Attrition of the Gods: Book 1 of the Mystery Thriller series Gods Toys. (7 page)

Isaac finished his wine and stood, ready to leave. He did not want to be dragged into anything that would distract him from the quest.

“Now, I best be off. Bullion to buy, wars to fund, you know how it is.”

Amitiel grabbed his arm, pulling him in towards her with undeniable force. “I haven’t told you the second reason for my visit.”

Isaac relented and, sitting back down, poured out the last of the wine and handed her a glass.

“If you want me to listen to your problems, Angel, you will have to give me an update on the game.”

Amitiel sighed then nodded. “What do you want to know?”

“Who are my main competitors? What are the rest doing?”

Amitiel let a smile escape her lips, took the wine and began. The fire seemed to reignite of its own accord and the two of them settled in again.

“I will tell you what I can.” She looked around cautiously, as if worried that she would be heard in this empty bar.

“Asher and Judd are committed in the Orient. If one of them emerges victorious the rest of you should be worried. Asher is also aiding the whore-empress in Russia while Zeb was deeply involved with the Medici family. Like you, he was convinced the power is in banking here in Europe. Somehow this has all gone wrong for him, but I suspect you already know that.”

A wry smile spread across Isaac’s face.

Amitiel continued. “Levi seems to be using a lot of energy up on the Americas. He took the guise of a French immigrant, calling himself Marin Duvall. He has placed a lot of hope in the continent becoming the power centre of the world.”

Isaac laughed. “It’s just a bunch of savages and pilgrims who will probably kill each other. Anyway, the Europeans own most of the Americas already. What is he thinking? Does he expect to start a revolution?”

“Then there is Reuben, still championing the Holy Roman Empire.”

Isaac snorted. “It is neither Holy, nor Roman, and definitely not an empire.”

Amitiel laughed. “I will share that with a poet I know, if you will allow it?”

“Be my guest.”

“Simeon was flitting between the French and the Spanish.”
“Rather him than me.”

Amitiel nodded. “And as I said, Simeon has gone native, Benjamin is persisting in Persia and then you have decided to finance the whole game.”

Isaac detected a hint of scepticism in Amitiel’s voice. “You don’t think much of my new tactic.”

“On the contrary, I believe it is a game changer. I only worry how Reuben will respond.”

“He will probably invoke the slaughter of as many humans as possible; that seems to be his favourite ploy. I mean, he is slightly predictable. I often wonder if there will be an Earth worth winning.”

“That’s exactly what Simeon said. Now I have told you all I can about the state of play.”

Isaac watched as Amitiel twisted her wine cup nervously. He sighed.

“And so to the second reason you are here?” he said.

“We think someone is murdering Djinn.”

“Murdering Djinn? What do you mean ‘murdering’? That’s not possible. Djinn return, they don’t die!”

“It’s been three thousand years, but since the thirteen arrived here only Daniel has ‘fallen’. And even he admits his return was his own fault.”

Isaac chuckled to himself, remembering the circumstances. Amitiel scoffed and continued.

“So, anyway, Manasseh was disqualified, he ascended back to the Gheisthelm as expected. Nothing strange there.” She went to get another bottle and poured another glass of wine, drinking it in one go as if she needed the courage to continue. “But then over the last sixty-odd years Gad, Naphtali and Ephraim have all ‘fallen’ and none have returned.”

Isaac suddenly began to comprehend the seriousness of this conversation. “Three in so few years… You think they were murdered? Why not just ask them by whom?”

“You’re not listening, Isaac. They haven’t returned! Now Zeb has disappeared too, he was in the physical guise of Gian Gastone de Medici who was murdered. With no heir, his death has ended the dynasty he built over three hundred years. Zeb did not return to Gheisthelm. No explanation can be found.”

Isaac shook his head. “Are you saying someone has removed their Vril? Are you saying they are actually, properly dead?”

Amitiel sat back down. “We believe so. The only way this could have happened is to remove or destroy the Pineal Amulet. Who else would know how to do this? It can only be one of the thirteen.”

“You mean one of the remaining seven; six are gone, remember. I hope I am not a suspect.”

“All of you are suspects and potential targets. Chamuel actually thinks it could be a human but that could only happen with the help of one of the Djinn. No human could know about the Vril or its location in the brain.”

Isaac was not sure if being a suspect or a target was the most worrying.

“Well, it’s obvious isn’t it? You just told me Simeon’s gone all native. If he renewed then who knows what else he is capable of. He may have a whole army of followers carrying out his bidding.”
“Maybe, but can you really see Simeon killing one of his own? He is a fucking pacifist, he won’t even kill these saps.”

“Well, it must be Reuben. He kills for fun and no one wants to be the Host more than that bastard.” Isaac thought before he added, “Or have you considered one of the Firsts? Or perhaps even an Arc Hon?”

“We have considered it could be one of the Firsts but we know it cannot be one of us Arc Hon.”

Now it is Isaac’s turn to scoff. Amitiel dismisses this as she adds, “Whoever it is, the Arc Hon will find them. We are all here and we will not leave until the perpetrator is caught. The game has changed Isaac: you are not only playing for this world but for your own lives. It has just got very real.”

Adam Costello’s house, July 2146

“The beauty of this day doesn’t depend on it lasting forever.”

Marty Rubin

The party at Adam’s house is pretty low-key by the standards Ember is used to: a few home-baked cakes, some soft drinks and a bottle of whiskey held tightly by Adam’s Aunt Maud.

“Hey, sorry about this whole lame party thing.”

Adam has just got free of his uncles and aunts and is attempting to rescue Ember from the mob of curious cousins and friends who have hardly ever met an Aryan before, never mind one as famous as the Procurator’s daughter.

“Why sorry? Your family and friends are lovely. It’s so nice to see so many people all related to each other and I don’t mean that in a piss-take way.” Ember looks at Adam with those big eyes, reassuring him she is sincere in her admiration for his family.

“What about Raphael? You sure you’re not disappointed he isn’t here?”

“No, don’t be silly. Anyway, your aunty was entertainment enough.” Ember nods at the now snoring Aunt Maud and they both laugh.

“What time are you expected home?”

Ember looks at her chip. “Well, I suppose I should be making tracks soon. My dad can be a bit over the top if I’m late.”

“Come on then, I will walk you to the loop. I don’t want your dad sending the army out for you.”

After Ember says her goodbyes to Adam’s friends and family, they leave. Walking along the street the two kids feel very comfortable in each other’s company. Ember links arms with Adam as they discuss the party. If she’s honest she never really liked many of the Aryans she hung out with. They were all very superficial and shallow, not that she isn’t a bit of a fiend herself when it comes to shopping and partying, but Ember craves the intelligent and challenging type of conversation she enjoys with Adam. Only her father really had anything interesting to say and there is only so much you can discuss with your daddy.

“So… sex.” She blurts out with no warning.

Adam chokes on the burger he has bought from a street vendor.

“What about it?” Adam looks startled and reminds her they were just talking about the effect of segregation on education.

“Yeah, I’m bored of that now… so back to sex. Are you a virgin and if not who was your first?”

Adam feels his face go red as he tries to look unfazed. “A gentleman doesn’t tell.”

Now he feels even more stupid, thinking to himself, “You are so sad, Costello”. In an attempt to save his own blushes Adam turns the question on her.

“What about you? Surely you haven’t, have you?”

Ember lifts both eyebrows and it seems she is about to confess all when a shuffling noise and the sound of footsteps disturbs them both. She stops talking, turns and finds a dark-haired, tall, tanned man dressed in a bright-blue suit with a bootlace tie and a Teddy boy hairstyle has walked up to them.

“Raphael!” Adam says. “What are you doing here? I was going to call you, but, you know, didn’t know how.” He taps his own wrist to highlight the reason. “Anyway, I got through my first month.”

Raphael looks very proud. “Of course you did and you will get through the entire course and be the first Caucasian to graduate. Now, who is this young lady?” Raphael eyes Ember up and down.

In turn Ember is looking above Raphael’s head. He knows why and pauses, staring back at her intensely.

“This is my friend. She was dying to meet you actually, weren’t you?”

She doesn’t say anything at first, too busy staring at what looks like some sort of smoke cloud swirling around Raphael’s head. It forms the shape of a snake then disperses into a whirl of colours before reforming as a snake again. She catches Raphael’s eye and instantly knows not to mention it, then it seems to fade.

“I’m Ember Jones,” she says as they exchange long looks. Adam feels awkward.

Raphael takes her hand. “Holy moly, yes you are.” He turns to Adam but keeps one eye on Ember. “Can I ask, have you two a few minutes to spare?”

Adam looks to Ember. She is looking very strangely at Raphael, almost as if she has seen a ghost. He decides it’s best to take her home.

“Sorry, Raphael, Ember has to get home. I can come back though once I’ve walked her to the station.”

“No, I need to show you both something.”

Ember snaps out of her trance and holds her palm up as if to slow the conversation down.

“What is it you need to show us?” she says and Adam can feel her anxiety but wonders where it is coming from.

“I have a recording you will both be interested in. It’s very rare footage from the days before the Tribulation. It should help you in the thesis you have been set. It is actually an eye-witness account of the Verdi Revolution.”

Ember’s bewilderment at the swirl she saw above Raphael’s head is trumped by her excitement.

“Really? A recording from before the Solution? That’s rarer than android shit.”

“Indeed,” smiles Raphael.

Adam has not felt uncomfortable around Raphael before but something is not right. Also, how does Raphael even know about the thesis?

“I can come, but Ember’s got to go back to her sector,” he says. “It’s getting late and–”

Raphael interrupts. “She must come as well.”

Adam frowns. “Why so urgent? Can’t it wait ‘til another day??”

“No time like the present,” says Raphael. “I’ll give Miss Jones a ride home straight after.”

“Are you sure that’s okay? I don’t want to be any trouble.”

“I insist,” replies Raphael, smoothly taking her arm and leading her forwards.

Adam follows behind. Ember really badly wanted to meet Raphael and though Adam does trust him, she’d be cross with him for stopping her. Maybe he was being jealous; it was nice just the two of them. Raphael leads them to a Second World War army-style jeep sitting in a side car park and opens the doors.

“Who robbed the museum?” asks Ember.

“Don’t dis the Raf-mobile,” Raphael replies.

Ember laughs and looks at Adam. She raises her eyebrows and shakes her head with light-hearted disbelief, pleasantly surprised by Raphael’s humorous retort. They drive to a large, detached, derelict house hidden behind some corrugated fencing near an old railway line in an area left over from the old city of Adelaide. Raphael pushes the unlocked door open and the two youngsters follow him through a side door and up some exposed stairs inside the building. They walk through a maze of doorways and end up in a dimly lit room.

“I’m sorry to drag you both down here like this but when you turned up with Miss Jones here, I couldn’t miss this opportunity.”

Adam looks at Raphael in confusion. “What opportunity?

“I was confident you two would become friends,” mumbled Raphael. “But bringing her here so soon… I mean, holy moly!”

Adam is concerned as Raphael doesn’t seem his normal self, not that he was ever normal but this is different.

“What do you mean? How could you possibly know I would befriend Ember? What has this got to do with anything?”

Adam looks to Ember for support but she is staring at the sparse room that contains just two chairs around a low coffee table, a filing cabinet against a broken window and a curious black rectangle device with a matching black box.

“Is that an old-style plasma television and an early twenty-first-century Blu-ray device?” she asks in awe.

Raphael laughs. “You know your historic tech.”

Raphael goes over to the cabinet and pulls out a package. He turns to the teenagers and his eyes look a little manic. Sweat drips from his brow.

Ember finally shares a worried glance with Adam. Has she been stupid? She has just jumped in this man’s car minutes after meeting him. A man who on first sight seemed to have smoke billowing around his head and yet no one said anything about this. She is now in some derelict squat in a part of town that her father has warned her never to go to with a guy who looks like he’s on some serious drugs.

“Miss Jones, you look worried,” says Raphael. “I’m sorry, don’t be, you will understand in a minute.”

The tone in his voice relaxes Ember a little. Adam smiles at her and then turns to question Raphael. “What’s going on, Raphael? You seem a bit edgy.”

Raphael places a package onto the table. “Yes, sorry, it all must seem a bit strange but trust me, my mood is driven by excitement. You will not believe how long I have waited to open this.”

They all look down at a brown parcel no bigger than a book.