into little gvotia
Living beyond time hadn't excused Tavakh from having to learn to think and act quickly inside a timeline.
The three people in the tub were looking at him suspiciously after his remark.
Tavakh's circumstances had excused him from fear, however.
Universe had failed to teach him that humans in general resented the action of being pointed at.
"You're Suzanne Deveraux?" He looked at her, his eyebrows slightly arched.
She didn't look pleased. "I am. More to the point, who are you?"
He waved her question aside. "That's not important right now. You can call me Tavakh."
Nagas looked at him pointedly. "It's Hebrew for 'butcher'." Nagas still couldn't sense malice.
Tavakh nodded. "It is, in fact." He looked at the man beside Suzanne Deveraux. "I'm sensing you may be Leon Freedman?"
Leon was going through procedures in his head to kill the man with his bare hands. "None of your damned business who I am. Go sense yourself."
Tavakh grinned. "Ah, defiance! A little fighting spirit. Yes, you are Leon Freedman, and I'm honoured to meet you. One day I'd like you to tell me about how you did it inside a timeline."
Suzanne could sense the change in Leon immediately. Leon was slightly afraid, she could tell.
Leon spoke softly, as if witnessing a miracle. "You're one of them!"
Tavakh's con-man smile was replaced by a more subtle expression, as if being recognized by a friend. "Yes, Mr. Freedman, that I am."
Leon suddenly seemed eager. "Is she comin'?"
Tavakh's face was filled with compassion. "Not yet, I'm afraid, Leon. But you will live to see the day."
Suzanne placed a comforting hand on Leon's arm as his eyes began to fill a little.
She felt compelled to speak. "Look, Mr. Tavakh ..."
"Just Tavakh is fine."
"Tavakh, we need to be safe, then we can do show and tell." Suzanne's manner was more polite than her words.
Tavakh nodded. "I know." He switched his gaze to Nagas. "Your people, can they hide these two as well?"
Nagas nodded affirmation. "They can, but the woman is too fair & her features will stand out too much even if we darken her skin. One, maybe two days only, then my own people will see her as a liability, another excuse for a search by the government."
Tavakh nodded. He looked at Leon & Suzanne. "Survive for a day? Think you can do that?"
Suzanne & Leon exchanged glances. Suzanne spoke for them both. "Yes, I think so."
Tavakh made up his mind. "Good! Then back under the covers, all of you, we're on our way."
They complied, and Tavakh began to wheel them across the bottom of the wide vehicle ramp towards the entrance the laundry workers used to come up from Little Gvotia.
He stopped less than a third of the way across. "Be still." He said it so only his passengers could hear him.
He raised his head, craning his neck, his nose twitching, Tavakh the Butcher suddenly a meerkat in the laundry room.
Tavakh Aldebaran could smell him coming.
"Excuse me." The man's voice was like an oil slick.
Tavakh knew exactly where he was even though he could no longer see. He turned to face the man with eyes filled with whiteness, the lenses & pupils no longer visible. He said nothing.
The man strolled up to him, sunglasses in his hands. "Have you been working here the last hour?"
"I have." When Tavakh spoke, his voice was different, raspier, harder, deeper. The red-haired man was almost sickened by the foul smell of Tavakh's breath.
Tavakh was passing him through. He thought Leon might understand that.
The man stepped back a pace. "Seen anything of a man and woman who look like they don't belong here?"
"What is it about my eyes that makes you think I can see anything at all?"
Again, gales of cabbage water stench, sewage drains and second-hand garlic assailed the red-haired man's nose.
Reflexively, the man moved his hand up & closed his nostrils, then smoothed his mouth shut. "Sorry, friend, I didn't realize you were unsighted." He smiled his oily smile at what he thought was a sightless man. "My apologies, please, I will take a look around for myself."
Tavakh nodded and began pushing the cart on its way.
Beneath the covers, three figures were huddled in close proximity, clutching each other in the terror which had started to overwhelm them during the confrontaton; the most powerful woman in the United States, the 21st century's Einstein and the man who could not yet die.
As they were wheeled along the ramps and paths, they began to settle down a little.
They began to hear the noises of what had to be Little Gvotia, but no smile came yet to Nagas' lips. He was still shaken, as was Suzanne.
Leon alone was close to normal, but his face was a mask of sadness.
They heard Tavakh's voice again at last amid the babble now surrounding them. He called out "I have your laundry for you!"
They felt rough Gvot hands grab the cart from the other end. Their trip became rapid and noisy, occasional bumps and collisions could be felt as their new custodians guided them to their destination.
At last they stopped; and a harsh guttural voice called out "Arise, Copernicus Rade Nagas!"
Nagas rose and peeled the covers back. "We will have two guests for the next day or so. Treat them with respect and courtesy, I beg you."
There was a murmur of grudging acceptance of the terms.
Suzanne rose, helping Leon to his feet on the unstable pile of soiled linens. A gasp went up, and Nagas picked up the pillowcase she had hit Leon with. "Here, you must cover your hair and the lower part of your face."
Suzanne tied it with Nagas help.
Only then did the people come forward to assist them out of the tub.
Nagas was besieged by welcoming hands, and Suzanne and Leon stood alone, the closest Gvot ten feet from them.
Suzanne looked at Leon. "What happened back there with Tavakh?"
"'Member you asked me who Sorrel is?" Leon seemed frail and a bit shaky again.
"Yes. Is he like her?"
Leon nodded. "She is even more powerful."
"Powerful? It was Tavakh who made us feel so afraid & horrible?"
Leon shook his head. "No, not exactly. It was a warning." He looked up at her. "I get them from Sorrel when she comes ta visit."
Suzanne looked at him sympathetically. "Dear God, she must terrify you!"
He shook his head. "No, she's nuthin' lak that."
Suzanne was puzzled. "So what was it we felt?"
"If he's like Sorrell Tavakh's like a conduit. What we felt was the other guy, his spirit, his message. That's what they do, Tavakh & Sorrell they just stand out of the way ... "
She could see Leon was falling back into his jungle of insanity.
"Out of the way of what, Leon?"
"That man's evil, thass whut passed intuh us, evil, pure & simple." Leon needed some Prolixin.
"It was just the man looking for us, Leon."
"Ah know who it wuz." Leon looked a little resentful now he was falling apart. "'Just a man?"" He laughed even as his brain was fading. "Hell, thass where evil alluz come from."
The three people in the tub were looking at him suspiciously after his remark.
Tavakh's circumstances had excused him from fear, however.
Universe had failed to teach him that humans in general resented the action of being pointed at.
"You're Suzanne Deveraux?" He looked at her, his eyebrows slightly arched.
She didn't look pleased. "I am. More to the point, who are you?"
He waved her question aside. "That's not important right now. You can call me Tavakh."
Nagas looked at him pointedly. "It's Hebrew for 'butcher'." Nagas still couldn't sense malice.
Tavakh nodded. "It is, in fact." He looked at the man beside Suzanne Deveraux. "I'm sensing you may be Leon Freedman?"
Leon was going through procedures in his head to kill the man with his bare hands. "None of your damned business who I am. Go sense yourself."
Tavakh grinned. "Ah, defiance! A little fighting spirit. Yes, you are Leon Freedman, and I'm honoured to meet you. One day I'd like you to tell me about how you did it inside a timeline."
Suzanne could sense the change in Leon immediately. Leon was slightly afraid, she could tell.
Leon spoke softly, as if witnessing a miracle. "You're one of them!"
Tavakh's con-man smile was replaced by a more subtle expression, as if being recognized by a friend. "Yes, Mr. Freedman, that I am."
Leon suddenly seemed eager. "Is she comin'?"
Tavakh's face was filled with compassion. "Not yet, I'm afraid, Leon. But you will live to see the day."
Suzanne placed a comforting hand on Leon's arm as his eyes began to fill a little.
She felt compelled to speak. "Look, Mr. Tavakh ..."
"Just Tavakh is fine."
"Tavakh, we need to be safe, then we can do show and tell." Suzanne's manner was more polite than her words.
Tavakh nodded. "I know." He switched his gaze to Nagas. "Your people, can they hide these two as well?"
Nagas nodded affirmation. "They can, but the woman is too fair & her features will stand out too much even if we darken her skin. One, maybe two days only, then my own people will see her as a liability, another excuse for a search by the government."
Tavakh nodded. He looked at Leon & Suzanne. "Survive for a day? Think you can do that?"
Suzanne & Leon exchanged glances. Suzanne spoke for them both. "Yes, I think so."
Tavakh made up his mind. "Good! Then back under the covers, all of you, we're on our way."
They complied, and Tavakh began to wheel them across the bottom of the wide vehicle ramp towards the entrance the laundry workers used to come up from Little Gvotia.
He stopped less than a third of the way across. "Be still." He said it so only his passengers could hear him.
He raised his head, craning his neck, his nose twitching, Tavakh the Butcher suddenly a meerkat in the laundry room.
Tavakh Aldebaran could smell him coming.
"Excuse me." The man's voice was like an oil slick.
Tavakh knew exactly where he was even though he could no longer see. He turned to face the man with eyes filled with whiteness, the lenses & pupils no longer visible. He said nothing.
The man strolled up to him, sunglasses in his hands. "Have you been working here the last hour?"
"I have." When Tavakh spoke, his voice was different, raspier, harder, deeper. The red-haired man was almost sickened by the foul smell of Tavakh's breath.
Tavakh was passing him through. He thought Leon might understand that.
The man stepped back a pace. "Seen anything of a man and woman who look like they don't belong here?"
"What is it about my eyes that makes you think I can see anything at all?"
Again, gales of cabbage water stench, sewage drains and second-hand garlic assailed the red-haired man's nose.
Reflexively, the man moved his hand up & closed his nostrils, then smoothed his mouth shut. "Sorry, friend, I didn't realize you were unsighted." He smiled his oily smile at what he thought was a sightless man. "My apologies, please, I will take a look around for myself."
Tavakh nodded and began pushing the cart on its way.
Beneath the covers, three figures were huddled in close proximity, clutching each other in the terror which had started to overwhelm them during the confrontaton; the most powerful woman in the United States, the 21st century's Einstein and the man who could not yet die.
As they were wheeled along the ramps and paths, they began to settle down a little.
They began to hear the noises of what had to be Little Gvotia, but no smile came yet to Nagas' lips. He was still shaken, as was Suzanne.
Leon alone was close to normal, but his face was a mask of sadness.
They heard Tavakh's voice again at last amid the babble now surrounding them. He called out "I have your laundry for you!"
They felt rough Gvot hands grab the cart from the other end. Their trip became rapid and noisy, occasional bumps and collisions could be felt as their new custodians guided them to their destination.
At last they stopped; and a harsh guttural voice called out "Arise, Copernicus Rade Nagas!"
Nagas rose and peeled the covers back. "We will have two guests for the next day or so. Treat them with respect and courtesy, I beg you."
There was a murmur of grudging acceptance of the terms.
Suzanne rose, helping Leon to his feet on the unstable pile of soiled linens. A gasp went up, and Nagas picked up the pillowcase she had hit Leon with. "Here, you must cover your hair and the lower part of your face."
Suzanne tied it with Nagas help.
Only then did the people come forward to assist them out of the tub.
Nagas was besieged by welcoming hands, and Suzanne and Leon stood alone, the closest Gvot ten feet from them.
Suzanne looked at Leon. "What happened back there with Tavakh?"
"'Member you asked me who Sorrel is?" Leon seemed frail and a bit shaky again.
"Yes. Is he like her?"
Leon nodded. "She is even more powerful."
"Powerful? It was Tavakh who made us feel so afraid & horrible?"
Leon shook his head. "No, not exactly. It was a warning." He looked up at her. "I get them from Sorrel when she comes ta visit."
Suzanne looked at him sympathetically. "Dear God, she must terrify you!"
He shook his head. "No, she's nuthin' lak that."
Suzanne was puzzled. "So what was it we felt?"
"If he's like Sorrell Tavakh's like a conduit. What we felt was the other guy, his spirit, his message. That's what they do, Tavakh & Sorrell they just stand out of the way ... "
She could see Leon was falling back into his jungle of insanity.
"Out of the way of what, Leon?"
"That man's evil, thass whut passed intuh us, evil, pure & simple." Leon needed some Prolixin.
"It was just the man looking for us, Leon."
"Ah know who it wuz." Leon looked a little resentful now he was falling apart. "'Just a man?"" He laughed even as his brain was fading. "Hell, thass where evil alluz come from."
