Ballistic Kiss (Sandman Slim 11)

“The Lodge,” says Dan.

“The Lodge Within the Lodge,” says Juliette.

She looks past me.

“You’re a member, dear. Explain it to him.”

Janet is still leaning on my knife hand. I let her lower it.

“The Lodge Within the Lodge is special. It’s not just excursions and games. It’s about looking into the unknown. Expanding human consciousness. Looking into the world beyond the world.”

I laugh a little.

“You want to see ghosts? You want to see Hell or Heaven? I can show you those things. You don’t need these creeps.”

“I don’t want you to show them to me,” says Janet. “I want to get to them on my own. Taking a helicopter to the top of a mountain isn’t the same as climbing it. I want to climb, not to be dropped off like luggage.”

“What do you think the excursions are for?” says Dan. “Just kicks? There are easier ways than that. The excursions are tests. Rites of passage to find the proper sort of people who can take part in the Lodge’s real purpose.”

“You get people killed.”

“The weak ones, yes. But not you and not Janet.”

“Do you understand now?” Janet says.

“Listen to them, Stark,” says Juliette in a way that sounds like an ultimatum. “Join us in the Lodge Within the Lodge or go home. Or murder us all. Of course, you’ll have to kill Janet too since they know about the Jackal’s Backbone.”

When I see the look on Janet’s face, I put away the blade.

Janet comes over and puts their head on my shoulder. I drape an arm around them.

The doom twins look at each other.

“Does that mean you’ll join us?” says Dan.

I think about it. The black blade is still in grabbing distance.

“Let me ask you something. You ever have any actors come through the Lodge?”

“Actors. Producers. Directors. You name it,” says Juliette.

“Ever heard of one named Chris Stein?”

The doom twins look at each other.

Dan says, “The name is vaguely familiar. But he isn’t one of our people.”

“He’d be from around forty years ago. You have records that go back that far?”

“Yes, we do,” says Juliette. “And you can see them.”

“But only if you’re one of us,” says Dan.

I look over at Janet.

I want to see those records, but more than that, I don’t want to lose Janet, even though I don’t know what the hell it is we’re doing. They’re in over their head, too afraid of their past, and too in love with death to back out of things now.

I look over at Maria and say, “How’s Manimal Mike?”