Seyruun High Jinx –NEXT!
Chapter 43
With Baited Breath
"Every dog is entitled to one bite." --Anonymous
Xelloss felt bad to have to do it, but Milgasia and Val agreed that if Mrs. Saunders was willing to cooperate with them, they should use her. So, Val met Jillas on the sly and turned over to him a carefully prepared folder of material which he in turn was instructed to feed to his 'secret' clan spy. However, in the past when Jillas delivered information to his contact, the process was carefully layered and planned so as not to expose the spy's identity, and so, Jillas never learned who the contact was. Of course, he hardly cared as long as the payment was never short.
Val, Xelloss, and Milgasia, with their little trap set and baited, now had to wait patiently to find out who they snagged.
Sherra was annoyed. She was frustrated by Daniel Grauscherra's total disinterest in and inability to either plan or execute any attack on the clan or shrine or the government of Seyruun. She wasn't particularly proud of her own achievements, personally giving her own operatives mixed reviews. Dilgear was dead-- deservedly. After the embarrassment he'd caused her when he'd blown his cover and allowed himself to be set up by the Slayers kids, she had been brought to task. That had been dreadful. The shame, the shame... Her punishment was to lose her trusted minion–-a loss of power, certainly. It had taken time and money to train Dilgear, even as deficient as he had been.
Now, all she had left was Vurumagen and a man on loan to her called Zazan. Vurumagen was pretty worthless. His training had never taken place. He wasn't even a syndicate employee! As far as she could tell, he was loyal only to Professor Rezo, but would do a job or two for her when he needed money. He'd detected an information leak from e-mail transfers and fixed it-- that had been useful, Sherra thought. But his photography work had been unprofitable, as far as she could tell. Xelloss had not become a basket-case over the series of pictures, as she'd been promised. Xelloss had proven to be a tough nut to crack. His training must have been superb, she surmised. Too bad Xelloss was an independent. What she couldn't do with a young man like him, as an underling, naturally, or...!
Which brought her back to Daniel, her lover and employer; perhaps it was time to expand her love-life. Xelloss appeared adept enough. He was certainly appealing... Sherra shuffled through the candid snapshots, pausing at the last one. She wondered who the lucky girl was sharing his bed. "Hmmm," she murmured to herself as she punched in the office number on her desk phone. "Yes, would you look up a certain young man's home phone number for me please? He just graduated, I think... Xelloss Metallium. Yes, thank you."
The door to the inner office opened and the principal stepped in. "Dear, have you seen that folder on the new budget cuts?" Grauscherra asked.
He walked around his desk and came to rest by her side, interrupting her call. "I want to review those numbers once again. You know, if those kids bring in the revenue I think they can from their musical, we ought to wipe out all the damage from those cuts plus have a tidy sum to roll over for next year. I'd like to present this to the teacher's at our meeting today."
Sherra nodded as she jotted down the phone number, hung up the phone, and then with apparent disregard for the note, moved off to the filing cabinet. "That's good news, Daniel. I've got those numbers here." She smiled. The man was a pathetic syndicate leader, but he made a damned good principal.
With a quick, curious glance down at the neglected memo, the man made a mental note of the number then remarked, "Ah, wonderful! What would I do without you? I looked everywhere for that file!" He gave her arm an affectionate squeeze then hustled off to his desk, eyes sparkling with excitement.
Sherra shook her head and sighed. She wondered if he could survive without her. Well, it was time to get in touch with that Zazan character and put him to work. It had been very thoughtful of her dear Daniel to loan him to her after Dilgear's death. She thought it was particularly endearing the way he tried to deny doing it, going so far as to profess a complete memory lapse concerning Zazan's existence. Daniel Grauscherra was a dear, but such a moron...
Sherra was determined to put a stop to that dangerous Slayers musical, which, from the intelligence she could gather, was going to expose some sensitive information. Not a job for that stooge, Vurumagen, certainly. Then again, maybe Xelloss could stop it, as a favor to her. A big favor.
Meanwhile, March erupted into March Musical Madness. Everyday a new problem cropped up. Zelgadiss met with Bobby and a few select band members to test his lighting sequencer and practice adjusting the timing manually to match with the music. Nothing ever worked like clockwork in a play, Zel knew from experience, thus he suspected that a musical would be even more chaotic-- especially this one. For every single thing that operated as planned, two others malfunctioned automatically.
"The only thing I can count on is my programming," Zel muttered, neglecting to note that with the use of computers, he made the complicated mess compound just that much faster.
But that was only a part of the mess. There were so many actors to dress, practice, and touch bases with that it became a full-time job, night and day for Lina. She tired of it after a short while, and moved her creative energies on to more interesting problems. Usually, when Lina was hell-bent on a particular path to destruction, Zel or Gourry, or even miraculously Xelloss, was there to direct her back onto the high road–- like when she insisted that they all be equipped on stage with harnesses for rope -and-pulley 'flying' acrobatics.
Zel nodded thoughtfully, "I, and possibly you, Lina, could manage the flying maneuvers, but Amelia would surely collide into a set, bringing it down."
Amelia was not present at the time or he wouldn't have gotten away with that reference to her occasional teenage clumsiness. As it was, Xelloss couldn't help himself and said in a falsetto voice, ending with a smirk, "That was soo unjust, Mis-ter Zel-ga-diss!"
Lina dismissed Zel with a snort and Xelloss with a smack on his back, and then started shouting directions to begin throwing ropes over the rafters.
It was time for Gourry put his size-14 foot down. "No flying, Lina. It makes me sick, being at heights like that just hangin' by a rope." He hadn't meant that to sound so harsh, but Xelloss' silliness had gotten to him again.
From the look on Lina's face, Gourry's complaint missed his mark, but before Lina had a chance to shoot back, Xelloss fired off a round of his own points. "As tantalizing and as dangerous as it sounds, Miss Lina...sir... I point out that Val has visible wings, which can't flap to imitate flying or which might become snared in the lines and break off, thus making for a costume design change that, Zelgadiss tells me, is not happening this late in the preparations. Not only that," he continued, "but he, or someone else, would risk looking ridiculous if he, or they, went into a dizzying spin during a serious fight scene."
"Okay..." she backed down with a shrug as the fight left her system. If both Xelloss and Gourry could be in agreement, why bother? She decided to steer clear of that accident waiting to happen, and continued on her merry way. It was all beginning to sound like too much effort, and besides, she had other ideas that were even better!
Indeed, not every disaster on the offing was evaded, especially when Lina was particularly set on it. For instance, one day she decided that they would not fake magic with imaginary illusions. What Lina wanted was fireworks. Zel, Xelloss, and Gourry were all busy with the others practicing a dance/fight routine and missed their cues to rein Lina in, in time.
"I want big explosions with lots of smoke and sparks, not smoke and mirrors!" she voiced to no one in particular.
Val heard her though and agreed enthusiastically. "Jillas," he assured her, "is the master of py-ro-tech-nics and can put together anythin' you ever dreamed of."
"Eh? I've got pretty vivid dreams. He around ta ask?" Lina asked.
"I'll gettem..."
A moment later, Jillas and Lina and Val were head-to-head marking up a script with blasts, blamos, and Kab-BLAMS! When Gourry found out, he was upset. It was too dangerous. A fire could start. Someone could get hurt. Lina agreed and put him on safety detail. The end. That taught him not to open his mouth again unless he had a ready solution at hand.
So, Lina could jump the rail once in a while, but the musical train was never fully derailed. It just kept rolling along...
Kiki was naturally woven into their every waking minute. Xelloss had settled the task of video taping the performance on her shoulders, provided her a fat budget to purchase all the necessary equipment, and found her a talented 'Flying Fig' assistant. If he had felt responsible for Hokuto's death before, he was now totally consumed by a guilty conscience over the murder of Kiki's parents. His solution was to simply shoulder an additional obligation: to ensure Kiki's future happiness. First of all, he had arranged and paid for the funeral. Next, he personally moved all Kiki's possessions out of the house he had built for her and over to the mayor's mansion. Well, he didn't actually carry the boxes, but he hired people to do it. What was important was that Kiki didn't have to do a thing. Then, he just 'plumb did take it upon himself' to ensure her personal safety from that moment on. He couldn't have done more if he'd actually married the girl.
As it turned out, although she visited her aunt and uncle every week, she never lived with them above their shop. She became a ward of mayor Phil, Amelia's adopted sister and lived there until ...well that would be giving away the ending. Since Kiki couldn't bear returning to the house where her parents had been murdered, she insisted that Xelloss retain the property and sell it or rent it out. She would never step past those doors again.
A few weeks after the funeral, when the band was immersed in their musical preparations, Xelloss received an interesting call pertaining to said property.
"Hello? Detective Ryo? Oh? What have I done now?" Xelloss asked lightly one morning at breakfast.
Zel and Val froze mid bite and listened intently.
"Oh, nothing!" the kind detective replied on the other end of the line. "I was just wondering what was to become of that house, the young girl's home whose parents were murdered. I understood your brother to say it had once been yours?"
Xelloss explained that after rebuilding it, he gave it to Kiki's family, but that now it was his to get rid of again.
"I see," Ryo's said. "Would you consider selling it to Dee and myself? We've been renting an apartment here in Seyruun ever since we were re-assigned, but with both kids, it's feeling small."
"Both?"
"Carol is staying with us now as well. We could use another bedroom–quick!" Ryo laughed. "And the Gabriev family is so close, with their kids who are friends and the park, and the schools..."
"It's a great neighborhood," Xelloss agreed. "The corner strip mall has it all for your eating-out needs and only a pleasant stroll away!"
"Sold! So," Ryo became more cautious. "Does this mean the house is available?"
"Consider it yours," Xelloss said with a smile. "A wedding present!"
Ryo sputtered several things one of which was, "H-How did you find out?"
"Dee told me that you had gone and made it official in Sairaag before coming here. And yes, I meant that. I have a terrific lawyer who'll write up a deed properly. I'll call you and we can all meet and I'll give you the keys and you can sign the papers to make it all legal."
"B-but...it's so expensive! You must let us pay you something, we don't earn much on these stingy detective salaries, but I didn't call to ask you to give it away!"
"I know; that's what makes it so fun! It's giving away syndicate ill-gotten gains; it makes me feel all pure or something to do this. Besides, my step father, Lina and Gourry, Mrs. Shearer, Kiki's aunt and uncle and lots of other friends of mine live in that neighborhood. They could use a couple of big, strong detectives nearby to look out for them, right?"
Ryo knew when he had lost, stubborn a man as he was. He had discovered, in speaking with McGywn earlier, that Xelloss had come into a substantial inheritance, but he had no idea just how well-heeled the young man was. He knew, however, that he was known to be generous with his closest friends, and he smiled to think that he was one of them now. "I don't know what to say. The kids will be thrilled, but Dee...he's a proud man who isn't one to accept charity."
"Okay, then tell him you stopped me from blowing it up and in return you have to move in and guard it. He'll believe that. I know he thinks I'll crazy. You're laughing, aren't you? I'm right, eh? I thought so. So, when we meet I'll play the psychotic. You do service to me by taking the haunted property off my crazy hands."
In the end, Ryo agreed. In a matter of weeks, the papers were signed and the moving van delivered the new family to its home. Hopefully, the house would become a happy home at last.
One weekend, all the actors traveled to Mosquita to practice on the big stage there. It was the first time John and Miwan, who had taken to one another and to Xelloss' generous home/work offer quite well, would join the Slayers. John was very excited about playing his part, Xelloss' evil father– especially the short purple wig. Miwan, as the terrible young Hell Master boy, had only to change his clothes to fill the role.
During a break, Lina discovered the backstage costumes and, for an hour or so, all the kids played dress up. The Slayers girls all loved the runaway Miwan, as it turned out. He was just 'too cute' and they loved to dress him up. Miwan was so slim and short that he could wear girls' costumes as well as some of the adorable animal ones. John lost him to the squealing attention of Sylphiel, Kiki and Amelia one morning and didn't see him again until it was time for lunch.
"Uh, hey, Xelloss!" John called out.
"Xelloss just ran out...or up into the rafter scaffolding to see if there's room for more speakers. The sound system is archaic," Zel explained. "So, anything I can help you with?"
"Maybe... it's not important. I was just looking for Miwan. I hadn't seen him around."
Zelgadiss pointed to a dressing room. "He's in need of rescuing. He doesn't know how to tell the girls 'no' and I think he's locked himself in one of the rooms to avoid them."
John chuckled, "Thanks, man. We haven't known each other long, but I've learned he's not very assertive around girls."
"Zel! Get yer ass back over here!" Lina yelled above the din.
"Who is?" Zel muttered to John, pivoted, and trotted over to see what was troubling Lina-darling. His sensitive ears could make out John's muffled chuckles.
"Get Xelloss down here. I want you and him in these outfits pronto!" Lina ordered.
"He's on a mission," Zel replied curtly. He would assert his manhood.
"From the gods?" Lina growled.
"Nearly... No, from Bobby and me. We're looking to upgrade the sound system." I am not your devoted slave. I have willpower of my own.
The two stood nose-to-nose; alas... fiery hot rapidly melted away at the icy cool.
Moments later, "I'll go see how he's doing." Zel paused, then added-- defeated this time around-- "Put the costumes in a room." Why fight it?
Not long afterwards, Gourry, Val, Zel, and Xelloss donned Lina's specially chosen mail and armor, leftovers gleaned from a medieval play, and lined up for a photograph. They were really cool-looking and it was some time before the boys could be persuaded to take them off.
Gourry, "Hey, ya know we're the Four Horsemen!"
"Huh?" Val paused mid-stride.
Grinning, Gourry replied, "'Cause we horsed around all the time. Yah hooo!"
The tall blonde young man then proceeded to lead the quartet in noisy roaring attacks on Zangalus. Or Zolf. Or Rodimus. Very silly stuff.
Lina waved them off. Once she'd taken their picture, she was done with them. She wanted them to play off someplace away from her. "Don't bug me and stay out of my way for a few minutes." It worked. They tore off after the other girls, eliciting shrieks and screams. Lina slunk off into the costume storage and used the opportunity to rifle through the fine costumes alone. Dresses, dresses, dresses...whoa! What was this? With her eyes aglow, Lina swept her find off its hanger and...oh...yes! She nabbed the other part off the shelf and ran off to check the fit. Perfecto! She was so enamored of the blazing red pirate coat with its tacky brass trim and its matching, outrageous, white-ostrich-feather plumed hat, that Xelloss ended up paying tenfold what it was worth to get the management to allow her to wear it home.
"Well, wouldya look at this one," Lina said to Xelloss.
He looked over her shoulder as she pulled out a fantastically ornate and colorful jester costume. "My, my..."
"Hats are on the shelf above. There, it's got slippers, too!"
Zel had wandered over. "All right. They've spliced in those larger amps and speakers and now I want to test out the microphone pickups. What I need is for you to sing, talk, whatever, and move all over the stage for about five minutes, while I test the levels. Give me a minute or two to get up to the sound booth."
Xelloss saluted him, and then turned to Lina. "I think I'll change into this and sing an appropriate song."
Lina was about to tell him not to bother, that she hadn't meant that he had to put it on, but he had already run off, costume in hand. It was the first time in many weeks that the two had spoken in private, even briefly, and to her, Xelloss seemed diffident, not totally unapproachable, but distant–-out there. Was he just giving her more personal space or had his ardor cooled? Not that she really cared, she was just curious...
"Xelloss, you ready...? What's that godsawful outfit you're wearing?" Zel gasped into the microphone, sending his voice echoing throughout the hall.
"I...am a clown," he bowed. "Which is coincidentally the name of the song that I am about to sing, when you are ready."
Bobby found Sara from his band and told her to practice with the spot lighting and try and follow Xelloss on the stage. "I can do better than that!" she grinned.
Down below on the stage, Xelloss found a spot marked with tape on the floor below a microphone and waited patiently for Zel's signal. The lights dimmed, and he squinted as an alternating series of colored lights flashed overhead.
"Just testing!" Sara called out. She settled on blue with a yellow spot just about the time Zel shouted, "Ready anytime!"
Xelloss searched for and found Lina. "I have another David Cassidy song to sing. Hope you like it."
He posed, and then began an introduction in a sing-song voice, rather than actually singing, while mimicking a marionette:
"See the puppet on a string
Wind him up and he will sing
Give him candy...he will dance
But be certain not to feel
If his funny face is real..."
Zelgadiss stared hard at Xelloss and then at Lina, looking for a clue as to what was going on.
"...But be certain not to stray
He will steal your heart away"
Then Xelloss mimed the act of putting on a serious face. Lina watched mesmerized. Gourry folded his arms over his chest and scowled as Xelloss began to sing:
"I am a clown, I am a clown
You'll always see me smile
You'll never see me frown
Sometimes my scenes are good
Sometimes they're bad
Not funny ha-ha, funny sad..."
Lina was entranced, listening, her attention riveted on Xelloss. She understood his meaning and was being respectful.
"Always the laughing face
Whenever you're around
Always the same routine
I never change
Not funny ho-ho, funny strange
Sometimes I think the world is a circus town
Sometimes I feel I belong in a side show..."
...Zelgadiss was about to stop the act before trouble started, but then he too seemed caught up in the unreality of the situation, and did nothing.
"...He knows what I know...
If you look inside
If I didn't hide,
You might decide
You don't want me..."
Zelgadiss was concerned. This was not subtle at all. Xelloss was singing to Lina and everyone had to no that it was directed at her, for her benefit. But what was he to do if his friend wanted to expose his raw feelings to the world?
"...I want to live again
I want to feel
Tell me you love me, make me real"
His eyes locked onto Lina's as he closed out the song with,
"Tell me you love me...
Make me real..."
Oh!
"Okay everybody, back to work!" Lina yelled loudly to cover up her blushing cheeks. "They've only given us this day, and then others use it for the next two weeks!" Jeez... How embarrassing! Of course, that does settle my doubts concerning his feelings...
It settled Gourry's horses as well, sending his good mood into the sunset.
What Lina had thought were the beginnings of hunger pains, instead, turned out to be her monthly cramps. Not now... Lina wrapped her arms around her middle and stalked off in search of a ladies' bathroom.
On her return, it was 'noses to the grindstone'; the Slayers and friends walked through the entire script:
1) Marking prop changes... "Gourry needs his sword for this part, Zel too, but Xelloss and Amelia and me don't, got that? Yeah, I carry a long dagger thing or I look shorter than I am. Put that down– buy dagger.
2) Making set movements possible... "That boulder's gotta have rollers or I'm not gonna be able to blast my way into that cave."
3) And noting the lighting or sound level adjustments... "I want the spot on me, not the little twerp. And you'd better get a microphone up on there where Val's gonna be howlin' or he's not gonna be heard."
Well, it was Lina's show, after all.
Well, mostly...
Zelgadiss strode up to her. "I know this is important to you. Amelia's already filled out two notebooks worth of changes, but you are being too demanding."
Lina narrowed her eyes. "You have no idea..." Deciding not to share her ills with him Lina asked instead, "I need some aspirins. You got some?"
"I already gave mine to Xelloss."
"Great," she growled and stomped off in search of another supplier.
"Try Martina. She's likely to have something stronger than the shrine potions or clan tisanes," Zel called after her.
Lina had already considered that problem herself. "Hey, Martina!" she called. "I'm dyin'. You have any pain killers?"
Martina stuck up her nose. The Lina Inverse needed her. "Why don't you ask Sylphiel or Filia? Haven't they studied healing as priestesses? Either that or go buy some yourself at the market."
"I don't want any tea or balms," Lina grabbed Martina's arm, "You know where a market is? I need aspirin in mega doses."
Martina nodded, supremely pleased to know more than Lina about something. "It just so happens that I do. It's not too far from here so we can walk. I can use a drink."
Something with a great deal of energy behind it rushed by Lina's head and struck a tree limb overhead with a dull thud. "Hey! Are you throwing rocks at me?" Lina cried out.
"What? No, but if I was, I wouldn't have missed," Martina said defensively. "I have good aim, which you must recall after my excellent tennis game where I beat you..."
"Shut up!" Lina yelled as another object zipped over her head, followed quickly by another. "What I recall is the sound of gunfire..."
A barrage of bullets fired from overhead plugged into the road by Martina's feet. "Ah!" she screamed and danced around in a panic.
"Get off the road!" Lina yelled, giving the other girl a hard shove. "You wanna get killed!"
"My belief in Zomalgustar will protect me!" Martina asserted. She straightened up and pulled out a huge pendant on a chain. "You're not the only one to wear a symbol of power next to your heart!"
"Huh? Who?" Lina asked from her hiding spot in the bushes. "Zomalgustar's a restaurant, you idiot! And that's a drink coaster you're wearing on a string, not some kind of protection amulet. And this," Lina patted the ring of Zelas, which hung from a chain around her neck and lay hidden beneath her shirt, "Won't stop a bullet."
As if to prove her correct, another round of shots went off around them. Martina screamed again, this time running to the side of the road and falling into the ditch. Partially hidden by the thicket of roadside weeds and brush she scooted to Lina's side. "That's not what I heard. I was told that Xelloss gave you a pendant for protection. It came from the Cavern."
"What brand of lunacy do you go in for?" Lina shook her head in disbelief. "The Cavern is a dance club, and although it's a source of a multitude of drugs and infectious diseases, it's not one for defensive jewelry."
Ignoring the world around them for a few more minutes, the two girls continued to bicker. "Well, what is that thing then?" Martina insisted.
"It's...a secret. (Okay, so it came in handy to say) Who told you about it anyway?"
"IT? What ...IT? I thought IT was a seeee-cret?"
"IT is not a secret, stupid, not if YOU know about it. What it IS ...is the secret. Now tell me WHO told you about IT before I strangle you."
"Always resorting to violence to get your wa-ay," Martina taunted. "Gah-ach..."
"I wasn't kidding, was I?" Lina sneered. "Now tell me...who?"
Martina broke down and divulged that Zangalus has passed on to her what he'd been told by Vurumagen.
"Vurumagen, huh? His name keeps coming up. I met him last summer out at the Ancient's caverns... Wait! Caverns! That's what you said-- my necklace came from the caverns... How did that guy know about it, though..."
Lina hadn't much time to dwell on that point as their attacker stepped into view. She ducked, hopefully in time. Zazan was a big older fellow, manly and pale. "You can't hide for long," his eyes shifted back and forth over their clump of bushes. "Little girls like you shouldn't be out walking alone in the forest."
They could hear a cell phone ringing and for an instant Lina was thankful that she had taken Zel's advice and shut hers off in her shoulder bag– it would 'rumble' when a call came through. This one wasn't hers; it had sounded far-off. It must have belonged to the mystery man, because after the jangling stopped they could hear him muttering in a low voice and then he shouted, "Don't worry I'll catch up with you girls later. This road only goes to a few places." He fired off another round into the trees and strode off back the way he had come.
"You always have the most disgusting men after you!" Martina snipped.
Lina retorted with something nasty and they crept out of their bushes. Watching over their shoulders for the man to reappear, the two girls were cautious the rest of the way. When they reached the small general store, Lina found her aspirins- extra relief- and bought a soda. Outside, the two girls found a bench to rest and recover from their shock. Since there were one or two other folks ambling about, they felt relatively safe. But not too safe.
"What if he comes back for us? We're sitting ducks here!" Martina hissed.
Lina agreed. She pulled out her cell phone and punched in a number.
"It's me. Yeah. Listen, I'm at a market with Martina. Yeah, I know, will oddness never cease...? Anyway, Zangy will know where it is, he and her stopped here together. My point is...some bad dude shot at us on the way. No, he missed, idiot, but he said he'd come after us. He knows where we are and ... How the hell would I know! He didn't pull out his syndicate ID and wave it in my face, Xelloss! Okay, shoot..." She listened to his advice then hung up. "Gotcha, bye."
"Reinforcement's on the way," Lina said with a sigh.
"Xelloss? You call him reinforcement? How about the police?"
Lina ignored Martina and stood. "Is that a shop over there...that shack? We need to get out of sight." Lina took off without waiting for Martina's answer.
'Magic Shoppe,' read the dusty sign above the door. "This is better than I imagined," Lina muttered and opened the door. Before stepping inside, she paused a moment to withdraw the syndicate ring from under her shirt, and let it rest upon her chest in full view.
Martina, crabbing about their situation, had nearly missed Lina's departure. She turned just in time to catch Lina disappearing past the store's entry, and rushed to get inside, too. She hated being left behind.
"Helloooo!" Lina called out. Inside, the tiny shop was empty of people, but the walls were lined with shelves containing brownish powders and herb-filled jars. At the front counter were glass-lined cases displaying numerous joke and magic kits: as in the old fly-in-the-ice-cube, faux spilled drink, rubber pencil, and bottles of disappearing ink. Many of them looked fun to have, Lina thought, but nothing was too amazing or unusual.
Martina summed it up, "Dusty old jars and stupid pranks, what a dumb place!"
Lina shrugged her shoulders and peered over the counter, only to find a little girl with pink hair staring up at her. "Whoa! Hi, little girl. Is your mom around?"
Dancing out into the room, the child seemed happy for the company. "My name's Kira. And this is my playhouse when momma's gone."
"Oh, so this isn't really a store any more?"
"No, it's been closed forever, but people come in and out at night sometimes. I wanna make this into a table. Can you move it?"
Lina looked the gigantic cauldron over. "Come on, Martina. You've got nothing better ta do. Give me a hand with this. Where do you want it? Okay..."
With an effort, the two girls rolled and pushed the heavy pot into the center of the room. Kira, meanwhile, had dragged an old wooded pallet from outside to the doorway. "This goes on top, then a tablecloth," the child directed them.
Next, Kira made 'tea' from an assortment of herbs and water boiled on a small hotplate. Martina was convinced to run next door and buy a box of cookies. She covered the distance back and forth to the market in under a minute. In no time the three 'ladies' were seated on upturned boxes around their table, sipping at what turned out to be mint tea and nibbling vanilla cream-filled cookies. And, Lina felt better. It was as if the tea ceremony was a ritual which Lina underwent to cure herself of her headache; a return to childhood where the syndicate lurked only on the outermost boundaries of her mind. Nice; that is, until Martina suddenly jumped up screaming, "Gah! Ants!" She managed to bang into the rickety table and knock over the cauldron, spilling tea and cookies everywhere.
"Martina, you klutz!"
Zazan's deep voice shattered their tenuous happiness. "Come out little girlies. You think you can hide from me?"
Xelloss tucked his cell phone into his waistband, grabbed a small bag from his travel rucksack and slipped out of the play practice unnoticed. There were several small lanes in the area all linked to the main thoroughfare which wound through the valley forest into the foothills. The roads formed a network which linked the few homes and stores in the town to the primary tourist attractions. Xelloss easily found the correct one– there was only one road near their building- and ran like the wind the way Zangalus had described to him. He found the market and in a quick tour of the vicinity, determined that the girls weren't inside. As he wandered outside, he heard a car drive up and park. Out of habit, he disappeared into the shadows and watched as a large thug of a man sniffed around the market, then headed toward an outbuilding– hardly more than a ramshackle hut with a sign promising 'Magic Shoppe'.
Xelloss knew he'd find Lina in there. He tracked wide and unseen, and entered secretly through the back of the building. He could hear voices within. Lina... Martina...and a much younger girl. As he wondered who she might be, the child in question let out a 'yip!' and ran from the front of the shop through a beaded opening to the back room and into his arms with a 'thump', nearly knocking the wind out of him.
"Oof! This is a dangerous place for a kid. Let's get you out of here," he said as he carried the child out the way he'd entered. He really wanted to get back to Lina, and considered leaving the child to hide in the shadows of the trees alone as he fumbled with the contents of his small bag.
"I can do that," Kira said. "Pretty..."
He smiled and allowed the girl fasten the clasps on his wrist bands. "Thank you, miss..."
"Kira. Mister, you've got pretty hair." She gave a thick clump of purple silk locks a loving tug, then let go.
"Ha! Thanks, yours is a very nice color, too," he said quickly. "Shh..." He heard Lina and the thug's voices.
They were coming out too!
Xelloss urged little Kira to remain hidden in case things got violent, before he stepped into view. He took a split second to take in the situation, and then shouted, "I believe your health is in danger, mortal danger, if you don't take your dirty paws off these ladies immediately." His voice rang out clearly even at a distance as he adjusted the bands at his wrists-- which activated his talismans. The amplifiers were the very same the ones he had given to Lina a year ago.
Zazan had noticed Lina's syndicate symbol dangling from her neck and frowned. He had his orders and wasn't going to actually harm her, anyway, but Miss Sherra hadn't told him the girl was under other syndicate protection. He was in a sticky situation kidnapping her, and now this man wearing talismans of a syndicate leader showed up! Who was he? Xelloss' arrival was the last straw. Zazan was going to have to abandon his assignment and escape, while he was able.
But Xelloss didn't know that. He was without his staff, his favorite weapon. That meant that he would have to resort to hand to hand combat and the other man was armed. Damn. He cast around for an alternative and settled on a fallen branch. With a couple of lightening quick moves he kicked the stick off the ground and into his hand. He gained ground on Zazan, testing the weight and balance of his weapon, then with a shout dove at the man, shoving the butt end into his face. With a twist and show of strength, Xelloss brought the broken tree limb around and broke it across the thug's right hand, disarming him, possibly causing injuries in the process.
"Guff," the man choked out in pain. "Ugh..." He held the ruin of his arm, and bent to retrieve his dropped gun.
Lina kicked him in the side, sending him reeling to the side. "Take that, you ugly piece of filth!"
Martina opened her mouth to speak, but nearly bit her tongue instead when Zazan used her to boost himself to his feet, gun in hand. He fired off a warning shot, and then beat a retreat to a waiting car.
"He got away," Lina moaned. She shielded her eyes from the dust churned up by the receding car.
"That's too bad, and we didn't even learn his name," Xelloss said in mock disappointment.
"Zazan, I think," Martina said.
"Yeah, that little girl asked him his name when he came in and that's what he told her. I don't think he meant to do that either," Lina explained.
"Children can be so disarming," Xelloss agreed as the little girl in question came out of hiding to join them.
"Uh, huh," Lina's eyes fixated on Xelloss' flashy jewelry. "Now I want those talismans back! "
"Oh? May I remind you that you hadn't been making use of them since you wore them as protection from Halciform? And since they were a bit redundant for you, you had generously returned them to me with the thought to give them to Sylphiel."
"Oh yeah, so what are you doing with them now?"
"Ah, I simply hadn't found the opportunity. I had hoped to do that today during a break."
Martina her chance to get something important. "I'll buy 'em off you. Hundred bucks!"
"They're worth lots more than that. One fifty!" Lina shouted at Xelloss.
Lina and Martina continued to throw out counteroffers, while Xelloss and Kira looked on.
Realizing that Xelloss was uninterested in money, Lina finally broke down and promised to go out on a date with him in return for the priceless amplifiers. Xelloss, surprisingly, handed over his four talismans to Lina, but turned down the forced date. "I'll let you give these to Sylphiel, then. She needs them, temporarily anyway, more than you." He moved in closer, resting his hands lightly on her shoulders and massaging them gently. "As much as I would like to take you out someplace nice, I'll pass on this chance."
"W-what? You're turning down ta chance to go out with the most beautiful, talented girl in Seyruun?"
"Yes, you see...I want you to want...it... too," he whispered before releasing her.
Meanwhile, not one to be bested by Lina for long, Martina sauntered over to see what little Kira was trying to fish out of the cauldron, which had rolled over to the open door of the shack. "What's that in there? Here, move it. Let me get that out."
Indeed, Martina felt pleased to discover something in Kira's cauldron which possibly was worth more than Xelloss' gaudy bracelets- a set of Cd's with Syndicate emblems emblazoned on the covers, official documents belonging to a high level individual in the organization. Not that she knew what the pictures meant. She just knew that they looked important. "Hey! These look neat."
Xelloss and Lina looked up. What was Martina up to in there? They joined her as she waved her find like a fan in the air.
Oh my...
Xelloss took them roughly out of her hands. "These are my family's property. See how the patterns match– the CD covers and these talismans? Mine. Believe me, you couldn't make use of these anyway. They are most certainly encoded, probably infected with dozens of viruses that would mess up any computer you tried to open them on."
Of course, Martina disagreed, but he could not be swayed. Instead, he attempted to assuage her hurt feelings with a purchased treat at the market. He also bought Kira a soda and muffin as a thank you present before she ran off to find her playmates elsewhere. Food worked with most people, Xelloss had learned. There was nothing left to do after that, but to accompany the girls back to the Mosquita theatre, although Xelloss couldn't wait to see what had fallen into his hands. It helped to keep his mind off the fact that he'd given up the chance to take Lina out, no matter how it had come about.
There was an ever-increasing quantity of work ahead of them, and less time. Tasks quickly outnumbered task-doers, so Xelloss sucked in his pride and paid a visit to Daniel Grauscherra for suggestions. The man seemed genuinely pleased to see Xelloss, and happily agreed to extend his feelers and enlarge his network of busy-bees to help with the cause. The musical was, the principal reminded him, a school fund raiser. Oh, yes, it wasn't just Lina and Xelloss' project any longer, it was AN EVENT, and Mr. Grauscherra was there to help them. Xelloss smiled weakly and wondered if that was good news. His assistant, Miss Sherra, was absent at the time, which he found to be a relief. He'd received a disturbing phone call from her, asking him about his personal life, as in 'So sorry about your incomplete nuptials' and 'I'm sure you'll find someone new very soon', but skirting around questions leading to the topic of his progress on the musical.
He shivered at the thought of her involvement in his life. Sherra was like a combination of Eris and Zelas—attractive, ambitious, and deadly. His attention was drawn back to the principal's speech. The man had just declared that 'now was the time for the school to pitch in with its support.'
As a result, in the next few days refreshments were ordered and soda and popcorn machines rented with Bunny and her sailing team/band in charge of setting up and serving performance nights. Tickets were placed on sale at the school and several of the smaller businesses around Seyruun, thanks to Kagome and her tag-a-long friends. The principal had a whole tactical unit of 'placard plasters' posting posters in every shop window, bank office, restaurant and fast food establishment-- lead by Duo, Heero and their friends. No corner, announcement board, or any other flat surface would be without a 'Slayers the Musical' publicity embellishment. In the weeks to come, Filia's voice would be heard over the local airwaves inviting one and all to come to number one event of the season and learn about the best kept secret of the century.
Well, Xelloss thought, the man had a talent for getting some things done. It made him wonder if he had the aptitude to commit murder and mayhem as well...
The excitement was growing daily, as were the kids' nerves, as the two week spring break from school drew closer. There was plenty to do before the first dry run through with all the actors. Then, if that went well, the dress rehearsals would follow immediately, giving them a short break before the performance. And if things didn't go smoothly, then their break would vanish with their good humor.
Immediately following their last class (Japanese) on Friday, the Slayers and the Flying Figs were on the road to Mosquita. They had made a quick stop at the mayor's mansion to pick up Nahga and food the kids had dropped off. Nahga had had a very late night and wanted only to get in the back of the van and 'sleep it off.'
Zangalus and Martina were to follow in his car, having set out much later in the day. Martina did not want to arrive first. Better to be fashionably late.
Miwan and John had left the day before to stay at a lovely bed and breakfast they heard about and were extremely lucky to get on such short notice. The short road from Seyruun to Mosquita wound pleasantly through a heavily-forested cleft between two mountain ranges. It was spotted with inns, resorts, and tourist traps which would be busy even in an early spring with its promise of cold, drizzly weather. Their plan was to meet everyone at the theater building on Friday afternoon.
From the other direction, Jillas and Gravos were driving from their jobs on the coast, which was at the other end of the narrow valley. They planned to arrive late on that same day, but since their parts were small, they were in no hurry to get there in order to sit and twiddle their thumbs.
"So, did I tell you about coaching Nahga for her Zelas role the other day? She's gonna be great, Xelloss. She's got all her mannerisms down and the voice inflections..."
Xelloss smiled, casting a glance back at the said slumbering woman in the back of the van, "How's she's doing on the chain smoking and drinking?"
Lina punched him, "This is Nah-ga we're talking about, moron. She's a little tall for the part, but wait till you see her in a dress, heels, and blonde wig– scary actually. Oh, yeah, it gave me a dream! I was driving along and then she was there...Zelas...and she was the driving test person. She kept giving me all these confusing directions. Like I had to drive to that Wolfpack Island and I kept telling her that I didn't know the way but then I could see it. She said to gun it, but I said we'd sink. It was a car not a boat! Sure enough, she slammed the accelerator down, crushing my foot in the process, and the car went flying over the water. My foot was really throbbin' now and she was screamin' 'bout my steerin' and suddenly we were over land and she told me to parallel-park! I couldn't cuz my foot hurt. Then...I woke up. My foot was jammed between the bed and the headboard."
She paused to get her breath and Gourry asked from the seat behind her, "How'd that happen? Isn't your head supposed to be up there, not yer feet?"
"I move around,"
"Remind me not to share a bed with you," Xelloss muttered without thinking.
Lina turned bright red and started to sputter, "That's not gonna...I'm not..." Her eyes flickered over all the blank stares. She asked, "What, don't you understand? Should I start over again?"
Rodimus, the driver, protested, "It's just...Good gods, you talk a lot!"
"Yes, she does," Zel nodded. He felt safely out of Lina's reach with Gourry blocking the way.
"Yep," from Gourry.
"Mais qui," agreed Kiki with a huge sigh. She and Amelia were sharing a seat.
Lina, still beet-red, was about to object, when Amelia suggested that they park the van and take a walk. "We're halfway there. There's a nice picnic ground not far off and we can come back and have a snack after some exercise."
Good distraction!
Kiki offered to remain with Rodimus, Nahga, and the van. "You should stay too," Lina told Xelloss. "Someone ought to be awake in case...something happens." She looked off in the direction of Rodimus' slumbering form. "For a bodyguard, he sleeps a lot."
"I believe he's responsible for a great deal of the night duty. As you wish then, Lina, I'll stay."
That suited Amelia perfectly. She was content to be almost alone with Zelgadiss again. Lina and Gourry were walking ahead, leaving the two of them to converse privately. Amelia was about to begin a conversation with Zelgadiss, but stopped herself just in time.
A few weeks ago, Xelloss had taken her aside and had a talk with her about her pursuit of his best friend. "It's not going to work, not the way you're going about it," he had begun.
"No? I thought we were making some progress," Amelia had said defensively.
"Yes, but..." he smiled. "Let me give you some insight into the male psyche, okay? We are hard-wired to pursue prey. The excitement's in the chase."
Amelia frowned a bit. "I thought it was the, you know, sex part."
That brought a grin to his face, "That too! But, that's even better if it's the guy's conquest. What I'm getting at here, Amelia, is that you make it too easy for Zelgadiss. He needs to work at getting you."
"Well that's...humph!" She blew air up into her bangs in frustration. "Mr. Val told me that if I didn't make a move, we'd get no where. Zelgadiss would never do a thing!"
"And he was right, then. Now's different. For instance, he had a blast that night he 'kidnapped' you from your house in your pajamas. Had the night not ended so tragically, who knows what would have happened next, but I know from what he said to me that it was something he'd like to do again."
"He'd better not! Daddy would be so mad if he knew!"
"That's...a part of the thrill. It's an adventure for him, us all."
"You didn't act that way around Miss Lina."
"No, I sure didn't. I threw myself at her feet and she used me as a doormat. I was really new at all this then and didn't know better. I wanted...well, lets just say I wanted her so badly that I just thought telling her would be enough. It wasn't. Then I thought showing her would do it. It didn't."
"Are you still in love with her, even now?"
"Ah, yes, maybe, ah...things have changed, but this wasn't supposed to be about me and my love-life gone flat, this is about yours on the cusp of blossoming into something real. That's what you want, right?"
Blushing, Amelia turned her head away, "Yes."
"Okay, then step one, play hard to get. Make him go after you, now that he knows he can do it and that he has a fairly good chance of success. Step two, talk to other guys. Hey, even talking to me makes him jealous, did you know that? Yeah, he thinks I'm going to seduce you, I'm sure, although he's never said that."
"Really?" she giggled at that. "Why would he think that?"
"Because I do it a lot...not to you, but others and...he didn't like the way I messed with you at the dance club when he was with Kiki."
"You were pretty forward..." Her eyes lit up, "Is that why you did that? To get him jealous? Oh, how mean of you...but how sweet too."
Amelia had given him a big hug, just as Zelgadiss stepped into the practice room. She had pushed away the moment she'd heard his annoyed and astonished, "Hnn..."
Xelloss closed by saying, "Well, thanks Amelia. I needed the reassurance. Oh, Zelgadiss, hello!" As he straightened, he whispered in her ear, "Remember..."
Yes, she remembered Xelloss' advice. In fact she'd made a point of meeting Duo and Heero at another lunch table one day to discuss how to go about doing publicity for the musical. She chose a table positioned in Zelgadiss' direct line of vision and sat between them both. She and Duo were very much alike in what they found humorous and their joy of life. Heero, she thought, was too serious, much like Zelgadiss. It ended with plans to meet together one day after school, at a nearby coffee shop. Zelgadiss, she'd noted with pleasure, had watched the proceedings with a jaundiced eye...
So, now it was just the two of them, with Lina and Gourry disappearing around the bend. Amelia looked askance at Zelgadiss wondering if he would say anything to her. To her surprise, he did.
He cleared his throat. "Ahem, so are you and Duo working together on a project for history?"
She smiled. "No. Something else. Heero, too. You know, I think you and he could be good friends, even though he's younger."
"D-Duo!" he stuttered stunned completely at the absurdity of such a proposition.
"No, Heero. He's quiet, smart, a serious student. Quite a bit like you, even in his stature. He's Japanese, too, you know."
"Oh? I didn't know. Is he working on...whatever the thing is with you?"
"Yes, he's more reliable, I think, than Duo to get things done on time."
"I'm sure of that. That Duo guy's an idiot..." Zel grumbled.
"Oh, not when you get to know him. In fact, he's a little like Mr. Xelloss; kinda happy and funny."
"Funny's not the word I would use," Zel grumbled more.
"So, we'll be going out Monday night..." she began.
"You're going out...? With Duo and Heero ...both? I thought..."
But, what did he think? Did he expect Amelia to be going out with him exclusively? Were they even going out? When he gave it some thought, Zel realized that he and Amelia had been tagging along with Xelloss and Kiki for weeks now, especially ever since...her parents had been murdered. At first it had seemed that it was mostly for her, to keep Kiki's mind on other things. But lately, he wondered if it wasn't more just an excuse for him to be with Amelia without having to be alone with her.
That was it, wasn't it? He was afraid to be alone with her, in part at least. Xelloss was such a natural. He made the girls laugh, he'd squeeze them in a hug or mash them with a kiss as if it were just a part of his repertoire, which...it apparently was now. Zel knew if he tried such a thing, it would be taken seriously– it would be an earth-shattering event!
Not that he would. He wanted to, some. Amelia liked it. She was pretty affectionate herself and equally demonstrative. Maybe if he could be alone with her, he'd get up the nerve again. But, what if she wasn't all that interested in him any more? Her ardor seemed to have cooled lately, what with meeting Duo and...Heeeeeero. So, Zel guessed, Amelia wasn't really his girlfriend. It took something more to make that happen, but what? Should he ask her?
Oh yeah...you just do that nerd-boy! That would go so well...'Oh, by the way, Amelia... am I your boyfriend?'
'Oh, no, Mr. Zelgadiss! That would mean you'd have to let everyone know how you felt and you mustn't go and spoil that 'cold-hearted guitar-playing rocker' image you've worked so hard to maintain!'
Zel's stomach had begun to tighten as he stressed over his situation, when he heard cries and screams... Lots of them!
"Zelgadiss? What...what is it!" Amelia gasped. "Miss Lina...Mr. Gourry...?"
"Sounds like trouble. Amelia, stay right here. I'll run up ahead. There's no reason to risk yourself too. If I'm not back in five minutes," he said as he trotted away, "run back to the van and get the others!"
He was quickly out of sight. In less than five seconds, he reappeared, running full-tilt. "Run Amelia! Come on, back to the van!"
Without question, she did, as fast as her growing, shapely legs could carry her. Lina and Gourry caught up with them at the van.
"Open up the doors!" Lina ordered unnecessarily. "Now, step on it!"
Rodimus had the engine running the moment Zel and Amelia showed up. No one had to tell him to get out of the path of a thundering herd of crazed fanboys and girls.
"We...we...just walked into a bunch of teenagers in some kinda weekend camp. They took one look at us and someone yelled "Gourry!" and then they screamed "Slayers" and then they just screamed!"
"They were sayin' yer name too, Lina," Gourry said panting.
"Yeah, of course they were," Lina winked. "Then Zel showed up and all hell broke loose!"
"I do that to parties," Zel said with a smirk. "It's why I avoid people."
Lina smacked at him half-heartedly then sank back onto her seat. She and Gourry simply collapsed from exhaustion after out-running the crowd. Zel was breathing hard. He looked upon the two, and resolved to go off and die his own death. "Even if I do die, Rodimus is here...and Zolf is...somewhere. I will not die alone." As thoughts left his head out his mouth, they were replaced by a shoe to the head, thrown by Lina.
"We all agreed we'd go together! No going solo on us!"
Gourry leaned in as Zel rubbed at his tender head and whispered, "It's a lot less painful to just do what she says."
From the Authors:
Note: the parts of the song 'I am a Clown' were by David Cassidy.
Where are the pictures?
Seyruun High Jinx has a home. Please go to the author profile for Kaeru Shisho and choose the link. You will find the pictures under Seyruun High Jinx NEXT. Pictures for each of the other stories are associated with their links.
KS
End Seyruun High Jinx –NEXT! Chapter 43.