The Bride Wore Black Leather

then, this is now.” Benway looked at him defiantly. “So here you are, back in town after all these years, and you didn’t even come to me first. I had to hear about your glorious return from someone else.”
    “I had my work to be about,” said the Sun King.
    “You always did,” said the woman who used to be a princess.
    They looked at each other for a long moment, and both their faces softened. The Sun King put out a hand, and Benway took it, and they held on to each other like they would never let go. Everyone else watched, silently, caught up in the moment. They were in the presence of legends, and they knew it.
    “Why?” Benway said finally. “Why didn’t you take me with you, into the White Tower? I tried to follow you in, but the wall closed after you . . . I called to you, pounded on the wall with my fists; but you never answered. Did your Big Cosmic Daddies order you not to let me in? Did they tell you I wasn’t worthy?”
    “That’s not how it was,” said the Sun King. “I wanted to take everyone in with me. I thought I’d only be in there for a moment, and I could walk back out and invite you all in. I wanted everyone to be living gods, like me. But that wasn’t how it worked. When I did come out again, years had passed, and the world had moved on. Oh, Princess . . . all the years we’ve lost. The life we could have had together. You’ve changed, Princess.”
    “You haven’t,” said Benway.
    The Sun King smiled. “Some old wrongs can be put right.”
    He pulled his hand out of hers. She sighed and almost fell, as though some basic strength had been taken away from her. The Sun King dropped both hands onto her thin, bony shoulders, and he shook her, once. Dr. Benway cried out, in shock rather than pain, and all the years fell away from her. The Sun King laughed, took his hands away from her, and stood back to look at what he’d done. The whole lobby looked on in silent and respectful awe, at the beautiful young woman standing where Dr. Benway had been. Long blonde hair fell down around a flawless face, and Princess Starshine held up her hands and looked at them. Young hands, without a mark on them. She brought her hands to her face, and cried out again, at the untouched skin her fingers found. Someone in the crowd stepped forward and humbly presented her with a mirror. The princess looked at her young face with something like shock, as though she was looking at someone she only vaguely remembered. Someone she hadn’t seen in a long time. Her beautiful young face was full of awe and wonder. She lowered the mirror and looked at the Sun King with clear blue eyes; and he bowed to her without a hint of mockery.
    “Welcome back, my Emily. My Princess Starshine, and my one true love. Welcome . . . all the way back. I am the Miracle Man, once again. Walk with me, as we did before in that far-off land, and embrace your power again. The living god and his living goddess, come to put the world to right.”
    “I can’t,” she said, in a voice rich with youth and emotion. “I have responsibilities here. My hospital, my patients . . .”
    “You have no more patients,” the Sun King said gently. “I cured them all. My gift to you.”
    “Even the ones in Ward 12A?” said Princess Starshine.
    “The unfortunates and the untouchables? The abducted and distorted? Oh yes, my princess, those most of all. There but for the grace of the Entities from Beyond, go I.” He paused, frowning slightly. “Well, when I say I cured everyone, obviously I didn’t include the vampires. Or any of the other inhuman scum. Or any of the really ugly people. No. I killed all of those.”
    “What?” The princess looked at him shocked. “You killed . . . ? Who gave you the right . . . ?”
    “I did!” said the Sun King. “Only the beautiful people belong in the marvellous new world we shall make.”
    The princess slapped his face, hard. The impact slammed his head round. The sound was flat and ugly on the still air. No-one said anything. The Sun King slowly brought his head back round, to stare at the princess. His face was completely empty of expression or emotion.
    “You killed my patients!” screamed the princess. “How dare you? They came here for help! We’re here for everyone who needs us. We don’t make distinctions. Hospitals are for everyone! That’s the point!”
    The Sun King looked down on her, his face cold and disappointed. “You always did think too small,