And Now For Something Completely Different

https://youtu.be/qLjeWz1qxnc

And Now for Something Completely Different

“So what do you think so far?”

“Honestly, I’m surprised it’s going as well as it is.”

Somewhere far removed from anywhere important, there is a room. This room has walls of black stone and not even a single torch. Within this room is a cage, right in the middle, with bars on every side. It isn’t terribly sturdy, and the inside is surprisingly comfortable. This cage is not meant for keeping something from getting out, it’s to prevent something from getting in.

The cage has one occupant. She doesn’t look at Cowell when She speaks to him. She can hear where his voice is coming from, of course, but She couldn’t see him anyway.

He is Her only visitor anymore, so She enjoys these breaks from isolation immensely. Cowell tells Her stories, usually, about the things he’s seen out there, though She already knows how they will go. Still, She enjoys hearing him tell them, regardless.

Today he seems a bit concerned. He’s been stretched a little thin lately, it’s true.

“It’s the largest I’ve ever done, for sure,” She nods thoughtfully. “Probably will ever do, if I’m honest. But I think it needs to be like this.”

“Personally, I think you might be tickling the devil’s balls just a wee bit.” He paces a bit around the outside of the cage. Cowell isn’t agitated, he just doesn’t like to sit still. She’s far too used to it by now to comment.

Instead, She just laughs at his words. “Maybe. There are a lot of ideas running around. But I think they’re all good ones, at least. The only thing I’m a little worried about is giving them all enough time.”

“Well, you’ve got a pretty solid core, at least,” Cowell rolls his eyes a bit. “But what a bloke to pick as your leading man.”

“He is the king of the most important reality in the cosmos.”

“Lord, I think you mean. He’s very particular about that, in case you’ve forgotten.”

“Semantics,” She clicks Her tongue. “And you should just be happy I didn’t put you in the middle of it.”

“Ahh, but that’s not my job now, is it?”

“You’re almost more important.”

Cowell smiles devilishly. “I do so much work for so little glory. Do you know how many bars I’m running now?”

“It’s better than the one time I made you a butler, isn’t it?”

“You’re got me there, love.”

“But, you’re right,” She admits, sighing. “Thank you, Cowell, truly. I know it must be hard for you. You have to lead them to misfortune just as often as to success.”

He waves Her off, but there’s something in his eyes, glinting behind his glasses. Something almost a little… tired. “They do it to themselves. If anything, you’re the one to blame, not me. I’m just following orders.”

“You know, I’m not too fond of those implications. But you’re right, of course. And one day I’ll definitely burn for it. Though I’m not sure I can take… full credit for everything.”

An odd, heavy silence pervades the room. For a minute, neither of them speak.

“You really do miss him, don’t you?” Cowell asks finally.

She shrugs. “You’re the only one who comes to visit me anymore. It was… fun sometimes, I guess, to indulge him.”

“Even if things were worse for it?”

Smiling bitterly, She finally looks at him with milky, unseeing eyes. “What can I say? At the end of the day, they’ll all just paper dolls to me.”

Cowell used to not be the only one to visit Her. All three of Her siblings would come to speak to Her. But that one was special. He never wanted anything from Her, just to share his ideas. And what fascinating ideas they were. Beautiful just as often as they were horrifying.

But in the end, it turned out he did want something, something that would put an end to Her cosmos as She knew it. To make it utterly unpalatable, just for him. Maybe for Her, too.

That was a selfish thought.

“Maybe I do,” She admits. “Maybe I miss him.”

“Well, he’s gone now,” Cowell smiled sympathetically. “But I know how you feel. For the good of everything, though, he should really stay gone.”

He’s right, of course he’s right. Nothing good could ever come from relying on him. Still, sometimes, She wishes She could have relied just a bit on the Malice anyway.