Of Blood and Angels (The Two Moons of Rehnor, Book 3) (3 page)

“Ay yah, it would be,” he replied and then
swatted me on the bottom.  “Go on now and let me finish what I am doing.”

Chapter 3

Berkan

Luci had called home five times in the
last five hours to check on Marik.  He's fine, I insisted, but she didn’t
believe me until she heard my mother's voice telling her the same thing.

“What are you so nervous about?” I asked
as we walk into the Cowboy Corral in the Takira-hahr Fashion Mall.  Thad liked
this place although I couldn’t say that I really did.  The beer was
inexpensive, not that we needed to worry about our finances any more.  Both
Thad and I could buy the entire Fashion Mall and every store in it if we
desired.  Luci looked around with awe at the Cowboy décor and for a moment it
distracted her from her unreasonable worry about Marik.

“You're right, I am worrying too much,”
she decided, reading the menu items scrawled on the chalkboard above the bar. 
She was proud to be able to speak Rozarian better than I, even though I had
been here many times and this was her first trip outside of Mishnah, let alone
the entire planet.  “I would like a big burger and fries too,” she proclaimed. 
“And a milkshake.  Yes, I would like a milkshake better than a cocktail.”

Thad and Gina arrived just then and so I
waved to the hostess and told her we were ready to be seated.

“No, we're not,” Gina called after the
hostess who had already gathered menus and commenced to walk away.  “There are
six of us.”

“Well, let’s go wait at the table,” I
suggested and followed the lady in the cowboy jeans with a hat and bandana
covering hair that was slightly green and inappropriate for an Earth Western
theme.

“Did you have to invite Mom and Dad?” Thad
grumbled.  We took a seat at a large booth, Luci insisting I sit next to Thad
so we could discuss business.  Gina sat on one end and Luci next to me in the
middle.

“Mom can sit next to you, Luci,” Thad
said.  “She'll spend the entire time quizzing you on Rehnor so be prepared.”

“That's fine,” Luci smiled and then
gasped.  She started to rise and knocked the table.  Our water glasses and the
candle in the shape of a horse fell over.

“What's the matter?” I said.

“I didn't invite Mom and Dad,” Gina
replied.  “I invited Katie and Ron.”

“Blessed Saint!” Luci shrieked as the
table dripped water on to the floor.  She struggled to get out from the booth
but I grabbed her arm.

“Not here, Luci,” I said sternly as Katie
and Senya walked toward us.  Katie was holding his arm and practically pulling
him.

Luci looked at me with wide eyes.  “What
do I do?” she cried.

“Act like he is normal.  He is just one of
our friends.”  I held her leg down so she couldn’t jump up again as the
waitress wiped up the table.

“What do I call him?”

“Sir,” I said.  “Just call him Sir.”

“Good evening,” Katie said cheerily while
sliding in next to Luci.  “You must be Luci.  I'm Katie.”  She held out her
hand.

Luci was speechless, probably for the
first time in her life.  She stared wide-eyed at Senya.

“Give me your jacket, Kate.”  Senya hung
his on the peg at the corner of the booth.  He was wearing a black short sleeve
t-shirt and the enormous Karupta eagle burnt into his arm made quite an
impressive tattoo.  When she saw it, Luci’s mouth dropped open.  Katie slipped
out of her coat and handed it to Senya.  Then he sat down next to her.  “What
are we drinking, Thad?”

“Cowboy beer, Ron,” Thad replied, telling
the waitress to bring us a couple of pitchers of Coors beer as well as chicken
wings and potato skins.

“So,” Katie said, picking up the menu and
holding it between herself and Senya.  “What's good here?”  She looked at
Luci.  “What are you two getting?”

Luci blinked rapidly.  She closed her
mouth.  She swallowed hard and looked to me.  Her hands were shaking so I
clutched them in my own.

“A burger, fries and milkshake,” I
replied, to which Luci nodded emphatically.

“You want a burger?”  Katie turned back to
Senya.

He shrugged and lit a cigarette.  “I don’t
care.”

“They have fish here too, Ron,” Thad
suggested.  “Maybe if we ask them nicely, they won't even cook it for you.”

“You like sushi, Dr. Ron?” Gina asked.

“Yeah, he loves sushi,” Thad laughed as
the beer arrived and glasses were passed around.  “Except hold the rice, hold
the seaweed, hold everything else and just bring him the fish, preferably still
alive.” 

Senya took a long drag on his cigarette
and the rest of us smiled awkwardly at Thad.  We placed our dinner orders. 
Katie decided on a burger and fries for herself and Senya.  The wings and
potato skins arrived.  I put some on a plate for Luci.  She stared at them as
if she had no clue what they were.

“So how are you liking Rozari?”  Katie
turned back to Luci.  “This is your first time here, right?”

Luci opened her mouth again but nothing
came out. 

“It's alright, sweetheart,” I said in
Mishnese.  “You can talk to her.”

Luci turned to me and her eyes were filled
with tears.  “I can't, Berkie,” she whispered.  “It's not allowed.”

Senya sighed and made a move to stand up. 
“Come on, Kate.  Sorry, Berk.  You enjoy your dinner.”

“What?” Katie and Gina protested.

“Ah, come on, Ron,” Thad cried.  “Luci's
just a little nervous.  I mean, we all would be if our favorite pinup poster
boy showed up at our dinner table.  She'll chill out in a minute, right Berk,
right Luci?”

“What?” Gina asked.

“Ron's a bit of a rock star back home,”
Thad told her.

“Oh?” Gina said.  “I didn't realize you
could sing, Ron.”

“Like a bird,” I replied, putting my arm
around Luci.  “Luci will be fine.  Please, Sir, don't leave on our account.”

“Actually, it's more like a screech,” Thad
mused.

“Sit back down please, Senya,” Katie
ordered and then put her hand on Luci's trembling one.  “You've got a little
boy, right?  Did you bring pics of him?”

Luci nodded and reached into her purse for
her cell.

“His name is Marik,” she whispered,
glancing at me as if for permission to continue.  “Here he is already standing
up all by himself.  That's his favorite toy, that puppy.”

“He's adorable,” Katie said.  “And what
gorgeous hair!  Same color as yours.  Is your mother watching him now?”

“No, Berkie's mum is watching him.  They
live in New Mishnah of course, like we do, and my mum is in Korelesk and still
has all my brothers and sisters home, so she's got quite a houseful as it is
and my dad is no help at all.  Berkie's mum's got no one, so it's easier for
her and if she needs some help, Berkie's dad will just send over a maid or two
from the Palace, so it's right convenient for her.”  Luci took a deep breath.

“What?” Gina asked again.  “Berkie's dad
will send a maid from where?”

“The Palace,” Luci replied, finding her
courage.  “Berkie's dad is the Captain of the Palace Guards.  He's practically
the most important person there outside of the King and…and…”  She looked
askance at Senya and her courage wilted.

“Your father works at a palace, Berkan?”
Gina gasped.  “How cool is that?”

“Um, quite cool,” I replied, taking a long
gulp on my beer.  Thad snickered.  Katie's eyes narrowed and her mouth turned
hard.  Senya put some wings on his plate and drank his beer.

“You wanted to stay,” he reminded Katie,
sucking on a wing.

“So do you get to go visit the Palace
sometimes?” Gina asked.

“Well, I don't yet,” Luci replied.  “But I
hope that when Madame is in residence I might be able to serve her.”  She
smiled at Katie with a hopeful expression.  “If it pleases her, of course.” 
Katie glared back at Luci as if she were insane.  Senya chuckled and drank
beer.

“This isn’t funny.”  Katie turned on him
abruptly.

“Actually it is,” Senya replied and ate
another wing.

“I think it’s hilarious,” Thad remarked.

“Berkie goes quite often really,” Luci
continued speaking to Gina.  “Actually, Thad, you’ve been there too now,
haven’t you?”

“What?” Gina cried.

Thad coughed loudly.  “Palace Hotel Gina. 
Remember, I told you, we always stay at the Palace Hotel.”

“Oh right,” Gina said as the green haired
cowgirl waitress set our burger baskets down in front of us.  “Palace Hotel.”

“Well except that,” Luci started to say. 
“It’s not a hotel.”

I pinched her leg.  “Eat your burger,
dear, before it gets cold.”

We ate in silence for a few moments.

“So, Ron,” Thad said, tossing French fries
into his mouth.  “I heard you figured out why the spinal stimulator wasn't
working.  I tell you, Berk, make sure you've got good software people.  A few
misplaced 1's and 0's and the whole thing is shit.”

“But it's working now?” I asked.

“Yeah, Ron found the error and we've got
it fixed and I'll get it certified this week.  It should be a pretty good
little product.  I've got quite a few orders on them already and our own neuro
guys are clamoring for them.  Take a few back home with you and show them to
your guys, Berk.  I'll make you a heck of a transfer price if you want them.” 
He laughed since our transfer prices were all preset.  “Are you going to
present it at your conference next week, Ron?”

“Possibly,” Senya mumbled.

He and Katie had finished their meal and
Senya was smoking again.  Behind his dark glasses, I could see flashes of
silver light.  On top of that, he was beginning to look quite agitated. 

“Let's go,” he said, jumping up from the
table.

“What about dessert?” Gina cried.

The waitress came over.  Senya tossed her
a couple of hundred dollar notes before she could ask if we wanted anything
more.  He grabbed his and Katie’s coats off the peg.

“Come on, Kate,” he said urgently.

“But,” Katie started to protest.

“Now!” Senya snapped.  His hands were
visibly shaking.  A clap of thunder sounded overhead which shocked everyone in
the restaurant into silence since this was Rozari where it never ever rained.

“Move!” I yelled at Luci.  “Get out of the
way!”  Katie had stood up and was fumbling with her jacket while Senya was
starting to sway.  “Come on, Thad!”  I practically climbed over my wife and
shoved Katie aside.

“Kari-fa,” Senya gasped and staggered to
the door.  Thad and I bolted after him, catching up as he collapsed in a spasm
and then we dragged him outside where the sky has turned into a viscous swirl
of yellow and purple clouds.  Bolts of lightning streaked out of the clouds,
hitting the decorative spires and fountains in the open courtyard of the
Fashion Mall.  People around us were running for cover, desperate to get away
from this wicked electrical storm.  Senya convulsed while Thad and I pinned him
down against the concrete floor.

“What the hell is going on?” Katie cried,
throwing herself on Senya too.

“Let me see,” Gina shouted, trying to push
us aside.  “I'm the doctor.”

Hailstones started to plummet down upon
us, rattling against the cement like gunshots and then the howling wind began
to roar and great swirls of clouds gathered and circled above our heads.  The
wind sucked plants and benches from the courtyard.  Shopping bags and cartons
of food went flying past us.

“Cut him,” Katie screamed.  “He's got to
bleed it out.”  She reached for his wrist though it was flopping about wildly. 
Holding it flat against the pavement, she pointed at the long scar.  “Here. 
Quickly.”

“Gina cut him,” Thad ordered, extracting a
pen knife from his pocket.

“Are you sure?” Gina cried.

“Yes,” Katie screamed.  “Do it!”

Gina sliced Senya’s wrist.  It welled with
blood and then began to gush out onto the pavement.  The tornado circling
overhead dissipated.  A moment later, Senya stopped convulsing.  The odd
colored clouds cleared away and the people came back out in the courtyard from
their hiding places.

“Is this enough?”  Katie choked as the cut
continued to spill. 

“I would think so,” Gina replied and
reaching into her bag, she pulled out some sealant and gauze.  “I'm going to
close it.”

“No,” Senya mumbled, starting to wake up. 
“Just tie it tightly.”

“No sealant?” Gina protested.  “I cut it
pretty deep.  You’re going to need sealant.”

“No,” Senya repeated and put his left hand
across the cut.  A moment later when he removed his hand, the wound was nearly
sealed.  It oozed only a little.

Gina gasped.  “How did you do that?”

“Come on, Gina,” Thad said, taking the
roll of gauze and wrapping it around Senya’s wrist like a pro.  “We’ll just
finish this up and get out of here.”