"Is the dinner still going on?" I asked.
"It just finished up. You missed a great speech from Miriam White, by the way. Turns out CE is going to create Heaven on Earth. And we can all be part of that if we invest large sums of money. Looks like you really can buy a stairway to heaven."
I laughed. Joshua seemed way too cool and young and intelligent to be buying into CE's bullshit. Though I could see why they invited him. He definitely had the investment money. I guessed he probably would make Ragnar look like a pauper. Sparrow, Inc. was worth around 200 billion last time I checked.
I poured him a cup of coffee and we sat down on the blue leather couch in the living room. I wasn't sure why Josh had come by. I hoped he just wanted to hang out because he thought I was cool.
"Are you thinking of investing?" I asked.
"Depends." He dug something out of his front pocket and laid it on the table. The small red pill seemed to shine on the polished ebony surface. "If this works."
A current of dread started up somewhere in my stomach and shot up between my eyes. "Reprise?"
"Yup."
"You're planning on trying it?" I rubbed my throat. "Now? Here?"
"If not now, when? If not here, where?" His grin was shaky.
"How about under medical supervision or something?"
"Not always easy with illegal drugs. But the former FDA Commissioner herself personally assured me that no man has suffered any significant side-effects. Can't get a much better seal of approval than that, right?"
"How many men have they tested it on?"
"I have no idea. But considering what we saw at the lake – the fact that Max Emanuel himself would use it – is pretty damn reassuring."
I chewed on my sandwich and drank my beer with increasing uneasiness. The alcohol failed to soothe my tingling hyper sense.
"What do you plan to do if you take it?" I asked. "Go find some girls?"
"Not here. I don't trust any of these bitches. You're the only one I trust."
"I hope not for the same purpose."
Josh laughed. "No. I just want to experience it away from temptation the first time. Just see if it works. And you're a scientist, right? You can be my objective observer."
"I'm not, uh, sure I'd want to observe the results."
Josh laughed. "Don't worry, I'm not gay. I'm not talking hands-on inspection. I hear you're brilliant, and we brilliant types should stick together, no?"
"Where did you hear I'm brilliant?"
"A little birdy." He wriggled his eyebrows. "It's a small world when it comes to us."
"Us?"
"You know, God's anointed ones."
"Well, I'm actually an agnostic," I said with a short laugh.
"I'm talking about the demigods who run this world. The Makers and Takers, I call them."
"Oh. Those people. As far as I know, they haven't anointed me. The only thing that's anointed me is random chance – the luck of the draw as you put it."
"Yeah, there's that, too. Random chance is what it's all about, that's for sure." Josh eyed me over his cup of coffee. "Seriously, man, you haven't had the talk? No one's come to you and invited you into The Club?"
"No. Are you talking about some secret Masonic society or something?"
"I don't think so. It's more like an informal network of the rich and powerful. They got each others' backs, along with scratching them. Organizations like the Better World Commission or the International Relations Council. Max Emanuel's father founded the BWC, and Zeke Emanuel's best friend, Marion Ellsworth, founded the IRC, so it's safe to say Max and CE are in pretty tight with the Club."
"Oh."
The gears in my head were spinning – slower than usual, I thought. I remembered Alan Blumenthal talking about the "ultimate club" and saying that if you were a member you'd practically have to work not to be successful. And more grandiose b.s. about how they ruled the world and how membership was like "holding a winning lottery ticket." I frowned as I wondered how that was working out for Dr. Blumenthal now.
"You might not even know you had The Talk," Josh mused. "Just some dude from some major investment group or mega-corporation showing up suggesting your great idea could use a little boost and that maybe you might be interested in joining the IRC or BWC."
"That happened to you?"
"You betcha. I had a struggling business and with a great idea, working with a few friends in a basement in Lakeview, Minnesota, hustling to get investment money – mainly from friends and family – and one day this dude shows up offering to buy our company. When I turned him down, he offered some money for a stake. A lot of fucking money, man. That cleared the path and we were on our way."
"What company was that?"
"Morgan and Golbach Investment Group."
I finished my beer, but the anticipated buzz never arrived. Apprehension and alcohol didn't mix, I guessed.
"Now that I think about it," I said, "someone did have a talk with me once sort of along those lines. My supervisor at CE. It was like if I played my cards right I could fit in with the power players, maybe be given my own lab or whatever. The sky was the limit, that kind of thing."
"I'd say that might've been it, Aiden. Your supervisor was probably connected."
"He was retired recently. I don't know, but it was awfully sudden and he didn't say a thing about it."
Josh nodded slowly, reflectively. "Hard to know. I'm sure it's not always one happy family."
"So did you join either of those organizations?"
"Yup, sure did. Got an invite for both the Better World Commission and the International Relations Council just as Sparrow was starting to take off. Max Emanuel called me personally. It was all clear-sailing from then on. Every time there was a problem with development or government, either the investment company or the IRC or BWC would step in and problem solved."
"Did they want anything from you in return?"
I'd almost been afraid to ask. Josh's small frown and his shifting gaze made me suspect my fears were justified.
"Everything has a price," he said. "Just a little favor once in a while. No big deal."
"Can I ask what kind of favors?"
"You can ask..."
"But you won't answer."
"It's not that bad, Aiden. Maybe a conversation for another time."
"Okay."
"The question of the hour is what to do with this." He tapped the red pill with a forefinger.
"Toss it in the garbage?"
"That's a thought. Maybe the least risky option. But dude, I didn't get where I am by avoiding risks."
He scooped up the pill and popped it into his mouth, swallowing it down with a gulp of coffee. All I could do was watch it happen.
Meredith pushed in through the front door. She gave Josh a look of surprise and me a raised eyebrow.
"Hey, Meredith," said Josh. "It's been a while."
"Hi, Joshua. So they managed to sucker you into coming here."
"You know me. I'm an easy mark."
Meredith dropped her purse on the coffee table and sank into one of two plush Ottoman chairs with a moaning sigh.
"Was it that bad?" I asked.
"Let me put it this way, Aid." She covered her eyes. "Your talk was the high point of the evening."
"God, it must've been horrible."
Merry snuffled a laugh through the fingers covering her face. "Let me put it another way. I can only stand so much arrogant self-congratulation."
"You're hanging with the wrong crowd, then," said Josh.
Meredith lowered her hands and looked us over. "What's going on? You both look like you swallowed the canary."
I glanced at Josh and he gave me a stoic shrug.
"I just took a Reprise pill," he said.
Meredith's brow knit. "They're handing out samples?"
"Yep."
"You realize CE hasn't even begun to satisfy standard safety protocols with this drug?"
"They had FDA approval for Revive, and thi
s is, according to Miriam White, is a minor variation of that minus Revive's bad side-effects."
"Minor variations can lead to big differences in outcome."
"They got a former FDA commissioner vouching for it." A defensive edge had crept into Josh's voice. "That oughta count for something, no?"
"I guess I don't share your faith in the FDA. Handing out untested drugs isn't just bullshit. It's unconscionable."
I could see Josh wincing under her barrage. I was wincing, too.
"Well," he said, "in her defense she said there could be unknown side-effects and that they hadn't completed a rigorous study, so we would be taking it at our own risk. I had to sign an agreement to that effect before they gave me the pill."
"And you went for it."
"Hey, both Aiden and I saw the results up at the lake. Max Emanuel and his crew were fucking like rabbits on Arousel up there a few hours ago. If he thinks it's safe enough to use himself – someone who's got about three Ph.D. degrees on me – then how dangerous can it be?"
Merry sat forward in her chair, her mouth parting in surprise. "You sure it was Max Emanuel at the lake?"
"No question. I bumped into him in the bathroom and he confirmed it."
"It doesn't surprise me," I said. "He seems like a pretty experimental kind of guy."
"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised by anything he does, but still..." She shook her head. Her gaze zoned in on Josh. "Are you feeling anything yet?"
"Not really." Josh touched his beard, his stare turning inward. "Though both Max and Miriam said it wasn't automatic. You need to focus on something sexual."
His stare turned outward on Meredith. She crossed her legs and frowned. Josh smiled.
"I hope you're not focusing on me," she said.
"Define 'focusing.'"
"Don’t take this the wrong way, Josh, but I think maybe you should return to your own cabin. I'm not interested in being even an imaginary part of your little experiment."
"Fair enough. Guess I'll have to find another imaginary playmate." He hopped off the couch. "You coming along as my scientific observer, Aiden?"
"I guess so."
"Aiden, I think you should stay here." Meredith's voice was so low it sounded like a warning growl. "Being around people playing with experimental drugs doesn't sound like a good idea."
I stood there, temporarily rooted to the hardwood floor, caught between Josh's expectant gaze and Merry's hard-eyed stare. I knew what she was thinking – I'd find some way to shoot myself in the foot again – but I couldn't see leaving my new friend on his own. More than anything, I was really curious what was going to happen to him.
"I've had a couple doses of Melatin today. I'm not feeling horny or anything, and that's what usually gets me into trouble. Not that these people would ever rat me out anyway."
"I wouldn't assume that."
"I'll see you later. It will be okay – I'm just going to be Josh's wingman."
"Famous last words."
I grabbed my jacket in the entranceway and walked out with Josh, refusing to let her words haunt me. As much as Meredith sometimes seemed to believe she was my mom or older sister, and as much as I respected her, I wasn't going to accept orders from her.
It had dropped at least ten degrees since I'd last been out. The stars in the now cloudless sky were about thirty percent brighter than down in the muggy Sacramento Valley. Tall lamps lit the trails between the cabins and the lodge parking lot. Most of the cabins were dark and silent. A select few shone like beacons and thrummed with music.
"You and Meredith seem to be pretty tight," said Josh.
"Yeah." I shrugged. "She thinks she's my older sister or something."
"I wouldn't mind having an older sister who looked like her."
I wasn't going to touch that subject. I dialed down a jab of annoyance.
"So where are we going?" I asked.
"I don't know. Back to my place, I guess. It was a good idea to leave when we did. As NASA famously said, 'Houston, we have lift off.'"
"You do?" I barely resisted glancing at his groin. "I didn't notice."
"Thanks for the ego-boost, man."
I glanced at him, not sure he was joking. But he was smiling.
"So you're feeling, you know...?"
"Oh hell yeah." Josh's smile was starting to look strained. He was even starting to limp a little. "You know when you're driving and got a full bladder? You're sort of okay until you start thinking about it and know the restroom's getting closer?"
I smiled and nodded. "Then the pressure's on?"
"Right. It's a lot like that." Josh's quiet cough ended in a choking sound. "And man, I gotta get me some release."
"Well, maybe you should go ahead and do that." I slowed my walk, glancing back at my cabin wishing I'd taken Meredith's advice. "I'll see you tomorrow."
Josh stumbled ahead toward a cabin that was pulsing with light and sound, as if a rock concert was underway inside. I followed cautiously, staying several feet back. Josh pressed his face against a plate glass window over the back deck. His breath rose in plumes, creating a misty circle on the glass.
"Dude!" He shouted in a whisper, waving me over urgently. I headed toward him with a sinking sensation. That sensation turned to butterflies as I joined him at the window. Inside, a smorgasbord of naked bodies, mostly conjoined, writhed and wriggled on the couches, floors, chairs, and even tables in very rough rhythm to a Miley Cyrus song. In fact, it could've been one of her videos...filmed in a Hieronymus Bosch setting. Some of the people were even wearing creepy masks.
"Dude...!" Josh murmured.
I couldn't have put it better myself. The scene was like whatever the opposite of a cold glass of water thrown in your face was – with a splash of warm, mildly electrical lubricant tossed on my groin. The remains of my Melatin burned away like water on a red-hot skillet. In seconds I was about to punch a hole not only through my pants but possibly the plate glass window.
"Holy fuck, man." Josh was staring at my protrusion in near-fearful wonder. "You got a billy club in there?"
I turned partly away from him, my face on fire as usual. Now it was my turn to need urgent relief. For me, a painfully full bladder was like a gentle nudge compared to this. But Josh's analogy was right on about focusing on sex. I'd learned that if I kept my thoughts firmly on the "straight and narrow" I could reduce the daily hypersexuality grind significantly. But that was a lot easier said than done. And at this moment it was impossible.
"I gotta get in there," Josh moaned.
"Okay. Good luck."
"You coming?"
Good question. I stood still turned away from him, leaning weakly on the glass pane. "You...go ahead."
I heard the glass door sliding open and felt a warm draft accompanied by a dank, fleshy primeval smell. Through my peripheral vision I saw Josh stagger inside, bumping into a couple bent over the back of a couch. I was shocked to see the man was Marvin Gundy, the famous futurist with his equally famous mane of grey-streaked hair, motioning Josh to join them – or him – but Josh shook his shaggy head and stumbled past them. A nude, dark-haired woman set down her drink and tugged him away from her group, tearing at his clothes. It was like he'd fallen in a piranha fish bowl. I turned away as she ripped off his pants and kneeled before him.
"Just...walk...away..."
I was surprised to hear my own voice, filled with a ragged, whispery desperation. Through the now-steamy window I met a pair of blue eyes as cold and clear as the mountain lake two miles away, staring out at me from within a white demon mask – a female demon, I guessed – that sprouted a pair of curling, golden ram's horns. The demonic mask-wearer stood apart from the others, hands on her hips. Her slim, smoothly muscled alabaster body might've been a nude statue posed in the center of the room. Even to my jaded eyes, she was exceptional, almost magical, like something Michelangelo might’ve carved...if he'd been straight and into pagan demons.
The warm, moist air from the room wafted out and
caressed my face, drawing me to the open door like one of those cartoon-character vapors. I shambled toward the opening. I was lost.
"Oh no you don't."
A strong hand grabbed my shoulder and yanked me away. I didn't recognize my assailant for an instant in the puffy jacket and the sky cap. Then her beautiful, angelic face gave her away.
Meredith.
"I really need..."
"I'll take care of you."
"You can't."
"I can."
She jerked me along. I felt like a puppy on a leash. A really horny puppy. Was she promising what she seemed to be promising? Could I help betray Ragnar like that?
Meredith kicked the cabin door open and dragged me in. As I stood there, stunned, wondering if I'd misunderstood, Meredith sprang away to my bedroom and emerged with my bottle of Melatin, slapping it on the kitchen counter before me. She brought over a glass of water and set it next to the bottle. My great expectations wheezed out of me.
"Time to man up, Aid," she said.
I twisted the lid. One turn, two. My hand stopped. I bowed my head and breathed in and out a few times, clearing my head of the images back at the cabin – and then of everything but a calm, blue sea and a sunlit sky. I was at a deserted beach. Just me and a few bedraggled sea gulls. That image worked until a bikini-clad girl surfaced and came slogging through the waves. I blinked hard and she disappeared with a large splash. Maybe a white shark got her?
I opened my eyes and met Meredith's cool gaze.
"I'm going to handle this on my own," I said.
"You sure?"
I nodded. Part of it might be about impressing her, but most of it, I was pretty sure, was about proving something to myself. I was not a slave to my hormones.
"So what happened out there?" Meredith asked. "Did Josh go into rut?"
"Definitely. I think he sort of had it under control until he looked into that cabin."
Meredith shook her head. "Hard to believe so many high-powered people are willing to play dice with their lives."
"I don't think it's hard to understand why a dude would take a chance to get his mojo back. Besides, according to my mom Reprise hasn't shown any negative side-effects."
"Maybe. But they wouldn't have any way of being sure of that this soon, would they? They're obviously doing uncontrolled human testing with themselves and others as willing test subjects."
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