Pegasus and the Flame (8 page)

‘So if we can’t go after Paelen to get the bridle, what do we do?’ Joel asked.

Emily shrugged. ‘I guess we just keep Pegasus safe and warm until he heals.’

Joel nodded. ‘And to do that, he needs plenty of good food and care. Did you find any honey?’

Emily started to go through the bags she’d carried up from her kitchen. ‘I’ve got some honey, corn syrup, brown sugar and white sugar and more sweet cereal. But I still can’t believe a horse should be eating all this stuff.’

Pegasus protested loudly.

‘Sorry Pegs,’ she said. She looked at Joel with a half-smile. ‘He really hates being called a horse, doesn’t he?’

‘Wouldn’t you, if you were him?’ said Joel.

As Emily poured half the box of sweet cereal into a huge plastic bowl, Joel opened the can of corn syrup and poured it on top. He added several spoonfuls of brown sugar.

‘Yuck!’ Emily said as the stallion started to eat hungrily. ‘How can you do that, Pegs? After this, I don’t think I’ll ever eat that cereal again.’

After Pegasus was fed, Joel sat down to eat the sandwiches Emily had prepared for him.

‘What time do you need to get home?’ she asked. Checking her watch, it was just past six in the evening. The sun was still up, but had already crossed the city and would soon start to set.

‘I’m not going back,’ Joel said casually after taking a long drink of milk right from the carton.

‘Not going back?’ Emily said in alarm. ‘Won’t your parents worry?’

Joel looked away. ‘My parents are dead. I’m living in a foster home. The people there hardly ever notice me, so probably not.’ He tried to sound indifferent but Emily could hear the quiver in his tone fighting through the bravado. She wasn’t sure what to say, she had no clue about Joel’s past.

‘I didn’t know. Joel, I’m so sorr—’

‘It’s OK,’ he said almost too quickly. ‘It’s not like I’ve told anyone.’ He looked down, avoiding her gaze, and began to speak slowly. ‘Three years ago I was living with my family in Connecticut. We were going away for the weekend when a drunk driver lost control of his car and crashed into us. My parents and little brother were killed instantly. I was hurt too, but somehow I survived. Though every day since it happened, I wish I hadn’t.’

‘Oh, Joel,’ Emily said in a hushed voice. ‘It must have been terrible.’

Joel said nothing for a long time. Finally he looked at her. ‘I’ve been in foster-care ever since. But I hate it.’

Emily was too stunned to speak. She could never have imagined this. She knew what it was to suffer the unending grief of losing one parent, but she couldn’t imagine what it would be like to lose your entire family.

‘Isn’t there anyone in Italy you could go live with?’

‘No,’ Joel said sharply. ‘No one wanted me. So I’m stuck here.’ He lifted his chin in defiance. ‘But not for much longer. I’m planning to run away. I’ll find someplace where no one will be able to tell me where to go, what to do or anything ever again. I’ll finally be free!’

Joel stood up quickly and crossed to Pegasus. Emily watched the tension in his shoulders fade as he stroked the stallion’s face. ‘I’m going to stay here tonight,’ he said, his back to Emily. ‘I don’t like leaving Pegasus alone.’

Emily stood and put her hands on her hips. He may have had a tough life, but there was no need to insult her. ‘Gee, thanks, Joel, for the vote of confidence,’ she said suddenly riled. ‘But for your information, in case you hadn’t noticed, I’m here. So he’s not alone.’

‘You know what I mean,’ Joel said. ‘You’ve got to get back down to your apartment before your father goes to work tonight. I can stay here so Pegasus doesn’t get frightened.’

Emily was about to say something more, but the look in his eyes stopped her.

He was nothing like the angry person she met this morning on his front stoop. In his eyes she suddenly saw – need. Joel needed to stay with Pegasus.

‘All right,’ she said. ‘You can stay. There are some extra blankets and pillows I can bring up. But just so you know, I’m planning to stay up here too. Once my father goes to work, we can bring everything up. It’ll kind of be like camping.’

‘Without the marshmallows,’ Joel added.

‘I think we might have some of those,’ Emily said. ‘But if I know Pegasus, he’ll have them off me before I even open the bag!’

After the doctors finished hooking Paelen up to the equipment, they went over to their computers to check out the readings.

Paelen watched them curiously, but said nothing. Instead he concentrated on his surroundings. On the wall behind him, high above the bed, was a small ventilation grill. He could feel fresh air blowing gently down on him. He could also hear sounds coming from other rooms floating through the same grill. That meant that there was a system of tunnels up there which he could easily slip through. Tunnels were his speciality. There wasn’t one tunnel in all Olympus he couldn’t slip through, or find his way out of; including the great labyrinth of the Minotaur. Paelen knew that once he was free of the casts on his legs, he would be able to find his way to the surface.

Of course, there was also the issue of the handcuffs. But he’d seen the men in the overalls had keys to the locks. If he worked it out properly, he could easily get the keys away from them. Failing that, Paelen could always use his talent for stretching out his body; though he preferred not to.

As his mind worked on the problem, Paelen heard the same strange series of beeping sounds he’d heard before. Soon after the door to the room opened and two men entered.

One was middle-aged with salt-and-pepper hair. He was wearing a dark suit and had a grim expression on his face. The other man was much younger, with light blond hair cut short. Also wearing a dark suit, he looked equally unpleasant.

With their backs to Paelen, they started to whisper with the doctors. Paelen couldn’t help but smile. They had no idea that he could clearly hear them discussing the test results and what had been learned so far. Just like they didn’t know he could hear the other voices through the grill above him.

Once again, Paelen was reminded of how different he was to these humans. And even though the meaning of some of their words eluded him, he understood enough. They were discussing how extraordinary his brain patterns were. How he had superior muscle strength and density. How his bones were flexible and nothing like human bones, which partially explained how he survived the fall. They’d also found several organs they couldn’t identify. When asked, one of the doctors suggested that Paelen was no more than seventeen years old.

That comment nearly had Paelen in fits of laughter. He had to bite his own tongue to keep from laughing out loud. If they knew the truth of his age, he was certain they would never believe him. But then again, maybe they would. That could only make things much worse for him.

Finally the two new men sat down in chairs beside Paelen’s bed. The older man pulled out a small black device from his pocket and flicked a switch. He held it up to his lips and started speaking.

‘CRU report, C.49.21-J. First interview. Date: June 2nd. Time: nineteen hundred hours. Subject is male. His approximate age is seventeen. Medical tests reveal multiple injuries consistent with a lightning strike and fall from a great height.

‘Further tests reveal profound physical anomalies. The subject’s organs are not where they should be. We’ve identified several other organs whose function is as yet undetermined. These warrant further investigation. Subject has multiple broken bones which are healing at a remarkable rate. Blood work has revealed an unknown cross-type with unfamiliar properties. Subject is physically strong despite his small size and youthful outward appearance …’

Paelen watched the man speaking into the device. It sounded like he was describing some kind of monster and not him. The more he listened, the more he started to understand the degree of trouble he was in.

Finally the man finished and turned his attention to Paelen. ‘State your name for the record,’ he demanded, holding the device towards Paelen.

At first Paelen remained silent. But when the man repeated the question, he thought this would be a good time to start his own investigation. Breaking his silence, he replied. ‘Subject.’

‘That is not your name,’ the man said.

‘Perhaps not,’ Paelen agreed. ‘However, it is the name you have given me. One name is as good as any other, is it not?’

‘I didn’t call you Subject.’

‘Yes you did.’

‘I don’t think so,’ the older man said.

‘But you did,’ Paelen insisted, ‘Just now. You were speaking into that little black box and said, “Subject has multiple broken bones which are healing at a remarkable rate.” Then you said, “Subject is strong despite his small size and youthful outward appearance”.’ So if it pleases you to call me Subject, then that shall be my name. I am Subject.’

‘I don’t want to call you Subject,’ the man said, becoming irritated. ‘I just want to know how we address you before we start with our other questions.’

Paelen noticed this man was easily flustered. He was worse than Mercury. And Mercury was always the easiest of the Olympians to upset. Lines of frustration and anger already showed on his face. He lips were pressed tightly together and his brows were knitted in a deep frown.

Paelen decided to push the man a little further to test him. ‘You seem confused,’ he said. ‘If this happens so easily over the simple issue of my name, I am certain you would be far too challenged to understand the answers to any questions you might pose.’

The man shook his head in growing frustration. ‘I am not confused,’ he said angrily. ‘And I know your name isn’t Subject. Subject isn’t a name. It is what you are.’

‘And yet you still insist on calling me it.’ Paelen lay back against the pillows, enjoying the game. ‘I do not understand you. You are obviously a man of questionable intelligence. Please leave.’

The man’s face turned bright red. He took several deep breaths to calm himself. ‘Perhaps we’d better start again,’ he said. ‘Very simply, what is your name?’

‘You may call me Jupiter.’

‘What? Did you say Jupiter?’

‘Are you hard of hearing as well as ignorant?’ Paelen asked. He turned his attention to the younger man. ‘I believe it is time you took him away. He is obviously unwell and should be restrained.’

The older man stood up in a fury. ‘Why, you arrogant little—’

‘Calm down, Agent J.’ The younger man grasped the older man’s arm. ‘Sit down, and let me try.’

Paelen carefully studied the relationship between the two. The older man was obviously in command. However, he seemed to accept advice from the younger one, as he calmed somewhat.

The younger man directed his attention to Paelen. ‘In the hospital, you told the doctor your name was Paelen the Magnificent. Which is it? Jupiter or Paelen?’

‘If you insist,’ Paelen said, ‘I am Paelen the Magnificent. Now, release me.’

‘Or what?’ the older man challenged.

‘Or I shall bring the wrath of Olympus down upon you.’

‘The wrath of
Olympus
?’ he cried

‘Must you always repeat everything I say?’ Paelen asked. ‘It is really quite distracting.’

The older man’s hand shot out and gripped Paelen’s wrist. ‘I have had enough of your games, young man. They stop right now. We’re not letting you go. Not now, not ever. Now, you will tell us who you are, where you came from, and why you are here.’

The grip on Paelen’s wrist was tight, but certainly not enough to hurt him. Yet he could see that this was the man’s intention. ‘I will answer your questions only after you have answered some of mine,’ he said. ‘I demand to know where I am. Who are you? And why you are holding me?’

‘We ask the questions here, not you,’ the older man said as he tightened his grip further.

‘Then we have nothing further to discuss,’ Paelen answered, turning away from their prying eyes. ‘You may tell the others to bring ambrosia to me now.’

‘We will do no such thing,’ the younger man said. ‘Look kid, this isn’t funny. If you make my colleague much angrier, he’ll break your wrist.’

Paelen grew serious and sat up, ignoring the pain from his broken ribs. He looked at both men, then concentrated on the older one. ‘If you think you can hurt me with this baby grip of yours, you are sadly mistaken. I have faced down the wrath of the Minotaur and a Hydra. I have fought the Nirads and won. I am certainly not frightened of a human like you, or the empty threats you make.’

‘I assure you, my threats are not empty,’ the older man warned. ‘So don’t make me do something you’ll regret. Just tell us who you are and where you came from.’

Paelen didn’t like these men one bit. ‘If you insist, I am Mercury,’ he finally answered. ‘I came to your world for a visit but was wounded during a storm. When I recover, I shall return to Olympus.’

‘Still with the Greek myths?’ Agent J said darkly.

‘Mercury is from the Roman myths,’ the younger man corrected. ‘Hermes is the Greek.’

Paelen watched the older man flash the younger one a withering look. ‘Whatever!’

He turned back to Paelen. ‘That isn’t an answer. Tell me what I want to know.’

‘But I told you,’ Paelen insisted. ‘I am Mercury. You have my sandals. Surely you have seen their wings. Who else but the Messenger of Olympus would use such things?’

Agent J took in a deep breath and held it. When he let it out again, he squared his shoulders and sat back. ‘If you continue to refuse to answer, I promise you, we can make things very uncomfortable for you.’

‘Things already are uncomfortable for me,’ Paelen said. ‘But I am still telling you the truth. That you refuse to believe me is not my fault.’

Agent J looked at the younger man. ‘We’re not getting anywhere with him.’ He checked his watch, then spoke into the black device. ‘Time: nineteen hundred, twenty. End of interview.’

Angrily, he shut off his device and looked at Paelen. ‘Whether we call you Mercury, Jupiter, Paelen or Subject, it couldn’t matter less. What does matter is that you belong to me. Soon you will answer all my questions. Even if I have to rip the truth from your lips one word at a time.’

Paelen saw the threat rise in his eyes. This man meant every word he said.