Date: Mon, 24 Apr 1995 15:30:16 +0100 Reply-To: Grail Sender: Highlander TV show stories From: Grail Subject: "Box of Tricks" Part 9/Epilogue NOTE : After compressing all the episodes into one long textfile during the holidays, I realised I couldn't remember where part 8 ended. So, I hope I've not repeated anything that was mailed last time. Sorry if I have. Box of Tricks Part 9 / Epilogue by Mark Overton "Richie!" Duncan climbed out of the car and started to run towards the young man, who turned with surprise and consternation. "Richie, what the hell are you doing here?" "Visiting Ally's friend," Richie shrugged. "Mac, what - " "The Magician lives - " "Look out!" Delaney's voice shouted from behind them. Without even bothering to check, Duncan dived forwards, catching Richie in the stomach and sending both of them flying along the road. The bomb hit the ground just where Duncan had been standing and exploded, sending chips of tarmac everywhere. Delaney yelped and put a hand to her cheek where blood was starting to well, then shrugged and pulled her gun from its holster. "Get Alyson out of here," Duncan ordered Richie tersely, running towards the door of the corridor leading up to the Magician's flat. As he ran he unlimbered the katana from inside his trenchcoat pocket. Alyson's eyes almost popped out of their sockets with astonishment as Duncan kicked the door just once and it flew open. Followed by Renee, he disappeared inside. "Come out of the way," Richie said, belatedly recalling his instructions and pulling Alyson away from the car and the flat. "Charlie?" Duncan called as he reached the entrance to the flat, which was open invitingly. He caught the stinging scent of tear gas on the air and coughed, wiping away the slight tears that threatened to gather at the corner of his eyes. Behind him, he heard Renee choke a little as she struggled to control her reaction to the gas. "Not *too* much further, Macleod," the Magician said drily from beside him. Duncan whirled, bringing the katana up and round in a swing that would have decapitated six of her, but she was already gone. With a mental curse that he tightly restrained, knowing it would not help him, he backed away until he bumped in Delaney. Grabbing her left hand in his, he moved sideways until he felt something bump into his thigh - he had reached the far wall of the flat. Detaching his hand from Delaney's, he reached down and fumbled with the window catch. It came free with a click and Duncan shoved the window up. Air rushed into the flat, and the billowing folds of white gas began to fold in on themselves, subdued by the through draft from window to door. An indistinct shape appeared in the clouds as they began to fade. Slowly it sharpened and gradually gained definition. Delaney raised her gun but Duncan knocked it down. "What?" she demanded. "You said yourself you lot'll - " "It's not her," Duncan said, stepping forward and taking the swaying Charlie's arm, pulling him back to their corner as more details of the flat became visible. It was a big room, on two levels, with chairs neatly arranged (if somewhat disordered by the recent events) and a computer he didn't recognise on a desk nearby. There were books on the shelves, all sorted. The Magician was obviously a tidy person. "Hi there," the Magician waved to them politely. She was sitting at a table near another open window, wiping her eyes delicately. A plate of biscuits was in front of her, and she helped herself to another one as Duncan and Renee looked at her. "Nice to see you again." "Okay, now can I shoot her?" Renee demanded. "No," Duncan said tersely. "Against the rules." "Nice of you to remember, Macleod," the Magician nodded. She stood up and moved away from the table with a smile. "It's been a pleasant visit, but I've got to be going now. There's an airport ticket with my name on it waiting for collection. I'm off back home, to England." "I don't think so." Duncan raised the katana and moved forward. The Magician sighed, looking more irritated than worried, and backed away as he advanced. "You've had enough escapes for one lifetime," Duncan said tightly, and lunged. The Magician ducked as he swung, and a shelf of crystal glass sculptures shattered into a trillion tiny pieces with a tinkling sound, spraying over the floor. Renee supported Charlie with one arm and clutched hold of her gun with the other, ready to fire if it should be necessary. Rules or not, if the Magician tried to pull another trick, she would be ready. Duncan moved forward again as the Magician moved back, their footsteps exactly mirroring each others. She turned suddenly and dashed across to the fireplace, where a medium-sized sword was waiting. Picking it up, the Magician faced Duncan with a resigned smile. "Well, if it has to come down to swords..." she said sadly, holding ready. "'Fraid so," Duncan agreed, and lunged. The blades clanged and the Magician whirled aside just in time as Duncan's follow-up nearly cut her leg off. She hopped up onto the sofa, bounced once, then backflipped over the top of it to put the piece of furniture between them; Duncan started to move round it and the Magician promptly did a head-first dive back over, tucking her head in and rolling neatly over to come up and swing down towards his head. Duncan spun round, bringing the katana up, and the Magician's sword blade hit it barely three inches away from his face. "Nice try," he said tersely, and tripped her up. The Magician crashed onto her back, bringing a wince of pain to her deceptively young features, and rolled aside just in time as Duncan brought the katana crashing down to carve a huge chunk out of the wooden floorboards. Springing to her feet, the Magician kicked the sword just above the hilt and Duncan involuntarily released it, letting it clatter to the floor. She swung her own blade and he flinched back, the tip just slicing through the edges of his jacket. Forgetting any inhibitions he might have had about killing a woman, Duncan spun a full circle and lashed out with a foot, catching the Magician a glancing blow on the shoulder and sending her tumbling backwards. He snatched up the katana and rushed forward, slicing smoothly downwards and expecting the Magician to duck. She did, and the sword sliced through the Acorn's monitor screen, sending the computer up in a roar and crackle of sparks. The Magician rolled through Duncan's legs and came to her feet behind him, swinging her sword round; Duncan stepped sideways and she missed. The two combatants faced each other, their blades clanging occasionally as each searched for a weakness in the other's defences. "This isn't helping my asthma, you know," the Magician observed. "You haven't got asthma," Duncan retorted. She shrugged. "Figure of speech. Do we have to keep on with this?" "Yes." Duncan slashed forwards and she parried, making an attack of her own which he easily swept away with the bigger katana. A grimace of annoyance flickered briefly across the Magician's features and Duncan grinned, lunging and thrusting with the katana once more. Forced into defensive moves purely to keep her skin intact, the Magician retreated step by step as Duncan drove her backwards. Her heel caught on a step and she tumbled backwards, the sword falling out of her hand. "Gotcha," Duncan said with a grin. "There can - " The Magician's leg flashed up and caught him where all men, even immortals, are vulnerable. She rolled out of the way as Duncan staggered, wrenched the katana from his hand, and slashed him viciously across the stomach. Gasping as he felt his blood pour out and down his body, Duncan dropped to his knees. " - be only one," the Magician completed. "Absolutely right, Macleod." She started to bring the sword down. Delaney's gun barked viciously and the Magician jerked convulsively, blood spraying out of her chest right over her heart. A second shot and a second convulsion; the immortal woman's eyes fluttered and she collapsed across Duncan, rolling off him and hitting the floor with a dull thud like a sack of potatoes. "That'll teach her," said Delaney in satisfaction. Duncan looked at the motionless Magician in silence. "What did you think you were doing?" he demanded angrily after a second. "Saving your life!" "You were interfering with the Game!" he retorted. He could feel the stomach wound the Magician had given him beginning to heal, a reminder of their shared nature. "You changed the outcome of the fight. You should never, ever, do that. Understand?" "Macleod - " "Never!" Duncan snarled, plucking his katana from the Magician's nerveless fingers. He rose shakily and looked down at her. "Just because she bends the rules doesn't mean I'm going to break them. You just stopped me from killing her." Delaney almost choked on her anger. "I stopped her from killing you!" Duncan looked round. "Maybe. Come on, we're leaving." "Leaving? But - " "But she'll get away. I know, but I can't stop that." Duncan's voice was heavy with defeat. "She's protected now, because a mortal was involved in the fight. Until she resurrects I can't attack her." "Then we wait - " "No!" Duncan glared at her. "Don't you understand it? She'll still be weakened from the bullets. It won't be a true fight, according to the rules. I have to leave her." Delaney stared. "I'm not leaving." Duncan stared right back. "You are." She heard the tone in his voice and accepted defeat. EPILOGUE It was beginning to get dark when the Magician jerked awake with a shock. She looked around the flat; it was empty. Almost of their own volition, her fingers strayed towards the two ragged bloodsoaked bullet holes in her shirt. A smile crept across her face; she could guess why she was still alive. Rising to her feet, she noticed a small piece of paper lying on the table. It was a sheet from a notepad, folded in half. She picked it up and unfolded it. Next time I'll take your head for certain. Duncan Macleod. The Magician smiled again. "What a wonderful thing honour is," she observed drily. She pulled her shirt off and went into the bedroom, taking out another and putting that on. On top she put on a jacket, then picked up the small case resting on the bed. There was still time to catch her plane back to England, and as the note had said, there would always be another day. When Richie entered the dojo, he found Duncan sitting cross-legged on the practice mat in the centre of the floor, looking at a crumpled piece of notepaper in his hand. "Mac?" he questioned. Duncan looked up. "She's gone after her." "Who has?" Richie asked, suspecting he knew the answer already. "Renee. She's chasing the Magician, all the way to England if I know her." Duncan crumpled the notepaper with a familiarity that suggested he'd done so before. "She says if I won't take her head she'll find an immortal who isn't quite so scrupulous." He looked directly at Richie. "She'll get eaten alive." "No she won't," the younger immortal said reassuringly. "She's learned fast, Mac. She might even catch the Magician." Duncan's eyes were empty of the reassurance Richie had sought to provide. "Perhaps.... =========================================================================