Station, стр. 70

"Worse than I imagined." Hadder turned to Glen,looked him in the eye. "There's a war coming, Glen. The Riserswon't be held back by the Skirt for much longer. If The Krownconsolidates power, they're gonna try to bring the city down."

"The Fall."

"That's right. You know of it?"

Glen mulled over the question, took the opportunityto light a cigarette. He offered one to Hadder, who accepted andput it between his lips. Glen lit Hadder's cigarette beforecontinuing. "Well, all of the Keys knew of the Fall, the inevitableend of the city. I'm sure you've heard the same from other sources,especially given the cast of characters you've met with recently,but Station was never meant to be permanent, was always justanother pit stop on the way to the great beyond."

"Then what's the point? Why even create it?"

"You'd have to ask Mister Rott that one."

"So, what then? Are we just to let it die? Give upon our second chance the way we did the first time?"

"That's the question, isn't it, Hadder. What do youdo in the face of the inevitable - fight or accept? Which is morepainful?"

Hadder absently rubbed the gash on his leg. "Well, Ican tell you firsthand that fighting isn't painless."

"Yeah, I see that you got a hitch in your giddy-up.You should get a manikin to look at that."

"I will." Hadder decided against avoiding the topicany longer. "Seen Lilly around?"

"Yeah, she stayed here last night. She heard youwere back and went out a few hours ago. Check the usualplaces."

"I will, thanks." Hadder finished his beer and gotup to leave. Glen stopped him with an upraised hand.

"You asked why. I think the city is either atest for us who have been given this second life, or it's just somegrand experiment, and we're the guinea pigs. Or, hell, maybe it'sboth." Glen stopped to consider something, then resumed. "I'm not ahappy man, Hadder, but I'm not miserable any longer, either. Thisplace isn't much, but I made it, and I run it. And I ain't gonnarun from it. Fight or accept? I choose to fight, but don't expect asimilar answer from most residents. We've grown soft as the Riserssharpen themselves on each other. If you're gonna prepare for war,you're gonna have your work cut out for you."

Hadder nodded, made for the exit.

"And go gentle with Lilly. She thinks you chose adead girl over her."

Lilly Sistine sat on a bench, staring into themagical waters of the Lethe River. Whether she was attempting toforget or remember Marlin Hadder was debatable. Hadder limped overand sat down next to her. She continued looking forward, sadness inher beautiful eyes.

"Something happened to your leg?"

"Yeah, someone tried to cut it off."

She laughed lightly, looked over to Hadder. "So, Iguess you avenged your girl."

"Not my girl. Our friend. And, yes,she's been avenged. Our home is safe, for now."

"So that's it? I'm supposed to just forget that youleft me, made a conscious choice to leave me, to run off intocertain death, chasing the memory of a dead girl? You're right,Reena was our friend. But she's dead, and I'm alive. And you choseher over me."

Hadder had prepared himself for this moment, but thepadding he erected failed to soften the blows. "I knew I'd comeback, Lilly."

Sadness flashed into anger. "Bullshit, Marlin! Youprobably gave yourself a fifty-fifty shot at surviving, and that'sbecause you're stupid. If Mister Rott didn't take pity on you andprovide you with Caesar guards, you would have been dead thirtyminutes into the Rising."

Hadder bit back a comment doubting that Albany Rottfelt any emotion similar to pity. "But he did give me the Caesars.And I did make it back."

"But if he didn't give you the Caesars, you werestill going to go."

Dishonesty seemed a poor tactic at this time. "Iwas." The slap came out of nowhere, sent Hadder's face to the side.Thrown with a shaking hand and powered by hurt, one of Lilly'slarge rings caught Hadder above the eye, opening a cut and sendingblood streaming down.

Lilly's eyes went wide at the blood, and her handswent to her mouth. "Oh my god, Marlin, I'm sorry."

Hadder managed to smile through the pain, tried toblink away the blood. "I probably deserved that. Feel better?"

Lilly stood and began to wipe the blood fromHadder's face with her white t-shirt. The hint of a smile formed."A little, actually."

"Want to try the other side?"

Lilly playfully hit Hadder on the shoulder. "Don'ttempt me, Marlin Hadder. I can be more dangerous than any stupidRiser."

"I believe it. I was more frightened of seeing youthan meeting The Krown."

"The who?"

"Doesn't matter. I'm here now. And I'm not leaving."Hadder pulled Lilly towards him, engulfed her in a passionate kiss,a tenderness to counteract the recent Rage. They separated, andLilly had Hadder's blood on her face. "You've got blood on yourface, Lilly."

"Leave it. Maybe I'll cosplay as Marlin Haddertonight, the demon of the Celebration Cluster."

"You heard about that, too?"

"Everyone's heard about it, Marlin. You didn'texactly make a subtle return."

"It needed to be done."

"Did it? Or maybe you just got off on scaring theshit out of the Celebration residents."

"Can't two things be true?"

"I suppose they can. Come on, let's get that leg andthose arms looked at. Who knows what kind of bacteria you picked upin the Rising."

Hadder rose on unsteady legs, found his throatseized in Lilly's small hands. "Promise me you won't go off again.Promise me the death wish and killing ends here."

"I promise," replied Hadder, grabbing Lilly Sistinein a tight embrace. As he held her, drinking in her sweet smell andsoft body, Hadder smiled to himself, thinking that one out twopromises kept ain't half bad.

The next few weeks passed uncomfortably, like Hadderwas wearing a costume of wool. Lilly Sistine moved back into TheRoyal Jelly, but the honeymoon was over. Small missteps broughtupon strong reactions and poorly selected words ushered inperfectly selected insults. Despite these tribulations, theirrelationship healed slowly.

Solays were spent much as they were in those betterdays - small concerts on the lawn, long walks to the Samsara, andtrips to other Clusters.

When he could, however, Hadder would sneak off withRoyal or Glen, visiting other