CHAPTER 49 - INFERNO

FINAL CHAPTER OF "LOVE AND DEATH AT THE TIMES OF SECOND LIFE"
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CHAPTER 49

INFERNO


The flashing dagger raced toward Sindy’s heart. All heard Sindy scream in agony. Muffin turned his head. Ed fell to his knees. Witney began to cry.

The plaque of the Worm Orobos began to glow. Sodom Mountain’s rumble diminished. The light from the volcano began to fade.

Circe’s deadly blow was deflected. Circe raised the dagger again. Again she plunged it into Sindy’s heart and again it was deflected. Circe screamed in rage and plunged and plunged and plunged and plunged the dirk into Sindy. But to no avail. The dagger could not pierce the scar upon Sindy’s breast.

Muffin stood and then fell to his knees. It was Oboros, the deity before time, extending her hand of protection over the innocent and against evil.

Circe lay exhausted across the unconscious body of Sindy Blazer

Sister Letum stepped forward and pried the dagger from Circe’s hand.

Sister Letum walked to the golden throne and sat upon it. She surveyed the scene. Mount Sodom rumbled again and new lava flows appeared in the dark night.

“The Coronation will proceed. Circe has spoken,” Sister Letum said in a firm and commanding voice.

The Army of the Right and Left Hands of Circe dressed their ranks. And the ceremony was resumed.

Ed stood and walked to Sissy Talbot. He raised the crown above her head.

Mount Sodom rumbled, but Punky heard it first. A faint rustle of tree tops and the dull thunder of pumping steam engines. Punky looked up. Daggy immediately looked up as well. The sound grew louder. Others began looking toward the sky dense with trees and only a glimpse of shining aluminum.

Punky stood among the confusion and shouted. “It’s the Dread and she’s coming down. Run, Run fast, Now, Now, Now!”

Sister Letum was transfixed by the enormity of the descending dirigible. Her troops began to scatter. Punky grabbed Sindy and ran toward the gate. Muffin and the chair preceded them and the gate was opened. If any one knew the danger of the crashing Dread it was The Chair. The crash would be little compared to the explosion of two million cubic feet of hydrogen. The armies of Circe panicked as the huge metal form above them came breaking through the tree tops. Huge tree limbs were falling, as were spars of aluminum, and steaming hot water. Daggy grabbed Adel and pulled her out the gates. The army broke and ran. The polo ponies broke their tethers’ and galloped toward freedom.

All but Sister Letum ran. Sister Letum stood upon the golden throne and cursed the Dread. She held Circe’s dagger in her fist and screamed into the night sky and descending doom.

The night sky, the ancient forest and the entire caldera of Mount Sodom burst into a white hot inferno.

In moments everything in the Druid Grove was reduced to nothing. The entire grove confined with the stone walls was reduced to a slab of melted stone and rocks. All had escaped but Sister Letum, and where she had stood only an oozing puddle of silver remained in the burned blackness of the Druid Grove.

As Sindy, The Chair, Muffin, Punky, Daggy, and crew descended the mountains side, Chris turned to Witney. “I’m very proud Witney, very proud.”

Witney smiled.

Sindy was leading the group and was fumbling in her pockets looking or a pen and notebook. She had a scoop to get out.

All Punky could think of was courts martial for loosing a ship. The Chair came forward and put an arm around Punky and offered a Testosa Grande Resreva. Punky took the cigar and lit up.

“Good work Punky,” said the Chair. “Good work. Now I got another mission I want you to volunteer for.”

Punky thought a moment, smiled, and replied “What’s the odds?”

The found Tek sitting by the path.

Daggy was already thinking about improvements to the Dread’s design, that is if she ever got another chance at construction.

They were approaching the Temple of Hedon, and the party paused. Muffin took a long sip from a tankard of ale.

Witney stood deep in thought. She was watching the frolicking and dancing within the temple.

Witney looked at the little band and said, “You guys go ahead, I’ll catch up in a while.”

Chris frowned, kissed his daughter, and the band of sisters and brothers proceeded down the hill as Witney headed for the bubbling hot springs and the dancing boys and girls.

“What shall we call this?” said The Chair to Muffin.

Muffin thought for a moment. “How about the Hydrogen Revolution.”

The sun was peaking over the horizon and a new day was dawning.