Rivals (10 page)

After two quiet tuning forks, she heard the distant hum of the third. “I hear…” She changed her voice to a low volume. “…something.” He did the same to the other ear.

“How’s that?” Belus said in a normal volume.

“Much better.” She poked her fingers in her ears and wiggled out an itch that she couldn’t actually scratch. “So what’s with the skirt?”

Belus held up one finger while he finished marking his chart. He may as well have asked her to hold her breath under water, as anxious as she was to find out the answer. “The cochlear nerve is very sensitive to the time bubble. Which makes sense since it is basically–”

“That’s very interesting,” she interrupted. “Did you notice that woman in the red skirt suit that was talking to my… our… people?”

Belus nodded and looked over to where they had been. He must not have realized they had left already. “How was the wizard world?” He gave her a smug smile. He seemed to understand the hellish boredom she had just been through.

“Belus! Who was that woman?” She spoke slowly so he could understand her.

“Let me walk you home,” he said as he slipped off his chair.

“I don’t want to go home. I want to go wherever the other three went.”

“Sorry kid, that’s a private meeting.” He closed the box and slipped the paperwork into an envelope taped to the top of it.

“What are they meeting about?”

“Come on, we’ll talk after you’ve had a drink.” He headed to the door.

“I don’t want a drink.” She pouted.

“Then we’ll talk after
I
have a drink.”

16

Without much choice, Cori followed Belus home. She stepped through the front door and left it open for him as she hung up her coat. She looked back and saw him standing patiently just outside the door. “Were you raised in a barn?”

“You have to invite me in.” Cori stared at him a moment, not sure if he was just being polite to wait for an invitation or literal. “No, seriously, I can’t enter until you invite me.”

Her mouth dropped open. “Like a vampire?”

“No, not like that.”

“Oh my God, are you a leprechaun?” she blurted out before establishing some relevancy for the accusation.

Belus lowered his eyelids, mostly hiding the eye roll he gave her. “No, just a dwarf, but I don’t live here and the house has certain properties that don’t allow unwelcome guests.”

“I guess goblins don’t count.” Cori paused. “So what do I—”

“Just say, come in!”

“Come in.” She threw the words at him like a hot potato from un-mitted hands. 

Belus stepped inside and shut the door. “Burr! Never have and never will get used to being cold to the bone.” He hung up his coat and headed into the living room. “Alright, time for a drink.”

“I don’t think Danato keeps liquor here,” she said just as Belus slid back a panel of wainscoting in the living room wall to reveal two shelves of liquor and glasses. She smiled at the ingenious hiding spot. “I knew that man had to be a drinker.”

“Danato doesn’t drink a lot, but he is a connoisseur of fine hard liquors. Not one bottle in this collection is under one hundred dollars, and there is even one that is nearly eight hundred. That’s the one you can’t see. Invisible bottle.” That statement notwithstanding, Cori still tried to see the un-seeable bottle. “I don’t advise partaking in that one. He has been nursing that for 17 years.”

Belus poured himself a sip of dark rum, while Cori slipped off her shoes and settled in on the couch. “Care to try one?” Belus waved his hand to display the array of bottles to choose from.

Cori shrugged. “You pick.”

“Hmm, what does a woman drink when she is rearing for a catfight?” He glanced at her with a playful, almost flirtatious smile.

She grinned at him. Almost simultaneously, they said, “Tequila!”

Cori laughed as he poured her a little bit more than a sip of tequila. “I feel bad. I should be serving you. You’re my
invited
guest.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it. I used to live here once upon a time. The house just doesn’t remember all that.”

“Where do you live now? You don’t live in the prison, do you?”

He handed her the drink and sat down in Danato’s usual chair. He looked miniscule in the big chair. “No, I have a small cottage off the east side of the prison. If the summer ever makes it back around, I’ll have to invite you over for a barbeque.”

“I’d like that.” Cori sipped her tequila. She didn’t know what good tequila was over bad tequila, but if strength was a measure, it was very good tequila. “The east side? So is that off the old rainbow, near 5
th
and gold?”

“What?” he asked, confused by her quip. Cori slapped her knee as she mockingly guffawed at her leprechaun joke. “Oh, funny. No, it’s on the corner of 5
th
and kiss-my-ass.” He rolled the insult together, making it sound like a real name. Cori laughed for real. “I see someone is getting her sense to humor back. The bubble tends to leave you feeling a little off kilter; luckily you’re on the fun half of the kilter.”  

“Either that or my alcohol is bypassing my liver,” she said. Belus nodded and went back for another sip of rum. “So, what were we talking about before you forced me back to my home to drink really old liquor? Oh, yes, who’s the leggy wish-she-were-blond?”

“Leggy?” Belus laughed.

“What’s so funny about that?” Cori asked, offended that she wasn’t getting in on the joke.

“It’s a short-man joke.” Belus brought back the bottle of tequila and poured her another sip even though she hadn’t finished her first sip. He set the bottle on the coffee table and settled back into Danato’s chair. “All dwarfs are leg men because the tits are too far away to enjoy.”

Cori barked a laugh to show her appreciation. “I’ve never heard that before, that’s good.”

“No? How can you tell if a dwarf is looking at your eyes instead of your chest?”

“How?”

“He’s not,” Belus said flatly.

After a slight pause, Cori laughed hysterically. “I had no idea you were so funny,” she said, wiping away a gleeful tear.

Belus shrugged. “You got to have a sense of humor about yourself otherwise someone will have it for you.” He took a draw of his dark liquor, looking like he enjoyed the flavor much like she might enjoy chocolate cake.

She smiled and sipped on hers as well. The taste was pungent, but the liquor was smooth and warming to her throat. She wasn’t sure she could ever appreciate it the way Belus and Danato did, but she liked being invited to the party. When she couldn’t wait any longer, she started to ask the same question again. “So, about—”

“Oh, please don’t ask again. I’m just coming to that.” Belus took another sip, giving it a hasty squish before swallowing. He set his drink down and moved his full attention to her. “She is a liaison to the bigwigs on the board. The board of the prison is made up of a dozen or so high-ranking officials from across the world. We are the ‘Area 51’ of Russia.” Belus air-quoted Area 51. “The board doesn’t get together physically any more than they have to. If they meet twice in their own lifetime, that would be too much. So, instead they send out leggy blondes to do their correspondence work.”

“What’s her name?”

“Sophia, I think she said.”

“You’ve never met her before?”

“Liaisons have a high turnover rate. It’s not exactly a full-time job. By the time a need for one arises, the last one has already moved up in the ranks. I have my suspicions that they’re using interns.”

“Not a very secure practice.”

“If they are interested in careers in high government, they might be the most secure option. Always choose the upwardly desperate when you want loyalty.”

“What does she want with Ethan?” Cori sipped on her tequila since it was still in her hand.

“I’m not entirely sure. She didn’t discuss anything with Danato first. We suspect that it has to do with the two competing resumes we sent to them for you and Ethan.”

“Will they reject one?”

“Legally they can’t. Everything that goes on in this place is seedy and underhanded, but believe it or not we have a company handbook that identifies where and when to be seedy.”

Cori nodded, strumming her fingers on her glass absent-mindedly.

“I’m sure it’s nothing bad,” he clarified.

“Why didn’t she need to speak with
me
?” she asked, trying not to sound jealous.

Belus shrugged. “She just didn’t.” He stood up. “Anyway, rest up today. Recovering from a long stint in the time bubble can be kind of like jet lag with a hangover, especially the first time. We’ll get back to a routine tomorrow.” He finished his swill, put away the bottles, and headed to the door.

“Thanks, Belus,” she said, holding up the drink.

He gave her a curt nod as he slipped on his coat and headed out.

Cori finished her liquor and took their glasses to the kitchen right away to wash them. She noticed Danato’s bowl of muesli congealing on the table, and picked it up on the way by.

She dumped the cereal down the garbage disposal and proceeded to wash the four pieces of dishware. She would never have thought about doing her dishes one at a time before living here, but the threat of goblins would turn anyone into a good housekeeper.

She noticed the box of chocolate cereal sitting on the counter beside her. It was hard to believe that a matter of hours ago, real time, she and Ethan had been fighting over chocolate puffs. It was also hard to believe that a matter of hours ago, time-bubble time, she was sitting in front of a fire, eating worm heart, and contemplating whether she wanted to deflower Ethan.

She smiled at the thought. Her smile faded as a quick stab caught her in the back. “Knock it off!” She slapped herself over the shoulder.

She wanted to go back to the prison and burst in on “Lady Red’s” meeting, but she knew Danato would have a fit. Besides, now that she knew the bitch was
somebody,
she knew she would at least have to fake being nice to her.

With visions of fishnet stockings and perfect teeth in her head, Cori slipped upstairs to shower and change her clothes. She may not have bleached teeth and perfectly chiseled legs, but she could at least have brushed teeth and shaved legs.    

After her shower, Cori pulled her wet hair up in a hair tie and took a wild stab at being a warden’s apprentice. She picked up a book from the coffee table she was supposed to be studying. She sat down on the couch and dove in with the concentrated aspiration of reading the words, understanding them, and remembering them.

Five minutes later, she threw the book back on the coffee table.

She wanted to throw something else, or punch something, but it being at the risk of offending the house, she didn’t. A few more minutes of sulking brought her to only one logical conclusion. She picked up the book again and left.

17

Ethan sat in Danato’s office in pure heaven. Sophie, a tall, beautiful blonde, stood next to him, fawning over his accomplishments at the prison. At any and every opportunity, she touched his arms or back. When she was excited about a particular feat of his, she would suck in air through her front teeth. She never stopped smiling, nor did she stop talking.

Danato seemed unimpressed by the whole display. He sat at his desk looking the part of the callous godfather. Ethan occasionally looked back at him, but no other expression was offered.

“You do such magnificent work here, Danato.” Sophie again took the opportunity to touch Ethan, this time on his face. “It couldn’t have worked out better for you. Too bad that dragon stuff isn’t marketable. Customs would have a fit.” Ethan smiled and nodded, feeling his face blush. He wasn’t used to receiving so much attention from a woman, let alone such flamboyant enthusiasm. “I’m told that you have already completed your studies.”

“Yes ma’am, every last book.”

“Oh, don’t call me ma’am. Ma’am is fine for mothers and old ladies, but not me. Call me Sophie.”

“Okay, Sophie.”

“That’s better.” She smiled and tugged on the sleeve of his shirt.

Ethan was suddenly aware that he had not changed clothes or showered in five days. He glanced over his dirty clothes and leaned his head down to do a half-assed sniff test. He wasn’t a bouquet of roses, but he certainly wasn’t toxic.

“Where was I?” Sophie said, pulling herself away from him.

“You were about to tell us, why you’re here,” Danato announced firmly.

“Yes, I was about to tell you that.” Sophie stepped in front of Ethan to take a seat beside him. He couldn’t help but admire the view of her butt as it wiggled between him and Danato’s desk. After she was seated, she put her hands on his legs. “We received the applications for two potential wardens, and we couldn’t be happier. We were a little concerned about the other since she is female, but just because we haven’t had a female warden doesn’t mean we can’t.” Sophie waggled both her index fingers to “shame-shame” anyone who might think otherwise.