HER BARE HANDS, but the rest got away. The dead boys
say she’s fast and strong. Like a demon.
Days later, a black
Mercedes-Benz repeatedly drives past Rio’s home. The same black car
John and Ronald saw, driven by the man who hired them?
A couple of days later,
Rio takes his brother to Tremonton.
Nine days ago he brings
said brother home. Leaves him at the door.
Not seen since.
Gia and Daven. Are they
demons? Your ordinary Joe looks at a demon and sees a regular human
being; I look at one and see him as he really is. But demons can
make me see them as human beings if they put a little effort into
it.
A minion of Royal’s brother did that
to me once and Royal did it a few times, until I told him I much
prefer his exotic demon appearance. His coppery demon eyes glint
when he moves; they sparkle like sunlight on mica. His copper and
gold hair slithers over his shoulders like heavy silk threaded with
metallic fibers.
Demons are beautiful and Royal doesn’t
have those pointed demon teeth. He had them capped long ago. Being
a careful demon permanently living in our world and passing himself
off as human, he didn’t want to spoil the illusion by kissing a
woman and having her feel those pointed teeth against her
lips.
So, if Gia and Daven are
demons who make me think they’re human, they were warned I can see
their true appearance, they were prepared. Who else but Royal knows
I see demons as they truly are? Conclusion: if they’re demons,
Royal warned them I would see them as such. He knows they’re
deliberately deceiving me. And so is he.
I get stuck there, on
Royal. Why are you lying to me, Royal? I
know you are. What happened to the trust?
And all his malarkey about serving and protecting me?
Including Royal, I didn’t have one
nice person on my list.
I picked up the phone and dialed Gia’s
number. I’d tell her what I discovered, but I hadn’t made up my
mind whether or not to ask her what Daven and Royal were up to. I
got an answering machine. I didn’t leave a message.
I sat at the table, chin in hands.
Elizabeth’s journal stared up at me from where it lay
open.
“ I heard Daddy. I looked
away only a second or two yet when I looked back up at the Gallery
the Man was gone. Daddy looked at the floor but the dusty coating
was too scuffed by all who passed there to decipher one footprint
from another. He asked me if the Man was not one of our Boys and I
told him positively he was not. He told me not to say anything to
our Native Boys because they will think the Man is a Naga. I did
not know that Word and Daddy explained that Naga are guardian
spirits of Indian legend. Some are protectors of the land but
others are evil dependent on religious belief. He reminded me of
the two huge Statues at the door of the Pyramid Temple. He said the
Boys are terribly superstitious and insist Nagka is teeming with
Naga. I told him if that is the case we would have seen them. Daddy
said that Naga live in dark places and emerge only at Night as we
sleep. I pointed out that Indian legends are very convenient and he
laughed at my little Wit. I thought about the strange Native Man
for hours. He looked like a heathen Lord.”
I pushed the open book away and
decided to give in to the hollow in my gut. A frozen micro meal,
quick and easy.
Jack was deep in an old M.A.S.H.
rerun. Mel followed me as I got the tub of shredded parmesan out
the fridge and put it next to the box of Light and Lean. The big
salt and pepper canisters sit on the back of the stove, always
handy, because I add salt to just about everything but dessert. I
pulled the carton out the box, stuck it in the microwave and waited
with salt shaker poised.
Mel stood at my shoulder. “You know a
low-sodium meal is no longer low-sodium when one shakes salt all
over it?”
“ Yes, one does
know.”
We waited exactly four minutes, in
silence, until the timer dinged. I opened the meal and furiously
shook salt atop it. Being highly experienced in the deficiencies
say she’s fast and strong. Like a demon.
Days later, a black
Mercedes-Benz repeatedly drives past Rio’s home. The same black car
John and Ronald saw, driven by the man who hired them?
A couple of days later,
Rio takes his brother to Tremonton.
Nine days ago he brings
said brother home. Leaves him at the door.
Not seen since.
Gia and Daven. Are they
demons? Your ordinary Joe looks at a demon and sees a regular human
being; I look at one and see him as he really is. But demons can
make me see them as human beings if they put a little effort into
it.
A minion of Royal’s brother did that
to me once and Royal did it a few times, until I told him I much
prefer his exotic demon appearance. His coppery demon eyes glint
when he moves; they sparkle like sunlight on mica. His copper and
gold hair slithers over his shoulders like heavy silk threaded with
metallic fibers.
Demons are beautiful and Royal doesn’t
have those pointed demon teeth. He had them capped long ago. Being
a careful demon permanently living in our world and passing himself
off as human, he didn’t want to spoil the illusion by kissing a
woman and having her feel those pointed teeth against her
lips.
So, if Gia and Daven are
demons who make me think they’re human, they were warned I can see
their true appearance, they were prepared. Who else but Royal knows
I see demons as they truly are? Conclusion: if they’re demons,
Royal warned them I would see them as such. He knows they’re
deliberately deceiving me. And so is he.
I get stuck there, on
Royal. Why are you lying to me, Royal? I
know you are. What happened to the trust?
And all his malarkey about serving and protecting me?
Including Royal, I didn’t have one
nice person on my list.
I picked up the phone and dialed Gia’s
number. I’d tell her what I discovered, but I hadn’t made up my
mind whether or not to ask her what Daven and Royal were up to. I
got an answering machine. I didn’t leave a message.
I sat at the table, chin in hands.
Elizabeth’s journal stared up at me from where it lay
open.
“ I heard Daddy. I looked
away only a second or two yet when I looked back up at the Gallery
the Man was gone. Daddy looked at the floor but the dusty coating
was too scuffed by all who passed there to decipher one footprint
from another. He asked me if the Man was not one of our Boys and I
told him positively he was not. He told me not to say anything to
our Native Boys because they will think the Man is a Naga. I did
not know that Word and Daddy explained that Naga are guardian
spirits of Indian legend. Some are protectors of the land but
others are evil dependent on religious belief. He reminded me of
the two huge Statues at the door of the Pyramid Temple. He said the
Boys are terribly superstitious and insist Nagka is teeming with
Naga. I told him if that is the case we would have seen them. Daddy
said that Naga live in dark places and emerge only at Night as we
sleep. I pointed out that Indian legends are very convenient and he
laughed at my little Wit. I thought about the strange Native Man
for hours. He looked like a heathen Lord.”
I pushed the open book away and
decided to give in to the hollow in my gut. A frozen micro meal,
quick and easy.
Jack was deep in an old M.A.S.H.
rerun. Mel followed me as I got the tub of shredded parmesan out
the fridge and put it next to the box of Light and Lean. The big
salt and pepper canisters sit on the back of the stove, always
handy, because I add salt to just about everything but dessert. I
pulled the carton out the box, stuck it in the microwave and waited
with salt shaker poised.
Mel stood at my shoulder. “You know a
low-sodium meal is no longer low-sodium when one shakes salt all
over it?”
“ Yes, one does
know.”
We waited exactly four minutes, in
silence, until the timer dinged. I opened the meal and furiously
shook salt atop it. Being highly experienced in the deficiencies
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