show up,” announced Will.
“You shouldn’t have anticipated me,” said the cat’s deep voice. “You know I’m not the bearer of glad tidings.”
“Tell that to Sammy,” he joked. Over the last year, the goddamn cat had taken to staying at his mother’s house, and his cousin Sammy had been pampering the demigod without realizing he was anything but an ordinary stray.
“I cannot. I will not be seeing her again, or you. This is my farewell.”
He didn’t like the sound of that. “I thought cats didn’t say goodbye.”
“They don’t talk either,” observed the Cath Bawlg, “but you should consider it an honor as I rarely give notice before resuming my travels.”
“Where are you going?”
“Away. Death looms close upon me in this world. If I am to continue, it will be elsewhere.”
Will frowned. “But you’re immortal.”
“I am immortal, but not eternal. Though I do not die easily, there are beings able to accomplish the task. One of them prepares to do so.”
Will mentally ran through the cat’s list of enemies: elves, sorcerers, fae, and demons. There was only one obvious choice. “A demon-lord,” he announced. “How do you know?”
“You should be aware by now that I can see probabilities.”
“The future.”
“Possibilities,” corrected the demigod. “My survival is unlikely if I remain.”
Will felt suddenly alone, as though a cold wind had blown through his soul. Though his relationship with the Cath Bawlg didn’t really exceed that of a friendly acquaintance, he had thought of the demigod as something like a secret protector. The cat never admitted it, and his assistance always came unasked for and unbidden, but he’d saved Will’s life more than once. Whatever was powerful enough to scare the immortal away was certain to be bad news for lesser beings.
“And mine?” asked Will. “Will I survive?”
“No. Your death is far more certain than my own. I have come to offer advice, as a measure of my fondness.”
He already knew what would come next. “Let me guess. Give up, go home. Take my friends and family somewhere safe.”
“There is nowhere that is safe,” said the Cath Bawlg in a gloomy tone. “But you could survive in relative peace, before the end.”
“Then end,” repeated Will. “If we’re talking about demons, you’re referring to something like what happened to your world, right?”
“You’ve gotten smarter, wizard.”
Wizard, not wizardling, noted Will. Is he giving me a compliment?
“You can consider it such. I am not one for empty flattery.”
“You told me before you couldn’t read thoughts!” Will exclaimed.
The goddamn cat began cleaning one paw. “I see probabilities. They make it easy to guess what you’re thinking.”
“So, you’re smart enough to guess my thoughts, and to run when danger looms,” said Will sourly.
“I am given to understand that I am exceptionally intelligent, not to mention handsome, compared to most felines, though it shouldn’t be surprising, considering my origin.”
“Who told you that?”
“An authority among your kind.”
Will knew immediately. “Sammy.”
“She is far smarter than most of your perpetually befuddled race. She was the first among your household to realize how to properly appreciate me,” said the Cath Bawlg.
“I fed you,” argued Will.
“Have you ever had roast pork?”
Will fell silent. What the hell?
“You have, and yet you never offered me any. Normally I prefer my food still warm and moving, but roast pork was a revelation. Perhaps you understand the gap between you and her now. Your cousin is a woman of divinely inspired sensibilities. I will regret leaving your world more since gaining that knowledge. If only I had learned of it centuries ago.”
“And what about Sammy? You’re fine with leaving her to die too? You’ll miss the roast pork more?” he asked angrily.
The goddamn cat gave it some thought before finally answering. “Yes, the pork is definitely my biggest regret. Your cousin would be my second greatest regret.”
“And me?”
“Somewhere between eggs and raw fish.”
“Really?”
“You should feel honored. In my time I’ve even been forced to eat rotten flesh, and yet few mortals rate higher than that in my opinion.”
Will couldn’t maintain his anger. He’d been angry for days, maybe weeks. Being with his friends had released a lot of his tension, and he wasn’t capable of reclaiming it. He began to laugh. “I guess I should be grateful.” A moment later, he made a declaration. “I don’t care if it’s hopeless. I’m going to fight. Do I have any chance at all?”
“Without me? None.”
“Then help me! If not for my sake, at least for Sammy’s!”
“Think, human. It shouldn’t be too hard. What do you think the circumstances of my death will