Faces of Man

2

The gramophone turned the record with delicate slowness. The music wafted in long spirals out of a brass cone, filling the vaulted room and burdened the eyelids of the patrons. Despite the late hour, the Scales was filled with guests. Missy, the gorgon barmaid, slithered behind the counter, preparing drinks and cleaning glasses.

"Barnaby? BARNABY!" the gorgon shouted. The chimpanzee waiter appeared from behind a column where he was playing cards against a faun and a minotaur.

"What? I'm in the middle of something!"

"It's nearly two. Have you prepared the room?"

"Shit!" hissed Barnaby under his breath but turned around nonetheless, resuming the game.

"Barnaby?" Missy emerged from behind the counter, rounding up on the winged ape. "Get going. And in the process, remind me, why I should pay you!" She snatched his hand away from him, scattering the cards on the table. The minotaur broke into deep, hooting laughter, while the faun lapsed into a spasm of giggles, hiding her reddening cheeks behind her hands.

"I could've won this round!" Barnaby was furious, his wings spread wide, nearly knocking a half full pitcher of brown ale over.

"If you do not prepare the room, you won't need the pig. I will offer you to them!" Missy hissed. "You can play cards as much as you want in your free time!"

She turned around and was halfway back to the bar, as she noticed the young redheaded patron with the empty glass. She sighed, shot a last angry glance towards Barnaby and slithered over.

"Vivienne, do you want another one?" Missy smiled at her.

The young woman looked up, tired rings under her eyes, the freckles prominent against her pale cheeks. She looked down into the foamy remains of her beer and nodded.

"Yes, please. Thanks, Missy."

The gorgon smiled, taking the empty glass with her.

Barnaby stood now on the table, trying to convince the minotaur and the faun that he indeed would have beaten them. His angry tantrum ended in a pleading apology – he is young and needs the money.

Vivienne smiled. Her gaze wandered through the bar. Lloyd was still playing chess against Norg, although he had lost every single match this night. His voluminous beard seemed ragged from the many times he had harassed it in frustration. A group of fairies gossiped excitedly, hovering several inches over their chairs, their wings a blurry. Vivienne saw Mulberry stealing glances over to them.

"Hey, lonely, how're you doing?" The faun sat down beside her.

"Mia don't huff her," boomed the minotaur.

"I'm not huffing her, Dri. She is lonely." Mia smiled at her. "How's it going?"

"The usual."

"Still no job?" The faun looked sympathetically at her. "You could work for Dri, couldn't she?" she asked the minotaur, playfully twirling a strand of sandy, curly hair around her finger.

The minotaur glared at her. "You know, I don't think that would be a good idea. What could she do? Shoeing centaurs?" He laughed. "No offense, but this wouldn't work."

Vivienne nodded. "None taken. It wouldn't work the other way around either. I know how folks are."

"Still got a flat?" asked Mia, sipping her drink.