Titanic (Asmodeus X Fizzarolli)

Chapter Five: They Talk

The next morning, Asmodeus went down to Third Class to meet up with Fizzarolli to thank him for the rescue the night before. But they soon just walked around the deck with Fizzarolli telling more about himself to Asmodeus. Not that he seemed to mind.

"Well, I've been on my own since I was 15 since I left the circus. And I had no brothers or sisters or close kin in that part of Hell. So I lit on out of there and I haven't seen them since. You could just call me a tumbleweed blowing in the wind," Fizzarolli said before switching to another subject, "Well, Asmodeus... we've walked about a mile around this boat deck and chewed over how great the weather's been and how I grew up but I reckon that's not why you came to talk to me, is it?"

"Mr. Fizzarolli, I-"

"Just Fizzarolli."

"Fizzarolli..." Asmodeus corrected himself, "I want to thank you for what you did. Not just for... for pulling me back but for your discretion."

"You're welcome."

"Look, I know what you must be thinking. Poor little rich demon. What does he know about misery?"

"No. No, that's not what I was thinking. What I was thinking was what could have happened to this demon to make him think he had no way out?"

"Well, I... It was everything. It was my whole world and all the people in it and the inertia of my life plunging ahead and me, powerless to stop it," Asmodeus showed Fizzarolli the giant ring that Sarah had given him

"God!" Fizzarolli was shocked at the size, "Look at that thing. You would have gone straight to the bottom."

"500 invitations have gone out. All of Philadelphia society will be there and all the while I feel I'm... standing in the middle of a crowded room screaming at the top of my lungs and no one even looks up."

"Do you love her?"

Asmodeus was surprised by the question, "Pardon me?"

"Do you love her?"

"You're being very rude. You shouldn't be asking me this."

"Well, it's a simple question. Do you love the girl or not?"

"This is not a suitable conversation."

"Why can't you just answer the question?"

Asmodeus laughed nervously, "This is absurd. You don't know me, and I don't know you and we are not having this conversation at all. You are rude and uncouth and presumptuous and I am leaving now," Asmodeus shook hands with Fizzarolli, "Fizzarolli. Mr. Fizzarolli, it's been a pleasure. I sought you out to thank you and now I have thanked you..."

"And you've insulted me," Fizzarolli added

"Well, you deserved it."

"Right."

"Right."

Asmodeus couldn't stop shaking his hand which just amused Fizzarolli at that point.

"I thought you were leaving," Fizzarolli said with an amused smile.

"I am," Asmodeus said starting to leave but turned back to him, "You are so annoying."

Fizzarolli chuckled as he started to leave. But Asmodeus was quick to turn back

"Wait. I don't have to leave. This is my part of the ship. You leave," Asmodeus said pointing away from him

"Oh-ho-ho, well, well, well," Fizzarolli was still amused by this demon, "Now who's being rude?"

Asmodeus said nothing, not knowing how to respond to that. He saw the art folder that Fizzarolli had been carrying around and took it from him, asking what it was. He opened it to reveal all of Fizzarolli's work. He sat down to look at them more and Fizzarolli sat next to him. All the drawings were of people. A lot of them naked women and men

"Fizzarolli, this is exquisite work," Asmodeus said, admiring the work

"Ah, they didn't think too much of them in old Paree," Fizzarolli said

"Paris? You do get around for a poor..." Asmodeus cut himself off, "Well, uh, uh, a person of limited means."

"Go on, a poor imp. You can say it."

Asmodeus turned the page to see sketches of a naked woman

"And these were drawn from life?" Asmodeus asked

Fizzarolli nodded while Asmodeus hid the pictures from a passing man.

"Well, that's one of the good things about Paris. Lots of girls and guys willing to take their clothes off," Fizzarolli said

Asmodeus chuckled and turned the page again to see the same man over and over.

"You liked this man," Asmodeus commented, "You used him several times."

"Well, he had beautiful hands, you see?" Fizzarolli said

"I think you must have had a love affair with him"

"No, no, no, no, no. Just with his hands. He was a one-legged prostitute. See?"

Fizzarolli showed Asmodeus a full-body picture he drew of the prostitute, proving that he did indeed only have one leg. Asmodeus was surprised by it

"Ah, he had a good sense of humor, though. Oh, and this lady..." Fizzarolli turned the page to reveal an upper-class lady, "She used to sit at this bar every night wearing every piece of jewelry she owned just waiting for her long-lost love. Called her Madame Bijou. See how her clothes are all moth-eaten?"

Asmodeus sighed, "Well, you have a gift, Fizzarolli. You do. You see people."

"I see you."

"And?"

"You wouldn't have jumped."

Meanwhile, back in First Class, Agrat was talking with two other women about how the whole point of going to university was to find a suitable wife and that Asmodeus had already done that. One of the women pointed out that Molly was coming over. Agrat told them to start leaving before Molly spotted them. But Molly caught them just as they were leaving, explaining that she hoped to catch them all at tea.

Agrat told her that she had just missed them and that they were heading off to get some air on the boat deck. Molly thought that was a great idea as she could catch them up on her gossip during that time. So they all left to go there. They walked passed Mr. Ismay and the Captain on their way out. Mr. Ismay was voicing his disappointment at the fact the Captain hadn't lit the last four boilers.

The Captain told him that he didn't see the need to as they were making excellent time. Mr. Ismay told him that the press already knew of Titanic's size and now he wanted them to marvel at her speed. He also wanted to ensure that her maiden voyage made headlines when they arrived in America.

The Captain voiced his concerns about pushing the engines until they had been properly run in. Mr. Ismay pretended to back down before continuing on about what a glorious end of the Captain's career would be if they made it to America before the estimated date. The Captain silently considered it which didn't go noticed by Mr. Ismay who knew he had just gotten his way.