Shape of Things to come

Shape of Things to Come

Part 3:Seeds of Time

Chapter 43

‘All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players.
They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts'
...William Shakespeare. As You Like It

The next evening at the office, after Erin and Clarrissa had gone home, Leslie had a chance to speak with Cole and explain she saw DJ. She was still quite happy, even gleeful about the visit. She planted herself in the shabby visitor’s chair in his office, then leaned forward resting her arms on his desk.

“I blame you” Leslie told Cole earnestly. “How the hell did you not know what he was up to taking those cases?”

“Because I clearly missed it” Cole answered, annoying Leslie because he did not bother to try and find excuses. So much as she would have loved to tell him what she thought of him for being stupid, he did not give her the chance.

“Something else” Leslie added a little uncomfortable “DJ kept…well making up stuff about you and me.” She swallowed “You know how I feel about you, even if no one else believes I’m not in love with you or got a crush…” she hesitated.

“DJ knows it too” Leslie told Cole “I mean I’ve talked about it to him. He even laughed about people not having imagination. He was really nasty about it. Even enough to make my sisters think maybe there is …something and they know I’m not …interested you in that way.”

“Not in love with me I know” Cole smiled. “DJ not being an idiot, for his own safety is probably trying to give over information to…someone who will believe it because they want to believe it. Someone who would not believe the truth. Someone Evil.”

“So, If I say I am going to get DJ out of the contract, you don’t have a problem?” Leslie asked.

Cole rolled his eyes “I suppose suggesting that you keep away from Evil is completely useless?” he asked.

“I’m a witch, a Good witch” Leslie insisted. “Anyway, what I really want to talk about is getting DJ away from Evil.

“I suppose suggesting the risks to you are dangerous is also useless?” Cole pushed, leaning back knowing the answer.

“It is” Leslie answered “He told me about the demon who is leading things. It was the tall blond peek-a-boo hair type demon.”

Cole winced. “Congratulations. That must have been quite a grilling you gave DJ.”

Leslie smiled in acknowledgement. “Smart demon, really setting him up. He was played. They kept him mostly legitimate. Just a slow, slow build up over six months until DJ was so in debt he couldn’t escape.”

“DJ is not anybody. He’s a friend.” Leslie insisted. “I don’t want to see DJ end up like those bodies Paige and Mark had to get rid of” Leslie insisted “And I think he’s having bitter regrets and I think that is the most likely way to get massacred by the demon masters to trap your soul” Leslie stared at Cole daring him to argue.

Cole had spent fifteen years and more not arguing with witches who were determined to take on Evil to rescue people entrapped, witches determined to fix the unfixable “What do you want to do?” he asked drily.

Leslie snorted disappointed, because she would have loved an argument. “I want to prove the contract is unenforceable or impossible to fulfil or unjust or they are not fulfilling it” Leslie said. “So, first off, I want to know who the arbitrator between Good and Evil. Is it you?”

“Because there would be no point in Evil making deals and contracts if there was not someone or something to enforce them” Leslie declared “Its only logical.”

“I’m not the arbitrator” Cole told her. “I get called in when justice is at stake and justice really isn’t an issue on a fair or nearly fair or legally acceptable contract. Which is why DJ is a problem I can’t fix.” He sighed. “Contracts can be right or wrong but not necessarily just or unjust.”

“Who’s the arbitrator, who is ‘them’” Leslie asked. “I can ask Good but ‘they’ won’t want a mere witch interfering with the balance.”

Cole considered before answering “Sort of ‘them’.” Cole admitted finally, making a decision about what he could reveal. “One of the Guardians told me counsel appoints seers and such from a higher level. System works because Good and Evil are both scared to come near them.” He looked at Leslie intently “So you can either make Evil let go the contract because they are scared, or get a ruling on Faustian deals.”

“I need to do it soon” Leslie pondered “Before DJ cracks. Getting a ruling might help a few others beside DJ.”

“What are the grounds?” Cole asked. “Because if you make it about legal you can’t argue fair or even reasonable, only legal.”

“I know” Leslie assured him. “Can’t guarantee to provide what DJ signed for. The deal was to make his parents proud of him, defined I think by a job they can boast to the neighbours. Fighting crime in DA’s office was that job, working for a…”

“Then maybe unfulfillable. They have DJ doing shit grunt work in the DA ‘s office” Leslie told Cole. “Maybe have to get the parents to retract proud. Or a time period.”

“The usual way of dealing with time periods in Faustian contracts is by ending them. Term of natural life, you know they look back at the funeral and say how proud they were of him. Contract fulfilled” Cole said.

“I’ll check.” Leslie responded. She stood up to leave and Cole stopped her.

“Leslie” Cole asked carefully “I know you and DJ have been friends. You’re not doing this because you’re feeling a bit unrequited about him are you?”

“Why does everyone think that every time I have relationship of any sort with a male its unrequited and I’m lusting over them. I’m no more in love with DJ or want to have sex with DJ than I do you, or Leo or my bloody brothers for that matter. Don’t you think having a father like mine would make anyone protective of friendship, want to not drop them or walk away ... be a selfish bastard when I can help.” Leslie all but yelled at Cole.

Cole held up his hands “Okay, okay. Just, well, having a father like yours can often mean making some pretty bad choices about…. men” he added lamely.

“Tell Phoebe she’s reading the wrong psychology books” Leslie snapped angrily and Cole blushed. “Having a father like mine just makes me very wary about men … making promises and I don’t think that is a bad thing. And I find trustworthy is the sexiest thing going and believe me its rare.”

Later that night Cole and Phoebe were finally alone together in what seemed the first uninterrupted time since the magic crisis started. Cole lay back on the bed, pillows fluffed up hands behind his head watching her undress, moisterise, clear makeup, and tidy the room. Just watching her do all the routines he had watched her as many times as he could for fifteen years and more.

Phoebe did not have to turn around to know the smile that she loved, the one that he saved for her was on his face. But she eventually she came to bed, short pyjamas exposing more than they covered then knelt on the bed and leant over to kiss him. Eventually she pulled back a little.

Cole listened carefully to the house noises then sighed. “Wait, kids are still awake.”

The Manor was not renown for the privacy of its bedrooms because of the lack of insulation in its very old walls, something parents were rather grateful for when the kids were younger but not so much now.

Phoebe sighed and fluffed her own pillows then lay back. She was silent for a while then sighed “Leslie asked me about DJ. I told her to go for saving him.”

“So she told me” Cole answered with a small smile. “Hated throwing DJ to Evil but I can’t cross the line to help him, worse if I do something, likely something else will happen to make up the balance.” He touched Phoebe’s face gently. “I feel so bloody…useless.”

“You did what was necessary, getting rid of him” Phoebe told him “Do you really want a lost soul hanging around? Sabotaging everything it can. I liked DJ. I really did but he made his choices.”

“A little while ago I got quite a lecture form Therold about lost and evil souls” Cole told Phoebe “He thinks just because most of them are lost does not mean you wipe them all out, because if one is saved then it justifies leaving Evil in existence” Cole grinned “Summary of what was said.”

Phoebe sat bolt upright. “You saw Therold?” she demanded. “I mean is everything all right. I mean is he okay I mean…”

“We had a very pleasant chat” Cole informed her slyly, then laughed out loud. “Until Francesca interrupted. Scared the hell out of Francesca too” he added. “He told me some things that were … useful.”

“I get very nervous about you being so damned. reckless.” Phoebe told him. She sighed “It pleases me you’re still the man I fell in love with but it scares the hell out of me.”

Finally, Phoebe asked “You really aren’t going to try and fix it about DJ are you? Consequences?”

“Can’t” he answered. “The umpire interfering in the battle is out of the question because it might destroy chances of winning. It has to play out. THEY are spinning in my head so fast on interfering, it’s a wonder the bed is not spinning as well.”

“Is that why you’re going all Guardian on… everything. DJ. Power of Three?” Phoebe asked just a little disappointed.

“I don’t care how much things need to be balanced, I don’t like losing someone to Evil that I like.” Phoebe told him “I miss the man I fell in love with. He wouldn’t have let it happen

“Maybe not but there were consequences” Cole told her grimly. “I get this time with my…family by knowing when not to interfere between Good and Evil. My calling is justice. No details but I helped some witches who were getting …injustice. Would not want to risk an inbalance that stops them getting justice. DJ has been doing some pretty bad things.” He turned to Phoebe who to his relief was nodding, “Understanding.DJ does not need a visit from justice. Trust me.”

“I still hate thinking about Evil going after vulnerable people,” Phoebe told Cole. “After all we’ve been finding out about the misery grunts go through, like the one we summoned, like the ones at the university, the travesty of it “Phoebe bristled “I hate thinking of that happening to DJ. I mean I know he can be a bastard about the hookups and that but he wouldn’t do you a bad turn.”

“I know. I know” Phoebe answered. “But I still hate him turning up like … get thrown away as vanquish fodder.

“So do I” admitted Cole. “Especially when that vanquish fodder seems to be lost souls having second thoughts, so trying to convince DJ to change his mind will probably just get Evil claiming his soul sooner. He has to do what he’s told.” After a few minutes Cole told Phoebe. “You know I haven’t given up on Leslie yet.”

“Did what I could. I took the Guardian route, turning all mysterious and telling half-truths, that kept ‘THEM’ out of my head. Leslie was really mad at being told to keep away from DJ.” Cole explained.

“You had your best successes ignoring sensible advice” Cole mused. “So, if Leslie asks for advice, that maybe wasn’t sensible, you would be well qualified to give it to her. As long as she doesn’t get herself killed” Cole mused. “I can’t afford to lose another lawyer.”