Chapter 18. Judgment

Binky landed lightly in Death's front yard. Riddick dismounted, helped Jack down. Susan stormed out of the house, furious. "You stole my horse. Again!"

Riddick smiled. "Susan, meet Jack. My dead not-girlfriend. Jack, meet Susan. She teaches school."

Susan's eyes flickered over Jack briefly, seemed to classify her as irrelevant, turned back to Riddick. "And you stole your book!"

Riddick grunted. "Yeah. Once you told me not to, it just seemed like the thing to do."

"Susan?" a male voice called, wonderingly. Riddick blinked at Lobsang. He hadn't noticed him there.

She whirled at him. "What?"

"It's okay. He fixed it."

Susan blinked rapidly. Got an abstracted look on her face. "Gosh. He did. Huh. Guess we're not all falling into the suck any more."

"GRAND DAUGHTER." A new figure apparated. Riddick blinked at him too. He was tall, gaunt, and wearing a cape. But no skin. Or flesh. Grandfather. Her grandfather. Death. Oh. Interesting.

"Granddad," Susan said, a hint of asperity. "Nice of you to drop by."

The thing seemed to smile affectionately; quite a trick without lips. "YOU HAVE MADE ME PROUD AGAIN, GRANDDAUGHTER." He turned his face to Riddick. There were galaxies dancing in the eye sockets. Very distracting. "THE MULTIVERSE OWES YOU . . ." the voice trailed off. "ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. BUT YOU HAVE MY THANKS."

Riddick gave it a brief nod. "Anytime, granddad."

"THAT'S MINE," the figure said, reaching out a bony hand for the scythe. Riddick moved back.

"All yours, grandpa. But we gotta get a few things straight first."

"YOU THINK TO DICTATE TERMS TO ME?"

"Hey, just two colleagues talkin' here." One hand on the scythe, the other on Jack. "What happens to us?"

"YOU HAVE SERVED US WELL. YOU MAY LIVE OUT YOUR DAYS IN WHAT EVER MANNER YOU SEE FIT."

"And her?"

"SHE HAS DIED. I WILL TAKE HER ACROSS THE THRESHOLD MYSELF."

"No."

The cowled figure stared at him.

"INTERESTING. I HAD AN APPRENTICE ONCE. HE FOUGHT ME FOR A GIRL. HE DIED. WILL YOU FIGHT ME FOR THIS GIRL?"

"I stormed the fucking gates of hell for her. You fuckin' bet."

"YOU WILL LOSE."

"You sure?"

A cold wind blew through the clearing, whipping dead leaves that hadn't been there moments before into their faces.

"YES."

Jack pulled away as much as he'd let her. "Riddick, I don't want this. I died. I knew – I knew it could happen. It means everything you came for me. It's enough – it's more than enough."

He looked down at her. Pulled her close. Shook his head. Shifted his grip on the scythe.

Susan started to laugh. "Grandfather, he's an ass. But he did us a big favor. He saved the universe. He saved the multiverse. Can't we let this one go? They aren't going to live more than another fifty years. Plus, he could be a great back up if we both have to go somewhere . . ."

Death stared down at his granddaughter. Then he started to laugh.

"I HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF DIFFICULTY REFUSING YOU, SUSAN." He winked at her. "I LEAVE IT ALL IN YOUR CAPABLE HANDS." He turned to Riddick, seemed to bow. "I WILL SEE YOU BOTH AGAIN. NOW I SHALL HAVE A CUP OF TEA." He turned, cape swirling, and was gone.

Susan exhaled slowly, turned on Riddick, thrust out her hand. "Books." Riddick finally let go of Jack, fished them out of his pockets and handed them over with a grin.

"Now what?" Jack asked again, shakily. Susan got a thoughtful look.

"Well, you could go back to Ankh-Morpork. Go back to the Watch. They've got a werewolf and the rightful king of the city; you must fit right in. Or I could drop you off on XXX – Big continent, giant talking kangaroos, he'd fit right in there too." She gave Jack an appraising look. "I think you might too."

Lobsang broke in. "Or we could send you back to your universe. It's not in the best shape, but not all that bad. This place will never seem right to you."

"We go back, we're hunted," Jack said. "I don't want to be hunted anymore."

Riddick looked at her. Took one of her small hands in his own. "This place is fucked up. Dragons and witches and werewolves and no space ships. You wouldn't miss the real world?"

She met his eyes. "You're my world," she said softly. "Whither thou goest, I go." He closed his eyes.

Opened them. "You're sure . . . Jack?"

Her lips twitched. "Never had a doubt."

"Let's go to Ankh-Morpork. I've got . . . friends there. One thing I don't understand."

"One thing?" Susan's voice was architecturally arch enough to support flying buttresses.

"You killed me. Why aren't you the Lord Marshal?"

Susan rolled her eyes. "I was Death at the time. You killed a wizard, you didn't become one. Death changes things. Things don't change death." Lobsang cleared his throat meaningfully. Susan flushed. "Much. And anyway, what could the Lord Marshal do that I couldn't? He's just a lesser version of the archetype."

"Huh," Riddick said, already losing interest. "Can I borrow the horse?"

She snorted. "I'll take you, see you settled."

Jack looked over at Binky. "He'll take three?"

Riddick smiled. "That horse? He can take thousands. Let's go."

When Susan returned, Albert met her at the door.

"Did you tell him about the genetics?"

"What do you mean?"

"That any kids those two have are going to carry Death in their genes?"

"Everyone does, Albert."

"You and him more than most. And my guess is those two are goin' be makin' babies way faster than you and Lobsang." He waggled his eyebrows.

Susan glared at him. Opined dryly, "I suspect the Pale Horse will only come for him or his kids if Grandfather and I are busy."

"Horse liked him. Plus you get busy a lot, Susan."

"Shut up, Albert."