Interrogation

We returned to the keep after an hour or so, having retrieved our gear from the Inn and Marc's home. There was no question where we needed to go, but we hoped our prisoner could give us at least some intel before we went to the moathouse.

The thought consumed me. We were going to the moathouse. I was going to the moathouse. A chill swept through me. The flush of combat an hour before still coursed through me. I felt invulnerable. I could take on anyone, I was certain. Over the next few days reality would set in.

We moved at a brisk pace. I wasn't tired in the least. I was operating on little sleep, little food, and had made three laps across town, broken up by a little combat with monstrous creatures. And I was not tired. Was it the adrenaline? Or was it...?

We went up the keep steps two at a time. My heart beat loudly, but it felt good. The guard at the door nodded at us.

"Any luck?" Saul asked.

The guard shook his head. "The thing just keeps going on about how his kind'll get the better of us in the end, or some such rot."

"I thought as much," Audry said. "We had best hurry. They will know we are coming as it is. We need to be there before they can get reinforcements."

"Indeed," Saul said. "The question is what will they expect? An army or a small band?"

"They'll assume an army," I said. "It's the safest bet."

"Then we gotta get moving," Anna said. "I mean, you don't really think this thing'll give us anything useful."

"We're about to find out," Marc said.

Inside the keep servants cleaned the floor. The doppelganger themselves left little mess, other than bits and pieces of themselves cut off during battle, but a pile of bloody rags told me that the combat did not go as well as it could have. All in all, five of Burne's Badgers were killed. Nearly all the others suffered wounds to varying degree, including us. Including me.

I didn't notice the wound until a young man approached me. He pointed at my ribs. A piece of flesh had been cut away. Under the flap of skin I could see my ribs. It didn't disturb me. In fact, it intrigued me. I watched as the young priest spoke. His words sat in the air repeating themselves like a short mp3. It stopped abruptly when he touched my wound. I couldn't be sure at the time, but it seemed as if the words had taken on a manifestation of their own. The end result was a slight cut where my skin had once been torn away.

He bowed and left. I forgot to say thank you as I stared at the wound. Such a thing could have been healed back home, but it would have taken weeks. Plus, a scar would have been left behind, along with some possible nerve damage. I touched the wound. It felt like normal skin. It didn't even itch.

And I think it did more than that. Running for Marc's home, I felt invigorated. My legs didn't hurt as we ran. My lungs didn't burst. I felt like I was eighteen. From then until now I have been recipient to numerous healing spells and I have noticed other side effects. The scars from the surgery in my left foot are gone. My back pain has up and vanished as well. I no longer needed glasses to read. I could focus on an object far away or close up with ease. And my migraines have disappeared altogether.

Priests have explained to me that healing calls upon divine power to make a person whole once more. I wonder if perhaps it does something to a persons DNA as well, perhaps fixing small imperfections here and there.

In the keep, we continued downstairs into the dungeon. I found it disappointing as a dungeon, frankly. The first level of the "dungeon" was just a cellar full of food stuffs, ale, oil, and other supplies. The level below that was used for stabling Rufus' and Burne's' horses, though there were four cells for prisoners. At that time, the horses were not there. Ten guards, along with Rufus, surrounded a misshapen creature as it sat on a small stool. In a room full of humans (and elves, I had to remind myself) the doppelganger became very humble. Well, sort of.

Rufus gave a slight shake of his head when he saw us. It wasn't going well.

"I grow tired of asking," Rufus said. He walked around the doppelganger as he spoke. "How many of you are there?"

"Many, human," it said. It's face took on a featureless shape, almost like a clay statue molded by a child. "We are everywhere. You have me now, but you cannot stop all of my kind."

"That may well be," Rufus said. "I'm referring specifically to the moathouse."

"I--" It looked at Rufus. "I cannot say."

"Sure you can," Anna said. "You just don't want to."

Saul drew a knife. "I can convince him."

"As can I," Marc said. He held up his hand. Electricity sparked between his fingers. The air crackled as the magic danced through the air. It stopped after a few seconds, leaving behind only the smell of ozone.

"You would not," the creature said. He looked at Audry. "You would not allow it holy woman."

She raised an eyebrow. "And what makes you think that?"

"It is true, admit it," it said. "A paladin will not lie."

"Been spying on us, have you?" Rufus said. "Why am I not surprised."

"We know all about you," it said. "He will come and he will destroy you."

"He?" Marc asked.

"He," it said. He opened his mouth and then closed it again. "I can say no more."

I dug through my pack as the session went on. The doppelganger droned on about how it's race was superior, but it seemed timid at the same time. As I searched, one thing went through my mind. The young man, Jon, who brought us to the keep, had escaped. If he worked for them, then they would know we were coming. They would be ready for us, or they might try to launch an assault on the town. We had to leave soon so we could...something. I didn't know what we could do. Reconnaissance? Or perhaps an all out assault--just like the adventure.

Finally I found it. I remembered putting fresh batteries in it the day before I went camping and eventually found myself here. I turned it on and held concealed it in my hand.

"You do understand the trouble you are in," Rufus said. "I could turn you over to the people of this town and let them decide what to do with you."

"Oh I'm sure the gentlemen here could give a far more warm welcome," I said. It cocked a part of its place where an eyebrow would have normally been. "those men you killed had were brothers in arms. You know what that means?"

"I kill no one," it said. "I come here, but I did not kill. I--"

"Pike off," I said. Always wanted to say that. "Now, give us the 411, ugly, or it's your ass."

The shapeless face displayed the look of confusion very well. "My...ass?"

"Yeah," I said. "Look, quit screwing around here. Our town's in a bind and we need info pronto. You can cover for your brothers and sisters in the hood all you want. We got nothing but time. You see, my boys here," I gestured to Badgers behind me, "are gonna go to work on you with a pair of pliers and a blowtorch in about five seconds if you don't start hemorrhaging info now."

Its mouth hung open in confusion. "I...uh...."

"Uh?" I said. "What's that supposed to mean? I don't speak ugly."

"I am ugly because I choose to be," it said.

Never heard that one before. "Well, you must get a lot of practice."

I glanced back at everyone else. They stared at me, there mouths open in astonishment. I could see the dozens of questions they wanted to ask, but they didn't know where to start. Audry started.

"Pliers?"

"Yes, Audry," Marc said. He cleared his throat. "I agree that the pliers are an extreme measure, as is the blue torch--"

"Blowtorch," I said.

"...that too," Marc said. "But if this gentleman won't talk then I feel we have no choice."

"Still wanna keep quiet?" Anna asked. The doppelganger said nothing. "Oookay. John?"

I was already digging through my pack for something else. Even if I had a pair of pliers and a blowtorch I wouldn't have used them. I did have something better, though, almost as good as the other device in my hand already.

I found it in a side pocket. I checked the batteries. They were still good, though after a few months every battery I had would be dead, depending how much I used them. I palmed the other device in one hand while I held up the second one. God, I miss technology.

"What is that?" it asked. "A blowtorch."

"Something better," I said. "Now don't move."

The doppelganger cringed as I reached for it. Rufus put a hand on its head to keep it from moving as I stuck the headphones in its ears.

"What is this?" It stared at the mp3 player in my hand as I walked behind him. "What will you do."

"This is a rare device," I said. "It creates a doorway between here and the Abyss." I applauded myself for remembering the name.

"I am not such a fool," the thing said. "You cannot summon demons."

"Oh, you're right about that," I said. "But that's not what this does. It only allows you to hear."

"Hear?" it said. "Hear what?"

"The sounds of the Abyss." Everyone's eyes grew wide. I shook my head dismissively, making sure the doppelganger wasn't looking at me as I did.

"You know," I said, "I've never actually tried to listen to this myself. They say anyone who hears it will go mad."

The thing made a grunting noise. It took me a moment to realize it was laughing. "You humans are foolish."

"Who's he calling human?" I heard Anna whisper to Audry. Audry looked at me unapprovingly. I winked. Don't worry, I mouthed.

"You are desperate to try such foolish tricks," it said. "There's is nothing--"

I clicked play. I didn't have the volume up very high, though I suppose "loud" is a relative term, especially to people who have never heard recorded music before. I don't remember the actual song that I played. I think it was by Disturbed. At any rate, it had the desired effect.

The doppelganger howled. It's voice reverberated off the walls of the chamber. Audry took a step forward, glaring at me. "Don't worry, he's not gonna get hurt." The doppelganger couldn't hear me over the music. Marc and Saul watched with a curious gave. Anna struggled to keep from laughing.

After a few seconds I shut the music off. "Ready to talk?"

"Oh Gods," it said. "That was...that was hideous. Is it really like that?"

"How would I know," I said. "Here, why don't you listen some more and then you tell me." I turned it on again.

It commenced to howling and screaming once more. I looked at Rufus who stared at the mp3 player in my hand. I shut it off again.

"Enough!" it shook its head trying, to jar the headphones loose. "No more!"

"You might end up going there, you know," Audry said. She stepped forward and bent over to look at the doppelganger in the eye. "You helped kill those men. You might live today, but we all die one day. And on that day you will pay for your crimes and sins in this life."

"Care to guess where that might be?" Saul said.

The doppelganger looked wild eyed. One of the earphones had fallen out. I reached for it and started to put it back in.

"NO!" it shouted. "No, please! I'll tell you what you want to know!"

I held up my other hand just as he spoke that last sentence. When he finished I shut it off. I backed it up a few seconds and played the digital recording to him. It played back loud and clear.

"NO! No, please! I'll tell you what you want to know!"

Everyone stared at the little digital recorder, but no one was more shocked than the doppelganger.

"How did you do that?"

"How is not as important as why," I said. "You will tell me everything I want to know. If you don't, then I have the proof that you have betrayed your masters. I'll make sure they find out about this. We're on our way to the moathouse anyway."

His face rippled. "If you do that, they'll kill me."

"Then give me a reason not to."

The doppelganger's shoulders slumped and he nodded.

Anna smiled at me. "Maybe you're good for something after all."