Too Many Curses (8 page)

The room was warm, though not uncomfortably so. She took a step forward with absolute trust that if there had been a bottomless chasm before her, her instincts would have held her back.

She spoke up very softly. "Hello?"

No reply came.

She took another step and called a little louder. "Hello. Is there anyone in here?" A perfectly stupid question. Of course, someone was in here. Or something.

"Hello!" Her voice echoed.

And then, either very far away or very close, a pinpoint of red and then yellow light appeared. A deep, booming voice filled the chamber and rattled in her ears.

"You are not Margle!"

"Margle is dead." She bit her tongue. Perhaps it had been unwise to let this slip. But she was a terrible liar. She would have to think before she spoke. Always a good policy when dealing with demons.

The light flared, yet offered little illumination. She wondered whether it was an eye. A single, glaring red eye set in a hideous visage that could drive her mad to look upon.

"Dead, you say!"

"Yes." No point in lying about that now.

The demon's voice lowered to merely obnoxiously loud. "How did he die? No, let me guess." The shining eye flashed through a spectrum of colors. "Eaten, wasn't he? Eaten by a nurgax. Am I right?"

She nodded, and even in the consuming darkness, the demon could see.

"How did—"

"How did I know?" The voice became soft and gentle and feminine. "I know a great many things, Nessy. A great many things."

Nessy wasn't surprised the demon knew her name. It seemed a very demony thing to know.

"Then you must also know why I'm here."

The demon laughed delicately. "Oh no, my dear. When someone comes to me for my help, I only know what they need when they request it of me. Odd, yes, but those are the rules. And we must all play by the rules."

The light drew closer, shone brighter. Yet Nessy couldn't see any other details of the creature.

"You wear my tooth. Do you fear me, Nessy?"

She thought before she answered, but a lie was unnecessary. The demon surely knew the answer. "Yes."

The demon chuckled with a tinge of sweet venom. "Very wise. And I see that you are possessed of a noteworthy wisdom along with a generous helping of compassion spiced with a robust serving of pragmatism. A rare delicacy. To measure your soul is to rediscover appetites I'd forgotten, locked away in this room." She inhaled loudly and smacked her lips. "Oh what a morsel you are. That I could pop you in my jaws, tuck you in my cheek, savor you slowly for a thousand or so years." Her voice trailed away dreamily.

"Alas, you hold my tooth. And my jaws aren't what they used to be." The eye rose high in the air, then low to settle on Nessy's nose. The demon was nothing more than a tiny, shining firefly. The insect was unremarkable, save that her tail was a shimmering tongue of flame. The lick of fire was hot, but it didn't burn.

The demon's breath was warm and sweet, washing over Nessy as if from a much larger creature. The sweetness was the stench of rotting flesh.

"You don't know what a treat this is for me. For far too long I've had to put up with that ludicrous wizard. And his soul, as a connoisseur of such, I can tell you is no joy to look
upon. As ugly and contemptible as any I have ever come across. A wasted, miserable bauble, it is."

"Is?"

The firefly flitted to the top of Nessy's head. "I think we both know that he isn't dead. Not truly. Wretched and despicable as he might be, Margle is a superb wizard. I alone am testament to his power. Do you know how long I have been bound to this room, to flutter about in this purple cell?"

So The Purple Room was truly purple. Although, one would need a demon's eyes to see it in this darkness.

"No."

"Neither do I. Time and its passing are nothing to me because I have always been and will always be. But this is not a boon. Every hour in here is like a year to one such as I. Every minute a forever of itself." The firefly climbed down Nessy's neck and sat on her shoulder. "Countless eternities of solitude, of waiting for Margle to visit and make some demand, of having to listen to him prattle on and on. 'Oh, demon, I want this. Oh, demon, share your secrets. Never forget, demon, I can destroy you. Never forget, I know your true name.' As if he'd let me." She whispered in Nessy's ear. "As if I could."

The firefly's flame burst into a long, white tail. She flew through the air in fleeting patterns, leaving a trail behind her, a painting in living incandescence of Margle's long, lean, sneering face. The demon howled, sending shivers through every hair on Nessy's furry body. Margle's image
twisted into a tortured scream before dissolving. The only light was once again the firefly's delicate tail burning a warm, gentle blue.

"Enough about me. Though I do appreciate you lending me your ear. I will have my vengeance one day, but not today. Today, we will speak about you. About what you want. About how I will help you." The fire tinted a cold crimson. "And how you will help me."

Nessy swallowed her uneasiness. She had no doubt that even transformed into an insect, the demon could kill her easily. She clutched the tooth that protected her, pulling it close.

"What do you want?" Nessy asked.

"Oh no. That is not how it works. First make your request. Then I tell you the price. Then we negotiate until we find an agreement suitable to both of us. Or, if this is not possible, I simply consume your soul."

Nessy backed away.

The firefly chuckled. "I jest, Nessy. You are always free to walk away, free to leave me behind and never enter The Purple Room again. Why would I harm you, leaving me to my loneliness? How could I harm you, such a sweet, lovely, tasty girl? The advantage is all yours, as anyone can plainly tell."

"You're trying to trick me." Nessy didn't know why she said it, other than that she had a tendency to say things she thought.

"I'm not trying to trick you. Not yet. I will when the bargain is being struck. Both of us know that, and I'll not insult you by denying it. But the bargain has yet to be struck, and it won't be until you let me know what you need." The demon flew close to Nessy's eyes, and though it was difficult to read a bug's face, Nessy thought she detected a dangerous smile across her mandibles. "Then we can begin the trickery."

Nessy stepped back. "There's a hellhound in the castle."

The firefly flitted about. "The hellhound is free, set loose to devour all the improperly deceased things roaming about."

"You knew?"

"I know many things. Haven't we discussed this? Secrets are my calling, as tending this castle is yours. I brought the hound here. By Margle's command, despite my advice against it. They are very difficult to contain."

"Can you send it back?"

"If only it were that easy, Nessy. If only. But my control over the beast requires it be in my presence. If you could bring it to me, I could banish it back whence it came. If I were free of my own prison, I could easily track it down for you and dispatch it. But neither seems a likely possibility."

"No."

The firefly blazed an innocent white. "Oh, no. Of course
not. Even if you knew the proper magic to undo my binding, which you obviously don't, you would be a fool to release me. And you are certainly no fool. So what is it you want of me then? Information, I suppose. One of my secrets that I do cherish so."

"How do I stop the hound?"

"I must admit a small surprise that you would bother. It isn't a danger to you so long as you leave it to its business. Would you be willing to risk your life for these half-living creatures which by all rights don't belong in this world?" The demon whipped high into the air until she was a mere yellow point. "Don't answer. I see it evident in your soul. You honestly care for them. I'm touched by this. I truly am. And if any demon possessed an ounce of charity, I would be tempted to answer your question for free. Alas, I am deprived of such grace. But I will help you. And as for payment . . ." She paused as if distracted and flew gently lower. "All I ask for is a single lump of coal."

"Agreed." Nessy didn't even think about it.

"What?" The firefly landed at Nessy's feet. "My first request? My dear girl, I don't know if anyone's ever taken the time to instruct you on the finer points of demonic negotiations, but you are never to give a demon the first thing she asks for."

"I know, but I also know that you are far more cunning and manipulative than I could ever hope to be. Trying to outwit you would be a waste of both our time. Whatever
you ask will most certainly be trouble later, but I will deal with that when I must."

The demon laughed long and heartily. "Oh, how wonderful. How delightful. You are a marvelous rarity. Two kinds of idiots barter with demons. Desperate fools who think they've nothing to lose, and arrogant imbeciles who think they can somehow best us at our own game. How adorable to meet someone who is neither. Then it is my secrets for your coal." She took to the air, glowing with a dazzling red fire. Her voice boomed. "The bargain is struck."

"Shall I fetch the coal?"

The demon's voice and her glow became light and gentle. "I trust you, Nessy, and earning a demon's trust is a singular accomplishment. As to the methods of stopping this hound, there are several. But I shall only give you the ones that you have some chance of using. If it is exposed to purest sunlight, it will die."

"There's little sunlight in this castle."

"I wouldn't know, as this accursed room is all I get to see of it. If you can get the hound to ingest something still alive, this would be most virulent poison."

"How would I do that?"

The firefly bobbed. "That's something you'll have to figure out on your own. And finally, a sacred weapon dedicated to the art of slaying demons can destroy the beast. And I believe there is just such a weapon in Margle's armory, is there not?"

Nessy knew exactly what the demon spoke of. It was
the prize of her master's impressive enchanted-sword collection. "But I can't use that. Even Margle couldn't use that."

"Oh, but I think you can. I think you are more clever than you give yourself credit for. I think you can devise a way if you put your mind to it."

"Are you certain?"

"Certain? No, not certain. But I do know things, Nessy. And I ask only that you trust in me as I trust in you."

Nessy walked backward, unwilling to turn from the demon. "Thank you. I'll bring the coal right away."

The door opened, casting a sliver of light. Nessy slipped out, shutting it behind her. The firefly hovered silently for a minute or two, or perhaps an hour or three. It was so hard to tell sometimes.

The door opened again but Nessy didn't set foot inside. She tossed a lump of coal across the threshold.

"Thank you, Nessy."

"You're welcome, demon."

"And do remember to be careful with that hound. I'd hate to see anything happen to you."

The door closed with a soft click.

The firefly hovered over the coal. "What a lovely creature. I could see growing quite fond of her."

A second light flared beside her. "Don't get too attached. When the time comes, she will very likely try to stand in my way."

A third insect lighted. "Truly, a pity. If I had a heart, it would be heavy."

"How fortunate for me," said a fourth, "that I do not."

One by one by one, a thousand fireflies banished the darkness. The swarm's beating wings thundered.

As one, the fireflies extinguished. Their rumble faded. The Purple Room was dark once again. And in that dark, a demon chuckled softly.

Many centuries ago, in a kingdom that has long since faded from memory, there was a fracture between the land of the living and the empire of the damned. Monsters of the underworld swarmed the good people and threatened to crush this realm. And from there, the rest of the world perhaps. But this abysmal tale of destruction didn't come to pass because of one enchantress and one smithy.

The smithy created a sword of such exquisite beauty and flawless craftsmanship that he would never design another as marvelous. Knowing this, he never stepped into another forge. The enchantress blessed the sword with all her magic, surrendering all her power into one everlasting spell. Then the smithy and the enchantress retired to raise sheep and beget fat, happy children. But not before giving the sword to a worthy warrior and sending him forth to save the world.

Thus armed, the warrior did beat back the demons, driving them into their Hell and sealing the portal. The kingdom was preserved, but there were still wrongs to right and evil creatures to destroy. The warrior kept at this noble task until, eventually, he was mortally wounded. Dying, he drove his weapon into a nearby rock while pronouncing his prophecy: "I plunge this blade into this stone and here it shall remain until a hero of courage and honor, strong of limb, skilled in combat, abhorrent of evil in all its forms shall draw it again."

Then he died.

The sword waited. Men came to test their worth: knights and barbarians, assassins and paladins, kings and peasants. Thousands were deemed inadequate, but in the course of time, a deserving hand was found. The weapon was drawn to continue its endless battle against evil.

Though the sword was everlasting, its wielder wasn't. This second great warrior was slain while knee-deep in the black and green blood of a demonic legion. Before she died, she drove the sword into a nearby tree stump.

"I plunge this blade into this stump and here it shall remain until a hero of courage and honor, strong of limb, skilled in combat, abhorrent of evil in all its forms shall draw it again."

Then she died.

The sword waited. Another hero eventually arrived, and the weapon was pulled from the stump. More epic battles were fought. More demons were slain. Heroes died. The
sword was plunged and unplunged over and over again. Until, one fateful day, its latest dying hero thrust it once again into the nearest convenient object.

"I plunge this blade into this . . . cabbage? Oh damn."

Then he died.

Soon after this, Margle took possession of the Sword in the Cabbage. All his attempts to pervert its sacred magic ended in failure. So the sword slept.