Mana Pool Snippets - Keystone

Part 2

“But that’s not normal for humans?”

“No.”

“I see.” The alien looked up from the sound of running water in the ceiling. “What a shame.”

“What?” Scott asked.

“What?” Jaruka repeated.

As Scott got most of the dirt off he started scrubbing. At least the couch was brown upholstery from the beginning or Brenda Walsh would have a fit.

“Also they haven’t called us. At all. Plus I tried calling them and that failed.”

“So… you four are at a loss?” Jaruka asked. Scott agreed. “I assume Robert knows?”

“Haven’t told him yet.”

“Eh, don’t bother. But really, what are you gonna do about it?”

“I told you, we don’t know.”

“I’ll tell you what I would do,” Jaruka started. “We get her to not crying like a breached dam, cinch our belts and march over to her home.”

Scott shot up. “That’s just crazy.”

“No, that’s settling matters face to face. In space, sometimes you can’t do things in a nice way.”

“This is not space.”

“But Terra Firma occupies space, so it works,” Jaruka added.

Scott shook his head to not even question that logic. Scott was against any form of meeting the Livingstons in the open. For one thing, humans are not used to terrans, still. Every day he hears of abuse on the streets, and the same time, terrans retaliating with untold amounts of magic. They never left the winery, except visiting Jaruka’s campsite to make sure he did not do anything stupid, like upsetting the government in an un-regular way.

“So you want us to risk our lives?” Scott asked.

“Yeah,” Arana started. “Ever since you’ve been unsupportive, Jaruka. Now you want to take serious matters?”

Several darted eyes the alien made. “It’s not my problem, it’s yours. I’m here as Denverbay’s collateral,” Jaruka said. “Also I’d be in trouble if my watchers are hurt.”

“Nevermind,” Scott said and continued cleaning.

Then again, the idea got stuck in his head. He knew the Livingstons are sensitive, religious and hard to change their minds. It’s hard for them to try any other Walsh wine besides Cliffhanger. How would Brenda and Jonathan take the news? Not likely, Scott thought. They would do what Jaruka suggested, and probably it will end badly. And if nothing helps, how could they house Andrea? Jacob the youngest is too much of a handful as it is.

After cleaning the best he could, Scott went upstairs. He knocked on Katie’s bedroom door as he heard her and Andrea’s voices.

“Just a sec,” Katie said. She came out and closed the door behind her.

“How’s Andrea?”

“She’s feeling much better now,” Katie started. “But she talked more. Did you know she did not go to school the whole time?”

“You’re kidding?

Katie shook her head. “She says she’s too embarrassed to show herself. You remember that Dallas kid in high school? He never showed up and the parents were arrested for abuse because they didn’t officially put him in home school?”

“Yeah, kind of,” Scott said.

“Maybe, just maybe, the police heard of this. Can you call Deryl about it? See if he could find something?”