Life In The Palace (14 page)

Noy was sparring with the second horse, holding it at bay with a series of quick thrusts, but not making any ground. Cale crept to its rear left flank and was soon removing his spear from another defeated beast. The third horse suddenly shot forward, unbalancing Cale. In unison Tal and Noy attacked from either side. The horse kicked out viciously but two hooves were no match for two swords hidden in its blind spot.

Gal dropped lightly to the ground as his adversary dissolved beneath him. There was a slight click as Dror broke the last panther’s neck. Noy lunged at the eagle, but only crashed into Jov’s shield as the bird flew off. Jov removed his shield. He and Dava emerged unscathed. There was an almost imperceptible shift as they each allowed their intellectual minds to return. Gal surveyed the scene. His eyes threw a question to Tal.

She shook her head, “That’s it for now.”

“Nice work everyone,” Gal said loudly. “We will continue to scan, but I think for now we can take a breather.” Gal saw the relief on their faces. The team was strong and used to fighting, but even Gal felt his energy sapped.

“My parents are having a barbecue,” Noy suggested.

“They didn’t tell me,” Jov complained.

“You were busy,” Noy shot back.

“Are you home?” Gal asked Dava. She nodded, “With Cale.”

“I’ll pick both of you up.”

One by one they went back to their bodies.

*

Tess was wrong. We didn’t go to every bar in the city. But the Iguana, where Seth worked, was the seventh on the list. I’d started off trying to have a real conversation with Tess. She spent the summer doing a really cool volunteer project with inner-city youth. But by the third bar, I was chatting about nothing with a bunch of people I usually wouldn’t speak to. By the time we walked into the Iguana, it felt like we were all best friends. In truth, I’d have trouble putting names to faces in the morning.

“Chloe, the hot barman just winked at you.” I looked over at Seth, who did it again.

“Ahhh, he is beautiful.” Alexandra from Edmonton squealed.

Our frosh leader Sam looked over and laughed, “Dream on, girls, dream on. That’s Seth Wilks. He’s one of Montreal’s most eligible bachelors. Former editor of the campus newspaper, he graduated last year. Rumor has it that his band just got a recording contract. Seth is the ultimate challenge. Many women have tried, but his standards are unbelievably high.”

“So he’s gay?”

Sam laughed, “Nope, just amazingly good-looking with a great personality.”

Her friend Candy joined in, “I actually heard he’d gotten a girlfriend over the summer.”

“No way!” Sam was shocked.

Candy cocked her head to one side. “So they say. But listen, Froshies, Seth Wilks is the holy grail, the unattainable untouchable demigod of cool. You’re welcome to try, but don’t say we didn’t warn you.”

I’d spent half the summer going to bars with Seth, but he’s not really into getting drunk. Once I got a bit tipsy when we were out and he laughed at me all the way home. Now I was honest to goodness drunk. That’s my only excuse for what I did next.

“I’m going to try,” I said leaping up.

Alexandra and my fellow Froshies squealed in excitement, Candy laughed and Sam rolled her eyes. It was only a Tuesday night, the bar wasn’t that busy.

Still standing next to the table, I called over “Oh barman, there’s something wrong with my drink. Could you please help me?”

Seth looked over, smiled and I could see worked very hard at keeping a relatively straight face. He looked over to Henri, who nodded his acquiescence. Then Seth came around from behind the bar and over to our table.

“There’s something wrong with your drink?”

“It seems to have finished,” I replied fighting back a smile.

“I’m not sure that you need another one,” Seth replied.

“Oh, that’s so sad, can I have a kiss?”

Sam started to pull me back, apologizing for my drunken behavior.

Seth looked in my eyes, “Will it help you sober up?”

I smiled back sweetly, “I think it would.”

Sam paused with her hand still on my arm.

Seth reached out and cupped my chin in one hand. I leaned my whole body into his. His eyes twinkled as his lips touched mine. I shut my eyes and kissed him back with all my might.

“Oh my goodness, I think he slipped her the tongue,” Alex gasped behind me.

Seth pulled away long before I had finished.

He gave me a stern look. “Now I think you’ll be able to make it home. But no more drinks tonight.”

I curtsied, “Only black coffee, sir.”

Seth gave a curt nod, “Then my work here is done.” He went back behind the bar.

I turned back to the group I’d come with. There was stunned silence. I sat back down.

“That didn’t just happen,” Candy was totally dumfounded.

“I don’t know what you’re all talking about. He seems pretty friendly to me,” I said lightly.

We didn’t stay that much longer. As we left, I waved to Seth. He waved back with a big grin. On the walk back to campus, which took considerably longer than it had on the way there, Candy kept looking over at me like she was assessing a rare animal.

We were all sitting around in the lawn waiting to begin our scavenger hunt of Montreal. I’d bumped into Tess as soon as I got to campus and was thankful for a friendly face. One more day like this and we might be officially friends.

“Hey girls,” Jen called as she walked over, as always followed by her latest collection of newbies. “This is Sandy, Deedee and Vanessa. Ladies, this is Chloe and Tess.”

Tess and I waved hello.

“Chloe, we’ve been here for five minutes and already I hear rumors about you,” Jen said accusingly. “Did you or did you not make out with the hottest barman in town last night?”

“That was you?” interjected Deedee. “I heard he was the hottest and most untouchable.”

I blushed and silently vowed not to drink again until at least tomorrow night.

“I might have,” I said casually.

Tess smirked, but stayed silent.
I like her more and more all the time.

“Well, you have successfully cemented your position as a player on the social scene,” Jen said. I think it was by way of congratulations.

“Great,” I couldn’t have sounded more underwhelmed.

“Did you get his number?” Deedee asked.

“I already had it.”

Her eyes nearly popped out of her head.

“Why is everyone so interested? No one else embarrassed themselves when drunk last night?”

Jen looked sympathetic to my plight. “The trouble is that no one knows each other yet. But every frosh leader made a point to stop by the Iguana so that means everyone knows who Seth is. That means that right now, your little indiscretion is the only gossip anyone has to talk about.”

I was feeling nauseous again.

“Who are we talking about?” A blond girl, I think was Vanessa asked.

“That barman from the Iguana,” DeeDee explained.

“The beautiful one?”

“That’s the one,” Jen said cheerfully.

They went on to discuss the finer points of Seth’s anatomy. The Seth fan club was getting old really quickly.

As I tried to tune it out, Tess said quietly, “How do you have his number? Did you meet him in the summer?”

I nodded trying not to draw more attention to myself.

When I saw that no one was listening I added, “I was in a class with his brother. I hung out with him and a whole bunch of their friends for most of the summer.”

In almost a whisper, she asked, “Are you dating?”

I smiled and nodded the smallest head movement that could still count as a nod.

Tess beamed back at me. At least someone was happy for me.

“Speak of the devil,” Jen said to my left and pointed behind us where the frosh leaders had congregated. Seth had just arrived and was casually lighting a cigarette while scanning the crowd. He met my eye and in a three second glance, and with a quick eyebrow flex managed to communicate, ‘Hey babe, are you coming over or are you trying to play it cool?’ I gave a half a nod which said, ‘I’ll be over in a minute, let me make a graceful get away.’

The whole group by now had turned to look at Seth.

Two blond girls in matching unreasonably-short shorts and tank tops called over to me, “Why don’t you go over to him? We hear you’re well acquainted.”

There were a few titters from the crowd.

I sighed and decided to just accept my fate. Being Seth Wilks’ girlfriend made me a public figure whether I liked it or not. I might as well make the best of it.

“I should hope, we’re well acquainted,” I called back to the blond bitchy twins, “I slept in his bed last night.”

Their faces were a picture which I hope Tess and Jen enjoyed because I was already on my way to go claim what was rightfully mine.

If Seth had heard that little exchange he didn’t acknowledge it. He responded to my arrival the same way he would had he been alone with Josh. He had his arm out ready to wrap around me and pull me in tight against his body. When he’d finished his sentence, he excused himself to the guy he was talking to. Then he turned his full attention to me, and without breaking eye contact kissed me firmly on the lips. One kiss, long enough to be emotional, but not making a spectacle of ourselves in public. I cringed inwardly when I remembered that the only time we’d really done that besides the first night, was my drunken fiasco the night before. I’d broken the Seth Wilks code of coolness, and he’d let me. I probably owed him.

“How are you feeling?” Seth asked me still maintaining eye contact.

“Mostly better, as long as I don’t think about beer.”

Seth looked over to his companion who had the sort of tanned muscular body that screamed professional sports. “Andy, this is Chloe. Chloe, you’ll be shocked to learn that this is Andy.” I smiled and Andy nodded with as much friendliness as one guy could show another’s girlfriend when introduced.

“Are you enjoying your frosh experience?” Andy asked me.

I smiled wryly. “I am, but there are all these rumors going around about me and the barman at the Iguana.”

“I thought I told you never to tip Henri,” Seth said to me with a laugh.

“I know, but he gave me one of those little cocktail umbrellas in my drink.”

A few of the other frosh leaders came over. I tried to keep their names straight. One of the problems with hanging out with Seth was that I was always being introduced to new people without ever knowing which ones were important to remember and which were just more randoms passing by.

“Is Bret here?” I asked Seth.

“No. I don’t think he’s showing up until the very last minute.”

“Bret’s coming back?” a tall girl with lots of freckles asked.

“He’s doing a victory lap,” Seth chuckled. My face was blank.

“He took things rather easy and didn’t take enough credits to graduation in four years so he’s coming back for another semester,” Seth explained to me quietly so my freshman lack of knowledge wouldn’t embarrass me.

After about twenty minutes, the leaders started to get the scavenger hunt going.

“See you later,” I kissed Seth on the cheek.

“You’re joining in?” He asked amused.

“It’s a good way to meet people,” I explained. “Today I hope to meet people that I can actually remember in the morning.”

“Ok, have fun.” He bent to kiss me.

“Chloe, dinner?” Seth called after me as I started to walk back to Tess and Jen.

“I think so. But can it be something light? I’m still feeling a little delicate.”

Seth nodded and waved goodbye.

“He cooks, too?” Asked Jen who’d come over to find me. “He is too good to be true.”

“He’s an awesome cook, but he doesn’t really like doing the dishes and he hates doing laundry. I’ve had to surreptitiously take charge of his underwear rotation.”

“Wow, and I’ve been giving you lessons on cultivating a college social life.”

“I’m no big expert. I just happened to really luck out. Besides the good looks and everything, he’s a really nice guy.”

Jen laughed, “I actually know that he’s a nice guy. He was head counselor the first year I was in camp. He won’t remember me; I was just another annoying eleven-year-old snot.”

“I could ask him. He has a pretty good memory for people.”

Jen shrugged. It probably wasn’t how she wanted to be remembered.

We walked towards the rest of our manufactured gang.

“What Chapel does your family go to?” Jen asked conversationally.

“Huh?” I did a double take.

“Chapel. Is there one in El Paso?” She clearly thought we were speaking the same language.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been to a chapel. Does the House of Love in Vegas count? Because I was there once when we found out that my cousin Randy was trying to elope and his mother thought it would be funny if the whole family turned up too.”

Jen looked at me like she was seeing me for the first time. “Aren’t you one of the People? I just thought if you were dating Seth … ” Her voice trailed off.

“No, I’m not one of the People,” I said still slightly confused

Jen shrugged but didn’t say anything.

Chapter 11

W
e had the
place to ourselves. Josh had gone out with Andy and told Seth he didn’t plan to be home until much later, which was code for “make the most of the living room while you’ve got it.” We’d just finished dinner. Seth made curry using the new spices and then laughed at me when I was surprised that it was kind of sweet instead of hot. Apparently, only stupid westerners think all curry is hot.

We were sitting on the little balcony off the living room, the only place Seth dared smoke in the apartment his parents provided. Our chairs were pulled up next to each other. I had my head on his shoulder and his right arm wrapped around my waist. He was trying to blow the smoke away from me. It was not successful, but I was too comfy to complain.

“You know I met this new chick, Jen?”

“Jen is the one who creates an entourage wherever she goes?”

“Exactly. Well done for remembering.” Seth nodded silently to acknowledge his boyfriend greatness. “She saw you the other day when we were waiting for that scavenger hunt thing to start.”

“I should have told you it was rigged,” Seth chuckled quietly.

“It’s okay. Anyway, she saw you and she said you were the head counselor when she was in camp.”

Seth shrugged, “Could be. How old is she? I don’t remember all of the names of all the campers.”

“She didn’t expect you to remember her, that’s not the point. It’s just-”

Seth turned his head towards me, “What? I’m sure I didn’t date her.”

“No, I don’t think you did.”

“So what’s the big stress?”

I took a deep breath and spit it out, “She asked me what Chapel my parents went to. She assumed I was one of the People, like she thought you were so I would have to be or something. I want to know if you are one of the People.”

Seth cracked up.

“What’s so funny?” I sat up and looked at him.

“Chloe, my name’s Seth Wilks, did you think I was Irish?”

“What?”

“Come on Chlo, of course I’m one of the People. I’m Seth, my brother’s Josh, my whole family are a bunch of unreasonable overachievers. It’s obvious. Just like with a name like Diaz, you’re clearly not Asian.” He thought it was funny.

I was still mad.

“You really didn’t know?” He asked, finally getting serious.

“I don’t go around asking guys for their ethnic heritage before I date them. What difference does it make?”

“Exactly,” Seth smiled, “What difference
does
it make?”

I struggled to think of an answer. “I would’ve just rather known,” I said sulkily.

He looked me straight in the eyes. When he pulled me back in close to him I didn’t object.

“Is there anything else you’d like to know about me?” He murmured as his eyes flickered from my lips to my eyes and back again. My answer was lost as he kissed me.

By the time I pulled away, my anxiety had dissipated.

“Are you likely to become an international superhero?” I asked as he stroked my hair.

I didn’t need to look up. I could hear the amusement in his voice.

“Worried I’m going to get all caught up in the Service like your friends? Highly unlikely. Even my grandparents, who are the most traditional in our family, don’t actually serve. They give money to the Courtesans so they can serve for us, and they expect us all to show up in Chapel for the Day of Accounting. We’re pretty low maintenance about the whole thing.”

He paused and I felt him stiffen slightly.

“That actually fits nicely into something I wanted to talk to you about.”

I lifted my head up so I could see his face. It was hard to read the emotion, guilt perhaps?

“Josh and I had a fight this morning.”

“Why?” That really was surprising.

“I have to go home the weekend after next and I wanted you to come too. Josh says it’s the Day of Accounting and it’s the only part of our obligation our grandparents take seriously and I should just come alone.”

He looked really unhappy. I clearly needed to tread lightly.

“What happens on this Day of Accounting?”

“We all go to Chapel. There’s a bunch of prayers. Supposedly, you are judged for how you performed last year and you are then assigned your service for the next year. Josh and I usually try to slip a book inside the prayer book to help pass the time. Then we go home and eat this huge family meal.”

“Why do you want me to come?”

“It’s the big family event of the year, and you’re with me.”

I tried not to fall off my chair with joy.
Seth thinks I’m his family.

“Why does Josh think I shouldn’t come?”

“He wants to know what you are going to do while we all go to Chapel. The place my parents usually go, anyone is welcome, but my grandparents insist we go to this traditional place.”

“And I won’t be allowed to come.”

He nodded glumly.

“He also said that the whole weekend is a big deal for Gran and Grandpa. It would be better if you and me go down to meet Mom and Dad alone in a few weeks and not throw you into the lion’s den by making you do the whole family straight off.”

I waited to see if he had more to say.

After a minute of silence I asked, “Who won the fight?”

He looked down, “It might have been Josh. One time my cousin Joy brought a new boyfriend and it was this big deal with people arguing in the kitchen between courses.”

I reached out and stroked his cheek, “I can manage without you for the weekend. Josh has a point. Maybe it is better for me to start out slowly. I really want to meet your family, but not if it rocks the boat. I have people here to hang out with.”

Seth lifted his head and kissed me with unusual force. Apparently, that had been the correct answer.

Two hours later, we were sitting entwined on the sofa watching TV. In the commercial break, I asked, “Did I tell you that I made a new friend?”

“A new, new one, not from Frosh?”

“Definitely not from Frosh. Her name is Ida Hols and she’s ninety-two.”

“Yeah, most of the mature students skip the whole frosh experience. I presume you’re waiting for me to ask where you met Ida?”

Before I could answer, he held up one finger to stop me. I watched him think.

“She’s one of the wrinklies from the old age home with Tal,” he said triumphantly.

“Well done. I think I’m going to go every week. It’s actually fun. This week I even recognized some of the tunes. I don’t have class on Tuesday afternoon and you have band practice then, so it should work out well.”

Seth flicked the volume down on the TV and stroked my hair with the other hand.

“What do you like about them so much?” He asked.

“The elderly?”

“Your Footman, Service-doing People friends. Why are they so interesting?”

I thought about it for a minute. “The cheap answer is that it’s cool. They fight these battles and they’re risking their lives and what they do really matters. It doesn’t matter what you and I do. What grades I get, how well the band does, which weekend we go together to Boston. None of it really matters to anyone else. What they’re doing has an impact on the whole world, even if the world doesn’t realize it.”

I turned slightly so I could see in his eyes. “The real answer is a bit weirder.” I paused. I had his full attention. I was scared to say the next sentence but Seth made me safe. As he looked back at me I felt I could say or do anything and he would remain.

“They really live with Him, He Who Knows. He isn’t just like the force of gravity, something that’s out there and convenient when you need it, but not really worth thinking about in between. For them, He’s a real person, if you know what I mean. They have a relationship with Him. All of their effort is to come closer to Him. It’s like the ultimate love affair. I’m blown away by that closeness.”

“Is that something you want?” he asked softly.

“Closeness with Him?” I shrugged. “I don’t know. It seems like a package deal. I don’t think you can just be like, “I’ll have one portion of closeness with a side serving of excitement, but leave out the sacrifice and dedication.” I think you have to go all the way. Also I have closeness.” I squeezed him so he’d know I meant him.

He didn’t respond straight away. I looked at him, searching for a response. I couldn’t read his face.

“What if you didn’t have to go the whole way?” He asked carefully.

I wrinkled my brow, I wasn’t sure what he was getting at. “Who wouldn’t want that?”

Seth pulled me close to him. I was surprised by the jubilation behind his kiss.

Seth is Mr. Philosophically Agnostic, what does he care if I believe or not?

Mrs. Ida Hols had saved me a seat. I was slightly early. It was my third time coming and I’d finally convinced Tal that I didn’t need her driving all the way downtown to pick me up.

The aides were still wheeling in the elderly. Mrs. Hols was one of the first in the room. She waved me over. “Good afternoon Mrs. Hols, how are you feeling today?”

She licked her wizened lips with the tip of her tongue and it reminded me of a turtle.

“One of the things you have to put up with at my stage of life is people constantly asking you how you are feeling, as though you were suffering from a terminal illness and might drop dead at any minute.”

Instead of being insulted, I smiled, “Some might say that life is a terminal illness.”

“Only the young would say that.”

“What would you call it?” I asked sitting down.

“An adventure.” Her eyes dared me to disagree.

“That’s a good attitude.” I hoped I didn’t sound too patronizing.

“It’s probably the only one that works. I buried two husbands before my children put me in here. I lived in three different countries, now I’m not good for much except some cheery clapping. If I didn’t hold onto the option that at any moment, anything could happen, then it might get depressing.”

“Do you mind living here?”
Did her kids just dump her?

“No, it’s quite nice. The food’s good. My daughter lives just around the corner and my son down the street. There’s always someone coming in to visit. My alternative was watching my daughter-in-law pretend I wasn’t a burden.”

I nodded, trying to look sympathetic.

“It’s hard when you get old. I spent years doing very active Service. Now my Service is somewhat limited.”

“You miss it?” I couldn’t keep the surprise out of my voice.

“If you have to ask that, then you’ve never done it.” She squinted at me. “You’re not one of us, so what are you doing here, dearie?”

“I came to help my friends,” I smiled brightly.

She eyed me suspiciously. “It’s not easy to get in, you know. Nowadays all sorts are making the Quest, but in my day they were few and far between. It’s long and hard and most give up. They run off to some guy in a dress who calls himself Guide, and get a certificate saying they entered the Palace after a semester of evening classes. They’re no more in the Palace than Marian over there.”

I glanced over to Marian who was wearing black leggings masquerading as capri pants and an abundant leopard print shirt.

“I’m not sure I know what you’re talking about,” I said, although I was pretty sure I did.

“Maybe you don’t, but bear it in mind. There’s only one way to get into the Palace, and that’s through the front door. If you’re not prepared to do the whole Service then there’s no point trying.”

I considered protesting that I wasn’t trying to do any Service, I just liked spending time with the elderly. I was about to give some bland response she would have seen straight through, when Tal saved me by walking through the door guitar in hand.

She smiled when she saw me, “Oh good, you made it. We’re in for a treat today. Gal and Dava came today too.”

Her brother and the chick with the mousy brown hair that was at their house for the Dinner wandered over to the little stage area. In actual fact, it was just where Marian had cleared away some of the chairs, but it was as close to a stage as any one was going to get in the activities room. Gal pulled up two extra chairs for them and they took their places. Jov waved hello at me as he took his place.

Marian seemed to have disappeared so Cale just started playing. It was the same opening number as always, the one that seemed like a prayer. Now that the music and the setting were familiar, I felt brave enough to try sliding my mind with Tal’s. I couldn’t get a clear picture. There were swirls of pink and sunflower yellow. Something beautiful was happening but I couldn’t tell what.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mrs. Hols staring at me again. After a minute she seemed to make a decision. “They’re thanking He Who Gives for life and for enabling us to make the Service,” she whispered.

I guess she really wasn’t deaf because she pitched her comment exactly right for me to hear clearly but for no one else to overhear. I nodded and smiled. I didn’t want to say anything and break my concentration.

When the song ended, it felt like a curtain had dropped over the stage. As Dava began singing the next song, it was obvious that we had changed scenes. Her voice was spectacular. The notes seemed to weave higher and higher as Tal, Noy and Jov harmonized and Gal strummed the guitar. I didn’t recognize the language. The song itself sounded as old as time. The melody flowed up mountains and across oceans. I was almost lulled to sleep. In contrast, Mrs. Hols was remarkably alert. I vaguely wondered if I’d eaten too much lunch. Another thirty seconds and I’d have been asleep. Later it occurred to me that was the point. Just as my eyes closed, the attack came.

It started with a feral snarl somewhere to my left. For a second I saw Tal still strumming her guitar, Dava and Noy were still singing, and Cale’s hands didn’t even pause on the piano. Like a badly developed photo superimposed on their calm performance, I saw each straighten and clasp their weapons for battle. Dava pulled an arrow from the quiver on her back as a bow materialized in her hands. Behind her Tal gripped the hilt of her sword with both hands. Cale readied his spear. A low rumbling that was almost more threatening than the original snarl announced the enemy getting closer and closer. This beast was in no hurry to attack. A matching snarl from the right made it clear that
they
were in no hurry to attack.