Penult (6 page)

“
I need a bed,” I said,
plopping down hard beside her. “I’m beat.”

“
Soon,” she said patting my
arm. “Soon.”

I sighed and laid my head on her
shoulder. Her jacket smelled like motor oil, as if she had been
living in some garage. Her muscles were all tense. She smoothed my
hair and pecked me on the cheek.

“
They tried to kidnap my
cousin Franca. Broke into her apartment and tried to kidnap her.
They thought she was me.”

“
Who did this?”

“
I don’t know. And I don’t
want them close enough to find out. Now you see why I am so
careful?”

“
Your cousin, is she
okay?”

“
I think so. Her neighbors
drove them off. She has … good neighbors. But I dare not go back.
Ever.”

“
When did this
happen?”

“
Early this morning, when
you were still on the airplane.”

I took a deep breath.

“
What the fuck is going
on?”

“
I don’t know,” said Karla.
“I hoped you could tell me.”

“
Do you even know where
we’re going?” I said. ”Do you even have a destination in
mind?”

She sighed. “No. It is better we not
know. We just let the fates decide for us. Take whatever bus or
train we see, wherever it goes.”

I slouched down lower in the seat and
took her hand.

“
So … when do we stop
running?”

“
When I feel
safe.”

***

Fate brought to the city of Bolzano
that night. I wanted to find a room but Karla nixed that idea. She
didn’t feel safe enough yet to stop running and come out of the
shadows. I was beginning to wonder if she ever would.

We tucked ourselves behind a wall and
some hedges in a public park and took turns napping in each other’s
laps. It felt so surreal to have her near after so much time apart.
I was buzzed just holding her.

While she slept, I studied her face in
the glow of a street lamp. She had worry lines in her brow now. Her
eyes had retreated into their sockets. I couldn’t get over how much
older she looked. Coming back from the dead will do that to you, I
guess.

I didn’t want to know how my own face
had changed. I avoided mirrors. My hair was a rat’s nest. Patches
of sprouted randomly across my chin and cheeks.

In the morning, we crawled out from
behind the hedge and dragged ourselves to a bus station. I bought
us two tickets to a place up in the hills called Castelrotto. We
munched on some brioche I picked up from a little stand in the
station.

“
In the mountains, we will
stop and rest,” she said as we took our seats. “Okay?”

I sighed deeply. “Sounds like a
plan.”

I had thought might catch a few winks
on the bus ride, but the mind-blowing landscapes we encountered
around every bend in the road made that impossible. I had the
window seat and expected to go tumbling down the mountainside on
some of those hairpin turns.

These were the Dolomite Mountains. I
had heard they were nice but never expected to see such
otherworldly spires of gravity-defying stone on this planet. And
this is from a guy who had experienced other worlds.

My eyes stayed glued to the window. I
didn’t understand how so much rock could get so vertical. But what
do you expect from a guy who’s spent most of his life in the flat
lands of Ohio and Florida?

The bus discharged us in an ancient
town of stone buildings perched on the edge of a high plateau of
impossibly green meadows surrounded by blocky and jagged peaks. We
drank from a public fountain, splashing the drowsiness from our
eyes with that pure and chilly water.

I spotted a staid but decent looking
hotel down a narrow street off the main square.

“
What about that
place?”

“
No,” said Karla. “This
place is too crowded, too tight. Too many buildings and tourists. I
don’t want to be blocked. I want to be able to see what is coming
our way.”

“
Yeah, well. Good luck
finding that in a place like this.”

“
Maybe not here, in the
village, but we passed an inn a little ways up the
road.”

“
Cool. Let’s
go.”

I hoisted my pack and we started back
in the direction the bus had brought us. Karla had no luggage but
for a canvas purse with frayed corners, that was stuffed with dirty
clothes. I was going to have to take her shopping or find her a
launderette.

As we walked we snacked on some
thinly-sliced speck and hunks of hard cheese that we picked up at a
little deli in the corner of the square. The inn wasn’t far all,
still within sight of town, just up the hill on the edge of a vast
expanse of rolling meadow. It was a clean and bright chateau-like
place that catered to skiers in the winter season. Luckily they had
a vacancy and could check us in right away. I let the desk clerk
swipe my black credit card while Karla used the ladies’ room. I
figured it wouldn’t hurt to conserve some cash while we were out in
the boonies.

The room proved glorious. Karla let me
shower first while she walked the hotel grounds to make sure we
hadn’t been followed. That girl really needed a chill pill. Maybe a
couple days up here and she would calm down.

When it was Karla’s turn, she took
nearly an hour to wash up. I zonked out atop a cushy cloud of
cotton and down, awaking only to find her emerging from the
bathroom wearing one towel on her head and another around her
middle. An array of panties, jeans and blouses hung dripping from a
clothesline like semaphore flags.

She bounced down next to me and curled
up close, smelling pretty for a change. We snuggled together and
conked out in each other’s arms. I woke up from time to time to
draw up the covers and keep her near. If this wasn’t Heaven, I
couldn’t imagine a better place.

***

We spent the day in bed, at one point
transitioning wordlessly into love-making as natural as breathing,
even though we were both pretty much neophytes. We voiced no
presumptions or conditions. I harbored no illusions or
expectations, just love. Unprotected, of course, which worried me a
bit after the fact, but not enough to spoil my buzz.

Karla was crying afterwards, which
confused me. I could only hope it was joy. I lay and stared out the
window. The scenery made everything even more unbelievable and
miraculous.

A swarm of birds came fluttering up to
the glass, wings scraping, beaks tapping before the swarm went on
its way.

“
Get down!” Karla shoved me
off the bed onto the floor, landing on top of me. She pulled the
covers over us.

“
What are you doing?
They’re just birds!”

“
We can’t be
sure.”

“
Why are you so freaking
paranoid?”

“
I told you! They attacked
my cousin yesterday! They are looking for me.” She peeked out from
under the bed sheet, trembling, before scurrying over the window in
her hands and knees and drawing the blinds closed.

“
In her flat, they put
something that looked like Fellstraw. Here! In the land of the
living.”

“
But why? Why would anyone
want to kill you?”

“
I don’t know. Maybe …
because I am not supposed to be alive. I think maybe … they are
right.”

“
Nonsense.”

She pulled on her panties. She was so
thin there were gaps around her waistline. I needed to feed this
girl. I looked at the clock. It was a little after three p.m.. Too
early for dinner, but maybe the little restaurant downstairs could
accommodate us.

“
How about we go down and
have an actual meal for a change?”

“
Room service?” she said,
hopefully.

“
Nah. Let’s get out and get
some fresh air. We’ve been cooped up in this room all
day.”

“
Are you sure that’s
wise?”

“
Yeah. Why not?”

***

Karla was reluctant to leave the
safety of our room, but ultimately willing. She clung to my arm as
we made our way downstairs to a stone patio in a courtyard that
opened up to the meadows.

We took a table in the corner. There
were few other customers at this hour. An old lady stroking the
Chihuahua in her lap. Some guy in a wide-brimmed hat and
sunglasses, who was leafing through a stack of tourist brochures.
He wore a jacket made of fabric that shimmered. It somehow looked
familiar.

“
Some wine?”

“
I don’t drink,” she said.
“Only … in church.”

“
Tea then?”

“
Sure.”

Her face was tense.

I patted her hand. “Relax.”

Wisps of fog snaked down the gullies
of the higher peaks, but not a speck of haze marred the
horizon.

“
I like this place. Have
you ever been here before?”

“
Castelrotto? Yes.
Kastelruth— the Austrians call it. It means ruined castle. My
grandfather … you know, Luther. He met us here when Mama was still
with us. When she was thinking of divorcing. She brought me
here.”

“
What happened? Why didn’t
she?”

“
He had her committed. To a
mental institution. Divorce is forbidden among Sedevacantists. It
was the only escape he had … other than murder. And I’m sure he
thought about executing that option.”

“
Is she … still with
us?”

She shrugged. “I suppose. I have not
been in touch with her. I don’t dare. For her sake … and mine.
Especially now.”

The man with the brochures wheeled
around to face us. He lifted his shades. I knew that face. I
reached for a table knife.

Chapter 5:
Zhang

“
What’s wrong?” said Karla,
reading the panic on my face. Before I could get out a word, her
hand beat me to the knife and she burst to her feet, almost
knocking over the table, brandishing the dull blade.

“
Easy, easy!” Wendell
opened his coat to reveal an ugly, blocky looking weapon—a high
tech cross between an assault rifle and a machine pistol. “Sit
down, both of you.”

The lady with the Chihuahua grabbed
her dog and beat a hasty exit into the lobby.

“
Didn’t think guns were
your style, Wendell.”

“
I carry them for
deterrence. Listen. I’m not here to hurt anybody … so calm down!
Take it easy. I’m just here to have a chat with you
all.”

“
I ain’t ever gonna work
for you, Wendell. Can’t you take a hint?”

“
This isn’t about me. My
offer’s off the table. I’m here as a favor for a friend. He’s not
looking for Facilitators. He’s looking for soldiers. His name is
Zhang. Ring a bell?”

My face remained blank.

“
He’s the current head
honcho of Frelsi.”

“
What does he want with
me?”

“
They need you. They’re
under attack and getting hit hard.”

“
Why the fuck would I want
to help Frelsi?”

“
It’s not just them getting
whacked. It’s everybody. Your friends, the Dusters? All surface
dwellers.”

“
Who’s attacking
them?”

“
Penult. Cherubim mostly.
Under the supervision of Hashmallim and Seraphim.”

“
Cherubim?”

“
It’s not what you think.
They’re not babies with wings. They’re a bunch of cold-blooded,
soul-less warriors.”

“
Why are they
attacking?”

“
Who knows? Righteousness?
Jealousy? Pick a motivation. The first wave hit hard. The alliance
held them off but they’re regrouping for another attack. Zhang’s
already lost Victoria and a couple unit commanders. He’s desperate.
I’ve been tasked with rounding up every master Weaver I can
find.”

“
Why me? Why don’t
you
go?”

He slitted his eyes at me. “Kid. I’m
not in your league. Not even close.”

“
Really?”

“
Really. That was a neat
trick you played on me over in Hanover. Turning the tables.
Trapping me inside that tree. You almost had me.”

“
That wasn’t me. That was
Urszula.”

“
The little Duster bitch?
No way. She had to have help.”

“
Nope. It was all
her.”

He narrowed his eyes. “I’m sure she
had help. But … whatever. The point is … my spell craft is thin
soup compared to yours. I’m better off working for them on this
side, and they know that. Besides, I’ve never been to the other
side. Everything I know about the Liminality is what people tell
me. Guess I have too rosy a perspective on life.”

“
How’d you end up working
for Frelsi?”

“
I don’t know.” He
shrugged. “Somehow they found out about me when I was just a cat
burglar. I had the skills they wanted. So now I’m an independent
contractor specializing in Facilitation. I don’t do the whole
Hemisoul/Freesoul thing.”