THE VROL TRILOGY (89 page)

"Same as everyone else -
G
. It's my nickname."

"Ok, G. Sounds good. So, everyone calls you
that?"

"Yeah, except for Krynos. I swear to god, if
he ever gets my name right I'll spend a year's salary throwing a
party for the kingdom."

"Oh yeah? So, what does he call you?"

"Bagaduci, Baganello, Bagaduster. Hell, he
even called me Baganom-nom once. I almost crapped myself. It would
have been funny if it hadn't been so tragic."

"How about Bagabolsa," laughed Max, "but
seriously, where do we go from here. I know we need to get home,
but are you going to help us against the Vrol? Can you help us
against them? And what's happening at home - Azul? I was thinking
about getting my mother and bringing her to the Rhönen to stay with
us in safety."

"Max, Johnson took over and last I heard he
was trying to retrofit more ships with hook drives. Jennie told me
that his son claimed they had been in contact with the Vrol for
quite a while, and that they were attempting to get your ship,
replicate the technology and retrofit the old exodus barges for a
return to Earth. I guess we'll have to go there and see what's
happening. But before we leave, Draagh said that there is something
you have to do here. Something to do with going up north."

Max gave Bagatelle a startled look, as he
hadn't told any of them that he felt a pull to the north.

"Johnson needs to die, just like his son. I'm
sure you heard that Jennie killed Ryder, right?"

"Yeah, and Krynos keeps upping the ante each
time he tells the story."

"We can deal with Len Johnson later. So,
anyway, I'm glad you're here with us. I'm sure everything will be
fine if we work together and plan effectively."

"Max, I was practicing what I was going to
say when I saw you again. Now I can't remember a damned word, but I
just want to apologize for the way I treated you back in Peru and
the way I didn't believe you. Hell, I had a hard time believing
even after you guys left, and it wasn't until Draagh, Jennie and
Liliana popped into my house that I actually believed 100%. So
anyway, I just wanted to say I'm sorry."

"Hah! No need, I wouldn't have believed it
myself either, G. Hey, wanna beer?"

Getting up, the two
cuñados
went back into the club and took seats
with the clan and family members, being greeted with frosty, cold
beers at their seats.

"Papi, I have so many new skills to show you
when we get home. Oh, and did you not hear? I went to Azul and we
pretended to be normals and I got to swim in the ocean and and…
and," the little lycan said breathlessly.

"That's great, Lili," interrupted Max,
sincerely wanting to listen to her adventures, but at a time when
he could give her his undivided attention. She was so excited to
see him that she could hardly contain herself, and both Max and
Jennie knew that she wouldn't last long into the night. Pulling
Liliana up onto his lap, he looked over to his grandfather.

"Pops, I feel a pull to the north and G just
said something about you saying that we all had to go north. So… I
guess we're staying here for a night or two, right? My room isn't
very big, but I'm sure you can conjure some bunk beds or something,
right?"

"No my boy, heh heh heh, no, we shall spend
the night in opulent conditions. I have already planned to build
something adequate and then leave the construct to your friends
here - your friends who have been so kind to you all this time,"
said the old mage.

Without further delay, Draagh got up and
walked out of the club and into the street. Bringing up an
infoscreen, he did a deep scan on all of the surrounding buildings.
Noting one across the street that was not inhabited, but
potentially repairable, he walked to it and set his staff to the
ground. What happened next caused a massive crowd to gather and
watch in amazement.

The locals had come to grips with the fact
that Max Gunnarsson was a special type of person, but what they
were about to witness would make him seem like a restaurant
dishwasher.

Parts of the three-story building
started to self-repair, as other parts appeared at ground level.
Michael and Gabriel both exited the club and spread their wings,
flying up and around the building, helping to guide beams into
place, themselves using cantuses on other parts of the building.
Max took Liliana by the hand and watched as she assisted with
proper window placement on the ground-level panes. Impressed as he
was with her skills, he couldn't believe that he was watching his
father, uncle and grandfather completely rebuild what was turning
out to be a hotel; in Hollywood - in an alternate timeline in the
29
^th
century. But then again,
they were world builders, and had been around for billions of
years. This task was as simple for them as creating a cooking pot
would have been for him. He realized he had so much to learn, and
wasn't sure if he had the time to take it all in before they
confronted the Vrol.

Standing back and admiring his work, Draagh
felt something was missing - a bit of pizzazz. Looking over to Max
he asked, "My son, should this fine establishment not have a
name?"

"How about
Seven Virtues
? It's the opposite of Seven Sins,
and maybe it would be a nice contrast," Max replied.

"That sounds dumb. How about
Hotel California
?" suggested Jennie,
always willing to put in her two cents and never afraid to ruffle
feathers. Both Max and Draagh looked at her, amazed at how good her
idea was.

Michael and Gabriel moved about inside the
hotel, going room-to-room, conjuring basic furniture, making window
coverings, as Liliana followed the two, picking up skills in matter
repurposing cantuses. By the time they were done (and Liliana had
already picked out and decorated her room, which was part of the
master suite) there was a massive street festival out front.
Lennie's band had moved the stage to the street, and Max had helped
to create an outdoor bar for Seven Sins. Sitting at the bar with
Jennie, he listened to her stories of the castle and of her
attempts to find him.

"So, you didn't see Councilman Johnson when
you were there? Probably for the best," said Max.

"Yeah, we only had a bit of time, and I
didn't go to see Becky on purpose. If she had accidentally opened
her mouth and said she had seen me no one knows what Johnson's
government would have done to her. You and I are both on the Most
Wanted list, as I am sure G also is now."

"When we go back, we'll have to work out of a
secret base, possibly not even on Azul. I just met Michael and
Gabriel for the first time, and I'm not sure we can count on them
to help, but I know that G, Draagh, you and I will be in the thick
of things," Max added.

"Sweetie, there are a great number of people
still loyal to G. In fact, he has been in contact with Lt.
Commander Alicia Vasquez, who is the leader of the underground.
Johnson has been pushing propaganda saying that the Artusians are
friendly and preparing everyone for this wonderful, intergalactic
love-fest."

Max gave Jennie a blank stare, never having
known Vasquez, but knowing that the government had consistently
referred to the Vrol as the Artusians.

"Who is this Alicia Vasquez?"

"Honey, she was G's second in command - and
his lover," Jennie added, blushing.

Max was about to talk about love with the
love of his life, when Dons and Pandy approached.

"Oy mate, this looks fantastic and all, but
how you gonna keep all the riffraff from polluting the place up
once yer gone?" asked Dons, while wearing a concerned look in his
one eye.

"My good man, it is not for us to maintain.
No, no. It is for you and your people," Draagh interjected, having
just arrived at the bar. "I only ask that you use it to help
rebuild your community."

Dons garnered a look of unbelieving
amazement as he scanned the building from end to end. It had a
nice, green neon sign that displayed
Hotel
California
in cursive script, a double-door entrance,
a restaurant area, complete with a fully-stocked kitchen (where
Jessica already was, being assisted by Gabriel), a smaller, more
casual bar, a reception desk, and of course sixty rooms, each one
having its own full bath and toilet facilities.

Inspecting the interior, Max and Jennie went
to the master suite on the top floor, finding a king sized bed,
luxuriously appointed with plush comforters and pillows. Max had
been sleeping on a wooden floor for the past days, while Jennie had
basically been sleeping alone, or with Liliana.

"A room befitting a king and queen, I would
say. Would you not agree?" asked Draagh, as he entered from the
hallway.

"It
is
beautiful, pops. Who's sleeping here tonight?" asked
Max

"Why, you two, of course. I would imagine
that after so much time apart the two of you…"

"Shut up, Draaaaagh! Don't get all creepy! We
get it!" growled Jennie, but followed up with a meek, "But thanks.
We appreciate it."

"Trust me, Jen, I would love nothing more
than to lock that door behind us for a solid week, but we are
probably leaving tomorrow and we should say or goodbyes, shouldn't
we?"

Jennie looked at her husband's
greenish-brown eyes, knowing he was right. There would be plenty of
time later in the evening for
renewing
their wedding vows
, as Max had jokingly referred to it
earlier. The two went down the stairs while holding hands like
teenagers, just happy to be together again.

The street festival was in full gear,
and thanks to Draagh's extended frequency transmitter, the Vrol
were repelled to an even further distance, keeping them
sufficiently far away so as not to cause any problems. Vampires,
lycans, nekos and normals milled about, with the nekos mostly
attempting to ply their wares. Jennie and Bagatelle still found it
odd to be in the company of friendly vampires, but Liliana thought
it was
cool
, as she put it.
Children were always the ones most accepting of change.

Pandy and Dons were dancing in the crowd, as
Lennie pounded the drums on a song featuring Jelly on vocals. The
band was in great form and the crowd was going crazy. Jennie and
Max joined them, along with Liliana, who was doing her best to
imitate Dominion soldiers on the dance floor. Draagh looked down
over the crowd from the main suite balcony, having determined that
he would repair the local streets before they all left. After all,
it wasn't the fault of anyone there that the streets could barely
even facilitate a motorized vehicle.

As Draagh watched the throngs of revelers his
sons joined him - they had performed an ample amount of work, and
both felt relatively good for it.

"Father, I believe we are done with the
rooms. I have to tell you, it is so much easier to do this at full
power, rather than build everything by hand," said Michael, with a
bit of relief in his voice.

"Perhaps one day I shall take a sabbatical
and live life as a human," exclaimed Gabriel.

"No Brother, you really do not want to do
that, or if you do, at the very least retain some of your
abilities."

"We shall see, Brother, we shall see,"
responded Gabriel, as he watched Jessica float around the dance
floor.

###

"I think he likes you!" Pandy said to
Jessica, after the former had gone to the dance floor
perimeter.

"Huh? Like how? Like me? He's an angel - does
he even have bits and pieces?" asked Jessica.

"Of course he does, silly! How do you think
Max was born? Michael is his father."

"Oh yeah, you're right. And
Gabriel
is
pretty cute. I
think he knows how to cook, too. He seemed pretty familiar in the
kitchen of the new building."

"Oh wow, a kitchen too? Is it nicer than in
the club?"

"Oh my god, yes!" exclaimed Jessica, "the
club kitchen is like a toilet in comparison."

"Speaking of toilets, have you seen Adam
lately?"

"Yeah, he's trying to have a battle of wits
with Marko. He knows he can't beat him physically, so he is talking
big while Marko growls. I guess he wants to make sure that Marko's
sudden change of heart and decision to help out doesn't push him
further back in the hierarchy."

"Poor Adam. He's such a tool. And he has such
a crush on you too!"

"Shut up, Pandy! He's so gross. I mean, it's
not that he's ugly - it's just that he is so full of himself. I
like intelligent men of action, not big-talking bullshitters."

The band finished a song and immediately went
into a slow ballad. Jessica and Pandy were watching the crowd when
Jessica looked up and noticed only Michael and Draagh on the new
balcony. Suddenly she felt a tap on her shoulder. Turning around,
her heart jumped as Gabriel was standing there with a pleasant look
on his angelic face.

"I am not accustomed to dances of this
timeline, but I would be honored if you would spend the few minutes
of this song with me," said Gabriel, as he bowed slightly.

Jessica gasped lightly, not being one to
dance much, either.

"Um, sure, but I really don't know how
to."

"Then, why don't we just pretend?" asked the
archangel, wearing a mild grin.

Taking her by the hand, they both moved a few
feet out into the crowd, as Pandy floated back out to Dons. Gabriel
put his hands on Jessica's hips, as she rested hers upon his
shoulders and the two swayed lightly to the song. It was the first
time the archangel had danced with a human in nearly 3,000
years.