Warsinger by James Baldwin (most important books of all time txt) 📕

down again, slapping his hand away from his face as he tried to cover it. “Archemi is the only world we have now, and I assure you that you're going to be spending a really, really long time in my dungeon thinking about it. Do you understand me?”

He sniffed, eyes watering. “Just wait until I get access to the admin panel. I'll... I'll fucking delete you!”

“You won't get access to the admin panel,” I said. “The A.I is so desperate that it’s started to send reports to players, because it can’t connect to anyone outside. Even if Dev permissions became available again, the ghost of Ororgael will be on that panel faster than you can say 'I'm a piece of shit' and if he does, we’re all fucked. You are my least concern right now.”

“Michael...?” He frowned. “No way. Michael's dead.”

“Michael's very much alive. He's basically human cancer.”

Jacob shuddered. “Dude. Too real.”

“As Ororgael, Michael’s infected at least one player so that he can try to take over the world. Again.” I bobbed up to my feet and began to pace. “Baldr Hyland. Sound familiar?”

“Yeah, but...” Jacob trailed off. “But we cleaned Michael's characters out of the database…”

I looked down at him. “I'm done talking with you. You're like the human incarnation of used mouthwash. I have to go find my girlfriend and comfort her.”

“Girlfriend?” Jacob regarded me with naked astonishment. “You really are with her? But... she's...”

“Quite a remarkable woman, actually,” Vash finished. “Who somehow manages to have healthy, normal relationships despite what you and your disturbingly-proportioned friend put her through.”

“You fought the Pacific Alliance!” he blurted. “They created HEX! They killed everyone! My parents, YOUR parents-”

“Dude, use your brain for literally one fucking second,” I said. “Let's say her human dataset came from some Pacific Alliance death camp. What does that imply to you?”

“That… she… was there.”

“Riiiight. Annnnd?” I waved my hands. “Who gets killed in death camps, smart guy? The guards? The officers in charge? I’ll give you a hint: It begins with P and ends in ‘risoners’.”

“I don't know what she was doing there!” he spat. “It was ages ago! Who cares?!”

“I do. I care enough to lock your ass in a cell and throw away the key.” I nodded to Vash and jerked my head to the door.

“Wait...!” Jacob shied back as we hauled him up. “No! This is crazy! You don't even know what happened! If I did anything! This is -!”

He squealed all the way to the cell, and kept ranting as I did a cell check, untied him, and slammed the heavy wooden door in his face. When the slot was closed and I was sure he couldn't see me, I sagged against the far wall and rubbed my eyes.

“You alright, Dragozin?” Vash sounded as serious as I'd ever heard him.

“Yeah.” I shook myself out, staring at the door as Jacob shoved at it from the other side, howling about his freedom and the Admin Panel and Nicolas. “Just tired. Real tired.”

Vash nodded. “Tell Istvan where to find me, will you? I'll stay here and make sure our new friend doesn't go on any adventures.”

“Thanks,” I said. “Let me know if he says anything about the Warsingers.”

“I will.” He seemed about to say more, but instead, his mouth turned down and twisted the net of scars on his face. “Hector, Suri and I have... talked... and because of some of our shared experiences, she has honored me with her confidence.”

“She has?” I was surprised to feel a twinge at that. “She's... never told me anything about what happened to her, really. Just implications.”

“I doubt she ever will,” he said. “She worries you would not handle it well, but also, I think she wants your relationship to be a clean slate, unstained by the past. I can't break her confidence, but I will say this. While he is loathsome, Jacob is the lesser of the pair. By her own admission, he had moments of mercy and lucidity and nearly released her more than once. So, for Suri's sake, let me see what I can do to reach him.”

“Reach him?” I recoiled. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

Vash glanced at the cell door. “Foul-mouthed and crude as I am, Dragozin, I wear a lot of different hats. One of those hats is, astoundingly enough, 'spiritual advisor'. Burna is not a god of forgiveness, but those of us who dwell in his darkness must remember that he is wedded to Veela the Eggmother, Goddess of Children. I respect Burna, but there must be balance in life. Too much darkness erodes the soul.”

I frowned, pushing back up off the wall. “Some people aren't worth forgiving. There's things you can't forgive.”

“You don't have to forgive him. Nor does Suri. But consider this. If a man does something evil, he has a choice in the aftermath: to continue doing evil, or to choose to try and make things right,” Vash said. “If you block the path of redemption - which is already very steep and difficult once you've fallen to this level of depravity - what are you left with?”

“Hnnn.” I grunted.

“Well?”

“More evil, I guess.”

“Exactly.” Vash nodded. “And remember this: Jacob is an immortal, like you and Suri, and therefore capable of making your lives miserable forever. So as a kindness to you all, I will see what I can do. There would be nothing more healing for Suri than a groveling, teary-eyed apology from this cretin.”

“I can think of a couple other things she'd find healing.” I snorted. “Like the opportunity to tear his liver out through his asshole.”

“She may yet have the chance,” Vash said. “My counsel is not a guarantee of success. Some people are irredeemable, and the only solution is to put them down like dogs. We shall see. As it is for all of us, it is up to Jacob to decide what kind of person he wishes to be.”

Chapter 44

I found Suri and Kitti on the flat roof of the Great Hall, a