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2:01

Episode 23.

2:03

["The Star-Spangled Banner"] ["The

2:05

Star-Spangled

2:08

Banner"] One. Frances

2:12

couldn't quite remember where she was. She

2:14

had been in middle-cum in Ireland. They

2:17

had been trying to stop the network. Then she had...

2:21

She tried to think, but her brain shied away. Better

2:25

not to dwell on the past, focus on the present. She

2:28

could hear voices, sharp and urgent. Hot

2:31

right up, blood pressure stapled, for

2:33

the moment anyway. How long has it been

2:35

since the last shift? At least an hour?

2:38

That's probably a good sign. What about...

2:41

those? The pause before

2:43

the last word was pregnant with nothing good. Worry

2:46

about that later. Does anyone know what happened?

2:49

Some kind of magical backlash. We lost containment.

2:52

It's lucky we got her out at all. Frances

2:55

needed the last voice, Asante. She

2:58

struggled to open her eyes. When she did,

3:00

all she could see was ceiling and bright light

3:02

shining down on the lower half of her body.

3:06

She's coming around. Asante?

3:10

Frances's mouth felt dry and gluey, but she

3:12

must have managed to make herself understood because Asante's

3:14

face appeared smiling down at her.

3:17

Frances felt her brush a lock of hair off her face.

3:19

How are you feeling? Is

3:22

there any pain? A doctor with the

3:24

distinctive Vatican crest embroidered on his coat

3:26

was shining a light into Frances's eyes, checking

3:28

her pupils. That answered the question

3:30

of where she was, at least. Frances

3:33

had to think about it. I... I don't think so.

3:34

Her

3:38

eyes sawed Asante's and found them deep and

3:40

wide and sad. Did

3:43

we win? Did we stop

3:45

the network? Asante shushed her. Don't

3:47

worry. You're going to be fine.

3:50

That isn't what I asked, Frances thought.

3:53

The other doctors, nurses, and assistants were

3:55

all moving around the lower half of her bed, out

3:58

of her line of sight. She

4:01

felt the bed shift. Someone muttered

4:03

something about a reflex response. Can

4:05

you feel that? The doctor asked. Frances

4:08

struggled to sit up. She had felt something,

4:11

but what her brain was telling her didn't make any sense. She

4:14

tried to go back to the last thing she could remember

4:16

about Middle Coombe, but all she could bring to mind was

4:18

a rush of magic and fabric over

4:21

her head and Asanti and Liam shouting. And

4:23

she was being carried bouncing, swinging. And

4:28

what happened to me? Hands

4:30

were trying to push her back against the bed. Calm

4:32

down, you're going to hurt yourself. Frances

4:35

shoved hard at the hands around her. Whatever they

4:37

were hiding from her, she had to know. It couldn't

4:39

be as bad as what she was imagining. It couldn't be.

4:43

Frances looked down at herself. She

4:46

thought, why are there snakes

4:48

in my bed? Until she realized

4:51

they weren't snakes, they were more like tentacles

4:53

and they were growing from her hips. Her

4:56

legs had been replaced by a writhing mass

4:58

of reptilian flesh. This

5:01

wasn't real, it couldn't be. Frances

5:04

looked up and saw Asanti's wide, sad eyes

5:06

and screamed. I

5:09

said, hold her. They were swearing

5:12

in Latin. Frances felt a

5:14

pinch like the snap of a rubber band followed

5:16

by a push and a burning feeling.

5:19

Then the world felt very far away and

5:23

she lost consciousness. Sal

5:27

wanted nothing more than to go back to her apartment.

5:29

Forget that she had ever heard of Christina Opie

5:31

in the network and sleep for a week.

5:34

Instead, she grabbed a quick shower in the society's

5:36

gym and was quietly thankful she had started to keep

5:38

at least two full changes of clothes dashed away at work.

5:42

They had bloodied the network's nose at middle-cum,

5:44

but according to Opie, Christina had gotten

5:46

away clean.

5:48

Liam was tracking her now and as soon as they had

5:50

a destination, Sal expected to be heading out.

5:53

Bad enough that the network's quest to create a magical

5:56

technological hive mind had ruptured reality

5:58

in a small Irish town. If Opie's information

6:01

was accurate, the network had found a way to make their own

6:03

demonic books.

6:05

Sal really hoped that Opie had been lying to them.

6:07

As far as they knew, the ability to build the books

6:10

that Team 3 had been created to seek out and

6:12

contain had been lost to the world centuries ago.

6:14

If that power was in the hands of a group of techno-cultists

6:17

who believed that magic was a force that should be set

6:19

free in the world,

6:21

Sal forced herself to shake off a train of thought that

6:23

would do her

6:24

no good to pursue. But

6:26

even if Opie had been exaggerating the network's capabilities,

6:29

they couldn't afford to let Christina regroup. Surely

6:32

Anjuli, after the near disaster of his indecision

6:34

during their last mission, couldn't fail to realize

6:36

that the time to act was now.

6:39

She found Liam alone in the archives, and

6:41

over his computer. Any word

6:43

about Francis? Sal asked.

6:46

Liam shook his head.

6:47

Asante's still in with her. And

6:50

Manchu? Anjuli

6:52

called him in for a face-to-face. You

6:55

think he's going to explain what the fuck happened with the chain

6:57

of command in Metal Coom? Liam snorted.

7:00

Yeah, like that shit is explainable. He

7:04

had a point. Sal's history in law enforcement

7:06

had taught her that failure of nerve by one's superiors

7:08

was seldom explicable. Unfortunately,

7:11

it nearly always had the same result. Someone

7:14

farther down the chain was going to have to take the fall.

7:19

Manchu arrived in Anjuli's office torn

7:21

between fury and fatigue. He

7:23

wanted to let fly with all his rage and frustration

7:26

from the last 24 hours. With Francis'

7:29

injury, not to mention the destruction of a town and

7:31

its entire population, he had plenty of ammunition.

7:34

But the toll of those losses, coming at the end

7:36

of his constant push and pull with Asante over

7:38

the last few months, had left him near the end

7:40

of his energy. Just a little

7:43

bit farther, he told himself. Find

7:45

Christina, put her stuff to

7:47

her plans, then rest. We've

7:50

come too far to give up now. From

7:53

behind his desk, Anjuli waited for Manchu

7:55

to seat himself in one of the two guest chairs. For

7:58

a change, the office was immaculate. No piles

8:00

of stray papers or half-unpacked boxes

8:02

remain to ruin the impression of a powerful man

8:05

inside one of the most powerful organizations on Earth.

8:08

Was he too busy cleaning his office to give us a clear directive?

8:12

The thought was uncharitable, but Menchu had known

8:14

Anjuli for more than a decade, and he had never seen

8:16

his office so tidy. It looked almost bare.

8:20

Father Menchu, said Anjuli,

8:22

you might be wondering why I wish to speak

8:25

with you. Before Menchu could

8:27

give voice to any number of replies, ranging

8:29

from sarcastic to impudent, the mon

8:31

senior continued.

8:33

I wished to apologize.

8:35

Menchu's mouth snapped shut. My

8:37

lack of decisiveness in a time of

8:40

crisis led to unnecessary casualties

8:42

among innocents and our own.

8:45

Although the society was able to

8:47

contain the disaster, our success

8:49

came in spite of my leadership, not

8:52

because of it. Menchu,

8:54

feeling hope in his heart in a way he hadn't realized

8:57

he had been missing, nonetheless

8:58

measured his next

8:59

words carefully. I'm

9:02

sure what has happened will help to guide you

9:04

in the future. Menchu

9:05

at least shook his head.

9:07

No. What?

9:09

In light of recent events, I have

9:11

chosen to withdraw my name from

9:13

consideration for promotion to

9:15

Cardinal, and I will be tendering

9:17

my resignation from the society within

9:20

the hour. Menchu's

9:22

expression must have been an accurate mirror of his

9:24

inner turmoil because Anjuli gave him a wry

9:26

smile. I'm sorry,

9:28

Arturo, I know you weren't expecting

9:31

this. But I'll do a respect

9:33

for our friendship, I wanted to tell

9:35

you first. Beep,

9:40

beep, beep. Asante

9:44

had barely left Francis' bedside since

9:46

team three had returned to Rome.

9:48

The beeping of the dozen monitors could have been

9:50

nearly soothing in its regularity, except

9:52

that the constant rhythm meant there had been no change

9:55

in her assistance condition.

9:57

Francis' heartbeat was steady, her blood pressure.

9:59

was fine.

10:01

Even the tangled mass that used to be her

10:03

legs were demurely covered by layers of starch

10:05

sheets and gently folded blankets. The

10:08

doctors had given Francis something to help her sleep

10:11

and keep her calm.

10:12

She had yet to wake up. Make

10:15

it through, Asanti thought to her, and

10:17

I will never let this happen to anyone else, whatever

10:20

it takes. A

10:22

soft knock from the open doorway. Asanti

10:25

looked up.

10:27

Father Menchu let himself in and

10:28

sat down on the opposite side of Francis'

10:31

bed. He took her hand.

10:34

Any news, Asanti asked. Menchu

10:37

shrugged, plenty, very little

10:39

of it good.

10:41

Monjuli is going to resign.

10:43

From the church, from the society.

10:46

Asanti grimaced, it's a start. She

10:49

waited for Menchu to tell her that she should be more forgiving,

10:52

for him to counsel her to patience, to turn Francis'

10:54

condition into a reason for her to give up the quest

10:56

to understand, to use magic.

10:58

Anything so they could finally have the fight that had been

11:01

simmering between them for months. Menchu

11:04

sagged in his chair, letting his head fall back

11:07

and stared up at the ceiling. His

11:09

words, when they came, were so quiet she

11:11

could barely hear them. Is

11:14

this our fault, Asanti? What?

11:18

For years we've worked well with Anjuli precisely

11:21

because he didn't make difficult decisions.

11:23

We did, and then

11:24

he would back our play. Sometimes

11:27

he complained about it, but it's

11:30

not as though his lack of leadership qualities should

11:32

come as a surprise. Asanti

11:34

huffed a laugh. Did you put a gun to

11:36

his head and force him to become acting cardinal? No,

11:39

did you? Please, I'd never touch

11:41

a gun. We didn't discourage

11:44

him. Maybe wanting

11:46

a cardinal who was as malleable as Armand

11:48

Sr. was greedy. And

11:51

now we're being punished for our sins, Asanti

11:53

asked. Menchu shrugged. Asanti

11:56

shook her head. So goddamned Catholic,

11:59

it's not always about- you, you know? Menchus

12:02

turned to scoff. As Santi asked, how

12:04

are the other teams taking the news? Fox

12:07

smells blood in the water. I haven't

12:09

even seen Sun Sony. Team

12:11

two has been in full cover up mode after the bombing.

12:14

They can't admit it was a society because

12:16

they can't admit that the society exists. But if they

12:18

blame someone else, it's likely to set off an international

12:21

incident.

12:22

A consequence that his holiness is made very

12:24

clear is in all ways unacceptable. Santi's

12:28

eyebrows rose. He said that?

12:31

I am told it is a direct quote. It

12:34

was so easy to fall into the rhythms of familiar

12:37

banter. Conversational tracks

12:39

well worn over the years. For

12:41

a moment, she could imagine that things were simple

12:43

again, that their biggest problems were demonic books

12:46

and incompetent sorcerers.

12:48

But then silence fell and Francis'

12:50

monitors beeped away counting out of

12:52

Santi's failures. She

12:55

sighed. You think I'm reckless,

12:58

but I'm not. I'm scared.

13:01

You would give your life to this cause to protect the world.

13:03

Sal, Liam, Grace, all of them would. So

13:06

would you, said Manchu. Yes,

13:09

said Santi. But for the rest

13:11

of you, if you give your life to the cause, your task

13:13

is over. Succeed or fail, you have

13:15

given everything that you could and no one can ask for more.

13:19

Santi leaned forward. I

13:21

have children, Manchu, grandchildren.

13:25

While I am gone, I might not be able to leave them the

13:27

world I knew, but I have to leave them a world that

13:29

they can live in. Manchu

13:32

had nothing to say to that, and they sat together

13:34

in silence. Beep.

13:38

Beep. Beep. Beep.

13:51

Liam's

13:54

eyes burned, his back ached, and the

13:56

less said about the tendons in his forearms after

13:58

ten hours bent over his keyboard.

13:59

But at last, a picture

14:02

had begun to emerge.

14:03

He just wished that it wasn't the picture he was looking

14:05

at. He sat

14:07

up, joints puffing as he stretched and attempted

14:10

to return circulation to muscles gone slack. He

14:13

hadn't been able to go to the gym in days and the break

14:15

in his routine bothered him. Since

14:17

his last encounter with the network, he knew intellectually

14:19

that it was free of his demon and that

14:21

his hours of uninterrupted work were spurred by the urgency

14:24

of their situation, not a malevolent supernatural

14:26

force. He didn't need his routines anymore. He

14:30

could have a piece of cake if he wanted, even

14:32

if it wasn't someone's birthday. His

14:34

mind knew that. It was just that

14:36

the part of him that had spent the last nine years looking

14:39

over his shoulder didn't believe it.

14:42

At his shift in position, Sal looked over.

14:44

Did you find Christina? She asked. Liam

14:47

nodded. You sure? Another

14:50

nod.

14:51

Sal glanced up as though she could see through the

14:53

ceiling to the offices where the leaders of the society

14:55

were sequestered, determining their next move in

14:57

the wake of Anjuli's resignation.

15:00

Are we going to be able to do anything about it? She

15:02

asked. Leadership's last

15:04

word to the three teams had been do nothing

15:07

until you receive further instructions. Not

15:10

fucking likely. Another

15:12

moment of silence. Sal

15:14

nodded. I'll go tell Grace. Give

15:16

Asante a Menshu deniability if the Swalgo

15:19

sits up. Sal grimaced.

15:21

I thought I'd let her decide if we should tell them or not.

15:24

Coward. Sal shrugged. You

15:27

wanna ask Asante to leave Francis' bedside? Liam

15:30

shuddered. Pass. Sal

15:32

was halfway up the staircase in the middle of the archives

15:35

before she called back, where are we going anyway?

15:38

Liam took a deep breath and didn't let his voice

15:40

shake as he answered, Belfast. Sal

15:44

nodded. A few moments later, she

15:46

was gone. Liam

15:48

watched her go. Belfast,

15:51

where it had all begun. Grace

15:56

sat in her room, watching her candle

15:58

and her life burn away. before her. When

16:01

she heard footsteps approach her doors, she quickly pinched

16:04

out the flame. Hopefully, whoever

16:06

had come wouldn't notice the wisp of smoke

16:08

lingering in the air. Asante,

16:13

lost in thought at Frances' bedside, jerked

16:15

in surprise as a small, cool hand touched

16:17

her wrist. Frances had opened

16:19

her eyes and was struggling to sit up.

16:22

Together, Menchu and Asante helped raise

16:24

the bed and position her pillows behind her.

16:27

How are you feeling? Menchu asked. Frances

16:30

scowled at him. I feel like my legs

16:32

have been turned into tentacles. She

16:34

almost sounded angry, but her breath hitched just

16:37

a bit on that last word. She

16:39

swallowed. What are you doing here? Why

16:42

aren't you out stopping the network? Asante

16:45

took her assistant's hand, squeezing it in her own.

16:47

Frances pulled it back. Stop it, I

16:50

don't need to be coddled, I need for what happened

16:52

to you to mean something. Three heads

16:54

turned to the doorway where Grace stood. Having

16:56

finished Frances' sentence, she now waited

16:59

in silence. Yes, said

17:01

Frances, that now help me get out of here

17:03

and we can, Grace interrupted her again. No,

17:06

you need to rest. You don't know what I need,

17:08

Frances shouted, but her protest quickly withered and

17:10

died under Grace's level stare. I

17:14

think you know that I do. Frances

17:16

shrunk back against her pillows. It's

17:18

not the same, she muttered, but she

17:20

couldn't meet Grace's eyes. Grace

17:23

nodded to Menchu and Asante, I need

17:25

to talk to you. About what, asked

17:27

Menchu, not here. Sal

17:32

and Liam were waiting on the terrace of a cheap cafe

17:34

near Termani Station. Menchu

17:36

noticed the packed bags dashed casually beneath

17:38

their aluminum chairs, so they were a tourist

17:41

couple about to begin the next leg of their journey.

17:43

Menchu spoke before Sal could. I

17:46

assume this is where you inform us of your

17:48

intention to flaunt the hierarchy of the society

17:50

and the authority of the Vatican and go after the network

17:53

on your own.

17:54

That was Sal's plan, said Grace, but I

17:56

convinced her that you would both agree to come. And

18:00

why are we going to do that?

18:01

Menchu asked.

18:03

Because we've seen what waiting for orders gets

18:05

us, Asante suggested. Because

18:07

defying orders is what we've been doing since Sal

18:10

got possessed by the hand, Liam muttered.

18:12

Sal kicked Liam under the table and met Menchu's stare

18:15

with one of her own. Because we're a team

18:17

and saving the world is our job even if we don't

18:19

have permission. Menchu

18:22

knew he'd been right to recruit her for the team

18:24

when she found them in New York, throwing herself

18:26

into their investigation at every turn and refusing

18:29

to let anything stop her from saving her brother from

18:31

the demon that had seized him.

18:33

He cleared his throat. We need a plan

18:36

and resources. After what happened to Francis

18:38

not to mention the rest of middle-cum, we can't

18:40

just hope for the best, especially if we're off the books

18:42

and can't count on backup from the society.

18:45

Sal pulled an envelope out of her jacket. We

18:47

had the shroud and that should neutralize whatever books

18:49

the networks got. Liam tapped

18:51

his temple with his ring finger. And we

18:53

have me. The network has retreated

18:55

to Belfast, either to lick their wounds or to plan

18:57

their next move, but that's my home turf. Wherever

19:00

they are in the city, I can find them. And

19:02

we've moved my candle to Sal's apartment. And just

19:05

in case we get disavowed again while we're gone, said

19:07

Grace. Menchu shared

19:09

a look with Asante. That

19:12

sounds a lot like a plan, he said. She

19:15

gave him a tight nod. I'll go pack.

19:21

Two. Liam's

19:23

breath steamed in the early morning chill. This

19:26

was one of Belfast's residential neighborhoods and

19:29

quiet at this hour. Liam

19:31

walked as slowly as he dared without appearing to

19:33

loiter her. Every footstep

19:35

brought back 100 memories of making

19:37

this walk a thousand times before.

19:40

True, he no longer felt the gaping hole

19:42

of his demon-induced amnesia.

19:44

But the process of unlocking the closed up parts

19:47

of his memory was ongoing. And although he hadn't

19:49

admitted it to the others,

19:50

it occasionally caught him by surprise.

19:54

Being back on his old home ground threatened

19:56

to trigger an overwhelming flood with every breath

19:58

of familiar air. Liam

20:01

paused at a bus stop, stomping his feet against the

20:03

cold and forcing his brain back in order. You

20:06

okay? Grace's voice asked in his ear.

20:09

She was watching from somewhere among the rooftops

20:11

across the street. The Sal and the

20:13

others were in a rental van around the corner waiting

20:15

for the all clear. Liam

20:17

didn't look out from the posted bus schedule but nodded,

20:19

counting on Grace to notice. Do you

20:22

want backup? Head shake. Then

20:24

you better move on, the bus is less than a block

20:26

away.

20:28

Liam nodded again as though the sign had

20:30

confirmed his question and crossed the street

20:32

in the middle of the block. There

20:34

was little enough risk of the bus driver noticing him

20:36

or remarking on his presence, but buses were full

20:38

of cameras. Until proven otherwise, Liam

20:40

had to assume that the network had access to any video

20:43

feed in the city.

20:44

Flying into Shannon and driving across

20:46

the border probably meant they hadn't been tagged when

20:48

they arrived in the country, probably.

20:53

The neighborhood had changed in the last nine years,

20:55

which only made the muddle of Liam's memories more confusing.

20:58

The corner shop was now a bank branch. The

21:01

pub looked like it had gotten a new coat of paint. The

21:03

signs of the Great Recession still lingered, but the

21:05

city had brushed itself off in the last few years.

21:08

Maybe it was the new UK economic incentives.

21:10

Maybe it was the lack of

21:11

violence that had been the punctuation of Liam's childhood.

21:16

Fortunately, the small empty lot in the middle

21:18

of the block hadn't been bulldozed in the name

21:20

of progress. The old chain link fence had

21:22

been replaced with something more substantial, but was still

21:24

eminently climbable. What had once

21:27

been filled with trash, dice, and drug

21:29

deals was now an informal community garden.

21:31

Liam narrowly avoided stepping in some grandmother's

21:34

cabbages on his way over the fence, but a glance

21:36

confirmed that the UK surveillance state hadn't

21:38

decided to look quite this closely at home front agriculture

21:41

yet. Now

21:43

the only question is, good.

21:46

The dilapidated storage shed had been refurbished,

21:48

but not torn down and replaced.

21:51

At least you wouldn't have to worry about any belligerent junkies

21:53

taking offense at being roused, like you had in the

21:55

old days. Not that Liam had

21:57

cared about the literate junkies when he had set up

21:59

this bolt. his demon partner

22:01

hadn't anyway, and that had been good enough

22:03

for him. There were days

22:06

Liam wondered if forgetting his years of possession had been

22:08

so easy because his brain had been too distracted

22:10

at the time to really absorb what was going on around

22:12

him.

22:13

Or maybe the wiser parts of his nature had decided

22:16

that it was better not to pay too much attention to what he was

22:18

doing. Liam broke the padlock

22:20

on the shed and barred the door once he was inside.

22:23

Not the most effective security system,

22:25

but he didn't need it to last for long. In

22:28

the back corner, under a pile of tarps, garden implements,

22:30

and a wheelbarrow, he found the

22:32

remains of a rectangle chiseled into the concrete

22:35

foundations. Liam

22:37

brushed it clear, making sure nothing lay across

22:39

the crudely carved line. And then

22:41

knelt down, letting his right hand rest

22:44

against the cold, gritty surface of the cement.

22:47

He wasn't actually sure that this would work without

22:49

his demon along for the ride.

22:51

He wasn't sure if he hoped it did or that it didn't.

22:56

Liam took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and leaned

22:59

his full weight against his hand, pressing into

23:01

the ground. Nothing

23:03

happened. Well,

23:05

that was it. He could get up, brush himself

23:08

off, and go tell the others that this wasn't gonna work. They'd

23:11

have to stop the network another way. Munch you

23:13

wouldn't object, it was probably even the smart thing

23:15

to do. Liam had been the one who would always

23:17

argue that they should depend on their own resources, that

23:20

fighting magic with magic was about as effective as

23:22

holding out a torch to extinguish a fire. The

23:25

others would be disappointed, but they would pull together

23:27

like they always did and find another solution. They

23:29

would come through. Would

23:32

they come through in time? Or

23:35

you could stop being an idiot and honestly

23:37

try to open the damn door that you brought everyone here

23:39

to find. Liam's

23:41

internal monologue was comfortingly blunt. Liam

23:45

laid his hand on the concrete again. This

23:47

time, as he did so, he reached back in his mind

23:49

and found the memory of the 100 times he had

23:51

come here before.

23:53

The door wasn't magic, the magic was

23:55

what was hiding the door.

23:57

He aligned his mind with the memory and remembered

23:59

what he had to do.

23:59

I do. Liam

24:03

leaned forward and this time felt

24:05

the soft click of a pressure switch swinging

24:07

free. A moment later

24:09

a rush of musty air washed over his face.

24:12

Liam kept his eyes closed. He had never gotten

24:15

the hang of passing through an illusion while he was looking

24:17

at it.

24:18

The concrete in front of him would appear unchanged. Liam

24:21

pictured what he knew to be there instead. A

24:23

solid wooden door hinged to fall inward, revealing

24:25

a short drop into the forgotten foundation of

24:27

a house that had been bombed out and demolished

24:30

so long ago that no one remembered it had ever been

24:32

there.

24:33

Liam opened his eyes once his boots hit the earthen

24:36

floor. The flashlight on his phone

24:38

showed that some of the walls had further crumbled while

24:40

he had been away, but his work shoring up the

24:42

structural supports had kept the roof from full collapse.

24:45

It was exactly as he had left it. Everything

24:48

was going according to plan. Fuck.

24:59

I

25:02

know some of you out there are like, oh, I don't know if I want

25:04

to listen to a history podcast, but here's the

25:06

thing. Are you interested in celebrity gossip

25:09

in general? What about literally gossip

25:11

of friends of friends? Like, can you believe that she hooked

25:13

up with that guy? That's literally what we're

25:15

doing on Vulgar History. It's a feminist

25:17

women's history comedy podcast hosted by me

25:20

and Foster. Hear all the latest scandals

25:22

from olden times on Vulgar History. New

25:24

episodes every Wednesday wherever you get your

25:27

podcasts.

25:32

Once he disabled his mundane security

25:34

measures, it was a simple matter for Liam to open

25:36

the sewer access.

25:38

Asante, Menchu, and Sal went from the back

25:40

of the van directly down into the manhole behind

25:42

it. Grace keeping an eye from above

25:44

to tell them when the coast was clear and they could descend

25:46

without anyone remarking on a priest making

25:48

sewer repairs. A few

25:50

minutes later, Grace herself arrived and Liam

25:52

carefully maneuvered the manhole covered back into place

25:55

above them. Sal

25:57

wrinkled her nose as she ducked through the last doorway

25:59

into the abandoned. basement. When you

26:01

said you had a bolt hole, I didn't think you meant hole

26:03

quite so literally. The

26:06

usable area was about 15 feet

26:08

square, although square was a generous term for the

26:10

irregular space left clear amid the tumbled

26:12

bricks

26:12

and broken rebar. How

26:14

did you find this place, Asante asked.

26:17

I was down in the sewers, making a tap into the fiber

26:19

optics as they were being laid. I had to duck

26:22

out of the way of one of the crews running the lines. I

26:24

thought I was ducking into a disused pipe and ended

26:26

up here.

26:27

Lucky break, said Grace. I

26:30

had a lot of those for a few years there. In

26:32

retrospect, I suspected had

26:34

more to do with the demon than luck. The

26:37

silence fell over the small group, standing

26:39

together in a space uncomfortably like a tomb,

26:42

led only by Liam's phone and a couple of flashlights.

26:44

All right then, said

26:47

Menchu. This is where you think we

26:49

can tap into whatever the network is running?

26:52

Liam nodded, then let's get to

26:54

work. Sal,

26:57

with

26:57

nothing to add to the wiretapping operation, either magically or technically,

26:59

found a corner where she was out of the way

27:01

and let

27:04

Liam and Asante do whatever it was

27:06

they were doing under Menchu's more than adequate

27:08

supervision.

27:10

She noticed Grace had done the same, watching from

27:12

a spot a few feet down the wall. After

27:15

a few moments, Grace noticed that Sal

27:17

was watching her and glared a question in her direction.

27:20

What? You heard reading a book. I

27:23

can see how you made detective. Sal

27:25

ignored the sarcasm. Why not? She

27:27

asked. Grace shrugged. Everything

27:30

okay?

27:31

I'm fine. I'm allowed to waste my time

27:34

if I want to.

27:35

Sure. If the network destroys

27:37

the world in an ill-considered attempt to create a magically

27:40

interfacing hive mind, the number of minutes

27:42

left on my candle is hardly gonna matter, is it?

27:45

Probably not. I

27:47

don't feel like reading, I'm thinking. Silence

27:50

fell between the two women. Finally,

27:53

Sal said, you finished your last book on the plane and

27:55

you forgot to bring another one, didn't you? Grace

27:58

did not aim to reply. Okay,

28:01

said Liam, we're in. Can

28:03

you find the book? Menchu asked.

28:05

Liam was clicking away at his laptop as Asanti

28:07

continually drew and redrew a circle in

28:09

the air around them with a silver letter opener.

28:13

Working on it. Get out

28:15

before they notice the top, Asanti said. I'm

28:17

already getting interference. Just

28:19

a second, said Liam. I'm almost

28:22

there. Liam's fingers

28:24

doubled their speed and Sal half expected

28:26

to see smoke rising from his keyboard. Tiny

28:29

sparks flew from the tip of Asanti's letter opener

28:31

and it made a scraping sound against the air. They

28:34

definitely know something is going on, she

28:36

said. Have they found us? Asked Grace.

28:39

I don't think so. Menchu nodded

28:41

to Sal and Grace. Prepare to move

28:43

out as soon as Liam's done. I don't want,

28:45

fuck. Liam slammed his laptop

28:47

shut, threw it to the ground, and sent his boot cracking

28:50

against the hardened shell with enough force to shatter plastic.

28:53

Still, he kept stomping until the base cracked open

28:55

and he could kick the battery aside. Asanti's

28:58

letter opener stopped sparking as soon as the computer

29:00

died with a final sputter and shriek of

29:02

tortured electronics. What

29:05

happened? Asked Menchu. Liam

29:07

wiped his brow. Well, they're definitely

29:10

nowhere in the city. Did you find

29:12

it? Asked Sal. Liam nodded.

29:14

Hope he wasn't bluffing. They can make their own books.

29:16

Then he grinned. But

29:19

I know where.

29:20

Sal let out the breath she had been holding.

29:23

She could see her own resolution reflected in Menchu

29:25

and Liam's faces.

29:27

Grace's expression was even more impassive than usual.

29:30

Asanti's eyes glittered with excitement.

29:35

For Frances, the hours in the society's infirmary

29:38

passed an alternation between fitful sleep

29:40

and undifferentiated quiet.

29:43

A few of Asanti's other archival assistants came

29:45

by to see her, but none of them stayed for long.

29:48

Frances wasn't sorry to see them go.

29:50

It wasn't just because of the way that they assiduously

29:53

avoided looking at the bottom of her bed.

29:56

She didn't want to see anyone. She didn't want

29:58

to talk about what happened. She really didn't

30:00

wanna talk about how everything was going to be fine

30:02

and she would be back in the archives before she knew it.

30:05

Even if she believed that everything was going to be fine,

30:07

the one fact she was sure of was that everything had changed.

30:10

She had changed. At

30:12

a fundamental level, she felt like she no longer knew

30:15

herself. It was all she

30:17

could think about, and every time she did, she wanted

30:19

to cry. A

30:21

nurse came in to check her blood sugar and added

30:23

something to her IV. Almost instantly,

30:26

Francis could feel her brain floating and her limbs

30:28

grow heavy.

30:29

What are you doing? She slurred.

30:32

The man smiled at her.

30:34

It's something to help you sleep.

30:37

Francis had been sleeping for hours already or

30:39

had it been days. Why

30:41

don't they want me to be awake? I

30:44

don't need it, she protested.

30:46

Don't worry, he said as she drifted

30:48

away, you're going to be fine. She

30:51

barely had time to think, but I'm not fine

30:54

before she was unconscious. It

30:57

felt like only seconds had passed, but when she opened

30:59

her eyes again, the lights in the hall had dimmed for

31:01

nighttime and unremembered dreams

31:03

pressed at the back of her mind.

31:06

Then she heard the creak of a wooden chair

31:08

and Francis realized she was not alone.

31:11

She fumbled with the light beside the bed. The

31:13

IV tubes and the aftermath of the drugs made

31:15

her clumsy, but soon another hand came,

31:18

caught her fingers, helped her twist the brass key

31:20

to turn on the lamp.

31:22

Francis squinted at the sudden wash of yellow light,

31:24

blinking until she could see her visitor. Of

31:27

all the people she might have expected, Monsignor

31:30

Fox was nowhere on the list. Do

31:33

you need some water? He asked. Francis

31:35

shrank back at his voice, but he didn't move again.

31:38

She wanted to tell him to leave. She

31:41

licked her lips and found her mouth glued together

31:43

by sleep and spit. Slowly,

31:46

she nodded. She watched

31:48

as he turned and filled a small glass from the

31:50

picture that had set on the dresser by the wall.

31:53

Perhaps due to a santi-slow opinion of the man,

31:55

Francis had

31:55

always viewed Monsignor Fox as a muscle-bound

31:58

mountain of rage and obstruction in the air. Now,

32:01

seeing him close up for the first time,

32:04

the comparison to a mountain was not unwarranted. However,

32:07

engaged in a small domestic task, he

32:10

seemed less like a monster than she had expected. Of

32:13

course he isn't a monster, she told herself. There's

32:15

only one monster in this room. She

32:19

accepted the cup and drank. The

32:21

water unglued her mouth and tasted cool

32:23

and fresh against her tongue. Thank you. Professional

32:28

hazard overseeing team one, I've

32:30

spent more than my share of time here. I don't

32:33

know if it's the drugs or the air filters, but this place

32:35

is drier than the devil's dandruff. Francis

32:38

didn't know what she was supposed to say to that. May

32:40

I sit? Fox asked. How

32:42

long had he been sitting before she woke

32:45

up? How could she stop him? What

32:47

did he want?

32:48

What would he do if she said no? As

32:51

those thoughts raced through her brain, Fox turned back to

32:53

the chair in the corner and brought it over to her

32:55

bedside. He settled his

32:57

bulk into it again and it creaked. I

33:00

know you must be tired, but I need

33:02

to know where Asante and the others have gone. Francis

33:06

tried to look surprised. They aren't

33:08

here? Fox's eyes

33:10

narrowed. I can respect

33:12

your loyalty, but it is misplaced. Asante

33:15

and team three are away without authorization

33:17

in defiance of a general order to cease all

33:19

activities and stand down. If

33:21

they come back now, they might be able to salvage

33:24

their careers. If team one is

33:26

ordered to bring them back by force, I can't

33:28

guarantee their survival. Francis lifted

33:30

her chin. That's not how it worked out last

33:33

time. Fox's expression

33:35

darkened. I'm asking you nicely,

33:38

but I don't have to. Francis

33:40

forced herself not to look away.

33:43

Before she could speak, a voice from behind them on

33:45

senior asked,

33:46

accosting a woman in her hospital bed in the middle

33:48

of the night is asking nicely.

33:51

Sansone, said Fox, don't

33:53

your spies ever sleep? What

33:56

spies? I came to check on a colleague. Sansone

33:59

stepped forward.

33:59

the doorway into the spill of light by the bed.

34:02

As I imagine you were, she added

34:05

tart words flung toward Fox with pinpoint

34:07

precision. If the Barb's hit

34:09

their target, Fox didn't flinch.

34:12

Frances watched the supervisor of team

34:14

one and the power of team two stare

34:16

each other down in the tiny room.

34:19

If she had been able to leave her bed, she would have slipped

34:21

out to give them space.

34:23

What's your game, San Sony, asked

34:25

Fox. I don't have one.

34:27

Fox snorted at that, but he also looked away first,

34:30

turning back to Frances with the same concerned smile

34:33

he'd had when he offered her a cup of water.

34:35

I'll check back with you later. Think

34:37

about what I've said. San

34:40

Sony lingered until Frances could no longer hear

34:42

Fox's heavy tread fading down the hall. Go

34:46

to sleep, San Sony said, twisting off

34:48

the light. I'll make sure you aren't disturbed.

34:52

She stepped out into the hall and left Frances

34:54

staring at the darkened ceiling. It

34:56

was too late for San Sony's reassurances, though.

34:59

Frances was already disturbed. The

35:03

forgotten basement in Belfast meant you

35:05

could feel his team waiting for him to make a decision.

35:08

He knew that if he did not give them a direction quickly,

35:10

they would find their own paths and act with or without

35:13

his say so.

35:14

They were nervous, resolute, excited, and

35:16

it was time to put their talents and energy to work. Sansi,

35:20

if we find the network's book binding operation, can

35:22

you shut it down without Liam's assistance? I

35:25

believe so.

35:26

Liam, can you? I can make sure Christina

35:28

stays out of your way.

35:30

Menchu nodded. I leave that to your

35:32

initiative. Take Sal for backup.

35:34

Grace, you and I will go with the Santi. We

35:37

should all assume that magical interference will put us

35:39

out of contact as soon as we're in range of our respective

35:41

targets, so our rendezvous will be in six hours.

35:44

If there's no word from the other half of the team

35:46

in ten, contact Rong immediately

35:49

and tell them everything. Everything? Ask

35:51

Sal. Everything, said Menchu.

35:54

If we fail here, they will have to know what they're dealing

35:56

with. Understood? Everyone

35:59

dead? Godspeed to

36:01

us all. It

36:04

was just past nine o'clock when the manhole cover

36:06

behind the white rental van slipped out of place

36:09

and five people climbed out of the Belfast sewers.

36:12

The group split into two and exchanged no

36:14

words before parting. None

36:17

of them failed to note that although Dawn had long

36:19

since passed, the sky above had

36:21

taken on a pinkish tinge.

36:26

You are listening to Book Burners. Created

36:30

and produced by Realm, your portal

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to another world. Listen away.

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Nowadays, trends and news cycles

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change faster than we can blink. But

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there are some things that withstand

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and maybe also a glimpse of

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believe everyone can relate

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to the very human experiences

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explored in Jane Austen's novels. And

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that's where I come in. My name

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is Alison Larkin. I'm a writer,

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with Alison Larkin. I

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And now that I live in the States, nothing

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Book Burners is created by Max Gladstone

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and written by Max Gladstone, Margaret

38:19

Dunlap, Amal El-Mothar,

38:21

Mur Lafferty, Andrea

38:23

Phillips, and Brian Francis Slattery.

38:26

Executive produced by Molly Barton and

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Julian Yap. Performed

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by XC Sans. Audio

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theme by Hashem Asadolahi, featuring

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