The Saffron Malformation (69 page)

             
Ryla leaned toward Rain and asked quietly, “This is sarcasm?”

             
“Just playing around,” Rain replied so only Ryla could hear.  Then she turned back to her bother and said, “I think someone’s trying to show off for a pretty girl.  You gunna take her to the pool and- Ou!” She jerked in her chair then yelled, “You kicked me!” she stared at him, features overtaken with surprise.  “I can’t believe you kicked me.”

             
“It was just a tap,” he protested.

             
“Another and I’ll tap your head,” she warned, playfully.

             
He looked around and said, “That’s funny… I don’t see any ladders around.” 

             
She was stunned for a moment then started to chuckle as a round of laughter roared across the table.  Reggie had to cover his mouth with a napkin to keep from spitting food.  Quey leaned back in his chair, watching the two of them, eyes bouncing from one to the other like he was watching a tennis match.  Rachel watched Rain with wide eyes, she couldn’t wait to see what would come next.

             
“Oh, okay.  I see how it is.  You know one day you’re going to regret being so mean to me.  When I’m all old and feeble and sad because this is the only memory I have of you you’re going to regret it.”

             
“What’s that?  I’m sorry, I fell asleep while you were going on.”

             
The table laughed again.

             
Rain gave him the stink eye and said, “You do realize I still have all the pictures saved on my sheet.”

             
His smile faded.

             
“Maybe I’ll just go get that,” she feigned getting up.

             
“You’re not nice,” Leone told her.

             
“And nobody likes you,” she replied as she fell back onto her seat.

             
There was a moment where they looked at each other, trying to hold back from laughing.  Finally Quey said, “Alright children, play nice,” he said to Leone, “No more jokes about how Rain here needs a stool to reach the top of her own head.”

             
“Hey,” she said, shifting her focus to him.

             
“And you, don’t embarrass the kid, he’s doing well enough in that on his own.”

             
They laughed.

             
“Awe let ‘em go,” Reggie chimed in.  “Longer they go on like this, the more I can sneak onto my plate.”

             
There was another laugh as the big man took some more potatoes.

             
Wine flowed as they ate slowly until stuffed.  When Leone held his glass up for Botler to fill a third time Rain said, “You’re getting pretty deep in that glass.”  He met her gaze for a long moment.  “I’m not telling you to stop,” she said, holding up her hands, “just don’t get sloppy on me.  Spent enough years cleaning up your puke already.”

             
Leone lowered his glass, still empty, to the table and drank some water instead.

             
When Botler came around to ask if they would like a dessert a groan passed around the table.  Reggie patted his belly and said he might actually die if he ate anything more.

             
With their bellies full the conversation picked up and slowly led them to drift.  Quey and Reggie started a banter that ended in them heading off to settle their billiard dispute.  Leone and Amber said they were heading back up to the third floor, they wanted to play some games or watch something on the holoscreen.  Ryla said she wanted to go check on the simulation and start the next cycle and Rachel said she’d go with.

             
“Alright but no lingering,” Rain said.  “Tonight we have fun, together.”

             
“Okay,” Rachel promised and the two started off.

             
“Hey Ryla,” Rain called and Ryla turned, spinning to face her without missing a step, her skirt flaring out around her legs as she spun.  “You too,” Rain added as Ryla continued walking backwards.  Ryla nodded once, spun again and continued toward the elevators.

             
Rain took a sip of wine, “Think that went well?” she asked Arnie.

             
He caressed her back and said, “Indeed I do my love.”  Then he kissed her on the temple and she smiled and threw her arms around him.

             
“Thank you for helping,” she said.

             
He chuckled and thought, ‘As if there was an option.’  Instead he simply said, “You’re welcome.”

             
From the other side of the first floor Reggie laughed heartily and Quey shouted, “Son of a bitch.”

             
Rain grabbed Arnie's hand and led him to the game room where the two men stood on opposite sides of the pool table.

             
“Fine,” Quey continued as Reggie laughed.  “Take the last of a man’s favorite shine, be that guy.”

             
“Don’t worry brother,” the big man assured him, “I’ll let you have a sip.”

             
“Is that the pumpkin?” Rain asked.

             
“None other,” Reggie replied.

             
“Awe, sad,” Rain pouted.

             
“Don’t worry darlin,” Reggie told her, “I’ll share.”

             
Rain smiled brightly, “Happy.”

             
“Another?” Reggie asked with a grin.

             
“No way,” Quey replied.  “I’m done with this broke ass table.  Must be warped or cursed or something.”

             
They laughed at him.  “There’s something wrong all right,” Natalie said.  “I think the user chip is lousy.”

             
He looked at her, head cocked slightly as another round of laughter filled the room.  “Right,” he said.  “Poke your fun, how about you play then miss stand there and watch.”

             
He held the cue out to her and she took it.  “Fine I will.”  She went to the table and sunk the two balls Quey had left on the table with a single ricochet shot and said, with a sly smirk, “Table seems fine to me.”

             
Quey nodded, defeat tightening his face, and bowed slightly.

             
Rain looked at him and asked, “Just how is it you spent your entire youth surviving on hustles and cons and never learned to shoot pool?”

             
He looked at her, trying to pretend he was mad but instead he laughed.

             
“Because Dusty was the shark,” Reggie said.

             
“Sure was,” Quey agreed.

             
“Yeah,” Arnie chimed in.  “That man couldn’t be beat at billiards or darts.”

             
Natalie turned to Reggie and said, “What do you say we play for one of those bottles?”

             
Reggie threw up his hands, “I just saw you shoot.  How about I just give you one and we play for fun.”

             
There was a murmur of laughter and Natalie said, “Wrackem.”

             
After a time Rachel returned alone, she saw Rain looking at her and assured her that Ryla was just starting another simulation cycle and would be back shortly. “Come on you two,” Rachel said to Rain and Arnie, “Lets play teams.”

             
Rain told Arnie to, “Go on.”

             
They tried to insist she join them but she said, “I will in a bit, besides you can’t play with five.”

             
They knew she was right so they let it go and Reggie and Rachel teamed up to take on Natalie and Arnie.  Truth was Rain was ready to go look for Ryla as soon as she was done with her glass, but before she could finish it she saw her coming around the stairs.  She watched as her feet moved with the music playing softly over the speakers, it almost looked like she was tap-dancing or doing one of those old Irish jigs.  Then she spun on her toes and lifted a leg high in the air in a smooth motion, as if it weighed nothing.  Rain smiled at Ryla beginning to enjoy the company of others.

             
Her foot found the ground again and she began to walk, lightly and in time with the music.

             
Botler came by and offered Rain more wine.  She smiled at him and held up her glass then moved it slightly when he raised the bottle to pour.  He readjusted and she moved again and laughed as he stared at her.  “I’m sorry,” she said.  “I was just playing.”

             
“Verrrry good, Madame,” he said.  Then he made a noise that must have been meant to be a laugh, though it was just him barking “hahaha,” in his strange accent.

             
Rain let him fill her glass and said, “Thank you very much kind sir,” before giving a curtsey.

             
“Most welcome,” he replied and started away.

             
Quey stepped over to Rain and said, “Got a mighty fine way with them.”

             
Rain peered over at him.  “The robots you mean.”  He nodded and she said, “Eh, its nothing.  Probably comes from having too many stuffed animals as friends when I was a kid.”

             
“Naw, it’s something else I think.  Something Ryla sees.  Its good though.”  Rain looked at him as he looked down into his glass and took a long self-conscious sip of wine.  “I’m glad you’re here.  I like to think I’m her friend, maybe I am, near enough, but you… you’re the real deal.”

             
Rain smiled at him, “You are too, and you could be.”

             
He shook his head, “She doesn’t trust me… any of us,” he corrected.  “Just you.”

             
A silent moment passed and finally Rain said, “I think it’s that you all have a question at the front of your mind.”

             
Quey looked at her.  “And you don’t?”

             
She shrugged.  “Sure, I might have been curious but…” she thought for a moment and finished, “I just don’t care about the answer.”

             
“Neither do I,” he replied.  Then conceded, “Not really.”

             
“You’re telling me no part of you doesn’t want to know right now?  That you don’t want to ask, even as we stand here discussing it?”

             
He looked down, too ashamed to answer.

             
“For fuck sake Quey she accidentally built a psychopath that wants to murder her because she missed you.”  Quey looked over at Ryla, standing outside the group, watching.  “She thinks the only reason you want to touch her is because you’re trying to figure out whether or not she’s a robot.”  His eyes snapped to her.  She saw sadness deep in them and assured him, “Yeah, that’s right.”

             
Rain laid a hand on his arm and nudged him, “I know you like her.”

             
“I’m intrigued,” he replied and took a drink.

             
“Oh, drop the shit,” she chided him.  “You think she’s pretty.  And gentle and sweet.”

             
“Talented,” he said softly.  “I like the way she moves as if her whole life is a dance,” he admitted.  “You ever see it?”  Rain nodded with a smile.  “Like wind through fallen leaves.”

             
Smiling Rain agreed, “She is graceful.  But for some reason you think if she’s a robot all that’ll change.”  Quey stood still and silent in his shame.  “You ever think that’s why she doesn’t want you to know?  That she doesn’t want you to stop looking at her like that, or base if its okay to look at her that way or not on what that knowledge reveals.  You know who she is,” Rain told him and he looked at her.  “What’s it matter what she is?”

             
“That’s not the whole of it.  I have a fondness for her, sure,” he trailed off.

             
“But what?” Rain asked.  “It hasn’t worked with anyone else so you figure what’s the point?

             
Quey stood contemplative as the game of billiards ended.  Rain was right.  Of course she was.  He found that fact pleasantly annoying.

             
Natalie and Arnie threw up their arms in victory and highfived with both hands as Reggie and Rachel groaned.  “No fair her playing anymore,” Reggie said pointing at Natalie.  “She’s a damn shark.”

             
“Alright big man,” Quey announced.  “Then pick a teammate cause I mean to get my shine back one way or another.”

             
“What’s that?” he asked, cupping his hand to his ear, “You mean to lose you’re whole stock to me tonight?”