"Getting fat and lazy, huh?" Gus grinned.
"Something like that. Now, you know me, Gus. I've always been footloose and fancy free. Ready to follow a job or a whim at the drop of a hat. If anyone had suggested to me that I should settle down, I would have punched their lights out. Now all of a sudden, I've got a permanent address and family... family beyond Chumley, I mean. I hadn't realized how domestic I was getting until Skeeve showed up with Markie. A kid, even. When I first saw her, my first thought was that it would be nice to have a kid around the place! Now I ask you, Gus, does that sound like me?"
"No, it doesn't."
The gargoyle's voice was so quiet I scarcely recognized it as his.
"Right then I saw the handwriting on the wall. If I don't start moving again, I'm going to take root... permanently. You know, the worst thing is that I don't really want to go. That's the scariest part of all."
"I don't think Aahz or Skeeve want you to go either."
"Now don't you start on me, Gus. This is hard enough for me as it is. Like I said, they're family, but they're stifling me. I've got to get away, even if it's only for a little while, or I'm going to lose a part of me ... forever."
"Well, if you've made up your mind ... good luck."
"Thanks, Gus. I'll be in touch from time to time. Keep an eye on the boys in case they buy more trouble than they can sell."
"I don't think you have to worry about Chumley. He's pretty levelheaded."
"Chumley's not the one I'm worried about."
I thought that was going to be her parting shot, but she paused with one hand on the door.
"You know, it's probably just as well that I couldn't find Skeeve. I'm not sure I could have stuck to my guns in a face-to-face ... but then again, maybe that's why I was looking for him."
I could feel Gus's eyes on me as she slipped out. "I suppose it's pointless to ask why you didn't say something. Mister Skeeve."
Even though I had worried earlier about getting Gus angry with me, somehow it didn't matter anymore.
"At first it was curiosity," I said, letting my disguise slip away. "Then, I didn't want to embarrass her."
"And at the end there? When she flat-out said that you could talk her out of going? Why didn't you speak up then? Do you want her to disappear?"
I couldn't even manage a spark of anger. "You know better than that, Gus," I said quietly. "You're hurting and lashing out at whoever's handy, which happens to be me. I didn't try to get her to stay for the same reason you didn't try harder. She feels we're stifling her, and if she wants out, it'd be pretty small of us to try to keep her for our own sakes, wouldn't it?"
There was prolonged silence, which was fine by me. I didn't feel much like talking anymore. Rising, I started for the door.
"You were looking the other way when she left," the gargoyle said. "You might like to know there were tears in her eyes."
"Mine too," I replied without turning. "That's why I was looking the other way."
Chapter Eight:
"What did I do wrong?"
-LEAK, REX
WITH a heavy heart, I headed back home. I was no longer worried about Aahz yelling at me. If anything, I was rather hoping he would. If he did, I decided that for a change I wouldn't argue back. In short, I felt terrible and was in the mood to do a little penance.
Sliding through the tent flap, I cocked an ear and listened for Aahz. Actually, I was a little surprised that I couldn't hear him from the street, but I was sure I would be able to locate his position in the house with no difficulty. As I've said before, my partner has no problem expressing his moods, particularly anger.
The house was silent.
From the lack of reverberations and/or falling plaster, I assumed that Aahz was out... probably looking for me with blood in his eye. I debated going out to look for him, but decided that it would be better to wait right here. He'd be back eventually, so I headed for the garden to make myself comfortable until he showed up.
What I call the garden is actually our courtyard. It has a fountain and an abundance of plants, so I tend to think of it as a piece of the outdoors rather than as an enclosed area. I had been spending more and more time there lately, especially when I wanted time to think. It reminded me of some of the quieter spots I would find from time to time back when I was living on my own in the woods... back before I met Garkin, and, through him, Aahz.
That memory led me to ponder a curious point: Were there other successful beings, like myself, who used their new prosperity to recreate the setting or atmosphere of their pre-success days? If so, it made for a curious cycle.
I was so preoccupied with this thought as I entered the garden that I almost missed the fact that I wasn't alone. Someone else was using my retreat... specifically, Aahz.
He was sitting on one of the stone benches, chin in his hands and elbows on his knees, staring blankly into the water as it flowed through the fountain. To say the least, I was surprised. Aahz has never been the meditative type, particularly in times of crisis. He's more the "beat on someone or something until the problem goes away" type. Still, here he was, not agitated, not pacing, just sitting and staring. It was enough out of character for him to un-nerve me completely.
"Umm ... Hi, Aahz," I said hesitantly.
"Hello, Skeeve," he replied without looking around.
I waited for a few moments for him to say something else. He didn't. Finally I sat down on the bench next to him and stared at the water myself a bit.
We sat that way for a while, neither of us saying anything. The trickling water began to have a tranquilizing, hypnotic effect on me, and I found my mind starting to relax and drift.
"It's been quite a day, hasn't it, partner?"
My mind reflexively recoiled into a full defensive posture before it dawned on me that Aahz was still speaking quietly.
"Y ....es."
I waited, but he seemed off in his own thoughts again.
My nerves shot, I decided to take the initiative.
"Look, Aahz. About Markie ..."
"Yes?"
"I knew about the Elemental School thing. She told me on the way back from the Geek's. I just didn't know enough to realize it was important."
"I know," Aahz sighed, not looking at me. "I hadn't bothered to teach you about elemental magic... just like I hadn't taught you about dragon poker."
No explosion! I was starting to get a little worried about my partner.
"Aren't you upset?"
"Of course I'm upset," he said, favoring me with a fleeting glimpse of bared teeth, a barely recognizable smile. "Do you think I'm always this jovial?"
"I mean, aren't you mad?"
"Oh, I'm past ‘mad.' I'm all the way to ‘thoughtful.' "
I arrived at the startling conclusion that I liked it better when Aahz was shouting and unreasonable. That I knew how to deal with. This latest mood of his was a total unknown.
"What are you thinking about?"
"Parenthood."
"Parenthood?"
"Yeah. You know, that state of total responsibility for another being? Well, at least, that's the theory."
I wasn't sure I was following this at all.
"Aahz? Are you trying to say you feel responsible for what happened with Markie because you hadn't taught me more about magic and poker?"
"Yes. No. I don't know."
"But that's silly!"
"I know," he replied, with his first honest grin since I had entered the garden. "That's what got me thinking about parenthood."
I abandoned any hope of following his logic.
"You'll have to explain it to me, Aahz. I'm a little slow today."