The Forgotten God

Chapter 43

"Here, your first taste of reward."

Harrison held his hand out, staring as a shimmering coin was dropped into it. The engraving sang of age, even if the surface was pristine.

He turned it over slowly, feeling his henchmen lean over to get a better look.

The warehouse echoed with back word, enhancing the aura of power, and one almost feared the heavy iron girders that supported the ramshackle roof would give if disturbed even more.

In the corner Aiden sat, watching silently and shrinkingly. His only move was to stoke a small, controlled fire he had kindled to give some light to the dark and some consolation to his own soul. It offered little warmth but much smoke that he watched curl up and twist out the gaps above.

His leg still smarted if he moved too much and he couldn't help but wonder why he was even being kept alive, except to suffer.

The glimmer of gold caught his attention, waning quickly after an admiring look. What use was it? More drugs? They'd not exactly opened a world of luxury like he had been led to believe from dealers and pimps. He looked away; it wasn't worth the ache of making his mind work over things.

Both Harrison's aides leaned forward.

"Man, that's gotta be worth a fortune," one muttered, practically salivating at the thought. "Drop a few of those in front of one of them showgirls and they'd be all over you. Wine, dine and bangin'!"

"Yeah," Harrison snapped his fingers shut, shoving it into his pocket. "But no one uses gold coins now, it's all done of plastic or in paper cash. Coppers and antiques ain't going to do it in the areas I work. Yeah," he glared at his corpulent middleman. "Some chicks would spread their legs for a few trinkets, a few men as well, but when it comes to commerce it ain't worth anything."

Babi smiled, baring all his teeth.

Kyle felt a hefty wave of sickness travel through him as he regarded the creature. Despite the twisted bestial form, there was a glimmer of humanity. In the way he moved, crude and un-fashioned like the Neanderthal ancestors, but still the malformed picture of a human.

It was that recognition that he found most disturbing. That this God, demon or whatever creation he was, had been made in the likeness of the mortals it used and discarded.

Never, even in his wildest nightmares, had nature designed such an abysmal countenance and allow it to survive. It would take a fearless or foolish man to not feel a shudder in the spirit.

Unlike Harrison, he had the sense to know that the oafish appearance was only skin deep. That beneath the cumbersome exterior, a highly competent and sly mind dwelled.

"Bear with me," Babi said with an unpleasant lisp "This is but the beginning, a show of pleasure if you like. Beware of acting ungratefully," he lifted a finger. "You will see a different side of me if I sense that behaviour."

Harrison's face twisted into a scowl, not taking kindly to being addressed like a child. Even at school he had hated being spoken to as if he were an inferior being.

It was only catching Kyle's eye, seeing the depth of the warning in his gaze, that stopped him from biting bite with a stinging riposte that would have peeled the ears of any decent person.

"Fine. Sorry." He grunted, shoving the coin into his pocket. "I was just saying times have changed. But I guess you're canny enough to know that." He attempted a smile, the tilt appearing sarcastic and flippant. "Can't imagine a God like you would be dumb; you got more brains than all of us."