***Disclaimer: I do not own The Mummy or any of its characters (sighs. . .
). They belong to Stephen Sommers and Universal Pictures, and some others,
I suppose.
I do, however, own the character of Jadviga Szabó and parts of the plot.***
(Author's note: Thanks to all the reviewers!!!)
The next day passed quickly. We had to do target practice at the provisional shooting range, we had built some weeks ago.
Most of the legionnaires didn't need firing-practice. Their dark past had taught them everything about guns, they needed to know. O'Connell was the expert of them all, although his past wasn't that dark. Beni Gabor apparently was the only one, who had no idea of how to use a rifle. Even loading the rifle was a big problem to him, and he missed his target with a remarkable frequency. When he noticed, that I was watching him, he said with a smile:
"You know, I'm much better with the knife than with the gun." He laughed, as if he had made a brilliant joke.
The little weasel was more and more getting on my nerves. He followed O'Connell like a pet all day long. Poor Rick must have felt paranoid. Maybe Gabor thought, I might forget my promise not to tell Rick about the fight. That's why I thought his "joke" was supposed to be a warning. I really tried to avoid Gabor, but I was Rick's friend and as long as Gabor stuck to him, I had to put up with the rat.
In the evening Gabor was sitting next to Rick by the campfire and Rick kept checking that his valuables were still in their place.
I sat as far as I could from Gabor, but still close enough, so that I could talk to Rick. Several other legionnaires were sitting between Beni and me, and I was very grateful for it.
I talked to O'Connell about the training, and unfortunately, Gabor joined our conversation.
"I think, I improved since last time. I hit the target quite a few times!" he said.
"Yeah, I think you gonna be a real gunfighter one day." O'Connell added sarcastically.
Gabor laughed exaggeratedly, obviously trying to hide the fact, that O'Connell's indifference hurt him. The recruits sitting between Gabor and me stood up and left. Gabor noticed and moved closer, so that he was now sitting next to me. A smell of wet skin and sweat was coming from his direction. Disgusting. . . Rick seemed to have noticed it, too, for he was turning up his nose.
Gabor had brought along his bag, the same bag I had stolen the fruits from. He opened it and the stench of rotting fruits mixed with the smell of Gabor's sweat. I suddenly felt very sick. . . He fished something out of the bag and closed it (at last), then he showed this something to us. It was an old necklace, apparently a very cheap one. Its fake gold-color had vanished partially, which made it look even shabbier. He had probably stolen it from one of the whores he slept with . . .
"This is some very antique piece of jewelry, very hard to find. Probably worth a fortune, but I would give it to you almost for free, O'Connell," he said.
"What would I need a necklace for, right here in the middle of the desert?" Rick asked.
"Well, you could give it to your lovely girlfriend. . . " He looked at me. Rick followed his gaze.
"No! No, she's not my girlfriend, we're only friends! In a platonic way, I mean." Rick said quickly. We both blushed slightly.
"Oh, I see . . . " Beni had apparently lost the thread. "So you're not interested in buying it, are you?"
"No, definitely not."
"OK, then . . . . . . I think it's pretty late, anyway. I'm going to bed. 'Night."
He left. Maybe he was annoyed, because we hadn't bought what he had offered to us. Or maybe he was confused by the fact, that I wasn't O'Connell's girl. Whatever it was, we were thankful for it . . .
"Oh thank God, he's gone! I thought he would stay forever!" I said, feeling immensely relieved.
"Yeah, I know what you mean . . . What was all this "I-thought-she-was-your- girlfriend" stuff about? Do we look like a couple or what?"
The next day passed quickly. We had to do target practice at the provisional shooting range, we had built some weeks ago.
Most of the legionnaires didn't need firing-practice. Their dark past had taught them everything about guns, they needed to know. O'Connell was the expert of them all, although his past wasn't that dark. Beni Gabor apparently was the only one, who had no idea of how to use a rifle. Even loading the rifle was a big problem to him, and he missed his target with a remarkable frequency. When he noticed, that I was watching him, he said with a smile:
"You know, I'm much better with the knife than with the gun." He laughed, as if he had made a brilliant joke.
The little weasel was more and more getting on my nerves. He followed O'Connell like a pet all day long. Poor Rick must have felt paranoid. Maybe Gabor thought, I might forget my promise not to tell Rick about the fight. That's why I thought his "joke" was supposed to be a warning. I really tried to avoid Gabor, but I was Rick's friend and as long as Gabor stuck to him, I had to put up with the rat.
In the evening Gabor was sitting next to Rick by the campfire and Rick kept checking that his valuables were still in their place.
I sat as far as I could from Gabor, but still close enough, so that I could talk to Rick. Several other legionnaires were sitting between Beni and me, and I was very grateful for it.
I talked to O'Connell about the training, and unfortunately, Gabor joined our conversation.
"I think, I improved since last time. I hit the target quite a few times!" he said.
"Yeah, I think you gonna be a real gunfighter one day." O'Connell added sarcastically.
Gabor laughed exaggeratedly, obviously trying to hide the fact, that O'Connell's indifference hurt him. The recruits sitting between Gabor and me stood up and left. Gabor noticed and moved closer, so that he was now sitting next to me. A smell of wet skin and sweat was coming from his direction. Disgusting. . . Rick seemed to have noticed it, too, for he was turning up his nose.
Gabor had brought along his bag, the same bag I had stolen the fruits from. He opened it and the stench of rotting fruits mixed with the smell of Gabor's sweat. I suddenly felt very sick. . . He fished something out of the bag and closed it (at last), then he showed this something to us. It was an old necklace, apparently a very cheap one. Its fake gold-color had vanished partially, which made it look even shabbier. He had probably stolen it from one of the whores he slept with . . .
"This is some very antique piece of jewelry, very hard to find. Probably worth a fortune, but I would give it to you almost for free, O'Connell," he said.
"What would I need a necklace for, right here in the middle of the desert?" Rick asked.
"Well, you could give it to your lovely girlfriend. . . " He looked at me. Rick followed his gaze.
"No! No, she's not my girlfriend, we're only friends! In a platonic way, I mean." Rick said quickly. We both blushed slightly.
"Oh, I see . . . " Beni had apparently lost the thread. "So you're not interested in buying it, are you?"
"No, definitely not."
"OK, then . . . . . . I think it's pretty late, anyway. I'm going to bed. 'Night."
He left. Maybe he was annoyed, because we hadn't bought what he had offered to us. Or maybe he was confused by the fact, that I wasn't O'Connell's girl. Whatever it was, we were thankful for it . . .
"Oh thank God, he's gone! I thought he would stay forever!" I said, feeling immensely relieved.
"Yeah, I know what you mean . . . What was all this "I-thought-she-was-your- girlfriend" stuff about? Do we look like a couple or what?"