When he awakes it is quiet. The air is clean and warm, with the smell of the sea. Ichabod is now thoroughly confused as to time. He knows from his light-headedness that he had not slept through an entire night. Mekare had moved him, following the night around the world, moving at random in it, as maybe she didn't need at all to sleep. How she moved him he could not remember.
He sees that he is in a spacious bedroom with terraces to the west and to the north. He can smell the sea and hear it, yet the air is fragrant and rather still. He takes stock of the room gradually.
Lavish old furnishings, most likely Italian were mingled with modern luxuries everywhere he looked. The bed is a gilded four-poster, hung with gauzy curtains, and covered with down pillows and draperies of silk. A thick white carpet conceals the old floor. There is a dressing table littered with glittering jars of silver objects, and a curious old fashioned telephone. Velvet chairs, and a monster of a television set with shelves of stereo surround sound equipment.
That television had come to life in his dreams as he had heard Necron speaking to him out of it. And Ichabod had answered.
Yes, Necron. I am going to stop you. I defy your plans, your will, your designs, everything about you, but especially you. You took a friend from me. Oh sure, Darren pulled the trigger, but that was for protection. But you took him away long ago, and I know I can't have him back. So I'll take you instead. You can laugh all you want, but still I defy you. I'll defy everything you do, and I'll be there each time it matters to take the sweet rewards away from you. I'll smack every intestine, every heart, every brain right out of your twisted hands just as you are bringing it to your mouth. And then I'll laugh at you the surprise and fear fill your eyes for that small instant before you anger takes over. And then I'll still laugh, because you've made it obvious that you can't harm me. You can't do shit to me. You're nothing but a poacher.
And when your great day comes, I'll not only defy you, I'll deny you everything you hope for. You can take the things I have and crush them, but me, I'll crush your wishes, your dreams, your hopes. I'll shit on them and wipe my ass with your fucking face.
My walking away alive has nothing to do with it Necron. Its the fact that you've done so little to stop me, that I'm beginning to believe you have no power over me whatsoever. Each and everytime I see you, you brag that you could dispose of me, yet so far you've hardly scratched me. Why do you not deem it necessary, Necron?
And this key you're talking about. What the hell is that supposed to be? James passed me nothing but a hate for you and a reason. Yeah, I go around looking for reasons to torment little beings like you, and James gave me the ultimate reason, the loss of his life. Usually I do this because I am bored... but now, now its revenge.
If what you say is true, and I am the key, too bad. You'll never get it, because I don't know how to give it to you, nor would I if I did. Not only that, but you admit that you are a failure. You've been unable to make others give you the key. Instead, you ruined and killed them, which made the key move, whatever it is. So you can't control yourself long enough to get the key.
You've given me two choices... not one like you say. I can either surrender, or I can feel your true wrath. I'll surrender when pigs fly, ya dumb son of a bitch. I've been trying to invoke your true wrath for weeks, and only now do you offer it? Well, I made my choice a long time ago, Necron. Lets see your wrath.
I was damned long before you reached your silly claws up through the floorboards of the earth. Don't try and play that card. You don't really figure in to what happens to me. You are just another accident. But you have made yourself obvious to me, and now you will feel my anger and pain. You will get a return of the torment you are trying to use to drive me insane. I apparantly can't fight the things you introduce into my brain, so I'll meet you on the physical level and put you in your place.
You can threaten all you want, Necron, but you can't follow through. You'll never take away what I love. Deidre? Far too strong for you. Its time you were made whole again, wholly dead like you belong. That's right, you belong dead.
Ichabod realizes Mekare is there somewhere behind him, near the dresser perhaps.
So is he really dead?
He spoke of a great mindgame. Do you really give into it?
No. I don't believe it for one second.
What do you believe?
Honestly, that this is just an excuse for him to come back bigger, stronger, uglier, smellier, and yet still the same old redundant Necron. You know how many times I've heard him say "you are just a monkey," in the past few months? Or how many times I've heard him say I don't matter, or that he's going to crush my loved ones? What the fuck is going on? When is he going to follow through with these threats? Don't get me wrong, I mean I'm not inviting these threats, but come on, it's getting to where thats all they are. Necron is a talker, not a doer.
Mekare nods.
You need to realize that when the time comes, he will act, and you must be ready for him.
I'm ready now.
No, you are not ready, but you are very close. You are close enough to give him what for, maybe even daunt him momentarily. But you have yet to reach your full potential.
Well lets get me ready then.
Ichabod and Mekare walk outside into the night as the camera slowly fades out.
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