Chapter 36: Broke, Busted, Disgusted

******* Owyn

Hassiri smiled and shook hands with Owyn as they met in Jack Thompson's doorway. He was carrying a stack of passes to the manager's box.

"Jack told me about the accident." He grinned.

"Accident? Oh…you mean…the…er…oh, that accident!" Owyn covered quickly, not knowing what Jack had told Hassiri. He quickly shuffled some more manager's box passes into Hassiri's hand.

Owyn took a deep breath before entering the office, dreading the scene ahead. Jack was sitting at his desk going over requisition lists and looking up prices.

"Come in Owyn. Have a seat."

"I'm sorry Jack. I should have had Gils do it. He told her about the haunting and…"

"Yes. You or Gils will do it from now on. I just wanted to make sure she was fine, no one was hurt."

Owyn's mouth gaped open. "Well, I didn't… check her…yet. She is staying away from me till I get over being mad."

"Are you over being mad yet?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Well make sure she wasn't hurt. She is not to do the pit again."

"No! No. I'll have Gils do it. Er…the damages? Should I charge her account…"

"No. Just leave them to me. Is there anything else Owyn?" Jack gave Owyn his pleasant smile.

"No, no. Thank you Jack." Owyn backed out of the office feeling like he had stepped into another realm. What just happened in there? Jack wasn't mad…Owyn needed a drink…and fast. But first he better check on Maxical.

"Gils, from now on you do the pit. Jack doesn't want her to touch it again."

"I figured that. How bad was it up there with Jack?"

"He was…smiling." Owyn's voice still reflected disbelief.

"Has he cracked up from the shock?"

"Maybe…he asked if she was injured."

"I told her not to open the door till I give her the signal, you over being mad then?" Gils gave Owyn a hard look.

Owyn nodded. "He was…smiling…he's not even charging her for the damages…what in the hell just happened? Surely she's not..."

"No way Owyn! Listen, when you check her over, can you look at her shoulder? Agronak grabbed it earlier, I think he really hurt her."

******* Maxical

My shoulder throbbed. Instead of the pain easing it had gotten worse. The bruise was massive, places where Agronak dug his fingers in were visibly marked.

I couldn't ask Owyn to heal it till he got over wanting to kill me, so I duplicated healing potions to tide me over. I opened one and was just about to drink it when Owyn and Gils came in.

"You drinking Skooma?" Owyn demanded.

"No, I don't take drugs! This is a healing potion."

"I know that you idiot! Why didn't you come to me if you have an injury?"

My mouth gaped open. "Er…I thought you were going to kill me. It's nothing really, a sore shoulder. I was hurrying so I could catch the Merchants before they quit selling dinner. I worked up an appetite today with all these extra chores…"

Owyn's eyes bulged and his face took on a purplish hue. He swallowed several times before resuming in a slightly strained voice. "Gils will go for you while I work on your shoulder. Did this happen in the pit?"

"Er…no."

Gils' eyes were glued to the bruise, he had an odd look on his face. He caught Owyn's eye and gave him a signal I didn't recognize.

"Well hurry up and tell Gils what you want, meet me at the fount." Owyn left the bathing room.

I stared after him. So they had private signals between them? Aha! I needed to keep my eyes open and learn them. That one was telling Owyn to leave.

"Maxical, Aggie is hanging outside the door waiting to catch you when you go out. Haki has banned him from the Yellow Bloodworks, and if that deed was delivered he will be in a rage. It may be best not to go out without me or Owyn for a while"

My sword arm was injured, I couldn't defend myself. "I'll stay in." I sank down on my bed.

"You always eat from the Merchants, don't you. What do you want?"

"A Famous potato bread, three strawberries and a sweet roll. If you tell Velus it's for me he'll know what I want."

Gils gave me a funny look. "No meat?"

"No, I don't eat meat. Why?"

"Hello, you are a cat. This book I've been reading says you should eat meat."

"What book?"

"It's called 'The Khajiit Mystique'."

"Can I read it?"

"No, you better not. It's got dirty drawings."

"Why does it say to eat meat?"

"Your metabolism is enhanced by meat."

"I guess I could have a piece of grilled crabmeat then."

As soon as the door closed behind Gils I pulled myself up and hurried over to the looking glass. I had caught Gils fiddling with it a few times…it was too heavy to lift down, so I pushed it to one side. Sure enough there was a hollowed out alcove behind it. Inside was a stack of dirty books, the drawings on them were obscene. On the front of each was written in big letters "Property of Gils."

My hand fumbled through till I felt a hard covered book and pulled it out. 'The Khajiit Mystique'. I walked back to my mat leafing through it, leaving the looking glass askew and Gils' dirty books dripping out the gap.

My eyes bugged out at the drawings, I turned the book different directions to be sure I was seeing things right. Gils had not exaggerated about them, they were filthy…and every one of them Khajiit! I held the book out and craned my neck down to see if what I had looked like the drawings. The sound of the door opening caught my attention and I looked up quickly.

"AHA! I knew you would do that! Give it to me!" Gils charged up, his hand reached out.

I dropped down on my mat and tucked the book under me, jarring my shoulder and yelped.

"Ow! That book is all about naked Khajiit women…now stand back or I'll do my 'Biting Cobra' move with my tail."

"Let me see it then." He waited.

I made my tail dance like a snake in front of him then dart in toward his face like a biting cobra going for the eyes. He grabbed it and held it tight.

"Ow, let go of my tail!" It didn't hurt, in fact I was surprised it actually felt… pleasant. No one had ever touched my tail before, and suddenly I wondered if it was something I shouldn't be allowing. I flushed and he released it immediately.

"That doesn't hurt, you're faking. I already read that chapter. Now give me my book."

"Why can't I read it?"

"Because then you'll know what I'm doing when I make moves on you."

"My tail feels funny where you touched it." I reached out and tried squeezing my tail where he had. "How come it doesn't feel the same when I do it? Was that one of the moves?"

"Yes, but I didn't mean to do that. I apologize. Maxical, I can't wrestle you for the book with the truce on and you injured."

I handed him the book and he tucked it into his pack. He'd have to sleep sometime. I wanted to know what else he was finding out about me that I didn't know.

******* Agronak

Agronak tried his key several times, then pounded on the door to the Yellow Bloodworks. It was opened by Haki, who blocked the doorway.

"There's your [censored], you're banned from here." Haki pointed to a crate and slammed the door.

Agronak lifted the lid on the crate and found the contents of his locker filled it. He grabbed it and headed over to the Blue Bloodworks. He set the crate down and plopped onto it facing the door. It wasn't long before Gils stepped out.

"Oh, it's you. What are you doing over here?" Gils looked wary.

"Haki has evicted me and all my things from his Bloodworks and banned me."

"What did you expect? You were crazy to arrest them Aggie. What got into you?"

"I hoped Owyn might let me move in here."

"Are you nuts? I've never seen Owyn so mad! He's got a legal ban Aggie, you'll be arrested if you come around here. Better just go to your mother's house till Haki cools off and try him again."

"I guess. Are you going to the Feed Bag for dinner? I'll join you."

"No, we're on threes and a three day rotations. You know that means mandatory curfews. I'm just picking up something and bringing it back here. None of us can get out anymore."

"I thought that lying [censored] Maxical said she was going to the music festival?"

"We all thought we were, but Owyn laid down the law since then. Are you going?"

"I don't know. You remember what I said Gils. You leave her alone or I'll kill you."

"At least I'm her friend, you can't even stand her. You're so transparent lately, even someone as dumb as you think she is can see through it. Get out of this before it blows up in your face, because if you don't you are going to destroy what took you a lifetime to build. What has gotten into you? I haven't seen you like this since my father died. Is it your mother's death that has you losing your mind? I think you should see a healer."

"Don't give me that friends bull, I know too many of your tricks to not see what you're up to."

"I begged you to switch turns with me Aggie. I offered you my next three and you refused."

"It was my turn Gils. That's my privilege."

"Well I'm sick of the game, find someone else to play it with when this one ends. I'm waiting for Maxical and then you and I go our separate ways."

"There won't be a tag this time Gils, I'm going to marry her so I'll never have to worry about not looking normal again. I'll look just as capable as you are."

"She's not going to marry you after what you did today! And even if you tricked her into it, how are you planning to explain the blue show that doesn't go away? You made me play by the rules when you called your turn, you can't change them now. Finish the game out Aggie."

"I'm calling an end to the game now. You will never get a tag."

"You can't call the game off!"

"I am. Game is over."

"You're calling the game off?" Gils glared into Agronak's eyes.

"Game is off."

"You called it off three times, that's the rules. The game is officially over Aggie. That means the gloves are off. The game was the only thing holding me back, I can act now."

"You can't do that!"

"Yes I can, you called the game off. Gentleman's rules only applied in game. I am free to make my move now."

"You tricked me into dropping the game! You tricked me! You manipulating mother [censored] [censored] ! I'll kill you!"

"You can't Aggie, and you know it. Maybe you should go get that proof of your heritage yourself, now would be a perfect time."

"That [censored] gave her word she would do it for me."

"That was before you had her arrested and laid hands on her."

"You know I can't, I have fights scheduled."

"By who? Andronicus can't set them up, she is in jail."

"I know the dates, I'll just show up. I don't need that [censored]."

"What Bloodworks chute will you enter from? You better get with Jack and find out how to handle that, you may have to climb down from a balcony."

"This is all your fault Gils! All of it! You put the pressure on me till I had to…I did everything…you don't know the half! You pushed me into it!"

"I put no pressure on you, I was waiting my turn like I always do…what have you done Aggie?"

"LIAR! The candles were all out Gils! You can't tell me it wasn't you! Andronicus passed out and that lying [censored] Maxical didn't admit to me that anyone tried her. I guess she thought I was as dumb as her."

"You should check one of your Pit spies for scratches then, there was blood all over a mat by the fount the next day. What did you do Aggie? What don't I know the half of?"

"Forget it. I'm sick of you knowing everything about me. Jack has to let me into the Arena, I'm the [censored] Grand Champion! I need to know if that [censored] [censored] Maxical is going to Crowhaven for me. When I get proof I am the son of a Lord all of you will be kissing my [censored] [censored]."