The Pandora Effect

by Olivia Darnell

  “It’s all a bunch of macho horseshit, pardon my French.” Joanne looked at all of them in turn. “I get sick and tired of it all. If Mr. Aliger whipped him once, he might have to do it again.”

  “But what about his glass jaw?” Chris looked at her as if she were crazy.

  “Billy don’t have a glass jaw,” Bobby interjected frowning at Chris.

  “I ain’t talkin’ about Billy!” Chris told him. “I’m talkin’ about Mr. Aliger.”

  Perry reached one hand up instinctively to feel his jaw. “What is a glass jaw?” He glanced at Angelica and she shrugged.

  “Now you’ve done it,” Joanne mumbled and looked down at her hands.

  Chris rolled his eyes slightly and looked at Perry. “Junior Morris? Everybody knows about it.” He looked away from Perry and caught Angelica looking at him. His face reddened.

  Bobby nodded. “It’s true. Everbody knows that Junior Morris decked you with one punch this mornin’.”

  Perry closed his eyes and experienced yet another new sensation. It was the fourth time in one day and quite overwhelming. Embarrassment. He felt his own face growing hot and suddenly realized that this was the emotion Cheryl felt when he smiled at her and wondered how the two situations could be related.

  “I didn’t beat up on Billy,” he said willing himself away from the sensation. “I can assure you that what happened with Mr. Morris had nothing to do with jaws of any kind.”

  “I just hate stuff like this,” Cheryl said quietly. “I don’t understand that kind of mentality. It’s just plain stupid.”

  “Well said,” Angelica agreed. “I need to check on dinner. Would you care to help me?”

  Both Cheryl and Joanne stood up with Angelica and followed her to the kitchen. They were more than happy to get away from the new conversation.

  “Billy needs a good thrashin’.” Bobby leaned forward when they were gone. “If I can help you, Mr. Aliger, you just call on me. But nobody’s ever been able to give him what he deserves.”

  “Yeah,” Chris agreed. “I’m on your side, too. If there was some way we could get together and head him off...”

  “Thanks to both of you, but it won’t be necessary,” Perry told them. “I will certainly be watching him carefully. I think I can manage without drawing you two into anything. That wouldn’t be right.”

  “If you don’t mind,” Chris lowered his voice “would you tell us how in the world you let Junior Morris knock you out? I mean, I know it’s none of our business, but maybe we can set some back fires. I just can’t see it happenin’ to you.”

  Chris and Bobby waited for him to explain. Perry was not ready for this one. He leaned back in his chair. He had no idea what to tell them and he knew Angelica would hear it, whatever it was.

  “Mr. Morris was very upset and...” he began slowly and had to pause to get control over the embarrassment thing again. “He thought... well, Miss Fitzgerald had come over to bring an insurance policy for me. Mr. Morris had the wrong impression. I didn’t have the chance to... He wouldn’t listen to reason. And when the situation got out of hand, I just let him do what he came to do.”

  “You just let him hit you?” Chris was astounded.

  “I suppose I deserved it.” Perry raised both eyebrows.

  Chris and Bobby looked at each other.

  “Here we go!” Joanne came back with Reggie in tow. “He’s ready to give us that magic show.” She stopped and looked at them suspiciously and they all shifted in their seats.

  Reggie went to sit on the carpet by the coffee table and waited until Angelica and Cheryl returned. When everyone was situated, he held up the ball.

  “This here is a real magician trick. No, not a trick.” He looked at his dad. “It’s real magic like Peter Pan and Tinkerbell.”

  He held out the ball in his hand, closed his eyes tightly for a few seconds and then stared hard at the ball. His eyes began to dart about and then he took a deep breath and smiled fiercely at the thing. Tiny blue lights spread from the middle to follow along the rubber tendrils causing them to stand out from the center. The ball raised up and then hung suspended in the air above his hand. The tendrils swirled first one way and then another as the ball turned slowly in the air. Reggie let out his breath and the ball fell into his hand.

  Everyone burst into applause for him with compliments and oohs and ahhs all around.

  “That’s a neat trick, Reggie,” his dad told him and looked at Perry.

  “You’re a real magician’s apprentice now,” Perry told him.

  “How’d he do that?” Bobby asked.

  “It’s a secret, Dad!” Reggie told him and got up to go off in search of the cat.

  A beeping sound came from the kitchen signaling that dinner was ready.

  “Perry.” Angelica stood up. “Would you be a sweetheart and help me with the roast?”

  Perry looked at her with his mouth open. He would never get used to her calling him that.

  “Of course, dear,” he matched her tone and followed her to the kitchen.

  When they were at the cabinet with the roast beef laid out on the carving board, Angelica folded her arms across her stomach and looked at him.

  “What!?” He looked at her knowing she was about to say something he didn’t want to hear.

  “So you will have round two with that man?” She asked casually.

  “That’s what they say,” he told her as he picked up the knife to begin slicing the roast.

  “Maybe you could just make him float in the air like the ball.” She eyed him coolly.

  “Maybe I could,” he said through clenched teeth without looking up.

  “I don’t know where or how you learned to do that, but I would advise against doing it again and I would advise against teaching it to anyone else,” she told him.

  “You would be surprised at what I can do,” he said irritably.

  “I’m sure I would,” she said and went to check on the rest of the dinner. “Your khaba is too strong, Peregrin. I sometimes wonder how you managed to acquire it.”

  “You should live with the dolphins,” he told her. “You would have the answer.”

  Chapter Eighteen:.

  Dinner went somewhat better than the conversation before. Joanne left with Bobby Greene afterwards and Chris took Cheryl with him.

  “That was successful,” Angelica said when Perry finally closed the door after the last goodbye.

  “So it would seem,” Perry nodded distractedly and reached for the Mercedes’ keys hanging on the rack by the front door.

  “And where do you propose to go?” She asked frowning at him. She was still wondering about his remark concerning living with dolphins and wanted to question him further about it.

  “I have something I need to correct,” he told her.

  “You have several somethings to correct,” she corrected him. “But I would prefer that you stayed in tonight. I do not think you should go out alone to find that man.”

  “You would come with me?” He asked raising one eyebrow.

  “No,” she said. “I would prefer that you wait for him to come to you. He may change his mind.”

  “No. He won’t change his mind. I could not make even the slightest connection to him,” Perry shook his head. “He was not part of the plan. It was my error and my responsibility. I have to take care of it now. I did not take the time to consider all the variables properly.”

  “You intended to have contact with him?” She asked suddenly frowning.

  “It would have been advantageous, but I believe he may actually be what you think he is. I now find it necessary to make the effort again whatever the cost,” he told her.

  “I forbid it,” she told him sternly. “You will be punished.”

  “And who will punish me, dear Angelica, you?” He smiled at her.

  “I do not have the authority,” she said. Her eyes snapped with indignation that he would blatantly disregard her instructions. “Don’t go!” She looked at him and
her expression changed. “Please!” She said reticently.

  “Is that a scientific plea or an emotional one?” His smile faded. If only she would give him one reason to stay...

  She did not answer him, but set her jaw angrily.

  “I see,” he nodded. “You were right, Angelica. Involvement is always dangerous. Quite simply put, I am a fool and you are a scientist.”

  “What shall I do if you do not return?” She asked.

  “Go on with your study of course,” he told her. “My input was of little use to you.”

  “That is not true!” She told him. “You are my assistant. I depend on you.”

  “For what? Carving the roast? You are my dream and I am your nightmare. You should be glad for the chance to be rid of me.”

  “That is ridiculous.” She looked at the floor.

  “Then you are totally illogical,” he shook his head and took her by the shoulders suddenly to plant a kiss on her lips. “There! Now you will have something to remember me by. I am off to face my destiny, Angelica, do not weep for me. Just place a white rose on my grave from time to time.”

  Angelica backed away from him truly angry. He was toying with her again!

  “Then go and be damned, Peregrin Caelum!” She told him.

  “But sweet Angelica, you crush me with your cruel words.” He ventured a small laugh as she turned to stomp away down the hall. He watched her go in pleased amusement. He was getting good at making her angry. She had actually cursed him. A step in the right direction. Raw emotion....

  Billy Johnson picked Mike up by his collar and pressed him against the wall with a burly forearm to his chest. The smaller man could barely breath as Billy applied pressure. The big man leered drunkenly into Mike’s face. Blood was everywhere and most of it came from Tyler’s nose and lip.

  “You little sawed off bastard!” Billy gritted his teeth. “I ought to stomp your ass in the ground. The only reason I don’t is ’cause you’re my friend.”

  Tyler leaned across the hood of his truck holding onto his poor ribs where Billy’s boot print was surely coming into view. He knew at least two were quite possibly cracked this time. He pushed himself up. He had to help Mike before Billy squeezed the life out of him. He winced to see the blood spatters on the white metal surface. He pressed the back of his hand against his split lip and checked to see that his perfect smile was still intact. Aunt Mary would have a cow. So far, he hadn’t lost anything that wouldn’t grow back. Tyler staggered over to where Billy was crushing Mike.

  “Let ’im go, Billy,” Tyler managed to say raggedly.

  Billy glanced at Tyler and then gave Mike two quick punches in the stomach before letting him slide down the wall to the ground. Tyler went down on one knee beside his friend who was doubled over trying to recover his breath. He turned slowly and slid down the wall to sit next to him. They both looked up at Billy who stood over them still snarling and cursing and spitting in his fury. Tyler held up both hands in sign of surrender.

  “Ya’ll make me wanna puke,” Billy told them. “I thought you was my friends, but I see how it is. Ya’ll wanna make me look stupid in front of ever’body in town. Ya’ll wanna side with that pansy Al’ger just ’cause he’s got a fat bank account. I ain’t kissin’ nobody’s ass. You got that?” He kicked at Mike’s foot to emphasize his words. “Nobody beats Billy Johnson! Just re’mber that!” He kicked once more at Mike and then stomped off toward the parking lot of Harold’s.

  “Go to hell!” Mike whispered and spit blood out on his jeans.

  “Mike, come on.” Tyler took hold of his friend’s arm and pushed himself up with his legs while pulling Mike up along with him. “We gotta get outta here. We gotta follow him.”

  “You need a doctor, Tyler,” Mike told him and swiped at his own face with his free hand looking for blood.

  “So do you,” Tyler managed to grin at him. It had been a long time since he and Mike had been in such sorry straits.

  “Let’s go.” Mike took hold of Tyler and they helped each other to Tyler’s truck. They pulled themselves inside and both leaned back against the seat clutching various body parts.

  “We gotta go warn Mist’ Al’ger,” Mike straightened up with great difficulty.

  Tyler shook his head and started the truck. He held his sore ribs with one hand and reached across to shift gears with his left arm.

  “He’s got a good head start on us,” Mike told him as they pulled out on the highway. They could barely see Billy’s taillights far down the road going toward town.

  “He can’t outrun me in that old junker,” Tyler shifted into second and floored the gas pedal. “Hang on to your ass, brother.”

  Perry felt extremely uneasy as he pulled away from the curb in the Mercedes and headed out of town in the direction he knew he should go to find Billy Johnson. The traffic lights began to flash as he drove down the highway away from town. Perry followed his connective thread with Mike Padgett and Tyler McDaniels . They were in pain and somewhere on the highway ahead of him. He could only guess that Billy was somewhere nearby and was probably the cause of their pain. No connective thread linked him to Billy Johnson. He had tried to establish one the night before, but had been repulsed and almost frightened by what he had felt when Billy had tried to crush his hand. Now, Perry felt totally guilty that he had been unable to prevent Billy from hurting Mike and Tyler. He followed the dark, winding highway, slowing each time he passed one of the little tin and wood-frame honky-tonks which lined the country road. He searched the parking lots for signs of Billy Johnson or his respective vehicle. The lights blazed and the music blared at each place and people milled about the parking lots. Most of the shabby buildings had colorful neon signs decorating their windows and exteriors, but very little lighting in their parking lots. He found no sign of him at the first four establishments.

  The lights of the Mercedes picked out the railings of the long, narrow bridge over the creek up ahead and he could still sense Mike and Tyler’s presence from the other side. Two pairs of headlights were approaching the bridge from the opposite direction. With a start, he realized that the two sets of lights were side-by-side on the narrow road and traveling well above the speed limit. One of the vehicles was moving erratically and had a loose headlight that alternately dimmed and brightened. Perry slowed to allow the one in his lane time to pass the other, but realized too late that they were all on the bridge and there was not enough room left to complete the process. He jammed on the brake pedal and yanked the steering wheel to the left. The Mercedes slid to a stop with its nose just inches from the railing. There was nowhere to go but through the guardrails. He closed his eyes and braced for the impact as the two on-coming cars approached seemingly without braking. The first to hit him was the truck with the loose headlight. With a horrendous screeching crash, the truck smashed into his car just in front of the passenger door and careened around. Perry hung onto the steering wheel as the side airbag deployed from the passenger door panel. He was suddenly knocked back as his own airbags deployed and then deflated just as quickly. The tires screeched and screamed on the pavement as he was pushed sideways and then angled precariously on the side of the railing. The other vehicle, a white truck slid past the rear of the Mercedes barely missing a collision with the rear of the Mercedes and then screeched to a stop a few dozen yards further down the bridge. Perry unbuckled his seat belt and got out of his car as quickly as he could. He heard shouts from down the road and recognized the voices of Tyler McDaniels and Mike Padgett as they hobbled down the bridge toward him.

  He ran around the back of the wrecked Mercedes and stopped short at the sight of the truck which dangled half-on, half-off the bridge, its front wheels slowly spinning.

  Billy Johnson sat frozen behind the wheel of the truck which still rocked slightly and squeaked ominously on its frame. There was nothing in front of the truck but the yawning black abyss from Perry’s nightmare.

  “Mr. Aliger!” Mike Padgett shouted at him as he limped up
to stand beside him gawking at the truck. Tyler McDaniels, moving more slowly caught up to them. They stood speechless as the truck teetered forward and threatened to go over the edge.

  Perry moved forward toward the driver’s side of the truck.

  “No! Wait!” Tyler shouted at him. “Don’t touch it!”

  They converged on the bumper of the tilted truck and began to push and pull fruitless on the bumper and tailgate.

  “Get me out of here!” Billy shrieked when he found his voice. “God help me! I don’t wanna die!”

  “Good grief!” Perry looked at Tyler and Mike where the blood was drying on their faces and clothes.

  “Quityer wigglin’!” Mike yelled as Billy began to move around in the cab of the truck.

  “Get me outta here!” Billy screeched at them again.

  Perry could see that it was a useless effort. Their combined weight and strength could not budge the truck. It skittered and screeched a bit further toward the edge.

  “Hold on,” he told them and stepped cautiously up onto the bumper. The truck rocked back. “I’m going to try to pull him out.”

  “No,” Mike said and stood on the bumper beside him. “It won’t hold.”

  Tyler pulled himself up painfully beside them and the truck bed lowered a bit.

  “Hold on, Mr. Johnson,” Perry told him and stepped into the smashed truck bed. The driver’s side was too far over the edge to work from that angle and the door was hopelessly smashed. “Move over to the other side. Slowly! And open the door. Slowly!”

  “Man!” Mike said over and over as Perry inched forward in the truck bed. Billy slid over as carefully as he could. The truck squeaked and groaned under his considerable weight. It slipped another inch toward the darkness.