Nothing had changed at all when he returned to the kitchen. And yet it appeared to him that things were… different. Nonsense, he told himself. Only because you're wearing a pinstriped suit for the first time in your life, you silly little boy…
And yet he felt like somebody else, much more like a grown man than he had ever felt before. Like a real elegant gentleman, he thought. Like someone accepted in every job. Benji should see him now.
What did Benji look like when he was at work? What did he put on? He tried to imagine Benji in a suit, but failed utterly at that. No, Benji wasn't the type for that. Benji rather was the type for black leather. There was nothing elegant about him.
Vivian looked him up and down and gave him a content smile. "Looking good."
He grinned with pride.
"However", she continued with a slight frown, "you should work a bit on your tie knot. It doesn't quite look as it's supposed to."
Embarrassed, he tried to eye the knot, which was somewhat difficult owing to its position. This, in turn, made Vivian laugh. "Here, let me do it." And to his even greater embarrassment, she tied it properly. "Never mind", she said comfortingly, "binding a tie is not on the job description."
Attempting a grin, he wished she would change the topic.
Which she did. "Are you hungry?"
Without much consideration, he nodded. That tiny cramp in his stomach brought the message across well enough.
"Then take this." She pushed a tray into his hands, laden with ham, cheese and the scrambled eggs. "The rest is waiting outside." With two bottles of mineral water , one under each arm, she followed him.
They sat down at the table in the living room, she with her back to the glass front, he facing it. "Personally, I'm starving", Vivian admitted, already helping herself to a roll. "Tuck in."
They ate in silence. To his relief, his scrambled eggs were much better than his tie knot had been. And now he was grateful for the perfect table manners instilled on him at the orphanage, for Vivian seemed to be watching him closely. When would that partner she had mentioned turn up? He wondered if the clothes he wore were this man's, and what the guy would say if he saw him like that.
Thoughtfully he looked out into the night beyond the glass. What more would Vivian and her partner ask of him? What did they need him for? Was he the right one for that job?
A few stars were twinkling down at him from between wisps of clouds, like eyes watching him. Suddenly the idea occurred to him that somebody was indeed watching him from up there, through the glass window. He cuddled deeper into his seat, gazing intently at the stars. They were like… eyes. Angel eyes.
Silly, he told himself. There were no angels.
And there was no god. At least not a Christian god. Maybe there were some Ancient Greek gods. And some Ancient German gods, and some Ancient Egyptian gods. Maybe Celtic gods. But not a Christian one. Rather beings he could understand than something remote and illogical. A god that was omnipotent had to be above everything. A god that was omnipotent would not listen to lowly prayers. An omnipotent god would not heed such petty problems as people had. And an omnipotent god would not humiliate himself and be crucified.
And something that was omnipotent could not only be good. It would have to be evil, as well.
Except Lucifer was a god, too. That would explain a great deal. However, that Christian fellow up in Heaven would be much diminished then.
A nice and proper explanation, such a struggle between the gods of good and evil. He liked that one.
And which side would he be on? Tough question. He was not a bad chap by nature. But he felt mysteriously drawn to the Dark Side…
Footsteps behind his back made him freeze and abandon his thoughts. Vivian smiled at a point above his head. "Hello", she said.
"Hello", a male voice answered cheerfully.
Vivian kept smiling. "Meet Anthony, hopefully our new employee."
Jumping to his feet, he spun around to face the newcomer. How should he greet him? Should he shake his hand? Or should he just nod?
The man looked him up and down critically, and he had the time to eye him in return. Young, almost boyish, the stranger was hard to categorize. He had dishevelled brown hair and cocoa brown eyes and wore a grin just as cheerful as his voice. "I'm Eric Knox", he presented himself. "Owner of Knox Technologies, a rather new communications software company. Pleased to meet you." And he held out a hand.
He took it, pressed his lips together and nodded curtly. Knox's handshake was firm, the handshake of a determined man.
"I hope you feel at home here", Knox continued politely.
Again he nodded, trying to force some content onto his features.
"You don't talk much, do you?"
Sheepishly he shook his head and cast Vivian a pleading glance.
"He never talks", Vivian sprang to his aid. "Rather mysterious gentleman."
He knew this question was coming now. "Mute, is he?"
"As far as I know, no."
Knox looked at him like at a very strange exotic animal. "So why doesn't he?"
"No idea", said Vivian, shrugging. "He didn't tell me."
"Of course. He wouldn't tell you anything." Knox grinned at his remark; Vivian merely rolled her eyes at this weak joke. "Then how did he get through the job interview?"
"I had him write it down."
"Great, let me see."
Feeling very self-conscious, he stood around while Knox read what he had written earlier. He's going to laugh, he thought. Vivian maybe took me more or less seriously, but Knox is going to laugh. Damn it, is this his suit I'm wearing?
"Not bad, not bad", Knox finally commented, handing the notepad back to Vivian. "Seems you can do about everything, from climbing to cooking."
"He already passed the cooking test", Vivian said, winking. "I think we can go straight to the climbing."
Knox grinned at her. "Some say the best way to a woman's heart is through her stomach…"
"Oh, cut that, Eric. Besides, it's about men, not women."
The best way to a woman's heart… He got the nasty suspicion that he blushed furiously at that.
"I particularly like the part about the glaring", Knox said pensively. "I always liked a good glare out of murderous eyes."
"Oh, Eric… We don't need a movie villain! I have to admit it, he's not bad, but I first want to see what else he can do."
"Hey, hey! Nothing against a movie villain!" Knox protested.
"Don't be silly! You don't need an actor – although he states he's quite capable of acting, too – but someone to… oh, well."
He gave her a quizzical look, but she didn't heed him at all. Why on earth wouldn't she pronounce what they needed him for?
"A real movie villain can be somewhat – well, intimidating", Knox argued. "A little bit of acting wouldn't be bad, you know."
Vivian shook her head resolutely. "I don't want a gloater in this job."
"If he really is a fine actor, he can play that part just as well as the other. I mean, I'm also good at playing that laddie part."
At this Vivian smiled. "No doubt, you are. Well, maybe you have a point. He won't only be doing… you know what."
If they could just stop being so secretive! After all, he would really like to know what kind of job this was they wanted to hire him for.
"You said his name's Anthony?" Knox asked. "Is this his first name or his last name?"
"Well, I don't think he has any other name. Morgan said he's just called Anthony."
Morgan? Of course, Benji was registered as Benjamin Daniel Morgan, he knew that. So Knox knew Benji. At least he knew the name.
"Morgan himself brought him in? Another orphanage boy?"
"So he said. Probably part of a Romanian circus troupe, but he said he didn't know for sure, because the boy never talked. He was eleven when they brought him to the orphanage, with a heavy trauma and in handcuffs."
"In handcuffs? Little devil!" Knox burst into laughter. "What did you do, burn the circus down?"
He flinched and clenched his teeth, fighting the memories suddenly coming back to his mind. Shaking his head violently, he tried to shake them off, knowing at the same time with bitter certainness that he would never be able to dispose of them.
"In handcuffs, really." Knox was still grinning, heedless of his job candidate's obvious pain. "Hey, wow! Just look at the way he holds his jaw! The whole face's gone stony. Splendid, that."
This was giving himself away! He tried to clear his face of all emotions, make it go cold and empty…
"And that's not bad, either." Knox beamed at him. "Vivian, that's just the man." He shook his head in amazement. "Where did you get those miraculous eyes?"
He shrugged helplessly, feeling events had taken a very unexpected twist, and an unpleasant one, too.
Walking around him as if on inspection, Knox clapped him on the shoulder. "Creep", he said. "I think I like you."
Something inside his stomach contracted. Calm down, he thought. Calm down. Easy. You want this job, remember?
But then again, did he really want it anymore?
"You didn't put him through any practical tests yet", Vivian reminded her partner.
"He's got the potential", Knox decided. "For how long can I enjoy his worthy company?"
"Tomorrow evening I'm bringing him back", Vivian informed him.
"Fine." Knox thrust his hands into the pockets of his baggy khaki trousers. "You know The Rocky Horror Picture Show, buddy?"
He nodded, somewhat surprised at the question.
"Good. In twenty-four hours I'll make you a man, baby."
Vivian rolled her eyes. "Stop quoting that silly movie."
"And you have some style, too, concerning your clothes", Knox went on, ignoring Vivian.
"These are yours, you know."
"What?"
"I had him put them on, just to see if they suit him."
"I understand." Knox didn't seem angry about it. "Well, he can keep the stuff if he wants. I don't like suits anyway."
"Sometimes you just have to wear a suit", Vivian reproached him, and it seemed that they had gone through this topic more than once already. "Besides, look at him closer. The trousers are a bit short for him. And he's a little bit too broad in the shoulders for your jacket."
"Oh. Wouldn't have noticed that." But it was obvious that he didn't care at all, as well. "So, Anthony. Let's see about you. How about taking you for a walk?"
