Syd Marduke Vs The Onna No Ryu (Sneak Preview)

[Syd]

Syd Marduke sat on a bench.
The green park was laid out around him, late summer blooming its last
golden rush. Birds sang in the trees.
And, as usual, his contact was late.
The sun disappeared behind a cloud.
He watched a long black car pull up and discharge a tall Asian man
and small Asian girl. They were dressed imperiously. Like a swarm of
bees, body guards surrounded them as they made their way up a path to
the bright red building. They apparently expected more media then had
appeared. It appeared to anger them. The man turned blazing eyes
towards him, glaring at Syd challengingly.
Syd just smiled. The man abruptly turned, and stalked the rest of the
way to the building. The girl looked at him lazily, then turned and
followed the man. Syd watched her admiringly.
When they vanished, he turned back to the scenery.
At least, until the practice session ended, and the girls' volleyball
team went to change.
Syd shrugged, watched the trees.

After dropping off the volleyball team at the gym the next day, Syd
drove back to his Harbison home.
He never went onto Harbison road if he could help it. The traffic
there was abominable, and the holidays only made it worse. Over
development gone wild.
He exited his car with a groan. The girls had been over energetic. He
had had a hard time keeping up, but, ultimately, they had tired out
before he did. But, they had given him a great workout. His muscles
ached, and he was sore all over.
But, it had been worth.
He smiled as he pictured it.
Improbable. Impracticable. All sorts of impossibles might be
attributed to it. But, by God, he had pulled it off.
He opened his door, finding mail scattered on the floor. He gathered
them up, then looked them over on the kitchen table.

The parking lot was dimly lit. Its corners were draped in
dark; it's concrete a shade to low. No real noise penetrated the
walls. Syd's footsteps were the only sound. He walked the length of
the lot, and stopped at space 3.
A figure stepped from the shadows.
"I got your message, Ms. Laurie," He said. "What's up?"
She smiled. She was tall, and blond, with dark eyes. She wore a dark
green pantsuit. "Something is coming up. The operation is in danger of
exposure. There are spy's all around. Who they answer to, the
government or someone else, we can't say. But, we suspect it's not the
government."
"That doesn't sound good." Syd unwrapped a Rollo candy bar, popped on
into his mouth. He was the one who discovered the principles of the
program. He had started it, then turned management over to his
sometimes lover, Ms. Laurie. It was a variation of the Rohmer Formula
that had helped to turn the people on. It helped them tune back in,
ending the destructive fantasy that had held sway for eight years.
They all had high hopes for it.
"No." She brushed a strand of sun-bleached hair from her eyes. "If it
goes down, then the delusions of yesterday will hold fast."
"What's it all got to do with me?"
She shrugged. "Nothing, really. But, I thought you might like to be
in the loop. Perhaps something will come to you."
"And if it does?"
"Do the usual."
He nodded. She stepped over to him, kissed him full on the mouth. She
then slipped back into the shadows.
He smirked.

Syd returned to Time Central.
The Babcock Building on Bull Street had been, at one time, a mental
health center, and before that, an asylum. Much misery haunted its
halls, ghost of mistreated patients still roamed, keeping company with
the living.
Here stood Syd Marduck's Time Central.
The place was empty and silent. White halls and dark floor gleamed in
the dull white glow of the light. Hospital colors were splashed
everywhere. He shrugged, wandered thru the corridors, until he reached
room 42.
Inside, the computer terminals flashed and scrawled numbers and
formula. He paused and examined a monitor. He smiled.
Nothing unusual in the temporal fabric.
He turned, left the room. An uneasy feeling fell over him and he
couldn't yet identify the reason. He shrugged again, determined to
deal with it as it comes.

The bar was dark. Light shone harshly thru large windows in the front
of the building. Syd watched the TV suspended over the bar as he
sipped his whiskey. The president-elect was deflecting repeated
questions about the Vatican's attack on the Islamic Quarter in Rome.
Both sides called the other infidels and heretics and where lobbing
rockets at the other as they called for a cease fire. Neither
recognized the other's right to exist, and thus, as the cease fire
rhetoric continued, they lobbed rockets at each other. It was a
vicious cycle without end.
Syd shook his head and ordered another whiskey from the comely
barmaid standing among the beer symbols and the neon, the long bar,
the faucets, the register. Behind him, a stair led to an upper level
filled with more tables and a dart board.
The President-Elect repeated that "There is only one President at a
time." The reporters speculated on what he meant, what he would do.
The Conservative columnists called him a coward.
The man that sat down on the stool besides him was tall, with a pale
Aryan face, a shock of flame-blond hair, and cold Grey eyes. He was
impeccably dressed in a white shirt, a black vest and black pants. He
ordered rum.
"You’re late." Syd glanced at the newcomer.
"Well, I'm here now." Bruce Shane was unapologetic.
They sat in silence.
"What's the story, morning glory?" Syd sipped his drink. Shane did
the same, then sat up straight.
"The deal is coming along. The evangelists have gotten their land all
picked out. Right in the heart of Arizona. If all goes well, the
migration will begin in July."
"Good thing Walker was still in office when the planned cropped up. I
doubt Barris would have gone along with this screwy plan."
"Immanent Domain is useful. Walker is a believer, so he pulled
strings and bullied congress to get the Religious Right the state."
"And you helped them." Syd glared at Shane meaningfully.
Shane shrugged. "What they believe is no interest to me. It's simply
a chance at nation building. I've always wanted to govern."
"Even a fascist government?"
"It's better then being leader of an old state."
"I always thought you were an opportunist." Syd turned back to his
whiskey, letting the warm glow flow thru him.
"You'd rather have an American Mullah get in charge? I'm a decent
alternative, since even they are reluctant to put the wrong evangelist
in charge."
"It's just that the radicals will get in eventually," Syd muttered.


Syd stopped for lunch at a restaurant in Five Points. He perused the
newspaper for articles about death and violence. They were mostly of
the sensational type, overblown and unbelievable. He laughed gently,
and popped a chocolate into his mouth. They were all he needed to live
on.
In the cold summer sun, he watched several passerby go pass. The
girls were, at least, appealing. He smiled.
He read the articles again, trying to determine the most outrageous
one of them all. It was a difficult decision. They were all so
outrageous, unbelievable, and sensational, it made them all difficult
to take seriously. Some were worse then others. Hot button issues
received more hot air from both sides then 'normal' articles. Both
sides, of course, took the bait, and screamed past each other.
Syd folded the papers, and left them on the table as a tip. He headed
back into town, avoiding the interstate and its jammed traffic, up
Broad River, pass the war protesters and the cops attempting to
contain them. He shook his head.

Low lying clouds hung in the sky.
Grey and dark, a heavy black wall.
It reflected his mood.

Syd walked to the bulk of the Carolina Coliseum.
At the ticket window, he knocked on the Plexiglas to get the girl's
attention.
"Can I help you?" she asked in a bored voice, without looking up.
"Deputy-Commander Marduke," he said with a smile.
"When's your apoin..." she began, looking up. She gasped.
"Right about now, I expect." he laughed. He always enjoyed the
reaction they got when they were together.
"Sir," she stammered.
"Don't you think," Syd commented, "That you should page him?"
The girl nodded, reaching for the switch. Just then, the door opened,
and Fredo Marduke stood there.
"Syd! Good of you to come!" Fredo thrust his hand out for Syd to
shake. They were nearly identical, except that Syd looked more
decadent in opposition to Fredo's more conventional appearance. They
shook hands and his brother escorted him inside. Thru several
corridors they walked, until finally they exited into the stadium
floor.
Syd looked around, noting the nearly empty seats. Fredo indicated a
seat in front of his desk, and he took it.
"Glad you could make it," Fredo said, shuffling papers.
"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Syd answered.
Around them, similar desks stood. They were not desks proper, but
where roll-up portable tables. The budget was killing them. Some were
occupied like Fredo's, most weren't. Up in the stands, the audience
was restless.
"So," Syd said, filling a Styrofoam cup up with water from a cooler,
"What can I do for you?"
Fredo smiled. He continued shuffling papers, then marked some with a
pen, then placed them into an OUT box.
"There are... suspicious elements," he began.
"Nothing new," Syd commented with a shrug.
"No. But we'd like you keep an eye on certain elements."
"Which ones?"
"The reversed moon."
"Why me?"
"Because," he said, "You move in independent circles easily. And you
can detect things our ordinary agents can't."
"Anything in particular?" he asked, taking a swig of water.
"You'll know it."
"How will I contact you?"
"Don't worry."
"I'll think it over."
"Good man." Fredo leaned back smugly. Syd had an impulse to take his
brother out with his sonic gun, but resisted it. He rose, left the
floor, exited the coliseum.
Syd went to the Local-K across the street, and bought a large case of
beer. By morning, he was in no condition to carry out his mission.

At a Circle-K, Syd stopped to get a drink.
He wandered around the brightly lit store, looking into the glass
cases holding beer, soft drinks, and other beverages. He compared the
prices. The generic items were cheaper then the name brands. Of
course, the healthy items were more expensive then normal stuff, and
since money was tight, people just ate the cheaper, less healthy
stuff. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a small Asian girl in
black. He was in a hurry, so he didn't notice much about her. He
turned and eyed the rotating hot dogs, but decided that that was too
unhealthy, and grabbed a bag of Lays chips, and rushed to the counter.
In the monitor he saw the Asian girl behind him as he paid the
counterman. He pocketed the change, and left the store. He found his
ride around the side of the building. He felt a sting in his side. His
mind wandered, his vision wavered, his balance slid. He fell into two
furry black arms, and felt no more.

Syd opened his eyes.
He was lying on a couch. He slowly rose to a sitting position and
survey the room. It was dark paneled. The furniture was severely
modern. A brown desk sat at the end of the room. It was bare. On the
walls hung various Asian hangings. Behind the desk was a hanging with
a red dragon upon it. The smell of perfume hung in the air.
He rose slightly from the couch, but fell back almost at once. His
head was spinning.
"Good morning, Mr. Marduke," said a Vaguely Asian female voice. He
lifted his head.
Behind the desk, which had been empty before, now sat a small Asian
woman. Her dark hair was cut short at the cheeks. Her dark eyes
blazed. She wore a dark outfit topped by a bright scarf. She seemed to
have a silver fox stole behind her elbows.
"That's a good trick," Syd murmur. She smiled coldly, and then rose
from her seat.
"I am the Onna No Ryu," she said. Syd shook his head ruefully.
"I know that 'Dragon Lady' is an epitaph applied to your kind, but
your the first I've encountered to use it as an actual name."
"It is... useful," The Dragon Lady said. She sat down across from
Syd, crossed her long stocking legs. She held a cigarette in a holder
like an old-fashioned Hollywood star. She had the aura of one too. Syd
smiled despite himself.
"So," he began, "What can I do for you?"
The Onna no Ryu smiled also. She drew in a breath of smoke and then
let it out again.
"Your associate, Ms. Laurie," she breathed, "She is... hindering my
operations. I wish you to bargain with her."
"She'd probably not listen to me," Syd pointed out. "She's kind of
independent. Not easily phased."
"Please," the Onna No Ryu said, "Please try."
Syd sighed. He knew he couldn't refuse this lady. He also knew that
Ms. Laurie wouldn't agree no matter what. But, he decided to try,
nether less. This woman haunted him. He wondered how many she had
entranced like this.
"Alright," He finally sighed, "What are your terms?"

Ms. Laurie rubbed her long finger along Syd's arm.
They both lay naked in bed. Syd wasn't paying attention to the woman
beside him. He stared at the ceiling.
"You seem," she said, "to be preoccupied."
"You could say that," He replied. She rubbed his chest in a regular
pattern. He sighed, relaxing. He smelled her perfume, stroked her long
blond hair. He then stroked her arm, then made his way along her body,
until he found her crotch. She squealed happily, and rolled over onto
his erection.
They exhausted each other happily.
Syd dozed off soon after.
"Syd," She said, "What is the matter?"
Syd sighed, then confessed his encounter with the Onna No Ryu. She
looked at him without an expression. When he finished, she rolled over
and joined him in staring at the ceiling.
"So," She said finally, "That woman is leaning on you too."
A moment passed, as they both were lost in thought. Then she rolled
over and propped herself over him.
"If she thinks I'll fold just because of you, she's very much
mistaken," she commented. Syd sighed.
"I knew you'd say that," He muttered.

Syd walked to his car along Assembly Street. It was fairly quite
then, which was strange for this time of day. Stone buildings towered
overhead. He ducked beneath a tree as he approached his car.
"Hey there, Delilah, what it like in New York City...” He sang
clicking the doors of his car unlocked. As he reached to open them, a
hand stopped him. He turned and found a small Asian girl beside him.
She was dressed in black, with sunglasses and a dark fur coat.
"The lady would see you," She said in an accented voice.
Syd sighed.

A short girl dressed as a secretary pulled the door closed behind
him. Syd looked about, stepped several paces into the room. Tapestries
hung from the walls. Most were solid prints of red dragons. Some were
ancient scenes of everyday life, while others depicted mythical tales.
Behind the desk now hung a red dragon on black. He turned to inspect a
statue of a cat.
"Welcome again, Mr. Marduke," Said a voice. He turned, saw the Onna
No Ryu sitting behind the desk. She had not been there before. Syd
shook his head, went and sat down before it. She smiled coldly.
"I don't suppose you were a magician in the past," He asked. She
smiled again.
"I was many things in the past," She replied. "Some more honorable
then others."
She fixed him with an inscrutable gaze. "As for the matter at hand,
what news have you?"
Syd looked away. "I warned you. She is not going to budge."
The woman leaned back, glared at him. A hand fell heavily on his
shoulder. He got up and followed the two darkly dressed ladies out of
the room and the building.
He wondered if the Wendy’s was too crowded.

Syd drove thru Five Points. Shops, restaurants, people passed him by.
He remembered a dream.
A kiss, lost in time.
"Charlotte?"

Syd walked to his bedroom. He reached out and flicked the
light switch, flooding the room with light.
He looked on in surprise.
Sprawled in his bed lay the Onna No Ryu. Her bare skin glowed dully
in the harsh light. She moved, looked at him and smiled.
"And I thought the old cliché’s were dead." He shook his head.
She smiled, shifted her position, and wrapped the blanket around her.
She then sat up, on the edge of the bed. "They are useful."
"The Super Spy comes home to find the Femme Fatale in his bed waiting
for him. This leads into the book's mandatory sex scene. Easy way to
get the principles together. Very erotic. It's every guy’s fantasy.
It's just unrealistic."
She rose from the bed. "Do I look unrealistic?"
"Hell, no. To the contrary, you look ravishing."
She reached up, put her long arms around his neck. "Then, the problem
is?"
"Realistically, this kind of scene doesn't happen." He kissed her
passionately. "And, usually, in fiction, it's a ruse." She closed her
eyes as he kissed her. "Usually, to get information." He ran his hands
over her bare form. She sighed in contentment.
They backed against the bed, then he laid her gently onto it.
The moon shone brightly on the landscape. No birds were heard in the
still air.

"Pildor, on!"
The Onna No Ryu winced slightly. Syd turned the key and the car
flashed to life. The garage door swung open, and the car leapt out
into the night, racing thru the shadowy streets, under the silver
moon. Neither spoke. They both were reflecting on the hours before.
They had spent some time together, mostly under the covers of the
bed. They had suddenly decided to go off together for a time.
"Yeah, but what about you’re... Organization?" Syd looked at her
quizzically.
She smiled. "I will leave it to my second. She is dependable."
He sighed slightly. "Where shall we go?"
"Where ever the winds take us." She met his gaze. "Do you not want my
company?"
"It's not that, no."
"Then what is the problem?"
He turned, laying his arm over his face. "Nothing."
Silence held between them.
"We'll go in an hour," he said. Collect your personnel things and get
ready."
She nodded, rose from the bed, still wrapped in the white sheet, and
made for the bathroom. He admired her as she went.
A sense of apprehension fell over him. What is was, what it meant, he
couldn't tell.
Now, barreling down the road and heading from town, Syd turned the
events of the last month over in his mind. They didn't quite add up.
The Lady’s actions didn't make much sense.
He shrugged.
He'd take things as they come.

They stopped for the night at a hotel.
As they signed in, Syd noticed that the lady was calling herself
Megami Tenshino. This amused him.
When they reached the room, he asked her about it. She smiled, and
confirmed that that was not her real name.
"My real name died with what respect I had for my country. The past
is a closed door that I wish to remain closed. A person without a past
is free."
Syd closed his eyes. He was enjoying the smell of her perfume, which
was like flowers. She pulled off her fur coat, and threw it over him.
He laughed from beneath it.
She lay down next to him, gently removed her coat and put it on a
chair. She then wrapped her arms around him, and kissed him.
She rolled over onto him.

The sunset fell behind the mountains.
They watched the event, both lost in their own thoughts. It was their
fifth day together, and they were still trying to get a handle on the
other. The Lady was more then a little reluctant to reveal too much
about her past. She seemed to enjoy being mysterious. The day had
started uneventfully enough, slowly and steady. At a Seven-Eleven, she
had successfully haggled the price down. Syd shrugged.
Now, standing in the waning daylight, he again wondered at his
inscrutable companion, who she really was, what her real past was.
He shrugged again, turned, and walked back to the car.

They lay on a national park table, just staring at the starry night.
"It sure makes you feel small," Megumi mused.
"It's probably where the idea for god began," Syd commented. "Looking
into the expanse of the night, wondering how we humans fit into the
scheme of things. How can we possibly influence so huge a tablue? So,
they created god to help shape it for us."
"Gods were created to explain what could not be explained. Why
thunder shook the sky, lightening. Why a good child died. Trying
desperately to make sense of a world, even when it doesn't make
sense," Megami answered.
Syd stared up in silence. The long darkness, pockmarked with stars,
with planets crawling like snails across it, was a towering tablue. He
closed his eyes. He tried to see himself in relation to the universe.
He failed. The human mind could not assimilate the size of it.
"I've always imagined that somewhere in the asteroid belt, is a giant
asteroid. Perhaps it contains an ancient computer. Its psychic
broadcasts subtly influence humankind's dreams, nudging our ancestor’s
belief in god."
She turned her head in his direction. "That is a variation of the
'ancient astronaut' hypotheses. It's been out of favor for years."
Syd laughed. "Science is not influenced by trends."
They returned to staring at the night sky.
"What's your opinion, then, on past-lives and reincarnation?"
He smiled. "I don't think past-lives actually exist. Not on this
plane, at least."
"This plane?" She looked at him quizzically.
"This little part of the Mutliverse."
"The what?"
"The Multiverse. Multiple planes of existence. Right next to each
other, but unknown to each other."
"What are they like?"
"They are a little different from each other, some more then others.
Infinite worlds, infinite possibilities. Perhaps there are people who
experience millions of lifetimes."
"Millions of lifetimes..." She mused. "And that is what you think
past-lives experiences are?"
He shrugged again. "It could be. To me, it seems the most likely
theory. But the necessarily data is not generally available."
"Why not?"
"Because, only limited number of people from Earth has discovered how
to travel the threads between worlds."
She leaned over him and stared him square in the eye. "And you are
one of those that have?"
He just smiled.
"I guess that hypotheses is comforting to someone who has lost a
loved one." She lay back down next to him. He winced.
"Only slightly."
She looked at him. "You lost someone?"
He paused. "My sister, Charlotte."
"What happened?"
He paused again. "She got ill. Died in the summer of '84."
"I'm sorry."
Silence dropped between them.
"What did she die of?" Megami turned to look at him again.
"I... never found out."
A strange expression crossed her face. "What was she like?"
"Beautiful. A so called 'All-American Girl.' Blond, blue eyed, and
very elegant. Everyone loved her, and she loved them."
"It sounds like she was a lovely person."
He sighed in nostalgia. "She was. A very beautiful person."
"You sound like you miss her terribly." She smiled in sympathy.
He rose. "Your pushing, Ryu-Sam." He left the table and walked back
to the car.
She watched him go. She was disturbed by his reaction. There was more
to this issue then he was willing to discuss. She was sure of that.
She wondered at it.
She turned, and simply watched the stars.


"The next state ahead is Arizona." The Onna No Ryu looked up from the
map. Syd scowled.
"What is the best alternative rout?"
She looked at him questionably. "What is the problem?"
They pulled over to side of the road, just around the corner from the
Arizona border. Ahead, they saw a long brick wall, with armed guards
patrolling the top. A guard house stood next to the wall, packed with
armed guards. A large gate separated the road.
Megami blinked. "I see what you mean."

On a hill overlooking the state of Arizona, Syd and The Onna No Ryu
trained field glasses on the land beyond the border.
Megami gasped as she observed the land. "By the gods! They have torn
down all the vegetation!"
"They believe that their god is coming soon, to take them to
paradise, and to punish all those they hate. So, keeping the
environment intact is not high on their list," Syd explained.
"They are destroying nature!" Megami was shocked and dismayed.
"It's their nature." Syd shrugged meaningfully. "They are custodians
of the world, so their book says. So, they can do damn well what they
please. And they please to not bother with it. Since god is returning,
why save the plants? Their god will deal with it."
"What's it like in there?" Megami asked, dreading the answer.
"They are free to press their religion on everyone. It's one big
collective in there."
"Doesn't our constitution say you can't do that?"
"Sure. But, Walker signed a 'Presidential Decree' that freed them
from the law. They live there like an exclusive country club,
unaffected by the outside, by laws normal people have to follow."
She shivered. "Sounds horrible."
He smiled. "From the reports of those who've escaped, it is. When it
started out, it was multi-cultural. But, in little under a month, it
thinned out into a primarily white community. It's worse there then at
any time in American history. Its worse then any story of lynching you
may have heard."
She looked at him. "Why doesn't the law intervene?"
"According to Walker, they are above the law, and the Supreme Court
has so far backed him up. Nothing can officially be done." He laughed.

Syd heard his cell vibrate in the dark.
He opened his eyes, reached for it, and flipped it open. The green
glow reflected off his face as he looked at the number. He didn't
recognize it. A voice mail had also been left. He listened to it, and
the voice was familiar.
He pulled on some clothes, then went outside, and called a number.
After a few minutes, it picked up.
"Broke? Hey. Syd. Listen, you feel up to some action?"
The white glow of the moon glared down on him.
"Good. Meet me at Santa Fe. Right. Thanks."
He flipped the cell closed at went back in. The Onna No Ryu was still
asleep. Syd sat on the edge of the bed, and started to plan things
out.

The battle been going badly, reflected Bruce Shane.
He stood on the roof of the Arizona Governors Mansion, with his
personal body guards around him. The sounds of gunfire echoed from the
inside.
"What's the latest," he yelled to his second. The man indicated that
it wasn't good. Shane scowled.
They couldn't hold out much longer.
A bullet flew past him, very near his head. He ducked as his men
returned fire.
He glanced up as the sounds of a helicopter reached him. He hoped it
was who he expected.
A Kazak Mi-17 appeared from the trees.
A figure waved to Shane and his troops. Shane smiled.
Some people just had to make an entrance.
He waved to Syd Marduke and Broke Prutz, as Syd extended a rope
ladder. Broke picked off the guerrillas.
Shane and his men scrambled up the ladder eagerly, climbed aboard the
hovering chopper.
Broke gave the populace the single-finger salute.

Bruce Shane drank vodka from the cup that Syd had given him, and
indicated a refill. Syd obliged.
They both sat in the hotel room.
"So, what happened?" Syd sipped from his own glass.
"It started well. I let them have their little theocratic laws and
socially restrictive laws. For example, it's a crime not to belong to
a church. It's a crime to not own a Bible. Hell, it's a crime to be
anything other then a Christian. A Christian by their definition, and
they don't even agree on that. Some weeks later, I heard of the
atrocities, but was hampered by the Church at every turn. Then, about
a month ago, the factions began to openly fight each other. I called
on them to stop. Repeatedly, in fact."
"They didn't listen?"
"Of course not! But now, they had a mutual enemy. Me. About a week
ago, my personal secretary was found hanging upside down from a tree.
Flayed."
Syd winced. He filled their glasses again. They both sipped their
drinks for awhile before Shane continued.
"I was glad that I'd brought my own security force, because
afterwards, the 'Good Christians' of the state abandoned me. It got so
bad, I had to stay inside the mansion. Soon, they started attacking
the mansion. They stormed it, and forced us to fall back more and
more. When we were constricting to the roof, and that's when I called
you. And you know the rest."
As he finished, the Onna No Ryu entered the room, weighed down with
several bundles. She looked at Bruce Shane in surprise. Syd made the
introductions, and they both shook hands.
"Any place we can drop you?" Syd asked.

"Syd," The lady asked after Shane had left the room, "Who is he?"
"A friend of mine." Syd sipped at his vodka.
"That's obvious." She glared at him.
"He's the former governor of Arizona, for starters." That startled
her.
"I thought you detested those types."
"I do," he replied. "But, he's not that kind of person."
"What kind is he?"
"A military type. Diplomat. That kind of thing."
"A secret agent?" She wasn't sure if she understood.
He shook his head. "Not the kind you’re thinking of. No, he's a
political diplomat. That's why he didn't last as the governor of that
state."
"Come again?" She seemed confused.
"Love to, but later," he smirked. She turned bright red.
"What I mean," he continued, "Is that he tried to see both sides of
issues, he tried to negotiate. That was not what they wanted. They
wanted someone as set and inflexible as themselves."
She nodded. "I understand. He was working with people who would
tolerate no compromise."
"That's right." Syd finished just as Shane reentered the room.
"It's all arranged," he said. "I'll be taking a plane to DC and give
the President a briefing. Then, I'll repeat it for the committees.
Then, I'll go home."
"You'll be busy." Syd sipped at his vodka some more. Shane nodded.
"It'll take several days. And I expect the Right-Wing to dispute my
testimony. They can't accept failure, especially if they themselves
did it. But, luckily, I've got several witnesses to back up my version
of events. That should help."
"May luck be with you," The Lady said.
"Thank you, dear lady." Shane kissed her hand as she turned bright
red again.
Presently, he picked up his bag. "Well, it's time I was off. The taxi
is waiting and I have a wait for my plane to arrive. So, goodbye, dear
friends."
Syd shook his hand. "Good luck."
Shane Bruce nodded, and was gone.

They were sitting at an outdoor café.
Syd sipped his coffee, Megami sipped hers. The crisp air was chilly
but not very cold. Boston was busy this lunch hour.
"I feel" Megami commented "That this will be our last day together."
Syd shrugged. "It's peaceful enough."
A black copter passed overhead.
A girl appeared over the Onna No Ryu's shoulder. She was of the
Lady's race, with long hair and dark eyes.
"My lady" she began, and they then commence to communicate in their
own language. Syd sipped his own coffee, ignoring them.
The Lady finally addressed him, explaining that her place in the
'business' had been taken by a rival, and she needed to retaliate. Syd
shrugged, offered to help.

At a safe house, the group discussed the plans.
The Dragon Lady had found out that she still had many members who
were still loyal to her. She told the girl to round up all she could.
The girl left.
Syd and the Dragon Lady studied a map.

At Finely Park, The Dragon Lady inspected her troops. They were all
Asian girls, dressed in loose black outfits with red headbands. Syd
stood besides her. The numbers were formidable enough, though they
were not physically intimidating, but looks could be deceiving.
The Lady called orders to them. The girls snapped upright. She
continued the inspection. She moved up and down the formation, her
cold stare boring into them.
She seemed satisfied.



Syd listened to the creatures of the night.
He crouched down besides the Onna No Ryu behind the trees and bushes
of the estate. Ahead of them stood the house. It gleamed white in the
dark, surrounded by lights and tall vegetation.
A virtual garden.
Around the house, hidden by foliage and greenery, were the Onna No
Ryu’s forces. The tension was thick as they awaited her signal.
The Dragon Lady survived the house thru field glasses, marking the
lack of visible guards.
"She must feel might secure." She was contemptuous.
Syd reached up and scratched his cheek. The wait was getting him
tense. He itched to get started.
The night was chilly, the sounds were chilling.
The Onna No Ryu raised her hand.
The chill bit further into those present. Tension reached its height,
and as it did, the Lady dropped her hand and her forces surged
forward. They charged the undergrowth towards the house, glowing in
the inky blackness of the blue night. They tensed again as the going
went on and no obstetrical was encountered.
Syd glanced up at the white waning moon. He wondered when the defense
would start.
Opposition suddenly answered Syd's thought, and the two forces joined
in battle in earnest, with many flashing limbs and flying kicks. The
line around the house held, despite the efforts of the Dragon forces.
Wave after wave of attackers were fended off with punching kicks and
flying fists. Syd shook his head. This wasn't working out quite like
the plan. Finally, a group of attackers struck at a line, and broke
thru. The rest swarmed thru, engaging the defenders in a deadly game.
A few flying kicks and shadowy pumping fists, and they were thru, with
the Lady and Syd behind. The front line surged forward.
Reinforcements arrived, jumped down on the Lady's troops from the
trees. The ones surprised went down and didn't get up. The ones next
in line surged forward and engaged them with flying fists and
pummeling legs.
A girl suddenly rose out of the undergrowth and spun her attack at
the Lady, but the she deflected her attack with crashing fists and
slashing feet. The Lady smiled coldly. She then punched her in the
midsection. The girl fell, and didn't rise again.
Syd raced forward, only just missing getting a slashing fist in his
face. He swung to the left, the girl swiped him off his feet, and he
rolled to the right, just ahead of her pile driver punches. He back
flipped, dug out his ancient heater, and drilled the girl thru. He
stood, saw the Onna No Ryu gesturing, and he ran after her.
"Everybody was kung-fu fighting," he sang as he ran behind the girls
in front of him. He paused as another girl took out a defender with
flashing, crushing, fist, and flashing feet. They then ran as fast as
possible, but the house seemed no closer. He cursed under his breath.
He ran up, found a defender about to crush a downed attacker. She
stood over her, gloating, and raised her hand together in a ball. Syd
drew his needler, riddled her thru. She fell with a strangled cry,
staring at him with glassy eyes. Syd then reached down, pulled the
Dragon girl up, and they then ran together towards the house.
As the Dragon forces surged forward, several in the front rows
suddenly vanished. The ones behind them paused, staring at the ground,
then they leaped forward. Syd paused, looking into the shadow that
covered the ground. It was a pit, two feet around, and slippery with
dirt. At the bottom of it laid the girls who had fallen in; all were
impaled on spears, broken and bloody. Their eyes were empty and glassy
in the waning white light of the moon.
Syd shook his head, leaped the pit, and, followed by the girl he'd
saved, ran as fast as he could towards the house.
He paused besides a tree, and observed the progress, such as it was.
Syd saw a group of defenders leaping down from hills and engaging the
Dragon forces in combat. He aimed his gun and cut down several before
they had a chance to engage the attackers. The forces swarmed forward,
and Syd felt a tugging at his sleeve, and he turned and followed the
girl forward.

Under the blue glare of the moon, the Dragon forces surged up the
hill, meeting little resistance.
Syd and the girl warily eyed the undergrowth, the shrubbery, the
vegetation. Nothing had attacked them for awhile.
The forces swept towards a hedge with an opening in the center. As
the first few reached the slit, flames suddenly shot out. The figures
lurched about in the glow of their own demise.
The rest fell back, taking shelter were they could.
More flames shot out, missing the remaining troops by inches. They
glimpsed the operator just behind the wedge. She was a bright white
shadow in the dull blue glare.
The Onna No Ryu signaled to Syd. He nodded, and pulled out his
ancient needler. At that instant, flames shot towards him, forcing him
to draw back. The girl beside him suddenly jumped up, and ran in front
of him, then towards the right. The flames leapt after her, catching
her and engulfing her. She fell with a scream.
Syd cursed, aimed his gun, and, as the operator was swinging the
flame thrower towards him again, pulled the trigger.
The operator fell with a strangled scream.
A gesture from the Dragon Lady, and her forces swarmed again into the
breach, and were met by desperate defenders within. Fist began
flashing and dancing forms performed an intricate balate of death.
Syd looked down at the charred remains of the girl he had rescued. He
sighed as he turned and ran after the rest.
Why was he so lethal to people?

A star fell in the dark sky.
The Dragon Forces paused as they watched, each girl breathing in
sharply.
None of them felt it was a good sign.

Under a garden gate, the Dragon Forces were ambushed.
The first girls who went thru were pelted to the ground. The next
ones engaged the defenders. The fist flew in blurred flashing between
figures, and soon the defenders fell back, and the Dragon Force surged
forward.

The sounds of mayhem rose into the clear night sky.
Something stirred. A crow raced from its nest.
The moon glared.

Tall grass blocked the defenders view. They waited in relaxed tension
for what was to happen next.
The invaders flew from the cover, overwhelmed the defenders, who fell
back.


At the main door of the house, defenders stood, ready and waiting, in
long lines down the hall.
As the first pounding of the Dragon Forces began, the girls stroke an
attack pose, ready and at ease.
The door exploded inward, and the Dragon Ladies' forces swarmed in,
met the defenders, and the battle began anew.
Soon, the defenders fell back, and the invaders swept forward. Behind
the main force, Syd and the Onna No Ryu came in. The Lady survived the
scene, smiling coldly. She gestured the rear forces forward, and they
swarmed on, into the barren corridors.
Syd lagged behind, studying art treasures and tapestries.

The Onna No Ryu strode down the heavy wooden corridors, cautious as
ever. The thin, musty air, heavy with perfume, was stifling.
She pulled up short.
Facing her, was a girl, only slightly younger then she was, with a
heart shaped face, large dark eyes, and long, brownish hair tied with
a brocade in the back. She wore a smart dark business suit.
The Onna No Ryu was face to face with her rival, the Onna No Hanna.
"We meet at last." The Dragon Lady smiled coldly.
The Flower Lady also smiled. "For the last time." She adapted an
attack pose, both hands out straight, bend towards her. The Dragon
forces started forward, but were stopped by the Lady.
"This is my fight." The Dragon Lady also adapted a similar attack
pose. The first parry was a checkmate. More flashing fists, and they
separated. The Flower Lady thrust out her hand, was countered by the
Dragon Lady's defense. Another flashed out. The Dragon Lady countered,
struck her lip. Blood slowly dripped from the wound.
They separated. The Flower Lady glared at the Dragon Lady. She wiped
the blood off her chin. She suddenly dashed at the Dragon Lady. She
sliced her arms, blocked her attacks. The Flower Lady responded by
going on the other side for attack. All she threw were blocked. The
Flower Lady exploded into a frenzy, attacking her rival on high. The
Dragon Lady fell back, and the Flower Lady pressed on. They suddenly
fell apart. The Flower Lady smiled smugly. The Dragon Lady glared.
The Flower Lady leapt at her. She blocked her first attack, but was
struck in the nose by her second. They traded blows, then fell apart
again. The Dragon Lady brushed her hair from her eyes. She wiped blood
off her lip, and glared at her rival.
She suddenly leapt at the Flower Lady, throwing her fists at
lightening speed. The Flower Lady reacted by blocking her blows.
She fell back under the Dragon Lady's blows, up a corridor, and down
another. She fought back franticly, attempting to counter the Dragon
lady's attacks. The Dragon Lady struck out, her rival ducked the blow,
as it took out a wall. The Flower Lady attacked, but was beaten back.
In desperation, she struck out with her foot, but even that failed to
penetrate her rival's defense. The Dragon Lady jumped, twisted in mid-
air, and kicked her rival full in the side. The Flower Lady went
flying, struck a wall. She glared at the Dragon Lady, then pushed a
button, and vanished thru a trapdoor.
The Dragon Lady glared at the empty space. Her breathing was heavy,
her hair plastered to her face.
A runner came up. She said, "M'lady, the enemy is retreating."
A smile slowly crept across her face. "She has realized that she is
beaten. She is weak, and we have won."
She turned, and led her forces down the corridor towards her office.

"You will all be rewarded," The Onna No Ryu told those who helped
storm the house. To Syd, she said "Even you."
He smiled, wondering what she could offer him for a reward. He wanted
for nothing. It's not like he wanted anything anyway.
As if reading his mind, she said, "You will be allowed to live."
Syd smirked openly at that. The girls also smiled, and started
laughing.

Syd approached his Challadon drive home, paused.
He opened the door. He saw something gleam in the moonlight. He
pulled it out of the frame.
An Ace of Spades.
He sighed. He was not up to having to deal with this. Unfortunately,
it demanded his attention. He leaned against the column, gathering
what strength he had left, then he turned, and walked to the gate.
As he expected, outside stood two men in black uniforms. They
addressed Syd as he appeared.
"The Deputy-Commander wants to see you." They were contemptuous.
Syd sighed.

At a mansion in Charleston named for a corrupt governor, Syd was
seated into a chair in a dark room. He closed his eyes. His strength
was at its lowest, and he wasn't sure how much force his brother would
use, nor really what he wanted to know.
At length, he felt light on his eyelids, and the sounds of a door
opening. He sighed again, forced his eyes open. It was like lifting
sandbags.
He saw his brother standing there. He wore a stark white suit and had
his hair brushed back. His cold blue eyes blazed, and his expression
was stern. Syd recognized it, and knew that when in this mood, his
brother was capable of anything.
"How about drink at least?" Syd tried to be reasonable.
"Later, you bastard," his brother spat. That was not a good sign
either. "I've heard of your road trip with our star suspect. And I
expect you've got nothing to show for it, either."
"What do you want?"
"Information! Who she is, her past, hell, her real name would be
useful."
Syd shook his head. Fredo glared, slapped his brother.
"You really are useless!" his brother yelled, slapping him with each
word. "All that time, and you didn't even find out her real name!"
"It's not like I didn't try." Syd was again trying to reason with his
brother. It didn't work. "She's so... Private."
"I’ve half a mind to hold you on an accessory charge," his brother
spat.
"And what would that accomplish?"
"Nothing, except revenge."
The two brothers glared at each other.
"Why are you interested in her, anyway?" Syd asked.
"We suspect her to be involved in criminal activities," his brother
commented bitterly.
"What proof do you have?"
"We're still compiling evidence."
"So, you don't have any."
"Our suspicions are..."
"Unfounded," Syd interrupted.
"Her kind," Fredo commented, "Are usually into criminal activity of
some kind."
"You’re profiling her."
"Oh, shut up." Fredo slapped him.
Just then, the door flew open.
Fredo turned, his expression never changing, as he saw just who was
standing in the door.
"I should've known." He was unsurprised.
Standing there were four girls. They held automatic weapons in their
hands, and were wearing maid uniforms. They were part of a brigade
that their father had created before he died, charged with protecting
the family, and keeping the brothers from killing each other. Even
then, he had recognized that the aggressiveness of Fredo and Syd could
turn deadly.
Fredo sighed, moved to the far wall under the cover of the blonde’s
weapon. The dark-haired leader reached down and pulled Syd to his
feet. They then hustled him out. The redhead paused, looking at Fredo.
"What about him?" She asked, indicating his brother. Syd shook his
head.
"Never mind. He'll have enough to do just explaining this to his
masters."
The girls pushed him down corridors, and all five emerged outside.
They packed into a large car. At the wheel, the dark-haired girl
shifted gears, and the car thundered down the road into the inky
night. As they turned onto the highway, the blond, who had been
watching the rear, said, "Still no sign of pursuit."
"Good." The Leader was relieved.

The Leader scanned the horizon. She was wary but optimistic. The dark
haired girl steered expertly, so Syd relaxed, and leaned back. A
thought struck him, and to the blond he asked "How'd you know where to
find me?"
"Ms. Iris asked us to watch you" She said. The Leader turned and
said, "We reported to her about your capture by Mr. Fredo, and she
told us to rescue you.’Rescue his sorry ass' was her exact words, I
believe."
Syd smirked. "I'm surprised she didn't come here herself to chew us
out."
"She's busy in Tokyo" she said. "Part of a group putting on a play."
Syd nodded, settled back, and let the Maid Brigade handle things
while he dozed.

Later, he asked the Leader, "My cousin is doing well, then?"
"As well as possible," she answered. "Her health problems get in the
way more often then not, but she's working around them."
Syd thought about his cousin. Her saw her, a thin, pale-skinned girl
with dark hair. She was the love of his life, the closest he had.
He drifted off to sleep.

They rolled into the secret HQ under the mountain.
The Maid Brigade jumped out to establish a perimeter. Syd then exited
the car with the blond maid hovering beside him. They then went into
the hideout proper.
"What about Mr. Fredo?" Asked the leader. "What if he comes here?"
Syd shook his head. "He won't."
"How can you be so sure, Mr. Syd?" Asked the blond.
"Fredo has at least some family loyalty left. And that trumps any
transient government administration."
The Maid Brigade didn't look convinced.

In the control room, the Brigade was at consoles, activating sensors
and the like. They scanned the area. The green lights gave their faces
an eerie glow.
"Object sighted!" Shouted the redhead. She activated an outside
monitor. It showed a squadron of black helicopters coming over the
hills, straight at them.
"Activate defenses!" Syd commanded. Beside him, the leader commented,
"I thought you trusted Mr. Fredo."
"I've never trusted Fredo," He shot back.
The only sound after that were the sounds from the controls.
The black copters approached them quickly. The dark haired girl set
up the target lock on them. They approached faster, angry wasps
attacking an intruder.
The control room was in silence.
"Prepare to fire weapons," Syd called, reluctantly. The dark haired
girl sucked in her breath, but obeyed. She pressed a sequence on the
touch-sensitive controls, which caused a trigger devise to appear. She
gripped it with wet hands.
The minutes ticked by, but the copters never deviated.
"Get set...” Syd commanded. The girl tensed her finger on the
trigger. All eyes were on the screen.
Suddenly, the copters veered away.
"Stand down," The leader called. The dark haired girl let out a sigh
of relief, and deactivated the missiles. They all slumped down into
their seats. The blond wiped her hand across her brow. Even Syd seemed
relieved.
He turned to the Leader. "The comm is yours."
He then left the control room to the Maid Brigade, and took and
elevator down to the lower levels.
He needed to recharge.

He made his way to the lower levels. The old, rusty, stone walls
echoed his steps. The florescent lights came and went. Finally, he
reached a door. He put his hand against it, and the door slid open.
Inside was a line of lockers. Cold white walls gleamed under the cold
lights. He past near a set, pulled off his clothes. He adjusted a
shower, and dived inside. He let the water wash over him, cleanse him.
He exited, pulled a towel over his still damp body, then opened
another door. He passed thru a large room, its floor covered in that
special coating covering gym floors. Disused equipment lay about. Old
programs littered the floor. He made for a set of rooms on the other
side.
Inside the room, a series of strips of hanging mink were dropping
from the ceiling. In corners lay other kinds of furs in a large pile.
He fell rather then walked into the room. Even the floor was covered
in sable fur. He wrapped the hanging mink strips about his naked body.
His flesh tingled from the contact. He writhed in pleasure. There was
a sudden explosion of release.
He closed his eyes, and in an instant was asleep.
He stumbled out later. He was drained of energy, but he knew that the
recharge had worked, and soon he would be at full charge. He slid onto
a nearby couch, and fell asleep.

As Syd stepped out of the elevator and entered the command
center, he saw the maid brigade clustered around the center console.
He stepped forward curiously. The leader saw him and beckoned him
over. The girls parted as he approached, and he stood between the
Leader and the blond. Lying on the console was a thick brown package.
"It's addressed to you," the blond said. "It's from.... Mr. Fredo."
He glanced at her sharply, then carefully unwrapped the brown paper
from the package. The girls watched tensely.
It was a book.
"The Jewel In The Skull," the leader read. She looked at Syd. "What
does it mean?"
Syd didn't answer at once. He had picked up the book and was flipping
thru the first few chapters, until the hero appeared, then closed it.
He smiled.
"It means he knows where we are."
The others looked at him starkly.
"But, he's not going to attack us directly." He winked at them. They
let out a relieved breath.
"So, we're safe here?" The blond drummed her fingers nervously until
the leader looked at her sternly and she stopped.
"Oh, I shouldn't think so." Syd spun on his heal, and exited the
control room.

In the end, they had to stay for only a fortnight before they
received a signal from Fredo.
"The return of the Thin White Duke..." The redhead repeated,
confused. Syd smirked.
"What's David Bowie got to do with this?" The dark-haired girl shared
her confusion.
Syd turned to them. "Silly. It means the coast is clear. We can go
back."
The morning sun slowly rose over the mountains.

Long stretches open highway lay before him. Monotonous line
of Grey, brown and gold. The engine whined in his ears.
He flipped the radio on.

The Who blared out from the radio.
He smiled.

"Our lips are sealed," Syd sang out as he drove down Sunset Boulevard
towards West Columbia.
They were still his favorite band.

A billboard advocating sobriety caught his eye.
He smirked.
Sobriety. It was overrated.

The doors of his gate swung open. He parked the in the garage,
started for the house.
As he did, Nationalists in green jogged past his house.

Syd opened the door and entered the office.
He looked about, then checked out the computer. After several
minutes, he had cracked the security software and pulled up the
classified files.
He frowned in the pale blue glare, turned to the windows, and stared
thoughtfully out them.
He smirked.
He attached his USB to the computer, and transferred a virus into the
mainframe.
Syd exited the room. Behind him, the computer screen displayed error
message after error message, then went blank.
The system had shut down.

The grunge band played at Rockafellows.
Syd banged his bass, as the rhythm rolled out over the crowd. They
throbbed to the beat, swinging their limbs carelessly, heads bopping,
crashing into each other. A sweaty, musty atmosphere pervaded the
club.
Syd smiled.
Harsh lights fell on the scene from above. The amps spread behind the
band like monoliths. Syd wandered to the edge of the stage, and winked
at a Goth-looking girl with purple hair, who smiled.
The song ended, the crowd erupted.
Syd had a tentative handle on the factor.

The purple hair girl removed her fluffy silver coat and set it on the
bed. She sat down on the bed, and Syd leaned forward, and kissed her.
She slipped out of her blouse, then her skirt. Syd stroked her arm,
then her shoulder, finally her neck.
She kissed his cheek, then worked her way down.

The bright moon glared down at the land.
Cloud ticked away in the still gloom.
Bony trees clutched at the inky sky.

Syd opened his eyes in the inky stillness.
He stared at the ceiling, listening to the rhythmic breathing of the
girl beside him.
The temporal field felt wrong.
How it happened, he couldn't say. There were several probabilities,
but none concrete. He sighed.
He glanced at the girl beside him sleeping soundly, wrapped in the
blanket. He moved his arm around her shoulders. She breathed in
deeply, cuddled close to him.
He felt her warmth, letting it flow into him.

Dark clouds raced across the moon.
Flowers spread open, insects ran across the ground.
Rain hit the ground like explosions.
Frost grew on the glass.

The girl opened her eyes, stared at him, and smiled. Syd returned
it, kissed her forehead. She embraced him.
He rolled over onto her.

This Town clicked into Night of the Hawks.
The moon raced across the sky.

The girl's hand clutched at the bed sheets.
The rhythmic rocking of their bodies showed dimly in the inky black
of the room. The girl's energetic exclamations pierced the stillness.
She finally let loose a climatic cry of joy, and both rolled over,
exhausted.
Syd closed his eyes and listened in disinterest to her deep sobbing
breathing.

Syd stared at the tombstone.
The Grey sky washed the cemetery out. The cold wind bore thru him. It
matched his mood as he stood, staring at his sister's grave. He closed
his eyes. His sister stood before him, looking as she did before the
terrible illness had taken her, before she shrunk to an inch of what
she had been. Before her skin took on that deathly pallor.
Before she died.
She opened her arms to him. He smiled.
"I figured you'd be here," a voice growled behind him.
Syd sighed. He opened his eyes, letting Charlotte retreat to the dark
memories of his mind, and turned.
As he expected, Fredo stood behind him.
"And a big hello to you too." Syd turned back to the grave.
Fredo scowled. "You've got a lot of nerve coming here."
"She's my sister too, you know."
"You sure didn't act like it when she died."
"I fucking hate hospitals. You know that."
"It still wouldn't have hurt you to at least visit her!"
"I had something to take care of."
Fredo shook his head. "That's the problem. When anything happens, you
vanish. You dump everything on me. Like when mom died. You where no
where to be found."
Syd didn't reply.
He and Fredo stared at the grave.
"We both contributed to her demise," he finally commented.
"She didn't get the infection from me." Fredo glared.
Syd shrugged. "She couldn't keep up with you."
"Or you."
They lapsed back into silence. They both remembered the days they had
spent with her. They played with her, discussed philosophy with her,
and the late night visits...
Thunder interrupted their musings.
Syd turned, walked by his brother.
"I'll never forgive you," Fredo muttered. Syd paused, but only for a
moment.
"Or I, you," he answered.

Syd stood in the parking garage.
He leaned against the wall. The smell of gasoline and oil floated
around the silent spaces. Lights glowed dimly. Syd yawned. It had been
a tiring few months.
Footsteps sounded on the concrete floor.
He looked up and saw a blond form walking towards him. The woman
stopped abruptly, stared at him disdainfully.
"Mr. Marduke." Ms. Laurie was contemptuous.
"In the flesh." He examined his fingernails. She moved so that she
was standing in front of him, and glared at him sideways. He looked at
her, smirked.
"How's your organization?"
"It’s stable now. No thanks to you."
He smirked again. "Yeah. Your rival is having to reorganize."
Ms. Laurie continued to glare at him.
"And I thought you were on my side." She wasn't happy.
"Your mistake." Syd turned, began to walk off.
"So, whose side are you on?"
He stopped, spoke with his back to her. "Another cliché. I'm on my
own side." He walked off.


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