Alone on the train again, Dex turned to Karma.
'I can't believe Rachel is really gone. What do we do now?' said Dex.
We carry on. That's all there is. But I don't know how.' said Karma.
‘I think we should break into Trinity and blow up the labs.’ said Dex.
Karma looked at him sceptically. ‘I think that's how it would work in a movie. We're the heroes and we save the day by charging in and stopping the disaster. But in real life, we'll just get turned away from the door. Or worse, someone will recognise us from the attack on the pope in the Phoenix Park and we'll be arrested and disappear like so many people have in this country.’ She brushed her hair behind her ears.
She looked at him steadily. ‘This is what I think we should do, help out, but stay in the background. Cabot and these guys have the training, manpower and experience to deal with this. I know you think we'll be able to somehow sneak in there and pull this off somehow, but ask Rachel what she thinks of going in all heroic. I don't think much of my life.’ She paused.
‘But if I watched you die like Rachel, I think...’ she didn't finish just looked at him with an unspoken appeal.
‘I'd not want anything to happen to you either.’ said Dex and held her hands.
‘We have a chance to do something about what's happened to this country Karma. We might not be able to change everything. I know that, I'm being realistic, but maybe we can just push things a bit more in the right direction. Is that not better than doing nothing?’
He trailed off, suddenly unsure.
Karma was looking at him again for a long time. Eventually she said.
‘OK, we'll try and see what we can do.’ she smiled at him.
He smiled back. ‘When we get to Dublin, we get off this train and head into Trinity. I think this train is slowing down, we'll be there soon.’
They spoke to Cabot and he agreed to allow them to join the assault team. ‘I think what you are doing is brave, and I would rather you didn't do it but you proved yourselves in the Phoenix Park. I have to allow you to do this, don't I?’ He looked concerned, but resigned.
Soon after they arrived in the underground rail station. A group of thirty men and women left the train as well. They were dressed to look like tourists, carrying camera bags and maps. They followed a dark tunnel that led to an underground river. On the way they told Dex and Karma the plan. They were to wander into Trinity like tourists visiting the the old college to see the Book of Iona and then individually break away from the tour group and try to make their way to the labs. Then find a sample of the demiurge and escape with it.
At the end of the long dark tunnel they found themselves at an underground jetty. There the group split up and climbed into six river taxis. The taxis made their way to the Liffey and gradually joined the other river traffic there.
When the taxis dropped them by Trinity, they all joined the groups going inside.
They wandered in hushed awe into the sleek multimedia centre where guides talked to them about the significance of the Chthonic church in Irish history. They walked slowly at the back of the group as information and images of the past drifted by. Dex felt a firm hand on his shoulder and looked over to Karma to see the other was on her shoulder. A voice behind them said.
‘You pair are so fecking easy to predict. Come with me and don't frighten the other tourists or we have to make them all disappear. Do you understand me?’
They were led quietly to a side door and led inside to a dark corridor.
Once they heard the door shut they turned. It was Tommy. He was wearing a tour guide's uniform and grinning at them like the cat who had caught the mouse.
‘Well, this is the end of the tour for you pair. I hope you enjoyed yourselves.’ Two more men came behind them and swiftly bound their hands. Dex and Karma were too shocked to react, but said nothing.
‘I've waited long enough for you to show up. I knew you would eventually. Bishop Felt has given us special instructions as to what to do with you. Don't panic now. We're just going to test your faith. If you are true believers you have nothing to fear’ said Tommy.
A deep voice spoke from the gloom of the corridor. ‘Yes, my once doubting Thomas. Is it not written 'Yea, thou I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me. ' you shall soon see the light. One way or another.’ It was Felt.
Karma said to Tommy quietly, ‘you betrayed all that was good in you Tommy, why?’
‘Why?' he hissed back at her. 'To be free of fear. What do you know of fear anyhow, you never hid in the damp and the dark like a rat. I did. I devoted my life to our people, until one day I realised, it didn't have to be that way, there was a better way.’
‘You gave in to fear, and you never cared about anyone but yourself. Your people were just a hindrance to you.’ said Dex.
‘No, I surrendered them to the Chthonic church. I saved them.’
‘He came out of the darkness into the light.’ said Felt. Then his toned changed. ‘That is enough talk, bring them.
They were led to a small nondescript building then down a narrow stairs.
One of Tommy's men opened a door, removed their bindings and they were pushed into a room which was then shut and locked. The room was large and artificially lit and full of tables and chairs. All around the room sat men, women and children. Including a group in a corner praying. Some glanced up at the two but then resumed reading or talking quietly among themselves. An old women came over to them and took each of their hands.
‘Welcome, young ones.’ She led them to the small group kneeling and praying in the corner facing a crucifix.
Dex and Karma went with her. ‘Now pray, the Lord with choose if you go to him or stay to spread his word. It will not take long.’
Dex and Karma took each other hands. They both felt cold suddenly. Dex looked at Karma's face. Small blood vessels had begun to spread out from her mouth and eyes where the woman had breathed on them.
‘What will not take long?’ said Karma.
‘Why, the demiurge. It is in you now, God love you.’ said the old woman.
Coda
In the dark cathedral, the morning light was barely creeping through the stained glass windows and the air was as cold and dusty as a tomb. A small cat sat in a weak sunbeam licking its paw. The acolyte’s footsteps echoed faintly as he walked briskly ahead of the group of about 10 young people. He spoke in a clipped tone back over his shoulder at them. ‘This way, this way, come along all of you, quickly now.’
Karma and Dex shuffled behind him at the back of the group down the central aisle. Their heads had all been recently shaved, they were barefoot and wearing simple shifts the colour of dishcloths. ‘Now, this is not dangerous work if you are careful, there have been accidents, but as I said, it was no-one’s fault but their own. At the end here, each of you take a ladder and a broom. Go to a window each and start clearing the cobwebs. You have one hour precisely. I will return then to assess your work. Get to it.’ He strode to a side door and vanished through it.
The tension in the group fell once he had left. One small pale boy began to sing a hymn under his breath and they all quietly took a ladder and broom. The cat screeched suddenly. A wolf spider had grasped it by its neck and dragged it swiftly through a hole in the grey granite wall. None of the young people reacted. The young people picked up their ladders and started to move to the dark corners of the cathedral to begin their work.
Karma and Dex picked up their ladders but heard a voice behind them. ‘Not you. You come with me.’ They glanced back and saw Felt. He was holding a wide leather discipline strap around his wrist and was looking at them with barely contained fury. He turned and walked briskly towards the side door, looking around to see if he was being observed. Karma and Dex followed meekly.
Once inside his office, Karma and Dex stood blankly in front of Felt’s desk. Felt began to pace up and down in front of his fireplace tapping the leather strap on his open palm staring at the rich carpet.
‘They say there is nothing left of your minds. Well, be that as it may, you may not remember me, but I remember you all right. You two did your damage to the church. Now you’ll learn that everything has consequences. Yes indeed. Karma they call it in the heathen religions. An action has a reaction. And by God you will indeed learn that right here and now.’
He glanced up at them. Karma was pointing his own gun at him and Dex was searching a drawer. ‘Aha, here we go, a nice vial of Demiurge. Thanks Felt, you’re a lovely fella.’ Dex pushed the vial into a hidden pocket on his belt. Karma stood pointing the gun at Felt. ‘Where’s my brother, you bastard?’ she said. Felt looked at her like a wolf sizing up what he had once thought was a rabbit, but turned out to be a wolverine. ‘He belongs to the church now and I will tell you nothing.’ He said.
‘That’s too bad for you Felt, because that was the only thing stopping me from shooting you right here and now.’ She shot him three times rapidly in the chest. Felt did not even have time to register shock or pain on his face, he simply fell forward onto the carpet.
‘That’s for Rachel. Like you said Felt, actions have consequences.’ Said Karma.
‘Yep, we all come face to face with our karma eventually.' said Dex.
'Yes, and Karma’s a bitch.’ said Karma.
WHAT NEXT? WILL DEX AND KARMA MANAGE TO STOP THE CHTHONIC CHURCH ONCE AND FOR ALL?
AND IS RACHEL REALLY DEAD?
FIND OUT IN THE NEXT INSTALLMENT. WHEN I DECIDE WHAT IT WILL BE ;-)
THANKS FOR READING THIS FAR!