what elephants know

Chapter 5

[I will probably cut this chapter when I go back to edit. I like some of what's here, but it's too long and there's no physical action. Let me know what you think.]

Chapter 5

“Daaaaaaaaaavidddddd!”

“Coming!”

“Is he in the shower again? I swear, that’s the cleanest young man I’ve ever seen!”

Jenny, Marcus’ housekeeper, laughed as she put breakfast on the table.

“I feel it has nothing to do with clean. My grandson likes playing in that contraption.”

Marcus turned and stared at Racdair as waves of anxiety washed over him.

I don’t believe it. He’s afraid of the shower!

“For Pete’s sake, Racdair; a man of your – power . . .”

Marcus said the last word softly. He didn’t want to have to explain what he meant to Jenny, who was on her way back to the refrigerator for cream and butter.

“You’re not going to tell me a little technology frightens you,” Marcus said.

“Clearly I do not have to tell you since you already know.”

Racdair set his lips in a stubborn line, but Marcus could feel Tyrae laughing.

“See, even Tyrae thinks your misgivings are funny.”

“Do I look as if I care what Tyrae finds funny?”

Marcus laughed. “You haven’t changed a bit. You’re still the most stubborn man I’ve met in two hundred years. You are impossible.”

“And I’m hungry!”

David bounded into the kitchen with Carlotta, Marcus’ cat, under his arm. He bounced over to Jenny and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, then was back to the table, putting Carlotta down and reaching for a sausage in one swoop.

“Yum–sausage, pancakes, and wow, fritters. Jenny, I might never go home!”

Jenny blushed, laughed, and basked in the love that was now in the house.

After all these years . . .

 She watched the three men at the table, laughing and eating together, the love so obvious between them that it brought a lump to her throat. It was wonderful to see Marcus so happy. In just a couple of days, she had grown very fond of Racdair, and she simply loved David.

My gosh but that young man is gorgeous! And there’s something about him, something electric. He’s as charismatic as his father . . . and every bit as sexy! Aye, it I were but a wee bit younger.

Her face grew hot and a rosy blush bloomed in her cheeks when she realized all three men had turned and were grinning at her. “What?” she said. She grabbed up a dishtowel and started to the sink.

“Just wanted to thank you,” Marcus said, still grinning.

Jenny struggled to change her frame of mind. She thought for a second Marcus was thanking her for the afternoon they had spent together before he went off to Africa. That thought was not one she wanted to dwell on. It wasn’t doing a thing to cool off her face.

“Uh, uh, what are you thanking me for?”

“For breakfast, of course,” said Racdair.

Jenny tried to read his face.

Why do I get the feeling there’s more than one conversation going on in this kitchen?

“I think I’m going to change the subject,” David said. If possible, he was blushing even more than Jenny.

Now what’s he got to be embarrassed about?

Again, Jenny had the feeling the three men were having a silent conversation. She had been watching it since they got home – finishing each other’s sentences, doing things for each other without being asked, and laughing at unspoken jokes. If they weren’t so adorable, it might have been creepy.

“Jenny, how is Andrew?”

She started to answer Marcus’ question, but stuttered as she caught Racdair’s expression. He was watching Marcus, an eyebrow raised, a crooked smile on his face.

What is going on here?

“Uh, he’s . . . he’s doing well. It’s been less than a month, and already that cut on his face is almost healed. I’ll never be able to thank you enough for all you’ve done for him. If Andy had gone to a hospital, he’d surely be wearing a scar for the rest of his life. That synthetic skin is amazing stuff.”

“Synthetic skin?” Racdair looked from one person to another for an explanation. Then he said, “Oh, I see.”

“See what?” Jenny asked.

“Jenny, I’m going to go by and see him when I go in later,” Marcus said. “I promised David and Racdair a trip to visit Bonnie.”

Jenny was still worrying at what had just happened. She was beginning to think . . .

“Jenny, I think you should take the rest of the week off,” Marcus said.

“Mr. Dawson, I think I’d like to take the rest of the week off,” Jenny said. “You three will be alright without me, won’t you?”

“Sure, Jenny, we’ll be just fine. You go on home and get some rest. I’ll see you when I get back on Monday.”

Jenny came over to the table and gave each of them a big hug. “I’ll be missing you two when you’re gone. Promise to come back soon.”

“We will, Mrs. Jennings. It was a great pleasure meeting you.” Racdair stood and bowed.

Jenny smiled and waved as she left the kitchen.

Funny how Racdair always says we. Must be one of those royalty things.

Jenny put on her coat and left the house wondering why she needed the week off.

In the kitchen, two of the three were enjoying a good laugh.

“I see it could be very inconvenient having you two around all the time.” Marcus took several plates to the dishwasher, forgoing the rest of his breakfast to get away from Racdair’s chastising gaze.

“Marcus!”

“What?” Marcus didn’t turn around to look at him.

“How could you?”

“Yeah, Dad, you’re a bad man!”

“Look, you two. It wasn’t like that.”

“Trust me when I say we know exactly how it was,” Racdair said.

Marcus felt the back of his neck heating up. “No, that’s not what I meant! Oh, forget it. You two are impossible. David, how could you be so much like your great-great grandfather and still be my son?”

“Maybe it’s because you two are enough alike to be brothers. Sure you’re not related?”

“I am nothing like this man,” Racdair said. “I’ll have you know, he’s always been a womanizer.” Racdair looked at his best friend with a dare written all over his face.

Marcus came back to the table for more dishes, patently ignoring Racdair’s grinning face. “And how would you know? Besides, I’m not going there with you, old man. We know full well who the womanizer is at this table. How many kids? Fifteen?”

“I’m going to break this up before it really gets embarrassing,” David said. “That reminds me, though. Have you heard from Jahina, Grandpa? How are things going in the village?”

“Splendid!” and the pride in that word would have been evident even without psychic powers.

“Yes, my son is truly in his element now. He is directing the men Marcus left behind in the restoration projects. The river has been dredged, the common buildings fully restored, and he is getting the families resettled into their new accommodations. It’s incredible what has happened in only a month. He reminds me of someone else I know”

Marcus raised an eyebrow but would not give Racdair the pleasure of a comment.

“The supplies he ordered should reach the village tomorrow,” Marcus said. “That was a good idea to turn that room off the council chambers into a telecommunications center. The satellite dish will give you some contact with the outside world until we can do better.”

“Marcus, we will never be able to thank you for all you are doing.”

A small shadow passed over Marcus’ face.

“It’s still my home, old friend. I only wish I could have done this sooner.”

Tyrae stepped in to spare his companion the awkwardness of the moment. “It does not matter when, Marcus Dawson. It only matters how. You are doing your home and its people a great service. They are literally leaping into your twenty-first century.”

“Stepping, maybe, leaping is for later.” Marcus smiled. “I only hope Jahina is having fun.”

“Speaking of fun . . .” David said.

Carlotta had come and parked her furry self in David’s lap. David rubbed her soft head and she purred appreciatively.

“That feline of mine is quite fond of you, son. She says you’re sparkling.”

“The feeling is mutual. Hi, Carlotta, how’s my favorite girl?”

“I thought I was your favorite girl.”

Chanrille’s soft voice caught David by surprise. She had spoken to David only once since he returned from Africa, and that conversation had not gone well.

“Well, I didn’t expect to hear from you.” David spoke aloud. Recognizing who David was speaking with, Marcus and Racdair decided it was a good time to go and get dressed.

“To whom were you speaking?” Chanrille asked.

“I was having a private conversation with Carlotta,” David said stiffly.

“Carlotta?”

“Yes.” David made sure he didn’t show her who or what Carlotta was.

“I see.”

“What exactly do you see, Chan?”

David knew he was being mean, but he couldn’t help it. Chanrille had told him she needed time to think about everything that had happened, so David had given her all the space she needed. He was fairly ticked off at her attitude, and he wasn’t going to act as if everything was fine between them. He missed her, but he felt a man has to draw the line somewhere.

“May I ask when you’re coming home?”

“You can ask.”

This was the first time since he was a child that he had been away from Chanrille. He missed her, but she had taken a position he couldn’t understand. He was what he was, “promised one” or whatever. He understood her concern and loved her for it, but he needed her support, not her fear. David was not going to run away or try to change what he was. Chanrille had to decide if she could live with that. She had to make that choice, and he was determined that she would make it without his influence.

 “David . . .”

“Look Chan. I don’t know when, or even if, I’m coming back. I’ve just met my father. I would like some time to get to know him. Understand?”

“Yes, I understand.”

“Anything else?”

“No, I guess not.”

“See ya’.”

He closed his mind to her. It was the equivalent of hanging up on her and he sat for a moment stinging from his own actions. There had never been a rift between them. Oh, sure, they had their fights, but this was different. Never before had there been such a distance, physical or emotional, between them.

Crap!

Carlotta stood up and placed her front paws on David’s shoulder such that she was looking into his face. “You get upset like your father.”

He had never heard her directly before.

“I’m sorry, Carlotta. I didn’t mean to disturb.”

“I am not disturbed, I am curious. Show me this friend you care so much for.”

David opened his mind and let Carlotta see Chanrille.

“She saved my life. From the time I was born, my mind was assaulted by a barrage of psychic noise. When I was little, I couldn’t protect myself from other people’s thoughts. I was in pain all the time, and I was too young to understand or explain what was happening to me. Then Chanrille heard me. She sheltered my mind, kept me safe, and helped me grow into my power without losing my mind. I owe her everything. I love her with all my heart, but she’s got to decide if she wants to stay in my life. I can only be what I am. I can’t change that, not even for her. Who and what I am was never an issue before that damned prophecy.”

“She is very large.”

David laughed. “That’s what I like about you, Carlotta. Get to the core of the matter.” He hugged her and she purred appreciatively.

Racdair returned to the kitchen in a white shirt and jeans. David almost laughed out loud.

“Grandpa, I must say you look snappy; but I’ve never seen a human being look so out of his element.”

“I thought we looked . . . cool,” Racdair said. He surveyed his attire.

“Yeah, cool, but weird.”

“Yes, he does look a little strange.” Marcus had come in behind his friend. “I tried to convince him to ease into it, maybe start with some slacks, but no, your grandpa is a hard-headed man.” Marcus started laughing. “You know, I never would have thought you’d look so strange out of robes.”

“We do not have to stand here and be insulted. I’m sure I could easily be somewhere else.” Racdair closed his eyes.

“Oh, stop,” Marcus said. “Come on. Let’s go see Bonnie.”

Before they could be on their way, the phone rang. It was Bonnie.

 “Good morning, Mr. Dawson. I hope I am not disturbing you.”

“Hello, Bonnie. We were just coming in to see you.”

“Please hurry, sir. We have a problem.”

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s the Devilin file, sir. Someone is accessing Mr. Devilin’s personal computer. Someone is reading the information Mr. Devilin compiled on you.”

Tags: book, David, elephants, fantasy, fiction, novel

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 9th, 2010 at 6:27 am and is filed under Book 2. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.