Idaho Springs, Denver Cereal V16 Read online

  “Where did they go?” Seth asked.

  “The landed at the wedding,” Heather said. “At the precise moment they left. I thought that was a particularly great resolution but I suppose having them not taken would have been better.”

  Seth raised his eyebrows.

  “I want to know what happens!” Delphie said. “I think we all need to know.”

  Everyone looked at Seth.

  “How did their dresses get dirty and torn?” Seth asked.

  “Have you noticed how filthy the air is now?” Athena asked.

  Seth shook his head.

  “Sandy’s gown was dirty on the very bottom, like she’d walked a long way,” Seth said.

  “Honey’s gown was torn,” Sam said.

  “That’s something else,” Perses said. “Not related to this.”

  “If it is, I know nothing about it,” Athena said with a sniff.

  “Will we get there if we continue?” Seth asked Perses.

  “Of course,” Perses said with a slight nod.

  Seth looked at Tanesha and she nodded.

  “Let’s see what happened next,” Seth said.

  “Where did they go?” the page of the Gods of War screamed.

  He spun around and saw Athena standing next to the cat. He pulled back his leg to kick the cat. When his foot followed through, the cat was gone. The page of the Gods of War fell onto his back. He fell so hard that the wind was knocked out of him. He could only lay there and try to catch his breath.

  With the cat on her shoulder, Athena leaned over to check the page.

  “The world has changed, Lionel,” the cat said. “Just because you don’t like the change or think that it shouldn’t change doesn’t mean that the world hasn’t reconfigured.”

  “How dare you speak to me in this way?” the page asked.

  “Show him!” Ivy yelled to cheer on the cat. “Show him who you are!”

  She suddenly realized that everyone was looking at her.

  “Sorry,” Ivy said, blushing bright red. “I just. . .”

  “You are correct,” Tanesha said with a smile. “That cat needs to show this mean little man exactly who he is.”

  “She,” Noelle said is a soft voice. “Auntie Tanesha, Cleo is a girl.”

  Tanesha grinned at Noelle.

  “Yes,” Tanesha said.

  The story continued to unfolded.

  “How dare you speak to me in this way?” the page asked. “I am the page to the most powerful beings on this planet.”

  Athena grinned.

  “What is it woman?” the page asked. “You know as well as I do that the Gods of War are more powerful than you or any other God. They are the very nature of this world.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong,” the cat said. “It’s taken me a long time to understand it, too. So I understand your confusion.”

  “My confusion? My confusion?” the page of the Gods of War sniffed. “My biggest confusion is why the hell I would ever listen to a cat?”

  “Oh Lionel,” the cat said. “What are we going to do with you?”

  “With me?” the page of the Gods of War asked. “You dare to ask me this question? The real question is what are we going to do with you!”

  “I think you’ll have to show him,” Athena said.

  The black and white cat looked at Athena for a moment before realizing the wisdom of her words.

  “Come with me,” the cat said.

  In a moment, the cat and Lionel, the page of the Gods of War, were sitting on bench in the middle of a square.

  “Do you recognize where we are?” the cat asked.

  “Athens,” the page said.

  “This is what current time looks like,” the cat said.

  “But. . .” the page said. He leaned into the cat. “Where is the war?”

  In a blink his eyes, the cat and the page were sitting on a bench inside an enormous hall.

  “Do you know where we are?” the cat asked.

  The page shook his head. He was too intimidated by the solemnity of the hall to speak in a normal voice.

  “This is the International Court of Justice,” the cat said. “Inside there, they are addressing crimes against humanity.”

  “What’s a ‘crime against humanity’?” the page asked.

  “The things we used to do day in and day out,” the cat said. “War. Torture. Genocide. They were the stuff of our life once, Lionel. Now, they are war crimes.”

  “But. . .” the page said.

  “I promise you, it’s not a perfect system, but it exists,” the cat said. “People work their entire lives to wreak justice upon those we aided in war. Peace is the priority, now.”

  “But. . .” the page said.

  They whisked away again until they were standing in the back of a dark room with a large screen in front. There was a blue object on the screen with whispy white clouds.

  “Do you know what that is?” the cat asked.

  The page shook his head.

  “This is what the world looks like,” the cat said.

  “Pretty,” the page whispered in spite of himself.

  “The world is monitored by things called satellites, now,” the cat said. “There are people who watch. If an atrocity occurs, the world knows about it within 24 hours. Nothing is hidden now. People even have little cameras they carry around with them.”

  The page scowled. They were sitting in a wheat field. The sun beat down and sweat formed on the page’s brow.

  “This is a wheat field!” the page said. “I know all about these. Most wars and revolutions have started when there’s been a wheat shortage. We get good mileage out of wheat.”

  Grinning, the page put his hands on his hips and gave a smug look around.

  “The world is warming, Lionel,” the cat said. “Humans are now aware that a lack of wheat usually leads to war.”

  “I can hardly wait,” the page grinned.

  “This wheat field is a new type of wheat designed to withstand the heat,” the cat said. “This and other crops are now being planted in what we used to call the ‘war belt’ of Africa.”

  “Wheat is good business for us,” the page said with a nod.

  “Listen to me, Lionel,” the cat said. The cat’s voice rang through the wheat. “In a few years, Africa will return to being the bread basket of the world. That is happening right now.”

  The page turned to look at the cat.

  “There may never be a war over wheat again,” the cat said.

  “What are you saying?” the page asked.

  “There is no need for war,” the cat said.

  “You can’t tell me this world has no war,” the page said smugly. “What about Yemen? Syria? Afghanistan? Ukraine? Little Lithuania will fold under the imminent Russian invasion. Pakistan’s always up for a bloody war.”

  “Most humans are outraged by these wars like they never were before,” the cat said. “Human beings now can win without war. There is no need for us anymore, Lionel.”

  “Us?” the page asked.

  “I didn’t believe it either,” the cat said. “It took me. . . a very long time. But Athena never gave up on me. She used her wisdom to show me that I could dedicate myself to life, and not death. And you know what? I like life a hell of a lot more than I liked war.”

  The cat turned to look at Lionel.

  “Can you give up your addiction to war, Lionel?” the cat asked.

  The screen went out. Abi tried to get the memory back, but she was unable.

  “Wait, who is the cat?” Sissy asked. She looked around at the others and they nodded that they wanted to know.

  “Who do you think?” Athena asked.

  She gestured to the cat as she wandered through the grouping. As the cat passed them, their curiosity faded out of memory. By the time, Cleo the cat jumped up onto Noelle’s lap, no one remembered even the question.

  “What happened?” Seth asked.

  “We have to wait and see,” Athena
said. “I can tell you that this is a conversation that has no end. Most of the world lives without war. Will all humans have the wisdom to give up this obsession with war? A lot of people make a lot of money off death and destruction.”

  Athena nodded. She glanced at Heather, who was smiling.

  “I’ll tell you,” Athena said. “By the look on our friend’s face gives me hope that love and wisdom will win.”

  With that, Athena disappeared. The party came to an end and everyone made their way home.

  “I forgot to ask about the dresses,” Seth said to his wife, Ava, as they changed out of their wedding clothing.

  “Does it really matter?” Ava asked.

  “Probably not,” Seth said with a nod.

  She kissed his nose and led him to bed.

  Chapter Four Hundred and Forty

  Just married

  Monday morning — 5:02 a.m.

  Aden woke with a start. He glanced at the clock. It was just after five o’clock.

  “Shit,” Aden said under his breath.

  He grabbed his phone, and sat up on the side of the bed. His email and texts were oddly silent.

  “What is it?” Sandy asked.

  “I over slept,” Aden said.

  Sandy watched him for a moment. She was about to remind him that they had a week off when he got out of bed.

  “Go back to sleep,” Aden said. “I missed the sites start. Jacob trusted me with this huge opportunity. I can’t screw it up.”

  For the first time, he looked around the darkened room. This was not their bedroom at the Castle.

  “Any idea where we are?” Aden asked. He flipped open the dark curtain and realized that they were in downtown Denver. Just on the edge of his horizon, he noticed a single puff of white smoke begin to rise from their road equipment. The big machines were turned on at least a half hour before use to warm them up. Another machine started, and then another. “Looks like we’re downtown. The South Platte site is just starting.”

  “We’re staying downtown a few days,” Sandy said with a grin.

  She wondered how long it would take for Aden to remember that they were on their honeymoon. He zipped into the bathroom for a quick shower. When he returned, he went to his suitcase and started to dress.

  “Why?” Aden asked. “Did the Castle burn down?”

  “Nope,” Sandy said.

  “Some fairy-related mayhem,” Aden said.

  “Nope,” Sandy said.

  “Titan-related BS,” Aden said. Sandy sat up in bed and shook her head. “Seth?”

  She shook her head.

  “The kids?” Aden said. Tucking his belt into the belt band, he shook his head. “You think you can handle the kids today? I need to get moving.”

  “Nope,” Sandy said.

  Aden stopped getting ready and looked at her.

  “What’s with you today?” Aden asked, in an irritated voice.

  Sandy laughed. When he shook his head at her, she patted the bed.

  “I’m sorry,” Aden said. “I feel like I’m being a big jerk, but I have to get to work. The kids need to get to school. You need to get moving.”

  She gave him a particularly lovely smile, and he stopped moving.

  “What?” Aden asked.

  “Do you remember last night?” Sandy asked.

  Aden flushed. He remembered some spectacular love making, but that was always the case with Sandy. Seeing his face, Sandy laughed again. This time, she got out of bed.

  “We had our big wedding yesterday,” Sandy said.

  “We did?” Aden asked.

  Sandy took his hands.

  “Jill and Jacob are next door,” Sandy said. “Honey and MJ are on the other side. We were supposed to have a big suite, but they are sold out for that big wedding with the . . .”

  “The ones who stole our flowers,” Aden said.

  Sandy nodded.

  “The hotel comped these lovely rooms,” Sandy said.

  Aden scowled. He sat down on the bed and pulled on his tie.

  “No work today?” Aden asked.

  Sandy shook her head.

  “No kids?” Aden asked.

  “Not for a week,” Sandy said, with a smile. “Although we’d planned to see them at dinner tonight and tomorrow before we split up for our private honeymoons.”

  “Jill and Jacob are going home because Jill wants to finish her school term first,” Aden said with a nod.

  He sat on the side of the bed for a moment before looking up at her.

  “Any idea why I got up?” Aden asked.

  “Non, whatsoever,” Sandy said with a smile.

  “And Lipson?” Aden asked rather than acknowledge that he was a little crazy.

  “Blane’s there,” Sandy said with a nod. “He said he’ll be in touch if he needs anything.”

  Aden nodded. He didn’t move for a moment.

  “What?” Sandy asked.

  “Nothing, really,” Aden said. He stood up and undressed. “I’m . . . just . . .”

  He closed and opened his eyes.

  “I can safely say that yesterday was the best day of my entire life,” Aden said with a nod. He paused. “Do you think we’ll have other good days?”

  “We’d better,” Sandy said with a laugh. “And frankly, if we don’t, it’s really our fault.”

  “How so?” Aden asked.

  “We have love,” Sandy said. “We have our health. We have work we love and are good at. We have great children. We have a happy home and great friends. We have enough money to cover our bills and to feed our children. I think those the ingredients of a happy day.”

  He nodded. Going to the window, he moved the blinds away to see the job site again. All of the large equipment was on and warming up. At least that site was running without him. Sandy came up behind him to see what he was looking at.

  “Blane will call if something goes wrong,” Sandy said.

  He nodded.

  “Can you leave it alone?” Sandy asked.

  “What if they can do it without me?” Aden said.

  “They can’t,” Sandy said with some certainty.

  “How do you know?” Aden asked.

  “I just do,” Sandy said.

  Wondering what he should do, he looked at her for a moment.

  “Come back to bed,” Sandy said.

  Smiling at Sandy, he slipped back into the king-sized bed.

  “When’s breakfast?” Aden asked.

  “Not for another two hours,” Sandy said. “The kids will be here. Delphie and Sam, Val and Mike, Edie, and even James Kelly.”

  “Sounds great.” With that, Aden smiled and fell sound asleep.

  ~~~~~~~~

  Monday morning — 6:10 a.m.

  MJ awoke to an empty bed. He scowled. Honey couldn’t get up on her own. Usually, her nurse, Mike and Jill’s brother, Steve, came to help. MJ had a whole plan to make it super romantic for their honeymoon.

  But Honey was gone.

  He grabbed a T-shirt and pulled it over his head. He strapped on his prosthesis, and moved to the other side of the wall between a sitting area and the bed. He stopped short.

  Wearing one of his T-shirts, Honey was standing next to the wall of the room. She was holding a walker in her hands and a headset over her eyes and ears. While he watched, she managed to move her right leg in a tiny, tentative step. She paused there, seeming to struggle for a moment before moving the left leg. Her hair was wet with sweat.

  She was so focused on whatever she was doing that she didn’t hear MJ. He walked up to her and touched her shoulder. Honey yelped with surprise. She fell to the side, and MJ caught her. He carried her to the sofa and sat down.

  “What are you doing?” MJ asked. “You could have killed yourself!”

  “Hey!” Honey said. “I don’t deserve that.”

  To his own ear, he sounded like a complete asshole. He remembered what Dr. John Drayson always told him. Be supportive. Don’t clip her wings. Believe in what she can do.
She will carry your belief in her while she tries new things.

  “Sorry. I saw you fall . . .” MJ said. “Scared me.”

  Honey didn’t say anything for a moment. She pulled off her headset.

  “This is my virtual reality headset,” Honey said.

  “Virtual reality headset?” MJ asked. “What?”

  “You remember when we were in New York?” Honey asked.

  “I do,” MJ said.

  “We met with all of those experts?” Honey asked. “For my back?”

  “I do,” MJ said.

  “Well, one of the problems with every treatment is that the brain has disconnected with the nerves,” Honey said. “Even if you fix the spine, the brain won’t send a signal.”

  “Isn’t that the definition of your injury?” MJ asked.

  “Sort of,” Honey said. “Another thought is that the nerves are still there, still able to fire, but fire at such a low rate, the brain doesn’t hear them. My headset makes it possible for my brain to hear those low sounds by tricking my brain into thinking my legs still work.”

  Honey smiled.

  “You’ve been traveling so much in the last couple of months that you’ve missed me using it,” Honey said with a nod. “I’m allowed to use it only three times a week, otherwise, it overwhelms my brain. With the wedding and everything, I missed a session. I figured I could get one in while you slept.”

  “How did you get out of bed?” MJ asked.

  “That’s the first thing Steve and I worked on,” Honey said. “I can only get out of bed and into my wheelchair. I’ll need your help with everything else.”

  He nodded that he was happy to help.

  “Why don’t you show me how it works?” MJ asked. “Maybe I can help with this, too.”

  “You can’t wear the headset because it’s calibrated to me,” Honey said.

  “Looks expensive,” MJ said.

  “It is,” Honey said. “Before you ask, Sandy bought it for me. I didn’t ask her or anything. Steve was talking to Jill about it, and Jill told Sandy about it. It showed up about a week later.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” MJ asked.

  “I didn’t want to get your hopes up,” Honey said. “I have to pass this step to move to the rest of it. If I can’t do it, then they’ll work with someone else who can.”