The Iron Man [Serial]

At the Cabaret

Valentine invited us to join his table, gesturing to his left side. His companion slid along the banquet dressed in a striking and most non-compliant combination of dark cotton bloomers and exquisitely draped pale satin cap-sleeved blouse. "I don't believe you've met my ward, Hedone," Valentine said.

Alpha slid around the table to sit to Valentine's side. "We have a new recruit of our own," he said.

"Murphy and I have met," Hedone said, as Prim and Sina slid into their seats.

"In Berlin," Murphy said. He leaned down to kiss Hedone's cheek. "It is good to see you." Murphy sat beside Sina on the banquet. "This is Alpha, and Prim; my cousin, Sina; and Jade."

I extended my hand to Hedone, who looked from my hand to face and back before shaking. "J.D. Stocking. You may call me Jade."

"How do you do?" Hedone replied.

I took the last seat, opposite Hedone. "I'm well. Are you from the Republic?"

"Deutsches Republik? No. From Bosnia. I met Erik when the Greek Navy was in the Adriatic, ferrying refugees from the Balkans." Hedone smiled softly at Valentine.

"Hedone had lost xer family and we've recently made the adoption official," Valentine said. It took me a moment to catch that the shift in pronoun may have been intentional and not merely accent.

"So, we're both Cypriots now," Hedone said, "But I loved Berlin."  They had seemed a similar pair, but I could see now Valentine's brassy blond hair had dark roots and might be product of bleaching, while Hedone's hair-- also shoulder length --was thoroughly white-blond.

"You can see some of the creative types are moving south," Valentine said, tipping his head to the stage where the guitarist  took up his instrument.

Alpha glared at Valentine. Maybe it was 'creative types', maybe there was an older rivalry between them. I did not know. "You adopted?"

Valentine grinned at Alpha. He put an arm-- seemingly unwanted --over Alpha's shoulders. His purple silk jacket clashed brilliantly with the leopard skin. "Family is not something only children may have. Why not? You're old Emperors did it all the time. Besides, it's not like I have a title to cause any difficulty. Cyprus is a republic."

Alpha shrugged to be rid of Valentine's arm. "I would not say they are my Emperors. And most peerage titles do not pass to adopted children."

"The unfortunate result being pressure to produce legitimate heirs."

Alpha rolled his eyes. "Probably helped with immigration."

"It did," Hedone broke in, "and I am grateful. But we are family."

"I apologize," Alpha said; he looked toward me. "I understand-- I understand that I can't really know what it's like to lose family. Until now, I wasn't able to imagine Valentine as a father figure."

"My mother is an adopted child," Murphy said. This was curious, for he did not often seem to talk about his personal life without being asked. "She came to our family from the Negev.  Sina's father had a camp between The Brook and Port Said. He offered hospitality to refugees and took my mother as his daughter."

"You hadn't told me," Hedone said.

"No," Murphy agreed, "I mention it because I cannot speak to that loss, but I can repeat her words. She does not think of it as replacing those she lost, but as finding new members of a larger family she didn't know she had."

I think I nodded.

"Maybe the boy needs a drink," Valentine said.

"Would you like a drink, Jade?" Hedone asked.

It occurred to me that they might mean strong drink, and I looked over to Alpha.

"If you want," Alpha said.

I nodded.

"Come with me," Hedone invited.

Murphy leaned in to whisper to me as I swung my limbs from under the table, "You can trust xem. Hedone."

Hedone took my arm as we walked through the dining room to the bar, taller than me in low-heeled boots. The cabaret singer was between songs, making some darkly humorous joke about explaining to gendarmes he had a funeral to go to.

Hedone and I took seats at the bar. "My friend would like to try the limoncello," xe said.

My gaze wandered to the stage where the singer in stage make-up began another song. The bartender soon set a small ceramic cup before me. It was cool to the touch and full of yellow liquid. Hedone encouraged me with a smile and a nod, and I drank.

"It's like lemonade."

"With a kick." Hedone laughed.

"Warm."

Hedone spoke to the bartender. "I'll have one, as well, and just one more for my friend." When the bartender moved, Hedone asked, "you want to talk?"

"I don't want to draw attention to my own worry."

"I'm willing to listen."

Another cup was placed before me, and one for Hedone. I gave a nod, then drank. I couldn't taste the alcohol, but I supposed I wouldn't if it were pure; I tasted only sugar and lemon. "My mother. She's missing, or gone. And I try to not think about it, except--"

"We talked about losing families?"

I met Hedone's gaze. "I'd realized my mother was the only person I had talked to about certain things."

"You don't talk to Murphy?" Hedone downed xer drink.

"Don't have to, exactly."

"Well, if you want to ask me--"

"I'll say it wrong."

"I won't hold it against you."

I took a deep breath and watched that the bartender didn't listen closely, "I'm not sure I can tell the difference between someone who is third sex and one who is--" I sought for an appropriate word. "I mean, you are not woman-hearted...?"

"That's why we get to know each other and ask." Hedone smiled, "I would say I am 'intermediate' in both body and spirit, which makes me neither him nor her. For now, I do not wish to change. Do you think you are 'woman-hearted'?"

"No." I shook my head, "I was called that once. Maybe it wasn't meant in offense. I'm rather...domestic. And, I don't mind a bit of frippery. But, that doesn't make me a woman."

"No. It doesn't."

"I'm just a man who goes for other fellows."

Hedone smiled at me.

------------------

National Coming Out Day was yesterday, and the normal update day is tomorrow. So, let's say I post today and let this chapter count for both.

Also, I had a difficult time choosing which Voltaire video to attach as media. I probably spent as much time watching Voltaire on Youtube as writing this chapter. Some other good songs are Death, Death, Raised by Bats, Straightrazor Cabaret, and his cover of Science Fiction Double Feature from Rocky Horror Picture Show.