Chronicle 27
The rhythmic scrape of steel against stone drifted across
Daral Lake.
It was the sort of morning that rarely made history.
A pair of children hurried along the lakeshore carrying
fishing nets almost as large as they were.
Priya disappeared beneath the hood of one of the community
trucks, emerging every few moments to wipe grease from her hands before diving
back into the engine.
Herman leaned against the side of the village bus with a mug
of tea, looking as though he'd only recently convinced himself to wake up.
Farther out, several members of the Order tended to the
livestock.
One triceratops stubbornly refused to move.
Its handler sighed.
"Come on..."
The dinosaur snorted.
"I know you're stronger than I am. You don't have to
keep proving it."
The animal answered with another indignant grunt.
Nearby, Azamat quietly slipped another loaf of bread beneath
his arm.
No one noticed.
He looked around.
Then reached for a second.
A shadow fell across him.
The Elder.
Azamat froze.
"...Good morning."
"How much bread do you require today?"
Azamat glanced at the two loaves already tucked under one
arm.
"...Two?"
The Elder raised an eyebrow.
"To feed the triceratops."
"The triceratops eats grass."
Azamat looked down.
"...It also likes bread."
"The triceratops will survive."
A reluctant sigh.
"Yes, Elder."
Azamat returned one loaf to the basket.
The Elder walked away.
Azamat waited until he was several paces gone.
Then quietly tore off a small piece from the remaining loaf
and slipped it to the triceratops anyway.
The dinosaur accepted it with unmistakable satisfaction.
"Traitor," Azamat muttered.
—
Away from the bustle of the village, beneath the shade of a
large tree, Zas sat cross-legged with his scythe resting across his knees.
Scrape.
He drew the whetstone slowly along the blade.
Scrape.
Every stroke deliberate.
Every angle carefully judged.
He paused, held the blade toward the morning light,
inspected the edge...
...then resumed.
Scrape.
He hardly noticed the messenger until boots stopped beside
him.
"Zasaramel?"
Zas looked up.
The messenger carried a leather satchel stamped with the
crest of Responsibility.
Several nearby Blue Shield members noticed it as well.
"A patrol already?" one of them wondered aloud.
"So soon?"
The messenger smiled politely.
"No."
He reached into the satchel.
"I have official correspondence."
He unfolded a sealed packet.
"Addressed jointly to Zasaramel, Rahim, Azamat, Ravi
and Semin."
That drew more attention than a patrol announcement would
have.
Zas accepted the envelope.
The wax seal bore the scales of Responsibility.
He broke it carefully.
His eyes moved silently across the first page.
Rahim wandered over first.
"What is it?"
Zas handed him the document.
Rahim skimmed it.
"...Responsibility."
Ravi and Semin joined them.
Azamat arrived last, still chewing the piece of bread he
absolutely had not intended to feed to the triceratops.
"What happened?"
Rahim looked up.
"We've been subpoenaed."
Azamat stopped chewing.
"...That's usually bad."
"It isn't necessarily."
Semin accepted the papers. So did the others with their
envelopes.
He read aloud.
"'The Court of Responsibility sitting in Ercolanum
hereby directs Zasaramel, Rahim, Azamat, Ravi and Semin to appear as witnesses
at the preliminary hearing in Responsibility versus Forman et al...'"
His eyes continued downward.
"'...said hearing to commence one week from the date of
service.'"
Ravi folded his arms.
"So it begins."
Semin nodded toward the final paragraph.
"They're giving us another option."
Rahim took the page back.
"'Witnesses unable to attend in person may contact the
Responsibility Office in Purushapura to make alternate arrangements for
testimony...'"
Silence settled over the five men.
The messenger inclined his head.
"Service is complete."
He hesitated only long enough to add,
"Should any of you wish to make alternate arrangements
for your testimony, the instructions are included with your subpoena. The
Responsibility Office in Purushapura will assist you."
Zas nodded.
"Thank you."
The messenger returned the nod.
"Safe travels."
"...and to you."
Without another word, the messenger continued through the
village, leaving the five men standing beneath the tree with their unopened- or
only partly read- letters.
Azamat was the first to speak.
"So..."
He swallowed.
"...which are we doing? Anyone thinking of testifying
from Purushapura?"
Ravi snorted.
"Not if I'm travelling halfway around the world
anyway."
"Agreed," Semin said. "If we're witnesses, we
should stand before the Court."
Rahim looked to Zas.
"What do you think?"
Zas folded the subpoena carefully.
"We arrested Forman."
No one interrupted.
"The Court deserves our testimony in person."
One by one, the others nodded.
"Ercolanum it is."
Satisfied with their decisions, for a while, none of the
five men spoke.
The sounds of the village gradually returned.
Children laughing.
The bus engine coughing to life.
A triceratops objecting loudly to something only it
understood.
Azamat stared at the subpoena.
"I've never been to Rome."
Ravi smirked.
"Neither have I."
Rahim folded the letter neatly.
"I suspect we'll see less sightseeing than Joanna
did."
That earned a quiet chuckle.
Zas looked once more at the seal of Responsibility before
carefully slipping the papers back into their envelope.
The war in Aetheria had ended.
Its reckoning, however, was only beginning.
Zas stepped into the communications room and closed the door
behind him.
Outside, the village carried on as though nothing had
happened.
Inside, he opened his phone.
Joanna answered before the second ring.
"Hey!"
"Hello."
She smiled immediately.
"You sound happy."
"I've received news."
"Good news?"
"I believe so."
"What happened?"
Zas glanced at the subpoena lying beside him.
"Responsibility has summoned us."
Her expression sharpened.
"What?"
"Rahim, Ravi, Semin, Azamat and myself."
"What for?"
"A preliminary hearing."
He held up the letter instinctively before remembering she
couldn't read it through the phone.
"The case against Forman."
For a brief second Joanna simply stared.
Then-
"Oh by Jove!"
Zas blinked.
"...Yes."
"No, Zas!"
She laughed.
"This is fantastic!"
"It is?"
"Of course it is!"
She leaned forward, practically bouncing in her chair.
"It means I get to put you in a suit."
Silence.
"...What?"
"A suit."
"I know what a suit is."
"Do you?"
"...Yes."
"You own one?"
"...No."
"There you go."
Zas frowned.
"I do not understand why this excites you."
Joanna grinned.
"Because, first of all, you are not walking into an
international courtroom wearing your Blue Shield robes."
"They're clean."
"I don't doubt that."
"They're respectable."
"They are."
"So?"
She laughed again.
"Sweetie, it's not about respect. It's about the
setting. Courtrooms have expectations. You don't have to pretend to be someone
you're not, but a suit tells everyone you understand where you are."
Zas considered that.
"I suppose."
"…and second..."
She rested her chin in her hand.
"...the only thing hotter than a hot, sexy mountain
man..."
He sighed.
"...Joanna..."
"...is a hot, sexy mountain man in a suit."
Zas closed his eyes.
"I had a feeling this conversation would become
embarrassing."
"It absolutely was going to."
"I see."
"I've been waiting months for an excuse."
"You have?"
"Oh, yes."
"You planned this?"
"I didn't plan the subpoena."
"...That is reassuring."
"I did plan on eventually getting you into a
suit."
He shook his head, unable to suppress a smile.
"You are an unusual woman."
"I've been told."
He looked back at the subpoena.
"There is one other matter."
"What?"
"Does this mean you are coming to Ercolanum?"
She answered without hesitation.
"Absolutely."
"You'll travel that far?"
"Why wouldn't I?"
"It is a considerable journey."
"So?"
She shrugged.
"We'll make a trip out of it."
"We?"
"The girls and me."
She smiled warmly.
"They'd love to see you."
"They would."
"…and..." she added, "I've never been to
Ercolanum."
"I have not either."
"Perfect."
She was already picturing it.
Court during the day.
Ancient Roman streets afterward.
Restaurants.
Museums.
Maybe a day by the water.
The more she thought about it, the more she loved the idea.
"I'll make it happen," she said confidently.
Zas smiled.
"I look forward to seeing you."
"So do I."
He noticed the certainty in her voice and felt some of her
excitement begin to rub off on him.
Perhaps the hearing would not merely be an obligation.
Perhaps it would be another opportunity for the family to
spend time together.
On the other side of the call, Joanna's smile remained
bright until the conversation drifted toward lighter subjects.
Only after they hung up did it fade.
She glanced toward the calendar hanging on her kitchen wall.
Then toward her phone again.
She hadn't spoken to Vince.
She didn't know what Combat Arts' touring schedule looked
like that week.
She didn't know whether asking for time off during an
international tour was realistic.
Her stomach tightened for a moment.
One thing at a time, she told herself.
She would ask.
…and until Vince gave her a reason to worry...
She wasn't going to.
Joanna stood outside Vince McGeady's office.
She adjusted her jacket.
Took a breath.
Then another.
She knocked.
"Come."
She opened the door.
Vince barely looked up from the stack of paperwork covering
his desk.
"Morning."
"Morning, Vince."
"Sit."
She did.
For a few seconds neither spoke.
Vince signed another page.
"So..."
He finally looked up.
"...what's going on?"
Joanna smiled.
"How've you been?"
Vince stared.
"...Fine."
"Busy?"
"I run the largest wrestling company in the
world."
"...Right."
Another pause.
"You've been sleeping okay?"
"Joanna."
She winced.
"Sorry."
"What do you need?"
She looked down at her hands.
"I..."
Her rehearsed speech evaporated.
"...I'd like to request some time off."
Vince leaned back.
"For what?"
"My boyfriend... Zas..."
"The Blue Shield guy."
She nodded.
"He received a subpoena from Responsibility."
Vince frowned in thought.
"...Responsibility..."
Recognition flickered.
"Wait."
He pointed at her.
"Is this that Aetheria trial everybody's been talking
about?"
"Yes."
"Huh."
He leaned farther back.
"What'd Zas do?"
"He arrested Forman."
Vince blinked.
"...He what?"
"He arrested Forman."
"The rebel leader?"
"Yes."
A slow whistle escaped Vince.
"Well..."
He scratched his chin.
"...didn't expect that answer."
Neither had Joanna.
"What happened to the king?"
"Havin?"
"Yeah."
"As I understand it..."
She hesitated.
"...he's dead."
Vince barked out a laugh.
"Good."
Joanna blinked.
"...Good?"
"You have no idea."
He shook his head.
"That idiot called me constantly."
"He... called you?"
"Oh, yeah."
"He wanted Combat Arts in Aetheris."
Joanna couldn't hide her surprise.
"What?"
"He kept acting like I owed him a show."
Vince rolled his eyes.
"'King McGeady, I command you to bring your wrestlers
to Aetheria.'"
He waved a dismissive hand.
"I kept thinking..."
He chuckled.
"...my car is worth more than his kingdom."
Joanna stared.
"Havin actually said that?"
"Repeatedly."
"I didn't know any of this."
"Most people didn't."
He shrugged.
"Never announced negotiations because there weren't
any."
He paused.
"Although..."
A mischievous grin appeared.
"...Aetheria did have one thing going for it."
Joanna already looked suspicious.
"What?"
"Elara."
He nodded appreciatively.
"Elara is hot."
Joanna slowly raised one eyebrow.
"...Vince."
He immediately lifted both hands.
"Right."
"My apologies."
He cleared his throat.
"Back to business."
Joanna couldn't help smiling.
"So."
"When does Zas have to be there?"
"He has to report to Ercolanum by next week."
"…and?"
"The preliminary hearing starts in three weeks."
She swallowed.
"I was hoping..."
"...to spend those three weeks there."
Silence.
Vince's expression became thoughtful.
"Hm."
He reached for a calendar.
His finger moved from city to city.
Then to another page.
Another.
Finally he sighed.
"...That's quick."
"I know."
"The Sweet Roses are drawing."
She nodded.
"The Total Babes are drawing."
"I know."
"Sugar Cane is drawing."
"I know."
"I can't just shuffle an international tour
overnight."
Joanna nodded again.
She had prepared herself for this.
She opened her mouth.
Tell him.
Tell him family comes first.
Tell him you're one of his biggest stars.
Tell him he needs you.
The words gathered...
...and dissolved.
Instead...
"...I..."
Her voice cracked.
She looked away.
"No..."
She laughed weakly at herself.
"I'm sorry."
She pressed her fingers against her eyes.
"I wasn't..."
A tear escaped anyway.
"...I wasn't going to cry."
She hated that she was.
She hated even more that she couldn't stop.
"I just..."
Another breath.
"...I haven't seen him in weeks."
Silence.
She couldn't bear to look up. The tears kept flowing. Her
crying got progressively louder.
Then she heard papers moving.
Vince stood.
Walked to the calendar.
Pulled it off the wall.
"Hm."
He stared at it.
"...Actually..."
He grabbed a marker.
"We've got another American swing here."
He frowned.
"...We've already been to half these cities."
He crossed several dates out.
"You know what?"
He looked back at Joanna.
"Combat Arts needs a Roman tour."
Joanna looked up, confused.
"What?"
"We've been talking about it for years."
He continued scribbling.
"This gives me an excuse."
He nodded to himself.
"I'll move some shows."
"...Really?"
"Yeah."
"You can go."
She blinked.
"...I can?"
"I'll make it work."
He capped the marker.
"Oh."
"…and accounting can release your performance bonus
early."
She stared.
"My..."
"Bonus."
"...Now?"
"Yeah."
She stood.
"Vince..."
"I..."
She wiped another tear away.
"I wasn't trying to manipulate you."
"I know."
"You really believe me?"
He looked almost offended.
"Joanna."
"I've been doing this for over thirty years."
"I know the difference."
He smiled.
"…and besides..."
"...you're not the first person who's cried in this
office."
She sniffled.
"...I'm not?"
He laughed.
"Last week Emmett Everett cried."
Joanna's eyes widened.
"Epic Emmett?"
"The very one."
She burst into laughter.
"No!"
"Oh, yes."
"He needed some money."
"So I gave it to him."
"No questions asked."
She shook her head, still laughing.
"I never would've guessed."
"Neither would the fans."
"He seems so..."
"Invincible?"
"Exactly."
Vince smiled.
"He's been killing it lately."
"He has," Joanna agreed.
"So I didn't hesitate."
The room grew quiet again.
Joanna stepped around the desk.
Before Vince could react...
...she hugged him.
He stiffened for a split second.
Then awkwardly patted her shoulder.
"There, there."
She laughed through the last of her tears.
"Thank you."
"Don't make me regret it."
"I won't."
"I expect pictures."
"Of Ercolanum?"
"No."
He smirked.
"I want to see if the suit fits the gimmick I have for
him."
Joanna rolled her eyes.
"Vince..."
"What?"
"You're impossible."
"I'm a promoter."
Vince then smiled widely.
The arrivals hall buzzed with travelers from every corner of
the Roman Empire.
Announcements echoed overhead in Latin, Greek and several
modern languages.
Beyond the glass walls, sunlight reflected brilliantly off
the waters of the Pillars of Hercules.
Passengers streamed through customs.
Joanna stood on her toes.
"There!"
Phoebe followed her gaze.
"I see them!"
The four Blue Shield warriors and Arel-Sin emerged from the
crowd carrying backpacks rather than suitcases.
Rahim noticed them first.
He smiled.
Then Azamat.
Then Ravi.
Zas looked up.
The moment his eyes met Joanna's...
...she was already moving.
"Zas!"
She darted through the waiting crowd.
He barely had time to shift his bag onto one shoulder before-
She threw herself into him.
"Oof!"
Her momentum carried both of them a step backward.
Then another.
Zas instinctively caught her around the waist before they
both laughed.
"I've got you."
"I know."
She tightened her arms around his neck anyway.
"I missed you."
"I missed you too."
Not far away, Phoebe had already reached Rahim.
He smiled warmly.
"You're taller."
"I am not."
"You are."
"I refuse to believe that."
Ravi chuckled.
"I believe Rahim is correct."
Azamat grinned.
"I told everyone she'd keep growing."
Phoebe laughed.
Armintie had less interest in arguing.
She simply hugged all four of them one after another.
"It's good to see you."
"You too," Ravi said.
"Did Cleveland survive you?"
"Barely."
Azamat nodded knowingly.
"That sounds right."
Meanwhile...
Joanna finally leaned back just enough to look at Zas.
"You actually came."
He smiled.
"You sound surprised."
"I'm just..."
She shook her head.
"...really happy."
"So am I."
She kissed him.
Softly at first.
Then again.
Longer.
Zas answered without hesitation.
The weeks apart quietly disappeared.
Another kiss.
Then another.
Joanna forgot there was an airport around them.
Zas...
Almost forgot.
A polite throat cleared nearby.
"Ahem."
Neither of them reacted.
A second, much louder throat-clear followed.
"AHEM."
Joanna finally opened one eye.
Azamat stood several feet away with his arms folded.
"I simply wished to confirm..."
He looked toward Rahim.
"...are we still in an airport?"
Rahim nodded thoughtfully.
"I believe so."
"I was beginning to wonder."
Joanna burst into laughter.
Zas smiled with the quiet embarrassment of a man who knew
exactly how much ammunition he'd just given his friends.
"I suppose..."
He cleared his own throat.
"...we should continue."
"Probably."
Joanna slipped her hand into his.
"…but I'm not letting go."
"I had assumed as much."
An hour later...
Rahim pointed toward a familiar sign.
"Raptor Nuggets."
Azamat looked at him.
"You just got off an airplane."
"Yes."
"…and?"
"I have been thinking about Raptor Nuggets since
Rome."
Ravi laughed.
"That is the most Rahim sentence I have ever
heard."
"No argument here," Joanna said.
"I'm starving."
The restaurant overlooked the waterfront.
By the time everyone carried trays back outside, the
afternoon sun had painted the sea a brilliant blue.
Then...
They all stopped.
The Bridge of Hercules dominated the horizon.
Its enormous towers rose from opposite shores before
disappearing into the distance, carrying highways and rail lines across the
narrow waters of the Pillars of Hercules.
Ships passed beneath it like toys.
Phoebe slowly turned in place.
"It's..."
She searched for the word.
"...huge."
Armintie nodded without taking her eyes off it.
Arel-Sin's curiosity got the better of him too.
"The Romans built this?"
Zas nodded.
"Yes."
"All of it?"
"Not at once."
He smiled.
"Empires build slowly."
"Each generation leaves something behind for the
next."
Joanna looked across the span.
"It's incredible."
"It feels..."
She searched for the word.
"...ancient and futuristic at the same time."
"That is Rome," Zas replied.
Joanna stood beside him.
"It still feels strange."
"What does?"
"Seeing something so modern..."
She looked from the sweeping bridge to the Roman eagle
flying from nearby government buildings.
"...and realizing it's still Rome."
Zas nodded.
"Our world has a habit of surprising us."
The breeze carried the scent of salt water across the
promenade.
Below, ferries crossed between the continents while trains
glided silently across the bridge overhead.
For a few quiet moments...
No one spoke.
They simply admired one of the great engineering wonders of
the Roman world.
The hotel suite was surprisingly spacious.
Azamat immediately claimed the bed nearest the window.
"I call this one."
"No one was contesting it," Ravi replied.
Semin laughed as he unpacked.
"We've been here thirty seconds."
"…and already I've won."
Rahim quietly placed his bag beside the remaining bed.
He had barely unzipped it before Azamat turned toward him.
"So."
Rahim looked up.
"So?"
"We're in Rome."
"We are."
"We're in a city with millions of people."
"Yes."
Azamat grinned.
"There has to be some Roman booty."
Semin groaned.
"You've been waiting to say that, haven't you?"
"Since the airplane."
Ravi laughed.
"I was wondering how long it'd take."
Azamat rubbed his hands together.
"I'm going exploring."
Semin zipped up his jacket.
"I'll come."
Ravi shrugged.
"Why not?"
All three looked toward Rahim.
"...Coming?"
Rahim smiled politely.
"No."
Azamat frowned.
"Why not?"
"I'd rather stay here."
"You've been on an airplane all day."
"Exactly."
"You should get out."
"I've already been out."
Semin tried next.
"We're only talking to people."
"I know."
"It'll be fun."
"I'm sure it will."
Azamat wasn't ready to surrender.
"What if we meet somebody?"
"I hope you do."
"...You don't?"
Rahim chuckled.
"I'll survive."
The three exchanged glances.
Eventually Azamat sighed.
"Suit yourself."
"We'll be back later."
"I know."
The door closed.
Silence settled over the room.
Rahim sat on the edge of the bed.
For a long moment...
...he simply looked at the closed door.
Maybe I should go.
He imagined himself walking through Ercolanum.
Meeting someone.
Starting another conversation.
Trying again.
His thoughts drifted elsewhere.
Vita.
He smiled despite himself.
She'd laughed with her whole body.
She'd always walked half a step too quickly.
She couldn't sing.
She insisted she could.
He'd never corrected her.
The relationship hadn't ended with shouting.
Or betrayal.
Or tragedy.
It had ended because...
...over time...
...she'd realized she loved someone else.
A man from another tribe.
Rahim remembered telling everyone afterward that it was for
the best.
"We weren't the right fit."
At the time...
He'd believed it.
Mostly.
Years had passed.
Sometimes he still wondered.
Not whether she should have stayed.
She'd made her choice.
She'd married.
She looked happy.
He genuinely hoped she was.
What lingered wasn't regret.
It was the quiet realization that...
...he had never found another connection quite like the one
they'd shared.
He sighed.
His eyes wandered toward the hotel door again.
Go.
Meet someone.
Stop thinking about a woman you'll never have back.
He stood.
Took one step.
Stopped.
"...Nah."
He reached for the television remote instead.
The television flickered to life.
Some Roman football match.
Rahim settled back against the pillows.
Maybe tomorrow he'd explore Ercolanum.
Maybe tomorrow he'd even let Azamat drag him somewhere.
Tonight...
He simply wasn't in the mood for Roman booty.
Meanwhile, with Zas and Joanna’s suite, the suite had
finally grown quiet.
Phoebe, Armintie and Arel-Sin had long since disappeared
into their room, while the lights of Ercolanum glittered beyond the balcony.
In another part of the hotel...
Azamat was enthusiastically pursuing his stated goal of
finding what he had repeatedly called "Roman booty."
In Zas' and Joanna's room, however...
Neither of them had any interest in Roman booty.
They'd spent weeks apart.
Neither had realized quite how much they'd missed the other
until they were finally together again.
The reunion had begun with laughter.
It had ended with the bedroom door firmly closed.
...
Some time later...
Joanna rested her head against Zas' shoulder beneath the
sheets.
"I missed you."
"I know."
"No."
She smiled sleepily.
"I mean...I really missed you."
"I noticed."
She laughed.
"I lost track of myself for a minute there."
"So did Armintie."
Joanna buried her face in the pillow.
"Oh, don't remind me."
"I don't think I've ever been so embarrassed."
Zas smiled.
"I believe she knocked first."
"She did."
"...I was just too busy to hear it."
They both laughed.
After a comfortable silence, Joanna nudged him.
"You pumped what seemed like an entire tanker inside of
me. I think you may have broken a personal record tonight."
"I was unaware we were keeping score."
"We absolutely are now."
He chuckled.
"Then perhaps I'll try to improve upon it later."
"I like that plan."
Outside, a ship's horn echoed faintly across the Pillars of
Hercules.
Joanna smiled to herself.
"I wonder what everyone else is doing."
"Azamat," she said, "is probably trying to
make good on his promise to secure Roman booty."
Zas sighed with affectionate resignation.
"I imagine he is."
"Think it'll work?"
"He is a good man."
"…but?"
"I'm not convinced booty jokes translate particularly
well."
Joanna laughed.
"Why?"
"The Romans have a long memory."
"They've spent centuries telling stories about
barbarian raids."
He smiled faintly.
"I suspect introducing oneself by talking about booty
may not create the desired first impression."
She laughed harder.
"Poor Azamat."
"He'll survive."
The laughter gradually faded.
Joanna traced a finger absent-mindedly across his chest.
Her thoughts drifted toward the other room.
Toward Phoebe.
Toward Armintie.
Toward Arel-Sin.
Then back to the man beside her.
"Zas?"
"Hm?"
"Can I ask you something?"
"Always."
She hesitated.
"...Do you want a baby with me?"
He was quiet for a moment.
Then, matter-of-factly, he said,
"We may already have started."
She burst into giggles.
"I walked right into that one."
"You did."
She gave him a playful shove.
"You know what I mean."
"I do."
This time, he didn't answer immediately.
He stared at the ceiling.
When he finally spoke, his voice was thoughtful.
"I've never really allowed myself to think about
it."
"Why not?"
"Because there were always more immediate
problems."
"The girls."
"Aetheria."
"The Order."
"Distance."
He exhaled slowly.
"…but..."
He turned to look at her.
"...the more I think about it..."
"...the more I think I'd like that."
Joanna's smile softened.
Then his expression became more serious.
"There is one problem."
She already knew.
"If we have a baby..."
"...we need to be together."
She nodded.
"I know."
They both sighed.
"I don't want to leave Daral Lake."
"I don't want to leave Cleveland."
Neither spoke.
It wasn't an argument.
It was simply the truth.
After a while Joanna reached for his hand.
"Maybe..."
She squeezed it gently.
"...it just means we haven't found the answer
yet."
He looked at her.
"You don't think we're at an impasse?"
"I think we're at a conversation."
She smiled.
"…and we've gotten pretty good at those."
The tension eased.
Joanna grinned mischievously.
"So..."
She tugged the blanket down just enough to reveal what gave
her that familiar playful smile.
"...I believe you mentioned improving your personal
record."
Zas laughed quietly.
"I believe I did."
The lights of Ercolanum shimmered beyond the window as the
conversation gave way to another quiet moment together, leaving tomorrow's
decisions for another day.
Vince McGeady walked into the conference room carrying a mug
of coffee.
The clock read 8:03.
Exactly how he liked it.
Already waiting were Joey Ace, Aiden McGeady, Triple X and
Cathy.
No one looked particularly cheerful.
That usually meant Vince was.
"Morning."
A chorus of half-awake greetings answered him.
Vince set his coffee down.
"I've made a decision."
Triple X leaned back.
"...Here we go."
"The Roman Empire."
Silence.
"We've ignored it for too long."
Joey frowned.
"What?"
"We're touring it."
Cathy blinked.
"...Eventually?"
"No."
Vince shook his head.
"As soon as possible."
He walked to the whiteboard.
"Our first stop should be Ercolanum."
He wrote it in large letters.
"Then Rome."
Another name.
"Athens."
"Carthage."
"Jovian's Gate."
"Timboctum."
He continued filling the board.
"Hispania."
"Italy."
"Britain."
"Hibernia."
"Gaul."
"The Balkans."
"Dacia."
"North Africa."
"The Sahara."
He stepped back.
"I want every corner of the Empire if we can manage it.
"
"I also want at least two PPVs in the Empire."
"Rome gets one."
He paused.
"The second one we'll figure out after we see the
numbers."
No one spoke.
Finally...
Aiden raised one hand.
"...Have you completely lost your mind?"
Vince considered the question.
"My doctor assures me I remain of sound mental
capacity."
Triple X pinched the bridge of his nose.
"This week?"
"If possible."
Joey laughed once.
"That's impossible."
"Nothing's impossible."
"No..."
Joey pointed at the schedule.
"This is."
"We've sold tickets."
"We've booked arenas."
"We've contracted freight."
"We've hired local crews."
"The wrestlers have lives."
Cathy nodded.
"We'd have to renegotiate television."
"Advertising."
"Hotels."
"Customs."
"Equipment."
"Catering."
She looked around the room.
"It'd be chaos."
Vince sipped his coffee.
"I know."
Triple X stared.
"You...know?"
"Of course."
"…and you still want us to do it."
"Yes."
Another long silence.
Finally Vince softened slightly.
"I'm flexible."
"It doesn't have to begin this week."
"If next week makes more sense..."
"...fine."
"…but I want the tour."
"…and I want it soon."
Joey sighed.
"How long?"
"Minimum two months."
Pens stopped writing.
"Minimum?"
"If it succeeds..."
Vince shrugged.
"...longer."
"You people complain every time we leave South America
for three weeks."
"I'm giving you two months."
Cathy looked as though she might faint.
Triple X quietly folded his arms.
"...This is about Joanna."
"No."
Four skeptical faces stared back at him.
"...It isn't."
Nobody believed him.
Triple X smiled.
"It is."
Vince sighed.
"...Not entirely."
"There it is."
He sat down.
"Joanna is the hottest act in the company."
Nobody argued.
"The Sweet Roses are on fire."
"The Total Babes are drawing."
"Sugar Cane is drawing."
He pointed around the room.
"Her contract expires in a few months."
"Legal still can't decide what they're offering."
He scowled.
"I swear those lawyers bill by the hour just to
think."
Aiden smirked.
"They do."
Vince ignored him.
"If we annoy her..."
He leaned back.
"...that walrus Paul Carney is going to sign her."
Triple X laughed.
"You've called him that for fifteen years."
"…and I've meant it every time."
The room chuckled.
Vince's expression became serious again.
"I'm not losing her."
Joey looked down at the calendar.
"What about SunnySlam?"
Vince immediately shook his head.
"No."
"Absolutely not."
He walked over and tapped the August date.
"SunnySlam stays in Vancouver."
"We already promised them."
"They're only getting it because we moved it a few
years ago."
"I'm not doing that to them again."
He paused.
"...Probably."
Four eyebrows rose simultaneously.
Vince sighed.
"If Rome waves enough money in front of me..."
He spread his hands.
"...I'd be an idiot not to listen."
Triple X laughed.
"There he is."
"…but."
Vince tapped the schedule again.
"We have enough time."
"We can build a proper Roman tour."
"Be back."
"…and still make Vancouver."
He looked around the table.
"I don't care how ugly the logistics are."
"I don't care how many phone calls you have to
make."
"I don't care how many headaches it gives you."
"I want a plan."
He smiled.
"When you've figured out how to make my impossible idea
possible..."
"...come back and tell me what it looks like."
The room remained silent.
Finally Joey stood.
"I liked my morning."
Cathy gathered her folders.
"I had plans."
Aiden sighed.
"I hate that I already have three ideas."
Triple X headed for the door.
"You know..."
He glanced back at Vince.
"...sometimes I wonder why I still work here."
Vince smiled over the rim of his coffee.
"Because you always figure it out."
Triple X opened the door.
"...Yeah."
He shook his head.
"...I really do."
The door closed behind the four lieutenants.
Vince looked once more at the map of the Roman Empire pinned
to the wall.
A slow grin spread across his face.
"About time."
He took another sip of coffee.
Then reached for the phone to start making problems for
someone else.
The suite was unusually quiet.
Sunlight poured through the curtains.
Breakfast had come and gone.
Or rather...
...it would have, if Zas had bothered to leave.
Instead he sat on the couch, staring intently at his phone.
"...Come on..."
A few more taps.
"No..."
The board exploded into defeat.
"...Oh, for—"
A distinctly un-warrior-like word escaped his mouth.
Silence.
Zas froze.
Across the room, Arel-Sin looked up from his book.
"...Really?"
Zas slowly lowered the phone.
"What?"
"You tell me not to use words like that."
"I do."
"You just did."
"...I did."
Arel-Sin folded his arms.
"So..."
He tilted his head.
"...do you get a free pass?"
Zas sighed.
"No."
"It..."
He rubbed the back of his neck.
"...slipped."
Arel-Sin nodded.
"So if it slips for me..."
"It still isn't acceptable."
"Convenient."
"It is."
Zas smiled sheepishly.
"I'm sorry."
Arel-Sin smiled back.
"I know."
Joanna wandered into the living area carrying a mug of
coffee.
"What slipped?"
"Your husband."
"I heard that."
"I know."
She glanced at the phone.
"Candy Crush?"
"Yes."
"You've been playing for almost forty minutes."
"I have."
"You haven't eaten."
"No."
She sat beside him.
"You've also lost the same level four times."
"...Five."
"I stand corrected."
She gently took the phone from his hands.
"You're not actually thinking about Candy Crush."
"No."
"You're thinking about Responsibility."
Zas was quiet.
Then...
"...Yes."
He leaned back into the couch.
"I know what to expect on patrol."
"I know what to expect in the mountains."
"I know what to expect when someone points a rifle at
me."
He shrugged.
"Those things make sense."
Joanna listened.
"The courtroom..."
He searched for the words.
"...doesn't."
"There are procedures."
"Rules."
"People speaking in ways I don't understand."
"I never know what happens next."
He laughed quietly.
"I find that...unsettling."
Joanna rested a hand on his.
"That's okay."
"It is?"
"Of course."
She smiled warmly.
"You're allowed to be nervous."
"You've walked into situations that would terrify
me."
"This one's my turn to help."
She squeezed his hand.
"…and remember..."
She pointed toward the bedrooms.
"You aren't here alone."
"You've got me."
"The kids."
"Rahim."
"Ravi."
"Semin."
"Azamat."
She smiled.
"…and today isn't even the hearing."
"It's just the meeting."
She laughed.
"You don't even get to the scary part yet."
Zas chuckled.
"When you say it like that..."
"It doesn't help?"
"Not especially."
She laughed.
A knock interrupted them.
Azamat's voice came through the door.
"Are you decent?"
Joanna answered immediately.
"Barely."
A beat.
"...Should I come back?"
"No."
She opened the door.
Azamat looked around.
"I have an announcement."
"What is it?"
"I'm hungry."
"So are we."
"Excellent."
He nodded decisively.
"Then breakfast."
The group made their way through the hotel lobby.
Azamat still looked offended.
"I don't understand."
"What?"
"The Roman booty."
Joanna immediately started laughing.
"It didn't work."
"No."
"I thought it was charming."
Ravi snorted.
"No, you didn't."
"I thought it was memorable."
"It was."
"Just not for the reasons you hoped."
Azamat looked at Zas.
"You weren't surprised."
"No."
"Why? The raids ended almost a thousand years
ago."
"They're still making films about them."
Azamat frowned.
"That's ridiculous."
Zas smiled.
"By that logic..."
"...the Romans shouldn't still celebrate Julius
Caesar."
"...or Alexander."
Azamat thought about it.
"...Huh."
A pause.
"...Fair."
Joanna grinned.
"I can't believe that's what convinced you."
"It was a very good point."
"I know."
As they reached the front desk, Joanna stopped.
"I'll catch up."
The others continued toward the restaurant.
Joanna smiled at the clerk.
"Good morning."
"Good morning, ma'am."
"I'd like to authorize a fifty sestertii room
charge."
The clerk nodded.
"For room service?"
"Room service."
"Movies."
"Whatever the kids decide."
She smiled.
"They're old enough to make reasonable decisions."
She paused.
"Mostly."
The clerk smiled.
"…and if they reach the limit?"
"Call me."
She wrote down her mobile number.
"Before you authorize anything else."
"Understood."
"I don't want them to feel trapped in the room while
we're gone."
"We'll take care of it."
"Thank you."
Joanna smiled.
Then hurried after the others.
Ahead of her, she could already hear Azamat attempting to
convince Rahim that "Roman booty" was still an excellent greeting.
Rahim's answer was immediate.
"No."
Joanna laughed.
Some things...
...never changed.