Peter Hunter and the Minions of Mara

Chapter 29 - Message From the Boss

The next day, Zahid asked Peter to accompany him and his siblings to a museum downtown.

"You're always the one paying for things," Zahid told him, as they neared the entrance, "but today is on me."

"Isn't today one of those free admission days?" Peter asked.

Zahid smiled broadly. "So, how did your date go?" He asked, switching the topic.

Peter grinned involuntarily. "I think it went well. She said she'd be willing to have another one."

"What are you going to do for the second one?" Zahid asked. "I assume you have to top the first."

Peter sobered. "Shoot. You're right. What do I do?"

"You could always take her here," Zahid suggested, "and show her your extensive scientific knowledge."

"Ha, ha," he pretended to laugh.

Zahid thought a moment while Hassan, Ahmed, and Yara ran straight for the dinosaur exhibit.

"How about you start with what you like about her," he suggested. "Is it for shallow reasons like because she's pretty and popular?"

"Of course not," Peter attested. "I like how she's confident."

"You could challenge her to a competition," Zahid joked.

"I like when she smiles," Peter continued.

"Bring her to a dentist!"

"I like how she's always thinking about people in need. Oh, hey, I think I have an idea."

They both stopped in front of a fossil encased in glass.

"So what are we looking at here?" Peter asked.

"This is the Anchiornis huxelyi," Zahid answered plainly.

"You say that like I should know..."

"They used this fossil to extract the color of its feathers using a new method," he explained. "Now they're trying to find the color of other feathered dinosaurs. It revolutionized paleontology."

"Oh," Peter nodded. "And here I thought it was a rock with a picture of a bird on it."

Zahid held onto Peter's shoulder. "Repeat after me," he said, "'Welcome to Value Mart. Can I help you with anything?'"

Peter pushed him playfully, laughing. Then Peter's phone buzzed with a call from Sensei Rob.

"Hey, Sensei," he greeted, walking away from Zahid. "What's up?"

"Peter!" Rob sounded frantic. "Where are you?"

"Downtown," Peter answered. "Is everything okay?"

"I'm hurt. Really hurt. It was an asura. I need your help."

"Why didn't my deva call me?" Peter wondered aloud.

"This asura was too strong," Rob said. "I don't know if I'm going to make it. I've lost a lot of blood."

Peter pictured Sensei Rob passed out in some alley. He imagined Charlie's reaction if he died. The entire studio would be devastated and the whole town would be overrun with asuras without Rob.

"Calm down," he told Sensei, though he didn't feel calm at all. "Where are you?"

"A couple blocks away. In the alley at Thirteenth and Sunvale."

Peter excused himself from Zahid and rushed off.

His desperation gave him an idea. He centered his thoughts until he felt Anuvata's presence. Then he applied a blast of wind behind him, thrusting himself forward, faster than he could normally run. The people around him seemed shocked, but he imagined their minds would explain it away.