The Dark at the End

The Dark at the End Page 92

Perfect.

Rasalom removed the earphones and paused to marvel at how everything had fallen into place. His original plan had gone off track in seemingly disastrous directions, and yet somehow ...

His original intent had been simply to locate Glaeken.

He'd known for years the identity of the Heir, although not where he lived. The plan had hinged on one all-important assumption: that the Heir knew the whereabouts of Glaeken. If that were so, Rasalom could use Dawn's baby as a means to locate Glaeken through the Heir.

From his discussions with Drexler he'd known of the Connell woman's relationship to the Heir. So he had paired Dawn with the Connell woman, knowing the girl would be needy and would attach herself. He would eventually allow Dawn - with the Connell woman's help - to find her way back to her baby. The Connell woman would show the q'qrlike child to the Heir. The Heir, if he knew Glaeken's whereabouts, would want him to see the child. And Rasalom would follow.

But the revelations in North Carolina had made all that unnecessary: Glaeken turned out to be an impotent mortal and no threat.

Which freed Rasalom to devote all his energies to eliminating the Lady.

That was when he realized that Dawn's baby could be used as a means to that very end.

Through the Connell woman, he had learned where the Heir lived - a bit of information crucial to the plan. Once he had established that, he entered her apartment while she was out and inserted a new page about the Other Naming Ceremony into the Compendium, arranging for it to appear whenever the book was opened. The Connell woman couldn't help but find it, and couldn't help but bring it to Glaeken's attention. And to the Lady's as well, since she was the only living being - aside from Rasalom - who knew the Small Folk's language.

He had worded the page with caveats carefully tailored to leave the q'qrlike child as the only safe recipient of the Other Name.

The Heir and the Connell woman would go in search of Rasalom's ancient sigil, would find what they'd believe was his Other Name, and the Lady would perform the Ceremony.

Everything had been working perfectly until the Heir's ferocious assault almost ruined everything.

Almost.

Because even though Rasalom had been maimed and had nearly lost his life, it had been worth it. The child had followed the path he'd originally set for it: straight to Glaeken and the Lady.

He went down on one knee and opened the case.

After all these millennia ... time to end this.