Agents of the Demiurge by Brian Blose

said. “My friend is . . . more distinguished than this
fisherman.”
    Abner screwed his face up. “What do you mean
by that?”
    “I mean my words to be an insult. You have
wasted my time.” Torrik placed one hand on the knob of his walking
stick and waited for the pale stranger to make a move.
    Fool he may have been, but the white man had
a functional sense of self preservation. After an awkward pause, he
vanished back into the crowd without another word. Torrik finished
his bowl of fish soup and left the village. He had lost the trail
of the other Observers.
    But not for long. Now that he knew they
existed, the world was not large enough to prevent him from finding
them.
     
     

Chapter 10 – Hess / Iteration 145
    Elza hadn't
answered his calls, so when she arrived with her parents, she froze
at the sight of Jerome. “Who is this?”
    Hess snapped his fingers impatiently at
Jerome. “I hired Lilly to prepare dinner. Her father is Jerome . You remember Jerome, right?”
    The two women exchanged the slightest of
nods. “Of course I remember Jerome,” Elza said.
    “I admire your charity,” Elza's father said,
“but perhaps you should have the woman mow your lawn instead of
letting her around food.”
    “Walter!”
    “Oh, don't lecture me, Yolanda. I have given
plenty to the pale community. And my point is valid. Even if you
trust this woman not to eat the food she's paid to serve, she
hardly looks the type to know fine dining.”
    Hess forced a smile. “I understand your
concerns, Walter,” he said. “But I know her father to be a tireless
worker. Lilly's appearance is due to a genetic condition.”
    Walter chuckled. “Would that happen to be a
predilection for heroin?”
    “Her body doesn't produce an enzyme required
to digest starches.” Hess flashed a big smile. “But some people
have a predilection for mischaracterizing others based on
appearance.”
    “I keep a reliable chef on retainer,” Walter
said. “I don't recall his name at the moment, but he works at the
Iris. Excellent chef. If I'd known you were so desperate, I would
have financed your dinner.”
    Yolanda shot a stern glare at her husband at
the same moment that Elza fixed her level gaze on Hess. He cleared
his throat. “Tell me, Walter, what is it you do with all your free
time?”
    “I'm a gentleman, Jed. In addition to helping
unapologetic social climbers gain connections, I do quite a bit of
charity work.”
    Yolanda nudged her husband with an elbow to
the ribs, which managed to silence him. While Walter was old money,
Yolanda came from ancient money and by all accounts could not abide
boorish behavior. She smiled at Hess. “Everything smells delicious.
We have been looking forward to sitting down with you for quite
some time now. Dear Theora has never been so enamored of a man as
she is of you.”
    The conversation veered off into the
territory of who was marrying whom, who had recently born a child,
and who was pursuing elected office. Jerome served them sparkling
wine while they casually chatted about the people they knew,
dropping names with careless abandon.
    When they moved to the table a quarter of an
hour later, Yolanda brought up the annual picnic sponsored by the
congregation and suggested everyone present volunteer for the
planning committee. The meal went down well, with Walter
restraining himself to a single backhanded compliment, noting that
hiring a pale-skinned woman to cook a poorer cut of meat was
wise.
    Hess leaned over to tap Elza's elbow. Dessert special for you.
    Her quizzical expression morphed into delight
when Jerome set their bowls before them. Walter frowned at the
pudding. “What is it?”
    “Dessert.”
    “What is it made from?”
    “Bananas.”
    Walter poked his spoon at it. “What did your
pale cook do with the bananas?”
    “Actually,” Hess said, “I made this course
myself.”
    Yolanda lifted her spoon to him in salute.
“Very impressive, Jed. I have always considered cooking akin