"Feliz cumpleaños a ti!
Feliz cumpleaños a ti!
Feliz cumpleaños a Miguel!
Feliz cumpleaños a ti!"
Michael grinned bashfully, looking out from under his lashes at the few gathered round. "Muchas gracias," he told them shyly.
There was a wide assortment of people in attendance, Carl noted. They had all gathered for the noon meal in one of the larger kitchens to wish the young boy a happy birthday. Taddeo and Jinette were seated not far from where Michael was smiling happily. One of the head cooks had even baked a batch of cookies for the occasion. This event was more elaborate than any birthday celebration in the recent past, though it only consisted of a large gathering and cookies. All were painfully aware of how close the youth had come to missing his eleventh birthday, and gave the day special notice.
Michael grinned, finished speaking with Gaspar, and caught sight of something – someone – slipping out the door. Curious, he made his way to the doorway and peeked out, seeing the dark-clad man turning a corner and disappearing from sight.
The boy darted forward, calling out, "Wait!"
He skidded around the corner and nearly collided with the tall figure. Weathered hands caught the boy's shoulders, steadying him. Michael looked up into the expressionless face of the Vatican's most renowned – and most feared – hunter.
He took a deep breath, but the other spoke before he had a chance to fully recover himself from his headlong dash down the corridor.
"Feliz cumpleaños, Miguel." There was a slight pause while the youth found himself the subject of the hunter's gaze. "They will be missing you in the kitchen, Michael," the dark man said. His voice was surprisingly gentle for such an intimidating personage, the words warm. Part of Michael knew that he should be afraid, for after all, this hunter was the most wanted man in Europe and dangerous beyond comprehension.
"Gracias, señor," was what he said instead.
The dark head tilted, a brow raising in surprise. "What for, youngling? It is I who should be thanking you, for your help on my last assignment."
"For your kind wishes on my birthday," Michael said. He took a deep breath. "And for -"
"Ah! There you are!"
The youth jumped, twisting in surprise, but the hunter merely lifted his gaze. Gaspar moved down the hall toward them, the smile on his face fading as he saw who the boy was speaking to.
"Van Helsing," he nodded, making an attempt to be civil if only for Michael.
"Gaspar." The hunter's voice was filled with grim humor.
"Come, Michael," Gaspar forced a smile for his young charge. "The others will be missing you."
"But -"
The youth looked back at Van Helsing, who murmured, "Go, youngling."
Gaspar frowned at the hunter over Michael's head, but Gabriel stood his ground as Michael glanced back toward the kitchen. "Are you coming as well?" he asked Gaspar somewhat uncertainly.
Gaspar never took his eyes from the hunter. "No, child," he quietly responded. "I need to speak with Van Helsing."
Michael nodded and turned the corner, but before he could go very far he was overcome by curiosity. Creeping into the shadow of a low-hanging tapestry, Michael listened with all his might to the low conversation taking place in the adjoining hallway.
"What did you say to the boy?" A deep growl, menacing in the ominous threat contained therein. Michael shivered at Gaspar's anger.
"I wished him well on his birthday. I thanked him for aiding us not long ago. Nothing more." There was a strange tone to the hunter's words, at once both a balm and unspoken rebuke.
Someone touched Michael's shoulder gently, and he jerked in shock, whirling with wide eyes to see who had caught him eavesdropping on his elders. Carl smiled at him, and seemed about to say something when a loud voice around the corner interrupted. The friar's face drew into a frown, but the words froze him in place. He held a finger to his lips, and Michael met his eyes with a nod.
"I want your team to leave tomorrow, at your earliest convenience."
Carl's grey eyes narrowed, flicking to the corner. When his gaze returned to Michael however, he smiled wryly. The two had missed something when Carl first came upon the boy, but the subject of their discussion was now clear.
"And who will be accompanying me?" Gabriel asked tersely, the question capturing their attention and returning their focus to the conversation taking place just out of sight.
"Carl." The friar next to Michael seemed to relax slightly, but the next statement issued from Gaspar's mouth dispelled whatever calm he might have attained. "And Lamar as well."
Carl muttered something under his breath that might have been obscene, but Michael was too concentrated on the hunter's reply to pay him much mind.
When it came, however, it was not what he had expected. "Very well."
Apparently the friar had also expected a more strident resistance. Carl frowned, and looked as if he was going to say something, but Michael tugged at his sleeve and the auburn-haired man shut his mouth with a snap.
"Are you returning to the party?" Gabriel's voice was slightly louder than the norm.
The two eavesdroppers froze.
The short pause was long enough for visions of discovery and shame to whirl through Michael's brain, long enough for Carl to come up with a suitable excuse for when the head of the Order rounded the corner and tripped over the two people crouched there.
"No," Gaspar responded, the suspicious look he must surely have leveled on the hunter plain in his voice. "I have business to attend to. See that you do not go near the boy in the future."
"I am quite aware that his road lies along a different path than mine," Gabriel retorted.
The noise of footsteps fading into the distance was cause enough for the boy and the friar to sag in relief.
"You can come out now," came the hunter's amused voice.
Michael gasped and jumped, while Carl let out a startled, "Ah!"
The hunter turned the corner and grinned at the friar, who scowled at him, panting in an attempt to regain his breath. "How long have you been hiding there?"
"I never left, señor," Michael confessed. Deception did not sit well with the lad, as was clear from his countenance.
"Curiosity is never something to be embarrassed of, Michael," the hunter responded seriously. "You must only be careful when and how you give in to it. You may hear something you will not like. Sometimes, information is held back from us for our own protection, or that of others."
"I understand," Michael whispered miserably.
The hunter suddenly smiled. "It's healthy to be curious. There's no need for your shame," he said comfortingly.
Carl huffed, glaring at his friend. "And when were you going to tell me that Lamar was joining us on this little . . . expedition?"
"When we were boarding the boat for Boston tomorrow morning," the hunter replied in all gravity. A tiny smile twitching at the corner of his mouth told Michael that he was teasing the friar, and the boy lifted both hands to hide his grin.
Casting a judicious eye on the hunter, Carl muttered, "No doubt."
Michael and Gabriel watched his irritating pacing in amusement, until finally Carl turned to them and snapped, "I don't see what's so entertaining!" His fury was quite real, and all the more potent in that it was based from circumstances out of his control.
Gabriel sobered immediately, pushing off the tapestry against which he was leaning, to approach his friend.
"I don't see how you can just . . . go along with this!" Carl snapped, grey eyes blazing. "It's quite clear that Gaspar is keeping watch over your every move! Why don't you go to Jinette? Fight this, dammit!"
"What good could that possibly do?"
Gabriel's calm, reasonable tone only incensed the friar further. Carl could only see the perceived passivity Gabriel displayed. "It would get Gaspar off your back, and out of our affairs!"
"For how long?" the hunter cut in swiftly. "For Jinette's lifespan? And what would you do after, Carl, branded as political enemy to the head of the Order?"
"Me? What about -"
"He can do nothing to me. He is only human, after all." Gabriel sounded almost sad. "No, Carl, if I were to fight this it would cause a rift within the Order, one which would divide us in the face of the evil we fight. You know what I am. I cannot take control of the Order, even to save it from itself. I am forbidden. Besides, this is not an issue of power. It is clear that he is simply trying to see how far his control extends, to what degree he can safely act in his new role."
"Than what is the heart of this, then?" Carl demanded. Michael could see his confusion, could see that it was bleeding into despair.
"Respect." The answer was quietly voiced, and even more quietly received. "Gaspar is now the head of the Order. In that capacity, despite my personal feelings, he deserves the respect of the station he commands; the responsibility he bears demands such from me.
"Gaspar is not an evil man, Carl. He may be misguided; truth be told, I do not know him anywhere near well enough to be a judge on his character, nor has he been in position long enough for me to be justified in taking such liberties. The fact remains that he is new to his position, and he does not trust me. I have given him little cause to do so, if truth be told. He is concerned, and yet he is forced into leaving this disturbing situation in my hands, which he is understandably uncomfortable with. He knows that your sympathies lie with me, and all he can do to hope that he may have some influence on the situation is send someone with us whom he knows to be loyal and who shares his views. He is rather powerless, in reality.
"But when all these factors are distilled into truth, the only truth of any consequence is that he bears a heavy burden for one so young. Why should I add to it, if I could lighten it? After all, Lamar's presence is not too great of a trial."
The hunter's words of wisdom were met with silent contemplation. Carl sighed, finally, not looking at his friend as he said, "Other men's crosses are not my crosses."
Gabriel snorted, and said something pointedly vulgar.
Carl started, and Michael's eyes widened, preceding a small grin.
"If ever I meet the fool who uttered that last, I'll -" noting his audience, the hunter paused. "Never mind," he finished curtly. "To a point, you are right. But think on this – the story of the Good Samaritan was included in the Bible for a reason."
Carl ran a hand through his hair, glancing down at Michael as he tilted his head meaningfully toward the hunter and murmured, "I do not know if I will ever accrue that much forbearance. But I will try."
"Just try." Gabriel smiled at them, and something different from anything Michael had ever seen gleamed in his eyes. His breath caught – no, he had seen something like this before, once, when the Lady had appeared to him – and as soon as the thought manifested, he glanced at the hunter again.
But whatever otherworldliness that had shone in the hunter was gone.
"So we leave tomorrow?" asked Carl, giving Gabriel a considering glance and drawing Michael's attention away from what he had just seen.
"Yes." A wary pause gave birth to Gabriel's next statement. "What is it?"
"You know, I don't believe I've ever heard you say so much at one time before?"
"Carl!"
The friar snickered, and Michael giggled. Gabriel's affronted look melted into a half-smile.
"You are truly departing tomorrow, señores?" Michael asked solemnly. The two men nodded, somewhat hesitantly, and the boy smiled. "I will pray for you."
(-(-(-(-(-(
June has arrived, and as promised, the update. I will move from character development to action soon, I promise!