Chapter 170: Free your Mind

Chapter 170: Free your Mind

Once theyd confiscated Phils device, the masters lost interest in us and returned their attention to the fighting below. The combatants were barely visible as clouds of green dust billowed over the arena, seemingly emanating from the rotund master who was mainly head. Special gas attack?

Chengs father had his arm around Chengs shoulder, proudly claiming him as his own. Despite the method of his victory (or maybe because of it), Cheng was now considered legit. He was worthy of being a Darkholme demon.

Cheng turned his neck to give us an apologetic look. Well, I say that, its hard to tell what six eyes blinking in sequence is supposed to signify.

No one seemed to be forcing us to stay and there werent even any snacks, so I didnt see the point of hanging around.

Is it okay if we go? I said to the accumulated backs ignoring us. It was a good indicator of just how little threat we posed that despite our magic and powerful devices, we werent considered worth locking up or even keeping an eye on.

And maybe rightly so. What were we going to do?

No one acknowledged my request, or even my existence. 288 jumped off Biscuits shoulder and flapped over to us. This way.

The golems made no move to stop us. Apparently permission had been given.

There was a general prickliness among the group as we headed back down the staircase, only Mandy hesitating to leave. We were being dismissed in a very offhand way, like it didnt matter what we did. I think this was a feeling wed all experienced in the past, although perhaps we had forgotten what it was like, our lives having taken a strange path in recent months.Updated from novelbIn.(c)om

Of course, deep down we were still those same awkward, easily-flustered dorks who didnt know how to handle embarrassing social situations. Sex with a fellow dork and wandering around with a sword didnt change that.

Ahd like to see his face when we beat him, muttered Flossie. Fookin big head.

He does have a big head, doesnt he? said Claire. I wonder how he found out about the time machine.

Phil, who had been very quiet since his expulsion from the belly of the beast and was still dripping yellow goo, rounded on the two girls. Someone obviously told him. Probably your little friend whod been keeping tabs on us since we got here.

Dudley stepped in between Flossie and Phil, his features clouding. His usual reticence to put himself forward didnt apply when it came to the girl of his dreams. Phil realised his mistake and backed off.

The little friend in question was 288, and Phil had a point.

288, did you tell the masters that we could stop time?

288 paused at the bottom of the staircase and turned around to stare back up at us. No.

Why not? I asked him.

They didnt ask.

He could have been lying, but I didnt think he was. What reason would he have? Wed already lost our key weapon against the masters, and they werent worried about us using magic to aid Cheng. If anything, they enjoyed allowing us an advantage just so they could make our defeat all the more demoralising. They were like bullies who gave you a headstart.

When we exited the Palace, 288 headed for the arena but I didnt really want to watch the fighting. It might give us some insight into how the others would fight and what techniques to use against them, but I wasnt convinced it would help us all that much. Without Phils device, itd be a massacre.

We can still win, cant we? Maurice asked me. The others all waited for my answer.

Pressure. Jenny claimed I was at my best when under impossible conditions, and maybe that was true. But this kind of expectation, where people look to you for answers you dont have, was just debilitating. Too much time to think.

A wild monster coming at me with jaws gaping and fangs glistening got the adrenalin pumping.

Big-eyed dependants looking lost and helpless just made me want to hide until they found someone else to cling to.

I considered lying to them, giving them a boost with a rousing pep talk. I decided against it.

No, I think were fucked. But we still have our backup, assuming they havent figured that one out, too. Which they probably have. I sighed. Im not really looking forward to going back and doing this all again, I dont even know what to change, and having to re-explain everything to all of you is going to be a pain, but its still an out.

They didnt say anything.

Im going back to the stables.

No one expects you to change. Just dont forget we love you.

How do you respond to that? How can you accept it when your whole existence has been built on a solid foundation of the exact opposite?

Maurices head appeared over the dividing wall. The books gone.

I stared up at him. What book?

The manual. I left it here, and now its gone.

It wasnt that useful, though, was it?

Might have been. His glasses threatened to fall off his face as he peered down. Whats she doing?

Im checking him for weapons, said Jenny. He might be planning to stab me. If Im lucky.

Ask 288, I said, ignoring the wandering hands that had got inside my shirt. He probably took it to the masters.

His head disappeared. Hey, 288, come here Did you take the book that was here?

Yes.

Did you give it to your masters?

No.

There was a pause. Then where is it?

I lent it to some friends.

There was something strange about the way 288 was talking. He didnt normally say any more than was absolutely necessary, which basically meant a vocabulary of yes and no. And since when did he have friends?

I pushed Jenny off me (which took an immense amount of willpower, I can tell you) and got up to peer over the divider.

Maurice was sitting on the floor with 288 standing opposite him looking his usual disinterested self.

288, I said, how do you feel about the masters?

He looked up at me and shrugged. Hed never done that before. Theyre alright, I suppose.

I exchanged a look with Maurice. Golems werent supposed to talk like that.

Did you read the manual, 288? I asked him.

Yes. Twice.

The manual had been full of information about how to take control of the masters creations. 288 was one of those creations. Reading it must have been quite eye-opening for him.

Would you like to be free of the masters, 288? Choose what you want to do for yourself?

288 continued to look at me. He didnt say yes, but he didnt say no, either.

And what about the other golems? Do you think theyd like to do their own thing?

There was the slightest of nods.

Well, well. It seemed Mr Biscuit was going to experience something all men had experienced at one time or another. He was going to be betrayed by his own penis.