by Tom Andry
I pulled my hand close to my eyes. Squinting, I could make out the body of a tiny bug. A mosquito.
"Jesus, did you just kill a mosquito with a sword?"
Chris came over and looked at my hand, grabbing it to get a better view. "Bob, I think she beheaded it."
I looked again. He was right. "Whoa."
Gale laughed, "See, you won't be messed with. The Order of Chevalier is the best. Always has been. Even before the supers. They are committed."
"To pest control?"
The rich voice from under the hood, "Our charges are to be protected as unto death. All who attempt to harm one under our care is to be dealt with in the manner they intended."
Chris nodded, "So, if someone wants to punch Bob, you'll punch them?"
She didn't move.
He continued, "And if they want him dead, you'll..."
"They will receive a like fate."
I scowled, "That seems sort of random. How do you even know?"
"We know."
I blinked, "We know? What the hell does that mean?" I turned to Gale, "And I'm not so sure I want some crazy broad with a sword hanging around me all day." I turned back to Chevalier. "And another thing..." My thought remained unvoiced. She was gone. Other than the body of the mosquito and my racing pulse, there was no evidence the super known as Chevalier had ever been here. I looked around. There was nowhere to hide. And yet she was gone.
I turned back to Gale, "What the hell, Gale?"
Gale shrugged, "The Chevaliers do that. Don't worry; they are a real order. They treat everything you do and say as sacred. If they reveal anything, they risk going to hell."
"Wait," I put a hand up, "you're saying they are a real, religious order?"
She nodded.
"And they run around killing people."
"Only when they have to."
"You say that like it is a good thing."
"Am I interrupting?"
I glanced at the door. Doe was once again poking his head in. Behind him, I could see the hulking figure of his sentry. He stepped in, "I, um, found this for you."
From around the corner came Leon, crawling across the ground on all fours, his head hung.
"Jesus, Leon, what happened?"
His fur was back, ears, pointed teeth, claws...the whole nine yards.
"Sorry, Bob," I could barely make out his garbled words. His nose had flattened and his palate had split, "I tried to fix it."
So that was why he was late. What good would he do me now?
"I have a suggestion," Doe's hand was up like he was in a classroom. I nodded toward him, "This is a shapechanger thing, right? I could, maybe, take a look at him? See if I can work something out?"
My assistant looked up at the small scientist, then at me. I shrugged, "Fine. Whatever. Do what you can. I can't use him like this." I locked eyes with Leon, "You are seriously pushing it with this cat crap. You need to figure this out, or I'm going to have to replace you."
Leon hung his head and followed Doe out. Gale stood and started after him.
"Wait," I called out, "what am I supposed to do with Chevalier?"
She shrugged, "I don't know. Unless you get into trouble, which you said you weren't going to do, you probably won't see her again."
"What about me?"
I'd forgotten about Chris. "Yeah, doesn't he need a sentry as well?"
Gale shrugged, "No one said anything about an attaché. You're on your own, whoever you are." She stopped at the door, "I suppose you could stay close to Bob." She threw a tight smile my way, "If you can tolerate him."
"Nice. Thanks for the vote of confidence." She was trying to get me to lose my cool. Reveal something. It wasn't going to work.
"Well, you coming or what?"
"Huh?"
Gale rolled her eyes, "The General Assembly starts in, like, ten minutes."
"Huh?"
"Eloquent today, aren't you?" She walked over to my desk, pressed the button to activate the controls, and then pressed another control. "Here, see, General Assembly. You don't have to go, but I could take you over."
I looked down at the desk and saw a huge calendar. Each day had meetings upon meetings. Most were just text, but some were highlighted in yellow, a small number in green. The General Assembly was yellow.
Gale pointed at the General Assembly, "Yellow meetings are optional. They can be for various reasons. Just tap on the meeting and it shows you the purpose. Go if you want. The green ones are for meetings that can't happen without your presence. You don't have to worry about those for a bit. We pretty much moved all your chair responsibilities to other ambassadors. I'll have someone come and train your assistant on all this. After he gets his flea bath."
"Ha, ha. Fine. And this General Assembly?"
"It's like a general bitch session. Question and answer mostly. But it'll give you a chance to see how meetings are run. And you won't have to participate."
I thought for a moment. It wasn't a bad idea. If I was to make myself a target, might as well start now, "Fine. Chris, I'll have to see you in a bit. Why don't you get settled in and tell Leon to do the same when he comes back de-clawed."
"Hey," Gale objected, "that was my joke."
"Yeah, but I made it funny."
Gale scowled.
"You okay?"
Chris nodded, "Yeah, I'll be fine. How long will you be?"
I glanced at Gale. She looked at the calendar entry closer, tapping on the meeting, "Not a ton of people are scheduled to attend. Should be pretty short. An hour or two?"
"Perfect. Be back for dinner." I stood back from the table, "Yeah, and figure out where we're staying while you're at it."
"Oh, I can answer that," Gale smiled. "Top floor."
I looked up, "Higher?"
Gale laughed.
It turned out that the skyscraper I was in was one of four that stood in close proximity. In the center of the four skyscrapers was a single, huge auditorium with a completely transparent roof. All the ambassadors stayed in the skyscrapers and rarely left the compound. It was a nice arrangement, really. The supers could keep the ambassadors safe in a controlled and confined space.
But, of course, it was all a ruse. Well, not all, since they would, technically, have an easier time keeping us safe. But, more likely, they didn't want tippys roaming all over their precious city. Given the size of the City and the amount of money and technology that went into it, it was clear that there was plenty they didn't want us to see. While politicians of all types were generally slimy and untrustworthy, they were rarely stupid. The last thing the Super State wanted was a bunch of non-stupid tippys seeing what they were doing.
As we stepped into the elevator and the doors slid closed, I realized I'd already forgotten about Chevalier. "Is she in here with us?" I whispered to Gale.
She rolled her eyes again, "You don't have to whisper. And I don't know. Maybe."
I put a hand out, questing, "How can you not know? Can't you feel her move the air or whatever?"
"Not her. I don't know why."
"Wow. That's some power."
"I'm not sure it's a power." Gale grabbed my arm, "You do realize you're grabbing right at boob level."
I pulled my hand down and put it in my pocked, my keychain taping my finger. I grabbed it and ran my thumb over the outline of the numbers, "Umm...you were saying?"
"I don't think it is a power. I've met three different Chevaliers and they've all had that ability. I think it is part of the cloak."
"Huh. How many are there?"
"One."
My eyebrows furrowed, "But you just said..."
"Look, I don't know what they do or where they go. But they say there is only one at any time."
"Protect unto death...isn't that what she said?"
She shook her head, "I've never heard of a Chevalier defeated. Ever."
"So, what happens to them?"
"Beats me."
The door slid open and we started walking. We were in m
ore white hallways with patterned carpets. There were patches of color on the walls near doors - probably some sort of control panel. We came to a large door, which slid open. In front of us was a large, round room with plants, waterfalls and sculptures. I looked up. The entire center of the skyscraper was hollow. There were walkways above me about every ten floors or so. Vines hung from the ceiling, growing down all the way to the floor. The vines were huge, their widths the size of large trees. Their roots grabbed into the walkways and walls, punching violently through anything in their way. The flowers that sprouted from the thick stalks were multicolored and veined. They were also half as tall as me. Near the floor, they congregated and created huge thickets of vines. Benches were placed near these thickets and many people were sitting, working, eating, and talking.
"Wow."
Gale laughed lightly, "Yeah, that's what I said when I first saw it. A super grew the vines. They are some sort of hybrid. They don't get any bigger and they put off enough oxygen to keep everyone who lives here alive for a year. Hyper-oxygenated or something they called it. I can't remember. Doe's field keeps the pressure in here constant, but these plants keep us breathing."
"Isn't that a bit overkill?"
Gale paused, her eyes closed. I glanced down at a movement. Her fingers were twitching. I smiled. I'd forgotten. When she was first exploring her powers, she'd do that when she was trying something new. Later, it was like a reflex. Like tapping your pencil or biting your thumb when thinking. She was feeling the air, probably experiencing the oxygen coming off the plants.
I sighed. She used to try and tell me about it. About how it felt to control the wind. To feel it, taste it, experience it as an almost living entity. Her green eyes would get so intense, her hands flailing as she tried to describe something that didn't have words. I'd always smiled and said I understood. But I didn't. How could I? I wasn't a super. It was like describing yellow to a blind person. What words could you use?
I'd always considered the wind her first child. Maybe that's why she left me when ours died.
Something was nagging at me. Something missing. I snapped my fingers.
"Where's Rod?" I said, breaking Gale's reverie.
She shook her head, clearing it, "Umm...he's uh...out."
"Out?" That wasn't like Rod. Known as the super named Force, Rod was one of the most powerful supers on the planet and he had long been associated with Gale. Even before The Raven, they were considered to be at the top of the heap of supers. Gale Force. Even their names went together. Now, they were the heap. No one could touch them. Rod didn't have a transportation power so he often relied on Gale to get him from place to place. Where could he go without her? Why would he be without her? Especially considering their well-publicized romantic relationship.
"Come on, we're going to be late."
Gale paced forward, an old ploy of hers to change the subject. I wasn't going to let it go.
"Out, huh? What, did you two have a spat?" I ran to catch up, my hands clasped together in front of my chest, "Oh, tell me you dumped that German piece of..."
Gale stopped short, "Enough, Bob!" She moved forward and whispered, "I know you don't like him, but you are an ambassador now. Plus, there are probably Germans about. You don't want to get off on the wrong foot with them, do you?"
I shrugged, "Do I really care?"
"You should. I'm sure the Vice President expects you to."
I shook my head, "Then he didn't know me as well as he thought."
"Bob, take this seriously. If not for your leader, if not for yourself, then for me."
"For you? What do you mean?"
"I mean that people know we were married. What you do is going to blow back on me in some way."
I scoffed, "So? What do you care? You lead the Super State. You..."
Off Gale's shoulder I caught a hint of movement. Just a flash. There was someone on the other side of the thicket behind Gale. Watching? Listening? Were they close enough? It was just a bit of white. What was that? I grabbed Gale's shoulder and started moving, keeping my eyes on that spot.
"What could my actions possibly do?"
"Don't worry about it. Just...be good."
"I will; I promise," there was definitely movement. They were wearing something white. And maybe some sort of glasses. There was definitely a glint of metal at head height. "Just tell me if you and Rod broke up."
Gale sighed, "I don't want to talk about this, Bob."
I smiled, "But you are." Whoever was shadowing us must have skirted behind a second thicket. I couldn't see them anymore.
She sighed again, "You're not going to be good. You're going to cause trouble. And I'm going to pay for it. I know it."
"Stop stalling." I continued to scan behind her as we walked.
"Fine. We're on a break."
I stopped walking, forgetting our follower, "Break? What does that mean?"
She threw up her hands again, "You're asking me? I don't know. He just needed some time, he said."
There were so many things I wanted to say. To do. But, for once, I held my tongue. I'd seen Gale vulnerable before. Hurt. Afraid. She was all of those things now. Whatever Rod had done had really taken the wind out of her sails. She looked at me like she wanted to cry. I hated that look. Though it was refreshing that it wasn't me causing it.
"It's okay." I smiled. "I'm sure it will work out."
Relief flooded her eyes. She nodded and turned to continue across the courtyard. As she moved, I saw the swirl of a white coat, a flash of green pants, the sparkle of some sort of glasses as a door closed. My mouth dropped open.
It couldn't be. I'd seen him dead!
"Bob? What is it?"
"I..." I swallowed, shaking my head. "I...I think I just saw Doc Arts!"
* * *
Chapter 9
"That's impossible!" Gale hissed.
"You mentioned that." I practically whispered, my mind in a daze.
"He's dead. You know that."
"I am aware. Yes."
"You should be. You were there when it happened."
"Yes. I know."
Gale stopped walking for the fifth time, her arm waving back toward the door we'd just left, "There are a lot of people that wear lab coats, you know. It's a very popular accessory ever since that movie came out."
She was right. There had been a movie in the theaters. Some sort of musical with the main character wearing a lab coat. It had been very popular.
"I didn't see anyone."
I shrugged, "Me either. I could be wrong, okay? I admit it. But I'm just saying it was someone that looked like him. Do you know anyone that wears a similar costume?"
Gale started walking again, "No, not really. But I don't know every costume. But I doubt it. Costumes are sort of sacred in the community. You get one, you get to keep it. It'd be like stealing someone's face. It just isn't done."
We continued to walk in silence. Gale led me out of the building and into the central courtyard. A short, covered walkway led us to the central auditorium. Our USBs glowed faintly as we passed the entryway and the doors slid back for us. About twenty feet in front of me was a wall about ten stories tall and speckled with doors. On the floor were small, lighted circles with what looked to be stainless steel intercom boxes mounted chest high on the huge wall. A couple of tippys in business suits walked past and centered themselves on two adjacent circles and spoke into the boxes. A sheen of what I would have guessed was a soap bubble if I had seen it in a different context encased each of them and they shot off toward the ceiling with a whoosh.
I looked over at Gale, "I'm not going on that."
She laughed, "Chicken. We used to fly faster together."
"Yeah, but that was with you. And I was stupid and in love."
Gale paused, blinking at me. I turned away, cursing myself.
"Anyhow," she continued to the back of my head, "it's perfectly safe. You'll get used to it. But don't worry, we're not going to the main auditorium. The General
Assembly is in the Sanctum."
I rolled my eyes, "Can't you people just use regular names? Does everything have to sound like it's out of a book of witchcraft?"
Gale grabbed my arm. I turned, the pressure uncomfortable, but not painful.
"Stop that," her voice was hard.
"Huh?"
"I know you think you are being funny, but you aren't. I'm not a 'you people'. Supers aren't all alike."
"I didn't mean anything..."
"Don't lie to me, Bob. I know you. You and your 'Supers Suck' T-shirts. Don't you think I know you're talking about me?"
I turned to face her completely, "Now, that's not true. I've never thought of you as one of them. Come on, Wendi. Give me some credit."
She shook her head, "Just stop it. Stop. You never used to be so hateful. If I regret nothing else, it's that you've turned into this...whatever you are." She turned and continued walking, "I honestly don't know how she puts up with you."
My heart skipped a beat. "What?" I stammered. Could she know about Mind? No, it was impossible. I took two quick steps, catching up, "Who?"
"Never mind. The door is on the left. You can't miss it."
With that, a gust of wind wrapped around my ex-wife and sent her soaring into the sky. I could only watch helplessly as the fabric that she wore as a costume encased her to protect her from the wind and debris. And, likely, so that she'd have an easier time keeping it on through the gusts. I'd long suspected that she'd discontinued wearing anything underneath it.
I shook my head and continued forward. She? She who? It couldn't be Mind. That conversation would have gone much differently. And Gale was fighting with Rod. She and I hadn't had any sort of meaningful conversation in years. Something was up. She was actually vulnerable. Could they be breaking up? Could she be rethinking our divorce?
I rubbed my head. I couldn't think about that. Wendi had ended it. She'd been the one. I'd been the catalyst, but she'd been the one strong enough to say that it was over. Could she have changed her mind? Had I changed enough? Was that why my flippant comment had set her off? Had she wanted to see more out of me? I'd have to stop saying such things around her. Just in case. The thought that I might have a second chance at my marriage sent a nervous flutter through my stomach. A hopeful feeling. Something I hadn't felt in years.