Katana #10825

The most beautiful thing I ever held besides a woman . . .  Katana .  

    " You know the elements and how they interact . . . Make fire from water . "


    With a raindrop I bent the sun's rays to ignite the shavings on the stone .

 Your first and last are made of wood , if your training's any good.

 Genie in a bottle ? . .  What's the rub ?  

  " Check. "

  A bishop counter , and an old question. " What's best for royalty, to be loved or feared ? "

  "Both."

  The knights are shaped like dragons and the queen has eight eyes .

  "Every piece is dreadful here. How do you know royalty ? "

  "It treats all others as royalty."  

"How's that zombie core treatin' yuh, soldier ? "

"It's left me cold ... " She peeled off a glove to expose a mummified hand in the candlelight .

  "Good ." A yellowed grin flashed from his cowl, accompanied by a waft of gangrene . " You won't trip the infrared ."  

  "Mmm hmm ... What's the target ?"

  " The Vatican ."  

   He lit an unearthly blunt from the candelabra and blew a purple cloud into the night.

   "That's bad luck . " He coughed up another plume that blew out the flame . All was dark but the green smoldering glow from between his fingers. She watched it trace his movements as he rose and approached from the shadows .
    " I'm very lucky to have the connection . It's from Leng . .. " He gently crushed out the noxious tip in his palm.
    " Onto Rome . " He pressed two fingers against her temple . "Here's what I spied with my wizard eye ..."

   The night fell away for her as the familiar psionic tingle lent itself to vision...

   

   She suddenly found herself moving with purpose through a darkened gallery . The eye passed by priceless icons and gleaming papal tiaras with indifference .Then it stopped before a vast portrait of a long dead pope.  
   It paused , and she felt vertigo as the eye passed through the painting and into the hidden vault behind it. And it's gaze came to rest upon a black book on a podium .

  "Steal this book . It will immolate in direct sunlight, be careful . "

  She gazed up at the desert stars now with her own eyes . " How old is it ? "

  "Older than them . "

  "Corky's gassed up down at the strip waiting . He'll fly you in and out . There's a phase inducer on board that'll get you through the vault door... In n' out , you got 2 charges . "
   
   "Corky's a vampire, I noticed."  

   "That's right, and a fine pilot to boot . If not for me, the mob would still be torturing him to death . Don't doubt his loyalty . "

   He handed her a rosary of purple beads with a silver crucifix ."Take care of this and it will take care of you . "