by Terry Schott
Chapter 27
“I understand, sir. It is very frustrating to lose signal while viewing a player. Yes, sir. I realize how much you pay for the viewing package you have purchased. This does happen from time to time, sir. It’s normal to occasionally experience loss of signal. The player feeds all glitch from time to time. Sometimes it’s because of where they go on Earth, other times it’s due to a drain of signal from so many viewers tuning in to watch. Most often it’s a result of your local connection to the feed, sir. That seems to be the case right now. Power is fluctuating in your area, sir. We are committed to bringing your viewing experience back online as soon as possible.
“Thank you sir, that is most kind of you to say.
“While I have your account up, I see that you also view 123 other players on a regular basis. If you added just two more players to follow, I could offer you a special viewer’s package and save you money on your monthly bill.
“Excellent, sir. Thank you for calling The Game viewing headquarters. We value your business.”
Customer service call, The Game Viewing Centre
Stephanie
Okay, I hope you can see this, A. Recognize who just walked in? That's right, It’s Carl!
If you guys knew he was in town, you really dropped the ball on letting me know! I almost pushed Trew to the ground and started a war in here, but Carl quickly threw up the hand signal for peace when he walked in. Unless he is going to go against all Eternal protocol, we are safe at the moment.
He’s been standing near the door, looking at the menu behind the counter for the past 22 seconds. I’m trying to stay calm, making small talk with Trew. I couldn’t tell you a single word the boy has said, though. I’ve got to get him out of here.
“So, I think what Danni and I are going to do is…”
“Hey, Trew?” I have to interrupt him. I have to remain calm though. The boy feeds off energy; if I freak out, so will he.
“Yeah, Steph?” He’s concerned. He follows my sight to look over at Carl. Carl has placed an order and is walking this way. “Who’s that, Steph? You know him…? Hey, he has your eyes! Only not gold flecks… are they red? Wow, cool, I gotta look closer! Here he comes.”
“Shh,” I hiss at him and his eyes leave Carl and lock with mine. “Listen, Lobato, everything’s fine. This is an old friend of mine. He can be a bit of a character though. So just be polite and don’t say too much, okay? And when I tell you to leave, you leave. You go home right away and make sure you’re with your Mom or Dad. If they aren’t home go next door to the Balker’s place. I’ll call you later. There’s nothing wrong, I just want to make sure you do as I’m telling you right now, okay?”
Trew shrugs. He’s not concerned. I’m doing a good job of staying calm on the surface, but deep down I’m ready to kill! “Sure, Steph. No problem.”
“With this guy, we play the ‘I don’t know’ game.” It’s not a question, and he nods his head seriously.
“Sure, no problem.” He winks at me, then turns around to watch Carl approach.
Five feet, 11 inches, black hair, bronze, tanned skin, muscular, perfect smile. Textbook Eternal look. The dark brown eyes, Trew was right — red flecks instead of gold. He looks like the hero that comic book writers draw. But his energy… well, if you can feel it, he’s definitely not the hero. I’ve seen scarier villains, but not many.
“Well, what a pleasant surprise.” His voice is rich and smooth, like that tiger from the Jungle Book movie. I can see Trew get calm. He sees the threat here.
“Carl. What brings you to town?” I ask.
He smiles and it takes all my control to not push Trew to the ground and throw a punch to Carl’s face. He must sense what I’m feeling, because his smile grows broader, inviting me to do it. “I was just passing through. Got hungry and decided to try the local pizza. What a huge coincidence, running into you here.”
Lies! “Well it’s great to see you.” I can lie just as well. “Tell me what you’ve been up to.”
Carl turns his gaze from mine to Trew. “Who’s your friend, Stephanie? How rude of you not to introduce us.” He extends his hand, “My name is Carl.”
Trew looks at me, I give him a small nod, and he shakes hands with Carl. My gut tells me we are all safe. If Carl breaks the peace after giving the signal, then nothing can save him from the wrath of those higher up.
“Trew.” The two shake hands.
I watch them closely. Carl is doing so much more than just shaking hands, he’s evaluating Trew. His smile falters so faintly most wouldn’t see it, but I do. Good, he sees the potential there too. I hope he takes that information in and reports it back to his masters. They need to know how much it will cost them to play this game.
“It’s a genuine pleasure to meet you, Trew. Do you eat pizza here often?”
Trew shrugs, “I’m not sure.”
“Really?” Carl asks.
“Well, I don’t know what you mean by often. So I can’t be sure.”
“I see.” Carl flashes me an annoyed look. I grin. “Well, do you live around here, Trew?”
“No, not really…” Trew looks confused.
Carl laughs out loud. His laughter is deep and rich; it makes you feel safe and happy. That’s a dangerous way to feel with Carl, because it’s impossible to be safe or happy around him. “The ‘I don’t know’ game, Stephanie? Well he’s pretty good at it. I get the message. You don’t want him talking to me.” He looks at Trew with a friendly grin. “That’s a shame, Trew. Trusting Stephanie could be troublesome for you some day. Anyone that can teach you how to not give answers… I wonder how much you really know about her yourself?” He lets the question hang uncomfortably in the air. I can see the doubt in Trew’s eyes.
“Trew.” I say. “His eyes dart to mine uncertainly. “Relax. He’s playing another game with you. Don’t worry about it, everything’s fine.”
Trew nods, but he doesn’t look convinced. Damn it, Carl causes damage in every way he can.
“Time for you to go, Trew. Do exactly as I told you. I’ll talk to you later.”
He nods, looking calm and relaxed, but I can see he’s thinking about what Carl said. I haven’t told Trew much about myself. He shouldn’t know who I am yet, if ever, and everyone viewing him can’t know about me either. The Eternal code and all.
Carl watches Trew leave. I watch Carl. When Trew is out of sight, Carl looks back at me and sits down across from me comfortably.
“So, Stephanie. He’s a good looking boy. Strong, as well. How powerful is his Talent?”
I give him an annoyed look. “What are you doing here, Carl?”
He shrugs, looking towards the counter, appearing uninterested in me. A tiger’s way of showing he doesn’t feel threatened. “I was in the neighbourhood. This kid of yours is the talk of all the towns. I figured I’d drop in and take a quick look.” His eyes light up as he looks back at me. “Who knows? Maybe someday I’ll have to deal with him. Always good to know your opponent. You know, be able to put a face to a name.”
“That wouldn’t be smart to try,” I warn him.
“Oh, I’m sure it wouldn’t be too difficult at all,” Carl says.
“You best stay away from him, Carl. He has powerful allies.”
“Which attract powerful enemies. I know who’s watching him. I know who’s watching you, too, Stephanie.” Carl taps his head. He looks into my eyes and waves. “Hi, Angelica. You didn’t show up for our last meeting together. I’m very disappointed in you, young lady. I’m seriously considering killing all your pets just to teach you a lesson.”
I tense up, I don’t sense him preparing for violence, but he’s so fast.
“Yes, ladies, I think I’ll start the blood bath soon. You can follow it on the Net or TV. You can stop it any time, Angelica. Just come back and visit me.”
I snort at him. “You know she can’t come back in. And Trew is hands off. I won’t allow you to touch him, and I can stop you, Carl.”
Carl pat
s my head like you would a small child. “Oh, don’t worry, little one, I'm just playing with you. Don't always be so serious. Ahh, look! My pizza is here. I’m starving.”