"Try Edward," Wesley said.
Ann produced Payton-Jones in the chair. Claire inspected his eyes, felt his head all over. "Interesting," Claire said. "Ann, privacy." Ann moved Payton-Jones away. "I want someone to ask a question that will elicit a response you think may be false." Claire put several rings on her fingers as she spoke. "OK," Riley said. Ann brought Payton-Jones back to the chair. Claire stood in back of him and put her hands on his head. Riley asked, "Why did McDonnell want Giles killed?" "He condoned his Slayer's corruption," Payton-Jones said again. Claire watched her rings. "Ah, you are very right. I think," she said, stripping them off and opening her healers bag, "this will do it." She removed a bottle of smelling salts and waved it under Payton-Jones's nose. "Does brainwashing happen so often you usually carry around an antidote for it?" Buffy asked. "Fascination, subliminal advertising, indoctrination, political campaigns, there's more brainwashing around than you might think," Claire said. "How do you feel?" she asked Payton-Jones. "All right," he said, then he looked beyond her, saw Buffy and blushed. "Edward," Wesley said gently, "why did McDonnell want you to kill me, Giles and Buffy Summers?" "It was nonsense," Payton-Jones said. "I started to tell him I wouldn't, then I agreed. We all agreed." "Did Kenneth Ryder agree?" Ann asked. "Yes, he must have, he and Henry Richardson were there when McDonnell called me in." "Rest," Ann said, and put him to sleep. "Richardson?" Giles asked. "Yes." Ann moved Payton-Jones away and produced a new man in the chair. Claire waved the smelling salts under Richardson's nose. "How do you feel?" "Fine," Henry said. Wesley repeated the question. "McDonnell is slipping. I said I wouldn't murder anyone, certainly not for those stupid reasons, then I agreed to come here. I didn't want to, and I don't know why I did. I hope none of you are hurt?" "We're all fine. Tell me, did Kenneth Ryder agree?" "I suppose so, he and McDonnell were talking when I arrived." "Why did you arrive?" "Ryder called, said McDonnell want to see me." Ann glanced around. Giles shook his head, no one else had a question. Ann put Richardson to sleep and sent him away. "It's the demon," Buffy said. "Probably. Claire, is there a way we can question him safely?" Ann asked. "If he is causing the brainwashing, can Rupert and the others be protected?" "Spike may be immune, too, but yes, I know a protection spell for this." "Do Spike anyway." "It can't hurt," Claire agreed. She spoke briefly with Tara and Willow, then had Wesley, Giles, Buffy, Riley, who looked uncomfortable, and Spike stand in a circle. She and the other Witches formed a triangle around the circle. The spell was short, a few words chanted in unison, and that was it. "This reminds me, Spike," Claire said. Spike backed away from her. "What?" "I want to update your chart. Drop by the office soon, will you?" "Willow doesn't want me to be a birdbath any more, remember." "Just the non-intrusive tests." "Well, maybe." "Cooperate," Ann said, "and I'll give you back your wallet." "Oh, all right." "I'll expect you then," Claire said. "Whenever you're free. Ann, let me know everyone is all right, if you would." "Of course. See you." Claire disappeared. "Ann, we don't think we can do a truth spell for the demon. I mean we don't know his name or even what kind of demon he is." "I've been thinking about that. What I can do is bespell the room, actually the whole house, so that no one here can lie." "Hey," Tara said. "Ann, I think..." Giles said. "Since there may be problems with that, I will exempt all of you first," Ann said. "You had me worried," Willow said. "I mean there are some things I just, uh..." "Exactly," Ann said. "Stand around me, please." In the center of the circle, Ann whispered briefly, then clapped her hands. "All done. Now, this will take a little longer, but I do it alone." >>>|||<<< "Bring him in, Gang Long," Ann said. Ann's living room had changed. The six extra Watchers, unfrozen and in their right minds, were seated in two arcs around an empty circle Willow and Tara hoped would confine the demon. With Riley's help, Ann had set up a video camera to record the interrogation, Giles having pointed out that the Council could not access data from one of Ann's usual crystals. Gang Long placed the stone demon in the circle the Witches had drawn and released him. The boy went to stand with Ann, behind the camera. Riley started the camera and approached the demon. "What is your name?" "Arlack Armel," the demon said, and appeared startled. Buffy relaxed a little. Ann's truth spell seemed to be working. "Did you incite these Watchers to kill Giles, Wesley, Buffy, Faith and Angel?" Riley asked. "Yes." "Why?" "We wish to kill the Grandmaster." Soft murmurs traveled around the seated Watchers. "Why?" "We cannot get close enough to him to replace him directly." Ann muttered something sharp, but very low. Buffy ignored her. "Why does that mean you must kill these people?" Riley asked. "We cannot risk killing him while Rupert Giles and Wesley Wyndom-Price are alive." "Why?" "Either of them may be elected." "Are we eligible?" Wesley asked Giles. "Giles," Willow said. "Both of you are. Didn't you know? It's in your files. The ones I scanned last fall. Remember?" "Yes," said Arlack Armel. "Yes, we knew. No." There was a confused pause, while everyone worked out that Arlack Armel was answering questions not directly addressed to him. "What do you think would happen if Giles was elected?" Buffy asked, picking up the thread of the interrogation. Arlack Armel struggled, but answered: "We fear he could unmask us." "Why?" "Rupert Giles and Wesley Wyndom-Price are the most experienced candidates. Each of them has dealt with more different kinds of demons than any other Watcher." "Why kill the Slayers, Buffy and Faith?" Wesley asked. "To provide a plausible story that did not involve the Watchers' candidacy." "Why kill Angel, the vampire?" "To provide a plausible story that did not involve the Watchers' candidacy," Arlack Armel repeated. "How many of you are there in the Council?" Giles asked. "One hundred seventy-three." Horrified murmurs rose briefly from the Watchers. "Why are you in the Council?" Giles asked. "They can help us hide." "Do they give you papers that let you live here?" "Yes." "Why are you here?" Buffy asked. "We want to live here." "How many of you want to live here." "All of us." "How many is that?" "Two billion, three hundred twenty-seven million, eight hundred forty-three thousand, six hundred ninety-five." "Are you planning to take over Earth?" "Yes. We will rule here." Arlack Armel seemed to ripple. Gang Long said, "Wu Jing..." "What's happening?" Buffy demanded. Ann looked up at Arlack Armel. Spike caught the uneasiness in Gang Long's voice. He glanced over at Ann, then followed her gaze to the demon. "The taser is wearing off," Arlack Armel said. Ann flung herself across the room at the demon, knocking over the video camera. Fully extended, she couldn't strike, but she caught him by the left wrist. Gang Long shifted to dragon form and lunged after her. He sank his crystal fangs into Arlack Armel's unbroken knee. The demon ported out, taking Ann and Gang Long with him. Spike, the last to attack, was too late, he crashed to the floor where the demon had been. "Bloody hell!" he yelled. The dragon ported into the living room and shifted to human. "He shook me off." "Did biting him hurt you?" Spike asked. "No, he tasted fine, but I didn't even slow him down." Ann returned. She was clearly furious, but she was not empty handed: She still held the demon's left hand. "He got away." "We heard. Are you all right?" Spike asked. "Yes. Tara, have you a specimen jar, please?" Tara produced a wide mouthed, glass stoppered jar. Ann dropped the hand into it and watched as the hand lost shape and slumped like runny jam into the bottom. Tara stoppered the jar and sealed it. Ann nodded Tara. "Well done. You," she addressed the speechless Watchers, "do you understand what just happened here?" "We've been lied to." "You've been lied to, infiltrated, influenced and used," Ann said. "You've aided an army of invading demons," Giles said. "That is something no vampire I know of can claim. Your gullibility has endangered humanity far more than all the vampires who ever existed. What do you propose to do now?" >>>|||<<< "In a way, it may be to our advantage to treat with the Council again." Once again, Ann, Rupert, Buffy, Riley and Spike were around the dining table in the north room. Wesley, Tara, Willow and Gang Long had joined them. Giles had telephoned the Watcher office in London and had spoken at length with the senior Watcher on duty, who was coping with a panic. One hundred seventy-one Watchers had disappeared in the past twelve hours. Six Watchers were under arrest in Los Angeles and could not explain what they were doing in California, or how the seventh member of their party had disappeared from a locked cell. The extra and very embarrassed Watchers had been dispatched, by Ann, each with a video of Arlack Armel's testimony, back to the Council, as a gesture of good will, so Giles had said. Actually, he, Wesley and Buffy were tired of the constant stream of embarrassed apologies the new Watchers kept offering them. Buffy was also annoyed that Spike seemed to find the situation hilarious. The group at Ann's didn't know if the demons had made a tactical retreat or had withdrawn permanently. The Witches were certain they could figure out how to detect Arlack Armel and others like him, with Ann and Claire's help. Buffy, Wesley and Riley had discussed what allies they might gather, if it proved necessary. Ann was serving breakfast again, before sending Wesley home. Ann gave Rupert a cool, amused stare. "You demonstrated that you love Buffy more than you respect the Council. Buffy rebelled against them and established her independence. Both of you have flourished since then, as has Wesley, which no doubt galls them greatly." "Plus, mate," Spike said, "the demons targeted you and Wesley as the greatest threats to their invasion. Everybody they ignored as not a threat has had their amour propre wounded. They won't forgive any of you for that." "And all of you detected their assassins, captured them, then detected the demons and uncovered their plot, demonstrating more competence than the rest of the Council combined. The Council may never mention any of this again, but they won't forget or forgive any of those deeds." "Are you saying we're no better off than we were?" Wesley asked. "Well," Ann said. "No Watcher is trying to kill you." "Today," Spike said. The End (for now). 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