"Hey. I got him. One soul, one body, definitely no license and registration."
Klaus rounds the corner of the mall and strolls across the tiles towards the dead fountain,where Five and the girl are frozen in indecision. He's holding an ice cream cone. "Just leave it to Klaus. Soul dectectorist numero uno."
Five waits in agony for Klaus, inevitably, to catch the attention of the two Registrars muttering outside the pizza slice place. Klaus in the open is like a beacon, the kind that whirls around flashing and whooping I'm here, look at me, I'm crazy and I'm here.
The two men are arguing and don't even glance at Klaus. Five hadn't realised but he has been holding his breath.
The girl's fingers are tight around Five's arm. She's slightly hurting him, but she's shaking. It's all right.
It's not!
Klaus shimmies up to them, his mouth full of ice cream. "This tastes like they fed Oreos to a dead snake and then milked it. Want some?" He thrusts the cone in Five's face.
Five knocks Klaus' arm aside and hisses, "Over here."
The three of them quickstep back around the corner where Klaus came from. Ahead is the food court, a sad collection of brightly-lit unbranded fast food joints.
Five slides his arm free of the girl. "Where's Brent?"
Klaus says to the girl, "Is Brent an oldish black guy, none too tall, hips to die for?"
"Uh..."
"Loves the sound of his own voice, doesn't take so much as a breath between diatribes."
"That's him." Her eyes widen.
"Ok, well, now he's a young black guy, size of a quarterback, can't stop talking and only the heavyweight heft of his meaty fists is keeping him from being punched out by his youthful comrades."
Klaus points at a group of young men sitting on tables in the food court. Most are eating, heads down, but a big guy is holding forth in a loud, domineering voice. He jabs his finger in the air with every sentence. His friends eat in solid silence.
Klaus stuffs the rest of the cone into his mouth. "It's weird, his soul is kind of loitering beside him, like a grandad who accidentally took the school bus and doesn't know how to get off."
The girl says, "Brent!" and darts towards the group.
Five grabs her. "Wait."
"Put me down."
"Wait!" You can't just tackle him, you need the soul machine. If he sees you -
He won't know it's me -
"-I think he'll guess from the fact that you're running at him shouting his name -"
'You two are so weird, you know that? I mean, the psychic sex must be sensational, but the one sided convos, ugh, how do you cope." Klaus pulls a face.
"They're not one sided," say Five and the girl simultaneously. They exchange glances. It's awkward, and hardly surprising Klaus has made the assumption he has.
Klaus hold up his hands. "No judgement here, but can we focus? Are we going to suck out this guy's soul, or what?
"We need the soul machine," says Five.
"I have it,"says the girl.
"What? Where?"
"Ok," says Klaus, "not to rush you, but-"
"Here." The girl pulls out the scanner from her pants pocket.
Five glares. You had it all along.
"You didn't think I'd leave it in the hotel, did you?"
"Well clearly I did, because you didn't mention it." He folds his arms.
I'm mentioning it now and don't take that tone with me.
"Uh, guys."
"What tone? I am helping you and I expect you to give me all the relevant information like, say, the fact that the soul machine is right here."
I think you'll find Klaus is helping me and he has nothing to gain from it.
"Is that what you think this is, I'm just here to get my old body back?"
Well, isn't it?
They glare at each other, nose to nose.
"Guys," says Klaus, inserting himself between them, "if you're gonna do that soul suck body swap thing, now would be the time."
Five whips around. "Dammit."
The Registrars are striding towards the group of young men.
"They'll kill him," says the girl, darting forward.
"They'll kill you," says Five, catching hold of her hand and pulling her back.
"For Pete's sake," says Klaus, and minces straight to the heart of the group. "Brent, hi, long time listener, first time caller, how are you?."
He stares at a space two feet to the left of the talkative young guy, who falls silent. The other guys draw back in surprise.
Brent says, "I don't know you, man."
"I'm here with a friend," says Klaus, "and not to alarm you, but some people from a sinister organisation called the Register are walking towards us right now, so it's in your best interests to -"
Brent shoves Klaus to the floor.
"No," says the girl. She springs for Brent with Five close behind her.
Klaus picks himself up from the floor. "Charming. You try to help a person, be a good citizen -"
"Hey," says the first Registrar. Both men pat their coat pockets. "Stay right where you are. All of you."
Klaus gives a mock salute and sprints away.
Brent is around the corner, heading for the exit. The girl is careering after him.
Five is fast, faster than he has been for thirty years. "Not a chance," he says, and flashes forward to catch up with Klaus and the girl.
Brent is gone. Behind them, the Registrars pull out their weapons.
Everybody runs.