his body and his head were still visible, but his flesh had become one with the bulkhead. Hiroyasu began to scream, incoherent with pain.
There was a clicking as the door unlocked from the other side. Heinrich held it open for Dan. The Fade saw the thrashing Iron Guard and admired his work. "That was for Delilah. Hurry." Dan stepped through after him, noticing that the Iron Guard's other arm and leg were flailing madly on this side. They ran down the hall. "Think we can use guns in here?" Heinrich asked.
They were surrounded by solid walls and away from the heaving bags. "Probably." Dan pulled the.45 from his belt.
"About damn time," Heinrich answered as a Luger appeared from inside his coat.
They reached the last door, both of them automatically taking up positions on either side. They'd worked together for a long time. There was a round glass window, and when he risked a glance through, he could see a strange device crackling with electricity sitting in the middle of a table. That's it. There were a bunch of men in long black coats surrounding it. He tried the latch. Locked.
Heinrich nodded, knowing what to do. He Faded, but as he did so, two Shadow Guard appeared, took the Geo-Tel between them, and Traveled it away.
Faye woke up, groaning. She felt nauseous.
"Hold still, you lost a lot of blood," Francis told her. She looked down. Her pant leg had been torn off, and her calf had been wrapped in a bandage. It really hurt.
There was more gunfire. She checked her head map. The Tokugawa was in chaos. Grimnoir and pirates were spread all over the big ship. The pirates were headed this way, being chased by Imperium. Some of her friends were in the middle of the ship, looking for the big, evil, magic superbomb, but it had just Traveled to the very bottom.
She was having a hard time seeing down there. At first she thought it was because of the blood loss making her silly-headed, but then she realized that the black fogginess came from the Chairman. His Power was so big that everything around it was cast in shadow, but the big, evil, magic superbomb was dragging so much Power up out of the middle of the world that it illuminated even him. Somehow she knew they only had minutes. The illumination showed that a couple of her friends were down there, surrounded by Iron Guards.
But there was something else. The Power wasn't just being attracted to Tesla's invention. There was another spot in the middle of the ship. It was glowing too. She concentrated harder, trying to figure out what was going on, and that's when she realized exactly what was happening.
She smacked her hands onto both sides of Francis' face. "We've got to get everyone out of here fast as we can!" She let go and tried to get up.
"Stay still, you're in no shape to move."
"No, you don't understand. It isn't what anyone thought it was! Everyone is wrong! The Chairman is wrong! We've got to go. I've got to bring everyone onto the Tempest."
"What? Don't move. You're still bleeding from-'
"Aarrggh! You are such a boy! You know I see the world different than everybody else. Listen, do you trust me or not?"
Francis was perplexed. "Yeah, I guess."
"Then get a bucket and fill it with nails and broken glass and anything else you can use to stab people with your brain, and get that blimp in the air. We've only got minutes."
He nodded. She could see it in his eyes. He didn't have a clue what she was talking about, but God bless him, Francis actually trusted her. She kissed him on the cheek and Traveled before she could see his reaction.
Chairman Okubo Tokugawa was sitting cross-legged on a simple mat, watching the brothers curiously. Jane was standing a few feet away in a white kimono, flanked between two robed Iron Guards. "Sullivan?" she asked in surprise.
"You okay, Jane?" he asked. She nodded. She sure didn't look okay. Poor thing was scared to death. "Don't worry. Dan's here. We'll get you home."
The Chairman spoke. "Rise, First Iron Guard." Madi jumped to his feet with superhuman speed.
"Sir, Grimnoir threaten the Geo-Tel," Madi said quickly, much more worried about that than the bullets lodged in his chest.
The Chairman nodded politely, as if to say, tell me something I don't already know, stupid. "I am aware. I have been watching. I dispatched Shadow Guards to retrieve it. They will Travel back here shortly."
"Well, if it ain't Mr. Fancy-Pants," Sullivan said. "What're you doing down here? Hiding?"
The Chairman studied him carefully. He was wearing a simple, comfortable robe, and his feet were bare. "As I said, I have been watching. This is a most interesting time for me, Mr. Sullivan. If I so desired I could send my personal bodyguard up and your friends would be dead in seconds, or perhaps I could just destroy you all myself."
"Then why don't you, big shot?"
"Because I am bored," he answered truthfully. "I have been alive for a very long time. I have lived for over a hundred years. I was born the youngest son of a minor samurai lord. My home was destroyed in a revolution, my family put to the sword, and I became ronin. I had seen my share of conflict by the time the Power came to me. Together we learned how magic could interact with mankind. Since that day I have traveled the world. I have learned its secrets. I have seen the heights and depths of magic. I have been to every land. Spoken every tongue. Learned everything. Fought every war. Led men into battle and killed legions with my own hands. I've lain with ten thousand women and sired a thousand sons. I sculpt nations as other men sculpt clay. I have traveled beyond our world and seen the others. I have spoken with the Power face to face as we speak now. I have seen the terrible being the Power fled from and I have protected our world from it in battle beyond your mortal comprehension. There is nothing truly new to me."
Sullivan could sense he was telling the truth. If the Chairman was anything, he was perfectly straightforward. "So, we're an interesting diversion?"
"Yes. I could kill you all with a thought. The Geo-Tel was never in danger. My plan will be fulfilled." As he said, that two black-clad ninjas Traveled in, holding a strange device between them. It sparked and buzzed with energy and Sullivan could feel the magic in the room distort toward it. "It was only a matter of time. But you and your people interest me, Mr. Sullivan. Your strengths, your flaws, your hates, your desires, your loves and dreams. You are one of the most powerful natural Actives ever born. Your young Traveling friend is even stronger, though she does not realize it yet. We should stand as one, united for what is to come, yet instead you will fight me to the end. Such purity of struggle is bitter, yet beautiful in its way. I wrote a poem about it. Would you like to hear it?"
"I'd rather slit my own wrists."
"Fair enough." The Chairman turned back to Madi. "I am disappointed in you, First Iron Guard. Were it not for my preparation, the Geo-Tel would have been lost to the Grimnoir. And not only that, but it would have been lost to the forces of a man that you had thought you'd killed."
Madi bowed deeply. "Forgive me, Chairman. I can make it right."
Sullivan was surprised just how much genuine devotion there was in his brother's words. At least he'd finally found something that he could truly love.
"Very well. How much longer until the firing?" the Chairman asked absently.
A man in a long black coat answered. "Approximately ten minutes, sir."
The Chairman nodded. "Very well, First Iron Guard Madi. You may redeem yourself."
Madi bowed his head quickly, then moved to the side, shrugging out of his robe. All he was wearing now were a pair of very baggy black pants. Madi's torso was covered in kanji scars. Nearly every inch of him had been burned, and every one of those made him more dangerous. He shouted something in Japanese, and a moment later another Iron Guard hurried forward with two swords, one made of wood, and one made of killing steel.