(continued from meeting the Queens of the Jungle and leaving the jungle)
As soon as I walked thru the doorway:
“Hey, Maddy! Come ‘er, kid. Hey everybody, look who showed up? Look at this guy.” A bunch of voices, “Hey, Maddy!”
A man around 60 to 65 years old, a bit over six-foot tall, very tanned, bald, pot belly, open Hawaiian shirt, khaki-colored shorts, and wearing sandals with black dress socks that go a few inches over his ankle, cigar in the side of his mouth, glass tumbler with some amber-colored liquid in one hand, puts his arm around my shoulders and ushers me in. I’m suddenly in what appears to be some kind of old school hotel pool and party area. People that appear to be in their sixties to eighties – skinny, old broads; over-tanned guys with slicked-back hair and sunglasses – mostly dressed for the pool like in the 1950’s. Somebody’s barbecuing hamburgers and hot dogs, somebody’s making drinks at the bar. Some guy’s asleep or passed out on what appears to be a blow-up, purple and pink unicorn floaty in the middle of the pool. I can swear I hear Dean Martin music playing in the background.
A skinny, old woman with very tanned and somewhat crepey skin, oversized sunglasses, bright red lips, and this ridiculously huge . . . poof (bouffant) of blondish-orange/tawny hair that is styled to sweep up on one side, gets in front of me,” Maddy, honey, so good ta see ya,” and pinches my cheeks and gives me a big kiss on my lips and then both cheeks, then walks past.
Pot belly guy, “Hey, kid. You hungry? You look like you could use a little somethin’ ta eat more than a smoke,” and the cigar in my hand turns into a burger with buns. I’m also now dressed like him and the other male figures. He keeps walking me to the back of the this patio area, “Hey, that was some stuff with the fire back there. You’re a smart boy, Maddy. An’ ya got some guts.”
I’m shocked, very shocked at all that I see and what has just happened, and I try to keep my composure, “Uh huh.”
“Come on. Sid down, kid,” and we each take seats at this outdoor-patio looking table and chairs with an opened outdoor umbrella in the middle of the table shading it. Suddenly there’s a tall, colorful drink in front of me on the table, my hamburger on a plate with some chips. Pot belly guy puts his drink on the table and holds his cigar in his mouth and takes a puff. “Ya, know, me an’ my associates here have been keepin’ an eye on you and you’re cousins since you just sort of ‘popped’ onto Aeris.”
Me, “Oh?”
Pot belly guy, “It’s a pretty rare occurrence.” Another puff. “Your cousin, Tom, haha. Whadda we gonna say about Tom that hasn’t already been said? An’ Anne, what a singer. She could charm the wings off a dragon. But you, you, you’re somethin’ else, Maddy. Ya got some interesting ‘extracurricular’ activities.”
Me, “I suppose.”
Pot belly guy, “Some a the gods aren’t too happy. Some a those, high an’ mighty, self-righteous types. One would like ta send a prophet after you. A few are thinking the Gray Waste for ya when ya die,” he takes a drink.
Me, “But not you.” He smiles, “No, Maddy. Not me. Or my associates. Before somethin’ bad happens to ya, one of these so called ‘gods of Benevolence’ has their way, my associates and me would like to make you a proposal.” I nod. He takes another puff. Pot belly guy, “Do ya know who I am, Maddy?”
Me, “I don’t like to make assumptions.”
Pot belly guy smiles, “No, ya don’t. That’s good. Ya know when you know and ya know when ya don’t. That’s part of why we want ya on our team, not just the extracurricular stuff, and the not-from-around-here stuff. My friends call me Teo. I’ll let you call me Teo, too.” I think I know who he might be, or at least is posing as. I nod, “I take your deal I go to the Gray Waste for sure.” He takes a sip of his drink, “Howda ya know? You haven’t even heard the deal yet. Thought you were a good businessman, Maddy.” Me, “Alright. What’s the deal?” He takes a puff, “You’d be one of our ‘divine agents’ one of my agents – which means no Gray Waste for you. You’d be immortal and able to travel the planes.” Me, “For what purpose?” Pot belly guy, “We need messengers, representatives, just like all business people.” I had read about Divine Agents, but I wanted to hear his response. Me, “I have to kill people?”
Pot belly guy, “Nah, it’s not like that. That’s one of the no-no’s. Divine Agents cannot cause harm.”
Me, “And when would this happen?”
Pot belly guy, “Right now if you want.”
Me, “Just like that?”
Pot belly guy, “Jus’ like that.”
Me, “What about my family?”
Another puff on his cigar, “Well if they want to join the team we’d love ta have ‘em. But you’re the one that we want as one of our agents.”
‘Not exactly what I was looking for’. Me, “What do the other gods, the gods of Benevolence, want to do with my cousins?” He rocks his head back and forth a bit, “A few really have it in for all three of you. They just don’t like outsiders. Tom . . . I think you can figure where some want ta send him.”
I nod. “Why not pick him? He’s more into ill desire than I.” He laughs a bit, “That he is. But he’s not as smart as he thinks he is. He’s not reliable like you. Ya know,” another puff on the cigar, “It’s really hard finding good help. Really is. Most mortals that follow us are not reliable. They just want what they want. They just wanna feel good, powerful. They wanna be somebody. Makes ‘em sloppy.”
Me, “What happens if I turn the deal down?”
Pot belly guy, “Nothin’, Maddy. We don’t force anybody ta do anything they don’ really wanna do. We just give ‘em the means. An’ you don’ have ta decide taday. You can take all the time you want. You can contact me anytime. Jus’ say a little prayer. I’ll hear ya.”
Me, “How long would I be your ‘agent’?” He smiles, “Til you’re no longer reliable.”
Me, “And then to the Gray Waste.” He leans in a bit, “Hey, kiddo, I’m not offering you a perfect paradise. That doesn’t exist. Not even the ones the gods of Benevolence offer are perfect. You’re a reasonable businessman, and I’m offering you a reasonable, business, deal. An’ like all reasonable, business deals they can be ended if you fail to live up to your agreed upon duties. You’re smart. You know this.” I nod a little, “You’ve been keeping an eye on me so you know I’ve sort of had a rough few days. Lack of good sleep. I don’t think I’m in the proper state of mind to make any major decisions right now.” He nods, “I can appreciate that. This offer is good right up until the second you die. So you go home, clean up, rest up, an’ think aboud it. You don’ have ta hurry, but don’ waid either. Anything can happen, Maddy. A mordal’s life is kina like a roll a the dice sometimes, more often than you might want to admit.” I nod. “Okay, kiddo. So all ya gotta do now is walk fifdy feet, staight ahead.” All of a sudden I find myself standing outside in some rocky place. Big, brown stones and hillside ahead of me. Low, reddish-brown turf. There’s no path. Some stones, large ones, are somewhat in my way. I pick a point in the hillside straight ahead and begin slowly walking towards it. I step over some smaller stones, staying on course. A stone about three feet around is a stride ahead. ‘He said walk straight ahead.’ I continue and my foot and leg go thru the stone like it is an illusion. I walk forward another step. Another illusory stone. A few more feet a few more stones, boulders. A few more feet, then everything goes white.
Next connecting scene: Shag for Peace: Mathew meets the goddess of Peace
