“I can’t reach the bomb,” I said. “But at least now no one can activate it.”
“The device is still there,” Molly said carefully. “Deep inside the Moon.”
“Yes,” I said. “Because it’s always possible that someday my family will need it. That Humanity might need its compassionate final mercy. I’ve just made sure no one can ever think of Moonbreaker as an easy option.”
“Damn right,” said Molly. “Because it was never a good idea.”
“The mission is over,” I said. “Finally. Let’s go home.”
“Because we have so much to catch up on,” said Molly.
“Because we have so much to live for,” I said.
CHAPTER NINE
Carpe Diem
I opened the door to my cosy little cottage in the woods, and everything looked just as I’d left it. On what I’d thought would be just another mission. It all looked wonderfully warm and inviting, my home away from home. I hurried in, stamping the snow from my shoes. It had been a long walk through the wintry forest, and I’d enjoyed every moment of it. Bracing and invigorating, and a whole bunch of other things I was sure were good for me. I was enjoying so much now that I’d never expected to enjoy again.
It felt so good to be alive.
Molly and the robot dog, Scraps.2, hurried in after me. Molly shut the door on the cold, while I turned on the clockwork radio. A cathedral choir was singing Christmas carols, just as they had before I was called away. I was struck suddenly by how much had happened in such a short time. My whole life had been turned upside down and threatened with a premature end, but I’d put it all back together again, through brute force and sheer tenacity. And yet the world had just carried on, as though nothing important had happened.
That’s life.
I took off my heavy coat and hung it on the coat-rack. Molly handed me hers to hang up, and shook her head slowly.
“When I said I thought we were entitled to a vacation, I was thinking of somewhere a little more exciting.”
“Haven’t you had enough of that?” I said.
“You can never have too much excitement,” said Molly.
She gestured at my fireplace, and the logs and coals burst into flame. Scraps.2 pushed between our legs and headed straight for the fire. He was wearing his I’m just an ordinary dog, move along, nothing to see here disguise again. He circled round several times, and dropped down heavily in front of the fire.
“Why do you do that?” I said.
“Centuries of instinct,” growled Scraps.2.
“But you’re artificial!”
“Speciesist.”
“You know your family were getting ready to throw you a Welcome home and glad you’re not dead after all party,” said Molly.
“Can you think of a better reason not to be there? You can bet there’ll be speeches and loyal toasts . . . and absolutely everyone will ask me how I feel!” I shuddered. “No, they’re better off without us. I’d only get bored and say something I shouldn’t, and you’d heckle.”
“I like parties at the Hall!” said Molly.
“Only because they give you an excuse to get drunk, behave appallingly, and smash the place up.”
“Exactly!” said Molly.
I sat down in my favourite chair, beside the fire. It was large and comfortable, and for the first time in what seemed a very long time, I felt like I could relax. Molly planted herself on my lap and put her arms around me.
“You know,” I said, “that dinner I put in the oven, just before we left, is probably about ready by now.”
“It can wait,” said Molly. “I like it here. Very comfortable. Very cosy. Nothing to worry about. Nothing to do . . .”
And that, of course, was when the phone rang. We all looked at it. Even Scraps.2. It sounded very loud in the quiet.
“Tell them to go to hell,” said Molly. “We’ve earned a little peace and quiet.”
“My family knows that,” I said. “They wouldn’t be calling me now unless it was important.”
“It’s always important with your family!”
“I mean really important.” I eased her off my lap, got to my feet, and picked up the old-fashioned Bakelite phone. “What?”
“Come home, Eddie,” said the Matriarch. “All hell is breaking loose in the Nightside.”
“Hell is always breaking loose in the Nightside,” I said. “And, anyway, what can we do about it? We’re banned from entering the Nightside by long-standing pacts and agreements.”
“That’s all over,” said the Matriarch. “After what’s just happened, we can’t look away any longer. We’re going into the Nightside and taking control. By force.”
“You’re talking about going to war,” I said.
“Yes,” said the Matriarch. “We have no choice. Come home, Eddie.”
“Why?” I said. “What the hell happened that we have to go to war?”
“The Nightside has broken its boundaries,” said the Matriarch. “It’s expanding into the waking world. Either we stop it or the long night will cover everything there is.”
The phone went dead. I put it down, and then turned to look at Molly and Scraps.2.
“Well,” I said. “Guess where we’re going.”
Shaman Bond and John Taylor Will Return in
NIGHT FALL
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Simon R. Green, Moonbreaker
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