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John felt a hand on his arm.
“Please, stand up and turn around,” the woman said.
She took her hand off, and he did as she bid. She took his arm again.
“Please follow me,” she said as she led him out.
They walked out the door, and up the winding stairs. She rapped a special knock on the door John knew led outside this darkness. The door opened slowly, giving them enough time to clear out of its way.
John kept his eyes closed as he walked into the light, and opened them slowly to allow them adjust to the light.
The six men were still there, they stood around the room. The woman was beside him, she had dropped her hand from his arm as they walked in here. She signaled to the men and they fell into formation. Four of them walking before them and the remaining two taking the rear.
They walked out of the house. The beauty of the house which had held John’s attention before, wasn’t able to do so now. He was drained in some way and a heavy burden was on his mind. A burden even he could not define. Was it the revelations, or just the fact that through his possible actions or inactions, a god would still take over his world.
Or that would pass to the next instrument, some centuries or millennia from now.
They reached the car, the woman stepped in. John looked at her before he also stepped in. It looked like he was not the only one who carried a burden. Her lips was pressed tight, her eyes had little life in them, almost like those of the men who escorted them.
The car drove of out the courtyard.
“I hope your curiosity was well sated,” the woman said after a while.
John didn’t say anything to that.
She took a deep breath. “I wish you good luck.”
John waited, then he said. “You too, Sawara.”
Her answer was a small smile.

*

Aina had climbed up a very tall tree a good distance from the place the car had drove into. With the garment, it was ridiculously easy.
She had a binoculars with her. It was equipped with high grade, night vision, allowing her a clear view of the courtyard and its buildings from her position.
It also allowed her to see the men patrolling the place with their military grade weapons.
“No satellite image. There is something blocking the imaging. So what do you see?” Shuwa asked.
“It looks like military,” Aina replied her.
“There is no military installation here.”
“I didn’t say there was one. It might be someone with military protection, or military trained bodyguard. Someone important.”
“Give me a moment, let me check,” Shuwa told her.
She was silent for some time. Then she said. “There is a seal on the information about the property. We will have to go to a office of the ministry of homes to access that information. There is no military protection or any information about it.”
Aina knew Shuwa was annoyed about not getting the information she wanted. “So my earlier guess about it being someone important is correct?” Aina asked.
“It is plausible.”
“We missed the occupants of the cars. I can see them were they are parked.”
“Please don’t tell me we are waiting for them,” Shuwa said.
“I hate to tell you this, but we are waiting for them,” Aina told her.
Shuwa groaned. “For how long? What if they never come back, and someone is being dismembered somewhere down there?”
“Now that you say it. We might have to go check it out.”
“I am not following you in there. No way I am.”
“We might not have to. Something tells me they will come back,” Aina said.
“That something had better be right.”
An hour had passed before they came out. Aina had kept her eyes on the compound, and she quickly noticed them. She did a quick headcount, and also checked each face. They were all present. Her focus was on the man and woman who walked by each other. The man appeared oblivious to his surrounding, and there was still that feeling she had, that she had seen him somewhere before.
She waited till they had all entered the car and drove out of the gate before she alerted Shuwa.
She zipped down the tree and ran in the direction of their car.
Shuwa joined her in the car and they drove after the two vehicles.

*

They drove to a stop at the place they took John from.
“We are back to where it all started,” Sawara said, “this is as far as we can take you.”
“Thank you, I can find my way from here,” John said.
He almost got out of the car then paused, before asking. “How did you find him?”
Sawara looked him over. “I didn’t find him. He found me.”
John nodded. “I was found too,” he said. “Goodbye.”
He got out of the car and closed the door. The car drove off.
He went into one of the nightclub to wait while the taxi he requested for arrived. It was past midnight already.

*

Aina and Shuwa watched as the car stopped at the place it had picked the man from.
Shuwa had guessed it would stop there after watching the directions the car took. They had been able to take a different route that got them here faster.
They watched as the man got off from the car before it drove off. Also as he went into the nightclub after checking something on his phone.
Shuwa had been able to use the camera near him to check what he did on the phone, and they saw when he requested for a taxi from one of the taxi companies.
“This might be nothing, you know? It might just be something random we happened upon. Let us get some rest before we burn ourselves out,” Shuwa said.
“Let us see where he ends up at. We will know what to do after that.”
“We have a very good lead, or have you forgotten that?” Shuwa asked.
“No. See what you can do about that. I will keep a watch out for him.”
Shuwa got to work. Aina watched out for the man. When the taxi arrived and the man got in, she carefully trailed the taxi with Shuwa helping her track it.

Chapter Fifteen

John came around after . . . he wondered how long he had been out. His brain wanted to break out of his head, and the skull looked like the only thing keeping it in.
He groaned, his nerves were burning. He felt sweat break out on his skin, yet the room was cold. He heard a barely audible groan, somewhere to his left. That must be the woman, he doubted the one who was behind this would ever do something like that.
His mind went of its own will to the vision he was recently shown. Whatever this being was, definitely wouldn’t do such a thing. He also remembered its other and the agreement they had come to. Avada Akudaya. He wondered what it meant, and if it was wise to ask this being. Whatever it was.
The being seemed to be reading his thought, or it was the fact that his groan and that of the woman had alerted it to their awakened state. “Welcome back to the land of the conscious. Shall I begin to answer your numerous questions?”
He waited, then continued without waiting for their answer. “Sister and I had our different ideology, and it has always been the bone of contention between us. Neither of us would bow to the other, but when it comes to a fight my sister takes a step back.
“We had to find a way to solve the problem at hand, or one of us would have to forcefully evict the other from the planet. A disastrous action, if that is ever tried. So we came to the very wise solution. Avada Akudaya.”
The being said no word after that. John was sure it would say nothing further, or explain what it meant by Avada Akudaya. John had a suspicion he knew what those words meant. He had resigned to ask the being to continue, when the woman spoke.
“Lord,” she said. She was taking deep loud breaths.
“Sawara, what bothers your mind?” the being asked. The cool amusement was back in its voice.
“Is Avada Akudaya the one you have tasked us to search for, Lord?” Sawara asked.
John waited for the answer to the question. He was very interested in the answer.
“It is, Sawara,” the being answered.
That answer confirmed John’s suspicion.
“Let me tell you about Avada Akudaya and all it entails. Those two words mean both the person and the agreement we came to.
“Avada Akudaya is that person who in more than fifteen generations will be very hard to find. They are very rare, and before my sister and I came to our agreement they happened to be the ones among our most ardent followers who could channel our might. That is just a little of what they are capable of, and their powers still pass down in diluted amounts to their direct descendants. Their powers come in diverse forms and strength, and the one we agreed upon was even rarer than any other. There can only exist one at a time, and many generations before a recurrence.
“These ones can not only channel our powers, no, they take us in our entirety. As such, we can become a god living amongst men in a man’s body. Their bodies are capable of living forever, when it takes in our spirit.”
The being stopped. No one spoke for the moment of that pause.
“What we agreed upon after millennia of disagreement was to come to an accord neither of us could back out of. Avada Akudaya. It has been the way our kind settled our differences in matters such as this, when no one could come to an agreement on how to rule a domain or share it. It does not matter how many participants there are, there is only one winner.
“Our agreement was to leave the people of this planet to do as they desired, with no direct influence from us. The only way we could influence events was through the little followers we kept for ourselves, such as the two of you. Even then it was subtle, the humans did most of the work themselves.
“What our followers mostly did was search for the Avada Akudaya. Sometimes they are successful, most times they are not. The Avada Akudaya living their whole undisturbed life till they died. And in the times they are successful in finding the Avada Akudaya, two things either happen. Either one of them causes the death of the Avada Akudaya, to prevent the other faction from winning or one faction wipes the other out which prevents them from claiming the Avada Akudaya.
“When that happens, I told you how rare they are, it is a very long wait that ensues. One where we both have no choice but to prepare for the next one. There are limitations imposed by our agreement. One of them is that we cannot see the Avada Akudaya ourselves. It also prevents us from directly killing our followers amongst many other things. That is the story of how you both found yourselves the instrument of beings greater than you, doing their will, and searching for something you previously had no understanding of.”
John broke the silence after a short while, and asked a question. “Why could either of you not have taken the Avada Akudaya when you could find them yourself, and controlled the world a long tile ago, instead of fighting for that long?”
“There is honor amongst our kind and it is not just a word. It is something we hold dear. Not even the most devious or the craziest amongst us could have done such a thing without the agreement of all parties. It is something impossible to do, it cannot be used that way without the agreement.”
John nodded, but only he and the being knew he did.
“I am sure I have satisfied your curiosity as you have mine. I wasn’t sure what you were before but now I know. Farewell.
“Sawara, escort our guest outside and make sure you take him back to where you met him.”
“Yes, Lord,” she said.

The woman walked forward, her pace steady, into the doorway. John followed behind her, and as he entered the door closed behind them. Throwing everywhere into a darkness so thick, he could see nothing, not even the vaguest shape.
“Just walk forward with me,” the woman said as John felt her hand on his arm.
He did as she bid. She guided him through the hallway, down the winding stairs, then another hallway, till they entered into a room by through a door the woman opened.
The room was as dark as the way they came through, but to John it felt very different. The woman stopped some distance into the room and waited. He marveled at how she had been able to navigate through the way here in the darkness.
“Sawara,” a voice said. The voice boomed from every corner of the room, yet John heard it as one voice rather than a multitude.
“Yes, Lord,” the woman replied.
There was a deep sigh, and John felt a crushing weight on his shoulders. He tried to shrug it off, but there was nothing on his shoulders. And the act didn’t displace anything.
“Sawara. This is the agent,” the man said. “Sister has managed to impress me again.” There was a chuckle after that.
“Yes, Lord, he is the one,” the woman, who John thought was Sawara, answered.
“Oh, Sawara. I do not mean the puny human agent. My intuition led me right this time, Sawara. This one is my sister’s only piece on the field. I touch him, the game ends. Even when the price is near at hand. She must be as desperate as I am or more than,” the voice said.
“I fear I do not understand, Lord” Sawara said.
“Then it is time for a story then. Before that,” the voice said and paused.
John felt the crushing weight increase threefold, and when the voice spoke again, John felt the full attention of the presence behind the voice. “Tell me, my sister’s favored, what do you know of the voice that whispers quietly to you?”
“Great Mother,” John muttered as he felt the continued attention of the presence.
There was another chuckle after that. “Great Mother, indeed. Sister and her flairs.”
There was a sigh. “Agent, my sister is great as is every one of our kind. But Mother? My sister nurtures nothing. Nothing of importance, nothing strong, nothing great. Her works have always been weak and deficient. They lack the ability to thrive without her. They lack resourcefulness.”
“I will disagree with you on that,” John said after the voice was done.
“There is no need to shake your head, Sawara,” the voice said.
The woman must have shaken her head, but John could not see her in the darkness. The voice had no such limitation.
“Yes, Lord,” Sawara replied.
“The kind of humans your patron wants to create are those that know peace eternal. No adversity. That is what my sister consider ideal.”
“I think,” John said, “you misunderstand your sister. I know her, and she does not hand me anything on a platter. I work it out myself.”
The voice chuckled. “How long have you known her? Thousands of years? If you have spent that long with her, I might consider you have a reasonable point,” the voice said. “Now let me tell you my story, including you, Sawara. Or let me show you.”
John felt the weight on his shoulders increase astronomically, his knees shook. He lost his footing, and ended up falling on his knees. His hands pushed against the floor, but couldn’t support him leaving him to lie prostrate on the ground, breathing heavily.

*

Two large humans stood on a mountain, looking down at two warring peoples on the plain below.
The war carried on fierce. The cries of the hopeless dying, the bloodied field, the burning, eye-watering smoke deterred them not from their raging pursuit of mutual annihilation.
From this high vantage, John found it surprising he could taste the sickening metallic flavor of blood.
“You always had to be the voice against reason,” a sweet, melodious, calm voice said.
The voice pulled John’s gaze away from the relentlessly warring people. His estimation of their size had been enormously incorrect. They could be rightly called giants, but even that word paled in describing them. He wondered how the people fighting below didn’t take cognizance of the two towering titans above them. Maybe they were blinded by their unabated bloodlust, but John doubted even that could close their eyes that much.
“My people only sought progress, yours were in the way,” a booming, monotone voice replied the first one.
John studied the two titans. One had female traits, and possessed an elegance that matched perfectly with her stature. Her features were one of unsurpassed beauty, she was the one with the melodious voice. The other one was male with a muscular form and possessed a fierce mien on a cruelly handsome face.
“They seek their progress at the expense of my people. What happened to trade,” the female said.
“Your people have much in abundance they don’t use or know how to. What is the need to batter when you can take.”
“Leave my people alone. There is much your people can take in places where there is no one to bother.
“Mine have been where they are for a long time and they have no interest to encroach beyond their lands. A land that is a pitiful amount compared to the one yours have under control,” The female bellowed, her voice like crack of whips, the calm quickly evaporating. John wondered how those below were oblivious of it.
“Calm down, sister. After settling on every land, your people will still appear like a blight on the land to my people. And they will have no choice but to clear the blight, burn it away.
“Is it not better they do it now than to wait till they are attached to the land, when they have lived long enough to build quite an illustrious culture, a long-standing history.” There was cool amusement in the voice.
“You self-centered, selfish … I gave you the vast majority of this planet to do as you please. Why do you find it hard to live peacefully with others.”
“We have lived together for a long time, with more than enough peaceful moments. Everything has its own season, even peace. This is not the season of peace.”
“What do you want, brother? Tell me.”
“Everything. Let us decide that right now.” He looked her over. She was dressed in plates of armor. “You are dressed for war.”
“Am I? You would choose a path that will easily elevate you, would you not? Give our people a fight between their patrons. I have a better and fairer way to make the decision,” the female told him.
“What is that, sister?”
“Avada Akudaya,” the female pronounced with finality.
That shut up the male for some time. “That is indeed fair. And will make it all the more satisfying to beat you at a game you are proficient at. I agree.”
“Let us pull them apart now.”
“Indeed. I can’t wait for the game to start.”
They turned to the distant plain, and John turned with them.
Suddenly, the two warring forces began to pull apart. A clear divide forming between them. Then a visible crack, growing wider, consuming the dead and hopeless dying. It grew wide enough that both people could no longer see one another, then it filled with water.
“To a new era,” the female said.
“To a new era,” the male agreed.
Then John felt himself being pulled backward, back from a vision of the past. A past long gone from human history.

Chapter Fourteen

Aina drove out of the park, driving in the direction the two cars drove at. Shuwa was already trying her best to track the cars via the cameras and satellite. Her hands were moving fast on a laptop, entering commands and trying to locate the cars.
“Have you gotten anything?” Aina asked her without taking her eyes off the road. She was trying her best to locate the two cars as there were no streetlights in this parts they were driving in now.
“Two black SUVs?” Shuwa asked.
“Yeah.”
“I think I got them. Take the next left turn.”
“Ok.”
Aina took the turn when it came, and continued on a road that got rougher as she drove on. The houses were getting few and farther from each other, with few lights from houses showing bush covered grounds surrounding them.
“Are we out of the city?” Aina asked.
“Not yet. We are still a way off, but it looks like we will be soon.”
“They are going out of the city?”
“Looks like it.”
“What is out there?”
“A lot of forest.”
“Nothing else?”
“A few houses and some cabins.”
“Maybe not a killing.”
“We can’t be so sure, detective.”
“I did not ask for your sarcasm, Shuwa. I had a hunch, and if it turns out wrong, we can try whatever idea you think up next.”
“It is a good hunch. A very good one. I just wonder if every strange late night happening in Aguna will turn out to be a good hunch.”
“Keep the philosophising for later, go get some rest. I will keep track of them.”
“Are you sure?”
“Get some rest.”
“Yes, boss.”
The road got smoother as they drove on. Tall trees and numerous shrubs bordered the straight road and there were fewer houses in sight.
“They took a turn somewhere back there,” Shuwa said as she checked the screen of the laptop.
“I know. I need to get some distance away, we will be jogging back that way.”
“I am not dressed for this. We could check it later.”
“We will change that soon,” Aina said as she parked the car and got out.
She moved to the car’s trunk and opened it. There was a large case in there. She opened it and pulled out a dark, special garment. She wore it after pulling off her former clothes. Shuwa joined her at the trunk, frowning at the garment left in the case.
“How did you get your hands on these?” She asked, a note of surprise in her voice.
“Does it matter?” Aina asked.
“I think not,” she replied.
She pulled off her clothes and replaced it with the garment.
“Put this on,” Aina said, handing her a earpiece. “I will need you to get me satellite images of that compound. I plan to watch from a high vantage point.”
“Are we infiltrating?” Shuwa asked. She pulled down the garment’s hood, which snugged tightly to her head. She fixed the earpiece in her ear, and pulled the hood back up, it snugged back in place.
Aina had already sealed up, the garment covering every part of her body, and leaving a human shaped figure behind. She could see and breathe easily through the material. Her hearing was also normal. “That might not be a very good idea, but let’s see what is in store for us. So, seal up.” Her voice was contained in the garment, but Shuwa could hear her through the similar earpiece she placed in her ear. It served the function of both a mouthpiece and earpiece.
Shuwa sealed up, then went back to the car seat to get her laptop. She returned to join Aina at the trunk, the laptop secured in a backpack already strapped to her back.
“Let’s go,” Aina said, jogging back the way they came, after locking the car.

*

John was silent all through the journey. From the moment he entered the car, he had kept his mouth shut. The woman hadn’t said anything either. She appeared to withdraw into herself as she sat beside him in the back seat of the car, her hands folded on her lap, the smile that animated her face gone. Like it was never there before.
They were the only occupants of the backseat. While John shifted at intervals to adjust himself on the seat, the woman sat motionless. John could almost think she was a statue, if not for the gentle breaths she drew in and out.
John didn’t want to dwell on the possible outcomes of his capture. Anyone who could control the resources needed to find and capture him had to have very important reasons to do so. An invite as the woman said it was seemed too innocent. John looked at her, her posture was not very reassuring.
The car was taking a turn now. They had been driving straight on the forest lined road for a while, and this turn seemed to mark what was John hoped their final destination.
The woman stiffened slightly as the car passed under the gate’s archway. She regained her composure, relaxing into the seat.
The two cars drove into the parking lot. When the driver killed the engine, the door was opened, and the woman stepped outside. The six men were standing behind her.
“Welcome to our home, Mr. Orinigba. Please, step outside. We need to properly introduce you to the master of the house,” the woman said.
John stepped outside. It was still dark, but the whole courtyard was well lit. Well lit enough to see its whole expanse, on which sat the parking lot, the buildings and the castle-like mansion that sat towards the end of the fenced courtyard.
“I will take a guess. That’s our destination,” he said, pointing at the mansion.
“Indeed. There is no need to tarry any longer. We don’t want to keep the master waiting,” she said with a smile.
“There is no need. I am curious to meet this master. Please lead the way,” John said.
Her smile faltered, but she rebounded, maintaining the smile. She inclined her head in a slight neck bow.
The men behind her seemed to take a cue from that as four of them moved forward, leading the way and leaving him alone with the woman. The remaining two men took up the rear.
He walked by the woman’s side. She kept her face straight ahead. John looked around the courtyard, scanning the whole place with his eyes. There were some armed guards patrolling the ground, and as they got closer to the mansion, he sighted some of them on the balconies.
There were two armed guards by the door when they reached the mansion, but they opened the door and parted for the four men. They were dressed in black combat uniforms. This piqued John’s interest and he wondered yet again who it was that invited him here.
They stepped into the mansions living room, a place that displayed an inordinate amount of opulence and rich décor. John was stunned.
The men led them past the fine sitting room. Moving inward, John saw an increase in the richness of the design, and a plethora of exceptional artworks. The other’s faces looked jaded compared to the awed look that must be on his face.
They entered into a room that contrasted all the rich décor and opulence that John had witnessed since entering the mansion. The room was totally plain, the wall painted a dull shade of grey, and no ornament defiled its somber look.
There was a door at the other end of the room, almost indistinguishable from the wall as they were painted the same dull shade. One of the four men leading them stepped forward and opened the door. The two taking up the rear joined the others by the door, so that they were three on either side of the door.

“Hi,” the man said. He was leaning on the wall of one of the many stores that lined the avenue. This particular one had closed for the night.
“Hi,” she replied, hesitating. Had he waited since then? She snorted silently at the absurd idea. He must have known the time she closed, but to wait this late. Didn’t he have something to keep busy. “I didn’t know you were serious about the stroll.”
“Late in the night, I know,” he replied. He was at ease with the night. Narasiwi saw that in the way he leaned on the wall, and she wondered at his calm.
“Shall we go on?” He asked.
“Where are we going? I need to go home.”
“Somewhere brighter than this,” he looked around the avenue. A good number of the shops, offices and malls had closed for the night. Affecting the place with a deserted air. “I won’t take much of your time.”
“Ok. As long as we stroll that way.” She gestured to the way that led to the bus stop.
“I have no problem with that,” he said, stretching his hand to her. “Shall we?”
She took his hand with a great deal of reservation. But she kept her doubts to herself as they walked in the direction she indicated.
At his side, she walked. On the pedestrian path, by the bright lights of businesses unready to close for the night or ever. The nightclubs called to their patrons with glaring neon lights promising a good time. Narasiwi wondered yet again if she would ever have the strength to party all night, definitely not after a day spent working morning to late night. She was always tired.

*

The lady walking by his side moved her eyes along the businesses still open for the night. Her gaze lingered on some, and barely glanced at others. They had beautiful conversations that allowed John know more about her. He reciprocated her genuine truths with as much as he could tell her about himself without actually telling a lie.
He noticed during their walk how her eyes moved along his body for a brief moment before turning away, but he decided not to comment on it.
When they were a turn from the road that led to the stop she was to take the bus home, she thanked him and told him she would walk the rest of the way.
He tried telling her he could walk the rest of the way with her, but she declined and thanked him with a wave before taking the turn and disappearing from sight.
John was at a loss for what to do. Since the girl was gone now, there were things of little importance he had left to do in this part of the city. He could either take a ride home or he looked around. Take a part of the joy around before heading home. He straightened himself, and was about heading to the more vibrant part of town when two dark SUV parked on the road beside him. Immediately ejecting six men who surrounded him.
John knew this was trouble, and it had met him this time with his back to a wall, literally, and with no escape route. The men looked at ease and very well capable of surprises he couldn’t begin to guess at. Surprises that gave them an eerie sense of calm. Yet they made no move to close in on him, they only stood in that strange way of theirs. Then a woman stepped out of the car, one heel before the other.
She stared intently at him. She had a slight smile on her face, and looked both amused and tired at the same time. John returned her gaze, an act which helped tilt her lips up the more, but there was nothing familiar about her.
“John Orinigba,” she called his name with confidence. As if she could see through the artifice he had been displaying all this while.
John decided to test how sure she was by letting a slow frown take over his face, his forehead scrunching up and his eyebrows pulling inward. “I am not who you just called, miss. I don’t know if I look like such person but you got it wrong.”
“Ah, Mr. John, we do not have the wrong person.” She was smiling fully now. “But if you want us to test the truth of that, I am sure this gentlemen here would oblige you.” She gestured at the six men, who all still stood at ease.
John relaxed his face, she seemed very sure she had the right person, which she did. And she also looked calm enough to have many a things under her sleeve to deal with anything that happened here.
John raised a brow. “You are not from the OCDA,” he said.
“An astute deduction, mister. We are neither from the OCDA, nor are we giving you to them. We also have absolutely no business with them.”
“Not much of a deduction, I have a good idea of who I would be “speaking” to if it were so.”
“Indeed. We are here for a specific reason. We need you to follow us somewhere. Someone would love to speak with you.” Her smile reduced a little.
“Why?”
“You would have to follow us to find out. I need not explain to you that the choice to follow us is not optional.” She gestured again at the men, before moving away from the car’s door and inviting him in.
John moved towards the car and asked her. “How did you find me?”
She really looked tired now, but she managed a smile before replying, “It wasn’t easy.”

*

Narasiwi was almost at the bus stop, she could see the bus still waiting there, when a hand landed on her shoulder. She jerked, her feet leaving the floor. When she regained her balance, she was few feet away from the hand and its owner, her face turned in their direction. Her eyes quickly latched onto the hand which was raised up now, palm outward. Then to the face which held a smile, short of a full gri. Then her brain caught up the data, and she couldn’t help the hiss that escaped her.
The silly girl was laughing now. Narasiwi only shook her head, and started walking forward. The girl ran after her and took hold of her hand.
“Leave me, Sarah,” Narasiwi told her, but didn’t shake her hand off.
“Calm down, can’t you take a little scare. And I didn’t even mean to,” she said.
“Really? And if you had?”
“I would have thought something more spectacular.”
“You are crazy.”
“You love me that way.”
“Who said anything about love?”
“You don’t need to say it. How was it? I saw some of the hand holding, but I had to get here quick.”
“Get here quick for what?”
“Lay in wait for you. So, how was it?”
“It was ok.”
“Ok?”
Narasiwi nodded.
“I am following you home. I must get the full event out of you.”
“You must be joking.”
“You have no idea, but…”
“But what?”
She grinned. “I am not joking. Let’s move.”
Narasiwi could only shake her head again.

Chapter Thirteen

John stood from his seat, moving away from Pallas and her increasing irritation. The past few weeks had seen her getting increasingly impatient with him.
“There is nothing I can do about it, you know that. I know that. We have to wait and hope to be in the right place.”
“You should at least do something proactive, like getting to know whoever is behind all this.”
“In that respect, there is nothing I can do. Not without going into much trouble than is needed. And … everything always finds a way to resolve itself.
The look she gave him was one doubting his sanity.
“Even you should know that.”
“You can at least find something more productive to do with your time.”
“That same topic again? There is nothing unproductive about it.”
“Do not act as if it does not matter. You understand very well, what I mean.”
“Yes, I know very well, and as I said, there is nothing unproductive about it.”
“One problem at a time, remember?”
John raised a finger up. “Yes, one problem at a time.”
“I am glad you are not losing the sense of direction behind all this.”
“How is Lola holding up?”
“You should ask Lola.”
John turned his face to the ceiling. “I am asking for your opinion of she is holding up. You know much more than I can see, or she might be willing to tell.”
“Indeed,” Pallas said, nodding her head. “You are right in that regard.”
“So…,” John said, a smile tipping his lips at the corners.
“So, with all I can see and have seen. I have come to the valid and indisputable conclusion that Lola has accepted her, what in your words, fate. The girl has taken this has, again what in your words, things that do happen. In simple terms, she will cope with it and move on.”
“Such nice words.”
“Such true words.”
The door opened, and Lola peeped in, a smile on her face.
“Hi, John,” she said, walking in and doing her best to stay clear of Pallas. “How has your morning been?”
“I have been better,” he smiled.
“Hey, robogirl, can you help me with my room? I need the place cleaned,” She said to Pallas.
“You still persist holding on to your useless childish behaviour of the past few weeks, and more important for you to know. I am not a servant.”
“Shoo, robogirl, you can’t take a joke. I just need you to give us some space. You are one too much,” Lola said.
“You know that is impossible, right,” John said, barely restraining the smile threatening to spread on his lips.
“Right,” Lola answered with a wide smile on her face, her eyes holding amusement.
John looked to where Pallas was standing, but she was gone. Lola looked over to the place and chuckled.
“Robogirl?” John asked, a false look of annoyance on his face.
“I know. She is not a robot and all that. But the inspiration just struck and even you will admit it fits.”
“I am not admitting anything.”
“If you wish not to, that’s fine by me,” she said, but John could tell she was slightly annoyed by that. “When am I getting my freedom back.”
John didn’t answer her. He instead stared away.
“Just so you know. As much as I enjoy this place, it gets boring sometimes.”
“I know.”
“You know? Great, let me follow you out then.”
John eyes narrowed at her words. “Surely you jest. We have talked about this a whole lot before. That was only a one time thing.”
“Fine.”
“Are you sure? I don’t mean to appear callous, but what you are asking for is very dangerous.”
“I said fine.”
“It is alright then. Anything you need, remember? Except that.”
She turned her back on him and walked out.
He waited some seconds, before he said. “I thought you said she was ok.”
“I said she has accepted her fate, will cope with the situation and move on,” Pallas said, appearing before him.
“Oh, I forgot the wording.”
“When will you be on your way.”
“You are pushing me out already?”
“The sooner you get out of here, the better. Anything could happen at anytime.”
“That is true.”

*

He walked into the place close to noon. There were few tables left unoccupied in the restaurant, he chose one closest to the counter. Where he was in the young lady’s sight, and she in his.
She came to his table, a pen and notepad in hand ready to take his order. He had been coming here to come take his lunch for the past few weeks, not because of the food but for the young lady who stood now by his table. She had her face set in an unwavering mask of pleasant politeness.
She took his order, and all the while she did that John never let his eyes stray from hers. Her eyes were the only that betrayed how she felt, he could not help but notice that. It gave her away especially when she was uncomfortable with something. As it did when he asked her if he could walk her to the bus stop on her way home.
John knew when she was about to politely decline his offer, and he made sure before she voiced the refusal to explain to her it was a harmless stroll.
She agreed, but he saw it was with great reluctance and a bit of resignation in her eyes. She gave a smile before leaving his table.
The meal was a pleasant affair, and when he was done, he left the restaurant uneager for another day of monitoring.

*

“What are you staring at?”
“Nothing,” she replied, turning around slowly on one foot.
She sighed, when she saw the widening smile on Sarah’s face. Her reply had been too quick, quick enough for Sarah to know she wasn’t telling the whole truth. She sighed again when she saw the triumphant grin. She should have given her answer slow.
“Tell me. Is it that man? The one you were getting all chummy with?” Sarah asked, the smile still on her face.
“I wasn’t getting chummy with anybody.” Narasiwi replied her, vexed.
“I can tell he only comes here because of you. Tell me,” Sarah said, bringing her head closer, “has he asked you out yet. It is about time, if you ask me.”
Narasiwi lips were pressed tight. “You know what? There is nothing like that.”
Sarah nodded. Like she knew all Narasiwi wasn’t saying. That vexed her more. “When he do ask you out. Remember to invite me along,” she said, adding a wink before turning her back.
“Idiot,” Narasiwi muttered gently with a smile.
The day went on, one call after another, ending with a bone tired Narasiwi who wanted nothing other than to walk to the bus stop, and go home. Ending the day in an all night sleep.

Good morning, everyone.
May we all survive this coronavirus and its aftermath.
Happy Ramadan.

“It could be. It is not too late to make it so.”

“I thought you agreed to do this.”

“I did, but I still think we should leave this to those tasked with it.”

“Are you ready to do the first part?”

She laughed. “I wonder why you can’t do it yourself?”

“You are younger and more good looking.”

“I am flattered,” she said, placing a hand on her chest.

“That is good. Can you please get to it before he leaves?”

“I thought I was having the final say here.”

“You are. And you will have to admit you are the best person for the job at hand.”

“Fine. I will do it,” she said, and stood up.

She moved to where the man was, and joined him at his table. Aina looked away from them.

She sat back in her chair. Once in a while, she would spare a glance at Shuwa and the target. Once, she waved back when Shuwa gestured at her.

Her mind mostly wandered. Troubling visions barely kept at bay, found a crack to worm through and torment her, but she had good practice suppressing them.

She thought of the last few weeks. Most of the things that happened then were beginning to throw off their dreamlike cloak, and her mind was latching on the information and little things she hadn’t had time to process. Maybe she hadn’t created the time.

This was hardly the best place or time to process them, but she was well rested and her mind was relaxed.

The most glaring fact was that John had in his possession dangerous tools, well advanced beyond what was currently possible with science. His miraculous escape from the headquarters when he was almost caught had before been confounding at best. But the technicians had found the function he used. They also found other things that surprised them, he was able to directly manipulate the functions without a terminal.

That strange ability alone would have him isolated in one of the rooms in the headquarters. Where he won’t have the chance to cause mayhem. Maybe not even there, given his ability.

And he had artifact twenty-seven with him. That significantly increased how dangerous he was.

She looked towards the table, Shuwa and the man were no longer there. They must have moved away a little while ago, as their table was just being cleared. She hoped the lead they were all following was worth it, and not just a wild goose chase in the absence of nothing better.

She looked down to the city again. The light of the day was almost gone, and streetlights were already on. A man and a young lady were walking side by side on the nearly deserted roadside. Something in the way the man walked looked familiar to her, but she couldn’t lay a finger on what it was.

Shuwa arrived and took her seat. Aina looked up at her. “How did it go?”

“He gave a good story. We were at the bar, when I dropped it in his drink. I trailed him to the restroom. He is having a nice sleep, and we got what we want,” she said, dropping a mobile phone on the table.

“Did he say anything useful? And what did you get from his own device?” She asked as she picked the phone from the table.

“Well, he talked about being hired along with a lot of others like himself to find something this,” she pointed at the phone Aina held, “alerts them to. He told me it has only done so twice and on the same day. His device contains only the program, I haven’t had the time to analyse it.”

“It acts like an antenna?”

“Yes. And also like a radar. He doesn’t know much about the way it work, but he said they could not get the location the first two times.”

“Will you analyse it now? Or we should get somewhere to lodge?”

“Let’s go somewhere with four walls around us.”

Aina’s eyes were drawn to the city and now she saw the man again. This time he was alone, two cars were parked together on the road beside him. The occupants had surrounded him in a way that left only the wall behind him to run to. A woman stepped out of the car, she raised a hand and addressed the man. After some back and forth, which Aina couldn’t hear, the man entered the car, the woman following him in.

“What do you think that was all about?”

“We have to go after those cars. Get ready.”

“Are you serious?”

“Get on it,” she said, picking up her handbag, “meet me at the park.”

“I don’t know why I still have to do as you say,” she mumbled, picking up her phone and her handbag.

“Please, just do it. I have a feeling it is important.”

“Well, I have a feeling it is a bad idea.”

Chapter Twelve

Sawara stood before the door. She stated at it, using the time to take deep calming breaths. The only reason he could have called her was the lack of expected results. She had expected the call for some time now. That she stood there staring at the door, confirmed to her she was still scared. Afraid of what he would do, do to her in his anger.

He hated fear, and being his top lieutenant she didn’t want to think of what would happen to her if he sniffed that hated emotion on her. She might not come back out whole again, if ever. And others would surely suffer for her failure. The disgrace if she never came out would be on them.

She knew all this, and staring at that door. The only physical barrier before her. She took her strength from those facts.

She picked herself up, dismissed her fears, and summoned the courage to take the one step she needed. She put her hand on the door and pushed inward.

As always, nothing could be seen beyond the door. The darkness within was the complete type. There was no variation as no light could pass beyond the door, and there was no light within.

She moved inside, and closed the door behind her. She moved well within the room. She had no need to count her steps as she moved to the place she addressed him from, she had done this more than enough times it had become a reflex.

She bowed, her back bent forward and remained so. In his presence, there was always a feeling of being crushed down. She had learnt well it was best not to test him, by struggling against the oppressive feeling.

“Lord, I come to answer your call. Whatever would you want of me, Lord, I am willing.”

“I know you are, Sawara. I asked you here to hear from you the reason you have not secured the item. To tell me how that pesky little thing is still outside there.”

It was just as she feared. She cursed the pesky little thing as he called it for not revealing itself as it had done the last two instances. “Lord, the net is at its tightest. If the item is revealed as at now, we would have no trouble securing it.”

There was the sound of a deep breath been drawn in the room. Sawara felt as if the breath was been drawn from her as the sound came from everywhere in the room. The oppressive feeling which had been manageable before, was almost crushing. She felt as if her lungs were collapsing, but she stood resolute, showing no fear.

“Wait. Wait. Wait. What other choice do I have? I will just have to be patient. The wait is almost over, and I will reap the full reward.”

“Yes, Lord.”

“I know that, Sawara. I have another reason I called you here.” He paused. “I need the man we used to break into that building. The one whose face is currently being used in another part of this nation.”

“The agent, Lord.”

“Yes, that one, Sawara. Bring him to me alive. No matter what happens, I want him here alive and whole.”

This was a very hard, almost impossible one. “Yes, Lord, I will do so.”

“Be quick about it then. You are dismissed.”

She turned and made her way to the door. She opened it, walked out with the last of her strength which was already failing her and almost collapsed before closing it behind her. She stumbled away from the door. Caught herself on the wall and lowered her body down.

This had been a taxing session, and he had made it deliberately so. She touched her nostrils with a finger and groaned at the blood she found there. It would be some time before she got her strength back. She settled herself for the wait and thought of the impossible task he had given her. She would have to whip everyone to their best and their last, and hope she still had it done before her head was the next thing he asked for.

She smiled grimly. There would be nothing left of her, at least not the recognizable part.

*

Aina and Shuwa were on the patio on the third floor of a restaurant. They both sat at one of the tables at the side facing outdoors. A position that afforded them a clear view of the bustling city below.

They had made a small list of the people to follow, and that had led them to this place. One of the people on the list was also on the patio, taking his meal.

Aina looked up from viewing the city, which was a mass of commuters and vehicles. There were those who were buying something to take home with them, whether to delight their sweethearts or their young ones, or both. The sun was setting, and this far above the ground and most other buildings in the vicinity, Aina had to concede that it was a marvellous sight.

She turned her eyes to her partner on the other end of the table. Shuwa lifted her teacup to her lips and took a gentle sip of the tea. She had a pleased smile on her face as she placed the cup on the saucer. She leaned forward, and said to Aina. “If only this were the vacation it was supposed to be.”

“Well, it is not,” Aina replied her, she kept her gaze on their target, carefully observing him.

She turned to the man again, but now he was gesturing for her to come. She moved to him.

“Good morning, dear. This place is a fine restaurant. I wonder how I haven’t discovered it a long time ago.” He shrugged. “Well, I am new to this parts.”

She wondered what to say, and settled on. “We thank you for the compliments, and hope you are satisfied with our services.”

He chuckled. “I am more than satisfied. It is not looking like I will be eating anywhere else soon.”

He looked up at her. “It looks like I saw you somewhere near here recently,” he said, looking up and trying to recall when he saw. Something Narasiwi was sure he already knew. “Ah, ah, I remember now. I think I stared a bit at you. Don’t mind my manners, I just couldn’t look away.”

He smiled at her. “No problem with that.”

“No problem. Oh my bad, please take a seat.” He gestured at one of the seats at the table.

Narasiwi shook her head. “Sorry, I am still on duty.”

He nodded, as if to show his understanding. “Best not to keep you waiting then. I am Gabriel. What about you,” he said to her with a smile on his lips.

“Narasiwi,” she replied. His smile was infectious and she could not help it tilting her lips upward.

“Narasiwi. A fine name for a fine lady.” He took something from his pocket, and gave it to her. “You can give me a call, I will love to hear that sweet voice of yours.”

She looked it over. It was a complimentary card. Gold letterings on a navy blue background. It had his name and his contact information. “I will.”

“Alright.” He stood up, pushing the seat back. “I had best be on my way. Sorry for the small tip. Goodbye.” He said, looking at her, before moving out.
She wondered at the tip he was talking about. She was about taking his plates away when she noticed it. She almost laughed at what he said earlier, about the tip being small, but she was careful not to. The tip he left there was way more than what he ate. She was sure no one tipped like this. She pocketed the two hundred Mildas.

Gently shaking her head, she took the plate away into the kitchen.

On her way back, she was accosted by her new dear friend.

“So, how did it go?” She asked, blinking innocently.

“I went to him, he complimented the food. I took his plates away, done,” Narasiwi replied, no hint of humour in her voice.

“See! You are such a bore. But we will be discussing that later. Nice card by the way, can I see it?”

“What?” Narasiwi was exasperated. She sighed, shaking her head. Sarah had a smile on her face, she realized Sarah was toying with her. “Didn’t you have something you were doing?”

“I did.” She nodded slowly. “That was watching what you did, now the card.”

Narasiwi gave it to her grudgingly. “Well made.” She looked it over then retuned it. “Did he ask you to call him?”

“What do you think?”

“Are you?”

“I am still giving it some thoughts.”

“That is fine.” She had a look on her face that signified that she was thinking, then she turned sharply to Narasiwi. “Did he tip you?”

Narasiwi had her lips squeezed together for a while before she answered. “No.”

“Are you sure?” She raised an eyebrow.

“I am.”

“I was just asking. I am not asking for a share.”

“Sarah, it looks like Mrs. Sawa is calling you.”

She looked around towards the woman’s office, then looked around slowly. “It doesn’t look like it.”

“God help me.”

*

John laid on his bed. He was the only one in the room. When he returned home that night, his sister had left for her room already, and he had not caught sight of Pallas.

He had made his way to his room. Taking a shower that soothed his real skin despite the one covering it. He had made a decision to use the skin for the duration of his current mission. He would have Pallas check it every morning before he leaves the house.

He couldn’t sleep yet, but he was well rested. Many things were running in his mind, but only one of them caught and kept his full attention. She hadn’t called, he wasn’t sure she would. But it was worth the wait, as he wouldn’t want to miss her call if it came.

He wondered at what Pallas had said. He was very sure he could not save everyone, but some he just could not pass by. It would torment him, lingering somewhere in his mind for the rest of his life. Raising its ugly head once in a while, a painful reminder. Striking at the worst moments, nothing could stir one’s guilt like it could.

He wondered at those he could not save. Those who he had the ability to help, but could not. He felt at those time, a feeling that he squandered everything he had been given.

It was not a voice that spoke to him this time, but he felt a calmness deep within. He felt a resonance with something that was larger than life, a calming depth he could drown within. Consoling and reassuring him.

After the brief but deep experience, his fears had no root. He felt them dissipating, vanishing like smoke in the face of a gale.

“You did not tell me how it went?”

“I didn’t. But I am sure you already know.”

“Something was within this place. Do you know what it was?”

“I do. You have no need to worry.”

“I would not take your word on that. But I have to know what it was.”

“Something you don’t need to worry about.”

“I am not the one to worry. You and your sister are the ones I worry for.”

“This one is benign, and not interested in any harm.”

“I see,” she said after a while.

The phone rang then. He took the call and placed the phone to his ear.

The voice that spoke was the one he was expecting.

Chapter Eleven

John sat in the underground room of his house, an almost finished drawing before him. He looked it over again, stopping the meticulous strokes of the pencil he used in creating what he believed was a masterpiece.

“What are you doing?” A voice asked from behind him.

“Drawing,” he replied.

“Of course, I know you are drawing,” the voice was sarcastic. “Just what is it you are drawing?”

“A portrait,” his tone was casual.

“Here we go again. After going out with that… sister of yours to do nothing. You come back here and the next thing you do is draw some useless portrait,” the voice said, gesturing at the drawing.

“Didn’t you like the ice cream she bought,” he said, grinning inwardly.

“Ice…,” she almost choked on the word. “Forget that, and just get your senses back. We would be in great need of that, as you are the only one of two people who can go out there. We both know the other is definitely not an option.”

“You are changing,” he said, and rested the pencil, gazing critically at his finished work. He felt pride at having made such a beauty into a masterpiece, every stroke was a perfect line contributing to the final perfection. From the first line to the last, it all came full circle.

The voice was silent for a while. “Of course, I am changing, I am ever changing, dynamic. You know that. That is a fundamental part of me.”

He shrugged. He took the paper and turned to the voice behind him. Pallas was looking deeply at him, her intense gaze meant she was performing a scan. He presented the paper to her carefully. “Help me run a search on the young woman there, every information you can get on her.”

She looked at the paper “What is the meaning of this? Why didn’t you tell me you have found what we are looking for. And how did you lose her. It is a her?” Pallas said.

He raised his eyebrows. “That was quite the leap. I have not found what we are looking for, you know that.”

She waved the paper.

“Careful,” he told her.

“Are you going after whatever you drew here because something caught your eye? Or is it that you just found your inner artist could create a person?”

He sighed. “Pallas just do as I ask.”

“I will. Have I ever done otherwise? You have something you are currently doing, just remember that before you go after this one.”

“I will. Now, kindly do as I asked.”

“Sinking ships.”

“I might just keep this one afloat.”

*

Narasiwi looked at the man who had sat at a table for about an hour. He had been served, and had taken his meal. Still he sat there, an act that was unusual for most of the restaurant’s customers who by now would have made their way to whatever business they took leave from.

Once in a while, his eyes will dart up and around, looking quickly around the restaurant. But Narasiwi was sure that she was the main reason he was looking around, as she had caught his eyes lingering faintly on her.

She wasn’t sure whether it was coincidence. Or the man had somehow tracked her here, she squashed the thought. She couldn’t think of a reason he will do such thing, especially for her. It might just be mere coincidence that he decided to eat at the restaurant she worked at today.

She looked at him again. He was alone today. The girl she saw yesterday was not with him. She had looked away the day before when she saw the girl, but the glimpse she caught of her had burned the face into her memory. She could almost feel jealous at the beautiful perfection if she could bring herself to.

Someone tapped her out of her woolgathering, cutting off the dreamy look in her eyes and causing her to start. She turned around to see Sarah taking most of her view. She wanted to turn back, not liking it that she had her back turned to the man. She probably could catch him watching her now if she turned back quick enough.

Before she could do so, Sarah held her hands forcing her to devote all her attentions to her and to the hands held. She looked up from the hands to Sarah’s face.

“What is it now?” Narasiwi asked her.

Sarah dropped her hands, and smiled. One thing she had been doing all morning when she looked towards Narasiwi. Then she winked. Narasiwi barely held herself from rolling her eyes. “I don’t know what you have on our customer there, but keep the staring down,” she said.

Narasiwi stared into her eyes then quickly darted her eyes about, but none of the staff seems to be looking their way.

“I am just telling you before they start to notice,” Sarah said. “And sneak a look like this, we don’t Mrs. Sawa calling you in,” she said, glancing at Narasiwi sideways.

“Don’t you have something doing?” Narasiwi asked her, annoyed at being caught and having it rubbed in her face.

“Of course, I do. I just couldn’t pass without helping you out. And what about you?” she creased her brows, then eased it, taking a false breath of relief. “You were doing a real staring job, keep it up,” she said, grinning.

Narasiwi felt like kicking her and at the same time just smiling and turning her back. “Just go do what you want to do. I don’t have your time right now.”

She looked behind Narasiwi, “I don’t doubt that,” she said, still smiling.

Narasiwi put a hand to her head. “Just go away already.”

“Alright. Anyway it goes, just let me know,” she said.

Narasiwi only glared at her before turning away. She felt a pinch but decided wisely not to turn back. Sarah soon left after. Something she was grateful for, as her mind was too preoccupied to enjoy her new friend’s antics. She didn’t want to sour the budding unspoken friendship that even barely a day old looked promising. That they both had finally accepted that their friendship was inevitable and unjustly avoided, in less than a day was something that surprised Narasiwi. But now that she thought of it, she saw that she never hated her new friend.

Aina put the bracelet on Ariana’s wrist and was about doing the same for Samuel when Ariana snatched the bracelet from her hand. She ran quickly into another room, and a furious and yelling Samuel chased after her.

“Be careful, darlings,” Aina shouted after the two, but she was sure neither heard her.

“They are going to be alright,” a voice said behind her.

She turned, it was the old woman who opened the door, the children’s nanny.

“How are they,” Aina asked the woman.

“They are fine and doing well,” the woman replied.

“And their education?” Aina asked, her lips pulled tight.

“Smooth. Their performance is impressive and pleasing,” the woman replied, a smile on her face.

“I trust your judgement on that. I hope they aren’t stressing you much?” Aina asked, looking around the room.

“They are a joy to have around,” the old woman replied.

“I will be taking my leave then. I just wanted to make sure everything is going well,”

“You can stay and play with them for some time,” the woman said. “I will excuse myself if you want.”

“I would love to, but I can’t. I still have a lot to do,”

The woman smiled again but it was a different smile this time. One of sympathy and understanding. “Everything will go right, Aina. There is no need to be hard on yourself. Let yourself some joy. The past does not define you, use the time afforded you to change how you view those things.”

“I have never had much use for your gifts. And you know I barely tolerate it. So you can direct them where I have told you to,” Aina told her.

The woman moved forward and placed one hand on Aina’s shoulder. “My gift? No, Aina, I am not using my gift on you. Just a bit of wisdom afforded me by my years is what I dispensed to you.”

Aina glared at the hand on her shoulder. The woman withdrew it and met with calm the stare Aina now directed at her. “I don’t need your wisdom.”

“Everyone needs a bit of wisdom here and there. Helps make living a bit easy. I am sure you agree with that.”

Aina moved to the door. Before she could open it, the woman spoke behind her. “My gift does tell me something. It tells that you should be careful. To watch out for those things that appears as what they are not.”

Aina shook her head and closed the door behind her.

She had just one more journey to make before she went on the mission she was already planning in her head.

*

Finding the person she was searching for was a task she knew would not be hard. Moving to a new floor she went to the indoor gym she knew the person to frequent.

The facility she entered was equipped with the best equipment. There was no around, but on a closer look she found who she was looking for.
The woman was at the end of the large facility lounging on a chair and resting her legs on stool. Aina moved towards where she sat, the woman’s cloths were soaked with sweat. She was breathing deeply as Aina stood before her.

“Shuwa, I am sorry for what happened yesterday. But I need your help for something important,” Aina said.

The woman stopped breathing for some time then replied Aina. “What happened yesterday is of no consequence. I know there is always a chance of death, that I am here and quite alive shows you need not apologize for anything.”

“I need you to help me do something. Can we get to that?”

“Is that why you started with the apology? You need my help? Sorry, I can’t help you, and I need not tell you that you can not force me to,” the woman replied, her eyes still closed.

Aina sighed and kicked stool from under the woman’s leg and availed herself of the furniture.

The woman sat up, her eyes opened and smoldering such that Aina felt uncomfortable prickling all over. “What exactly do you want? Have you come to finish what your bad decisions could not?”

“That was harsh,” Aina told her.

“No, that was truth. Something you should get used to,” Shuwa replied.

“That wasn’t the help I came to you for. I know where to go if I need that kind,” Aina told her.

“Then you should go there first and don’t come back to me,” Shuwa replied.

Aina struggled to keep her irritation in check. “I need you to help me. I think I have got the perfect way to get John.”

Shuwa smiled and shook her head. Aina thought how beautiful and full of life she always looked with those rare smiles. “You need your head checked. That is a truth you should know,” she said, still smiling, “I have had enough of your madness. Whatever that guy has done to you, keep it between you two. No need to involve me.

“Need I tell you what needs to be done with his case has already been decided. And most importantly if I were you—a life which admittedly will be a very complicated one—I had be enjoying my vacation as I already am. But in a very different place. Now. Please. Leave!”

“Will you please listen to me, Shuwa. Hear what I have to say,” Aina said.

“Since you won’t be leaving. I might just humor you before I take my leave.”

“Passive surveillance has been decided to be used on the very possible lead we might have to get to the bottom of all these. I need someone to cover my tracks and also watch my back when we get onto the field, I will be doing active surveillance and possible engagement—”

“All the while behind the OCDA. A very sound plan but one you are carrying out alone,” she relaxed back in the chair, “Please, Agent Aina, get out.”

“I admit it is all still on the drawing board, but I assure you would be doing most of the input. I just want to be the one handing him over.”

“How nice. Still not interested,” Shuwa told her.

“I will make it up to you. I will get you anything you want,” Aina pleaded.

“Bribery, now, Aina,” Shuwa said, closing her eyes. “I am almost tempted.”

“Anything. I am serious, just ask,” Aina said.

“I didn’t say you weren’t serious. I will get back to you.”

Aina snorted.

Shuwa glared at her. “Don’t make me change my mind.”

Aina grinned at her, “Thank you.”

“Who told you I have agreed to your crazy plan,” Shuwa said.

“I know you have. And it is your plan now,” Aina replied her.

“Get out. You infuriating woman.”

Dedicated to:
ToyBoyAaron
opico24
KhalifaDam


Chapter Ten


Aina’s mood could best be described as a volcano bottled up and about to erupt. She was sure if she lost it right there, it will be something she would regret.

The humiliation of been bested by that piece of…, she still found it inconceivable that he swept them aside like they were nothing. His parting gift had been the worst thing in her life. She could not imagine anything taking its place anytime soon.

She barged into the conference room, now with the roiling tempest in her. Her countenance must have been something dreadful, as everyone there did their best to comport themselves.

Their faces gave nothing away, not even the slightest give of emotion as she walked to the head of the table and took her seat.

They all sat there staring at her without a word. She returned their stony stare, the room silent.

She turned to Kelvin, “What is the business for today?”

Kelvin looked at a tablet on the table. He stared at it for some time then looked at her. “The Oversight Committee has asked for you to take a vacation,” Kelvin replied.

“Asked for me to take a vacation?” She asked. “Reply them that I am busy right now.”

He looked hesitant.

“What?” she asked. Her mood was wearing her patience thin.

“The Elders are in support of their decision,” he replied.

“In light of recent heroic failures, that was not a request, Aina. That order arrived before you were brought back, and we all agreed to it,” one of the men at the table said.

She turned to him. “Heroic failures? The mission might have failed, but that does not warrant my step down or some stupid vacation.”

“Strategic blunders. And the undeniable fact that you almost got the team you took along killed. Why, we are almost thanking our target for leaving them alive,” he said, “and there is the fact that you took and used some equipment without authorisation. That will not be punished, we all agree that these are desperate times.”

He was right, and she could not dispute the truth of what he said. She had let herself be blinded on the mission, and the result had not been in her favour. But the idiot was rubbing it in her face.

“It is just for some time,” Kelvin said beside her, “get some well needed rest and you will be back in no time.”

She turned her gaze to him, strongly holding back a glare. She breathed deeply and said, “Who will be in charge while I am on this vacation?”

“Nobody,” a woman answered, “everything will go on as before. And now that we will be an odd number, we have found it best to vote.”

“Vote?” she asked before she could hold back.

“Yes. Indicating our support in favour of something. Nothing different from what we have always done before. Only we won’t be needing an unanimous vote to countermand you, not that such has ever been possible,” the man said.

“With good reason,” she replied him. “What have you all voted on?”

“Technically, we do not have to tell you. As you are currently no longer a member of the board,” the woman replied.

“What do you mean?” Aina asked, dreading the answer.

“Your vacation includes that for its duration, you no longer have to take part in any current OCDA business. That includes involvement of any type. It is best you sit this out,” the woman replied.

“It is not like I could do anything if I wanted to, that would have been made sure of. Why don’t you all humour me for the sake of old times. So, what have you all voted on?”

They all looked at each other, some unspoken conversation holding between them. They all seemed to be in agreement of whatever they had decided.

The woman spoke again. “We all voted to maintain our distance. Since we have no lead on our main target, we have all decided to maintain passive surveillance on the possible lead we believe we might find in the western part of Aguna.”

“Really? That is a first, I take it you are all in agreement. And if what you observe doesn’t pan out?”

“We will keep our ears and eyes open, and wait,” the woman replied.

“Which I am in total agreement with. In light of recent event, patience is worth more than gold,” the man said again.

Aina decided she had heard and had enough. She pushed back her chair and stood, looking each of them in the eye, “Ladies and gentlemen, I wish you all success. If it all goes well, and you get your hands on that scoundrel, I sincerely hope you let me know. Since I have nothing else but an apparently endless vacation to plan, let me be on my way.”

She paused at the door leading outside and stopped. She looked back at them, they all had their eyes on her. “Good luck. You will be needing it.” With that she walked away.

*

She took the elevator and headed for one of the floors that served as residential areas.

At the twelfth floor, she got out of the elevator cab and headed for a door along the corridor. She stood before the door at the right end of the corridor and took a deep breath.

She raised her hand, but hesitated. She shook her head and knocked briefly.

The door opened and an old woman peered out. A smile lit her face when she saw Aina. Aina was not so thrilled but she nodded at the woman. The woman moved aside and Aina entered into the large parlour.

Two children were playing in the room, running around the table in the middle. When they took notice of her they stopped their play, and shrieked with joy bounding towards her. She squatted and took in the two little bundles of joy, a happy smile on her own face too.

She kissed their heads and mussed the hairs of both as they struggled to make themselves heard over one another. She shushed them, smiling.
“My little darlings, how have you been?” she asked them.

“We were playing chess, and I have been beating Ariana,” the boy said.

“No you weren’t, Sam,” the girl replied, “it was two stalemates and one win.”

“I was,” the boy replied.

“Oh, you two little trouble makers. Hope you haven’t been disturbing Nana.” They shook their heads. “Let me see what I got for you,” she said and removed from her back pocket two identical bracelets.

“The best of the best, darlings,” she said, presenting the two bracelet before them.

“Beautiful,” they both said, entranced by the bracelets.

“Well, let’s see how beautiful they are. Why don’t you try them on.” They both stretched their hands forward. “Hmm, ladies first.”

Lola looked him over. “You don’t seem to have done as you are preaching.”

John shook his head, “You are wrong. No one would take more than a glance at me, my current physique is common place over there. Anyways, are you ready?”

“Yes I am,” she replied, with no hint of nervousness.

John wondered if the current body she wore was one she had always envisaged. One she had taken in more than one daydream or real dream.

She was at ease with it, something John had found hard to master. It was like she wore it both in her mind and body. To have turned that image into something tangible was a spectacular feat, and she looked more than pleased with herself.

John moved towards the door with her, allowing her to precede him.

*

John decided a public transport would be the best choice. He had packed enough cash with him.

They boarded a bus going the direction he wanted at the bus stop. As expected, Lola drew more than normal attention, but she wasn’t bothered by it. John could even have sworn she enjoyed it.

John made sure to stay near her, and in the bus put himself between her and everyone at the backseat.

John couldn’t define the role he currently played. The overprotective brother who was trying to protect his beautiful sister from dangerous advances, or the overzealous bodyguard who was trying to protect his beautiful model client from… trouble.

As the bus moved, John was beginning to wonder if he should have taken a private cab.

Lola had a small smile on her face throughout the ride. She looked outside at the rushing scenery most of the time.

John was sure her smile came as a result of being in the body she had always wanted.

*

John decided he could not do much of what he wanted that day. Not that it would be much work, he also had no control of it. He was hoping not to be in a tight fix if by chance the artifact was pinpointed that day.

He took out the mobile phone, the artifact hadn’t made its presence known. He opened an app on the phone, and saw the tiny dots that were the others contributing to the strength of the signal detection. Pallas had made sure the presence of his device was undetectable.

They had gotten down at a place that was mostly comprised of supermarkets. Lola couldn’t take her eyes off the items displayed outside the building or those from the windows.

John obliged her, letting her go in and get whatever she wanted. But requested it should be portable.

Her face lit up and she pulled him along. He joined her reluctantly to do the shopping.

Neither the shopkeepers nor the other shoppers could keep their eyes off her.

They moved around the different avenues, enjoying the bustle and wonders of this side of the city.

After Lola must have gotten her fill of the outing, she proposed they have lunch before making their way back home.

John was glad she was ready to go back home, and he won’t have to be saddled with her till the evening. That was if she did not plan to enjoy the night life of the city.

Lola stopped in front of a restaurant serving confections and pastries.

“I thought you said lunch?” John asked her.

“What is your idea of lunch?” She asked back.

“Nah. Just get what you want. I will be sitting here,” John said. Indicating the veranda of the restaurant which had its own chairs and tables.

“Ok. I will be back soon,” she told him.

“You better be,” he muttered after her.

John sat there. He had his chin on his hands while he waited. After a time he relaxed back in the chair and brought out the phone. The status was still the same as he knew it was. He checked to see if any of the other searchers were around, none were.

He put the phone back in his pocket. He looked towards the street and found he couldn’t look away.

The young woman who could not be more than a few years older than his sister walked on with a smile on her face and a bounce to her steps.
John found he couldn’t look away even if he had wanted to. He wondered what had put such a joy-filled smile on her face.

She must have felt his eyes on her, for she looked directly at him. She raised an eyebrow as if to ask why he found her so fascinating.

John looked away with what he hoped was an apologetic smile.

The door of the restaurant opened then and Lola came out with shopping bag. She joined him at the table.

“What took you so long?” John asked.

“I was trying to get something that would befit that robot. Do you know how hard that is?” She asked him, joking.

“I am sure you’ve had your lunch,” he said.

“Of course. I also got something for you,” she said.

She tried bringing it out of the bag, but he stopped her.

“There is no need for that, I will take it when we get home. Please let us go,” he said.

“Are you sure?” She asked him.

“Of course, I am.” He stood up and took her hand. “Let us go home, Lola.”

“Ok, ok,” she said and stood up. John took the shopping bag from her.

They walked away from there, to the bus stop. Where they boarded the bus that would take them on their way home.

This chapter is dedicated to my secret "liker", you know yourself.


Chapter Nine

John had changed his appearance again. This time taking on the appearance of a dark-skinned man with large-toned muscles.

He and Pallas had been the only one in the underground room where the cosmetics was done. After the debacle last time, Pallas had expended a lot of effort to upgrade the skin armour. She promised that it had been renewed with extra layers of protection added.

Pallas had also been able to compress the program for searching the artifact, and installed it into a mobile phone which was designed for the purpose.

John was sure the other searchers would have the programs installed in such innocuous seeming device to ease their blending into the crowd.
They both came up from the underground complex, and made their way into the sitting room. John wore a casual t-shirt that accentuated his muscles and a dark jean trousers.

Lola was at the door, backing it. Her face showed her strong determination. John knew whatever happened next, which he had a fair idea of, she would not budge unless she had it her way.

He looked at Pallas who stared right back at him. She shrugged and said. “I am not the expert here, you are.”

John moved forward and stood before his sister. “Good morning, Lola. How was your night?”

“I am fine. Good morning to you too,” she replied. Her reply was rushed like she could not get the words out fast enough to get to the next stage.

“Yeah. I will be going out this morning. I need you to be home and stay safe,” John told her, his tone patient.

“I know that. I know. It is just that I am also going with you,” she replied him in the same manner.

When she was done, Pallas laughed from behind John. John was confused, debating whether to join in the laughter or not. His sister still held that expression on her face in place, not a bit daunted by Pallas’s mocking laughter.

John sighed, shaking his head at her silliness. He continued in a tone both gentle and firm. “As much as it will be fun to have you with me, I am not going on a picnic. It might get dangerous out there, there is a good chance for that. You are not trained for whatever might happen where I am going, and I don’t want to be worrying about you in a potential danger zone.”

“And you are trained for it?” She asked, this time crossing her arms and raising her chin.

Pallas sniggered at that.

“Yes, I am,” he replied her question, matter of fact, “I did more than just sit before a computer at the OCDA.”

“Well,” she replied, taking time between her words, “you can both protect and teach me at the same time.” She finished with a smile.

Pallas laughed louder and longer this time. “You must have finally lost something important up here,” she said, tapping her head with her index finger.

“This is not a joke, Lola. A real life situation is different from whatever you see in the movies. I can’t teach you to react in the right manner in a dangerous situation, in a few hours,” John told her.

“Well, I will learn. It can’t be that dangerous, even if it is, you would do your best to keep me safe,” she replied him.

“To serve your stupidity and selfishness at the expense of his own life?” Pallas sneered. “Let me get this idiot out of the way. I will deal with her myself, and get some sense into her.”

“There is no need for that. She will get what she wants. We go together,” John said.

He had given the matter some thought and found that leaving the house for a while, even a day would ease her.

“That is a really… not good decision,” Pallas said.

Lola sniffed at her and said, “I wonder who made you an authority on decisions.”

“She needs a makeover,” John said to Pallas who was about to give a retort.

“Of course,” Pallas said, “Maybe one that would show plainly her stupidity at a glance.”

“I am not stupid, and I get to choose what I want, not what a zeros and ones can output,” Lola told her.

“Please, lead the way, Pallas,” John said quickly, and threw a warning glance at his sister.

*

The result of Lola’s makeover was lovely and remarkable. She had chosen to take on the appearance of a classical beauty. Her face had the best of all features, each of them in perfect harmony with the other. The perfection of features was extended to every part of her body.

As she and Pallas came out of the underground complex, John wondered anew at her motivation to follow him out. Whether it was for a chance to test her artistic ability with the cloner, or to go out of the house with him.

Pallas had a displeased look on her face. “You could as well have made your hair blue and added on a lions paw,” she said, “are you going for a fashion show or what.”

“It is better than whatever you could have come up with,” Lola replied her.

“Why are you being willful? This would get everyone looking at you with more than a glance,” Pallas told her.

“Pallas is right. this is the opposite of what we need,” John told her.

Smooth278:
Nice story, welcome back... Hope we will get regular updates during this stay at home period!!!

Yes.

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*

They arrived at the large market which sprawled across a large area. Its far borders were far beyond where they could see it.

“The man’s shop is on the H block of the market. Find the shop labelled H-14. Ask for Mr. Ghar, and tell him you are from Mrs. Sawa. Both of you should be on your best behaviours. I will be waiting here, please be quick.”

Sarah got down from the back, and moved away from the van.

“We will be quick about it, Mrs. Arl,” Narasiwi said before getting down.

“You both should stay safe, dear. And follow her, she knows the way.”

Narasiwi moved towards Sarah who had started moving forward. She caught up with her. “Couldn’t you have waited for me?”

Sarah looked her up and down. She started forward again, deftly navigating through the traffic of the bustling market.

Narasiwi followed behind her, “What have I done?” She said, touching her on the shoulder to stop her advance.

Sarah slapped her hand away. “Don’t touch me.”

Narasiwi followed behind her, resigned to be given the cold shoulder for the rest of the errand.

They reached a thoroughfare, and Sarah followed along the right side without crossing over. Narasiwi was about following her when she looked over at the other side. A fishmonger was selling and cutting fishes, as his shop workers moved around, bringing out new fishes and packing the cut ones for the waiting customers.

But that mundane sight wasn’t what caught her attention, she stood transfixed as something so out of place moved in her sight. The small blue-winged butterfly beat its wing, flying above all the hustle and bustle of the market. The sight transfixed her, and she only moved when she noticed someone beside her, following her line of sight.

She broke her gaze and looked at Sarah beside her. That she had noticed her absence meant that she had been monitoring her backward glances.

She looked at where Narasiwi was gazing at before and looked back at her before scoffing. “You stood there drooling like you had never seen an ordinary butterfly before. If you want to get lost, let it be when you are on your own.”

She moved away. Narasiwi looked back at where the butterfly was, but it was gone already. Leaving behind no evidence of its passage.
She followed Sarah and caught up with her, staying by her side this time. The girl didn’t move forward, nor did she show any indication of noticing her presence.

“You still haven’t told me why you angry with me, more than the usual.”

“You shouldn’t have come along.”

Narasiwi wondered if that was a joke. “You were there when Mrs. Sawa told me to.”

“You should have refused to.”

“Is that some kind of joke?”

“Look here,” Sarah said, stopping, “Can’t you just say a no for once. She won’t kill you.”

“No, she won’t. She will just take my job. And I don’t see you offering me one in return.”

She snorted, “Just forget it. You won’t ever change.”

“So, that over. Can we go back to our usual. Without you hating me more than the normal?”

“We can’t be friends,” she said, and shrugged, “and I was just angry. I don’t hate you, you know.”

“Of course, I know. Our love is one of a kind tough love.”

Sarah laughed at that.

“So why do you hate me?”

“I will tell you that when you tell me what is troubling your naps and rests.”

Narasiwi looked away at that. Sarah tightened her mouth and they continued forward.

Narasiwi fidgeted with her hand. “It is not that I don’t want to tell you. It’s nothing really, it is just bad dreams.”

“Are you sure?”

Narasiwi nodded. “I have done my part, now you.”

Sarah shrugged. “I hate competitions.”

Narasiwi was confused for a while, her brows drawn together in thought. When the realization of what Sarah said hit her, she only shook her head. “You need your head checked. You think I am competing Mrs. Sawa attention with you.” Her eyes widened as a realization hit her. “That was why you were angry all this while.”

Sarah nodded.

“Well I am not.”

“I believe you.”

“You do?” Narasiwi asked in surprise.

“And now we are at the end of this road,” she said, looking up.

Narasiwi noticed then, that they had reached their destination.

*

The errand went smoothly, and they returned to the van, with the wrapped frozen package carried between them. Although Narasiwi still thought Mr. Ghar overly friendly. Such people, in her opinion were to be watched out for.

They deposited the goods at the back of the van, and both moved to the positions they were before on the ride to the market. During the return leg of their to Mr. Ghar’s shop, they had both discussed their relationship with each other and had come to hold on to a position of no more rancour between them. They both agreed to resolve all differences they had with each other, and pave the way for something that could possibly lead to a friendship.

Mrs. Arl looked at them both as they sat in the car, but said nothing.

*

After the lunch rush, which Narasiwi noticed had more than the normal customers than the restaurant normally received. She was almost at the last of her strength and doubted she could last till the closing hour, but somehow Mrs. Sawa had given her the rest of the afternoon off.

She had a nagging feeling Sarah was behind that. She had gone to thank her, but she denied it intensely. Narasiwi had only snorted at that, which left them both laughing. The others, except perhaps Mrs. Arl wondering at the two of them.

She had left after saying goodbye to both Sarah and Mrs. Arl.

She was walking along the road, a bounce to her step, and a cheerful smile uplifting her tired face, when she noticed a man who sat on the veranda of a confectionery shop watching her intently. She felt self-conscious, but looked back at him with an eyebrow raised. He looked away with an apologetic smile, then looked up as the door of the shop opened, and a girl came out. She was with a shopping and she went to join the man at the table.

Narasiwi looked away from them and continued on her way home.

Chapter Eight


Narasiwi had worked hard at serving the morning customers, and now that there was a lull in the traffic. Most of the customers having left with their appetites sated and with satisfaction printed boldly on their demeanour. The ones who remained were also leaving, Narasiwi clearing their dishes.

She was about making use of the free time to take a rest, when Mrs. Sawa called her attention. She sighed inwardly, and made her way grudgingly to the woman’s office.

The woman was already moving behind her desk. As she sat, Narasiwi said, “You call me, Madam.”

“Yes, my dear. Help me call Sarah, I want both of you here together. Now be a darling and go get that done.”

“Yes, Madam.”

She moved out of the office, and went about the errand. She went to the kitchen, throwing pleasantries around, and met Sarah exactly where she knew she had find her. The girl sat with two other workers and they were doing what Narasiwi knew would be useless gossip.

She moved to the group and forced herself into Sarah’s field of view. The girl looked her up and down, a disdainful tilt to her nose.

Before she could get a word out, Narasiwi said, “Mrs. Sawa is requesting your attention.”

Sarah snorted. “Is that why you cant even say a simple good morning. Did you lose something overnight?”

The others chuckled quietly. But Narasiwi was unfazed, she continued, “She wants you urgently. Or should I go tell her you are too busy?”

“Fine, fine, fine. I am coming. I wonder why she would send you though, if you could not even have the common sense to greet,” she said, standing up.

“You can ask her yourself.”

They walked out of the kitchen, both keeping a recognisable distance from between themselves. They arrived Mrs. Sawa’s office, and stopped at before the door. Waiting for who will lead the way in, Narasiwi moved forward and pushed the slightly ajar door open.

They stopped before Mrs. Sawa’s desk and Narasiwi said, “I have brought her here, madam.”

The woman did not speak but only watched them both. This went on for some time, and both found their eyes wandering about, settling on everything and nothing. Their hands fidgeted with their uniforms, trying to straighten anything out of place.

After a long excruciating while that Narasiwi was sure the woman felt they had fidgeted around enough, she spoke. “I want you two to go fishing together.”

Narasiwi could not decide who was more surprised and bewildered between she and Sarah. The look on their faces must have been more than priceless because it made the woman laugh out.

“Look at you two,” she said, gesturing with one hand at them, “one would think I told you two to go jump before a moving train.”

She waved her hand, “I was just joking with you two, there is no fishing.”

Narasiwi and Sarah both released a sigh of relief.

“But there would be fishes,” the woman said, they both looked at her confused, “I need you two help me go carry some fishes and other seafood at the Aguna seafood market, can you do that.”

They nodded carefully, both speaking out in the affirmative.

“That is done then. Mrs. Arl would be driving you there. One of you should help me call her here when you leave,” she said, “that’s all. You both can go wait for her by the van while I brief her.”

They both left the office. Sarah was about making her way outside when Narasiwi said to her, “You should go call Mrs. Arl.”

Sarah turned to her, her face was angry and she said, “Who gave you charge here? You can either stay there or go call her yourself.”

“I did the first calling, you can do the second one.”

She hissed. “Well, what stops you from continuing where you stopped, idiot,” she said, turning her back and striding purposefully outside.

Narasiwi shook her head, watching the girl’s back disappear from her sight, and went to call the woman.


*

Narasiwi watched from beside Mrs. Arl as Sarah moved around all worked up on one side of the van.

She had thought it wise not to go wait by the van with Sarah with her earlier demeanour, and it seemed she truly chose wisely. She didn’t want to be at the receiving end of the girl’s anger.

“What’s got her all worked up?” Mrs. Arl asked her.

Narasiwi shrugged, “I honestly don’t know.”

The woman looked her in the face, she turned back to Sarah who now watched them coming with obvious impatience. She inclined her head towards her, “Why don’t you go ask her, if honestly you do not know.”

Narasiwi forced a smile. “There is no need for that, she will be fine.”

The woman only shook her head, and walked faster towards the van. When she neared Sarah, she smiled at her and touched her shoulder, “Sarah, my dear, what’s wrong?” She asked.

Sarah held up her impatient demeanour for a time before sighing heavily, the impatience draining out of her. She smiled at Mrs. Arl and said, “Nothing, Mrs. Arl. I am fine.”

The smile looked forced to Narasiwi, who shrugged at Mrs. Arl as if to say, I told you.

Sarah was looking suspiciously at Narasiwi after the shrug, but Mrs. Arl said, “Ok, dear. I am sure you are right.”

She went to the driver’s side of the car, and opened it. Sarah tried the back seat door and it opened. She hopped in but not before giving Narasiwi a last suspicious glance.

She opened the shotgun seat and joined Mrs. Arl at the front.

“Now, dear, use your belt. We are going to drive on the highway,” Mrs. Arl said as she started the car. She drove out of the parking space and into the road. She turned on the car radio, and tuned in to a hip-hop music channel.

“My dears, why are you both silent, don’t you like the music. I thought this was one of your favourites, Sarah.”

Sarah didn’t answer. Turning back, Narasiwi saw that she had her face glued to her phone. “I think she has found something more interesting than the music,” she said to Mrs. Arl.

“Ha ha. What of you, Narasiwi?”

“I am fine, Mrs. Arl.”

“What’s with you two? Don’t you talk?”

“We do,” Narasiwi replied, “insults and taunts.”

“Why is that? You two are of the same age, I would think being the two youngest in the restaurant. You would be friends.”

Narasiwi looked uncomfortable. “It is not my fault. She is the problem.”

“Who is the problem?” Sarah asked.

“I wasn’t talking to you,” Narasiwi replied her hotly.

“No, of course not, featherhead. You were just talking about me.”

Narasiwi was about to turn back and give her the exact reply she deserved, when Mrs. Arl shushed them both.

“I think I enjoyed your silence better, if you both have decided to start acting like children,” she said before cranking the radio’s volume to the maximum.

The remainder of the journey was completed in a music filled silence.