Rain (The Quest Trilogy-Book Two) (33 page)

Rain stared at her in disbelief.

What was she talking about, telling him to keep his feelings platonic while kissing Earth when he couldn’t even manage to
think
platonic thoughts within a one mile radius of her.

His Geeya could hold it in no longer. She burst out into gales of musical laughter.

“You were just leading me on all along!” accused Rain.

“Yes!” she admitted readily, “But I didn’t lie to you. Let me put this another way; when I first told you about the ‘no mating’ rule, didn’t you automatically assume that it also meant no kissing?”

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

Rain shrugged. “It’s the most common start to …well, you know …”

“Exactly! That’s why it’s dangerous to take the risk. You would be playing with fire. I just know that feeling platonic towards Earth while kissing her is going to be an impossibility for you, so don’t try it.”

Rain thrust his chin out stubbornly.

“You never know. I might just manage it.”

His Geeya shrugged her translucent shoulders.

“Go ahead, then. But remember, there’s another life joined to yours that you will be risking, too.”

“You mean, Earth’s?”

His Geeya shook her head. “I mean my own.”

“Oh.”

For some reason, until now, Rain had never really considered his Geeya as actually having a life simply because his concept of a life was completely different than what a Geeya represented. She came into existence directly as an adult and then, too, there was the fact that she was all smoke and not flesh and bones. But now that he considered it, he realized she had a point.

“Blackmailer!” scowled Rain. “But there is fine print here, huh? It’s just that nobody bothers to ask. And Geeya are smart enough not to willingly part with the information lest some sequestor decides they are up for it. Am I correct?”

She turned to him and smiled a mischievous smile, and then flew up and disappeared among the tree leaves. Seconds later, a large clump of leaves came tumbling down on Rain, burying him under their sappy depths.

Rain scrambled out from below the pile.

“All right! Where are you?” he called, looking for his Geeya left and right.

She materialized right in front of him.

“I am right here. And you, are looking absolutely … abominable!” she laughed.

She touched his forehead and an image of his angry face with the leaves sticking out of his hair flashed in his mind. Rain burst out laughing, too. He brushed the leaves out of his hair and combed his fingers through his blond locks until he was satisfied that he looked presentable once more.

“Oh, well … so long as no one else gets to see me like that.” said Rain, his humor restored and feeling okay again. “Let’s go back to the clearing.”

He followed his Geeya as she led the way.

Rain returned to the camp to find everybody just sitting around, doing their own thing. Angel was talking to Rainbow in low tones. Heart was trying to talk to Destiny, who was trying her best to ignore his presence. And Earth was playing a game of chess with Subodh again.

“Hey, people! I heard there’s a party going on here tonight.” said Rain loudly.

Earth gave a little start at the sound of his voice, but besides that, nobody stirred.

“Oh, come on you people! Is this one lame party, or what? Where’s the DJ?
Where is the DJ?”

Angel raised a hand and got to his feet.

“DJ in the house.”

“Good!” said Rain. “Now turn this boring camp into a rocking dance floor so we can party.”

“You got it, man.” said Angel, getting to his feet and setting off his imagination.

Tall light stands sprouted from the ground and strobe lights popped out of the thin air, shining light down on everybody. Below Rain’s feet, a smooth dance floor spread out with blocks that lit up alternately.

Shiny disco balls appeared, hanging suspended in mid-air, and began to rotate and throw colorful reflections all over the trees while music began to blast out of two huge speakers.

Rainbow got to her feet, jumping up and down with glee.

“Throw me a mic, DJ!” called Rain.

Angel threw him a perfect illusion of a mic, which Rain pretended to catch. Though he could not feel anything, it looked as though he was firmly holding onto one.

Without any preamble, Rain whirled around and flamboyantly broke into a rock song, looking directly at Earth the whole time.

It’s the way you look into my eyes

You make me go crazy

I’m losin’ my mind

It’s the way you look at me when you smile

You make me lose it completely

Time after time

Coz baby

I’m crazy

Please say

That you Love me too

Rain finished on bended knee and all around him, there were claps and cheers.

“Howzzat!” said Rain, pointing at Earth.

Earth got up and walked over to Rain, who opened his arms wide for a hug. Earth snatched the imaginary mic out of his hands and brushed past him instead. The mic took a few seconds to disappear from Rain’s hands and appear in Earth’s.  When it finally did, Earth took a deep breath and began to sing, looking straight at Rain just as he had done to her earlier.

Yeah right baby …

Only if you say

That you’re in this to stay

That you won’t go away

Then that’s the day

I’ll finally say …

She paused then, holding Rain’s gaze. All eyes too, turned to him.

Rain, who had moved away from the dance floor to let Earth take centre stage, was now sitting in one corner, smiling like an idiot.

“She sings, too …” he said, with a blissful sigh.

Everyone groaned and slapped their foreheads.

“What? What did I do now?” said Rain, looking bewildered.

“You blew it again, brother.” said Heart.

“Blew what?”

“Your chance to find out what Earth had to say, you dolt!” added Rainbow.

“Oh …”

Rain turned to Earth. “What did you have to say?”

“Never mind.” said Earth in clipped tones.

She walked back to take her place near Subodh with a toss of her hair. Rain got up and came to sit next to her, but she did not look at him or acknowledge him.

“Any more requests?” asked Angel.

Subodh gave a self conscious cough and shuffled over to Angel.

“You don’t happen to have a few songs for an old man, do you?” he rasped.

Angel looked left and right shiftily, searching for some way out of this.

“Er … yeah. Sure. What did you have in mind?”

Subodh rattled off a long list of names but not only had Angel not heard of any of the songs, he didn’t even know what language they were in.

“How about a song from the time the universe began to exist?” mumbled Angel.

Subodh hobbled over behind the DJ console and whacked Angel on the rump with his stick.

“You younglings! All the same!” he barked. “All rude, overly smart, making fun of an old man …”

He walked away, shaking his stick angrily and muttering to himself.

Angel loosened the neck of his t-shirt and sighed with relief. “Anyone … er … else?” he called again.

Rain ran over to him and whispered something in his ear.

Angel’s eyes popped out of his sockets briefly, and then he grinned and nodded. Rain put his hands in his pockets and waited expectantly. The scene around them began to change once more.

It was still night. There was still a fire crackling in their midst. But they were all now on a peaceful, breezy, moonlit beach with lazy palm trees swaying in the distance.

The scene was set. The scene was perfect. And into the scene walked an illusion of Earth, wearing a beautiful white wedding gown with a long trail.

At once, Earth sat up ramrod straight, looking at the scene in front of her with apprehension.

In walked an illusion of Rain, dressed in a naval officer’s uniform to join Earth in the scene.

Illusion Earth ran over to illusion Rain and swooned in his arms.

“Oh, what a dashingly handsome young man you are!” she crooned, looking longingly into illusion Rain’s eyes. “What a face! What a body! The stuff every woman’s dreams are made of! Oh, that you should set foot in my path …! How fortunate I am!”

“For these words, you surely deserve a kiss!” said Illusion Rain, flashing a dazzling smile.

“Oh, please, please kiss me!” begged illusion Earth.

Illusion Rain looked scorchingly into illusion Earth’s eyes.

“I cannot refuse a damsel who begs me so …” he said in a husky voice.

The real Earth’s lips were pulled back in a snarl as she witnessed the scene playing out before her and she turned to face Rain with fire in her eyes. If Rain wanted to play, fine. Two could play at this game. She ran over to Angel and sat down on his other side, whispering furiously in his ears.  A look of anxiety crossed Rain’s features as Angel barked a laugh and turned obligingly to the scene in front.

“My, but you do have foul breath!” said illusion Earth, covering her nose with her hand and turning her face away.

“I know!” said illusion Rain, proudly. “Do you like it?”

“Very much!” said illusion Earth, turning back and putting her arms around illusion Rain’s neck.

He bent his head down and kissed her on the nose instead of on the lips.

“So sorry!” he apologized. “I forgot to wear my glasses.”

Illusion Rain put on a pair of huge, ugly glasses and his eyes now appeared like two bulging balls each one looking in a different direction.

“How do I look?” he asked illusion Earth.

“Much, much better!” she answered sweetly.

Just as illusion Rain bent his head, illusion Earth stopped him.

“Wait! I must remove my dentures first.” said illusion Earth, removing a large set of teeth and tossing them to the ground. They traveled away from the scene, chattering all the while.

“I’m ready now.” lisped illusion Earth, smiling toothlessly.

Illusion Earth puckered her wrinkled lips and closed her eyes, making slurping noises.

“Stop! I give up! You win.” yelled Rain, throwing up his hands and shaking Angel’s shoulders so he wouldn’t make the two characters before them kiss.

Earth felt the heady rush of victory and turned to Angel, telling him he could stop the drama now.

Her happiness, however, was short-lived because now, Angel refused to stop.

“I’m sorry, you guys. But this is too much fun!” he laughed.

To Earth and Rain’s combined horror, the scene continued to play.

Illusion Rain bent his head down and his lips finally met those of the toothless illusion Earth and they proceeded to kiss each other with abandon.

Smooch! Smich! Smaach! The two characters went on and on.

Earth and Rain turned to Angel angrily.

“Shall we?” said Earth.

“By all means.” said Rain, jumping on Angel and straddling him to the ground.

Earth dug her fingers into the mud. Thick vines sprouted from the ground and bound a protesting Angel quickly and securely.

“Sour grapes!” shouted Angel. “Mean losers! Leggo of me!”

Rain glanced at Angel from over his shoulders.

“Unless you want to spend the whole night tied
and
soaking wet, you’ll shut up now.” he said, walking away.

Later, when everyone had settled into their sleeping bags for the night, Rainbow freed Angel from the leafy bonds holding him prisoner. Angel got up, cursing and rubbing his sore wrists.

“Where are you going to sleep?” he asked Rainbow.

“Where are
you
going to sleep?” countered Rainbow.

“What I meant to ask was, are you going to sleep in Destiny’s tent with her?” said Angel.

“Are you going to be in there, too?” asked Rainbow.

“No. I sleep outside.” said Angel.

“Then that’s where I’ll be sleeping, too.”

The matter settled, Angel and Rainbow spread out their sleeping bags next to each other’s and fell asleep holding hands.

That night, long after everyone had gone to sleep, Rain woke up all of a sudden.

He got out of his sleeping bag and then, as quietly as he could, and dragged the bedding next to where Earth lay, beside Subodh. Then he got back inside and fell asleep where his heart most wanted him to.

*****

CHAPTER 28

Earth lazily opened her lids the next morning and turned around in her sleeping bag. It took her a few minutes to realize what she was looking at; Rain’s sleeping bag right next to her’s. Her blood started to pump faster through her veins. She didn’t need to be a rocket scientist to figure out that he had pulled it there sometime last night. Had he really come to sleep next to her, then?

Earth felt her cheeks grow hot and ran to the earthen pot bearing fresh water some distance away. She poured some out and splashed her face with it. Would he sleep next to her again, tonight?

She hoped he would but at the same time, worried about how she would manage to fall asleep with him so close.  She stole another little glance at Rain’s sleeping bag. Blood rushed to her face again and she quickly splashed some more water on it.

Earth walked over to her sleeping bag and rolled it up. Should she leave his there? No, she decided, and rolled his up too, and then placed them side by side beside the tent where everyone kept their sleeping bags.

Subodh had prepared eggs for breakfast which she had cold, since she was the last to wake up.

As soon as he returned from the hunt Rain made a beeline for Earth, who was busy over a pot of vegetable soup.

“Need some help?” he asked.

“No. But thanks for the offer.” smiled Earth.