“Oh my God,” Frank said with an almost sarcastic laugh.
Annoyed, and with rolling eyes, Hal turned around. “You finally arrive, I see.”
“You see?” Frank asked.
“Yes, I see.”
Frank snickered. “I see too. I hear, speak and . . . I read minds.”
“Good Lord, he’s in a joking mood.” Hal shook his head. “Ha-ha-ha. Robbie, shall we prepare to laugh politely at the slow child humor.”
Frank looked around.
After curiously watching, Hal gave up. “What are you looking for?”
“The child.”
Hal grumbled.
Robbie laughed.
“Frank.” Hal stayed calm. “I’m glad you could finally make it.”
“I was busy, Hal,” Frank responded, “unlike some people who have nothing to do all day.”
“I hope you aren’t referring to me,” Hal said. “I have things to do all day.”
“Like what?” Frank asked.
“I’m doing Dad’s job.”
“Exactly.” Frank nodded. “Nothing to do but look like you have something to do.”
Hal lifted a finger. “Do not think I won’t mention that remark to our father.”
“Like I fuckin care,” Frank scoffed. “You’re supposed to be teaching Robbie a skill.”
“I am,” Hal replied.
“No you aren’t. You’re teaching him the pansy sword thing.”
“Pansy sword thing?” Hal questioned with arrogance. “Pansy sword thing? I’ll have you know, Frank, our little brother is getting quite versed in it. Robbie?”
“Yeah, Hal?” Robbie held the sword.
“Show what you’ve learned. Demonstrate. Behead our brother.”
“Oh!” Frank said with dramatics, then faked a laugh. “Oh. Aren’t you being funny? Give me that.” Frank snatched the sword from Robbie. “Fuck the pointy thing.”
Hal probably could have drummed up more of a fabricated puzzled look, but the mild version worked for him. With his eyes looking up as if pondering the universe, Hal rubbed his chin. “Pointy thing. Hmm. I’ll have to remember that eloquently put description when I am instructing my men to use the pointy thing.”
“Shut the fuck up, Hal,” Frank grumbled.
“You know what your problem is, Frank? Your problem with the sword is you haven’t a clue how to use it. And since it is something you aren’t good at . . .” Hal lifted his hands. “You make fun of it to cover up for your inability.”
“I’ll have you know, Hal,” Frank came back, “I can use a sword. I can be fuckin Samurai Frank if I want to and out do any of your ‘wanna be a cavalry’ soldiers. I just like my assault rifle. Which by the way, when in an automatic state, it can take out more men then a swift swing of the mighty fuckin sword.”
Robbie nodded. “He has a point.”
“I’m not arguing that,” Hal replied. “But there is an advantage and situations where a sword is better.”
Frank fluttered his lips. “Name one, aside from swinging apples from a tree.”
“All right. You’re going into battle. You and your men are up against a long line of men and you have to charge . . .”
“Why would I have to charge?” Frank asked.
“They are charging.”
“So,” Frank shrugged.
“They reach you in the charge.”
“Impossible,” Frank laughed. “We would have taken them out long before they got close.”
“Say you couldn’t.”
Frank laughed harder. “Right.”
“Frank!” Hal snapped. “This is a hypothetical situation. You and your men are facing a charging line of enemy soldiers.”
“I thought you said we had to charge them.” Frank stated.
Hal groaned. “They are charging you.”
Snickering, Frank shook his head. “Do you know how farfetched that sounds?”
“Frank, there are a ton of enemy soldiers.”
“Trust me, Hal, if there are that many, I would have taken a sniper position long before we engaged.”
Frustrated, Hal almost gave up but didn’t. “All right. Different scenario.’
Robbie tapped Hal on the shoulder. “Are you sure you want to do this to yourself?”
Ignoring him, Hal continued, “You’re alone, Frank. Ten men ambush you from the trees. What do you do?”
“Shoot them,” Frank answered. “With . . . my M-16.”
“You don’t have it.”
“I always have it.”
Like a child, Hal stomped. “You don’t have it! Pretend you don’t have it!”
“All right. Fuckin yell, I don’t have my M-16! All right!” Frank screamed.
“Thank you.” Hal calmed down. “You don’t have your M-16. What do you use?”
“My revolver.”
“I give up.” Hal lifted his hands in defeat.
“I told you,” Robbie whispered.
“Speaking of guns,” Frank interjected, “did you guys work on his shooting?”
“Yes,” Hal answered. “Our brother does well with that. Of course, I have been doing all the training thus far and I have a feeling that you will get all the credit.”
“Of course,” Frank chuckled. “Ask Robbie.”
Innocently, Robbie bobbed his head. “I have to Hal. It’s Frank.”
“I’m Frank.”
“Knock it off,” Hal snapped. “All right, Mr. Frank. What subject are you going to instruct?”
“What I think is Robbie’s weak spot,” Frank said. “Fighting. Physical confrontations. Defensive and offensive. But first . . .” Frank reached behind his back. He whipped out a piece of rope but as he did, a carrot flew out from his pocket and landed on the ground.
Hal slowly gazed at it. “Frank? Why are you carrying around carrots?”
“Oh.” Frank picked it up. “Snacks. Want one?” He showed it to Hal.
Hal shook his head.
After getting a ‘no’ from Robbie, Frank shrugged. He was about to replace the carrot in his pocket but instead he sniffed it, shrugged again, and plunged the carrot into his mouth. As it passed through his lips, Frank devoured that carrot quick, smooth, and steady, as if he were a human tree shredder.
Both Hal and Robbie, open mouthed, watch in amazement.
Frank tossed the green portion of the carrot to the ground. “OK.” He handed the rope to Hal. “Tie me up.”
Hal had to blink himself out of the fact he was still stuck on Frank’s snacking ability. “I’m sorry? You want me to do what?”
“Tie me up, sort of.” Frank placed his arm flush with his side. “Tie my right arm to my body so I can’t use it.”
“Why . . . .why am I tying your arm to you?” Hal asked.
“I just said. So I can’t use it,” Frank replied.
“Why don’t you want to use it?”
“Hal,” Frank said annoyed. “What are we doing?”
“Brother training,” Hal answered.
“Why?” Frank quizzed. “I’ll tell you. We are helping Robbie learn to use his skills with one arm. Well how can this be one arm training if I have two arms?”
“Frank . . .” Hal tried to interrupt. “You . . .”
“Seriously, Hal.” Frank stepped closer. “How can I expect Robbie to think it’s easy to do with one arm, if I can’t do it with one arm?”
Grumbling an ‘I hate you’, Hal proceeded to tightly tie Frank’s arm to his body.
“Ah.” Frank tried to budge it. “Better.”
Robbie grinned. “Frank, that’s really cool. It is. I’m impressed.”
“Thank you.” Frank looked at Hal as he spoke. “At least one of us isn’t afraid to look bad if we can’t do it with one arm.”
“I really hate you,” Hal growled. “Do you have any more rope?”
“Absolutely.” Frank reached behind him and pulled out another rope.
“Tie me.” Hal laid his arm to his side then watched Frank.
/> Frank looked at the rope, to Robbie, then to Hal. “This might be difficult.” Frank said. “Tying takes two hands.”
Hal tossed his head back in irritation. “You and Robbie do it together, Frank. You both have one hand.”
“Exactly,” Frank said. “We both have one hand. It takes two.”
Trying again, Hal repeated himself. “Like I said, do it together.”
Frank just stared.
Hal grew perturbed. “You both have one hand, Frank. Do it together. One plus one.”
Frank still stared.
“Equals two!” Hal screamed. “Two hands, you asshole!”
“Oh!” Frank got it then handed an end of rope to Robbie. “Hold this.” Gripping his own end, Frank walked around Hal. “This works. Let’s tie it.”
“Say, Frank?” Robbie maneuvered with Frank. “What are we gonna work on right now?”
“Fighting, actual fighting and as soon . . .” Frank gazed out. “Never mind he’s here.” He pulled as Robbie did to tighten the rope.
Robbie peered to where Frank looked. “Henry?”
Hal checked it out to see Henry approaching. “Why is Henry here?”
“He’s helping.” Frank answered. “We need him for this.”
After waving, Henry stepped closer. “I’m . . .” He looked at the three Slagels all in one arm mode. “Ready.”
“First,” Frank said, “I need to say thanks for taking time to help out.”
“No problem,” Henry replied. “It’s the least I can do. I know Robbie and I have had our differences, but I feel bad that Robbie lost his arm.”
Robbie tilted his head. “Actually, Frank found it, so it can’t be considered lost.”
“Yeah. I found it,” Frank reiterated. “It wasn’t in real good visual shape, but it was mostly there. Dean has it right now. It’s in his lab, floating in formaldehyde.”
“Yeah,” Robbie snickered. “It looks pretty gross.”
Henry opened his mouth in disgust. “Oh, that’s not right. Dean has your arm?’
Totally offended, and with a gasp, Hal glanced at his brothers. “Why in God’s name does Dean have Robbie’s arm?”
Robbie answered, “So he and Danny Hoi can make the bionic one look like my arm.”
“I hope he at least puts back the two missing fingers,” Frank stated. “I’d hate to see Danny spend all that time making a perfect match only for you to not have a middle finger and thumb. You did tell him that you had them there before the explosion, didn’t you?”
“Um, no.” Robbie shook his head. “I will now. Thanks for reminding me.”
Frank nodded with a wink.
Hal rolled his eyes. “All right. Can we proceed? What are we doing with Henry?”
“Nothing sexual I hope,” Robbie snickered.
Frank laughed. “No.” He saw Hal and Henry weren’t laughing. “Moving on.” He cleared his throat. “Henry is here because we need him to help us. We’re gonna fight.”
“Fight?” Henry quickly looked. “You said nothing about fighting. Who do I have to fight?”
Frank smiled.
“Ah, no.” Henry stepped back.
“Henry.” Frank grabbed him and tugged him back. “Fake fighting, just for the moves.”
“Oh.” Henry nodded. “OK.”
“Good.” Frank gave a pat to Henry’s back. “Now the reason I picked Henry is because he is an above average fighter. I didn’t pick him because he’s Asian or anything like that. I’m not racist. I would have picked Danny Hoi, not because he’s Asian either, but because he fights well. Only Danny knows that fuckin Kung Fu shit and I don’t feel like dealing with it.”
Hal just stared. “Are you going anywhere with this?”
“Shut up, Hal. By the way, cut that fuckin hair,” Frank snapped.
Hal’s top lip curled. “What does that have to do with it?”
“Nothing,” Frank answered.
Very serious, Hal looked at Frank for a moment. “Dear God, he’s retarded.”
Henry gasped, “Oh that was rude. That wasn’t very nice, Hal. There are mentally challenged individuals who would take offense to that. I’m beginning not to like you, Hal.”
“Henry,” Hal spoke composed. “I don’t care.”
Frank interrupted, “Anyway, Henry is your above average fighter. He’s better than norm, because I trained him. What Robbie will be going up against will be average fighters so I thought he should go against Henry for practice.”
Robbie nodded in agreement. “Sounds good. So he’s gonna take a swing at me?”
Frank shrugged. “I don’t know. It wouldn’t be very good training if we knew what Henry was gonna do, would it? But your average fighter would punch so Henry, take a swing at my brother, fast, like you’re gonna hit him. Really go for him.”
Henry looked at Frank. “But don’t hit him?”
“No,” Frank said. “Go for it like a real fight. Actually hit him. You have to pretend you’re fighting him or this training will be useless. All out. Do it.”
Henry’s eyes widened. “That doesn’t seem right.”
Frank lifted his only free hand and spoke teacher-like. “Henry, it’s fine. Nail my brother.”
“All right.” Henry faced Robbie and took a breath. “I’m sorry if I hit you.”
Robbie laughed. “Not that I think you will but it’s OK if you do.”
“Here goes.” Henry paused, stared, took another breath, then with a tightly clenched fist and a small rev back, he sailed his hand forward.
Robbie’s left arm went up in a defensive block of the hit and when he did, Henry shot forward his right hand. The punch came quickly and with a sound of a whap, Henry’s fist stopped a mere inch from Robbie’s face.
Both Henry and Robbie looked at Frank who stood clenching Henry’s wrist.
“Now.” Frank released Henry’s hand. “You would have gotten hit, Robbie. You used your left hand.”
“Instinct kicked in,” Robbie replied.
“I know, but you have to lose the instinct of blocking left, hitting right. You lost your right arm, you know.”
Robbie nodded. “I forgot.”
“Remember this time.” Frank moved back some. “Use your . . . wait.” He smiled. “Hal. Why don’t you show Robbie the way you would handle this.”
Checking out the smirk on Frank’s face, Hal shook his head. “You think I won’t be able to do it.”
“Now, did I say that?” Frank asked. “No, I just uh, think that you’re uh, so fuckin skilled, you would do well.”
“Your inability to complete a sentence without sounding like Baby Huey amazes me.” Hal took Robbie’s place before Henry. “Little brother, I’ll show you what I would do. Me and my . . .” He peered to Frank. “Pansy Civil War accessories.”
“Oh my God.” Henry moved back some. “He’s not gonna use his sword, is he?”
Hal huffed out. “Henry, if I did, do you think I would slice you? Now, please, hit me.”
Apprehensive, Henry moved closer. “I swear, Frank, if he swords me, I’ll be mad.”
“Just hit my brother,” Frank snapped.
“Fine.” A little fearful he would end up gutless, Henry took a swing.
Almost too fast to be seen, the ‘swosh’ of the releasing sword caused a peep of a shriek to come from Henry. The ‘whap’ of the flat side of the blade in a blockade to Henry’s punch was almost over shadowed by the loud ‘ow’ Henry made. Then with a sweep of his leg, Henry hit the ground with a thump. Hal brought his boot to Henry’s chest and brought the point of the sword to Henry’s neck.
Henry screamed.
Hal lifted his sword and replaced it. “That is how I would do it.”
“Whoa.” Robbie smiled. “That was really impressive. Shit, Hal, Good job.”
“What about me?” Henry asked. “I hurt my bum.”
Grumbling, Frank reached down and helped Henry to stand. “I fuckin can’t believe you let my brother do that to you.”
&nbs
p; Robbie commented, “Frank, you have to admit that was cool.”
“He was lucky,” Frank said. “He couldn’t do it again. Now, Robbie, you try.”
“Can I use the sword?” Robbie asked.
All three, Frank, Hal, and Henry yelled out a ‘no!’
“OK. OK.” Robbie took his position. “I’m ready. I have an idea.”
Rubbing his rear-end, Henry limped to Robbie. “Look.” He held up his arm. “I have a red mark from that sword. Oh, shit, I’m bleeding.”
“Henry!” Frank yelled. “Hit my brother.”
“Fine!” Shaking his arm with another ‘ow’, Henry readied himself. He nodded to Robbie, waited a moment to give a semi element of surprise, and then swung out.
In a block of the punch, Robbie swiftly lifted his left arm but instead of being wide open, Robbie closed the opportunity quickly. With a pivot of his body, still holding onto Henry’s arm, Robbie heaved with all his strength and brought Henry over his shoulder.
Henry slammed to the ground with a grunt. No sooner did Robbie release his hold, he brought forward his left arm, whipped it around Henry head, lifted him slightly, and braced his neck.
Hal’s loud ‘yes!’ was nearly drowned out by Frank’s shriek of ‘impressed!’
“I’m . . .” Henry coughed. “Choking.”
“Sorry.” Robbie let him go.
After banging again to the ground, Henry groaned, lifted up, and brushed himself off. “That was pretty good.”
“Good?” Frank proudly gave a swat to Robbie’s back. “That was awesome, but you still used your left arm.”
“But, Frank . . .” Robbie defended. “I did it though.”
“You still used your left arm. You’re relying on it too much. I don’t want you doing that. If you do it again, I’ll tie it to your body,” Frank instructed. “You don’t want me to disable your only upper limb.”
“Good God, Frank!” Hal barked. “Can you be any more tasteless?”
“Probably,” Frank said, “but if I have to tie his arm, I will.”
Henry was confused. “Then he’s really stuck, Frank. There’s nothing he can do.”
The Next Ten: Beginnings Series Books 11 - 20 Page 252