Unliekly Meeting

[deathgal]

Carrie was sitting with her relatives. Her pervert of a cousin was messing around with the other boys. She on the other hand was being forced to cook. She hated cooking. Her aunt and Uncle both had yelled at her and slapped her to make her cook. Lara was there helping her even though she wasn't family. Her other family members were more worce than her aunt and uncle are. He cousin and the other boys walked up. She just happened to be wearing her favourite white dress today. They dumbed water right over her. They burst out laughing. Carrie burst of crying. Lara helped her try and dry off.

[Black_Rider]

Shadow stopped and watched this wearing a black shirt and trench coat that could be consider also a cloak. Dark jeans as well as black shoes. His skin slightly tan, tall , dark hair that went past his ears it could be considered long. Slender and very handsome, as well as mysterious. His piercing ice blue eyes watched her. Shadow had not thought of meeting her here. It was a warm day not to hot however. Looking away as if to leave. This would not work in the end.

[deathgal]

Lara tapped Carrie's shoulder. Carrie looked around and spotted him. He told Lara to watch the food. She ran over. She got infront of him. " I didn't expect to run into you. But maybe you could do me a favour and torture my pervert cousins" she said. She sighed slightly. But she smiled now.

[Black_Rider]

Seeing running up to him out of the corner of her eye. He kept walking however untill she was promotly infront of him. The question was not unexpected but, he seemed to not be interested. Unfortantely he was already doing that. They had supposdly fallen down though one ontop of the other. The air had been compersed which would cause pain. He realesed the magic he may have made a few pass out. " that has been taken care of , i could do worse " he said moving to go past her. Aware eyes where on him it seemed girls where always trying to go out with him. Course he never really cared. Oddly his skin seems warmer more or less from sometimes being half in the gate. Which was why he sometimes felt phantom pains.

[deathgal]

Carrie sighed. " Why do you come over? They won't bite. The girls of my family are too insane to bother you" she said. She looked over to Lara. Lara shrugged but saw Carrie's aunt and uncle walking over.

[Black_Rider]

" you will give me no opition " he said as if he knew something she did not. Besides he had just gotten back from the only thing he really needed to do today. So it could not hurt anything to stay here for awhile. " if you wish " he said after a few seconds.

[deathgal]

Carrie smiled slightly. She looked over seeing her whole family going over to the BBQ. She sighed. She slowly walked back and started giving them their food. She hated being treated this way.

[Black_Rider]

Shadow remembered something seeing this but walked over with her. Though seemed to stay atleast a foot or two away from everyone. It was unlikely she had figured out he was not actually human. This fact he ignored never mentioning it but never denying. His ice blue eyes glanced around sizeing up her family, and mentaly noting it as well. Watching Carrie he noticied it seemed to be a routine. He almost seemed to sigh slightly. Perhaps she had noticed when he dissappeared by the time he got back his skin always seemed warmer somehow. Snapping out of his thoughts when he noticed someone people walking over.

[deathgal]

Carrie finally finished and sat down in the chair. Lara walked off and sat away from the big family. Carrie felt eyes on her from her whole family. She knew if she did anything wrong she'd get beaten. She looked to her two cousins who weren't perverts.

The two boys looked to him. " Who are you and who invited you to this reunion" they asked.

[Black_Rider]

Shadow watched them out of the corner of his eye. Aware of there movements and seeing the intions whether they knew it or not. He has his ways though to some it would be frightening. Knowing you are not safe even in your mind. Ever since he had started being around Carrie, it seemed slowly his skin warmed up faster at first, due to the fact of being around Kitty Jones that, though was long enough ago for him to not think of it as much. Turning to face them his ice blue eyes fixed on them. To many his eyes are stunning and beautiful to people, yet to some frightening.
" my name and the reason i'm here is none of your concern " his voice was calm and cool, which may be disturbing.

[deathgal]

Carrie watched her two cousins but knew she should be getting started on cleaning up the place. But she tried to stay calm.

" We bet your here because of our ugly cousin Carrie. No one but her friend Lara likes her. Our family has hated her ever since we found out what she is" the two boys both said.

[Black_Rider]

Shadow's gaze did not lift from them. The eyes where empty, uncaring, something else was there. It was hard to make out. Yet it lured people in unknowingly. A silent stare and when he spoke it would, be as if a knife had slit there throat, and pierced there hearts. Cold uncaring unmistakeable forbidding. " careful of the words you speak when you know nothing of it, and be wise of whom your words are spoken ". Watching them his eyes were cold and held a warning. The gaze could very well be deadly. In there minds they would here, a cool voice that seemed to come from everywhere at once, far away but close up. ' If you have a wish to be dead then speak the words and it shall be granted '.

[deathgal]

Carrie couldn't take it anymore. She stood up and morphed. She had morphed into a tiger. She growled at everyone who was close enough. But the problem was being insulted.

The two boys looked to her. " Like we're scared of you, Carrie the freak. We aren't going to run away" they said.

[Black_Rider]

Shadow smirked slighty he could arrange them to be scared. Seeing most people where gone he took off the trench coat. Which actually was never there it was a illusion. It was actually the cloak its self. Besides he was getting ready to go fix a problem anyways. Pulling it over his head they will learn a lesson. People fear him beyond reason today and they did in many years ago as well. Death its self is something that goes with him. Fear can not be taken away. Deadly deeds have been spoken of. And he is the reason they still say to stay off the road. The reson for many words of advice. Yet to be a blade in the crowd you should not be notice. None of his features can be seen total darkness seemed to have dencinded. The sky is clear but it seems different as if they where suddenly isloated. Only they would hear the words that will come next. " perhaps there is someone else here to whom you should fear " the words were deadly quiet, something in the words spelled out death.

[deathgal]

Carrie stayed in tiger form growling at her cousins. But she knew Lara hadn't left since she felt the friend's eyes on her.

" Maybe we'll never bother Carrie again if that will make things better" said the boys.

[Black_Rider]

Two weeks later he was dressed as usual but a girl came running up to him. Unaware they may be watched. " Shadow wait i need to talk to you " came the voice of the girl. Shadow kept walking " i have no time for your foolish questions Kitty " Shadow's response was partially cold. " I said i needed to talk to you! " she said her tone was demanding. After awhile he turned and looked to her. " very well make it quick " he said apparently not going to argue with her.
After awhile " Not interested in subjugation?!" Shadow said as if this was something he had not heard of before. " Ptolemy " Shadow whispered so softly it could scarcely be heard. As soon as he mentioned the name her eyes lit up. " Yes , " she whispered under her breath. " That's it! "
Shadow looked at her, eyes narrowed. " Sorry, can I help you with something? "
" No it's nothing. Um, that's....just thought of something thats all."
But she was all breathless and excited and it took her a few moments to regain her poise. Shadow sat down cross-legged on the grass and waited. Kitty did the same as well half copying his movement. For some reason she was suddenly more relaxed. Where a minute earlier her words had been slow and cumbersome, now they burst from her in a vertiable flood.
" Well, I want you to liste to me very carefully, Shadow," she said, leaning forward her fingers jabbing against the earth. Shadow was interested in what she had to say for sure, but he was not going to miss an opportunity to leave.
Shadow rested his chin upon the back on one hand. " Go ahead. I'm listening "
" Good. Oh, I'm so pleased it's worked out so well." She rocked back and forth on her haunches, almost hugging herself with delight. " I hardly dared to hope that I'd succeed. I had so much to learn--you have no idea. Well...maby you do," She conceded, " but from a standing start I can tell you it was not much fun."
Shadow's blue eyes frowned at her. " You've learned all this in three years?" He was impressed, and more than a little doubtful.
" I started not long after i saw you and herd you talking to Bartimaeus about Ptolemy as if you knew him personally. I was able to visit libraries, get books of magic out--"
" I was on the notion you hate magic and djinn!" he said not all to friendly. " You hate what they do. And you hate...You told me so to my face--which, I might add, rather hurt Bartimaeus's feelings. What's changed that makes you want to call me or him up all of a sudden?"
" Oh, I wasn't after just any one " she said. " The whole purporse of my studying all this time, of my mastering these things and knowlodge was to find you"
Shadow knew Carrie was able to hear everything and was in a since just a foot from them.
"Me?"
" Are you surprised."
Shadow drew himself up. " Not at all, not at all. What was it that drew you back? It was not how i treated you or Bartimaeus's marvelous personality I suppose? Or his conversations for that matter.."
She chuckled. " Well not the personality, or treatment of course. But yes--the conversation with you and Bartimaeus is what did it for me, what caught my imagination when we spoke before."
Kitty seemed to actually be in love with Shadow not like it was not easy for a girl to tell.
In truth, Shadow remembered this conversation too. Three years had passed, but it seemed longer now, back in the days when his little brother Nathaniel was still a glum outsider, panting for recognition. It had been during the middle of the golem crisis, when London was beig beset by the clay monster and Honorious the afrit, that his path crossed Kitty Jones's for the second time. She had impressed Bartimaeus and him then both with the force of her personality and with her fierce idealism, qualities rarely mingled in magicians. She was a commoner--scarcely educated, ignorant of everything that had conspired to create her world, but nonetheless defiant and hopeful of change. And more than that too: she had risked her life to save his brother and to be around him.
Yep, she'd made an impression on Bartimaeus Shadow could scarcely have cared much. But seemed somewhat fond of the girl. And come to think of it one on Shadow's brother to.
" Bartimaeus set me thinking with all his talk of civilizations come and gone. Aboe all Shadow what you said there were patters to look out for, and I knew I had to find them." One finger jabed down as she made the point. " So," she said., " I went looking."
Shadow sat silently watching her. " All very well, but that's a different thing from your usual interest. It still dose not tell me as to why you wish to speak."
Her head was tilted; she looked up at Shadow from her eyelashes. " What was that you ment by The Other Place i can't forget about it."
" That is one of its names." Shadow said calmly.
" Well, I'm sorry if i bothered you " She spoke as if all she'd done was rouse him from his thoughts not to unlikely. " But I didn't know if i would even find you or see you again. I feared i may have been chasing after someone i'd never find."
" You did a fine job apparently so did Bartimaeus with sending information. In fact its good. And that leads me to my question. How did you learn to summon?"
Kitty actually blushed slightly like a innocent schoolgirl.
She shrugged modestly. " Oh, it wasn't so hard. You know I think? The magicians have been exaggerating the difficulty for years, just to put the commoners off. What does it take, after all? A few careful lines drawn iwth rulers, string, and a compass. A few runes, some spoken words. Popping down the market to get some herbs...a bit of peace and quiet, a little memorizing...do all that and you're sorted."
" No," Shadow said. " A commoner's never done this before, as far as I know. It's unheard of. You must have had help. With languages, the runes and circles, that noxious plant mix--all of it. A magician. Who?"
" Well you helped me before..you dissappeared on me " she sounded heartbroken at the end. The girl twizzled a strang of hair beside her ear. " Well, I'm hardly going to give you his name. But your're right. I have been helped. Not to do this, exactly---that goes with out saying. He thinks I'm more of an amateur enthusiast. If he knew what I was doing he'd blow his top." She smiled. " Right now he's still back at his place. He's rather sweet, really. Anyway, it's taken time, but it's not been too bad. I'm surprised more people haven't given it a go."
Shadow gazed at her camly. " Most people," he said meaningfully, " are a little nervous of what they might summon."
The girl nodded. " True, But its not so bad if you're not scared of the demon in question or person "
He started. " What?"
" Well, I know that terrible things can happen if you get the incantation wrong, or misdraw the pentacle or something, but I meant Jinni, of course--the djinnin in question. Aren't they? If it was some old afrit that I'd never met, I'd obviously be a bit worried, in case we got off on the the wrong foot. But we know each other already, don't we, you and I?" She gave him a winning smile. " And I know you or Bartimaeus would not harm me"
Shadow was watched her calmly and said " Is that so?"
" Yes. I mean, we more or less teamed up last time, didn't we? You know, with that golem. You told me what to do. I did it. Good partnership, that was."
Shadow rubbed the corners of his eyes. " There was a small difference then," He sighed. " which it seems that I must spell out for you. Three years ago Nathaniel needed my help. Whether you were helping or hendering him i do not care."
" but "
" We had nothing in common besides the fact you had possible talent for learning some basic magical defenses All i did was give you a few clues about the golems weakness--but that was merely in a scientific spirit, to see how perversely your odd little conscience would beheave. And mighty perverse it was too."
" I don't accept--"
" If i might be allowed to get a word in edgeways," he was saying, " I will just point out the salient difference between then and now, Then we were both in a similar predicment. Agreed? Right. But now, one of us i.e. moi" he said with a small gesture " has no interest in what is happening."
She shook her head. " No."
" you seemed to have switched sides your a turncoat"
" I'm not--"
He said something that could possibly have been as bad as a physical wound.
" Shad--"
" A conniving, treacherous, opportunisitic, false-faced traitor, who's taken it upon herself to add to a annoyance. Who's set out to learn things that she has no right to, without out prompting or coercion! You can say t his much for Nathaniel and the rest, they didn't have any choice in the matter. Most of them where either born with it and needed to learn it or were forced! But you could have tkane a dozen different paths. And instead you decided to follow my brother the magic i use can kill you i taught you nothing but minor ones for defense! And in your arrogance you did not think you could harm yourself or others! " he stopped there he knew he should. Kitty looked hurt and bit her lip but managed to regain her poise. " i only wanted to see you and discuss something with out!"
Shadow raised an eyebrow. " What is it you want"
" The whole idea is ridiculous, anway. Equality is impossible between humans and elves. You are young and foolish so perhaps I shouldn't be too hard on you, but the n otion is misquided. I have know a hundered people over five thousand years, and whether their in the desert or toss-moss of the steppe, the enmity between me and the people i know has been great and everlasting. So it has always been. So it shall always be."
Shadow finished in resounding, plagent tones that brooked no arguement. They echoed slightly in her ears. The girl smoothed back her hair.
" Absolute tripe," she said. " What about you and Ptolemy?"
Kitty knew immediately that her theory had been correct. Shadow's response told her so. As soon as she spoke, however, everything about him ceased. A great stillness came over him: his face became quite frozen, the boddy utterly transfixed, as if somehow caught in time. Only the eyes moved: slowly, very slowly, the puplis shifted to fix their gaze on her. Shadow's eyes had always seemed ice blue to her but now they became quite oceanic blue. Without wishing it, Kitty found herself staring into them: it was looking at a clear ocean water, all cold and infinite, with tiny lights glinting, unreachable and far away....It was terrible, yet beautiful; she was drawn to it as a child to a window. She had been sitting safely where she was. Now she half uncrossed her legs and leaned forward, supporting herself on one arm, stretching out the other, reaching up slowly toward the eyes, toward their solitude and emptiness. Her fingertips trembled as she was close to touching him; she sighed hesitated reached out...
Shadow blinked, for a second nothing happened. Kitty's skin crawled she jerked back. She shrank slightly fresh sweat beading on her brow. Still Shadow did not move.
" What do you presume," a voice said, " to know about me?" It had sounded all around her and carrie but very near at hand--a voice different from any that she had heard before. It spoke in English, but the inlfection was odd, as if the tongue found the language alien and strange; it sounded close, but also not so, as if dredged up from some incalculable distance.
" What do you know?" the voice said again, quieter than before. Shadow's lips were still, his blue eyes locked on her. Kitty hunched herself against the grass, trembling, teeth clenched together. Something in the voice unmanned her, but what? It did not speak violently or with anger, quite. But it was a voice of power from a far-off place, a voice of terrible command, and it was a young voice too. She lowered her head and shook it dumble, gazing at the floor. " TELL ME!" now there was anger in the voice; as it spoke, a great noise sounded in area--thunderclap that shook the trees and earth and rippled out across the grass, sending limbs and trees dropping. The earth split violently in places. Some areas actually fell away. At the same time a greast wind rose up around the three of them, whirling all about them, faster and faster, sending things flying. Slamming into one another violently. Her satchel and her caot joined the rest. Whistling and wialing, around and around until they all blurred the objects could not be made out. And now the very earth began to move tearing and joining in the frenzied dance, spitting things loose as they spun, spiraling around and around beneath the sky. And finally even the sky seemed gone and the awful immensity of things stretched above and around. The sun seemed to spin adn the clouds being draw out into pale white threads. That shote in all directions, until the only still points in all the universe were Kitty, Carrie, and Shadow.
Kitty clapped her fingers across her eyes and bruied her head between he rknees. " Please STop, " She cried " Please!"
And the turmult ceased. She opened her eyes; saw nothing. Her ahdns were still clamped to her face. With stiff and painful care, she raised her head and lowered her hands. Everything was as it was before. As it always had been to start with. All was quiet, escept...Shadow oppistie of her was moving now, bending his legs slowly, slowly--then sitting with abrupt finality, as if all the engergy had gone out of him. His eyes were closed. He passed a hand wearily in front of his face. He looked at her then, and the eyes, though blue, had nothing of their former emptiness. When he spoke, his voice was back to normal, but it sounded tired and sad. " If you're going to talk to me, " do not bring up my history. It's wise to keep matters firmly in the present, for fear of what you might awaken." With great difficulty, Kitty forced herself to sit upright and face him. Her hair was wet with perspiratioin; she ran a hand through it and wiped her forehead. " there was no need for that. I merely mentioned--" " A name. You ought to know what names can do." Kitty cleared her throat. The first surge of firght was wearing off, to be fast replaced with a teary feeling. She fought it down. " If you're so keen to keep matters in the present, " she gulped furiously. " why do you persist in not talking of him?" Shadow forwned. " you're a little to clever today, Kitty. What makes you think i do not wish to speak of him." Kitty did not blink " yes but you don't generally ever talk of him. " you always revert away from the subject. That's obvious. It's someone important to you from your past. All i had to do was work out who."
" I don't acknowledge there's any truth in those far-fetched statements," he said. " But i'm curious. Where did you from there? The boy could have been anyone."
Kitty nodded. " True. It happened this way. After our last meeting I was keen to speak with you again. All I knew about you as your name and your brother and Bartimaeus--. Which was tough enough since...well i had to look hard, you'd turn up in the historical records somewhere if you where speaking to Bartimaeus about him. Bartimaeus seemed to have know you for many many years. So when i began to study I kept my eyes peeled for his name."
Shadow nodded modestly. " i imagine that it didn't take long. To find Bartimaeus but it would considering you only knew one of his names."
" in fact it took almost a year to find the sligthest mention. I got ht enames of plenty of other demons of all sorts. Nouda the terrible kep tcoming up as did an afrid named Tchue and something called Faquearl was notable too in a dozen cultures. And then at last he appeared a fleeting mention in a footnote." My problem" Kitty said hastily, " was that he was not always know as Bartimaeus i heard you say Rekhyt but i forgot about it till i saw it again. But the foot note helped me out you see because it linked the name i knew Bartimaeus of Uruk--to two others--Akhr al-jinni(wasn't that his persion one?) and Wakonda of the Algonquin. AFter that i was able to get more references on him here and there--I mean, everywhere i looked. And so I procceeded. I leanred a bit about some of his tasts and ventures and sicovered the names of his masters, which was interesting too."
" Well, I hope he impressed you " shadow said. He sounded as if he did not care. " Of course it did" Kitty procceded here.
" all the while," Kitty said, " i was learning the art of summoning. My master was ratherh slow and I was slower, and I'm afraid but i was gradually getting to the stage i could talk to him to. But i really wanted to talk to you. I still did not know who you kept refering to. I knew he was important to you though so that helped. And then i suddenly found the vital clue! I discovered Bartimaeus's Egyptian name Rekhyt--and liked that to the magician Potlemaues and you!" She broke off grinning with triumph.
" Even so." Shadow said " What did that tell you? " he did not seem to care but something seemed to have changed. Kitty started talking again " That was exactly the point. Apparentlty you and Potlemy where good friends you taught him more than anything just because you could. It mentioned something however of a dragon. He died at a young age did not he? "
A long while past after this.
" Enough " Shadow said. " What is it you want from me?"
Now that her guess had been confirmed, Kitty found her perception of Shadow had completely changed. It was a curious and disconcerting thing to releaize how long ago this may have been. It could have been two thousand years ago. Previously she had view this as merely a name and a friend. Now while acknowleding everyhing else. " tell me a bit about him what he looked like " she said softly. Shadow began closing his eyes " He had two moles on his neck, a little pale scar running beneath the chin, a particular boniness of the elbows slender arms. " he told her about him but not much. He used a fairth a picture taken by magical means, him Nathaniel, Ptolemy and Bartimaeus. " if you must know " Shadow said calmly. " You want a rough guess when the london government will change. " Shadow tilted his head. Thinking about it " I reckon another couple of generations will do it. Say fifty years. With luck you might see it happen when you are old...." he stopped there seeing a look in her eyes. He held up a hand interrupting Kitty's cry of protest " no, thats wrong. My projection is incorrect with your attitude you'd be lucky to even make it till then."
"Good."
He said something that seemed to piss her off. Kitty banged her fist against the grass. " Fifty yeras is not good enoguh! Wh knows what they will have done by then? My whole life will have gone by! I won't even get to spend it with y..." she stopped " I'll probably be dead when the rvolution comes!"
"True" Shadow said. " But i'll still be here to watch it. I'll be excatly the same."
" yes," Kitty snarled. " are not you lucky?!"
" you think so?" Shadow looked down at his cross-legged form. He was sitting striaght-backed, legs folded neatly in the manner of an Egyptian scribe. " It's two thousand, one hundred and twenty-nine years since Ptolemy died," he said. " he was fourteen. Eight world empires have risen up and fallen away since that day, and I still carry his memory. Who do you think's the lucky one?"
Kitty made no awnser. AT length she asked, " Why do you do it? Take on his memory and contiune his word i mean."
" Because I promised myself," Shadow said not even looking up, " I'm showing him how he was. Before he changed. That i would never forget anything."
" But i thought he never grew up," Kitty said.
" No. Thats right. He didn't"
" And you blame yourself "
" that is correct "
Kitty opened he rmouth to as a questionn, but shook her head instead. Shadow stood up " i told him to leave he would not, i stopped telling him i left one night...i should have stayed " that all he said before he stood up. Turning his back on her " wait Shadow." she said softly almost lovingly.
She asked something he replied. " I'll go as far to say that your particualr maddness kitty is less harmful than most, but it will lead to your death. So i'll be frank with you. What you have just suggested is ridiculous in a thousand ways, and if I went through them all we'd still be here when the British empire finally dose fall. So let me single out two reasons. I help only when i wish to and nothing more. Team up..i ask you? I've told you i will help when i see it fit but i will not help you otherwise. " Shadow laughed a harsh unplesant sound. " No! I've seen to much to give a damn about anything the humans start. Ally i do not have a ally that is mortal."
" THATS A LIE! " kitty shouted at him. " I say again--what about Ptolemy?"
" he was unique!" Shadow clenched his fist. " He was the esception. Don't bring him into this!"
" He disproves everything you've said!" Kitty shouted. " Sure it would be difficult to presuade elves and demons but.."
" Difficult? It can never be done!"
" That's what you said about me leanring enough to summon Bartimaeus. But i did it!"
" utterly irrelevant. Let me tell you something. I've been sitting here talking nicely.. Kitty you are hiding something from me what is it."
" I love you Shadow and you know that!" She said crying.
Shadow simply stared at her but actually stepped back. " You don't trust outsiders Bartimaeus told me you left after you found your mother and she died again that you were and still are a prince why did you leave?"
Shdow shook his head slightly he had turned around awhile ago. " Why you trust me so much i can not understand. But that is none of your concern if you must know it involved a war. It is best you forget about me Kitty " he said turning and began to walk away.
Kitty was crying and her shoulders where shaking. She had palen skin she is tall and thin beautiful with long dark hair though it is all in her face. She ran over to him and got infront of him. Shadow put his hand under chin " goodbye Kitty " he said softly. " why don't you trust me like you did Ptolemy and do Bartimaeus"
" Trust is something i lost years before i died. " He said. " but that gate it can make you.." she stopped he had put a finger to her lips. " i guard that gate yes its affects have been working without me knowing at first. why you love me i do not see" he said walking past her. Kitty fell to her knees she felt hurt and rejected her crying did not stop.