~~~~~~
Jasmine’s apartment was a few floors below his, but as their wedding approached, her stuff collected in his penthouse. She dumped her load unceremoniously on his dining table.
He poured himself a root beer and stepped out onto his patio. Nodlon glowed blue under a dome of bright stars. His root beer was imported from the no man’s land beyond the Pale. Aromatic and frothy, it made a good substitute for an adult beverage. Jazz hated drinking. He watched himself around her. She thought beer was fattening and might lead to heart disease. He smiled. Beer was one thing he would miss after their wedding.
“What happened to your hand?” Jasmine asked. She pushed him into a dining chair.
Blisters bloomed where a fire whip had marked him.
“I tried to catch a fire whip. It’s my own fault. I was having fun and missed my mark. My mistake shouldn’t ruin everyone’s evening.”
“You’ve got to be more careful. Let me take a look at that.”
“Yes, doctor.”
“I’m a nurse, not a doctor,” she corrected him. “If I were your doctor, I’d report you to the authorities for stupidity. Magician practices magic without a brain.”
“Thanks for not telling anyone.”
“No problem,” she quipped. “It’s a minor burn. I’ll get my first aid kit.” She disappeared down the hall, and returned with her bag and the tools of her profession. She applied a salve, and bandaged his wound. The pain stopped so fast it made him wonder how he managed.
“Dibs on the shower.” Snatching up her case and satchel, she took off towards his bathroom. “And no peeking Romeo,” echoed down the hallway. Faintly, he heard the shower running.
He admired the view. Babel Tower was the not the tallest skyscraper in Nodlon. That honor went to the New Swan. The castle glittered in the moonlight. Nodlon was a fantasy built over the greatest coal mine on earth. Thornmocker’s creation was fantastic for those enjoying the fruit of the apple. For those who toiled below to make everything function, the benefits were few and far between. Not that Under Nodlon, Deep Nodlon, or Moab lacked charm. Many of the finest shops were underground, and the Port of Moab drew tourists from as far away as the Space Station of Ur.
Deciding it was better to feed his girl than lose her, he left the patio. Shotgun’s instructions were under a magnet on his fridge. His butler had prepared home-made spaghetti sauce, garlic bread, and a Caesar salad. For desert, he had bought a flan from Snuffie’s.
Shotgun probably thinks I’ll burn the custard. He boiled water for the pasta, zapped the sauce, and placed the garlic bread in the oven. He tossed everything on the dining table onto the couch, and set the table for two. He lit a candle, and put out water goblets with a lemon slice just in time.
Jasmine wandered back with her hair in a towel, struggling with her locks. “How’s dinner coming?” Standing in the middle of the room, she bent over sideways and squeezed her silky hair with the towel one last time, and hung the towel over a dining chair. “I’m starving.”
“Shotgun’s got us all fixed up. He’s prepared a spaghetti dinner.”
Opening his refrigerator, Jack found a salad, and set it on the counter. Then he selected a couple of bowls, forks, and knives. “Pick a seat.” He brought out the salad, and quickly divided it between them.
“Looks great, and smells better.” She breathed deep enjoying the pleasant aromas. “Is any of this your doing or is it all Shotgun’s?”
“All of this is Shotgun’s work, except the flan. The flan’s from Snuffie’s.”
“What did I tell ‘ya? Aren’t you glad I hired him?”
“Hey, I’m the one paying him.” He smiled, “He’s great. Cooks, cleans, keeps me in threads; and he keeps my computer updated too. He said he spent some time working for the university as a technician.” He leered mischievously. “My only complaint is he’s not a girl.”
“Too bad for you, you’ve got enough girl trouble with me around. Where is he anyway, did you give him the night off?”
“Goldie has plans for him. I told him not to show up again until she was done with him. He hardly takes any time off even when I give it to him.”
“Good. I’m glad I hired you a butler, but it’s a bit creepy when I want you all to myself.”
“I pay him well,” said Jack. “No that quip’s not fair, I’m glad you hired him too. He’s an excellent cook, and a brilliant technician” Wandering back into the kitchen, he picked up the spaghetti, and the flan, and returned to the dining room. “He’s better than an employee. He’s a friend.
“Has he told you about what happened at the university yet?”
“No, not exactly, as I understand it, they think he hacked some files.”
“Personnel files are what he hacked. The agency told me he was searching for genetic codes.”
“Makes sense, if you can prove someone is not fully human I suppose that could be valuable.”
“Blackmail?” Jasmine put her fork down. “Black dwarves are notoriously reliable and honest. Shotgun is not the type, Jack. He was after something or someone. Anyway, I knew he’d make a perfect addition. One girlfriend, one butler, and one sporty flyer parked at the best address in Nodlon this side of the Matterhorn. All you need now is a cat.”
“Keep the cat. What made you think I needed Shotgun? I mean why him?”
“He’s not just a typical geeky, black dwarf, he’s a real nerd. Clay-net recommended him. And he’s a big fan and a believer in the movement. Shotgun’s one of our first Clay-net subscribers, and he’s posted subversive material on Clay-net since we launched.”
“Biots are people, too.” He said it. It was the defacto motto of Clay-net. The phrase was not original with him, but Clay-net had put it on everyone’s lips.
“Yeah, that’s right. And, Shotgun is a special guy. He needed a break, and you needed someone to keep you from overloading.”
Eating their early morning dinner, they talked of plans. Plans for the week, plans for the summer, and plans for life floated back and forth across the table.
“What will you do when I get pregnant?”
He put down his fork and grinned. “Promote Goldie. She’s not as good as you are, but she’s mastered a triple pirouette. Keep it all in the family I say.”
“No, silly,” Jasmine’s eyes twinkled. “If Shotgun keeps feeding us like this, we’ll have to go on a diet.” She looked at him. “You know what I mean. I’m not talking about who will replace me in the show.”
Clay closed his service, and began clearing the table. “Did you enjoy that?”
She handed her plate to Jack. “Yes, but I can’t stay. I’ve got to be at the hospital by two, and I’m not going to make it if I don’t leave now.”
Taking her in his arms, he hugged her. “Why work there?”
“Because, Jack Clay. I have to do more than just dance.” She squeezed him.
“You’re not just a dancer. You’re my partner. I pay you a fortune, and I rely on you to help me write the gags and skits.”
“There’s more to life than money, Jack.” She gazed out at the blue lights of Nodlon and her green eyes sparkled. “At the Circus, I’m just a dancer in sexy tights. At the hospital, I’m helping people. I’m an Assistant Director of Nursing and I’m contributing to something important.”
“Making people laugh is important.” Irritated, he looked away. A sense of shame dropped over him. “People need to laugh. It brightens their day, and adds color to their lives. For some, it’s all they have.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it that way.” She squeezed his hand.
“Yes you did, and you’re right. Nursing is more important than magic shows. I know that. My talent is magic though and it’s the only talent I have. You’re a one woman band of talents; dancing, singing, piano, nursing, and you speak three languages. And you can stop an asteroid in free fall! What can I do?” Was his love true or mere vanity? “Sorry,” he said. “Maybe I’m just selfish
and jealous. I’m going to marry you and I don’t want to share you with your patients.”
“You’re honest, too, and that’s worth something. Not many boys have any humility these days.” She reassured him with a hug.
He blushed. “Summer seems so long from now. I can’t wait,” he complained.
“You’re just going to have to,” she grinned. “If it helps, I can’t wait either.” She stood on her toes, and gave him a quick kiss. “After we’re married, you can have me.”
“So, does that mean you’ll quit working at the hospital, or I can see you there during visiting hours?”
“Come on, walk me to my car.” She squeezed him again.
Cutting the embrace short, she pushed him away. She collected her satchel, grabbed her keys, and headed out the door. Together, they rode down the lift to the garage.
“Speaking of visiting hours, I want you to come by. There’s a girl I want you to meet.”
“Anything to help the sick, I’ll be there.”
“Make sure you are. She’s a suicide.”
“A suicide? If she’s a suicide, how can I visit her? Wouldn’t that be encouraging bad behavior?”
“She’s a red dwarf named Melissa. She swallowed a bottle of pills and died last Friday. Fortunately, her agency had her chip feed tied to a manned emergency board. When she stopped breathing, they couldn’t believe it but they called emergency anyway. She’d been dead about a quarter of an hour when the medics found her. They shot her up with Afterlife and she’s making an excellent recovery. Never thought I’d say chipping was a good idea, but at least in this case it saved one person’s life.”
“Why would she hurt herself? That’s got nothing to do with a chip. Should I be chipping you?” He smiled lamely, not sure where this was going. He felt uncomfortable. He hated chipping, and he railed against the practice on Clay-net. Usually, agencies only chipped their biots to track their whereabouts. But humans never had to accept a chip for a job. Biots were not so lucky.
“Just be there. Be your happy, plucky self, and leave the brilliant, depressed introvert at home. You don’t want to know why a kid tries killing herself. Besides, it’s confidential.”
They reached Jasmine’s roadster, a fully loaded Europa III in electric pink with a brown convertible top. “You didn’t answer my question, Jack Clay.”
“I love children. That’s why I love my job. I love making kids laugh, and offering a nice clean show. You know, I’m not faking that. And I laugh at my own jokes, and I cry at the sad parts. But being a father? Being a dad? I’m not sure. I never knew mine.”
He broke off. The pressure was terrible. He felt the tears in his eyes, and he bit his lip. Phaedra had taught him not to yell or curse in the company of women and children.
“You’re a good elf, Jack Clay, and you’ll make a good dad.” She puckered up. “Kiss.” She tossed her satchel into the back seat, and climbed in.
Leaning on her roadster, he kissed her and stepped back. “Love, you too.”
Blowing him another kiss, she waved, guided the roadster out of the garage, and she was gone.
Nimrod
Nimrod soared over the mountains of Zagros. Sherry, his roc, beat the air with her wings rising over the ridges of the eastern face of the mountain of Nisir. Flocks of sheep and goats bolted as he and Sherry glided overhead. Spying a ram with horns as long as a man’s arm, his fingers twitched.
“Soon, my pet, you will feast on fresh meat.”
Stowing his riding crop, he circled the roc above the herd, and clinched his saddle between his knees. Unslinging his war bow, and drawing a bolt from his quiver, he armed himself. His bow was strung with dragon’s hair. Brass cowls protected the bow’s tips from this toughest of threads. He set the bolt’s notch in the nock and clasped the grip. Thus armed, he took Sherry’s reins in his free hand and flicked.
Knowing his intention from long training and many lashes, she dove. The herd scattered. With his free hand, he refined her dive. Gently he guided her towards the herd’s proud patriarch. A magnificent ram sprang upon the ridge of Nisir and bolted down the cliff. He imagined his trophy hanging in his suite above the fire.
He kicked Sherry into a dive, and matched the ram’s descent. As fast as the ram ran, the roc dropped from the sky. The ram scrambled for shelter under a ledge hoping to escape the roc’s reach. Sherry’s shadow crossed the ram’s path, and its horns dipped. The ram knew it was too late.
Nimrod drew the dragon’s hair taught. The ram dodged, evading the imminent attack. He waited for the shot. He led the ram, and for a second he held his breath. He released the bolt. The bow string sang.
The bolt cut the air and struck home. It drilled through the ram’s heart. Stricken, the ram toppled down the cliff. He somersaulted over a ridge towards the floor of the Dead Sea, and Nimrod cursed. Then the ram slammed into a small outcrop. Its broken body bounced once and stopped. He slung his war bow and whooped with joy. He little wanted to descend to the floor of the Dead Sea of Umber to recover his prize.
He squeezed Sherry with his knees. The roc needed no encouragement. She enjoyed this part of the hunt.
The roc landed and Nimrod leapt from her back. Stones dislodged by his sandals rained off the rocky ledge. Shards of shale, feldspar and dolomite slid off and cascaded down the mountain. Sherry waited as he unsheathed his hunting blade. In short work, he field dressed the ram and lashed his bloody trophy to Sherry’s side. Rolling up the hide, he stuffed it into a sack cloth brought for the occasion, and lashed it beside his trophy.
Mounting his steed, he jiggled her reins, and cooed, “Dinner my sweet, enjoy your reward.” Released from his restraint, the roc tore the carcass to bits and swallowed the pieces whole. Carefully, she pecked at the outcrop rescuing every morsel. Finished, she purred and cocked her head to see him.
“Yes sweetie, you’ve done well.” He scratched Sherry behind her ears, and tugged on her reins.
With a leap, Sherry launched from the outcrop. She unfurled her wings and beat the air. The roc soared away from the cliff and pounded the air. The desert floor slid by far below as they sailed east. High above, strips of cloud drifted beneath the scarlet canopy. Lightning danced on the horizon. Flashes flickered on the dome of the sky.
Rolling into the thermals, Sherry circled higher. The burning floor shimmered in the heat. Riding the thermals, he guided Sherry west to the safety of Uruk and headed home. They climbed into the thin air, and caught the wind of Umber. The eternal storm drove hot breezes off the dead sea year round. The storm battered the mountains with hot air. It forced air out of the abyss, up the face of the mountains, and into the valley between Zardkuh and Nisir. The cooler air tempered the swelter of Gehenna’s hot climate. They glided into the valley.
He recalled the days when he had joined the Dragon Lord. It had begun when he had duped the Hamites into following Ashur.