Entropic Quest

Nine

"Savior!" Barque snarled back. His voice rose in anger but he was approaching her with caution.

"Your timing's terrible," he continued. "If you think you're going to stop me again, you're mistaken. I'm not even thinking of striking right now."

"That's not why I'm here," Ember said, "and I'm really not interested in you anyway. I always know what you're up to."

"Sure," he scoffed, "that's why you're not at all surprised to see me here now. Face it, little one, you just got lucky last time."

"And the time before that, I suppose?" she countered, and he shrugged. Barque turned away as if he had conquered the contest, and Ember turned her attention to Baudry.

"What about you, old man? What's your excuse?"

"Nice to see you too, little one," Baudry bowed in reply. "I'm honored to even occupy space around you."

"So answer the question," she snapped, but Edeline interrupted her with another of her interminably ignorant questions.

"So this is that tree you were talking about?" she asked, pointing at the dogwood which Barque was now leaning against. As if on queue, Barque started forward with a sudden lurch. Who was this? he asked himself, noticing the newcomer for the first time. His interest was considerably aroused.

"Hello," he cooed, gallantly stepping forward. "I don't believe I've had the pleasure."

"You're always having the pleasure," Ember grunted, but as Barque took a step toward Edeline, Edeline took a step back. It was not just the sudden approach by the man, but also the snake that was coiled around him. Edeline was terrified of snakes. Her attempt to conceal herself behind the child was, however, doomed to failure. Barque kept on coming until he was standing by her side. Leaning over her shoulder he droned, in what he thought was a most romantic tone,

"My name's Barque. I'm the top player in the game. Ask anyone, they'll tell you."

"He's the biggest something all right," Ember remarked, and Baudry burst out laughing. Barque was not amused.

"She's spiteful," he said, winking at Edeline. "Some of us are more fortunate in our outcomes than others."

"Some of us," he continued, "remain in the peakest of peak conditions, and not just now, but for always. You are, I presume," he asked, "a thirty two? If I may be so bold."

"I'm fifty one years old," Edeline promptly replied, drawing guffaws from all three of the veterans.

"And they just found you out?" Barque could hardly believe it. "Why weren't you here a decade ago? Or five or six years ago at the least."

"You should be proud of yourself," Baudry agreed. "Were you holed up somewhere for those years? How did you get away with it?"

"I have no idea what any of you are talking about," Edeline sighed. "Are all of you always speaking in riddles? I was just living my life until first thing yesterday morning. Someone knocked on my door and the next thing I know I'm stuck here in cuckoo-land with nothing but nonsense around me."

Edeline backed away further from Barque, who seemed on the verge of grabbing her boobs. He was certainly staring at them most rudely, covered in vines as they were.

"You'll make a fine addition to the collection," he leered.

"That's not your decision," Ember reminded him, to which Barque only replied with another of his patented winks, as if to say, "wait until she samples the field. She'll come round."

"What are you doing here anyway?" Ember demanded to know.

"I was called," Barque told her, puffing out his chest in proud punctuation. Princess lifted her head too, as if to add exclamation.