Out of the Black - Lee Doty [167]
"My deal with the devil." Issak's words were almost inaudible, but in their understatement burned both guilt and frustration.
Ping understood the texture of Kaspari's words. This was familiar territory for him; this was his kind of guilt. Not guilt for inaction, not guilt for selfish deeds- this was guilt for noble but misguided efforts repaid with tragedy. "What were you trying to do?" He asked from behind Kaspari.
Issak disengaged from Anne's stare and turned to the guy with Roy's sword. "Exploring," he paused, his jaw set as if resisting some unseen force, "Under this reality, there is another world, and in that world are the keys to power in this one. I found a way to explore the world below the Underworld, but there was only chaos... and something very old." He gestured expansively, "All this is my fault."
Kaspari had taken the plunge into irrelevant exposition, but Ping wasn't deterred. "What were you trying to do when Dek died?"
"No way back." Kaspari said so quietly that only Anne heard.
"What were you trying to do when Dek died?" Anne asked, fractionally softer than she thought she would.
Issak turned back to Anne, but this time his eyes didn't hold the inquisitor's torch. This time his eyes were semi opaque windows into a very dark place.
"Trying to make it right." He said.
"How?" Alex asked.
"When I came back from underneath, this thing followed me back. I didn't know at first, but it's the thing controlling the meat puppets you fought upstairs. It is the darkness inside the Harms- it's the wave that will cover the earth if I can't stop it."
Kaspari paused. They waited. At last, "It's aligned itself with one of the Clans- a previously minor one called Asado. I believe you've met them on several occasions. Asado thinks they can use their alliance with The Outsider to gain power, but they'll end up on the buffet table sooner or later. Still, Asado's Savants couldn't give it what it really wanted. When I found out, I made a deal with it... It leaves my family alone, and I give it access to the Loom."
"No!" Alex took half a step forward.
Ping held up a finger for Alex to shut up. He gave him a quick 'Right Now' look.
"What it wanted wasn't possible." Kaspari glanced sideways at Alex. "You can't align a beast like that. Even if you tried it on one of its puppets, the Outsider's presence would disrupt the Cast. The Loom is order, but this thing is chaos. You felt it when you touched them."
Alex nodded. Issak glanced at Anne quickly. "I thought I could use Dek's Forge to trap it. I thought that his Forge would bind to the Outsider and encapsulate its distortions enough for me to get a hold of it. I hoped the Forge would hold it long enough for me to force it back to where it came from."
Issak gave a pained smile, "Luckily, I didn't get a chance to try my little plan."
"It surprised you? Turned on you?" Ping prompted when Issak paused again.
"No," Issak said, "Dek did."
They all waited out another pause.
"He surprised me. I was so focused on making sure I managed it carefully, making sure the Outsider didn't catch on... I never saw it coming." He looked to Anne. "Even though I thought I held him tight, even though I'd separated him from his speed and power..."
A smile like fatherly pride spread across his face, sweet and painful. "He took me out and killed a couple of the flesh puppets. He thought he was saving the world when he went out the window of Ivo's penthouse. As it turned out, he only saved me."
"Saved you?" Ping asked.
Kaspari realized he was smiling and it looked like that realization nearly killed him. "It couldn't have worked. My big plan- it never had a chance." He gave a bitter smile. "When Dek disrupted my plans, he saved me."
"Why are you so sure your plan would have failed?" Alex asked.
"Because I know something now that then I didn't: I'm the anchor that holds The Outsider in this world. It latched onto me when I was underneath. I brought it back with me. It's the link between us that holds the door between our worlds open."
"So the only thing holding this Outsider in