(Continued from part 1
“For what, sitting?” said Casey, grinning. “So what’s the scoop, kid? Why were they after you?”
“I love chocolate. Chocolate is good. We don’t have no chocolate, no chocolate from where I am from. And you helped me. And I want to give you something, a present.”
The boy produces a foreign coin or token, the size of a silver dollar, but much shiner, and places on the table. The side you see shows two moons and a huge canal in the midst of what could be a desert or a wasteland.
“Show it to my friend, Dr Maslow, if you’re in trouble. He’ll know you’re my friends, and help you. I want to go now”
Digger steps in: “Dr Mazlo. Isn’t he that dentist over on third? Nice enough guy, keeps giving me toothbrushes though. Doesn’t make alot of sense. I mean, if the damned things worked, he’d be out of business.”
Digger puts as much cream into his coffee as the cup will allow and sugar until it wont dissolve any more.
“No, not that doctor, This Doctor Maslow works in Physics. He might have a job, a good job for you. Tough job but rewarding. And I can’t tell you much more. It’s nothing illegal, that I can tell. But I cannot tell you more. I promised. Oh, and he lives in Polyphemus Street; that’s in Concordia… Now, I must be going. It’s dangerous for you, and really dangerous for me… and for where I come from. “
“…Don’t you believe in answering questions?” Casey asked the boy, somewhat annoyed. Surely letting them know why they were chasing him was the least he could do, after all. “Sorry, I made a promise. I can’t tell much more. Please, I must go now”
Addie reaches out and picks up the small coin, twisting it this way and that in her fingers. Its a pretty piece and she halfway wonders how much she could just make by selling it. But she’s not yet reached her weekly quota, and she needs money, so instead she palms it and says.
“I’ll make sure to go ‘an talk to him, and any of the others who want to come as well.”
“Eh, I’ll come along,” said Casey. “Might just be useful.”
“I could use a break from the daily grind and I think you all could use a steadying hand in your zeal. Let’s go see the doc.”
“Well it looks like most of us are in.” She says tucking the coin into the small cloth pouch she keeps hanging from her belt. “So you’ve kept a bit of your promise I suppose.”
“Well, I’m in too!” Rodric replied. “These folks may just need some swindling charm.”
7:30 PM OCTOBER, the 16th, at the Midnight Café
As you are examining the token, the strange boy slips away from sight. You try to look for him to no avail. Then, — after you pay your dues: it’s 5 cents for tea, 5 cents for a bagel, 15 cents for chocolate , coffee “with lots of cream and sugar” is 30 –, you walk down through the staircase to the hall. Rain and hail are still pouring with the full strength of a storm. A distant thunder breaks the sounds of the city.
“Sure you want go out?”, the reception boy says, “You may stay for the night, here, if you want. Master Jones have just told me you could sleep here, if the storm keeps like that.”
Addie makes sure to leave the exact change for her drink on the table a dime and single nickle, neatly stacked next to her empty coco saucer. She is mostly dry by now she has to dare the rain again, because Uncle expects her home, and she’s already hours late, and she doesn’t want to catch even more flack for her “impropriety”. So when the boy asks if she’ll stay she simply smiles and shakes her head no. As she is securing her hat again, the girl turns to her new gaggle of friends.
“I’ll meet you tomorrow, next to the crooked streetlamp, okay! Don’t be late, this is almost like an adventure!” and then is gone off into the night.
William waves goodbye to Addie before turning to the reception boy. “That’s real kind of Master Jones,” he says with a smile. “We’d be drowned before we got halfway back to the Lodge! I’ll take him up on the offer!” He turn to the remaining boys. “Are you guys staying too?”
Rodric sets the change onthe table, 15 cents taking a reasonable chunk ou of his pocket money.
He then decides to stay here to wait out the storm.
Casey put two dimes down on the table. “…Eh, I’d best sleep here somewhere. No point in going out in that.”
To Addie 8:30 PM OCTOBER, the 16th, at Addie’s
Darkness have already fallen when you finally get home. And yet a worse darkness is to fall, because, after you knock at the door, your aunt’s,reply could not be any crueler.
“It’s late, too late, you’ve been messing with boys, have you? You know what? Keep messing with them tonight, see if this rain teaches you a lesson. And don’t you dare come back until the day after tomorrow. Goodbye, precious good-for-nothing!”
Addie stares at the closed wooden door of her Aunt and Uncles house, and feels her lips curl up into a silent snarl of rage. She says nothing, doesn’t pound on the door or cry, she knows that sort of thing wont get any reaction save for a good slap. So she simply turns and huddles into herself, and heads down the street towards a small abandoned shop. She can usually squeeze herself in between the boards and curl up under the stairs, and while it might be damp and cold its better than nothing, and she even has ratty blanket she could curl under if she needed to.
To Casey, Rodrick and William
8:30 PM OCTOBER, the 16th, at the Midnight Café
Realizing the storm was not going to get any better, the patrons of the Midnight Café have slowly gone away. It’s only you, and the staff who remain; they are working to clean up and finish the day and you join up.
Tired, but after having gained a few new friends, the reception boy, Edvin, by name leads you to a small, cozy room in the third level, with two small beds.
“You boys share this one. Somebody will be sleeping on the floor, I’m afraid, but with a quilt it won’t be too bad, I hope.”
Once the boy leaves, Rodrick turns to Casey “So now you’re a boy?”
“I shall take the floor, while I let the lady have a bed. Unless she’d like to share…?” Rodrick asks, quite courteusly. He seems generously concerned about what she would like.
Casey shrugged. The confusion, as far as she was concerned, was the boy’s problem, not hers.
“I’ll take the floor,” she said. “Ain’t a reason for both of yez to sleep on it when there’s a bed. With th’ quilt, it’s better digs than I’ve been having, anyway.”