Refuge of Lies

Chapter Seven: Friend or Foe?

The girls were waiting by the fountain in the school's main courtyard for Dmitri and chatting away in sign language for fun, even though Chiara had already had the Lock taken off for the day.

Iliana was signing to Chiara, 'How your day?'

'Many, many school work projects! Brain explode soon! I wish Test done! No more school!' Chiara groaned and pushed her hair back. 'If I pass Test I hope I not made Teacher! I have to go to University and do more school! Shoot me now! I hope live in different part of City and do work interesting!'

Laughing, Iliana signed back, 'I want be Teacher, Doctor, Professor, or job like that! I like school!'

Chiara and Stella both groaned. Then Stella replied 'I like Chiara, not want more school!' Suddenly, she and Iliana both cocked their heads simultaneously, but it was Stella who asked. 'Who behind you?'

'Who behind me? What you mean-' Chiara realized someone had sneaked up behind her and whipped around. "Eeep! There's a person there!"

"Do you always say that when you see someone?" Guard Talmadge asked. "Or just me?"  He was smirking in an almost infuriating way, yet his eyes were not arrogant – but...mischievous? However, he didn't wait for her reply to that, but instead continued and asked: "Who are your friends?"

"Ah-um," Chiara was dumbfounded,

Guard Talmadge mock bowed and said "Pleasure to meet you Miss Ah and Miss Um! The name's Talmadge, James Talmadge."

"Ah's just my nickname," joked Iliana. "But my real name is Iliana, Iliana Nastazie Cato. And Miss Um usually goes by Stella Cunningham."

"Lovely names for lovely ladies," Talmadge commented. "Very interesting meanings – My God is Yahweh, Resurrection, Wise and Star...I'll have to look up Cunningham later."

Iliana raised an eyebrow at his impressive knowledge. How had he learned their name meanings? She could never have found a dictionary like that – it would be banned as frivolous, unnecessary, and/or space wasting.

But before he could comment further or Iliana could repeat this thought, Stella interjected. "You were the security guard in Doctor Arkone's office during the APEX's! That's where I saw you." Then she smiled in self-satisfaction. "Why are you bothering to talk to us?"

Talmadge shrugged. "Miss Feray is the one friendly individual who bothered to talk to me during her APEX. Why should I not? Do you not trust me?"

"As a general rule, I don't trust strangers – especially not someone who works for the government. However, for some strange reason, I feel oddly at ease around you." Stella frowned in thought.

"Unlike when you met Dmitri!" Chiara commented, then added in an aside to Talmadge, "That's another friend of ours."

"You don't say," he drily remarked with a twinkle in his eye.

Iliana laughed and continued Chiara's thought. "I don't know if Stella thought he was the devil incarnate or what, but she wouldn't talk to him for the longest time even though he has nothing to do with the government – unlike you! In fact, Stella, you almost gave me a heart attack when you addressed Guard Talmadge!"

"Please, just Talmadge – or James," Talmadge interrupted.

Stella nodded as if he had just proved her point. "See? Dmitri insisted we call him Compatriot Aurelius until recently! But him-" she pointed to Talmadge. "Him, I like! And I don't mean that in a weird way, but compared to Dmitri, I feel like I've always known you! Like you're the best friend I never knew I had!"

Chiara waved Stella's suspicions away with a flick of her hand. "Dmitri just never had good friends who took him down a peg or two when he needed it until he met us! You can't blame the poor guy for something he couldn't control!"

"Indeed, Stella," Iliana jumped in as the peacemaker between her friends like she usually did. "Besides, he was technically correct in wanting us to address him as Compatriot Aurelius. Remember the quote from Founder and First Compatriot Jacob Basilik that says "I am equal with all others and must view all others as equal to myself. Therefore, I will call others Compatriot."? He is only following the rules!"

Talmadge raised his eyebrow. "What an excellent memory you have, Miss Iliana! And such a model citizen and loyal friend! Tell me, are you always so perfect?"

"I try to be," Iliana deferentially replied. "I greatly dislike stirring up trouble if I can help it."

"So if you had to choose between disobeying the law or saving a friend, which would it be?" The question by itself seemed malicious, but oddly enough, Talmadge seemed to show no animosity in the asking – just curiosity.

Iliana shifted uncomfortably. "Hopefully, I shall never have to answer that question. But look! It's Compatriot Aurelius!"

Dmitri sauntered over looking more than a little curious. "Who is this?"

"This is Talmadge – security guard to Dr. Arkone. And Talmadge, this is Dmitri Aurelius!" Chiara bubbled away, oblivious to the wall of hostile glares that suddenly sprang up among the group. "Ooh! Oh! Dmitri! I've been waiting for you all day! I've been thinking about this all day! Oh - that's funny, all day! Cause, well - oh never mind, you'll find out in a second. So," she paused dramatically, "What does a dyslexic agnostic insomniac do all night?"

The tension visibly relaxed in the group as Dmitri considered his options. Finally, he gave up, genuinely baffled. "What?"

"He stays up all night wondering if there really is a dog!"

"A - oh!" They all dissolved in companionable laughter for a few moments and forgot their people problems. But, alas, it was only for that few moments. As soon as the last giggle had died down, the boys went back to regarding each other with intense stares. "So how do you do, Compatriot -" Dmitri hissed the word, " - Talmadge."

"Quite excellent, thank you, Dmitri!" Talmadge regarded him quite coolly, knowing full well the familiarity would infuriate Dmitri. "And what's up?"

The girls gave him a double take , but "The sky," responded the barely contained Dmitri.

Talmadge pretended to be completely dumbfounded. "No way! I thought that was the floor!"

"Of course, you would. You don't know any better. You're just one of the rabble - the muscle that protects us. You don't need brains to flex your brawn."

"At least I have a heart if not a brain instead of a cold, robotic piece of steel computer."

"Computers don't make mistakes."

"Neither do I!"

Just then the city clock chimed four o'clock.

Talmadge inhaled and bowed deeply to the girls. "I fear I must depart now, Miss Eeep, Miss Ah, and Miss Um. I bid you a very good eventide!" And with that, he bounded away from them, pointedly ignoring Dmitri.

Dmitri, for his turn, just stared at the retreating form. "I do not trust that fellow. He will do us no good."

Stella just raised an eyebrow. "Really?"