silence of Nagkas interior but
as I stood alone in the Antechamber I had the feeling of being
watched. There between two big stone Cats stood a Man. He stood as
still and silent as the Cats as they sat looking down at me. His
expression was singularly serene like those on the faces of many of
Nagkas stone Gods.
“ He had black hair very
straight and long. He was darker than us but not dark like the
Natives and he did not look quite like them. His face was quite
pretty for a Man. I am ashamed to say that as I recall the
Strangers appearance in my minds eye I think critically of Daddys
sallow angular face and beak of a nose and balding pate. The Mans
face had broad cheekbones and a high brow and large almond shaped
eyes. His body was also quite magnificent. Indeed my face reddens
at the memory.
“ He wore a Sarong of white
with a heavy golden fringe. A great necklace covered his chest. It
looked like Gold. Arm rings and pearl bracelets and I think he wore
finger rings. And he wore a Gold circlet around his
forehead.”
***
Mac sat facing the pantry door. I got
his little bowl, took it in the pantry and measured out a half cup
of kibble, then put it on the floor near the back door for him. The
doorbell rang, startling me. I used the remote control to turn the
TV off, slid the journal in the shelf under the table where I keep
telephone directories, and gave Jack and Mel a stern look. “I need
my wits about me, guys, so don’t distract me.”
“ Oh ye of little faith. . .
.” Jack intoned.
I didn’t check my gun or my appearance
as I went in the hall and to the front door. I know what I look
like and my gun was a reassuring weight beneath my shirt. I also
knew where my heart was: lodged in my throat like a lump of day-old
bread.
I paused in the hall,
wondering at my reaction to the woman. Sure, having my mind messed
with frightened me, but she freaked me out before that, from the
moment she faced me in Royal’s living room. And why the hell did I
take a case when the clients scared the life out of me? My gut said we should get as far from Gia Sabato
and Daven Clare as possible. We shouldn’t have taken this case. We
did not even discuss a fee, unless this was something else Royal
took upon himself.
But if Rio Borrego was in trouble, if
he’d just disappeared as they claimed, he needed help. I’d never
turned away from anyone who needed my help.
I should suppress my qualms and
concentrate on Rio Borrego. I pulled in a breath, let it out, and
opened the door.
Gia Sabato stood on the porch in
profile as she looked off north. She had changed into
straight-legged peach pants, a long-sleeved ecru sweater and peach
stiletto shoes. She knew how to coordinate and her huge amber
earrings, pendant and half a dozen bracelets were frosting on the
cake. Although the sun had almost set, she wore gigantic
sunglasses.
I opened the door and swept my hand in
a welcoming gesture. “Please come in.”
She took off the sunglasses and tucked
them in a pocket as she stepped in. “Thank you.”
I led the way to the kitchen. Mac had
shoved his bowl to the middle of the room in his efforts to get
every last morsel. He looked up at us and made a sound I had never
heard from him before, kind of a cross between a snarl and a
whimper. Then he backed away until his rear bumped the back door.
This was a first.
All hell broke loose.
Mel shrieked a cry of rage and zipped
across the kitchen straight at Gia. She stopped inches from the
woman and yelled in her face. “What the hell are you doing in
here?”
Jack joined Mel, staring at Gia, who
looked through them obliviously.
“ Get out!” Jack snarled
“This is our home. You don’t belong here.”
Alarmed, I almost spoke to them, but
stopped myself just in time.
“ Don’t you stand there and
ignore me!” Mel yelled. She jabbed a finger at Gia and waved it
under her nose. “Just who do you think you are, barging in here
like you own the place?”
My friends were out of their
as I stood alone in the Antechamber I had the feeling of being
watched. There between two big stone Cats stood a Man. He stood as
still and silent as the Cats as they sat looking down at me. His
expression was singularly serene like those on the faces of many of
Nagkas stone Gods.
“ He had black hair very
straight and long. He was darker than us but not dark like the
Natives and he did not look quite like them. His face was quite
pretty for a Man. I am ashamed to say that as I recall the
Strangers appearance in my minds eye I think critically of Daddys
sallow angular face and beak of a nose and balding pate. The Mans
face had broad cheekbones and a high brow and large almond shaped
eyes. His body was also quite magnificent. Indeed my face reddens
at the memory.
“ He wore a Sarong of white
with a heavy golden fringe. A great necklace covered his chest. It
looked like Gold. Arm rings and pearl bracelets and I think he wore
finger rings. And he wore a Gold circlet around his
forehead.”
***
Mac sat facing the pantry door. I got
his little bowl, took it in the pantry and measured out a half cup
of kibble, then put it on the floor near the back door for him. The
doorbell rang, startling me. I used the remote control to turn the
TV off, slid the journal in the shelf under the table where I keep
telephone directories, and gave Jack and Mel a stern look. “I need
my wits about me, guys, so don’t distract me.”
“ Oh ye of little faith. . .
.” Jack intoned.
I didn’t check my gun or my appearance
as I went in the hall and to the front door. I know what I look
like and my gun was a reassuring weight beneath my shirt. I also
knew where my heart was: lodged in my throat like a lump of day-old
bread.
I paused in the hall,
wondering at my reaction to the woman. Sure, having my mind messed
with frightened me, but she freaked me out before that, from the
moment she faced me in Royal’s living room. And why the hell did I
take a case when the clients scared the life out of me? My gut said we should get as far from Gia Sabato
and Daven Clare as possible. We shouldn’t have taken this case. We
did not even discuss a fee, unless this was something else Royal
took upon himself.
But if Rio Borrego was in trouble, if
he’d just disappeared as they claimed, he needed help. I’d never
turned away from anyone who needed my help.
I should suppress my qualms and
concentrate on Rio Borrego. I pulled in a breath, let it out, and
opened the door.
Gia Sabato stood on the porch in
profile as she looked off north. She had changed into
straight-legged peach pants, a long-sleeved ecru sweater and peach
stiletto shoes. She knew how to coordinate and her huge amber
earrings, pendant and half a dozen bracelets were frosting on the
cake. Although the sun had almost set, she wore gigantic
sunglasses.
I opened the door and swept my hand in
a welcoming gesture. “Please come in.”
She took off the sunglasses and tucked
them in a pocket as she stepped in. “Thank you.”
I led the way to the kitchen. Mac had
shoved his bowl to the middle of the room in his efforts to get
every last morsel. He looked up at us and made a sound I had never
heard from him before, kind of a cross between a snarl and a
whimper. Then he backed away until his rear bumped the back door.
This was a first.
All hell broke loose.
Mel shrieked a cry of rage and zipped
across the kitchen straight at Gia. She stopped inches from the
woman and yelled in her face. “What the hell are you doing in
here?”
Jack joined Mel, staring at Gia, who
looked through them obliviously.
“ Get out!” Jack snarled
“This is our home. You don’t belong here.”
Alarmed, I almost spoke to them, but
stopped myself just in time.
“ Don’t you stand there and
ignore me!” Mel yelled. She jabbed a finger at Gia and waved it
under her nose. “Just who do you think you are, barging in here
like you own the place?”
My friends were out of their
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