Danaerea

Posts Tagged ‘mayan temple’

OBSERVATION RESUMES

Richard continued to stare at the famous clock tower in the distance. It was named for the huge bell inside it – Big Ben. “How did we get here? How long did Faloneth keep me unconscious? Weeks??”

Sarsoneth ignored the questions, pragmatic as always. “You are not yet safe, Richard. We must leave this area immediately.”

Richard seemed rooted to the spot. “We were in Central America. We were in the jungle. What day is it?”

“Richard.” Alea Chantal was uncharacteristically gentle. “You were only out for a couple of hours. Distance doesn’t mean much to anyone who can use the g’ru’tnok. Hail a cab, Richard. Have it take you to the Hilton, the Islington one. Remember? You stayed there during that conference on Aztec building techniques last year.”

It was a plan; something to do; to get him off dead center. Richard needed that. He flagged down a passing cab, climbed in the back when it stopped and gave the driver his destination. He collapsed back into the seat.

The cabbie didn’t pull out or start the meter. “Look, don’t take this the wrong way, buddy,” he said, “but you don’t exactly look like Hilton’s kind of people. You even got enough for the cab fare?”

Richard pulled himself over in the seat so he could look in the cab’s rear view mirror. God, he was a mess. Belatedly, he thought about what he’d been through since this all started. Grubbin’ around a Mayan temple was the least of it. The mad race down a jungle trail. The crash. Crawling back up to the road. Everything that had happened since he first saw Faloneth, which had apparently included crossing an ocean.

Richard managed a wry smile. How could everything be so absurd one minute and so …normal… the next? Of course this guy thought he was gonna stiff him for the fare. He looked like he’d been sleeping on the street for six months. It was a wonder he’d even stopped. Richard reached into his pocket; was almost surprised to find that his wallet was still there. He pulled out a platinum-colored credit card, held it up so the cab driver could see it. “They’ll be happy to have me back. I’m a big tipper.” The cabbie smiled broadly, put the car in gear and pulled onto the street.

After a couple of failed attempts to engage his passenger in small talk, the cabbie gave up and left him alone. For his part, Richard was satisfied to simply stare out the window. After a few minutes, he spoke silently to Sarsoneth and Alea Chantal. “So what keeps that psychotic bitch from coming after me when she wakes up? If she can cross an ocean in a couple of hours, getting across town doesn’t seem like much of an obstacle.”

Sarsoneth answered. “I believe that we were successful in disguising our action as a trap set by one of her rivals. Which means that she will continue to think that you are merely the latest in an exceedingly long line of similar experiments. Her psychosis will not allow her to believe that she cannot duplicate that experiment. So, while she will not hesitate to act on an opportunity to recapture you, neither will she make it a priority. I anticipate that we have months, perhaps years, before we need face her again.”

Which doesn’t mean we’re in the clear,” began Alea Chantal. “For one thing, Faloneth isn’t the only Yannoneth. We need…”

Richard interrupted her. “I need to talk to Nadine. And a drink. And a bath. And a drink. In that order.”

“Richard…,” began Alea Chantal, but she was again interrupted, this time by Sarsoneth.

“Very well, Richard. We are your mentors, not your controllers.”

Richard could sense that Alea Chantal wasn’t happy with that. There was something she wanted to tell him right now. He didn’t care. He couldn’t take one more thing. Not right now. After a moment, she seemed to realize that as well.

The rest of the trip to the hotel was completed in silence, both in the cab and in his head.

OBSERVATION PAUSED BY REQUEST

Enquiry Response: For additional background on the psychology of the aberrant Yannoneth, I suggest Members search under genus Danaerean, subgenus Yannoneth, category Disaffected. Also, refer to Genetic Engineering, subtopic Ethical Imperative.

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