by John Migacz
CHAPTER 52
The hot bath felt glorious. Adrianna lay in the tub, refusing to think of anything while she waited for Balthus to join her.
He never came.
After an hour, she wrapped a towel around herself and went looking for him.
Balthus was still seated at the desk in their suite at the Arms, exactly where she’d left him, still busy at his task.
“Have you had any luck?” She removed the towel and rubbed her wet hair.
Balthus turned and gave her a quick glance, then did a double take at her nudity. He smiled.
“At least you still have the ability to focus on something other than that box,” she said. “Had any luck?”
“Well, I’ve managed to cut my thumb, but that’s all so far.” He turned his attention back to the pale gray box Adrianna had taken from Janelle. Balthus had obtained a magnifying glass from the hotel and was working a thin blade under the box’s edge.
“Balthus, take a break, take a bath, have some wine and relax a bit.” Balthus had been shaken by the tipsy trio’s latest disclosure more than she had.
“Take a break?” His eyebrows crunched together. “The Alliance, Kraken raids, blasters, power factories, advanced technology, and most of all, ‘the Gless leaving this plane of existence!’ And you want me to quit?” Balthus tossed the magnifying glass onto the desk and rubbed his eyes.
Adrianna placed her arms around his neck and rested her head on his.
“Nothing is as I thought it to be,” said Balthus, softly. “I cannot grasp…”
“No, Balthus,” said Adrianna giving him a little squeeze. “Nothing has changed. You still breathe. I’m still here. So these people have better tools – you’re still the better man.”
“What does it all mean?” he asked. “Who is it really we’ve been babysitting these past weeks?” He shook his head. “And that part about the Gless leaving this plane of existence…” Balthus reached up and placed a hand over her arms.
“I admit that one has me bothered… But does it matter? Remember that conversation with Dieya about gods and ghouls we had awhile back? Perhaps the Gless are just the ‘gods’ he is working for. He admitted they are not the real God, they are just another type of folk who now live somewhere else.”
Balthus toyed with the box, but she could tell he was listening intently.
“There is still food to be eaten and wine to be drunk,” she said. “Whatever else happens in the entire universe needn’t concern us.”
Balthus stood, turned and hugged her, burying his face in her neck. “You always know how to make me feel better.” After a moment, he held her at arm’s length and looked her up and down. “And do you know what else always makes me feel better?” Adrianna slapped a stiff arm onto his chest.
“Not right now, stinky boy. You smell like you’ve been riding a luse for a week, and I’m all clean.”
“You can get clean again,” he said and scooped her up in his arms. Realizing he still held the gray box, he tossed it onto the desk. It popped open with a small ‘whoosh’ sound. Balthus and Adrianna looked at each other and he lowered her to the ground. They approached the box with some trepidation, but soon Balthus had it under the magnifying glass. He examined the contents closely with Adrianna peering over his shoulder.
“There’s no magic here,” said Balthus. He looked at her and grinned. “It’s just bits and pieces of metal and other material. It’s a piece of machinery of some sort, like a water clock or a grinding mill but with few moving parts.” He raised his eyebrows. “I have to admit I have no idea what it’s for, or how they made it, but it’s still a machine of some sort. It’s a tool. You’re right! These people don’t have any special powers or abilities. They just have better tools!”
Adrianna grasped the real problem. Balthus didn’t want to be a lower species. He believed in his importance in the universe and didn’t want to think otherwise. She was glad. “Yes Balthus, they are just people like us – same hopes, same needs, same desires.”
Balthus nodded, then sat erect. “Desires?” he said.
Adrianna backed away. “Oh no, stinky boy, forget it!” She laughed as she backed toward the bed.
Balthus looked up at the ceiling and pointed.
“I’m not falling for that old gag!” she said.
“There’s always the ‘old faithful,’” he said.
“Just leave ‘old faithful’ in your pants until you get cleaned up.”
“No, I mean the ‘old faithful’ plan of chasing you down!” He leaped.
She ducked under his outstretched arms and, laughing, ran around the bed. He was after her in a second. She let out a little squeak and dove over the bed.
Snaking out a hand, he grabbed her by the ankle and dragged her toward him. “Now I’ve got you!” he said triumphantly. He rolled her over onto her back.
“Yes, but how are you going to keep a hold on me while you get out of those clothes, stinky boy?”
Balthus held onto her ankle with one hand, and stroked his beard with the other, pondering the dilemma. His face lit as the solution popped into his head.
Adrianna turned the spigot to add more hot water to the tub, then leaned back against Balthus’ chest.
“I hope you don’t mind taking another bath,” he said, soaping her arm.
“I needed to, after all that,” she said. “I hope the Arms doesn’t charge us too much for the torn sheets.”
“It was worth any price for such a noble cause.” He smiled. “I’m glad to see I still haven’t forgotten how to tie a hitch knot.”
“You never forget anything – unless you want to. Let’s get dressed and have dinner. Are you ready to face our charges again?”
“Yes, I’m ready. I hope they had as nice a rest as we did.”
“They undoubtedly are still sleeping off the effects of our visit to Jedaria,” she said. “I hope their heads aren’t too bad when they awake.”
“That is the true test of a good wine,” he said, rinsing her off. “If you don’t have a bad head, the wine was excellent. Bad head, bad wine.”
“One afternoon with a wine merchant and you’re an expert, eh?”
“No, many mornings waking with a bad head makes me an expert. Let’s go round up our folks and get some dinner. I heard the innkeeper say the chef was making his stuffed-boar specialty tonight. We don’t want to miss that.”
Adrianna had to smile. Balthus’ mind was on food. Once again, all was right with the world.