The Alarm Clock at the End of the World

Part 81

Some years later, not long before the concert.

Nepotism points inside the temple. “I think we should probably go in there.”

“Did Solomon know Crowley?” Nigel asks.

Nepotism’s laugh is condescending. “Oh, no, Aleister Crowley is dead. Joshua Solomon just happens to be an evil fucker as well. He could be tuned into us right now, monitoring our every movement. Keep an open eye. What do you think Solomon is trying to say with a replica of a replica?”

The stage itself is iron grate with ten smooth plastic discs arrange in a Sephiroth. “Got me, dude,” I say. “You’re the one with the creative imagination.”

We’re in the gate of the temple. Goat flicks a Zippo and Nepotism nearly topples Kara and Nigel to extinguish the flame. “Styrofoam, dude, we’ll go down like a zip bomb. Don’t you have flashlights?”

Tyr enters with a beam of light from a tiny aluminum flashlight. “Is it here? Did you find the Alarm Clock?” He steps first into the replica chapel and we all follow.

“What does it look like?” Kara asks. Nigel chuckles.

“Caduceus,” Nepotism says. “Two snakes curling up a staff. Symbol of the medical profession for more than two thousand years.”

“Looks like DNA,” I say.

We are in a short corridor complete with pews and a dias.

“What is all this for?” Nigel asks.

“The audience can’t even see in here,” Goat says.

“It’s two different shows!” Nepotism exclaims. “One out there for the rank and file, and a second performance for the inner circle.”

Tyr’s beam pools at my feet and I jump. Engraved beneath me is an insignia of a fish molded to appear carved in the vacu-formed stone surface. “No shit,” I whisper.

“What’s that mean?” Kara asks.

“That’s the insignia for the Piscean Knights,” Nepotism answers.

“Like, ‘Lapis’ Piscean Knights?” Goat asks.

“The Pisceans had nothing to do with Lapis when I was around,” I say. “Nepotism either. The kids that lived were offered pardons if the Pisceans took control of the organization. It was my fault it started, it was completely an accident. I was fighting a villain and pushed some people down an escalator. I was still chasing the suspect, I didn’t even know about the riot until I got home a couple hours later.”

“St. Eva was in that battle.” Kara says.

“The riot cost Metro City millions of dollars in damage and untold loss of life,” Mephis says. “The fighting came to an end when the Legion of Badguys attacked Metro City in a rare concerted effort, causing greater damage and more loss of life on Hero Island. The superheros were forced to mend their differences and reunite. All superheros were later pardoned for their actions and reaccepted into the Superhero Gang. Only Dr. Filth and St. Eva were fired, and Bureaucraticus with them for good measure.”  Mephis waves the beam onto the walls again, walking out of sight behind columns as he walks. “Leadership of the group was never determined.”