seen her, Ki?"
"I haven't. Is that why you wanted to go in there?"
"Yes."
The Sisters also appeared to be glad to see him alive; they smiled, chattered silently amongst themselves, and lightly patted him on the shoulder.
Davage looked back at the brig and Sighted through the walls.
"Well, did you discover what you were looking for?" Ki asked.
Davage peered through the walls of the brig. He could see the Black Hat, alone once more, sitting there trying, apparently unsuccessfully, to assess what had just happened. She lightly touched the bow in her hair with her right hand.
She looked at the door to the brig.
After a moment, he saw her scoot a bit closer to the tray of food. Slowly, with measured grace, the Black Hat began eating, wiping her lips with a napkin after every dainty bite.
"No, Kilos … but I think I am close."
Several more Sisters, followed by two Marines, came into the brig's outer chamber. They Sighted through the walls.
They turned to the Marine.
"Sygillis of Metatron," the Marine said dryly, writing it down in his view pad.
"Hammer."
5
BREAKING THE CLUTCH
After a long, strange day and a tiring session of paperwork, Davage finally settled to bed. Not a night owl per se like Lt. Kilos, who was rarely if ever in her rack, he nevertheless usually got no more than a few hours of sleep a night. His duties were ongoing. But today, he was exhausted, his eyelids closing by themselves as he sat at his desk.
He was so tired after his visit to the brig. Sitting there in front of the Black Hat had taken all of his energy. Afterwards, for the rest of the day, he kept seeing things, and that was unusual for an Elder with the Sight. Must be his imagination, he guessed. He saw shadows and indistinct shapes in the corridors, on the bridge, in the mess. He'd see a hand going for his throat and a lurking shape following him, pursuing him—laughing at him.
He'd Sight, his eyes flashing, panning around, and there was nothing there. He Sighted the Black Hat once or twice; there she was, sitting in the brig in a trance with Hathaline's beautiful face pulled back in a grimace.
He finally finished his paperwork and crawled into his huge and oft-neglected bed for a few hours of rest. Sleep quickly overcame him, and he began to dream.
His dream went out of control almost at once.
He dreamt of the Black Hat, Sygillis of Metatron. She stood in front of him in his dream wearing her scarlet robe and her featureless Black Hat sash, her face hidden behind it. Her gloved ebon hands clenched into savage claws.
And then the dream came to life.
"I am here with you, Lord of Blanchefort. Welcome," she said in a malicious voice. "I've been waiting for you."
He looked around. He was in a dark place—a sort of black churchyard with many walls, passages, and alcoves all around. Black spires and steeples clawed their way up to a vaulted, bitter sky of angry clouds. The Black Hat stood there mocking him in the distance.
"What did you think, you arrogant League Lord?" she asked in an icy whisper. "That you could simply come and go from my presence as you please? You foolishly came to me, and I became interested in you, Captain. I followed you back, like a deadly spider sitting unnoticed on your shoulder. I was patient, I waited all day for you, but every so often I gave you a little tickle, just to let you know that I was there. Now here we are, just the two of us."
Davage tried to move but was locked in place. "This is just a dream," he said.
"Yes," the Black Hat said. "Just a dream. You dream, I dream … our minds wrapped together. Here we may have a bit of privacy, you and I. Here our dreams become very, very real."
The Black Hat waved at him with her claws. "And here, in this dreamscape, I am going to kill you."
Davage clutched his head. "I could call the Sisters. I could cry out for them."
"What's the matter, Fleet Captain, are you scared? Scared of a tiny little person like me? This is a game, and I insist we play it
"I haven't. Is that why you wanted to go in there?"
"Yes."
The Sisters also appeared to be glad to see him alive; they smiled, chattered silently amongst themselves, and lightly patted him on the shoulder.
Davage looked back at the brig and Sighted through the walls.
"Well, did you discover what you were looking for?" Ki asked.
Davage peered through the walls of the brig. He could see the Black Hat, alone once more, sitting there trying, apparently unsuccessfully, to assess what had just happened. She lightly touched the bow in her hair with her right hand.
She looked at the door to the brig.
After a moment, he saw her scoot a bit closer to the tray of food. Slowly, with measured grace, the Black Hat began eating, wiping her lips with a napkin after every dainty bite.
"No, Kilos … but I think I am close."
Several more Sisters, followed by two Marines, came into the brig's outer chamber. They Sighted through the walls.
They turned to the Marine.
"Sygillis of Metatron," the Marine said dryly, writing it down in his view pad.
"Hammer."
5
BREAKING THE CLUTCH
After a long, strange day and a tiring session of paperwork, Davage finally settled to bed. Not a night owl per se like Lt. Kilos, who was rarely if ever in her rack, he nevertheless usually got no more than a few hours of sleep a night. His duties were ongoing. But today, he was exhausted, his eyelids closing by themselves as he sat at his desk.
He was so tired after his visit to the brig. Sitting there in front of the Black Hat had taken all of his energy. Afterwards, for the rest of the day, he kept seeing things, and that was unusual for an Elder with the Sight. Must be his imagination, he guessed. He saw shadows and indistinct shapes in the corridors, on the bridge, in the mess. He'd see a hand going for his throat and a lurking shape following him, pursuing him—laughing at him.
He'd Sight, his eyes flashing, panning around, and there was nothing there. He Sighted the Black Hat once or twice; there she was, sitting in the brig in a trance with Hathaline's beautiful face pulled back in a grimace.
He finally finished his paperwork and crawled into his huge and oft-neglected bed for a few hours of rest. Sleep quickly overcame him, and he began to dream.
His dream went out of control almost at once.
He dreamt of the Black Hat, Sygillis of Metatron. She stood in front of him in his dream wearing her scarlet robe and her featureless Black Hat sash, her face hidden behind it. Her gloved ebon hands clenched into savage claws.
And then the dream came to life.
"I am here with you, Lord of Blanchefort. Welcome," she said in a malicious voice. "I've been waiting for you."
He looked around. He was in a dark place—a sort of black churchyard with many walls, passages, and alcoves all around. Black spires and steeples clawed their way up to a vaulted, bitter sky of angry clouds. The Black Hat stood there mocking him in the distance.
"What did you think, you arrogant League Lord?" she asked in an icy whisper. "That you could simply come and go from my presence as you please? You foolishly came to me, and I became interested in you, Captain. I followed you back, like a deadly spider sitting unnoticed on your shoulder. I was patient, I waited all day for you, but every so often I gave you a little tickle, just to let you know that I was there. Now here we are, just the two of us."
Davage tried to move but was locked in place. "This is just a dream," he said.
"Yes," the Black Hat said. "Just a dream. You dream, I dream … our minds wrapped together. Here we may have a bit of privacy, you and I. Here our dreams become very, very real."
The Black Hat waved at him with her claws. "And here, in this dreamscape, I am going to kill you."
Davage clutched his head. "I could call the Sisters. I could cry out for them."
"What's the matter, Fleet Captain, are you scared? Scared of a tiny little person like me? This is a game, and I insist we play it
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