Rise Of The Godking

Daneel mused that what they were going to do was exactly as ambitious as that. The past few days had been spent dissecting, perfecting, and then putting together his plan over and over again until each of them could recite it with their eyes closed.

The downpour hadn"t begun, yet, but from the ominous dark clouds above, it was obvious that they would soon be drenched. He didn"t know, yet, whether it was a blessing or a curse, but as it was an element that he had not thought of before, it made him feel unprepared.

The three of them were crouched beside the eastern wall of the mansion, where its dark shadow hid them from any prying eyes. The enforcers meant to patrol it had already gone past, so all that they were waiting for was a sound that would let them know that it was time.

Once more, Daneel decided that they would go over it. He had become so obsessed with the details that the others had gotten irritated more than once, but when he said that they should repeat it, this time, they had no complaints.

"Every month, the Lord leaves to Master Harold"s mansion. He is gone for a few hours, at least, and many times, he sleeps there on the Master"s insistence for reasons unknown."

Sebastian continued from where Reese had stopped to draw in a breath.

"That is our window of opportunity. I"m in charge of distracting the guards by setting fire to the house nearby, which is uninhabited at the present. They will be called on to douse the flames, giving you the chance to enter the mansion while they"re distracted."

"While my brother plays the pyromaniac, both of us will enter the mansion."

Daneel nodded, satisfied. "I"ll handle Jezara, while you enter the main part of the house."

Even in the darkness, he could see the way the two brothers glanced at him when he said this. They had discussed this extensively, and even though he had been adamant about the fact that he was confident of his success, they didn"t believe him.

When Reese continued, his tone was fraught with worry.

"Remember, if it"s too much, give the signal and run. I can exit out the back, and you will be able to escape from the front. My sleeping draught is ready. It will make the butler fall asleep, giving me a chance to search the house and find the evidence that we need to prove Lord Burrow"s treachery. We will be captured, but all we will need to do to live is to ask to be presented to the Master. He will see the evidence, and have Lord Burrow killed. A different person will be chosen who will act with much more caution than his predecessor. Things will go back to the way they were in the Pit and the Refinery, and our people will prosper."

"Or at least have enough to eat that they can survive till they"re old."

Sebastian"s snarky addition was taken in stride by his brother, who had already gotten used to the man"s cynical nature. A faint smile came to Daneel"s lips while he nodded and said, "Good. Now, let us resume our vigil."

It was hard to stay still as they waited for the tell-tale sound of the gates opening. He kept fidgeting, imagining all the hundreds of ways in which things could go wrong. When the creaking noise finally reached his ears, he didn"t even believe that it was real until the other two got to their feet and pressed their bodies to the wall.

They moved only when the sounds of many footsteps receded along the street. Sebastian moved to the left, and the both of them reached closer to the gate until all they would need to do to come upon it was take a few steps.

This time, the wait was shorter. It was a scream that broke the silence of the night that let them know that the fires had been lit. Slowly, they saw smoke emerging in the air above them, and the smell of wood burning reached them, too.

"Quickly, quickly! Come with me! We should put it out before it spreads to the other houses!"

A hurried shout appeared from somewhere near the gate, and once again, they creaked, signaling that they were being opened. With his heart in his mouth, Daneel ducked around the corner and saw that the coast was clear.

Further along the road, people were hurrying away to the site where the roaring flames could be seen. Turning around and nodding at Reese, he made a run for the gate and got inside… only to come face-to-face with a soldier dressed in the purple livery of the Lord.

Daneel had been prepared for this, though. He jumped in his direction before the man could even say anything. Clamping one hand on his mouth, he curled the other into a fist and brought it down, hard, on the man"s head after taking a short breath, making one of the small crystals he had hidden in his robes disappeared.

The burst of energy that he absorbed was enough to render the man unconscious immediately. By the time Reese emerged from the gates, the guard had tumbled to the floor, unconscious, and with another nod, he walked to the door of the house on the side, where he had first met the Lord. 

Opening the main doors of the mansion would alert the brute, who he knew was present beyond the thin piece of wood in front of him. He had confirmed this from the twins by leading them into a conversation about the Lord"s mansion, so taking in a deep breath… he knocked.

At the same time, Reese threw open the main door and entered inside, causing a reasonably loud thud to echo across the garden. The slow footsteps that had begun to walk to the door sped up, and in a moment, it was flung open. 

The brute almost flattened Daneel and rushed forward, but he stopped after a second. It took everything Daneel had to remain standing under that burning gaze, and when Jezara growled out a question, he simply took out the wooden figurine and raised it so that in front of his eyes.

Jezara froze. All that springy energy that had been about to propel him to the main doors of the mansion disappeared, and Daneel rejoiced inwardly.

The words he had prepared to say came to his lips effortlessly. In a clear voice, he said, "In the same place that I found this, I also found out that the Lord took a turn with your sister. You think he"s your savior, so you"re bound to serve him. He"s not. The entire thing happened because of him. He"s only using you. We have a plan to end him. Just step aside, for now, and it will succeed. All right?"

With each word that Daneel said, the fire in Jezara"s eyes burned hotter and hotter. At the end, his voice even croaked as it felt that a vast pressure was pressing down on his shoulders, and in that instant, he realized that this might be a stupid idea, after all.

Jezara"s hand shot out, becoming a blur as it rose and clamped around Daneel"s neck. He was lifted into the air, his larynx close to being shattered, and from the scarred Expert, he heard his death sentence.

"Don"t care what Master says. Now you die."

It was a complete failure. Gasping for breath, Daneel felt the long fingers tighten. For a moment, he forgot the backup plan he had made meticulously…but right before his consciousness left like a candle being blown out, it came to him, and he breathed in.

Energy roared into his body, granting a burst of crystal clear lucidity. He had only theorized about what he was going to do…but at that instant, he knew exactly how he was going to make it happen.

Visualizing the absorbed energy as a glowing flood that was coursing through his body, Daneel concentrated…and sent it into the fingers around his throat.

Jezara"s eyes bulged. His hand tightened even further, first, causing Daneel to panic, but then, he fell to the floor as the fingers relaxed.

Coughing, he looked up to see the tall brute"s hands slowly rise to his head. Clutching it, he bent it back and opened his mouth.

"RAAARRGHHHH!!!"

The scream that appeared was so unearthly that revulsion filled Daneel"s mind. He had no idea what was happening; his reasoning had simply been that he would grant clarity to the man, which when combined with the figurine would result in doubt that would cause his plan to succeed.

The energy seemed to be burning Jezara alive. He screamed and screamed until his throat broke, then he screamed some more. Daneel wished that he could stay and see the effects of energy on a different person…but he had a job to do.

Taking one last look at the giant who had fallen to his knees, he sighed and walked in the direction of the mansion.