Angels Among Us

by C. E. Barrett

  “These are just about done,” she said of the meat patties. “If you would get me some plates, Daffyd, I can serve up supper.”

  In a few moments, they were gathered around the table with a veritable feast before them. Besides the burgers and salad, there was a big bag of potato chips, and, since Seren hadn't died from drinking it, glasses of water for everyone. Daffyd was looking at his burger curiously.

  “Something wrong?” Seren asked him.

  He shook his head. “No. No, not at all. I just usually have the meat and bread separate.” He lifted one shoulder in a half-shrug, his little smile surfacing. “It's not important.”

  “Before we eat,” said Seren, somewhat self-consciously. “Well, I don't usually say a prayer at meal time, but I think today calls for something. Do either of you object?”

  Devany only looked confused, but Daffyd said he didn't mind. They always used to when he was a boy, but he had fallen away from the habit.

  “You go ahead, Seren,” he said. “But, uh, perhaps we should hold hands?” He was embarrassed to make the suggestion, although that was how they had done it in his house. His parents and his sister and Daffyd would clasp hands around the table and Llewellyn or Evelyn would say the blessing. He was grateful when Seren merely nodded her agreement.

  She was glad he had offered. She felt strongly the need for physical contact with other people right now. She reached out to the others. Devany watched Daffyd's big hand close over Seren's and his other move toward her. She looked back and forth a moment, and followed suit.

  Seren and Daffyd bowed their heads. Seren was suddenly very self-conscious, an odd state for her. She licked her lips and spoke quietly, “God, Creator, Whoever You are, thank You for bringing us together to help each other out in this strange place, and for the food that came with me. Please keep our families and loved ones safe and well. Amen.”

  “Amen,” murmured Daffyd, and Devany copied him. The ritual was unknown to her, but she took it all in and filed it for future reference. They looked at each other. Daffyd gave Seren's hand a quick squeeze of approval before he released it. She dimpled in response, smiled at Devany and attacked her meal. The others did the same.

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  * * *

  CHAPTER 14

  “I'm done, baby,” said Gerri Reznik. “Zapped. Wiped out. Fagged. Dead on my feet. You understand me?” She tugged at her companion's shoulder.

  “I hear you,” Rapsim's attention remained focused on his device. “What do you suggest we do?”

  “Gee, we could STOP!” She suited her actions to the words. “We could even sit down.” She did so.

  Rapsim stopped and looked at her. “I thought you had more stamina than that.”

  “Usually I do. But a: I was up half the night getting ready for today's Mission, which I notice I'm not on, and do you have any idea how far we've come so far? Or how long we've been walking?”

  “Well, no,” he admitted.

  “All right then,” she bent to her boot. “Let's just have a look at my trip odometer, pedometer, whatsit.”

  They examined the counter embedded in her boot. It showed a distance of just over 25 kilometers.

  “Now, even with that little rest at the fountain thing, we've been hiking a long time. We need to rest, and we need to find something to eat, or at least some water we can drink. Can't you reprogram the multi to find one of those fruit trees? I'll even settle for that.”

  “I can try,” he said. “Nothing so far,” he turned in place. “Wait a minute ... there's something over that way.” He gestured without looking.

  “Oh, great,” muttered Reznik.

  Rapsim looked up. “Oh, I see.”

  They stared at the wooded hillside that rose steeply for some distance.

  “I can't, Rap. I just can't.”

  “Look on the positive side, Rez. There's lots of handholds.” He smiled brightly.

  She groaned and started up the hill, making liberal use of the tree branches as climbing aids. Rapsim trailed behind her.

  “Where is this treasure trove, Rap?” she called down to him. “How much farther?”

  “Over the top of the hill somewhere,” he shouted back. She grimaced, but pressed on. At length, they crested the brow of the hill. The far side proved to be a forest of mixed types of trees that stretched for kilometers in all directions, sloping away so gently it was hardly noticeable.

  “Okay. Now where?”

  He studied the multi. “Down over there. Seems to be fresh water and some more edible fruit.”

  “Right now I'd settle for just about anything. Even Poltari beer and babble blubber steaks.”

  Rapsim snorted amusement at the thought. Reznik had the reputation of possessing a stomach of ironplas, but even she had serious difficulty downing and keeping down the favorite meal of Poltari Recruits; steaks made from babble blubber.

  Babbles were something like sea lions on Earth, and named for the noises they made at airholes chopped in the endless sea ice of Poltar. Few human species could pronounce the Poltari word for them, and someone had coined the cutesy one in its place. It had stuck. Their thick layer of fat was an essential element in the Poltari diet, providing energy, as well as being laced with veins of vital nutrients. Even space-going Poltari preferred real babble blubber to any other food source, and judged shipmates by their ability to ingest and digest this rich food. Reznik had passed the test, but only just, and had foregone all animal based protein for weeks afterward. Rapsim smiled at the memory, and brought his attention back to the forest.

  They stepped into a small clearing. Clear, cold water bubbled out from between a pair of large boulders, forming a small pool where the rock had been worn away over centuries. A small cascade chuckled its way down the face of the huge stone, and became a happy-sounding brook that wandered off into the woods. Nearby was a large fruit tree they hadn't encountered before. The fruit most closely resembled peaches, but were darker and less fuzzy. A smattering of berry bushes decorated the perimeter of the open area.

  Rapsim examined it all carefully before pronouncing it all edible. There were no signs of any known toxin. Since the multi could identify over half a million potentially harmful substances, Reznik decided things were probably safe to eat.

  But first! She scooped up a handful of the water and sampled it. Then she bent to the little pool, pursed her lips and sucked up water like a horse, she was so thirsty. Rapsim settled for drinking from his cupped hands. When she was done, she splashed some over her head and shoulders.

  “Phew ... that feels better,” she smiled at Rapsim. “I still really hate being here, but I guess it's not as bad as it could be.”

  He nodded and sampled the berries. They were something like strawberries, large, with a sweet-sour taste that was quite delicious when you got past the initial zing to the tastebuds. The ‘peaches’ were also curiously satisfying, and soon both Recruits were full to repletion. They sat on the mossy ground and sighed contentedly.

  “You know what we should do now?” said Reznik. “I'll tell you, Rap. We should have a snooze. Set the perimeter alarm on that thing, and let's get some rest.” Without waiting for a reply, or even an acknowledgement, she settled herself into a comfortable position and was instantly asleep. Rapsim shook his head in fond exasperation, but followed her instructions. He too, slept.

  * * * *

  Karina Baker thanked the manager of the Credit Union again and again. He smiled pleasantly and told her it was okay. He was certain he was doing what Seren would have asked, had she had the time to do so. He reassured the girl that he was sure her mother would be home soon, safe and sound. He stood and shook Karina's hand. She grinned at him in relief, and left the branch of the Caisse Populaire de Clare with more confidence than she had entered.

  He watched her go, and let the concern he felt over Seren's disappearance show. He felt no qualms about what he had done for her children. Seren had quite substantial savings, RRSP's, and plenty of mo
ney in her chequing and savings accounts. He also knew the terms of Seren's will, having helped her to draw it up. But she had been gone for almost two days, now. He looked out the window at Karina, hurrying through the parking lot. He smiled at her courage, and returned to work.

  Out in the car, Karina turned to her siblings.

  “We're going out for supper tonight!” she declared.

  A loud cheer greeted the announcement. “So they let you have money?” Theo asked.

  “Well, they're giving me a big overdraft on my account, based on Mum's accounts. It means we have enough to live on until she gets home, or...” she faltered a moment, and caught herself. “Or she gets in touch.” She forced a brightly happy expression onto her face. “So, where do we want to go? And please ... not McD's, okay?”

  Meggie pouted a moment, but then they all shouted the name of their favorite family restaurant. It was run by a charming Oriental family and they had the best Chinese food around.

  Karina grinned and started the car.

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  * * *

  CHAPTER 15

  Daffyd stood on the front porch, staring out at the last rays of the sun setting behind the hills in the distance. Long shadows crept across the road. Dusk held sway in the yard. He could see the occasional pair or trio of people still wandering by, seemingly oblivious to Daffyd's presence.

  Seren was inside, trying to talk Devany into going upstairs to sleep in the child's bedroom Daffyd had discovered. Devany stubbornly refused. Daffyd had been unable to help, and had come outside for a breath of fresh air. Through the open window, he could hear the rise and fall of their voices without being able to discern the words. He smiled at the mulish determination in the child's voice.

  A silence fell. A few moments later, the door opened and Seren joined him on the porch. She sat on the wide swing and pushed it idly back and forth.

  “What was the final verdict?” he asked, turning his back on the sunset to look at her. The last errant rays caught the silver streaks in her once-auburn hair. Stray tendrils curled and danced around her face, having escaped from the elastic that held the ponytail. Dark half-circles of weariness underscored her eyes.

  “She's sleeping on the couch in that little office where we found her. It just wasn't worth the fight.” She sighed and rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands. “I don't know all the ins and outs of her world, but I'm glad I don't live there. She keeps insisting that upstairs is for the older ones, and she'll get in trouble if she's caught. Apparently, we are not enough of an authority figure. I guess it's because we don't have a designation ... Writer839 or Director102 or something.” She shook her head. “I think she thinks she's still on her home world and is being tested ... I don't know, and I'm too tired to think clearly.”

  She squinted at him against the fading light behind him. His face was in shadow and she couldn't make out his expression, but his tone was soothing.

  “You did the right thing, Seren. It doesn't matter where she sleeps as long as she feels safe. Why don't I sleep on the couch in the living room, in case she wakes in the night? You take the big bed upstairs.”

  “You sure?”

  “Yes, I'm sure.” Seren heard the smile in his voice. It sounded warm and comforting. She couldn't help but smile back.

  “Why don't you go up now?” he said quietly. “You look terribly tired.”

  “No. It's nice out here. Quiet. Relaxing.” She yawned prodigiously and laughed. “I know ... it looks like I want to go to bed. But really, I'd rather just sit out here with you for a while.”

  He examined her in the gloom. As she rocked, she moved in and out of a square of light from the window beside her. She reached up, pulled the hair elastic free and tucked it into her shorts pocket. She shook her hair loose with her fingers, rubbing at her scalp to restore circulation. Unbound, her hair fell just below her shoulders. His eyes drank her in, filling his heart with her image. He wanted to sit beside her, touch her hair, tell her how lovely she seemed to him. But he could imagine her reaction; the polite rejection. He couldn't see her being openly repulsed; she was much too kind to hurt his feelings like that. But she would turn from him, politely tell him she didn't go that way, and whatever friendship they might have had would be done. It was funny, they had only known each other for a few hours, but her strength and courage had drawn him to her as the day had worn on. She had adjusted to new and bizarre circumstances without flinching. She had made supper for two strangers, and had got them working together as a team cleaning up before and after the meal. Then she had coped with Devany's fears and settled her for the night. And now, here she was, so close and yet on the far side of the moon as far as he was concerned.

  “Come sit with me?” She patted the seat beside her. He hesitated a heartbeat or two, then took his place on the swing. She held it still so it wouldn't slip out from beneath him, and when he was settled, she set it in motion again. They swung in silence, pleasant and comfortable. For the second time that day, he felt a contentment he was unfamiliar with steal over him, seducing him with its siren song of promise.

  She reached over without thinking and patted his hand. As before, when she had touched him, he started. He wished he could control the reaction, but he was unused to casual physical contact from women. Seren kept catching him unexpectedly. He knew she noticed his response because she removed her hand almost immediately. He didn't have any idea how to get her to put it back, and he wished she would. He liked the feel of her hand on his. He simply liked her. He glanced down at her, at the faraway sadness in her eyes, and wished he could put his arm around her and comfort her.

  Instead, he simply said, “Your children will be fine, Seren.” She looked up at him in wonder.

  “How did you know I was thinking about them?” she asked.

  The compassion in his face, the concern in the blue eyes, touched her, almost reducing her to tears. She fought the feeling down; she had never been one to cry in front of people she didn't know well.

  His brief smile surfaced again. “Perhaps the look on your face,” he said. “Perhaps it was the fact that I was thinking about my family, and realized you would be worried for yours.”

  “Tell me about your family, Daffyd,” she said. She did want to know more about him, and now was as good a time as any.

  “There's not much to tell, really,” he said. “My father, Llewellyn, lives in a small town in Kansas. That's where I grew up. He turned eighty-seven this year, and he still manages on his own.” He shook his head in admiration. “Rhiannon, my sister, is a bank manager in northern California. She has a daughter, Morgyn, who is twenty-eight and a police officer. Morgyn has a daughter, Ria, just turning five in June.” His smile grew broader. “Ria is my honey, and I'm her ‘Ankle’ Daffyd.” He grinned at the name.

  “'Ankle’ Daffyd?” Seren's grin matched his.

  “She couldn't say ‘Uncle’ when she was smaller, and now we're all used to it.” He chuckled. “Besides, I rather enjoy the distinction. It makes me different from all the other uncles in the world.”

  “That's so cute!” Seren laughed quietly. “Ankle Daffyd. I don't think I'll ever forget that one.”

  “You know, I look at her, and wonder where the years go. It seems only yesterday that Morgyn gave birth to her. It was absolutely incredible. I have never seen anything that compares with it.” He drifted off, remembering. “Poor Morgyn didn't let go of me until the doctor put Ria on her chest to nurse. I didn't think I would be able to conduct for a week, Morgyn had been squeezing my hand so hard.”

  “You were there?” Seren asked in surprise, wondering if she was misunderstanding.

  “Oh, yes. Morgyn asked me to be her labor coach.” He looked into Seren's face. “I know ... I know. It's not the usual situation, but Morgyn was, and is, single, and she wanted someone she trusted.” He shrugged. “Rhee wasn't too thrilled, but she got to be there, too, so that calmed her down. I just helped Morgyn focus and, well, you've had childr
en, you know what it's like.”

  Seren nodded, thinking what a lucky girl Morgyn was to have had this incredible man at her side during that time.

  “Anyway, now Ria's four and a half, and I'm two years from sixty, and I don't know where the time has gone.”

  Seren stared at him, open-mouthed. “You can't possibly be fifty-eight!” she exclaimed. “You're not anywhere near fifty-eight.”

  “I'm afraid I am, Seren. Well, almost. My birthday is next month: February twelfth.”

  She continued to stare. “I would never, ever have put you at fifty-eight. Fifty, maybe, tops. Wow. I mean, you look great!” She strained to see him in the meager light. “You must live right, or something.”

  He laughed outright at this, leaving her somewhat in the dark. He thought of all the years of hiding his real nature, of last night's fiasco, and decided if he didn't look his actual age, it was a miracle he didn't look older. His laughter subsided into chortles. He saw her puzzled look as they swung into the light.

  “Just something rather personal,” he said. “I'll tell you sometime, when you know me better.”

  She eyed him curiously. “Okay. But please understand that I will keep you to that.”

  He nodded in acknowledgement. They fell silent again.

  Privately, Seren thought she knew what Daffyd's ‘rather personal’ secret might entail. She had noticed his reserve when it came to her; how he avoided touching her as much as possible, how he flinched when she made contact with him, no matter how casual. He was more at ease around Devany, perhaps because of his little grandniece, and didn't seem to mind her as much.

  Seren had known quite a few gay men in her life, largely thanks to her younger brother, Roy. Although many of them had been of the huggy-kissy variety with their female friends, a few had been like Daffyd; standoffish and aloof with everyone in public, and probably dynamos in private. She suspected that Daffyd was of this variety. He didn't seem the type to flaunt his sexual preference openly, and his manner suggested he was used to hiding it. She also sensed that he was an intensely passionate man, and she thought it was a shame she would never get to see that side of him. He was extremely attractive to her; elegant, dignified, intelligent, humorous, with an inner strength and courage she admired, unaware he saw the exact qualities in her.