The Finisher (Vega Jane #1)

by David Baldacci

“I was hoping you might come by” was his surprising greeting as he waved me in. He poured a glass of flame water and took a sip. “Trounced the blackguard.” “You saw the jabbits?” He smacked his lips. “They were a wee bit hard to miss.” I could tell from his expression that he knew what my next question would be. “How did you know?” I asked. He feigned surprise, though I could tell he didn’t mean it. I said, “You said I’d done it before. Beaten Ladon-Tosh. But you really meant I’d beaten the jabbits before.” “Did I?”

Even if you’re a drunk Domitar… I respect you

“Magic, sorcery, devilry, call it what you will, it’s strange.” “I mean what does it look like from the outside?” I thought about this. “Like a castle I saw once in a book at Learning. But that was fantasy, not real.” “Who says so?” he asked pedantically. “Well, I mean.” I drew a long breath. “It’s all rubbish, I know.” “Well done.” “So whose castle was it?” “I am not the one to answer that because I don’t know.”

So staples is some magically castle??

“Why? What’s that stuff on the cloth?” “Just hold out your hand. Your inked hand.” I glanced at Domitar, who slowly nodded at me. I tentatively held out my hand. My gaze was drawn to the blue skin on top, the result of two sessions of having Dis Fidus stamp my hand for no reason. Dis Fidus said, “This will not occur without some discomfort. I’m sorry. It is unavoidable.” I drew back my hand and looked at Domitar, who would not meet my gaze. “Why should I endure the pain?” I asked. “What result will come of it?” “It will be much less painful than what’s in the Quag if you have the ink on you.” “I don’t understand.” “Nor should you,” said Domitar. “But if that is your plan, it is essential that the ink comes off.” He shut his mouth and turned to the wall.

Damn didn’t think ink would hurt that bad

“You have of course wondered why I spend my lights inking hands here,” said Dis Fidus. I nodded. “Well, now you have the answer. Simply put, to go through the Quag with an inked hand is a death sentence.”

So theres been wugs that were killed while IN WORMWOOD just because they got to close to the Quag with the ink on their hands???

“Some Wugs have duties passed down,” explained Domitar. “Morrigone is one of them. Before her, it was her mother’s responsibility to see to Wug welfare. And that is what she was doing this light.” “By trying to murder me?” “You are a danger to her and to all of Wormwood, Vega, do you not understand that?” said Domitar in exasperation.

I don’t give a rats ass what “duties were passed down” she’s a bitch

Adars are clumsy-looking beasts when ground-bound. In the air, though, they are creatures of grace and beauty. This one soared along, flying far better than I ever would. It drew closer and closer and finally descended and came to rest a few feet from me. As I looked more closely at it, I realized it was the adar Duf had been training up for Thansius. And then I also observed it had a woolen bag in its beak. It ambled toward me and dropped the bag at my feet. I looked down at it and then up at the tall adar. “A present from Thansius,” said the adar in a voice that was remarkably like the Wug himself. I knelt, picked up the cloth bag and opened it. There were two items inside. My grandfather’s ring. And the book on the Quag.

THANSIUS STILL COMING IN CLUTCH

I slipped the ring and book inside my cloak. I thought I was done with the adar, or he with me, but that was not the case. His next words froze me, but only for an instant. Then I was running full tilt to the door of my digs, where I frantically retrieved my tuck. I burst out of my door and ran down the cobblestones with Harry Two bounding next to me. The adar had already taken flight and I watched it soar overhead. Its last words came back to me. Indeed, I knew I would never forget them. They are coming for you, Vega. They are coming for you right now.

Even warned her to get out. God Thansius for the win . He’s like my new Dumbledore

“Where are you going?” I asked. “Same place you’re going.” “No, you’re not.” “Yes, I bloody well am.” “Delph, you are not coming with me.” “Then you’re not going.” “You think you can stop me?” “I think I can try.” “Why are you doing this?” “What we planned all along, right?” he said. “But your dad — I thought —” “He and me talked it out, didn’t we? Told him stuff. He agreed I should go. You got ridda his pain. And … and he said to thank you for, well, putting me back right with me head and all. He wanted to tell you himself, but he kept blubbering in front of me when he talked of it. ’Spect he’d never be able to say it to you directly.”

YES DELPH YESS

Two shooting stars racing side by side. It was a lesson, I supposed, not to focus only on oneself. Delph, I’m sure, wanted to escape the confines of Wormwood too. There were other Wugs besides me whose destinies lay outside this place. I looked at him and gripped his hand. “I’m glad you’re here, Delph.” His face brightened. “You are? Really?” I went up on tiptoes and kissed him.

They’re destined to go together

“I’d have to be a nutter to want to go into the Quag without you, wouldn’t I? And I am many things, but a nutter is not one of them.” “No, Vega Jane, you’re no nutter.” And then he picked me up off the ground and kissed me back so hard I felt my breath leave my body so fast I thought I would pass out. When he set me back down, both our eyes were closed. When they opened, nearly simultaneously, Delph and I just looked at each other for what seemed a handful of slivers.

You would have to be nutter because yall complete each other

And leading all of them was Morrigone. “No, Vega!” she screamed. “You will not leave Wormwood. You cannot.”

YOU LITTLE BITCH

“Fire!” shouted Krone. The mortas roared. I felt something race past my head. I heard Delph cry out and he went limp. I gripped his arm tighter. “Delph,” I shouted. “Just go, go,” he said in a strained voice. “I’m okay.” But I knew he was not okay.

I swear David Baldacci I will come for you if you kill off Delph

Harry Two barked and then howled and then whimpered. Then he fell silent. I felt something wet against my face. Harry Two had been shot as well. I shrunk my Elemental, put it away and supported Harry Two with my free hand while my other clutched Delph.

FUCK ITS HEDWIG ALL OVER AGAIN NO

Jurik Krone, the finest shot in all of Wormwood, had his morta pointed directly at my head. I could not pull my Elemental because I was holding on to Delph with one hand and I was supporting Harry Two’s body with the other. I could see Krone smile as he started to pull the trigger that would send a morta round directly into my head. And all three of us would fall to our deaths. And then something hit Krone so hard that he was knocked sideways for thirty feet. He tumbled and rolled and his morta flew from his hands. I looked to see what had just saved my life. Morrigone was lowering her hands,

I mean you fucking started this Morrigone, should’ve just let him finish her off. God I hate you

Then she lifted her hands once more and I felt an invisible force, like an iron tether, grip my leg. When I glanced at her, Morrigone was moving her arms as though pulling a rope toward her. I felt my momentum stop and, with a jerk, I felt us being pulled backward, downward. This was it. This was the moment. If I could not do this, then everything would have been for nothing. With a scream that seemed to go on for slivers, I summoned every ounce of strength I had. I felt energy surging through me. I kicked with my feet and I could feel the invisible tether loosen. I kicked harder and bent my shoulders forward as though I were laboring under an impossibly heavy weight. And then with one more long scream and my muscles so tense I thought I was paralyzed, I broke free, soared over the top timbers — Delph’s boots actually scraped across them — and we were past the Wall. As I looked back once more, I saw Morrigone on the ground, spent, dirty and defeated. Our gazes locked. She raised one hand toward me — not to try and stop me — but, I realized, simply to say farewell.

Fuck off Morrigone

Delph was slumped on the ground, holding his arm, and blood had saturated his shirt. I ran the Stone over it and the wound vanished and the pain on his face disappeared. He straightened and gasped, “Thanks, Vega Jane.” But I wasn’t listening to him. I had unhooked Harry Two from his harness. He lay limply on the ground. He was barely breathing. His eyes were closed. “No,” I whimpered. “Please, no!”

Fuck fuck fuck

I rubbed the Adder Stone over the wound on his side where the morta metal had struck him. He was so badly hurt I thought that touching the Stone to his body would make the wound heal faster. I kept rubbing, pressing the Stone into his fur and passing it over the wound. Still nothing. The tears streamed down my face as Delph knelt next to me. “Vega Jane.” He put a hand on my shoulder, trying to draw me away. “Vega Jane, leave him be now. He’s gone.” “Shove off!” I screamed and pushed him so hard he flew backward and sprawled in the dirt. I looked down at Harry Two and thought every good thought I could think of. “Please, please,” I moaned. “Please don’t leave me again.” In my despair, I was merging the two canines in my mind. My vision was blurred by my tears. Harry Two didn’t move. His breathing was slowing down to where I could barely see his chest rise.

I can’t do this bro I swear to GOD if you kill this dog

I couldn’t believe this. I had lost my Harry Two. I turned to see Delph picking himself back up. That’s when something nudged my hand. I snatched it away, thinking it was a creature of the Quag testing my flesh for eating. Harry Two touched my hand again with his wet nose. His eyes were now open and he was breathing normally. He rose on his paws and shook all over, as though throwing off his near death good and proper. I think he even smiled at me. I was so happy I shouted for joy and hugged him tightly. In return he licked my face and barked. Delph knelt next to us. “Thank the Steeples,” he said, scratching Harry Two’s snout.

NEVER BACK DOWN NEVER WHAT?? NEVER GIVE UP MY LITTLE BABY BOY HENRY TWO

I went first, with the fully formed Elemental ready in my hand, Delph second and Harry Two covering our rear flank.

THE GANGS ALL READY

I turned and looked ahead to the distant blue mountain that somehow I knew was where we needed to go. Just beyond that, in the sky, were the stars, the lost stars as I thought of them now. Lost, like we were. Would they ever find their way? Would we? Perhaps not. Perhaps we would simply flame out. But at least we would have tried. I looked once more at Delph, attempted a smile that died before it reached my face, and then we jumped. The three of us were suspended in air for a long moment as the wicked beasts sped toward us. And then we soared downward, now fully embraced by the Quag.

They’re finally traveling the Quag!

adar \′ad-r\ A beast of Wormwood often used as a messenger and trained to perform tasks by air. Although they appear clumsy on the ground, adars are creatures of grace and beauty in the sky, owing greatly to their magnificent height and wingspan. Most remarkably, adars can understand Wugmorts and can even be taught to speak.

amaroc \′a-m-räk\ A fierce and terrifying beast of the Quag, known to possess the ability to kill in many ways. Amarocs have upper fangs as long as a Wug arm and are rumored to shoot poison from their eyes. When captured, their hides are used in the production of clothing and boots in Wormwood.

Carbineer \kär-b-′nir\ A member of the Wormwood Constabulary, primarily established to protect Wugmorts from the thre...

Care, the \′ker\ A place where Wugs who are unwell and for whom the Men-dens at hospital can ...

cobble \′kä-bl\ A horrifying creature of the Quag comprised of three bodies attached shoulder to shoulder and made of what appears to be rock. The cobble has three heads, three sets of miniature wings growing from its mu...

colossal \k-′lä-sl\ An ancient race of formidable warriors, of an origin largely unknown to the average Wugmort. The colossal stands about sixty-five feet ta...

Council \′kaun-sl\ The governing body of Wormwood. Council passes laws, regulations, and edicts ...

creta \′krē-d\ An exceptionally large creature used in Wormwood to pull the plow of Tillers and transport sacks of flour at the Mill. The creta weighs well over one thousand pounds and is characterized by horns th...

Cutter \′k-tr\ An employee of Stacks whose task it is to slice through wo...

Dactyl \′dak-til\ A Stacks worker whose job entails shaping metal w...

Duelum \doo-′el-m\ A twice-a-session competition occurring outside of Worm-wood proper that pits strong males between the ages of fifteen and twenty-four in matches against one another. Viewed by many ...

Event \i-′vent\ A mysterious occurrence in Wormwood that bears no wit-nesses. Wugmorts presumed to suffer from an Event disappear entirel...

Fancy Frocks \′fan(t)-sē ′fräks\ A clothing shop for females ...

Finisher \′fi-nish-r\ A worker tasked with “finishing” all objects created at Stacks. Finishers must show creative ability at Learning, as the requirements for the job range from painting to kiln-firi...

frek \′frek\ A huge, fierce beast of the Quag characterized by an extensive snout and fangs inches longer than a Wug finger. The bite of a frek ...

garm \′gärm\ A large beast of the Quag, thirteen feet in length and nearly one thousand pounds in weight. The garm is a hideous creature, its chest permanently bloodied, its smell odious, and its belly full of fire that can cremate its victim from several feet away. Wormwood lore main...

Hallowed Ground, the \′ha-lōd ′graund\ The section of Wormwood where Wugmorts who have passed away ...

High Street, the \′hī ′strē t A cobblestone street in Wormwood proper lined with shops that sell things Wugmorts need, such as foo...

jabbit \′ja-bit\ A massive serpent with over two hundred and fifty heads growing out of the full length of its body. Although jabbits rarely leave the Quag, little can halt their attack once they are on the blood scent. Jabbits can easily overtake Wugs and have fangs in each head full of enough poison to drop a creta.

what the actual fuck?

Learning \′lr-ning\ The institution youngs attend until the age of twelve sessions. It is at Learning that youngs gain skills necessary for work in Wormwood.

light \′līt\ The time of sunlight between one nig...

Loons, the \′loons\ A boardinghouse on th...

Low Road, the \′lō ′rōd\ An old, worn-down road of Wormwood proper with fewer shops and trav...

maniack \′mā-nē-ak\ An evil spirit that can attach to a body and mind, driving a Wug irreversibly mad with ev...

Menden \′men-din\ Select medical personne...

Mill, the \′mil\ A place of work in Wormwood where flour and othe...

Mixer \′mik-sr\ A Stacks worker charged with combining ingredients for use in other p...

morta \′mr-t\ A long- or short-barreled metal pr...

Noc \′näk\ The large, round, milky-white object in the heavens t...

Noc Shop, the \′näk ′shäp\ A shop on the High Street that sells items related to Noc-gazing an...