Jackson told me "Night has most of our company on guard around the vehicles and food stores." He told me that like it was supposed to mean something. I was slow, I didn't get it, but it told me Night had a plan which was good enough for me.
"Okay Jackson. Stick around." I looked at Shelli and said "Don't tell me you don't know the back story here. You, of all people, are not who I would expect to see standing here grinning."
She gave me a wry smile and said "You're not up to speed with our new world. Max and Freya are a couple."
That surprised me and angered me. "She's a kid Shelli."
She laughed. It was a bitter one but it was a laugh. "Yeah. Right. You may be the only man here who could say that and have me believe him. She has the body of an eighteen year old and the heart of a 4,000 year old." She paused, then added "Well, I don't think she has a heart but you know what I mean."
I thought about it. I flashed some images through my mind and realized she was right. I said, and I didn't bother to hide the disgust "I go away for a couple weeks and come back to As the World Turns."
She smiled "No G. Think of it as a really bad reality show. That's what I do."
I shrugged and told her "Sounds like bullshit to me." I looked at Zane and told him "C'mon kid. Lets go find your Mom." As soon as I started walking Jackson got in front of me and said "I can't let you do this Gardener."
I looked at him and said "Then you die."
He looked at me, whispered "I know," and shut his eyes. I thought "Well this sucks." I hesitated, I didn't like this, I would do it but I didn't like it. That is when the church bell started ringing and Shelli said "That's the signal. Zane...time to meet your Mama."
I know I had told Shelli to shut up and I also knew that it was like telling water not to be wet but I was actually happy to hear her say that. Probably not as happy as Jackson though.
Gods and goddesses have different rules,and they are not "Nice". I like the character development a lot. It was really nice to find so much here today, it was my first really active day since my back injury ( I pruned 3 large neglected apple trees and took out a 12' scrub oak)
ReplyDelete/me can't help but wonder what it's like to screw a Goddess. Does the earth really move or what?
ReplyDeleteI hope Max has some blue pills set aside - a little ED could be a really bad event.;)
im starting to think that gardener is going to have to thin out the horde a good bit real soon. can't say im entirly liking were this is heading.
ReplyDeleteTom,
ReplyDeleteIt's the trees fault. No, they are not nice. Even Jesus and God are not nice when it comes to serving them. They went you to commit 100% to their agenda.
bobn,
Freya was a user when it came to sex in the old days....
max,
Don't worry. Well, not a lot...because I don't know where it's heading either except the next scene
So have we found out who Lucy, I mean Night, meant when she said "That Slut"? Or maybe Carol is more than she says she is.
ReplyDeleteDrive on.
Jim in MO.
Gotta agree with max - I am a touch worried about the direction (there is something 'sacred', in my mind, about Max and Gardener's partnership) but I trust you. But I do hope the Horde-thinning happens at some point soon. I need an infusion of Gardener rage, stat ;)
ReplyDeleteJim & Kristina,
ReplyDeleteShe meant Carol.
I can't tell you how it's going to go because I don't know. Sometimes a comment sparks something or even opens new ideas.
I do know that Carol is always going to be more then she seems.
I do have some ideas about this and we will see how they play out.
I couldn't help thinking that Gardner might decided Freya's little thing going might be getting strange and that some good old skull bashing with Thursday might happen.
ReplyDeleteTheDreamer
Funny, I'VE been wondering how much we can really trust Max. Do we know where his loyalties truly lie? We already know he has some scary associations. His current proximity to Freya reinforces my suspicions.
ReplyDeleteOne also has to consider, espically with his having been in the military, who may have fucked with Max's head, to what degree, and to what end. G could be inadvertantly unlocking some planted command with the delivery of the "back on duty" message...
"God" (-ess) doesn't mean "good", it just means we can't comprehend it.
As for Freya, I disagree with D^2's previous assertion that she's "Justice incarnate", as I see no evidence that she gives a damn about being morally right or fair. We cannot assume she is like G just because they're in league.
K
I've often seen simliarities between AA and Niel Gaiman's American Gods, the old gods primary motivation is their return to power. Their pantheonic duties will do little to stand in their way to full return to their former glory.
ReplyDeleteTheDreamer
TheDreamer,
ReplyDeleteYep. That book influenced me a bit here.
Wait till they meet the buffalo spirit.
ReplyDeleteOh, and he was literally 'saved by the bell'.
ReplyDeleteFSHB,
ReplyDeleteYep. ;)