by Mark Tufo
“Yes?” I don’t know if it was my imagination, but that answer came out with a heavy huskiness to it that almost made me forget my question.
I swallowed hard. “Um, now, don’t take this the wrong way.”
She pulled a little further away. “I am naked, Michael Talbot, and in your room. Do not waste this opportunity.”
“I realize that, but I need to know, you’re somewhere in the neighborhood of the same age as I am.”
“Yes.” Her eyes narrowed as she answered.
Man, I just know all the moves with the women…should have written a book back in the day. “Okay, so we’ve established that fact,” I started up. “Now I’m sure both of us watched enough horror movies in our time, that I, umm, I just need to know if this is some sort of like glamour spell on your part.”
“Glamour spell? What are you talking about?”
“I’m just afraid that we’ll be kissing and I’ll see through the spell and you’ll really be this hundred and seventy-year-old crone or something with blackened, cracked skin the color of an old baseball glove.”
She reached down and grabbed my hand. I thought she was going to make me smack myself with it. Instead, she tenderly caressed the side of her face with my hand. “Does that feel like the skin of a crone?”
I swallowed hard again. “Umm…no.”
She reached a little further down, my hand rubbing down the side of her breast. “Does that feel like the skin of a crone?”
I would have swallowed hard but I think I was holding my breath. I could barely manage to shake my head back and forth to acknowledge her question.
She was guiding my hand even lower.
“I think I know where this is going,” I was able to blurt out. “Be gentle,” I told her as she lay down on top of me.
The morning, and duty, both intruded on us far too soon. Azile was lying next to me, her head on my shoulder and her hand on my chest. She gave me a lingering kiss before she arose. The sunlight illuminated her body giving her a luminous glow. If I thought the subtle shadings of the night had framed her body in a beautiful picture I was wholly unprepared for what the day was going to bring.
“Are you getting up?” she asked as she fastened her cloak back around herself.
“I am, and I need to tell you something.”
“If you tell me you’re pregnant, Michael, I will toss something heavy at you. Now hurry up. There is a war council meeting we must attend.”
“That’s the thing, I’m not going.”
“I do not think I have worn you out so completely that you cannot drag yourself out of that bed.”
If the flush of heat going up my neck was any sort of signal, I was blushing. “That’s not it,” I said as I tried to keep my visible emotions in check.
“Then what? It is getting late.”
“Late? It can’t be much past six a.m.” That wasn’t going to work, as Azile was not going to allow me my distractions and pontifications. “Fine, I can’t go to the council because I am leaving to go find Oggie.”
For the briefest of moments I saw the rage that was about to erupt. This was quickly smoothed over and softened when she realized my reason for wanting to go. “Oh, Talbot.” I flinched faintly, the intimacy with which she used my last name made me think of Tracy, and I couldn’t help but feel like I had somehow betrayed my wife on some level. She came towards me. I was sitting on the side of the bed.
She placed a hand against my temple and stroked slowly. “I loved Oggie.”
“Love.” She was looking at me questioningly, when I corrected her tense. “You said ‘loved.’ That would imply past tense.”
“I love Oggie as well, but there are more important things going on right now. The Lycan will reinforce themselves and attack and we still have to deal with Denarth and her allies.”
“What about Denarth and her allies? Forget it, I don’t want to know, it’s not my problem.”
“It’s all of our problem.”
“Okay, it’s all our problem. It’s not my biggest problem. I need to find Oggie. He’s one of the last ties I have to this world.”
“And me? Am I not one of those ties?”
“Was that what last night was about?” I rose. Yup, I’d done it now, the red from Red Witch rising in her features. I could almost feel a charge of electricity crackling off her body.
“How dare you!”
I barely heard her words over the tempest that was rising, plus I was busy wondering if I could survive a lightning strike. The energy she had accumulated quickly dissipated as she released it and the anger.
“No, you fool; it was not some secret plan to bond you to my side.” Her head sagged a little. “I have loved you for years.”
“Love.”
“What?” she asked, looking up, her tear-lined eyes looking at mine.
“Loved implies past tense. You love me.”
“I do.” Her arms encircled my waist, her head crashing into my chest as we fell back onto the bed. Finding Oggie and going to war councils was going to be delayed a little bit longer.
It may have been closing in on noon when a heavy knocking disrupted my contented sleep.
“Get up, Michael Talbot!” I swear Bailey was hitting the door so hard the room was shaking.
I rolled over to wake up Azile and realized that at some point she had left. There was a chance I would have thought the whole thing a dream except for the single red rose she left on her pillow. I brought it to my nose and inhaled deeply. “It even smells like you,” I said as I let it go.
The door booming happened again.
“Hold the fuck on!” I yelled.
“Now, Michael! Representatives from Denarth, New Georgia, and Ft. Lufkin are here, and we are waiting on you before we start!” She was banging so hard the door was allowing light in from around the edges where it separated from the frame.
“Fine, you’re in such a rush.” I went over to the door and opened it, completely aware that I was as naked as one can be. It was nice to see Bailey actually a little chafed. For a moment she looked fairly flustered. Even with her dark skin tone I could see the rush of embarrassment rise up her neck and bloom on her face. “Let’s go.” I began to walk past her.
“Perhaps you should put on some clothing.”
“Well, I would have, but I was afraid you were going to bring the hotel down around me, so let’s go do this.” I was showing her my lily-white ass as I headed down the hallway.
“Michael, this is a diplomatic meeting in the hopes to prevent a war. I do not think you showing up nude would be appropriate.”
“About as appropriate as you knowing I was back and then not finding me to tell me personally, about my dog.” I turned back around. “Unlike you, though, I will do the right thing.” I brushed past her again and into my room, slamming the door behind me.
“I am sorry, Michael. I was out on patrol making sure nothing happened to the delegation as they came in.”
It took me all of a minute to get dressed—and that included tying my boots. Wasn’t a day went by I didn’t appreciate being a guy. Life was simpler in so many ways.
“Was he alright when he left?” I asked as I re-opened the door.
“He was fine except for missing you. I was having a difficult time keeping him by me. He would venture out for longer and longer times until one day he didn’t come back. I waited as long as I could. I am sorry, Michael.” She placed her hand on my shoulder.
“Me too, Bailey. I just need to get him back. Besides me loving the damn mutt, he was a gift from Tommy. I do not think I can afford to lose both of them.”
“I understand. I will do all that I can to help you look for him.”
“I appreciate that, Bailey. Now let’s go tell these fuckers to go to hell.”
“I do not think that is how one enters into a diplomatic meeting, Michael.” She was now racing to catch up with me as I was heading for the summit.
“One more stop.”
“Oh for
blessed sake Michael we do not have time for this.”
“Unless you want me squirming in my seat like a seven year old after a seventy two ounce Slushee I think you’re going to want me to take this detour.”
“You are like a man-child.” She sighed before walking away.
“That’s pretty true.” I was smiling as I walked out of the hotel through a side door. I was just planning on pulling up the nearest bush and let nature take its course. I was not prepared for the sight I was met with. Gount had his/her back to me, in the classic I am pissing pose. Head down, shoulders slumped, both arms in front of him, one hand holding the pants to avoid spray, the other, well I’m sure you’ve figured out what the other is holding. It wasn’t strange to see a man pissing, what was strange was that I’d figured Gount to be a woman.
“What the hell?” I said close to silently.
Gount was finishing up with the necessary shake and turning around. “Oh excuse me, this is just so much closer than the restroom.”
“Yeah uh no problem. Weird.” I said after he left.
“Nice of you to join us,” Azile said to me as she pointed to a seat. “Now that you are here, I would like to introduce you to everyone.”
I did my best not to catch flies with my open mouth when I saw Lana and her father, Chancellor Saltinda, on the opposite end of the table. As tenderly as Lana was looking at me was in direct contrast to how sternly her father was.
“Lana and Chancellor Saltinda, I believe you already know.”
“Uh, yeah,” I managed. “Nice to see you both.” Lana waved. If Saltinda knew the middle finger gesture, he would have given me a double dose.
“From New Georgia we have Mayor Alden and from Ft. Lufkin is Commander Biddings.”
“Gentlemen.” I nodded.
Chairman Gount and Councilman Merrings from Talboton were also present.
“I am sorry we interrupted you for this important meeting,” Merrings said sarcastically as I took my seat.
“No problem. I just finished taking a shit.”
There was a plethora of differing emotions that rocketed around the table from my comment. It ranged from laughter from Lana to a look that should have frozen my heart from Azile, and everything in between. I’m sure the delegates from the other communities loved the discord, not that I cared. I still hadn’t decided where I came down on all of this anyway or if I even would.
I think Merrings knew better at this point than to think he could browbeat me into submission. I’d not given much of a piss for authority back in my time, even less so now.
“Perhaps we should get started,” Chairman Gount said once things calmed down a bit. I shrugged at Azile who had not stopped glaring at me.
The commander from Ft. Lufkin spoke hastily and seemingly out of turn. “We are wasting time here. You know our demands. Are you prepared to meet them or was calling this meeting just a useless form of stalling?”
“I can assure you, Commander,” Gount spoke, “this is not a stalling tactic. We are trying to prevent the needless bloodshed of our citizens.”
“As are we, but do not be mistaken, we will attack here with all our might in an effort to get that which can protect us.” Biddings was close to rising.
“Wait, hold on,” I said.
“Michael!” Azile warned. I stuck my hand up.
“So, you’re saying you will have your people die in a war to protect them from dying in a war? Are you listening to yourself?”
“That is not what I am saying. Sometimes it is necessary to sacrifice the few for the good of the many.”
“Oh! I get it now. Are you going to be at the forefront of this war with the few, Commander, or do you plan on directing it from the rear with the many?” I asked him.
“I did not come here to be insulted.” He stood, sending his chair sprawling backwards.
“Naw, I would assume you could have stayed home and been insulted just as easily,” I told him. Lana was doing her best to cover up her amusement. “Sit your ass down,” I told him steadily. He was glowering over at me.
“Now see here, I will not…”
“Sit your ass down or I will separate your head from your neck.” I think it was that I said it so matter-of-factly that really got to him. He knew who I was and I’m sure he’d heard an embellished story or two on his trip here. I can only imagine he and all of the delegates were none too pleased that I was present at this council. Biddings sat down, albeit reluctantly. I noted that he scooted his chair as far from mine as possible and still be part of the meeting.
“I’ve got stuff to do that is far more important than coddling you idiots. What exactly do you want?”
Biddings surprisingly stayed quiet. It was Mayor Alden that spoke. “We just want the ability to defend ourselves against the Lycan.”
“Fair enough statement. What can you spare, Gount?”
“You are not the chairperson here,” Gount started. “You are merely a guest.”
“Listen, I don’t want to be here either, we’ve already established that. Each minute I’m stuck here talking to you fools, my dog is out there somewhere lost and alone, and I need to find him.” Biddings rolled his eyes, I thought about bitch-slapping him for his gesture.
“Oggie? Oggie is missing?” Lana asked with concern. “I’m so sorry, Michael.”
“Thank you, Lana.” I nodded to her. “Gount, what can Talboton spare in the defense of our fellow townships?”
Gount nodded to a guard standing by the door. Another came in with two small ammunition cans. “Open them,” Gount said, when they were placed in front of me.
I hesitated for a second. Knowing Gount I wouldn’t be surprised if it might be explosives of some kind. But he wasn’t moving away, so I should be safe enough. I popped the lid open on the first one. It was 5.56 ammo loosely strewn within. It was the same with the second.
“So is this what you’re saying you can share? Looks to be about a thousand rounds.”
“That is not enough!” Biddings shouted out.
“That is not what we intend to share. That is our entire stockpile,” Gount said. Bailey gasped, and I would have as well had she not beat me to it. “There are one thousand two hundred and twelve rounds in there. That’s all we have and that’s all we will ever have. I am prepared to give three rifles and one hundred rounds to each of you in the hopes to avoid bloodshed among communities that have thus far avoided it and have lived peacefully side by side for years.”
I had to give it to Gount; it was a pretty diplomatic move, even if it blew up in his face.
“You wish to condemn us with your pittance?” Biddings arose again, the chair not faring well this time. He would not be sitting in that one again as the base of it split neatly in two.
I ignored Biddings. His outbursts were starting to grate on my nerves, and I was pretty sure he was a warmonger. Anything short of his demands was going to be met with sword and lance. My gut told me that if, and when, the war with the Lycan was over and man had somehow won, he would take those very rifles and march against any town that did not desire to be ruled by Ft. Lufkin.
“This is it?” I asked Gount. He nodded, and I didn’t see the slightest hint that he was speaking anything but the truth. “Bailey?”
“It makes sense. We had a little fewer than two thousand when winter released its grip. We allow new marksmen ten shots to familiarize themselves with the weapon, and we’ve since used them against the werewolves. I never thought to recalculate the number. They just have always been, and I guess I thought they always would.”
“Yeah, the world is nothing if not a constant swirling of change. Biddings, I think Gount’s offer is more than fair. Are you prepared to take his offer so that I can get the hell out of here?”
“This is an insult!” Biddings shouted. “He hoards bullets and holds them over our heads, dangling them like sweets to a child. I, for one, will not stand idly by while my people are slaughtered. We will fight for what is rightfully ours.” He was he
ading for the door.
“I’m not even going to go into why you think the rifles and ammunition are rightfully yours. Gount and I don’t necessarily see eye-to-eye and I don’t really like him truth be told, but he’s not a liar. If he says they only have twelve hundred rounds then that is what they have. You know, Biddings, if you weren’t such an idiot you could have agreed to the terms, taken a few rifles and the hundred rounds and then used them in the war you so desperately want. Tell you what, any people from Ft. Lufkin attack my namesake, I’m coming to look for you. Now I know you’ll be nowhere near the front as that’s not what people like you do. No, Biddings, I’m going to sneak into your home no matter how many guards you post and I’m going to cut your throat, letting your blood fall to the ground where I imagine your soul will follow, although the ground will be no impediment to where it will finally end up.”
He left without a word. “Who is with him?” I looked to Saltinda and Alden.
Alden stood with much more eloquence, thanked everyone for their time and left to go join with Biddings.
“Chancellor?” I asked.
“Yes, Father, where do you stand in this madness?”
Saltinda’s glower softened as he looked from me to his daughter. He cleared his throat. “We stand united with Talboton in this war against all humanity.”
“Splendid. Gount, would it be too much to give all that you offered to our friend from Denarth?”
“That is acceptable.” Gount stood and shook hands with Saltinda.
I thought about sticking my hand out there as well, but neither man would acknowledge its presence, and I didn’t really need to add fuel to a fire that was dying down.
“Michael, would you like help looking for Oggie?” Lana asked. I don’t know who said “no” louder; me, Saltinda, or Azile. Lana seemed undeterred.
“I’m glad we wrapped that up quickly. I am leaving now. Azile, will you keep an eye on Mathieu?” I asked.
“New Georgia and Ft. Lufkin will attack within the week,” Saltinda told those still seated at the table.
“How is that possible?” Bailey asked. “He will need time to get a message home, amass his forces and march them back.”
