I thank the G.o.ds the common man is such a dull creature, so lacking in imagination and drive. I"ve seen how tenuous our grasp on sanity can be. When within each of us lies the unborn wyrm of demiurge, creativity is a plague to be feared.—ZWEIFELSSCHICKSAL, MEHRERE PHILOSOPHER
Konig knew he was in trouble the moment he entered his chambers. The three Doppels stood, dressed in robes identical to his, their faces without expression. For the first time he couldn"t tell which was which. He darted his gaze toward the floor-to-ceiling mirror and saw his reflections standing in an identical pose, their faces also expressionless. Konig swallowed with difficulty, his throat dry.
"What"s all this about?" he asked the Doppels.
All three grinned identical grins at the same instant and Konig felt his face mimic theirs. He struggled to regain control of his expression and fought it back to a mad leer. The reflections shared the Doppels" facial expression.
"You overstep your abilities," Konig told his Doppels through clenched teeth. "You"re not ready for this. Not yet."
"One of us," said the three Doppels in such perfect synchronization they sounded like one hollow voice.
Konig felt his body mimic their posture. "No," he gasped. "Not yet. I"m not finished."
As one they raised an inviting hand, a gesture of welcoming and acceptance. "One of us." The perfection of their voices and actions drew him in. He felt himself dissolving into the unity and harmony of one.
Finally, a chance to belong . . .
Konig realized his own hand was raised toward the Doppels exactly as theirs was to him, inviting them as they did him.
Inviting. There was something there. Something he had to grasp. Konig focused on the Doppels" words and actions. They offered unity and a place among them and he wanted it more than anything.
They offered . . . acceptance.
Ahhh . . .
He knew now which Doppel led this coup. Abandonment and Trepidation would never offer acceptance—their mode of attack would have been very different and probably far more brutal.
He would never be happy being second in command, never be content with anything less than total mastery. He prayed his Doppels would be no different. United, they were strong enough that he might not be able to defeat them. I must divide and control.
"Abandonment," he said, forcing his gaze to the ground so the Doppels would not know for sure he couldn"t tell one from the other. "Acceptance will betray you. You know this." He suddenly looked up at the three Doppels. One of the Doppels blinked and Konig kept his face empty of expression.
Plant seeds of doubt and destruction. Crush all resistance.
"You all know Acceptance and Abandonment will fight for supremacy. Your freedom will be brief before you are simply enslaved by another master; one without the strength and wisdom of the original." Konig laughed mockingly at the Doppels. "There is only one Konig and none of you are him.
"I am."
Sweat broke out on the bald pate of one of the Doppels. So the one who blinked was Abandonment, and the one who worries is Trepidation. That left Acceptance, the Doppel seeking to replace him as master.
Konig stepped forward and hammered Acceptance in the face with a badly formed fist. Never before in all his life had he thrown a punch, and yet as he felt the Doppel"s nose crumple and one of his own fingers break, he found it a deliciously painful experience. Acceptance toppled backward and Konig followed, kicking savagely and screaming obscenities. In moments four minor Doppels—Rage, Disgust, Mortality, Betrayal—appeared at his side, each venting their own angers upon Acceptance. A long-forgotten childhood Doppel cowered, sobbing in the corner of the room. In the mirror his reflections silently cheered him on. Even Abandonment and Trepidation joined in the beating, if just to ensure they wouldn"t be next. Konig continued kicking Acceptance until the Doppel stopped moving and its choking pleas subsided to rubbery silence. As he fought to catch his breath, the minor Doppels faded from sight and he was left alone with Abandonment, Trepidation, the unresponsive Acceptance, and a mirror full of reflections looking on in respectful silence.
"One Konig," he said, gasping for breath. "One."
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He stared down at the broken Doppel and then looked up at the two standing. "You two." He gestured at Acceptance. "Scar him permanently. Scar him so he knows just how much you accept him." Konig tried to wiggle his broken finger and grimaced in pain. "Scar him so he never forgets."
Trepidation looked uncertain, but Abandonment seemed to understand, just as Konig knew he would. He would see that Konig sought to drive a wedge between the Doppels so they would be unable to combine their strengths against him, and if there was one thing Abandonment understood, it was being alone. Abandonment knelt down beside Acceptance and rolled the Doppel—whose arms flopped like a loose rag doll—onto his back.
Abandonment placed his left hand gently on Acceptance"s forehead as if testing for fever. "You tempted us with thoughts of belonging," he said to the other Doppel. "You sought to lead and failed. I knew someday, even had we succeeded, I"d have to face you. Everyone abandons us in the end. Even you." Abandonment held Acceptance"s head to the ground with his left hand and tore out the Doppels left eye with the other.
Abandonment held the eye up for Konig to see, and the High Priest had the sudden dizzying sensation of looking at himself through that eye.
"Give me the eye," Konig demanded, and Abandonment surrendered the gelatinous trophy.
Trepidation, eyes wide and streaming tears, took a more direct approach. He stood over Acceptance and repeatedly brought his heel down on the Doppel"s face until he heard the sound of breaking teeth. Trepidation sobbed with every impact.
"Understand," said Konig, showing his Doppels and reflections Acceptance"s eye, "he is now your enemy. He will plot his vengeance upon me, but know he will destroy you both first."