Strange Carcosa

EPILOGUE

"How are you feeling, amige?" Hoss smiled at me. I sat up in the shitty cot, rubbing my head.

    "Ready to go home," I grumbled. He nodded.

    "The nurse said—you are well enough. The dehydration has passed. You still must recover your strength, but... you can do that at the refuge."

    "Thank the Idols," I rasped, all but jumping out of bed. Regretted it immediately. Felt woozy, blacking out a little—Hoss caught me as I stumbled.

    "Whoa," I wheezed, and he grimaced, setting me upright again. Put an arm around me, nudging me towards the door.

    "Come on, amige. I will help you."

—

    "Ahhhhhh, Great Idols, COFFEE," I moaned, rocking back and forth. Hoss just erupted into a snort, stirring sugar into his. "Coffee... finally... ohhhh..."

    The priest laughed at me, and I grinned back. Swatted his hand.

    "Hey, pal. For serious, for serious. I thought I'd never have coffee again..." I sighed, closing my eyes. Inhaled its richness, all its chocolate, nut, and bitterness. It was the best tasting, most luxurious thing in the world.

    He just let me have my moment.

    "Me too," he muttered at length, lighting a cig. He puffed it to life. "Mmm... you know what, you are right. Coffee is a fine thing. Madra Mundi, bless this coffee—"

    "Madra invent coffee, or something?" I snorted. Slurped at it. Black and bitter, just how I liked it.

    "No," Hoss chuckled. "But, perhaps... She guided... allowed the first drinker to See what to do with the beans. Who knows, amige."

    I smiled, lapsing into silence. We just sat, sipping coffee, enjoying each other's presence.

    "Say, Hoss," I set my mug down on the rough wood, clearing my throat. Scratched the back of my head. "Uh. When I was in the hospital... I had a dream. About the Madra. I don't remember it too good. But it felt— so real. Like it wasn't just cooked up in my head, you know?"

    "Mm," Hoss smiled, eyes twinkling. He curled his brown hands around the mug. "I know very well, amige. What did she say to you?"

    "How did you know it was a talkin' d— whatever, nevermind. Yeah, we just talked... and She Saw me, uh..."

    I grimaced, poured myself more coffee from the press.

    "If I'm remembering right... She said—I'd see white sands. Wear white? Yeah. And the last part. She said—something was reversed. Uh. It was a funny word, used in sermons. Never did know what it meant. Maledicto?"

    Hoss jolted, eyes wide. I froze mid-sip, mug eclipsing my lips. I lowered it.

    "What?" I glanced around.

    "Ah," the priest grimaced, taking a drag of his cig. He blew out smoke, waving it in a circle.

    "Ahh, nothing. It is just—it is a bad word, maledicto... not a cuss, but, well, an insult, an insult to life. Male- means 'inversion, blasphemy,' roughly... dicto are the dictums of the world, natural law, what is, amige."

    He blinked, taking a nervous sip of coffee.

    "It is said... it was an uncoupling of truth... of law... that caused the Aeternatum. The cardinal Maledicto, the one to which you pray for Esephus to forgive."