Trepidation | Trepidation Trilogy | The Empty World Sequence

Twenty-Two

Before dawn, the next watch had gone out and the previous returned to report. Quentin and Rory both were standing over John when he woke. He realized then he had fallen asleep in a lawn lounger and secondly thay he was rather damp. "What happened?" he asked and the two young men had to laugh. John brushed matted hair from his forehead and stood up.

      "There's been some gunfire and some form of missiles or explosive devices launched," Rory said, "Bert and Pieter should be around soon. You should get changed." Rory smiled.

      John nearly blushed from embarrassment. His clothing was wet and wrinkled, clinging in places. He smiled and walked toward the trailer, Rory and Quentin following. He found Claudia and Merideth asleep on the lower bed, a curtain presently blocked the upper bunk from view, but Louisa and Alaric would be there. John found his clean clothing in the cabinet. "I'll wash, you can wait if you like, or talk."

      The rain would have filled the resevoir on the roof they had set up and there would be enough for washes and cooking without needing a hookup to a water line. John undressed quickly and stepped behind the curtain. Rory made some comment and John could picture Quentin screwing up his face at that, maybe smacking Rory. Rory and Hansel were both homosexual and, as his first Guardsmen, believed they were familiar enough to tease. Quentin was entirely heterosexual, and more respectful, disapproved of the way the much younger boys joked.

      John washed quickly, using falling water only to lather and then to rinse, so that it was conserved. He wrapped in a towel then and stepped out to get his clothes. He pulled on a gray shirt as Rory and Quentin stood by. Quentin was a more recently sworn guardsmen. John forced himself to remain amused, rather than horrified, by the way young men volunteered for the job, and spoke of their honor earned in protecting the Leader and various Elders.

      "Bert and Pieter were here and left," Rory said, "said they heard a strange noise somewhere outside."

      John only nodded, busied himself with dressing and touches of deoderant, lipbalm, and such. He pulled his boots on before taking up his comb. Pieter was in the door's window and knocking. With gesture John told Rory to open it. Pieter spoke, "There is a...person that says you know...them, Leader. They want to see you."

      Who? John hopped to the damp ground outside still holding his comb and looked about. He looked about until he saw the pale, black-winged figure in odd uniform sitting daintily atop the hood of Alaric's Jeep. Morpheus was there. John smiled at the three-quarter-angel he had met several times before. Morpheus looked up slyly, pushed at a tendril that fell from the crown of purple flowers in his dark blue hair.

      "Morpheus is OK, I do know him," John told the Guardsmen. He strode to the nearby Jeep and grinned. "Why are you here?" he asked, wondered where Morpheus had come by the strange black and khaki uniform that seemed it might be of the Boy Scouts.

      Morpheus made a pout. "I seem to have formed a habit of visiting historical battle sites and cities about to be sacked or destroyed. I didn't start entirely on purpose, it's just I've never stopped."

      John nodded. "I seem to recall you collect bad habits."

      "That's what I claim, does rather cause people to forgive my faults and think me mysterious. You know this will be a rather bloody battle?"

      "I thought...I hoped not."

      Morpheus nodded. "I believe it will be, there is a slight chance it will not be so bad, but I see that possibility becoming faint as I look." When he glanced about the trailer camp his eyes were entirely black, without whites at the edges. John did not know Morpheus well enough to know all his Angelic powers but knew that the eyes going black was one sign of their use. John was familiar with his ability to change his appearance and knew he could make the eyes appear any combination of colors if he willed. Clearly, he was able to look into the future.