Blacklake-Book4-1 Three Cousins

Chapter 15
~

I grasped Thomas by the front of his shirt and lifted him away from the newly laid footer he was inspectin’, or something. Every shouted conversation, to be heard over the rotatin’ cement trucks, had to have stopped.

Daze ran, surprisin’ly briskly over the rough terrain to reach us. He was sposed to protect Thomas from others, not from me.

“Did ya really ask her out for a drink, in public, with hundreds of folk listenin’ in?”

Daze set his thirty pound paw on my shoulder, though he didn’t say anything. Yet. Or hurt me, yet.

Thomas’ eyes were almost as big as my clenched fists. He didn’t even stutter to try to answer me. Not havin’ a word to say was a new experience for the fool, I’m certain.

“Don’t hurt him, please,” Daze whispered. “He ain’t as bad as I thought the average human might be. And he looks mighty fragile.”

Around us, more machinery shut down, and loomin’ forms neared. Maybe I should have waited to do this in a less public setting. For no other reason, stoppin’ work cost the company a gazillion dollars every second.

Maybe I shook Thomas a bit. His arms and legs flowed back and forth some, like he’s a boneless ventriloquist’s doll.

“He didn’t know he was initiatin’ courtin’,” Daze whispered.

“I didn’t,” Thomas gargled. Maybe I was shuttin’ off his air intake, a little.

“We explained to ya clearly that folk aren’t big on ya flirtin’ with one of our ogre hens,” I hissed. “Right?”

“If ya kill him,” a soft voice murmured from the crowd around us, “no one will ever find his body in the foundation we’re pourin’.”

Kill him? Well, maybe I was almost that angry. I looked slowly around me. The faces were a mixed assembly. Maybe some eager to see me rip the human’s head off. Others with a bit of sympathy for the fool. Maybe Thomas makes friends quickly.

I know I wasn’t feelin’ a lot of sympathy. But I recognized being irate that the human I allowed to invite himself into my home was embarrassin’ the entire clan, may not entirely be his fault.

“Let him down,” Daze said softly. “Don’t want to make ya.”

I was aware enough of what was going on around us to note several constable vehicles had pulled up, with uniformed trolls runnin’ toward us. Had to be anticipation, via the rumor grinder, ’cause I’d only gotten here seconds ago. Had to be anticipation of the inevitable. If I was gonna rip the idjit’s head off, I better hurry. It only took the time to have that thought when a flurry of new troll faces surrounded me. I didn’t feel Thomas’ weight any longer either. Think a constable was liftin’ him so he could breathe.

“Ike,” the lieutenant said softly. “It’s over.”

Sigh. I released the human’s shirt, and two trolls hurried him away.

“Whew,” the lieutenant said. “Didn’t look forward to draggin’ ya in front of yar papa.”

Daze had his arm around me now, and was tellin’ the constable he’d take me back to the office. I didn’t hear any argument, so maybe I didn’t break a big enough Range infraction to be arrested. But Papa would have to treat me to council justice, prolly. Guess this could be considered disturbin’ the peace. Assault wouldn’t look good on my resume.

Daze walked me over the dozer-roughened ground in silence, until he asked me if I drove here. I shook my head. I’d been so irritated when the story hit the office, I figgered I could run here faster than I could drive.

We were almost to the building when Daze said, “We giants have some room to progress with our own prejudice.”

Our prejudice?

“Ignernt that we still treat our hens like property to be protected, especially since they make every important call there is to make in the Range, truth be mumbled aloud.”

“Property?” I hissed.

“Ya’re gonna argue with me?” He lead me left, toward the warehouse. Figgered. He had words to share with me he figgered shouldn’t be heard from folk that technically work for me. Wait. Daze works for me.

“Comin’ to work for Bliar’s youngest was quite the treat for me,” he said, droppin’ his arm from around my back. “Gave me the opportunity to leverage the direction of an enterprise I never had with yar grandpapa Klow. A little embarrassed for ya right this moment, though.”

“He did it in front of hundreds, in the Inn,” I hissed.

“Shut up, or I’ll rip yar tusks off and feed ’em to ya cross-ways.”

Have to admit that shook a bit of the last moments out of me. Meanin’, woke me up a bit. Only ’cause the troll could follow through with his threat. Not that I feared he would. Much.

“For an enlightened, college educated, future leader of the clan, ya didn’t put forward behavior hintin’ at role model wisdom.”

We trudged into his corner office, and he pretty much pushed me into his guest chair. He shut his door behind us, a bit loudly.

“Folk were already flappin’ their lips about seein’ Ezra just out hikin’ with the human,” I complained. Maybe I whined, a little. Excuses never sound very masculine.

“The human has a name,” Daze growled from his chair, across from me. “And what ya should have done was put a stop to the tongue waggin’ the moment it began. That ya didn’t, shows a true lack of enlightenment.”

“Enlightenment? I don’t even—”

“Maybe ya should shut up right now and turn yar brain on to listen-mode. Ya live in the past? Ya think giants are due their prejudice just because humans have always treated us like a lower species? Ya think all the old ignernt mores we giants followed for millennia should still be abided?”

I blinked several times, at the dryness irritatin’ my eyes. Or maybe to wake up a bit.

We let the quiet wash over us for a good five minutes. Don’t know when I last sat for five minutes without plinkin’ away at a keyboard. Daze had mostly only asked questions. He hadn’t smacked me over the head. But it felt as though he had. I was a little dizzy.

“Did I hurt him?” I finally asked.

“He’ll recover,” Daze said almost below the audible range. “I’m more worried about ya.”

“Me? Was I that idjiotic?” I asked.

“Much worse,” he said.

We sat quietly a couple more minutes. I spent the time listenin’ to the equipment that was back to work up the road. Maybe I should have spent the time reflecting upon my—behavior.

“Ya have any suggestions?” I asked.

“Best. Go talk to yar papa. Might have to repeat a bit of pain, but yar papa is the wisest folk who isn’t yar grandpapa. Think he can help ya get yar head around this.”

That’s funny. Papa had been irate Ezra put the clan in the current position to begin with. Not that it was her fault. She was just being kind to my guest. Hmm. That maybe ought to be more—fundamental—that it strike a note in my brain. Was that thought leadin’ me anywhere worthwhile?

In my defense. Thomas had made a courtin’ kind of compliment to Ezra. I’d, maybe felt—protective wasn’t the right word. Or was it? And it—overpowered how I’d viewed the broader—environment. I was definitely feelin’ a bit befuddled. Maybe I did need to speak to my papa.

~ Ezra ~

“Word is, Ike nearly killed your human beau,” the grinnin’ human server announced.

“He’s not my beau,” I growled, as Zarade said, “That didn’t take long.”

“They take him to the hospital?” Chanz asked. Vlas asked, “Was there a lot of blood?” I think Glaar was just growlin’ her particular version of a giggle.

“Must have been ugly to reach the Inn in ten minutes,” the girl said, evilly grinnin’ as she lined up her arm with plates.

“That was fast,” Zarade mumbled.

I pulled my phone out of my skirt and dialed the constable’s office. Maybe I should be callin’ the hospital. My favorite constable, who I spent a semester sittin’ by in high school, answered. He has a distinctive, melodic voice for a troll.

“No, Ike wasn’t arrested,” he said before I uttered a word.

“How’d ya know—”

“I’ve gotten fifteen calls already,” he said. “This Ezra?”

“Uh. Yeah. What about Thomas?”

“Didn’t need his head reattached. Word from the officers is he just got scared a bit. Humans do quake a bit when one of us shout in their face.”

I thanked him, and hung up. As usual, the Hamlet’s waggin’ tongues, which flap faster than the speed of lightening, had managed to inflate the mole hill. Big surprise. I dialed Ike. Might as well get the real skinny. After a couple rings my call went to voicemail, so I know he swiped the red X. The jerk.

The other hens had surrounded me, faces pink with maybe a little excitement. Tongue waggin’ is so maniacal in the Hamlet because nothing of note really ever happens here. Maybe we need some crime. A little infidelity. No. Maybe not.

All we get is the odd, lost hiker who can’t read a perfectly clear trail.

Zarade had hold of my elbow. I met her concerned gaze. I imagined her worryin’ Ike would already be in a van headed for the Wildes for incarceration. I announced it was a nothing burger. And each of the hens broke out in instantaneous cacklin’. Each with their own new, possible version of the event, as though they’d each been there.

My phone was still in my hand. Should use it. Maybe. Dialed the culprit that initially came to mind. Uncle Bliar answered without a hello.

“I’m in my car headed home. And no I don’t know more than ya do. I suggest ya take a breath. The world hasn’t come to catastrophe.”

“Uh. This is Ezra,” I said.

“Like I didn’t expect yar call,” he mumbled.

That mighta ticked me off a bit, if Bliar wasn’t my clan leader, council leader, and favorite uncle. “Understand he didn’t hurt him none.”

“Rumors flyin’ suggest he ripped his head half-off,” Uncle said.

I explained I got it directly from the desk sergeant. “So why are ya goin’ home in the middle of the day?”

“My experience is a youngling goes home when he’s done something really idjiotic. Or to a pub. But he’s already erred this week spendin’ time in one of those. Oh. Or maybe the gym. A couple hundred jump shots can burn a bit of emotional energy.”

“Ahh. And ya’re goin’ home to give him advice?” I asked.

“Don’t ahh me like I’m something precious. I’m considerin’ rippin’ his head off. The idjit. Ya don’t kill a fool in public. Ya find a quiet, secluded spot.”

That shoulda put a grin on my face. Bliar always talks rougher than he is. Well, what ogre doesn’t? But there was an edge in his voice. I told him not to do anything idjiotic.

He hung up on me. Yep. I checked my phone. He’d hung up on me. I told Zarade I had to go. Who knows if anyone even paid attention to me, the four of them were cacklin’ so loud. No more food might make it out of the kitchen the rest of the afternoon.

I hurried to take off my apron and headed out the side door, considerin’ if I should go home to get my truck, but decided the walk up the ravine to Ike’s place would be as direct.

I was walkin’ up the family’s drive as Ike pulled next to me. I heard the click of the doors unlockin’. I stood and just glared across at him for a moment, before gettin’ in. Didn’t know what to say to him. Everything about that silly human is gettin’ blown out of proportion. We ogres have some idjiotic ways. And humans are just idjiotic in general. Bad match.

Ike pulled forward the next hundred feet to the house, parked next to his papa’s SUV. His mama’s coup was sittin’ under the carport. As we got out, could hear clickin’ comin’ from each hood. They’d both rushed home, hearin’ what happened. My best guess.

“Stink,” I murmured.

“Yeah,” Ike agreed.

I asked him if I should leave him to face them alone. I didn’t say, so as not to embarrass him more. ’Cause he had to be embarrassed already. I mean, stink, I was embarrassed for him. This whole thing surrounded me like the smell of an outhouse. Not that there are any of those in the Hamlet anymore, that I know about. Maybe way up in the hollers. If I gave my shoulder a sniff, I’d prolly swoon from the odor nonetheless.

~