Ivey replied. “I love no one. Whom do you love?”
Taken aback, Bonnie searched her heart. “I love all of my people. We all love one another. And I love Baby and Echo and Tobi and Caesar and all of the animals that came with us from Earth.”
“Then why are you so sad? Brother and Sister said there is great joy in loving. I see no great joy in you. I find my joy in my duty just like every minion. But Brother and Sister have something else. Something they call complete happiness. I do not feel that.”
“You must be just like me, only sadder. I don’t think you have complete happiness.”
Ivey wrinkled her nose. “You smell bad.”
Bonnie bristled. “I don’t have complete happiness because my husband is missing. I told you about that, before the thing from the portal tried to sting you. Remember? I love him more than anything andanyone in the world. And if you don’t like how I smell, you can leave.”
Ivey looked long and hard at Bonnie. Her butterfly’s wings flapped languid trailing lines of firelight over her golden fur. Ivey blinked her mesmerizing eyes. Her fur bristled. “I will leave.” She turned to leave Bonnie’s bedroom, the fire butterfly sucking greedily from her antlers, content and secure.
***
Bonnie picked morosely at the cake Dezi had made for the end of dinner. Echo sat along the wall with Barney and Chloe’s dog Teddy, happily feeding them pieces of cake while Baby watched, a puppy tucked under one skinny arm and flapping his elongated fingers in the air with consternation over the disappearing cake. I see not much has changed for Baby.
She saw that a nooglet had joined the group, Barney warily tolerating his rival. Looking to the other side of the room, Abby and Cobby sat with Wil and Netty; Hud and Kane helped Dezi with the dishes, and Kenya played on the floor with her baby and a laughing Maya, the little girl still unable to control her thrashing tail and drooping wings. Maya gallivanted around, begging for constant attention as usual. She could hardly blame the child after being cooped up for so many years with Father Garcia and the babies, unable to have playmates to develop natural social skills. If she was precocious for her age, the adults certainly took pains to humor her.
A cloudy veil of sorrow descended over Bonnie as she recounted the many changes Maya had been forced to witness in the last year or so since they’d ascended from the Hive and begun to build their new life above on Earth. Her hand to her mouth, she stifled a sob. And now another different life to live . . . She wished she could be more like Daisy. Unemotional and committed to her calling. She noted Daisy’s absence. Probably talking to some alien rocks somewhere.
She wondered where Jose was and who might be taking care of her baby. She found she still wasn’t hungry but had taken pains to clean herself up and wash her hair, now swept up in a ponytail out of her way. She discreetly sniffed herself. A faint odor of vomit still clung relentlessly. Oh well . . . I’ll get some new clothes soon.
“ Hi doll. How ya doin’?” Dezi slid into place next to her. Bonnie swallowed and shook her head, afraid to talk for fear of breaking down. Dezi reached out to give her a hug.
“I know it’s just not the same with Peter and Ginger Mae gone.” Dezi’s mournful tone was heartfelt. “I sure miss then. Especially Ginger Mae. She was the best.”
Bonnie looked up, her face deliberately alive and determined. “Will you help me, Dezi? We can find them. I know we can. We just need to make someone listen. I have all kinds of ideas. We . . .”
Dezi placed his hand down on hers. “They’re gone, hon. You need to accept that.” One tear slid down her cheek.
“No, not you too, Dez.”
Before Dezi could reply, Forbation walked into the room accompanied by a small group of minions who wore red ribbons hanging loosely around their necks. The room descended into silence as Forbation’s aura swirled in
Taken aback, Bonnie searched her heart. “I love all of my people. We all love one another. And I love Baby and Echo and Tobi and Caesar and all of the animals that came with us from Earth.”
“Then why are you so sad? Brother and Sister said there is great joy in loving. I see no great joy in you. I find my joy in my duty just like every minion. But Brother and Sister have something else. Something they call complete happiness. I do not feel that.”
“You must be just like me, only sadder. I don’t think you have complete happiness.”
Ivey wrinkled her nose. “You smell bad.”
Bonnie bristled. “I don’t have complete happiness because my husband is missing. I told you about that, before the thing from the portal tried to sting you. Remember? I love him more than anything andanyone in the world. And if you don’t like how I smell, you can leave.”
Ivey looked long and hard at Bonnie. Her butterfly’s wings flapped languid trailing lines of firelight over her golden fur. Ivey blinked her mesmerizing eyes. Her fur bristled. “I will leave.” She turned to leave Bonnie’s bedroom, the fire butterfly sucking greedily from her antlers, content and secure.
***
Bonnie picked morosely at the cake Dezi had made for the end of dinner. Echo sat along the wall with Barney and Chloe’s dog Teddy, happily feeding them pieces of cake while Baby watched, a puppy tucked under one skinny arm and flapping his elongated fingers in the air with consternation over the disappearing cake. I see not much has changed for Baby.
She saw that a nooglet had joined the group, Barney warily tolerating his rival. Looking to the other side of the room, Abby and Cobby sat with Wil and Netty; Hud and Kane helped Dezi with the dishes, and Kenya played on the floor with her baby and a laughing Maya, the little girl still unable to control her thrashing tail and drooping wings. Maya gallivanted around, begging for constant attention as usual. She could hardly blame the child after being cooped up for so many years with Father Garcia and the babies, unable to have playmates to develop natural social skills. If she was precocious for her age, the adults certainly took pains to humor her.
A cloudy veil of sorrow descended over Bonnie as she recounted the many changes Maya had been forced to witness in the last year or so since they’d ascended from the Hive and begun to build their new life above on Earth. Her hand to her mouth, she stifled a sob. And now another different life to live . . . She wished she could be more like Daisy. Unemotional and committed to her calling. She noted Daisy’s absence. Probably talking to some alien rocks somewhere.
She wondered where Jose was and who might be taking care of her baby. She found she still wasn’t hungry but had taken pains to clean herself up and wash her hair, now swept up in a ponytail out of her way. She discreetly sniffed herself. A faint odor of vomit still clung relentlessly. Oh well . . . I’ll get some new clothes soon.
“ Hi doll. How ya doin’?” Dezi slid into place next to her. Bonnie swallowed and shook her head, afraid to talk for fear of breaking down. Dezi reached out to give her a hug.
“I know it’s just not the same with Peter and Ginger Mae gone.” Dezi’s mournful tone was heartfelt. “I sure miss then. Especially Ginger Mae. She was the best.”
Bonnie looked up, her face deliberately alive and determined. “Will you help me, Dezi? We can find them. I know we can. We just need to make someone listen. I have all kinds of ideas. We . . .”
Dezi placed his hand down on hers. “They’re gone, hon. You need to accept that.” One tear slid down her cheek.
“No, not you too, Dez.”
Before Dezi could reply, Forbation walked into the room accompanied by a small group of minions who wore red ribbons hanging loosely around their necks. The room descended into silence as Forbation’s aura swirled in
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