The Mullinix Book 1: Ascension
Page 42
Chapter 40 - Medoferro’s Awakening
Medoferro awoke with a start in the morning, finding Marina still sleeping next to him, as had become the norm in the preceding months. The previous day’s events were still fresh in his mind and the memory of making the construct was still fresh, providing a new source of nightmares for him.
Medoferro stroked her hair a little bit and looked at her for a few minutes. She was still soft and warm to the touch, but there was something different about her now. He wasn’t quite sure what it was, just that it was a feeling that wasn’t quite there for him like it was when he first came in.
He let her sleep and slipped into a loose set of clothes. He stretched a little, a good habit he’d picked up from the training with the old man, and walked out into the sun filled common room. Insegniferro was sitting out there reading a newspaper and sipping on some tea. Medoferro poured himself some and sat down cross-legged on a reclining chair.
"Good Morning," Medo said as he sipped his tea.
"It is," Insegniferro nodded, "How did you sleep last night?"
"Sleep?" Medo asked, only halfway kidding, "What’s that?"
"I figured as much," Insegniferro chuckled, "I see you and Marina are still getting along well."
"I guess," Medo said, shrugging a little.
That response was not lost on Insegniferro. He may not have been able to understand the power that Medoferro was able to command with his mind, but he did still retain a little understanding of people. He could tell that something was bugging Medo, but didn’t quite know what it was.
"What’s up, Medo?" Iggy asked him, "You don’t sound so confident."
"I don’t know," Medo sighed, "It’s just that… I don’t know… Something…"
Medoferro didn’t know how to put what he was feeling into words. Insegniferro looked at him and smiled, realizing what Medo was going through. While becoming Mullinix can tend to simplify the dating scene a little, it brought in a whole slew of emotional problems along with it.
"Would you be more comfortable talking about it somewhere else?" Insegniferro asked him, "Somewhere that we won’t be overheard?"
"Yeah," Medo nodded, "I think so."
"Come on," Insegniferro told him, "Follow me."
Insegniferro led the younger Mullinix towards the back of the palace. This was a section that Medoferro hadn’t spent much time in, though it was one of the oldest parts of the building. Medoferro watched as they went into the old library, a section with books dating back to the early years of the empire as they were rebuilding technologies and getting the higher learning back together.
"This is where I go when I need to be alone," Insegniferro told him, "Nobody will bother me back here. Most of the house staff have conveniently forgotten this place exists. Nobody except a few of the old historian staff clean it out now."
"It’s a bit musty," Medo nodded, "But I can deal. I like it."
"So what has been on your mind?" Insegniferro asked him, "The books also do wonders for absorbing the acoustics. The sound won’t carry past us."
"All right," Medo sighed, "Things are just getting a little strange for me."
"Marina?" Iggy asked him.
"Yeah," Medo nodded, "Ever since this ability was awakened by the old man, I’ve had more and more trouble being with her."
"How so?" Insegniferro asked him, wondering if the boy had come to the same conclusion early that he had over fifteen years before.
"I try to talk to her about things," Medo said, "She nods her head and listens, but it all comes down to the physical with her."
"That’s what she was trained for," Iggy reminded him, "To help you relax."
"That’s good to a point," Medo said, "But there is just something missing with her. Something I know should be there but something I can’t identify."
"That something is Passion, Medo," Insegniferro said, "Love, emotion and something more than just human sexual lust. That is what you are missing with Marina."
"How did you…" Medo said, then realized, "You went through the same thing, didn’t you?"
"Long ago," Iggy confirmed, smiling, "I was that way until I met Molly."
"How did you meet her?" Medo asked him, wondering, "What was she like?"
"Molly was just the most beautiful person inside," Iggy said, remembering his love wistfully, "She was originally a cleaning girl on the house staff, not one of the ones working like Marina and the others. When I lost my taste for what those girls were offering, I started talking to her."
"Sounds almost romantic," Medo chuckled, "What happened?"
"Things took off from there," Insegniferro said, sighing, "They went well. Had the law allowed it, I would have married her."
"Since I haven’t met her I am assuming something bad happened," Medo said, "Would I be out of line if I asked what?"
"She got the wasting sickness," Insegniferro said, "She passed on nearly fifteen years ago now."
"I don’t know what to do," Medo sighed, "There are a lot of times I wish I hadn’t taken this job."
"If you hadn’t," Insegniferro said, "What do you think you would be doing?"
"Probably drinking sweet ale, going to class and continuing to hit on Miranda," Medo said, "She’s probably part of the reason I’m feeling this."
"I’m sure," Iggy nodded, "I saw the way she looked at you."
"What do you think you would have done if you hadn’t been chosen?" Medo asked him.
"Probably would have been teaching," Insegniferro admitted, "I always wanted to do it. I guess in a limited way I am."
"You know," Medo said, "This whole place is surreal at times. The way you go from one thing to another."
"It often is," Iggy agreed, "That’s why it is occasionally good to get out, something that you’re going to have to do soon."
"Siraq," Medo nodded, "Any word on when?"
"Their messenger just gave the go ahead," Iggy told him, "The messenger came in while we were sleeping. Roland and Simon are going to have to head that way soon. You and Massy will be leaving soon after."
"That quick?" Medo wondered, "Won’t it take some time for Roland and Simon to set up the details?"
"Yep," Iggy smiled, "But Massy and I talked about it last night after you went to bed. You two need to get out and see the country. We’re long overdue for a tour of the country, something we kept putting off due to Tali and you. You know enough to serve as Massy’s backup out there and there is no reason to delay it."
"Getting out of this place sounds like a good plan to me," Medo agreed, "Start me off light and getting away from the mess in Cirrus sounds even better."
"I’d go if I could," Insegniferro told him, "But three Mullinix never travel together. Two is bad enough. I’ll be staying here to confer with Colonel LaPorte down south and handle any cases from the opposite side of the empire from where you are traveling."
"So what do you think I should do about the other thing?" Medo asked him, "I mean, I like Marina and all…"
"Go on the trip and deal with it later," Iggy suggested, "She’ll be staying here as it is usually too busy and too impolitic for the house staff to go with you on those trips. It may resolve itself given enough time."
"How soon are we talking?" Medo wondered.
"Roland and Simon are probably going to be taking off today," Iggy said, "Simon’s training will continue out on the road. Massy will clean up the remaining local sessions today and tomorrow while you and I go over the protocols and locations for the tour before you leave."
"As well as deal with anything that comes up in Cirrus," Medo said, "That’s still a hot potato."
"Don’t worry," Iggy promised, "We’ll keep you in the loop. When you are in places with wire circuits we will do a conference each day. Most of the population centers now have wire circuits to the palace here, even Cirrus."
"That could be a blessing or a curse," Medo chuckled, "Anyway, I guess I’d better go get some food
in me before I actually have to do some work."
"Go pay your respects to Simon too and tell him he’s going to be going today," Iggy suggested, "He does work for you, you know."
"Will do," Medo said standing up, "Thanks for the talk, Iggy."
"Anytime," Iggy grinned, watching as the younger man went away.