Nightside 09 - Just Another Judgement Day

Club Members made noises of agreement. I looked around me, taking my time. “He’s just a small man who made a big mistake. It’s over. Let it go.”
    “Why should we?” said Sebastian Stargrave in his quiet, deadly way.
    “Because he’s under my protection,” I said. “Anyone here have a problem with that?”
    No-one said anything. And then, one by one, they turned away and set about clearing up the mess. Because while they were all quite definitely heroes and adventurers...I was John Taylor; and you never knew. Bulldog went off to sit in the corner, Suzie put her shotgun away, and I retrieved my chaos dice from the blood-soaked carpet. Augusta Moon and Sebastian Stargrave ostentatiously turned their backs on me and drifted off together. Janissary Jane stood before the jungle painting, studying it thoughtfully. And Chandra Singh came forward, cleaning his long blade with a length of silk.
    He nodded easily to me, extremely white teeth flashing in his great black beard. “Good to meet you at last, Mr. Taylor. I know you by reputation, of course, and I am pleased to discover it is not exaggerated.” He turned his smile on Suzie and actually beamed broadly at her. “Miss Suzie, a pleasure to make your acquaintance again.”
    And to my surprise, Suzie actually smiled briefly at him. “Chandra. Killed any good monsters recently?”
    He laughed, a rich and carefree sound. “I have been to many places in the world, and seen many monstrous things. Some I had no choice but to kill; some I captured to protect innocent lives; and some I photographed and let go. Not every creature is a monster, if you catch my meaning.”
    “You two know each other?” I said, trying to keep it casual.
    “I watched his back, on a few hunts,” said Suzie. “I was his native guide in the Nightside.”
    “Miss Suzie is a most excellent shot,” said Chandra. “We worked well together. And I am hoping that you and I will also be able to work together, Mr. Taylor. You have been summoned here to hunt the Walking Man, am I not correct?”
    “Could be,” I said. “How would that concern you? I thought you only hunted monsters.”
    Chandra Singh nodded soberly. “Such has been my calling for many years, yes. I am a Sikh, Mr. Taylor, from the Punjab. I am what my people call a khalsa, or holy warrior. I stand against the forces of darkness, in all their forms. Does that perhaps remind you of anyone?”
    “The Walking Man,” I said. “Both of you serve your god in violent ways.”
    “Exactly, Mr. Taylor. I feel a great need to meet this Walking Man, and talk with him, and discover if he is indeed what they say he is.”
    “And if he is?” I said.
    Chandra smiled his great smile again. “Then perhaps I shall sit at his feet and learn wisdom. But I think that unlikely. If he has done even some of the things they say he has, he would seem to be as much a servant of the dark as the light. And I will oppose him to my last breath. So, I ask your permission to accompany you and Miss Suzie as you track him down.”
    “What do you think, Suzie?” I said.
    “He kills monsters,” said Suzie. “Better to have him where we can see him, than maybe sneaking up on us. And I am kind of curious to see what will happen when two holy warriors go head to head.”
    “All right,” I said to Chandra. “You’re in. We split the fee three ways, and you’re responsible for your own expenses. Agreed?”
    “Most certainly, Mr. Taylor. I shall be very interested to see how you work, close up.”
    “If the Walking Man truly is a servant of the Christian God, where does that leave you?” I said, honestly curious.
    “God is God,” said Chandra. “Creator of us all. I do not think the Supreme Being cares what name we give him, as long as we talk to him. And listen.”

* * * *
    Walker finally came down to fetch me and Suzie, looked around at the general blood and mess, and gave me a stern look.
    “Can’t take you two anywhere.”
    “Entirely not my fault,” I said. “See Bulldog Hammond over there, sitting very quietly in the corner?”
    “Ah,” said Walker. “I suppose none of this is Suzie’s fault either?”
    “Of course not,” I said. “Or there’d be dead bodies piled up all over the place.”
    “Good point,” said Walker. “Come with me. The Authorities are waiting.”
    “What took you so long?” I said. “I was under the impression they were expecting us.”
    “We had things to discuss first,” said Walker. “Like