By the Code

The toddler reached up on its toes, desperate to get to the shiny metal container that held the keys to the car. She had been trying to reach it for the past twenty minutes. Her grandmother, who was babysitting the child, had been dead now for at least forty-five minutes. Her body was slumped over in a sitting fetal position and her skin's pallor had faded to matte grey. The babe reached again determined to get the keys. She was even closer this time but the book shelf tipped and would no doubt fall over if she managed to pull herself up further.

"Are you gonna' let the kid die too?" Turk asked looking at Khesis through the corner of his eye.

She sighed. "Of course not, we need her alive. I just want to see if she is as gifted as Moyne and the others says she is." she replied.

"Well, I think you better make a decision soon. The force of gravity and the normal force of weight says she is about a minute, give or take a few, from being planted under the carpet."

"Keep your mechanical thoughts to yourself," Khesis said calling on the wind to cradle the book shelf as the babe tipped the metal bowl and the keys fell to the ground. They watched as she pressed the red button and the authorities were notified that LifeSaver client number one-seven-three-one-O was in a life threatening situation. It was also all the proof Khesis needed. She materialized and reached for the babe.

"Touch her parvulus of incendia and die!" the baby giggled at the unannounced arrival of Elkin. He picked up the child folded his wings around them, and called on the Reaper to collect the soul of the child's grandmother.

"This isn't over Elkin! You can't protect the Nautilus, for long!" Khesis shouted before disappearing her brother's sinister laughter in her ear. For Turk knew she would fail.

© C. Dominique Gibson