With Leroux's borrowed handcuffs, Tracy shackled the muttering Roy to a seat in the hovercopter. Once he was sure Roy was secure and could not escape, he took Ashton off of Chasm and held him in his arms.

"You okay, lil' buddy?"

It was a rhetorical question. Of course the boy was not okay. Not after what his young eyes had seen. Tracy looked the boy over, making sure he was alright physically. To his amazement the boy suffered no injuries aside from a few scrapes and a bruise where the tentacles had gripped him too tight.

Ashton yawned. "My tummy hurts."

Pity filled Tracy, but sympathy wouldn't feed the child.

"Hold up now." Leroux dug into his duster. "Yep. Still got it." He held up a leather flagon on a lanyard. "Might not be cold. But water is water."

Tracy got settled into the shotgun seat of the cockpit first, then popped the cap off of the flagon and held it up to the child's parched lips. Ashton gulped down the water with fervor.

Leroux took the pilot's position after getting Chasm up the hovercopter ramp and settled inside the craft. The steeder lay down, rested his head on the metal-plated floor between the two seats of the cockpit, between the sheriff and the marshal. After several false starts, the thrusters fired to life and the operating system illuminated the dashboard. A yip of triumph escaped the sheriff's lips.

The sheriff pulled up on the levers, shooting up and away from the labyrinthian gorge.

Tracy was peering down at Ashton when Leroux let out a sharp gasp.

"What?" he asked, head swiveling.

The sheriff pointed out of the hovercopter. "The ancient city. It's gone."

Everything from the eroded walls to the teetering spires had vanished, as if it had all been one big mirage, a city made of sand, blown away by the raging winds of Mars. All that remained were the canals and the shadowy cleft where the two canyon walls met.

Lost Carcosa. The name echoed in Tracy's mind. Tingles crawled over Tracy's skin in waves.

Chasm made sound like a snort.

"Yeah," Tracy snarled. "Good riddance."

A groan sounded from behind them, reminding Tracy that he still had unfinished business. He'd captured Roy, but he still had to see to it that the fugitive was returned to Earth in one piece.

"What happened to all of Roy's followers?"

Tracy scowled back at Roy, making sure he was still cuffed to the chair, then leered at Leroux. "That tall being. It dusted 'em."

"Dusted?"

"I don't know how to describe it. They threw themselves at that slender thing, and it absorbed them, until only ash remained."

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A faraway gaze captured Leroux's face. "What was that thing?"

The King in Yellow, Tracy thought. But instead he said, "Don't know. Something old. Older than Mars. Older than Earth."

"Well, it's dead now."

"No. It was dead to begin with. It's just dormant now."

The sheriff shuddered. "What about those beasts? And that city? You think those were ancient Martian ruins?"

Tracy's eyes shot towards the kid.

Leroux's brows shot up, understanding this wasn't a conversation to have now.

Roy groaned again.

"You shut up back there, or I'll give you something to groan about, you useless bag of bones."

Tracy grinned at his old pal. "I told you not to follow me."

"You threatened to shoot me, actually."

"Sorry."

"Well, good thing I came back."

Tracy nodded, a silent thank you.

After a pause he asked, "Why did you come back?"

"Because reasons." Leroux gulped. "I was thinking about your wife...and the little one she carries, and you. What we shared back in the day. And this little guy."

Leroux reached over to tousle the kid's hair.

"Shhhh," said Tracy, recoiling. "He fell asleep."

Ashton's little head rested against Tracy's badge in spite of the cool touch of the metal star against his skin.

"Poor fella. Too much trauma for a kid to witness."

Tracy nodded.

"But it's over now."

Tracy stole a glance back at Roy. "Not quite." He glanced back at the kid again. "I don't think he's got any family or guardians here. Cora was a single mother."

Leroux's lips puckered in thought. "Shale, that's a shame. When we get back to Noke'la, I'll look into the local records first thing in the morning after some shuteye. See if there's anyone who wants to take him."

Ashton stirred on Tracy's lap, mouth opening in a deep yawn. The boy adjusted, weaving an arm around Tracy's torso. The marshal imagined he would have slept on Cora this way, holding her tight as he dreamed of HotThrusters dropships and model bullet trains.

Now the boy had no one, thanks to Roy.

But Roy would never break apart another family again.

Tracy had done it. He'd finally caught Roy Rothspalt, despite braving a maddening alien crypt, and almost dying at the maws of those beasts, or the hands of the King in Yellow. He expected a shiver to run up his spine, at the thought of that slender tattered figure, but he'd conquered the alien daemon, thanks to Hina and his love for one another. And his concern for Ashton.

The tension in Tracy's chest finally released.

Tracy caught Leroux reaching into his duster and producing a flask.

"You're supposed to be manning the craft."

Leroux shook his head. "Thanks to the newer operating system, much of the flight controls are automated and dummy proof. I've got this thing set for Noke'la. We can sit back and relax. Celebrate the win. Like old times. You first."

He handed Tracy the flask.

"To the capture of Rip-Roaring Roy."

The marshal hesitated for a moment, then cocked his head back. Kentucky Bourbon bit his tongue and burned his throat as it went down. He let out a satisfied sigh.

Leroux took the flask back and did the same. "Hits the spot, huh."

"Uh huh."

Chasm lifted his noble stallion head staring at Leroux.

"What?" asked the sheriff.

"I believe he feels left out. This is his victory as much as ours."

Leroux laughed, patting the steeder on the head. "You done good, steeder. We all would've died if not for you."

Tracy patted the steeder too, offering the Mustang a warm smile.

Soon Noctis Labyrinthus was nothing more than a web of cracks and crevasses far beneath them. The craft flew straight for Noke'la, putting the mysterious cursed city far behind them.