Journey To Light: Part I of the High Duties of Pacia by Bob Craton

CHAPTER 20

  Rafe and Belo § 3

  “I wish I still had my cloak,” Belo said. “I could do a lot more in te daytime if I did.”

  “We’re doin’ okay. We got this far, didn’t we?” Rafe replied.

  “Yes, we did. See, I told you no one would try to stop us from crossing te highway. It was easier tan crossing te River. You didn’t have to steal a boat to row across.” They were reclining in the shade of an embankment overgrown with bushes and vines. Belo had taken the extra precaution of spreading Rafe’s jacket over some branches above him so he was safe from sunburn during their daytime rest stop.

  “Dose man-guys sure made a crap-load of noise about it,” Rafe replied.

  “Tat was just te dogs. Men keep dogs because tey bark, and tey definitely caught your scent. You knew tey would.”

  “You’d think they’d be friendlier to a lupun,” grumbled Rafe. “You know, perfessional curtsey and all. Some of them man-guys saw me and started yellin’ too.”

  “So? No one tried to stop you,” Belo said. In reply, Rafe flexed his muscles and curled his lips to show off his teeth. Belo responded, “I know what you mean by tat gesture, but I don’t tink tey avoided you just because you’re so intimidating. Men know lupuns have legal rights; the High Protector made it so long ago. You can leave Hinterland and cross te eeessin road if you want to.” Like Rafe, Belo used certain sounds of his own rather than speaking offensive man-words. His friend understood them and any grouchy humans who overheard wouldn’t get peeped off at him since they didn’t know what eeessin meant.

  “You think they saw ya flyin’ over?”

  “Probably not but so what if tey did? Kiropterans are just as much citizens as anyone.”

  “Citti . . . citisshensss of what?”

  “Hmm. Good question, but what I meant is tat we’re both legal,” Belo replied.

  “Well, ain’t we special?” Rafe said as he twirled one finger-claw in his sarcastic manner. Belo couldn’t stop himself from eeking a chuckle but then he noticed that Rafe started to scratch himself and squirm around. That meant the big guy wanted to say something awkward.

  “What is it, Rafe?”

  “I shouldn’t ask. It’s a personal question,” Rafe answered.

  “Go ahead.”

  “Ya might get mad at me.”

  “You’re worried tat I might get angry at you?”

  “I know ya could sneak when I’m sleepin’ and stick your needles in,” Rafe said as he gestured with two fingers against his neck.

  “We’ve been friends for a very long time, Rafe. I would never sedate you.”

  “I wouldn’t rip your head off either but sometimes ya act like I might.”

  “Well . . . .”

  “Hey!” Rafe interrupted in a mock-harsh tone. “Did ya mean somethin’ insultin’ when you said I worried?” Belo wanted to explain that he had just asked a question, not stated that Rafe worried, but the little guy couldn’t get a word in. “Do ya think worryin’ means the same as bein’ afraid? Should I get mad at ya now?” The big guy tried to maintain an intimidating glare to finish the joke but he couldn’t contain his amusement at his own clever (by lupun standards, that is) words and “Heh, heh, heh,” burst out. Belo chuckled along. Kiropterans may seem more knowledgeable when they speak, but their senses of humor are truthfully no higher than lupuns’.

  “All right, ask your question,” Belo said but Rafe took a few more moments of squirming and scratching before he got to the point.

  “Do ya feel bad about chasin’ after dat affafinanced girl back home?”

  “Affianced,” Belo corrected him.

  “Dat’s what I said. Affinanced. Well, do ya?”

  “Of course I do, and she wasn’t a girl but an adult kiropteran lady.”

  “With a financee who was kind of a big shot in town, just like her old dad Takiss was,” Rafe pointed out.

  “You mean fiancé but you’re right, and I did get caught in a compromising position.”

  “Ya were nekkid in her bedroom.”

  Belo sighed. “Te correct word is naked.”

  “I like how I say it.”

  “Tis really is awkward to talk about, Rafe, but I want you to hear it all,” Belo said. “I was indeed undressed in her bedroom as you indicated. She still had on a chiffon night dress but I was sure she’d take it off until Takiss and tat fiancé of hers broke in.”

  “And a bunch of other guys with ’em, right?”

  “Yes. Tey had quite a squad of supporters along, a real who’s-who of kiropteran un-friendlies. Funny how tey just happened to be in te hallway outside her room. I had to fly out te window while I was still, well, disrobed.” Belo paused in thought for a moment before continuing. “I had a lot of time by myself back in tat cave and I want to tell you some tings which occurred to me. Can we be completely serious now?”

  “I’ll be amazin’ serious,” Rafe assured him.

  “Back when it happened, I believed Dallia really cared about me and I had feelings for her too. You know, I told you about it,” said Belo. Rafe nodded in confirmation. “It’s obvious now tat she didn’t care at all. In fact, I believe she was working for Takiss to set me up. Let me tell you exactly what happened tat night. I had undressed and was attempting to persuade her to take off her night dress when all of a sudden she cries out, ‘Oh, Belo!’ like ladies sometimes do at a certain moment. Only she was very loud and I hadn’t touched her yet. Not tat way, anyhow. So te door flies open and all tose guys came crashing in and started shouting some very negative words at me. Te timing was too perfect. It was te exact moment when I was completely compromised but before I had actually done . . . well, you know what I mean. My dignity was destroyed and yet her virtue was still intact.”

  “Ya call dat virtue?” said Rafe. “Her sayin’ your name was da signal, wasn’t it?”

  “Oh, yes. It’s very clear. It didn’t occur to me at te time only because I was so confused about what was happening.”

  “Couldn’t help bein’ confused. Ya weren’t thinkin’ with your head,” Rafe said sympathetically. When he saw Belo’s face, he added, “Don’t worry, I ain’t makin’ a pun because I’m still being amazin’ serious. Nice, too. I’m just sayin’ it’s hard . . . I mean difficult for a guy to change directions suddenly, so to speak. Look, I know her old dad didn’t like ya even before you started sniffin’ his precious little princess, but why did they go to all that trouble?”

  “Kiropterans don’t sniff te way lupuns do.”

  “Nobody sniffs like a lupun but ya know what I mean.”

  “Yes I do, and you’ve asked te important question. Why did tey do it?” said Belo. “After much consideration, it seems clear tat someone wanted an opportunity to hurt or even kill me. Or else to drive me away from home, which is what happened.”

  “Drove ya away and hurt ya too. It was runhh impolite of them to shoot dat crossbow when ya were flyin’ away.”

  “Fortunately my wing is much better now, tanks to you. But before we talk about why tey wanted to get rid of me, I want to ask you a question about tat same night.”

  “Ummf,” said Rafe meaning okay.

  “Why did tose two lupun guys pick a fight witt you?”

  “They were stupid. Dumb to think dat only two of ’em could take me.”

  “Right, which helps me get to my point. You’ve fought a lot of times witt two at a time, wrestling matches and all sort of contests, and you never lost. Tey must’ve known you’d pound tem even if tey jumped you from behind. So why take such punishment? And do you tink it was coincidence tat a whole posse of lupun sentries came around te corner at tat exact moment?”

  “Yeah, jusht when I had knocked ’em down but hadn’t brrroken their bonesss yet.” Rafe’s pronunciation was slipping as he grew angry. “They even had a judge with them, dat nashty old growler Grarren, and he shtarted yellin’ I wush guilty right away. Where’d he come from?”

  “My friend, you were set up just as I was and some very sh
ifty persons from te lupun community were involved.”

  Rafe growled and said, “Ya think it was because of those frurruff rumors they spread about me?” Frurruff was a substitute for a particularly objectionable man word.

  “About you having ursine blood? Nobody witt any sense could possibly believe tat.”

  “Mama never shlept with no bear!”

  “Of course not. She’s a very nice lupun lady. Besides, bears can’t interbreed witt anyone. Tey’re just animals.”

  “They sshouldn’t everrr have said that.”

  “I agree. Persons can be cruel sometimes,” said Belo. “Your mama was quite tall for a lady and as I recall her parents were big too, even if tey weren’t your size. I’m sure you come from a long line of ancestors who were extra large and strong.” In truth, Rafe’s parents and grandparents were no larger than average lupuns, but Belo was being polite and it seemed like the right thing to say. “Tat’s why you’re te toughest guy in all of lupunmanity, not because of what any rumors say. Besides, I have an idea about why tey wanted us to go.”

  “Errf?”

  “Do you remember te guys who’ve been speaking up about hu-mens in council meetings? Complaining about how many live around Hinterland now and saying we shouldn’t cooperate witt tem?”

  “I know who ya mean. Troublemakers who ain’t nice like us.”

  “Well, Dallia’s dad and te rest who attacked me were guys like tat. So is Grarren, and I’m guessing so were te rest of te lupuns who helped him set you up.”

  “Yeah, now that ya mention it,” Rafe snarled (an impressive facial expression on a lupun) and the long growl that followed communicated substantial anger. Belo knew none of it was aimed at him, however, and didn’t worry. “You and me always said it was stupid to cause trouble with the hu-mens, just like most folks believe.”

  “Yes, most of our people certainly feel tat way but not everyone. You and I sometimes were a little more vocal about our opinions so we attracted attention,” Belo explained. “We’re adult males in our prime years, Rafe. Maybe we weren’t popular enough to get elected since we do rub some people te wrong way. After all, you’re an imposing guy and lupuns don’t like being frightened. Te ones who have some reason to be scared, I mean. You know I don’t mean you. I, on the other hand, sometimes get carried away witt my witticisms and folks may tink I’m sarcastic. Some say I’m a bit of a know-it-all.”

  “You’re a smart ass.”

  “You put it so succinctly, Rafe.”

  “I don’t mind ya bein’ dat way. I prefer asses to be smart.”

  “Please allow me to make my point wittout any more crude summaries of my personality,” Belo said. “We may never have gotten elected, but if trouble had come a lot of folks would’ve looked to us for leadership.”

  “And we would’ve said stay calm and everybody should just get along.”

  “Yes, tat’s what I mean. Te lupuns and kiropterans who want conflict witt hu-mens arranged to get us out of town so we couldn’t rally people against tem. Almost everyone agreed witt us but most folks are easier to push around tan we are.”

  “Damn . . . I mean runhh! Ya mean we got run off because of politics?”

  “I’m afraid so. Disgusting, isn’t it?”

  “It’s worse than disgustin’! Those assholie bastards threw rocks at me when I was leavin’!”

  “Good ting lupuns aren’t very good at trowing tings,” Belo commented. “Except for you, of course.”

  “Good thing your guys ain’t so good shootin’ crossbows, too.”

  “True,” Belo sighed. “And now we’re stuck out here until we figure out how to get home and take our rightful places back.”

  “It ain’t so bad like this. Huntin’ your own food is more fun than goin’ to the corral and buyin’ it. But you’re right about goin’ home. We ain’t gonna find our kind of girls out here.”

  “Ladies, you mean. Yes, it is difficult to lack female companionship. Even if Dallia had a deceitful black heart, she was very shapely indeed. And it was ssso close,” Belo moaned.

  Rafe never gave any thought to what made one kiropteran lady better looking than another but he understood his friend’s distress. In a gesture of sympathy not usually performed by lupuns, he reached out a big paw and patted Belo’s shoulder gently. Then he thought of a more cheerful subject to discuss.

  “I’m glad we got across the road before dawn. It’s nice here,” he told Belo. “There’s lots of deer spoor around and some other fine tasty scents too. Should find even more as we go north and get farther away from the man-road. I told ya we could find a nice hidey-hole up in the hills.”

  “Deer,” Belo said wistfully. “Tat’s a good animal to hunt. For you and me bote. Of course, when I finish feeding on one, it’s still alive so I could tap it again te next time. When you hunt, te creature is always dead.”

  “Yep. Deer tend to get dead when I break their necks and rip their heads off.”

  “You know, someone who had an aversion to blood might get an upset stomach listening to you.”

  “Good thing I got you to talk to,” said Rafe. “Belo, do ya think it’s funny dat we got run off from home because we’re the nice ones? Not funny heh-heh, the other kind.”

  “I know what you mean, and it’s bitterly ironic, isn’t it?”

  “We just said everybody ought to be peaceful with de neighbors and dat gets us in politics trouble. It just ain’t fair,” Rafe complained. “Oh, well. Ya ready to sleep now?”

  “Yes, tat would be good. Good day, Rafe.”

  “Um, yeah. Good day,” Rafe replied as he circled around and scratched out a big enough place on the ground for his body. He finally settled in but continued to fidget for a while. After a minute, he spoke again. “Belo, I’ve had the itchies on my back since about midnight.”

  “Te itchies? Have you sniffed someting again?” asked Belo with some alarm.

  “No, not dat. Wind’s blowin’ the wrong way. Can’t sniff nothin’ from behind and dat’s bad. The itch dat makes me think somethin’ is followin’ us is different, and it’s buggin’ da crap outa me. We gotta keep movin’.”

  “You’re making me nervous, Rafe.”

  “You nervous about me?” Rafe mumbled as he laid his head down. “What’s the world comin’ to?”