Nightside 06 - Sharper Than a Serpents Tooth

any more.
    "Hello, old thing," said Tommy Oblivion. "So glad you could join us. And you've brought company! How sweet. Do sit down and have a little something with us, and a splash of champers. I think it's terribly important we all remain civilised in situations like this, don't you?"
    "Want me to shoot him?" said Suzie.
    "I'm thinking about it," I said. "Hello, Tommy. I should have known it was you, with your existential gift, hiding Cathy. Still sticking with the effete image, I see."
    He flapped his long, bony fingers in an affable sort of way. "Stay with what works, that's what I say."
    "How's your brother?"
    "Still dead. But he says he's starting to get used to it. And he's a better private eye now than he ever was while he was alive."
    "I think that's enough civilities," I said. "Tell me where Cathy is, or I'll have Suzie shoot you somewhere really unfortunate."
    "Any violence and you'll never see her again," said Sandra. Her voice was deep and vibrant and bitter as cyanide. "You'll never find Cathy Barrett without our help."
    "Where is she?" I said, and my voice was colder than the night. Tommy and Sandra sat up a little straighter.
    "She's sleeping peacefully," said Sandra. "In one of these graves. I put a spell on her, then Tommy and I opened up a grave, put her in it, and covered her over again. She's quite safe, for the time being. All you have to do is turn yourself in to Walker, and Tommy and I will dig her up and return her safely to the Nightside. Of course, the longer she stays underground, the more difficult it will be to wake her from the spell…"
    "Of course," I said. "You're never happy with a spell unless it's got a sting in the tail." I looked at Tommy. "Why are you doing this? Sandra I can understand. I've never known her to balk at anything if the price was right. But you… what happened to those principles you used to trumpet so loudly? Cathy's the only innocent in this whole business."
    His cheeks flushed a little, but he held my gaze steadily. "Needs must when the devil drives, old sport. You're just too dangerous to be allowed to run loose any more. I saw what you did with Merlin and Nimue, remember? You don't care about anyone or anything, except getting your own way."
    "No," said Razor Eddie. "That's not true."
    We all glanced at him, a little startled. He was so quiet and still it was easy to forget he was there.
    "You have to be stopped," said Tommy, a little more loudly than was necessary. "You're cold and ruthless and…"
    "You got back from the Past months ago," I said, talking right over him. "Why didn't you do something before this? Why wait till now?"
    "I was keeping my head down, out of sight, while I thought things through," said Tommy. He was trying hard not to sound defensive. "I put a lot of thought into how best to stop you. It took me a while to admit I couldn't hope to do it alone. So I came up with this plan, and went to Walker with it, and he put me together with Sandra. Not at all a nice plan, I agree, but you brought it on yourself. Fight fire with fire, and all that. You might say… this was my last test for you, John. One last chance to see what you're really made of, to see if you care for anyone other than yourself. Prove me wrong about you. Prove to me and to Walker that you're not the evil we think you are by turning yourself in. And I give you my word that Cathy will be released, entirely unharmed."
    "I can't," I said, trying hard to make him hear the need and urgency and honesty in my voice. "My mother Lilith is back, and she's worse than I'll ever be. I'm the only one who can stop her from destroying the Nightside."
    "Such arrogance," said Sandra. "We'll stop her, after we've dealt with you."
    "I could blow your head right off your shoulders," Suzie Shooter said casually.
    "You could try," said Sandra Chance. The two women smiled at each other easily. Sandra leaned forward to put down her champagne glass, and Suzie moved her shotgun slightly to keep her covered. "I am a necromancer," said Sandra. "And this is my place of power. With this much death to draw on, even the Punk God of the Straight Razor can't hope to stand against me. Your presence here was not expected or required, little god. This is nothing to do with you."
    "Yes it is," said Eddie. "I know what you found in the future, John. I know who you found. I've always known."
    I looked at him sharply. I saw him die, in the Timeslip future. I helped him to die. But I never told anyone.
    He shrugged