Unanswered Prayers-Book 6 Of The Mad Mad World Series

Chapter 4

Don't get me wrong, I love Richard like a brother but on days like this when he's being the bastard to end all bastards, I could gladly stick his head in the toilet and flush till he quits wiggling. I don't know what was up his ass that day, but he was driving all of us insane, slowly, and I could see that Till was getting there the quickest. Everything, from the weather on up was a cause for him to start bitching to high heaven, the most recent event his tech being a moment late for him to switch guitars between songs. Richard snapped at the poor guy, who shot me a stunned look, and snatched the guitar from his hands with not even a "thanks." Which was very unlike Richard; on his worst days he was always, always polite to the crew. Even when he was coked out of his head and snarling at the rest of us, he was nice to them. Sliding my guitar around to my back, I went over to Richard and said softly, "What in the name of God is going on with you Reesh? If my kids acted as bratty as you are right now I'd paddle their behinds and stick them in a corner."

"Oh fuck off, Paul!" Richard growled at me. "Nothing's going on, I'm just not in the mood right now and people are pissing me off."

"Piss you off? What the...Reesh, you've been ripping holes in your tech ever since we got started this morning. You snapped at Ollie for no reason over breakfast, you've been picking at Till for stupid stuff, I don't know what you said to Flake that he's glaring daggers at your back, and you've got me and Schneider about ready to beat some sense into you!"

Richard turned to me, indigo grey-blue eyes boring a hole in me. He backed me into the drum riser, hissing and looming over me like grim death, "Try it, pipsqueak, just lay one hand on me and I'll wallop you clear into your next birthday!"

"Hey!" Schneider yelled, leaning over his drum kit. "Cut it out, Richard! One more word out of you and I'm coming down there and walloping you into your next birthday!"

Oh, that did it. Pulling his guitar over his head, Richard shoved it under Flake's keyboard rack for safekeeping and hauled himself up to Schneider's level. He was halfway out from behind his drums when suddenly Ollie was behind him, holding him back, while Flake grabbed Richard around the waist and swung him off to the side. Schneider and Richard were screaming at the top of their lungs, going from German, to English and back again, filling the air with obscenities and threats. Ollie was having a hard time keeping Schneider from breaking free and Richard was trying to duck around Flake to get to him.

"You fucking stuck up shit!" Richard yelled at Schneider. "Keep your goddam pointy fucking nose out of this! This is between me and Paul and nobody else!"

"Fuck you, Kruspe! You've done nothing since lunchtime but pick, pick, pick on everyone and I'd tired of your mouth!" Schneider screamed back. "Ollie, please let me go so I can smack the shit out of that prissy princess!"

"Oh no you don't," Ollie replied. "Now stop wiggling, Christoph, and stand still. You two will kill one another if I let you near him."

"Let 'em go at it, maybe it'll teach Richard a lesson!" I said, partially amused by the sight of Richard trying to get at Schneider and vice versa. I knew from long experience, however, that both of them could do a lot of damage to the other and considering what we were now, might just be strong enough to kill each other. Which we couldn't have, but I was so tired of Richard being an asshole I probably wouldn't have cared otherwise.

The argument got louder and louder, our voices ringing off the walls and ceiling of the concert hall until all of the road crew was standing around staring at us. It was a second from reaching its peak as well as Richard and Schneider getting free of Ollie and Flake when Till stood up from his seat just offstage, took a long look at what was going on, and stuck his fingers in his mouth. I knew what was coming and shoved my fingers in my ears, not wanting to lose any more of my hearing than I already had. Till let loose a piercing whistle that could have shattered glass, causing everyone within earshot to stop what they were doing to plug their ears up. He did it again just to make sure he'd been heard, and shouted, "All of you, shut up! I don't care who started it, I don't care why, but that's enough!"