....and now, back to PENGUIN$

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Though the need for revenge had fueled the anger of the ex-human slaves, it
hadn't been enough to sustain their morale once their ammunition ran out.
Many of them lay injured or dead and a single squad of the penguins had
managed to corner the remaining survivors. The web-footed soldiers closed in
slowly, weapons drawn but not firing.

Weaponless, the small group of survivors tensed themselves, preparing to
fight to the death. Heavy silence surrounded the standoff.

Valeria watched with grim concern as she stumbled across the floor of the
penthouse with her hands tied behind her back. Her face throbbed; a constant
reminder of the blackened eye and possibly broken nose she'd just received.

Anita walked at the head of the group, her face a mask of defiant anger, her
hands also tied. Both women were surrounded by a squad of Emperor penguins,
two of which were keeping the muzzles of their guns aimed at the young
necromancer's head.

Behind them, Sebastian Crowley followed unaccosted. He made a show of
straightening his jacket and running his fingers through his stringy gray
hair. The procession continued on towards the stage where the Emperor
penguins clamped Valeria and Anita securely into two sturdy metal chairs in
plain sight of the ex-slaves.

The tactic resulted in the desired effect, destroying whatever resolve the
human resistors had left. Slowly raising their hands in the air, they
surrendered. Their defeat sat heavily on Valeria's heart. She shook her
head, sadness nearly overwhelming her.

The penguins grunted their approval and instructed the humans to clasp their
hands on top of their heads before being herded towards the stage. There
they were placed in orderly, heavily guarded rows.

Pisces, standing near the penguin case, watched the proceedings with his
arms crossed over his chest. He tapped his foot impatiently and occasionally
glanced at his watch. Then, nodding with apparent satisfaction, he whirled
on his heel and strode towards the makeshift control center that had been
salvaged from the wreckage of the previous one. The penthouse once again
became a flurry of activity as preparations to begin the tests renewed.

On the stage, Valeria risked a side-long glance in Anita's direction. "You
didn't have to hit me so damn hard. My ears are still ringing," she muttered
loudly enough for the necromancer to hear.

"It had to look real. I'm sorry," Anita murmured back. "I just hope that no
one notices that Crowley's lily white hands aren't bruised. Mine are killing
me. You've got a hard face, Orbus."

"I can't believe I let you talk me into this," Valeria said. "So what
happens now?"

"We play it by ear. I think we're about to find out," Anita replied.

The sound of static filled the room as the speakers on either side of the
damaged big screen crackled to life.

"Let's try this again shall we?" Said the amplified voice of Byron Pisces,
as it boomed around them. "Initiate the startup sequence please."

The sound of an entire fleet of jet engines starting up abruptly filled the
room. Many of the humans cringed and risked putting their hands over their
ears, but the volume did not affect the penguins. After several minutes the
shrieking, whining noise finally died down to a low rumble. The machine was
now ablaze with lights and small bursts of steam. Digital readouts flared to
life along the edge of the penguin case.

"Excellent," boomed Pisces' voice from the speakers. "I am pleased to
announce that we are now fully operational and ready to begin. Penguins,
assemble yourselves. The Empress awaits."

"Where the hell is Pisces?" Valeria said over the rumbling. I can hear the
weasel, but I can't see him."

"He's over beside the penguin case," Anita replied, biting her lower lip.
"The force field is probably down now but Christi and Forrester can't make a
move, dammit."

"Easy," Valeria said. "It'll happen."

"You're damn right it's gonna happen," Anita said fiercely, "And when it
does, things are gonna to go down real fast, so be ready."

Valeria nodded grimly and took a deep breath.

The big screen flared to life despite the large crack that ran through the
middle of it. Several penguin grunts waddled to the stage, some carrying
video cameras on steady-cam assemblies, others carrying fiercely bright
lights. The rest of the penguin troops, somewhat decreased in number,
assembled themselves before the screen, staring intently at the split image
that showed Anita and Valeria in extreme close-up on one side and something
initially unidentifiable on the other.

"I knew I should have gotten a haircut before storming off to rescue
anybody," Valeria sighed, staring up at the screen. "You just never know
when there's a camera around. Is that thing up there beside us on the screen
the Empress?"

"That is the most disgusting thing I've ever seen," Anita replied. "Sigmund
talked about her a lot, but I'd never met her because she lived in
Antarctica."

The large female penguin was an awe-inspiring sight, easily filling her half
of the screen. The bright TV lights that illuminated her revealed in great
detail the crystalline sharpness of her beak, the razor edge of her flippers
and the spiked claws on her powerful webbed feet. Her eyes burned with
fierce alien intelligence. She reclined on a bed of pillows and slowly
stroked the head of a human male in front of her who was barely noticeable
in comparison to her bulk .

"Y'know?" Valeria choked, squinting at the screen. "If I didn't know any
better, I'd say that guy with her is Dumass."

Anita strained her eyes and then nodded. "You're right. It is Dumass. He
must have been captured right after we split up." She turned to face
Valeria, her eyes dark with excitement. "That means that the Empress can't
be very far away. Damn, I wish I knew where that broadcast is coming from."

Sound boomed out of the speakers and a rustling was heard as, onscreen, a
penguin grunt adjusted a small microphone to the Empress' flowered robe.
Another sound filtered through the other background noises. Its familiarity
made Valeria's heart beat faster. She took a closer look at the screen. The
bright light also managed to pick up gray cement walls with spiraling
graffiti behind the Empress.

"Anita," Valeria said softly. "Did you hear that? I know that sound; and I
know that graffiti behind her. That's a gang territory marker. I know
because I've dealt with that particular gang."

"So?"  Anita said.

"Don't you see? She's in the subway tunnels! That gang holds an area of
about twenty city blocks give or take. They know those tunnels inside and
out."

"She might as well be right under our noses for all the good we can do right
now tied up like this," Anita murmured. "Come on Pisces, you sack of shit,
get away from my penguins. I want my hands around your neck."

As if responding to her demand, Pisces appeared from behind the penguin
case. A delicate wire ran over his right ear and stopped close to his mouth.
As he spoke softly into it his voice was amplified with alarming crystal
clarity. His every word was a menacing whisper in Valeria's ears.

"Mr. Crowley," he said and crossed the space between him and the
entrepreneur with quick strides.  When he reached the stage he disconnected
his headset and placed a hand on Crowley's shoulder, his eves roaming over
the two women.

"Oh, this is delicious," he murmured. "Very nice indeed, Crowley. Ladies,
you look especially lovely this fine morning."

Neither woman responded with anything more than a heated glare.

Pisces laughed and turned back Crowley. "Not as lovely of course as our
exalted Empress. Gaze upon her, Crowley. She is power and wisdom. She is the
mother of the new world. She is here to save us all. Isn't she a vision
Crowley?"

"Takes my breath away," Crowley said as he shuddered and grimaced.

Pisces' smiled with what appeared to be secret understanding. "Sebastian,
regardless of whatever motives have driven you, you have done us all a great
service. The Empress is pleased with your show of loyalty. To reward you,
she has decided that you will be my advisor in the new regime. It is a
position of great importance, let me assure you."

"I am indeed honored," Crowley replied with a slight bow.

Pisces chuckled and continued. "Of course you are. Now to complete your show
of loyalty, please step up onto the stage so that the Empress can witness
the repair and realignment of your mind."

"M-my re-repair?" Crowley stuttered. "Couldn't I wait until the infernal
thing is tested? What if it doesn't work?"

Above him on the stage, the women groaned.

Pisces' eyes became dark with anger. "Less than twenty minutes ago you were
singing my praises and now you doubt me?"

"I believe you misunderstand me," Crowley stammered. "I simply wish to be
realigned after the test so that..."

"Silence!" Pisces roared.

A flash of purple from the direction of the penguin case caught Valeria's
eye. Unnoticed by Pisces and the penguin troops, one tiny body waddled
quickly towards the exit. Christi and Forrester had finally been able to
start freeing Anita's penguins. But where were the rest? Why had she seen
just one? Something was wrong.

The tops of Christi's and Forrester's heads were the only things Valeria
could see inside the case from her vantage point. There seemed to be a
struggle going on. Anita's purple penguins were not cooperating.

Christi suddenly emerged with a squirming bird in her arms. It gave a
surprisingly loud, piteous squawk.  She immediately clamped her hand around
its beak and ducked back down into the case.

Pisces paused in his rant as Crowley coughed loudly. He stared back at his
penguin troops and reconnected the microphone.

"Silence!" He roared again.

The troops looked at each other in confusion.

Anita made a slight motion with her hand as Crowley looked in her direction.
He sighed and stepped up onto the stage.

Pisces visibly relaxed when he saw Crowley on the stage.

"Thank you, Sebastian," he said graciously and turned back to the troops. "I
don't intend to waste the Empress' time with any long flowery speeches. We
are running quite tight for time. Therefore, with no further ado, I present
to you our beloved leader, who has a few words of inspiration for us on this
momentous occasion."

With a final nod at Crowley he made his way to stand before the penguin
troops and bowed deeply in the direction of the camera.

On the screen, the Empress limply waved a flipper. She opened her beak and
began to squawk.

The troops gave her their full attention.

Back in the penguin case, Christi reappeared. This time she had a gun to the
bird's head and her hand still around its beak. Slowly she removed her hand,
whispered in the bird's tiny ear, and then dropped it over the side of the
case to the ground. It bounced several times before coming to rest a few
feet away, staring at her with baleful eyes. Christi brought the gun out in
front of her, and, shutting one eye, took careful aim. The bird's eyes
widened noticeably.  It pushed itself to its small webbed feet and waddled
as fast as it could in the direction of the exit.

Forrester popped up with another bird in his arms and was forced to repeat
the procedure. Christi, meeting Valeria's eyes at a distance, wiped an arm
across her brow and then, shaking her head, brought her hands up in disgust.

Three down, Valeria thought. Many, many more to go. It was obvious to her
now that the Penguins were shell shocked with fear. They'd seen Norman die,
and nothing short of a gun would convince them to leave the case now. This
part of the plan was not going as smoothly as expected. She risked a glance
in Anita's direction.

"I'll try to reach them," the necromancer said tersely. "It's the only hope
we've got left." She closed her eyes, projecting soothing words into the
minds of her penguins as the Empress continued to squawk.

Being careful not to draw attention with her eyes, Valeria dropped her head
to her chest and let her eyes slide in the direction of the penguin case.
The stream of purple bodies had already begun to increase. Christi and
Forrester were both tugging furiously at straps and throwing birds rapidly
out of the case.

The troops erupted into loud cheering at something the Empress had said.
Several birds at the back had started a wave. Pisces stared back in the
direction of the stage. Anita returned his stare, the look in her eyes
telling him everything that she was planning to do to him when she got her
hands on him. He smiled and refocused his attention on the screen.

The Empress stopped squawking. The troops cheered again and applauded
thunderously.

When the applause died down, Pisces turned to address the troops.

"And now, the moment you've all been waiting for," he said. "You will now
bear witness to the dawn of a new age on earth. The age of man's self rule
is over, and for that humanity should be glad. These humans that you see
before you are representatives of many walks of life. Leaders of industry,
highly educated people of science and even a couple politicians; But it is
one of the two young ladies on the stage above them that will be the
greatest living proof to the power of penguin-kind. Penguins! I give you
Anita Blake."

The room became dead silent as a sea of beady black eyes focused on the
young necromancer, their hatred thickening the air.

Anita scrunched up her face and glared right back at them.

"As you know, your Highness," Pisces continued, looking up at the image of
the Empress, "Anita Blake is more than just a human. She has, I believe,
preternatural abilities as well, and though I know our plan is to eventually
exterminate every last preternatural creature from the face of this planet,
I want you to see how this can be made to work in our favor when a human is
involved."

Anita blinked, a hint of some emotion sliding across her face.

"Ms. Blake is a being of considerable power," Pisces smiled. "I speak for us
all here in Cathedral Tower when I say that we are more than aware of that.
The dead bodies of our brother penguins are proof enough."

The troops nodded and fidgeted, their hatred growing.

"She was once the human companion of your brother, and claimed to love him,"
Pisces said. "But that claim was proven false when she murdered him in cold
blood."

Now the penguins were openly agitated. An image of Sigmund's bullet riddled
body appeared on the screen in all its horror. The noise level grew in the
penthouse.

"Silence please!" Pisces said, still smiling graciously. "Silence."

"Blake, they're gonna tear you to pieces whether or not the effect of the
machine takes," Valeria muttered.

"No kidding." Anita replied, her voice strained. She'd turned her head away
from the evidence of her crime. "We're getting kind of close to the wire
here. Can you see if all my penguins are out yet?"

"Just a little less than half," Valeria muttered. "It looks like the straps
are giving them problems."

Pisces continued his rant. "Ms. Blake is obviously seriously flawed my
brothers!" He roared like a revival tent preacher. "But she can be saved.
The machine will judge her and make her pure. If it cannot save her, then
nothing can."

The troops roared in frustration.

"Her power over the dead is an evil thing!" Pisces rambled on.

The roar suddenly died. The eyes of the troops went from him to Anita and
back.

"The deceptively delicate woman before you is a threat to all penguin kind.
She has the power to raise an army of the dead against us. Her power lives
in all things that are rotten and decayed."

The Empress squawked harshly. Pisces jumped and turned to stare at the
screen. The Empress squawked again, and he turned to face the troops. Their
anger had dissolved into wary fear.

"Do not show her your fear you fools!" He thundered.

"You haven't by any chance raised a dead penguin before have you Blake?"
Valeria yelled her question hoping that the nearest penguin guards could
hear.

"I can raise a dead anything, Orbus," The necromancer yelled in return.

The penguin guards fidgeted where they stood, looking at each other and
squawking tensely.

Above them Crowley smiled. He guessed that though the penguins had been
aware of her power, they had not known where it came from. For them, like
for all other living creatures, death was a nightmarish, horrifying void
that waited for them at the end of their short lives. The knowledge that the
young woman before them was connected to the dead, decayed things inside
this void had touched an instinctive fear within them.

Pisces, thinking like a scientist, had managed to unknowingly exploit this
fear with his words.  The elderly entrepreneur hoped that there was enough
time for the effect of this fear to fully settle in the minds of the troops.

Crowley's smile widened. Horton would be a big hit with this crowd.

"Way to go Blake," Valeria shook her head in amazement. "You've done it
again. It never even occurred to me before, but Pisces has just described
you as Juanita, the Penguin's mythical Goddess of the Underworld. Cripes,
even your name is close enough."

"No wonder Sigmund wanted me to stop using my powers to raise the dead,"
Anita replied in shock. "He didn't want the Empress to find out and try to
use me as part of the world domination plans."

"No!" Pisces yelled into the microphone. "Listen to me! Watch! Whatever
threat you perceive this woman to be will be reduced to nothing in the space
of minutes!"

The penguins looked unimpressed with his assurances.

"Control center!" Pisces nearly shrieked, "Fire the beam!"

"Shit!" Valeria yelled. "Blake! There are still penguins in the case!"

Anita shook her head and shut her eyes, suddenly overwhelmed by the force of
the thoughts and emotions emanating from the remaining penguins in the case.

The part of the machine that reached through the ceiling began to lower
majestically. When it was fully inside the penthouse, a gray metallic casing
retracted to reveal a massive crystal that glittered in the light.

The crystal began to charge, glowing fiercely. An eerie, piercing, high
pitched sound emitted from the machine that caused humans and penguins alike
to cover their ears.

"Oh my god," Valeria moaned, squinting in pain. Her eyes were on the penguin
case. At the moment that the crystal began to charge, Christi and Forrester
were both thrown away from the case in a shower of sparks. They lay on the
ground, momentarily dazed. Recovering quickly, they pushed themselves to
their feet. Forrester poked experimentally at the sides of the case with a
screwdriver and immediately drew his hand back as another shower of sparks
arced into the air. Inside the case, the remaining purple penguins stared
out at them, crying loudly, but safe in their seats from the electrical
charge that seemed to have invaded the entire case.

Their window of opportunity was gone. It was too late to save the remaining
penguins.

Continued in  Issue 16  of PENGUIN$...

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