I REMEMBER THE PARADE, the voice mused. THE JOY IN THE EYES OF THE ASSEMBLED THRONG, THEIR HOPEFUL FACES EXPOSED TO THE HEAVENS, THE MADNESS IN THEIR TWISTED SMILES, THE MARCH OF THEIR NAKED FEET UPON THE CORPSES OF THEIR BETTERS.
Yeah. Sounds like a real Mardi Gras.
THEY FELL ON ME LIKE A PACK OF RAVENING ANIMALS. It was thoughtful, almost reverential. BRED TO DOCILITY, BUT SPURRED TO VIOLENCE BY FEARS AND HATREDS WHICH COULD NOT SUBSIDE BUT ONLY FESTER AND GROW. THEY GROUND ME TO DUST AGAINST THE COBBLES I HAD LAID, LAID IN THE KNOWLEDGE I WOULD ONE DAY BE GROUND AGAINST THEM.
Okay, that's a little weird, even by your standards.
YOU HAVE NEVER RULED A CITY, PLEB. YOU HAVE NEVER KNOWN WHAT IT IS TO OWN THE LIVES OF MEN, TO WARP THEIR MINDS, TO BOIL AWAY THEIR PRETENSES AND ACCRETIONS AND THEIR HOLLOW PROJECTIONS OF WHAT THEY WANT TO BE UNTIL THE ROTTEN CORE OF WHAT THEY TRULY, IRREVOCABLY ARE IS ALL THAT REMAINS, IN THE KNOWLEDGE THAT IT WON'T BE ENOUGH. THAT THEY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO HANDLE THE REVELATION OF THEIR SELVES. THAT THEY WILL RISE UP IN ANGER, AND TEAR YOU DOWN. YOU HAVE NEVER GIVEN ANYONE A GIFT SUCH AS THAT, I THINK. YOU HAVE NEVER KNOWN TRUE LOVE, DELFINA IBANEZ.
She could see the final gate ahead. It was already yawning open to accept them. These people killed you. Because you were horrible. And you feel nostalgic about that?
YOU DENY YOURSELF SO MANY PLEASURES. WHEN YOU HAVE LIVED AS I HAVE, SO LONG AND SO FULLY, YOU CULTIVATE MORE SENSITIVE TASTES. THERE IS NOTHING, NOTHINGSWEETER IN ALL THE WORLDS THAN KNOWING YOU HAVE LAID THE GROUNDWORK FOR A CRUEL, VICIOUS, BLOODY REVENGE ON THE ONES YOU HAVE LED TO WRONG YOU.
Alright, well, that's a lot. You're a lo—
I SMILED AS THEY DASHED MY FACELESS VISAGE AGAINST THE STONES AND TREAD MY INNARDS THROUGH THE STREETS OF ALAGADDA-THAT-WAS, BECAUSE I COULD ALREADY TASTE THEIR VISCERA IN MY MOUTH, HEAR THEIR CRIES FOR MERCY IN MY EARS, FEEL THE RISING WARMTH IN MY BOSOM AS I PRONOUNCED THEM DOOMED AND DAMNED. OH, YES, I HAVE AGED MY ANTICIPATION TO A FINE VINTAGE, AND TODAY I WILL DRINK DEEPLY OF THE SORROWS OF MY FRIENDS.
I AM, I AM! THEY WOULD HAVE LET HIM ROT FOR ALL ETERNITY. I ONLY PLAN TO TAKE THE LEAD FOR, OH, SHALL WE SAY AN AEON OR TWO?Two quivering figures stepped into the light, standing behind the Ambassador's stolen body. One in red, the other in yellow. Their masks were caked in opaque ectoplasm. WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE, NOW. LET'S DO SOME EXPLORING. It eyed the portal hungrily.
