Hearthville Serial: Book 7
Episode 30
Any Truth, Proper Grammar, or Correct Spelling is totally coincidental if not accidental.
All characters are fiction. This story is fiction. This story makes no claims about any real person.
By Charles Peters
Copyright 2022
All Rights Reserved
Chapter / Episode List of the Heathville Serial
Elliot Duddley drives into the parking lot of the apartment complex where Maureen Bingo lives with her two children: Billy and Bess Bingo. He has never visited them at the apartment before. He parks and turns off his car.
Elliot pulls the checkbook out that belongs to his son Victor Duddley. “Why on earth did Victor write a check to Maureen Bingo for $500,000? Does this uncashed check have something to do with his vanishing?”
Elliot feels nervous. He has not talked to his wife Ellen about Maureen about the check. He knows that Victor is friends with the Bingo family. He knows that Victor once saved the life of Billy Bingo. And he knows that his son is rich as fuck. But for his son to write a check to someone for $500,000–he considers–and now his son his missing.
Elliot gets out of his car. He looks around. He feels as though someone is watching him. And there is. But he does not see them.
Arthur Ramsey and Joesion Grant are in the ether. They are invisible to Elliot. And he can’t hear them.
Joesion Grant says, “There is no spaceship here. Your spell is totally not working.”
Arthur Ramsey says, “Give it time.”
Elliot walks to the apartment where Maureen lives with her children. He knocks on the door. Billy Bingo answers the door. Billy calls out, “Mom there is some strange man at the door. He looks like a damn college professor. You better not be trying to make me smart. You know I will not put up with that shit.”
Elliot stares at Billy. “You don’t remember me.”
“Sure I do. You are Victor’s father. Victor did not come with you?”
Elliot smiles. “You are a character. Aren’t you.”
“I try to be. I’d hate for my autobiography to be boring.”
Maureen comes to the door. “I am sorry about that. Billy is. Well. Billy is Billy.”
“When Victor was Billy’s age, he was something like that. A card. Then he wasn’t.”
Maureen asks, “So, how is Victor doing?”
“He is missing. He has been gone since he caught the men at the church doing whatever.”
“My sister told me something about the attempted attack on the church but she did not tell me that Victor is missing.”
“It has been kept quiet. I was looking through Victor’s things and I saw where he had written you a check for $500,000 and I saw the check had not been cashed. Did he give you the check?”
“He did, but I couldn’t take the money. It just seemed wrong. I know he was being well intended but I am a married woman and people might get the wrong idea. He was being very generous though and there were no strings. He and I are not involved romantically.”
“I didn’t mean to suggest there is anything between the two of you. I am just grasping at straws.”
“I can imagine. I must say you telling me that he is missing has upset me. You and his mother must feel frantic.”
“Very.”
Billy says, “Before you knocked on the door I was on my computer and I noticed there is a directory on the computer called ‘victor.’ I did not put the folder there. I was just about to explore it.”
Maureen says, “Bring your computer to the dining room.” She looks at Elliot. “Come in. I am sorry the house is a mess.”
Billy runs to get his computer. Elliot steps into the apartment and Maureen leads him into the dining room. He sits down at the table.
Elliot says, “You know, I think I met you and your husband when we were all much younger. We were up in the mountains. You were pregnant with Billy. And there was another couple, David and Amberline Jenkins.”
“That is right. Victor also remembered that.”
“Yeah. I remember him running up to you to listen to your tummy. Like I said, he was card. On the subject of the check, I think you should say to hell with what people think. I think you should deposit the check. I remember my father telling about a neighbor driving around with his windows rolled up, in the hot of summer, because he was afraid for people to know he could not afford a car with an air conditioner. He told me to never be like that. It does not matter what people think.”
“On the one hand I understand what you are saying. On the other hand I care about what my children and my husband might think.”
“My son Stewart cares what people think. Victor never cared. I must say I was never good at taking my father’s advice. I have too often cared. And especially I concerned myself with what people might think of Victor. But shouldn’t your children and husband understand about the check. Wouldn’t they want you to have the money?”
Maureen nods. “I don’t know. Depositing that check would just feel weird. And my instinct screams for me to not take the money.” Billy comes in with his computer. “The battery is low.” He puts the computer on the table and plugs it in. He then sits down in front of it and pulls up the folder. He opens the folder. “There are lots of subfolders. I wonder why Victor put this on my computer. I don’t know when he did it. But he must have.”
Billy says, “There is a folder that says journal. There is a folder that says pictures. I will copy the folders to a thumb drive for you. I will also keep them on this computer and look over the stuff. If I find anything that might be helpful, I might call you. Will that be okay?”
Billy puts a thumb drive in the usb port. He begins to copy the files.
“Of course it will be okay for you to call me. You know when we find Victor, it would be fun if Stewart, Victor, me and you and your father were to go fishing together.”
Billy smiles. “I once caught a 13 pound cat fish. It was so awesome. My father said I should have him mounted. I threw him back. Sometimes I go visit him and talk to him. Do you think that is strange?”
Maureen laughs. “Only when he tells you those dumb knock knock jokes.”
“Those jokes are funny.”
Elliot smiles but isn’t sure what to say. He can see why Victor is fond of the Bingo family. “Knock. Knock.”
Maureen asks, “Who’s there.”
Billy says, “Cash.”
Elliot asks, “Cash who?”
Maureen says, “No thanks, but I’d love some peanuts.”
Billy and Elliot laugh. Maureen smiles. Then she starts crying and moans, “Oh God, please let Victor be okay.”
Billy hugs his mom. “He will be okay. I know he will be okay. I wish I could tell Elliot exactly where he is but I don’t know. The space alien witches will not let me talk to Iapetus any more.”
“Wait. What?” The hairs on the back of Elliot’s neck stand on end and a chill runs up his spine at Billy’s words.
Maureen says, “They erase our memories. Even if he explains, you won’t remember. I never do.”
Billy removes the thumb drive from his computer. He hands the drive to Elliot. “There are two witches here with you. They are earth witches and are trying to keep themselves invisible. I think they are friendly but be careful.”
Arthur Ramsey knows that Billy knows who he is. Arthur winks at Billy. “Victor is with Iapetus in the Outlands that has been locked. We are trying to figure out how to rescue Victor and others.” Only Billy and Joescion can hear Arthur speak.
Billy says, “They know where Victor is. They are trying to figure out how to rescue him.”
Elliot asks, “Where is Victor?”
Billy answers, “It is complicated.”
“He is alive?”
Arthur Ramsey says, “We are not sure?”
“They aren’t sure.”
Tears stream down Elliot’s face. “He is dead. I’ve got to come to terms with that. If he were alive, he would be home.”
Billy says, “They may not be sure. I am sure. He is not dead. Our kind do not easily die.”
Elliot questions, “Our kind?”
Billy stands up from his computer. He hugs Elliot. “In time, it is going to be okay.”
Elliot stares at Billy. “Whatever happens, I want us to be friends.”
Billy pats Elliot on the back. “Absolutely. I know you better than you know you. You are a good man. You are not a weak man. Victor would not have put you on the chessboard if he did not think you could change the game.”
“I don’t know what that means.”
Billy says, “On some level you do. But more importantly I want the witches who are with you to know that you are important to the game and to not let anything bad happen to you.”
“Why are they with me?”
Arthur says, “We have tried to restore his memory enough through dreams so that he might lead us to a spaceship that Victor stole when he was ten and they were all up in the mountains.”
Billy exclaims, “Victor stole a spaceship when he was ten. I am so fucking impressed.”
Elliot shakes his head in confusion “Wait. What?”
“They have tried to restore your memory enough through dreams so that you might lead them to the spaceship.”
“I don’t remember Victor stealing any spaceship.”
“It was when you all were up in the mountains. I guess that mountain vacation before I was born.”
Joesion says, “The spaceship belongs to Sabian Blackrock who smuggles oil from the Outlands. His other spaceships are still operating and going in and out of the Outlands. We might can use the spaceship to get to the Outlands to rescue Victor and some other people. For the most part the Outlands have been blocked so souls can not get in or out.”
Billy says, “Okay. Elliot. We really need to try to help them find that spaceship.”
“I don’t know anything about a spaceship.”
“Maybe there is something in the files that was put on my computer.”
***
Billy Bingo opens a Journal File that he assumes Victor Duddley put on his computer at some point.
Victor’s Journal
July 1, 2012
I realized today that I am not a normal 10 year old. I was looking in the mirror and I saw a man who introduced himself as Caelous looking back at me. He said that we are spawns from Amelia. That we were spawned at the same time. That is to say we are twin souls. I had no idea what he was talking about. Then he vanished from the mirror and there I stood, knowing that I am insane. Who but an insane person would look into a mirror and see a stranger looking back at them.
Billy looks at Arthur Ramsey as he materializes from the ether.
Billy asks, “So where is your friend?”
“He is not exactly my friend. But anyway, Joesion Grant left with Elliot. We are hoping that Elliot will lead us to the spaceship that Victor stole.”
Billy nods. “Are you friends with Victor?”
“He and I have a history. I do not want him hurt.”
Arthur says, “So Victor has similar relationship with Caelous as you do with Iapedous?”
“Not exactly. I am the spawn of Iapedous. Victor and Caelous are both the spawns of Amelia, the creator of this machine that imprisons our souls. Imagine building a prison and finding yourself its first inmate.”
“Do you know what it is like outside of this prison?”
“It was chaos. It was anarchy. It was sinister. And yet it was beautiful while horribly ugly. This prison from that world is not so bad but still it is a prison and we all want to be trusted to leave this place.”
“That answer means very little.”
“What? Do you want me to describe the man in that moon, the elephant in that room, the marbles rolling on the floor, the monster hiding behind the door? You ask me to describe the infinite while we remain prisoners of the finite.”
Arthur nods. “I guess the only world that matters is the world where we are now, and this world is hard enough to understand.”
“Indeed.”
Victor’s Journal
July 2, 2012
We are going on Vacation up in the mountains. I was so thrilled when father made the announcement, but Stewart and Judy, they looked scared. They were scared of the mountains. Caelous whispered in my ear, “It is a fear from a past life.”
I heard that whisper and I felt a chill. I wondered how my insanity will prey upon me. I wondered if I will ever have a life full of joy. Or will I end up in an insane asylum. Caelous scares me.
Arthur asks, “How did you meet Iapedous?”
“I don’t know. I don’t remember.” Billy leaves his answer at that but he could say more. He has had dreams. Billy looks back at Victor’s journal. He is not sure that he wants to read it with Arthur Ramsey standing and looking over his shoulder.
Billy continues reading Victor’s journal…
Caelous scares me. I am not sure that he is real or a dream. I am not sure whether I am sane or if I am crazy. I want to be normal. I beg him to let me be normal but then he questions what is normal. But then I think there is a part of him that fully understands what is normal and he wants me to live a normal life.
But I am not totally innocent in this conflict, this war, I am having between being normal and abnormal. I know I should not want to know what past life made Stewart and Judy afraid to go up in the mountains, but there is a part of me that wants to know. I tell myself that it is because I want to help them get past that fear, but then there is a part of me that feels that it is just a morbid curiosity or worse, me thinking that I am special because I can know things other people do not normally know. But can I know? I don’t know. I guess Caelous knows. But again, I don’t know. I guess he would tell me if I were to ask him but I do not want to ask him.
Mom has just yelled at me for me to come down stairs. We are going into town to buy clothes and such for our vacation. I hate shopping for clothes. Maybe in a past life I was murdered in a room while trying stuff on. “Case of the Changing Room Serial Killer.”
Billy laughs. “I like Victor. I want him to be rescued. But I don’t think this journal is going to help you to rescue him.”
“We need to find that spaceship.”
Billy says, “Wait. Quick. My mom is about to open the door.” Billy snaps his finger and Arthur Ramsey vanishes. Billy rolls his eyes. “I want to read this alone.”
***
Arthur Ramsey appears with Joesion Grant who is in the backseat of Elliot Duddley’s car.
Arthur asks, “Anything happening?”
Joesion shakes his head no. “I think we are wasting our time.”
Suddenly Elliot slams on his brakes. Arthur and Joesion who are in etheric form fly through the front windshield and land on the car hood. Elliot throws his car in reverse and starts back up.
Arthur and Joesion, hanging on to the hood right at the windshield look at one another. Joesion asks, “What is going on?”
Arthur looks around. He twists around to see that Elliot is pulling into the driveway of the Hazel Estate that Victor owns. “This estate belongs to Victor. My x-wife Rachel told me that he bought it through a secret Cayman Island corporation he and Jossette created when they were ten.”
“Didn’t you tell me that Rachel killed Victor and you helped bring him back to life.”
“Rachel was under my father’s influence. He was already dead and a ghost at the time. Anyway, she didn’t know she was under his influence. And the truth is she was protective of Jossette and our son Steed and think she was afraid Victor was a bad influence. Rachel is odd. On the one hand Rachel was not beyond having an affair with another woman but she was terrified that our son would become gay.”
As Elliot drives his car down the driveway, Arthur and Joesion float back into the car and to the back seat. Joesion asks, “Are you friend’s with Sabian Blackrock’s son? Someone told me that you once had a gay relationship with Bilford.”
“It was about us both trying to dominate one another. I guess we were friendly at times but mostly it was rivalry. And he was the son of Sabian Blackrock who my father does not like and I do not like. I can’t understand how you trusted the son of a bitch.”
“I don’t know. It was a mistake. And now my daughter is trapped in the outlands.”
Elliot stops the car in front of the large porch with greek revival doric style columns. Elliot talks to himself. “Why does this place scare me so much.” He stares at the long row of steps up to the porch. He takes one hand off the steering wheel. His hand is shaking as he puts his car into park. “Please don’t let me find Victor’s body here.”
An image flashed in Arthur’s mind of when he found Victor’s body in the boot of the car. “Both Victor’s body and soul travelled to the Outlands. We are sure of that. Right?”
Joesion says, “I think we are sure of that.”
Elliot begins climbing the steps. An image of Victor when Victor was ten appears in Elliot’s mind. Victor had read that Hazel Manor was being auctioned off and Victor had insisted that they come to the auction. Elliot had told Victor they didn’t have the money to afford such a place. But Victor insisted that they could allow the home of Benjamin Hazel to end up in the hands of some stranger. Elliot turns and remembers all the people who had gathered to bid on the estate. It was such a strange group of people that he had ever seen. And then there was his son Victor.
Arthur asks, “What is Elliot looking at.”
Joesion waves his hand and they can see into the mind of Elliot. “He is remembering into the past. Do you see yourself among the crowd?”
“When after the death of Benjamin Hazel, we witches all came to bid on the estate. And there was Victor and his father. I’d seen Victor with Jossette before but I guess that was the first time I really saw the true Victor. Rachel was with me. She was the one who had insisted we try to buy the place.”
Joesion says, “She is also staring at Victor.”
“I think everyone there was staring at Victor and his father. Some murmured humans but others were saying no and they were backing away.”
Joesion asks, “Was this before or after he stole the spaceship from Sabian Blackrock?”
“After. Victor knew me and Rachel as the Aunt and Uncle of Jossette and he led his father over to talk to us. When Victor’s mother and I were young, we’d had an affair. There was a baby that she gave up for adoption. And our relationship ended badly. You know my father did not raise me to be a good man and with her I became an asshole. And I wrote her out of my life. Until Rachel told me, until that day, I had not even placed Elliot as Ellen’s husband or Victor as her son. God, when Rachel told me I think my heart both sang and sank at the same moment. I’d not even thought about Ellen and the baby. Of course I knew that Victor was not old enough to be my son. But he was the half-brother of the baby my father and Ellen’s mother had made us give up for adoption.”
“So you thought of Victor as kin.”
“I did and then I didn’t and now I do. There was Rachel and you know, I do love Rachel. I will always love Rachel. And for her I wanted to put Ellen and my baby out of my mind. I wanted.”
Joesion nods. “Did you ever find out who your son with Ellen is?”
“I did not. I figured he could have a more normal life without me being in his life, and if I had known, I would have wanted him my life. Early on I had messed Steed up so badly, raising him even worse than my father had raised me. Victor helped raise Steed up from the pitiful mess that Rachel and I had made of him.”
Elliot turns back to again begin walking up the steps. He comes to the doors. His hand shakes as he puts his hand on the doorknob. “Please do not let me find Victor dead inside of Hazel Manor.” He opens the door.
Elliot remembers Victor introducing him to Benjamin Hazel on the boardwalk. Benjamin looked as though he had come straight off a movie set, playing some swashbuckler.
Arthur says, “He is remembering Benjamin Hazel. In any of your lives, your travels, did you ever know Benjamin in an incarnation?”
“I don’t believe so.”
“He was special. He and Quentin Darko gave us such hope against the Space Alien Witches. Then when Benjamin died and was caged, it seemed all hope was lost.”
“Did Benjamin Hazel and Quentin Darko know how special Victor is?”
“Then. I don’t know.”
Elliot remembers what a fast charmer Benjamin Hazel was. And listening to the conversation between Ben and Victor was mind blowing. They were suggesting proof that space and time are binary code. Their conversation varied from talking about the speed of light and sound to synchronicity to serendipity. “Ben was so young. So brilliant. He was too young to die.”
Then Elliot remembers meeting Quentin Darko the day of the auction. Victor cussed Quentin for auctioning Hazel Manor off. “What did Quentin tell him? Why can’t I remember what Quentin told him?”
Arthur tells Joesion, “The Witches Council ordered the auction. They took all of the wealth of Benjamin Hazel. I suspect Quentin had been forced by the Council to be a Judas to Ben but I don’t know that for sure. Victor openly accused Quentin of being a Judas. Quentin was drunk and with those words Quentin cried like a baby. Ten year old Victor took Quentin into his arms and apologized. I’ve never been clear on the details of how or even for sure when Victor bought Hazel Manor. I do know that word went around that no one was to bid against Victor for the estate and no one did. There was no auction that day as everyone left. Hazel Manor sat vacant for a long time and I was told Quentin was secretly keeping Hazel Manor until Victor could buy it as an adult so I think Victor did not buy Hazel Manor until he was grown. Still, I don’t think we are wrong to think the spaceship might be hidden here. The question is where?”
Elliot walks into the mansion. He looks around. “Something happened here. Why can’t I remember?”
Joesion asks, “What happened here?”
“I don’t know. Maybe the event has to do with the spaceship or maybe not.”
***
Billy Bingo reads…
Victor’s Journal July 4, 2012
I thought our vacation to the mountains was going to be sooner. We are not going until July 20th. Sorry to my future self for not posting anything in journal yesterday. I was in a real pissy mood for no particular reason.
Dad and I went to the boardwalk today without Stewart, Judy, or mom. Mom is still clothes shopping for the vacation. Stewart and Judy are much harder to please than me when shopping.
While in the Ice Cream Parlor, I encounter my friend Benjamin Hazel. Donny Maxtone introduced us a few weeks ago. He is not like anyone I have ever met. We fought with fencing foils while shooting hoops. It was the strangest basketball type game I have ever played.
So anyway, dad and I go into the Ice Cream Parlor and there sits Benjamin. I scream hey at him and then I tell dad about the basketball game I played with him and Donny. Dad says they are too old to be my playmates and I do my eye roll thing that seriously pisses dad off. I really need to stop doing that.
Benjamin walks over. Like man, Ben has got swagger that puts even Donny’s walk to shame. He looks like he has just walked off a movie set.
Dad says, “Victor was telling me about the basketball game you played with fencing foils. Maybe you could teach me the game.”
Dad saying that shocked me. It also pleased me.
Benjamin says, “That would be way cool.”
Dad smiles and Ben invites us to join him which we do after we order and receive our ice cream. I notice Ben and Dad doing that study the enemy look in total silence.
I moan, “Oh my God. Stop looking at one another like that. There is no steak here for you two to start growling over.”
Ben laughs. “Donny told me that you are a college professor and also an administrator over at Hearthville College. That impressed me but now I feel intimidated.”
Then Ben and I start some weird conversation about how the speed of light proves that the world is computer like. And dad sits there looking at us. He shakes his head. He says, “Now I feel intimidated.”
Donny Maxtone walks in and places his order. He gets his ice cream and sits down with us. He asks, “So what are you all talking about?”
Dad says, “I have no idea. So Donny, what is your story.”
“I am poor. I live in a trailer park with my stepbrother, Earl Raven and his wife and their son Deven.”
Benjamin tells Donny, “I’ve told you that you can move into the mansion with me. Hell, you can move Earl and his wife and Deven in with us.”
Donny hesitates. He looks hard at my father. “Ben and I aren’t queer.”
“I didn’t think you were. I have seen you with Lilly Bare, but it would not matter if you were gay.”
I realize how Donny is considering his words. It is like he trying to say something without saying something in front of my father. Donny finally says, “I do not fit with your Quentin Darko and his friends. I like us being friends, but I don’t fit in with those people and I don’t want to be drawn into that. Plus, I am okay living with my stepbrother in the trailer. I help them.”
In that moment I realize that I have been something of a snob. I had never visited Donny at his home in the trailer park. I had admired him knowing his friendship with rich people. I didn’t know Earl or his wife. I had never made the point to get to know Deven.
“Why does Deven never play basketball with us?”
“Deven isn’t good at sports. He is better at nerd shit. Which is fine. Don’t misunderstand. But he is not good at sports and so he does not enjoy playing sports.”
I tell Donny, “You know that is fucked up. You don’t have to be good at something to have fun doing it. Bring him over to play basketball or football. I want to get to know Deven.”
“I don’t want people making fun of him. I don’t want him hurt.”
And I realize at some point Donny must have been hurt. He did not want his nephew to go through that. “If anyone even thinks about being mean to Deven, I will beat the fuck out of them.”
Ben laughs at me. “He is some more little man there. I see why you wanted me to meet him.”
Dad is sitting there and I can tell he does not know what to say. Then father clears his throat. “So Deven is closer to Victor’s age?”
Donny says, “That is right. And the truth is the first time I met Victor I thought he would be a good friend for Deven. But Deven is so shy and I did not want to push it.”
Billy sits back from reading and stretches. He closes the directory. And then he sees a new directory. The name of that directory is Maxtone. “What the hell? Who is putting these directories on my computer.” Billy opens the Maxtone Directory. “Another journal.”
Billy felt a chill. He knew there was an other worldly presence in the room but he could not see who was there. The ghost Teacher Jane touched his hair and she smiled.
Teacher Jane whispered, “Oh, but if I should have had you in my classroom, I think you would have been a student who would have given me bragging rights.”
Billy spoke into ether. “Since I guess it is not Victor, tell me, who is putting these files on my computer.”
Teacher Jane giggled. She vanished and departed from the room.
Billy opened a file in the Donny Maxtone directory.
Donny’s Journal July 4, 2022
I ran in to Victor and his father Elliot sitting with Benjamin Hazel in the Ice Cream Parlor today. I think I gave him a plausible explanation of why I had befriended Victor. I obviously didn’t tell him that I am that son of his wife and half-brother to Victor. I told him I had wanted Victor to become friends with my nephew Deven. And you know, that is not a bad idea. Victor and Deven might make good friends. Victor has social skills that Deven desperately needs to learn.
I like Benjamin Hazel but the witch part scares me. I am sure my father Arthur Ramsey is a knowing earth witch and my mom Ellen is an unknowing earth witch and so I am a witch. But I don’t want to be. With the unspoken war between the Earth Witches and the Space Alien Witches there is a lot of drama and I don’t want to be pulled into that drama. Ben says that I am in greater danger if I allow myself to continue being an unknowing witch, but if I am unknowing there should not be any reason for the witches to bother me.
My stepbrother Earl Raven is a gypsy and he knows things about witchcraft and relics. I was on a dig with Earl in Mexico when I met Ben Hazel. Ben was buying a magical relic from Earl. He paid good money for it. The first time I ever spoke with Lilly Bare was on that dig. I had seen Lilly about town but I had never spoken to her. I had admired her of course. Lilly is younger than me but you would hardly know it by the way she looks and the way she handles herself. We never starting dating. I never asked her out and she never asked me out. We just started hanging out and doing things together. We’ve never had sex. She is beautiful and all but I don’t want to think about her that way.
I told Victor’s father Elliot that Ben and I aren’t queer, but Ben is bisexual. He told me so and for a minute after he told me such I thought he was going to make a pass at me but he didn’t. Later, I came to think Ben and Quentin are more than just friends but I don’t know that for sure. And maybe that is why Ben and Quentin’s relationship bothers me. Besides not wanting to be drawn into the witch stuff I don’t want to be drawn into the gay sex stuff. Actually, I just don’t want to be drawn into any sex stuff; straight or gay.
Billy looks away from the computer. “Why does whoever want me to read this? I don’t understand. Iapetus told me that all witches are bisexual. So if Donny is a witch, the odds are he knows that he is bisexual and is just lying to himself.”
Bess came into the room. “Who is bisexual and is just lying to themself?”
“A dead guy.”
“A dead guy! You are so damned weird.”
“So why did you barge into my room?”
“Dinner is ready.”
“Cool. I am starved.”
“You know, it is okay if you are queer?”
“Wow. There are so many things wrong with what you just said, but I am glad I have your permission.”
“I did not mean it like that.”
“Yes. You did. But I don’t care. I love you anyway.”
Bess smiles and hits Billy in the arm. “So is there a girl you see at school that you would like to kiss.”
Billy runs an image list of girls through his mind. “Nope.” Then he thinks of Bess’s friend Rachel Aghar. “But I would not mind smacking my sweet succulent lips on your friend Rachel.”
“Oh my God. I am going to tell her what you said.”
“Good. And then you two can giggle and make fun of me. But no, I do like her. She is nice. Unlike your boyfriend George who is a total freaking creep and I am pretty sure he is gay for pay.”
“You are insane. Totally insane. George would never have sex with a man. And for your information we have taken the Virginity Pledge. That is the kind of upstanding, Christian, man that George is.”
“And so you do think there is something wrong with being gay.”
“For you. No. But for George. Obviously. He is my boyfriend.”
“Well, all I can say, is that you would be better off if you were a lesbian dating Rachel than dating that piece of shit George.”
“What is wrong with you? Why would you say such an awful thing?”
“Because I love you and it is going to hurt you when you learn the truth about George Destone.”
Bess stares at Billy. She wonders if it were possible that he knows something about George that she does not know. But then she thinks he is just trying to pull her chain, rattle her, tease her, or just Billy being Billy. Then Bess says, “Right now, it is you who is trying to hurt me.”
“I am sorry. But understand you are dating this fiction in your head. You are refusing to see who George Destone really is. But I don’t want to hurt you. So I am going to just shut up about George.”
Maureen hears what Billy is telling Bess. And she has heard Bess’ reaction. She decides it is best if she says nothing.
They sit down at the table. Billy says, “Mom, this looks good.”
Maureen smiles.
Bess blurts out, “And by the way Billy. I think you are going to grow up to be queer.”
Billy smiles. “What was it that James Dean said? Or supposedly said?”
Maureen says, “No, I am not a homosexual. But I’m also not going to go through life with one hand tied behind my back.”
Billy says, “Exactly. I probably will be bisexual when I start having such thoughts. But hopefully I will never be sexually attracted to someone as disgusting as George Destone.”
Bess says, “Sexually attracted to… I am not.”
Maureen stares at Bess. “Then why are you dating him?”
“He is a good Christian. I am a good Christian. And I love him.”
Billy shakes his head. “Mom, what did we do wrong when we were raising this girl.”
“Didn’t you love dad first and then later develop a sexual attraction toward him?”
Maureen has no idea what to say. She considers her words. She is hoping Billy will say something and Bess will stop waiting for an answer.
Billy says, “I have an older friend and he works at the library. And there is this young woman who works there. At first my friend and this woman did not really like each other. They might have even hated each other. They fought all the time But he says when even when he hated her and was around her, he felt totally aroused. And she told him that she felt the same way and she couldn’t understand it. And they started dating. And now they are going to be married. Neither know for sure that they love one another in a normal sense. But they both know that they are in love even if they do hate some things about each other.”
Bess jumps up and runs out of the room crying.
Maureen pats Billy on the head. “You meant well.”
“I did. Honestly.”
“You know, George does not seem like such a bad young man. Why do you think differently?”
“He and his cousin are awful. They pick on Tommy. And I don’t want to go into it.”
“Should I forbid Bess to date him?”
“Then on top of her other delusions you will add some Romeo and Juliet fiction to her head.”
“Maybe if you are right, she will see him for what he is.”
“I hope.”
Maureen says, “I wish Bess could see that you are trying to be a good brother.”
Bess is peeping toward the dinning room and hears her mother. She comes back into the dinning room. She kisses Billy on the head. “I do realize. But he is wrong about George.” Bess sits down at her plate. “And we will find our passion when the time is right.”
Billy thinks, “Please. No. Don’t let her make that mistake.” But he says nothing. He just looks at his mom and she looks at him.
***
Things are looking dire in the Outlands Iapitus. Iapitus has had to stop souls from coming in and out of the area. Pretty much every soul there has been infected with the Soul Sleep Virus. Although Victor was one of the first to have it, he brought it from the physical world, it has not caused him to fall into a sleep. That is, yet. Iapetus is also still awake. But many have fallen into the sleep.
Victor tells Iapetus, “Sabian Blackrock is not smart enough for this. This has the fingerprints of Belial all over it.”
Iapetus questions, “And Satan?”
“Satan may know about it but I doubt he is part of it.”
Iapetus questions, “Do you think you will be able to find a cure. Most of our doctors and scientist have fallen into a sleep.”
“The computer system with the information I need has been shut down. But irregardless of that, the chemical formula for the cure would be easier to establish in the physical world and with physical chemicals. But if I were to manage to bypass the locks on the Outlands, I might spread this shit.”
General Rufus came into the compound where Victor and Iapetus were talking. “We have word that one of Sabian Blackrock’s tanker ships has entered the Outlands to smuggle oil out. Do you want to order the ship be taken?”
Iapetus says, “We are too weak and sick and vulnerable so that the risk of my men being caged are too great.”
General Rufus screamed, “So are we just giving up.”
“We must find a cure to the sickness. That is our only hope.”
Victor says, “We need to find a way to communicate with people outside of the Outlands. I would like to steal the computers and communication equipment from Sabian Blackrock’s Cargo Spaceship but not risk contaminating the people on the ship. Do I have your approval?”
Iapetus says, “You have my approval.”
“General Rufus, are you willing to help me?”
“The best I can. How many men?”
“Ten should be a safe number.”
“Ten of my best. Do you want to plan this or do you want me to plan this?”
“You have the information about the ship. I trust your planning. But I want to be in on the plan. And I want to be part of the mission.”
“Understood. I will get busy with the planning. We should have a three day window to execute our mission.”
“Very good.”
***
Barnabus Hazel and Jossette look down from the third balcony over the ballroom. They stare down at Elliot Duddley and the astral ones who are with him. But neither Elliot nor the bodyless ones can see Barnabus or Jossette.
Jossette says, “How odd. I don’t remember the last time Elliot was here. And there is my Uncle Arthur Ramsey in astral form with him. I don’t recognize the other man.”
“Joesion Grant. He was being kept a prisoner on Malokey. I wonder how he gained his freedom.”
“Is he a good guy or bad guy?”
“How many times have I told you that good and bad are relative terms depending on which side you are acting, and what moral play is your drama for the day? He was a follower of Napoleon and he and his sort want Napoleon freed from the cage where Sabian Blackrock has him captive.”
“And what might Napoleon do to help us against the Space Alien Witches?”
“Exactly.”
“I wonder where my Uncle stands on the Napoleon issue?”
“I don’t know. I wonder what they are doing here. We have not seen Victor in too long of a time.”
“I have been worried about him.”
“It is awful but I have been afraid to seek news about him for fear that it is news that I do not want to hear.”
Jossette nods.
Barnabus snaps his fingers so that he and Jossette secretly join their uninvited guest. They wish to listen to Arthur and Joesion talk but their words are few and mean nothing to Barnabus and Jossette.
Elliot looks around. He speaks to himself. “I don’t even know where I might begin looking for Victor’s body.”
Jossette gasp for air. She closes her eyes. “Body.”
Barnabus moans, “I guess Sabian has killed and caged him.”
“I don’t understand Sabian.”
“Does anyone?”
“God help us all if Victor has been caged or has joined Amelia in her sleep.”