Station, стр. 83
"Well then, Mister Rott, curiosity is another thingcompletely. To satiate curiosity, almost any effort issubstantiated. I'll get to work."
"Thank you, Milo."
Light attacked Hadder's eyes through their closedlids as he lay heavy on his back. He turned his head before openingthem, his mind scrambling to recall his last moments, fighting toremember what had transpired. To his right, there was nothing, onlyan empty, cavernous room filled with color. His eyes continuing toadjust, Hadder faced up again to find a stained-glass dome ceilingsending rays of the Solay on a prismatic journey into the roombeneath.
His brain continued to claw through bits and pieces,attempting to find purchase on something, anything that wouldpropel him into remembrance. Focusing on the stained glass farabove him, Hadder slowly began to make out images in the decorativeceiling. A winged angel, hand gripping a glowing knife, was beingwhipped in the face by an unseen force hiding in the cloudy skyabove.
For some reason, the knife caught Hadder'sattention, tickled something in his memory. He pulled at thatstrand, determined to find out where it would take him. He recalleda knife. Phantom pains began to dot Hadder's body, forcing him toclutch at invisible wounds. Questions began to form. How did he gethere? Where was he? Would Lilly know how to find him? Lilly. Lilly.Knife. Royal.
Lilly stabbing him countless times in the chest, thedead eyes of a shark wearing her face. Was she here now, lurking,waiting to finish the grim job?
Hadder rolled off the cot on which he had been laid,crashing to the polished marble floor. He tried to stand quicklybut immediately fell, his legs still weak, and his equilibrium off.Hadder spun on his backside, hands out defensively, eyes darting inevery direction, waiting for his lover to tear out from theshadows, sharp blade leading the way, hungry for the last of hisblood. He twisted on the floor like a madman for several seconds,seeing a danger at each turn, terrified of feeling cold steelinside his body again.
"You're quite safe, Marlin Hadder."
The familiar voice halted Hadder's freneticmovements like a pause button. Stuck in a crab-walk position,Hadder looked over to where the sound came from and wassurprisingly comforted by what he saw there.
Albany Rott sat cross-legged in an antique thronechair, his glowing red eyes standing out even in the brightly lit,empty cathedral. Both the symbol at this throat and the jagged scarthat journeyed down his face continued to pulse with power as hepuffed on an ancient-looking silver dragon cigarette holder. Thetwin crystalline hatchets remained tucked neatly into his blackbelt.
Hadder twisted to face the city's creator, puttinghis back to the cot on which he woke. "Where am I?"
Rott exhaled a lungful of smoke, smiling as it tookthe shape of a skull momentarily before spreading out intononexistence. "You're in a cathedral on the backside of Rott Manor.I thought it would be the most beautiful place for you to awakenin. But it seems like the nightmares chased you here."
"Not nightmares. Ex-girlfriend."
"Yes, I know what happened to you. Humans nevercease to surprise me with the lengths they will go in the name ofself-preservation. Or self-improvement."
Hadder rose to his feet, only to immediately sitdown on the cot. A grimace crossed his features.
Rott smiled again, showcasing those too-white teeth."You're completely healed, but the mind remembers your numerouswounds, your carved-up flesh. It will take time for those musclememories to fade."
"How long have I been here?"
"This is your third Solay here."
"Damn it. So much time lost."
"You were dead, Marlin Hadder. I think we did prettywell, considering."
"We?"
"I had Dr. Flowers return you to the realm of theliving."
"Why?"
"He asked me that very question. And I'll give youthe same answer I provided him with - I don't know. Maybe I didn'tlike how your story ended. Maybe I think you can do better."
"I don't know whether to thank you or curse you. Youfixed me up only to send me to battle against an unbeatableforce."
"Dr. Flowers said that as well."
"And your response?"
"Maybe I have more faith in you than you do."
"Well, that warms my heart to hear." The wordsdripped with sarcasm. Hadder leaned forward, pressed his hands tohis thighs for aid, and stood on shaky legs. Pain ripped throughhis body like his veins had caught fire, forcing Hadder to closehis eyes tight. He silently argued with his brain, chiding it forreacting to the ghosts of trauma, urging it to forget about LillySistine and her betrayal. Through sheer will, the agony subsided,retreated to become a pervasive ache. It would have to do.
Hadder opened his eyes once more. Albany Rott wasnow also standing, smiling as if only he knew the punchline to somesecret joke. "See. Better already."
"Thanks for the second chance. Again. But I have toget back. We still have many preparations to make. And we're almostout of time."
Rott nodded, took another pull from his silverdragon. "Of course."
Hadder gingerly made his way towards the cathedral'sentrance, each movement giving voice to another repaired wound. Ashe walked, something gnawed at Hadder. Step by step, Hadder grewincreasingly annoyed, increasingly confused, and increasinglyangry. By the time he reached the ornate entryway, he could keepquiet no longer.
Hadder turned to face Albany Rott once more. "Idon't understand your game, Mister Rott." Rott only lifted a darkred eyebrow in response. "I appreciate you fixing me up, but weneed much more if we're gonna put up a fight in this war. I knowthe Risers fear you. I know for a fact that The Krown fears you.You could stop this madness with a snap of your fingers, and yetyou sit on the sidelines like some blood-thirsty spectator. We needyou."
Rott's ember eyes studied Hadder, head cocked to theside as if he were a hunter considering whether to eat an animal ithad cornered. "You know, Marlin Hadder, you're one of only ahandful