Last Stand of the DNA Cowboys

Showcross Gee's expression was transcendentally smooth. 'It's a little hard to define our destination in words.'

The DNA Cowboys looked at each other. Even the Minstrel Boy was raised from his mortal apathy. Finely honed instincts told them that they were about to hear some very bad news.

'What do you mean by "hard to define"?'

'As yet we have no geography, but you can rest assured that it is a step beyond.'

'A step beyond what?'

Reave was looking decidedly unhappy. 'What exactly are we talking about here?'

'Nonreversible discorporation to a malleable afterlife.'

Billy's eyes narrowed. 'Isn't nonreversible discorporation just a fancy name for death?'

'Technically it is akin to death, but the availability of a controllable afterlife makes it a completely different change of state. You will be stepping into a completely new dimension.'

'Do we know what might be waiting for us in this new dimension?'

'No.'

The Minstrel Boy was feeling sick. 'You're telling us that we're all boldly going to a brand-new heaven.'

'Please. Don't insult me.'

Billy was not buying it; he had had plenty of experience with discorporation. 'How can we know that there's any afterlife at all?'

'Our earliest researches demonstrated its existence.'

The Minstrel Boy had a dangerous look in his eye. 'We're going to heaven on your say-so?'

Billy still wanted to know more. 'Do we retain our memories and personalities?'

'It's unlikely. We will emerge considerably advanced. There may be some vestigial impulses, but they will most probably fade very quickly.'

The Minstrel Boy slowly and finally shook his head. 'Forget it. I'm not setting foot on that thing.'

Showcross Gee looked at him in amazement. 'Are you insane? You'll be a god.'

The Minstrel Boy's eyes were bleak. 'I'm a man, damn it. I'm the Minstrel Boy. It's as simple as that. I was always what I am, and I intend to die that way. I don't want to be a god. Gods are dangerous.' He was aware that he sounded like a petulant child, wrapping himself in the last tatters of his dignity, but he did not care. He had meant what he had said. The last tatters of his dignity were all that he had left.

At that moment, a disembodied voice started calling of names. 'Marhess Gan. . Tyler Gee. . Nalson Treece. . Lustor Mahi. .'

In turn, each of the metaphysicians stepped down onto the disk. In fact, their feet did not touch the disk itself. Some invisible horizontal field held them in midair, on the level where the original floor had been. Each one immediately began to change. Their flesh turned transparent, and it was possible to see their bones and circulatory systems. Then flesh became crystalline and, finally, two-dimensional. After that point, each metaphysician simply vanished.

'Persode. . Matmash Ri. . Aphentaup. .P. Vishnaria. .Renk Do. .'

When they were gone, their clothes drifted down through the field as though subject to the normal rules of gravity. When the white suits touched the disk itself, they vaporized. No trace remained.

'Bein ut Loew. . Mathmashamu. . Rehgath Gee. . Aba Melmoth. .

The circle of metaphysicians was hiilf-gone. Reave faced the Minstrel Boy. 'Are you really going to stay here?'

'Absolutely. What about you two? Going to seek your fortune as gods?'

'Ethbuck. . Gronin Gee. . Pretalat Sna. . n'Brandei. .Touser Lafter. .Sal Oti. . Ptran Gee. .Orte Gee. .'

Reave took a deep breath. 'I'm staying, too. I'm not going to get on that carousel.'

It was down to Billy. There were just six metaphysicians left. Their white suits glowed in the muted light from the disk. Certainly a part of him wanted to chance the experience.

'Fest Arnn., Luthor Modesto., TorRomm. . Mahii Mag Gee. . Etif-Erle. .'

Only Showcross Gee was left. As his name was called, he glanced back sadly at the DNA Cowboys and then stepped off into discorporation. Billy suddenly moved. Three paces took him to the edge of the bowl created by the disk.

'Billy Oblivion.'

And then he froze. He could not step out.

'There is no second call.'

After that the voice was silent. Billy walked slowly back to the others.

'So what did we prove by ducking the roll call of destiny?'

'That we're stubbornly human.'

'No shit.'

The disk was rising again. The floor was regaining its original shape and level. The glow started to fade. The floating pyramid block sank slowly to the floor. All energy and color seemed to have gone from the chamber. It was lit by a single white light.

Billy sighed. 'And that's that.'

Reave settled himself with his back against the wall. 'You know what this means?'

The Minstrel Boy nodded. 'It's the blaze of glory.'

'The entire Bolivian National Guard.'

Billy also sat down. 'I ain't ready to die yet.'

'It's got to happen sometime.'

'We were offered a way out.'

Billy squatted down beside the other two. 'Yeah, but we blew it, each in his own way.'

'So when do we make this final bow?'

'I guess when we're all ready for. .' Reave's voice trailed off, and he made a helpless gesture. 'Hell, I don't know.'

For a long time the three men sat in silence, lost in their own thoughts. Finally Billy could not stand it any longer. He stood up and announced that he was off in search of wine. After about twenty minutes he came back with two large jugs.

'What the hell, let's drink this down and go out and face Baptiste.'

The other two looked at him in silence, knowing that it was probably the best suggestion.

Billy set the wine down. 'Can you think of any way around this?'

Reave shook his head and uncapped the first jug. 'No way at all, but what the hell? We knew this was coming from the first moment we all met up again.'

The Minstrel Boy raised an eyebrow. 'You really believe that?'

'Don't you?'

The Minstrel Boy nodded. 'Yeah, I believe it. It ain't just us, either. You can smell it. The whole fucking world is running out of road.'

Billy took the jug from Reave. His face was wistful. 'There's still a lot of world out there. Still a lot that I'd like to see. '

'Yeah, but it's fading fast. The realities are going one by one. Krystaleit's gone, and it won't be too long before Baptiste destroys this place. I figure the other places probably aren't faring much better. We haven't seen anything but violence and destruction since we got back together.'

Reave agreed. 'Minstrel Boy's right. We've seen the best of it.'

Billy took a long pull on the jug and looked from Reave to the Minstrel Boy. 'This is really it, isn't it?'

They both nodded.

'Sure looks like it.'

Billy shook his head. 'Damn.'

A lopsided grin spread over the Minstrel Boy's face. 'At least we get the chance to go out with a bang.'

'What's the point of going out with a bang if there ain't nobody left around to tell the story.'

The Minstrel Boy took the jug. 'You hit a deep philosophical point there, Billy Oblivion.'

Reave uncapped a second jug. 'Seems to me that all we can do is sit around and drink our fill. When we're drunk and ready, we'll go out and see to Baptiste. At least we can take a few of the bastards with us.'

The initial effect of the wine was to make them maudlin. The memories started coming out, all the brave tales of the old days before so much trouble had come across the world, tales of gun-fights and women and seven-day drunks and nights of wretched excess. There was a period of enthusiasm and affection when the three men vied with each other to convince themselves what fine, reckless, and dashing old boys they had been. The alcohol moved on, however, and let the sadness in. They could not contain the knowledge that memories were all they had left. Boasting gave way to gloomy introspection, and they lapsed into silence.