Robin offered a breadcrumb. The raven took it hungrily. Robin continued: "I told them the story; Lena made me. I should probably have never mentioned the talks to her. To Lena, to have a master is to be a slave. But maybe I wanted to tell the others. Maybe…" She stopped petting the bird, touched the golden eagle at her throat. "Maybe the one… no, it couldn't be." She smiled to herself. "Of course, I didn't tell them the end. How could I do that?" She leaned over, kissing the bird on the top of the head. "Now, go, my friend. Do what you will do. Maybe soon we will fly together."
The raven shrieked, launching into the wind. Thinking of deals with the devil, he knocked lightly. Robin turned and smiled.
"Come in, Park. I was hoping you would visit me."
"The stove would have been easier," Angie said.
"Get back!" Shani called, striking the wooden match, tossing it on the lighter-fuel-drenched wood. The flames ignited in a black billow of oily smoke. "But just think of the superior taste."
"Think of the carcinogenics."
"We'll let the lighter fluid burn off before we roast the hot dogs. That won't take long. It'll be like old times."
"We've never done this before," Angie said.
"But in the future, when we do it again, we'll be able to say, gosh, this is like old times!"
Angie fished through the cooler at her feet, pulling out a packet of Farmer John's one-footers. "You're awfully chipper today. Did Flynn visit you last night?"
"Only for sex," Shani said. In reality, she did not feel well. She had tossed until the sun had risen. The label on Insect Death had hung like a billboard in her dreams. When she had awoken, for a moment, the entire party had been clear in her memory. But only for a moment. Then the flashback had clouded, leaving her doubtful and with an upset stomach, which was getting worse as the day progressed. She would probably pass on lunch.
"How about you and Park?" she asked.
"I never kiss and tell."
"Whoever says that, has nothing to tell."
"Look who's talking."
"Really," Shani agreed.
"When do you think the others will start arriving?"
Shani consulted her faithful Timex. "It's close to one. I would think that someone should have showed up by now. That Lena… I don't know, maybe she put down the wrong month along with the wrong day."
She wiped her hands on her shorts. "I'm going to go inside."
"What? You're the one who talked me into this bonfire."
"I just want to see how Robin's doing. I'll be back in a minute." And she wanted to run into Flynn.
Dangerous or not, he was still cute.
"How long should I wait before sticking these wienies in the fire?" Angie impaled a hot dog on a sharp branch.
"Wait until I get back."
On the way to the house, Shani passed the carport. Open bottle in hand, Bert and Sol were climbing into the back of the van. She waved to them but they did not see her.
Climbing up the front porch steps, she stopped and laughed, Angie was cursing venomously. A blackbird had snatched her wienie stick - hot dog and all - and was racing away, trying to get back in the air with the goods. Angie was chasing the poor bird with a fiery branch and face. Shani considered going for her camera when she saw a tan-clad figure approaching along the northern beach.
The dry air rippled with rising ground heat. He flowed in the distorted landscape like a phantom in the wind. Bright orange gleamed at his mid-section. Shani did not know why, but she was certain he was staring at her as she was at him. From Sol's description, she knew this was Robin's sorcerer.
The man stopped and sat down, staring out to sea. Shani shielded her eyes from the glare and watched him for a full five minutes. But he did not move. When she spoke with Robin, she would ask if it was appropriate to simply walk up to him and say hello.
Inside, Shani discovered that she had no idea where the dialysis was done. In this big house, it was a problem. She called but no one answered. The basement was probably the most likely
The raven shrieked, launching into the wind. Thinking of deals with the devil, he knocked lightly. Robin turned and smiled.
"Come in, Park. I was hoping you would visit me."
"The stove would have been easier," Angie said.
"Get back!" Shani called, striking the wooden match, tossing it on the lighter-fuel-drenched wood. The flames ignited in a black billow of oily smoke. "But just think of the superior taste."
"Think of the carcinogenics."
"We'll let the lighter fluid burn off before we roast the hot dogs. That won't take long. It'll be like old times."
"We've never done this before," Angie said.
"But in the future, when we do it again, we'll be able to say, gosh, this is like old times!"
Angie fished through the cooler at her feet, pulling out a packet of Farmer John's one-footers. "You're awfully chipper today. Did Flynn visit you last night?"
"Only for sex," Shani said. In reality, she did not feel well. She had tossed until the sun had risen. The label on Insect Death had hung like a billboard in her dreams. When she had awoken, for a moment, the entire party had been clear in her memory. But only for a moment. Then the flashback had clouded, leaving her doubtful and with an upset stomach, which was getting worse as the day progressed. She would probably pass on lunch.
"How about you and Park?" she asked.
"I never kiss and tell."
"Whoever says that, has nothing to tell."
"Look who's talking."
"Really," Shani agreed.
"When do you think the others will start arriving?"
Shani consulted her faithful Timex. "It's close to one. I would think that someone should have showed up by now. That Lena… I don't know, maybe she put down the wrong month along with the wrong day."
She wiped her hands on her shorts. "I'm going to go inside."
"What? You're the one who talked me into this bonfire."
"I just want to see how Robin's doing. I'll be back in a minute." And she wanted to run into Flynn.
Dangerous or not, he was still cute.
"How long should I wait before sticking these wienies in the fire?" Angie impaled a hot dog on a sharp branch.
"Wait until I get back."
On the way to the house, Shani passed the carport. Open bottle in hand, Bert and Sol were climbing into the back of the van. She waved to them but they did not see her.
Climbing up the front porch steps, she stopped and laughed, Angie was cursing venomously. A blackbird had snatched her wienie stick - hot dog and all - and was racing away, trying to get back in the air with the goods. Angie was chasing the poor bird with a fiery branch and face. Shani considered going for her camera when she saw a tan-clad figure approaching along the northern beach.
The dry air rippled with rising ground heat. He flowed in the distorted landscape like a phantom in the wind. Bright orange gleamed at his mid-section. Shani did not know why, but she was certain he was staring at her as she was at him. From Sol's description, she knew this was Robin's sorcerer.
The man stopped and sat down, staring out to sea. Shani shielded her eyes from the glare and watched him for a full five minutes. But he did not move. When she spoke with Robin, she would ask if it was appropriate to simply walk up to him and say hello.
Inside, Shani discovered that she had no idea where the dialysis was done. In this big house, it was a problem. She called but no one answered. The basement was probably the most likely
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