“Sorry. I’ve never seen anything like it… um, her before.” I tried to hide the smile that automatically appeared when I realized that Samantha might have actually been jealous. “Wait. Did you call her a Zale? Like Zales, the jewelry store at the mall?”
“I have no idea what you are talking about and really do not care. Stay serious, Kevin.” The blush was gone, and I wondered if I had imagined it.
“There are only two rooms available, so we are going to have to bunk up.” With all of my attention directed toward Samantha, I hadn’t noticed Bry return to our group.
“We made it work on the boat, so we can do it again.” Naomi yawned, and it was contagious.
“It works for me.” I figured that no matter how tired I felt, I wouldn’t be sleeping well anyway.
***
After stashing our gear in the rooms, we headed back out onto the busy streets of Alak. The consensus was that the sooner I met some of the other leaders, the better. Evidently, the other leaders liked to hang out at a particular drinking establishment.
Homina’s Aqua looked like a hole-in-the-wall from the outside, and for once, looks were not deceiving. The long wooden bar was lined with stools, most of which were taken. The walls were littered with worn advertisements, some of which seemed ready to fall off onto the floor. About a dozen smaller tables dotted the room, several of which were pushed together to form one long table. I made sure not to stare at anyone for too long, and thankfully, the near darkness of the bar made it easier to hide my surprise at the different types of people sitting around.
I followed Bry over to the bar, and he ordered a round of drinks. I was grateful not to have to do it myself because nothing on tap sounded even vaguely familiar. It would have been just my luck to have ordered something putrid.
“Over here.” Naomi had grabbed her drink and taken a seat at the long table.
I looked around again as I headed to the table. As different as the clientele appeared, the bar wasn’t that different from a bar back home. Men and women sat close together, talking and laughing over their drinks. Some were flirting, and others appeared to be fighting. It was nice to see that some things were the same.
“So this is the Winthrop?” a man sputtered, as the rest of the group took seats at the table. He had the appearance of an ox with wide-spaced nostrils and thick, wrinkly skin. He had to weigh over four hundred pounds. Calling him intimidating would be an understatement.
“Yes. This is Kevin. He is the brother of the Essence.” Naomi barely even glanced in my direction as she introduced me, letting me know that I was on my own. Great.
“Well, Kevin, I’m Ollis. I speak for Kenset.”
I probably should have spent time learning about the different nations in the Pact. Maybe it would have helped my cause if I didn’t stare at people blankly when they told me where they were from.
“Nice to meet you, Ollis.” I extended my hand and wasn’t surprised by Ollis’s bone-breaking handshake.
“Are you ready for another drink, Kevin?” I couldn’t help but notice that Ollis’s attention was directed completely toward me, as he ignored everyone else.
It didn’t sound as though he were really asking a question, so I looked at my nearly full glass before taking the rest down in a single swallow. “Sure.”
Ollis signaled for a waiter, who quickly brought over two more drinks. Still tasting the bitterness from the last drink, I hoped it wasn’t the same stuff.
“Bottoms up.” Ollis slammed his drink before the waiter was halfway back to the bar.
Henry leaned over to whisper, “I think you are going to have to drink that one fast, too.”
He was right. Ollis seemed like the kind of guy who only took a man seriously if he could hold his drink. It was going to be a long night. I drank, barely registering the bitterness that time.
Ollis ordered another round of drinks, and I began to get worried. My first thought was that I was glad Coach Williams wasn’t there to see me. After the third drink, my head started spinning—whatever they were, the drinks were strong. However, the more I drank, the better it tasted.
Ollis’s sharp gaze intensified. “What do you think of Alak?” If he was drunk, he didn’t show it.
“It’s… uh, bigger than I expected.” I didn’t know what he wanted to hear.
“Is your home not this way? I had heard that your world was rather modern.”
“It is. It’s just that I assumed Alak would be more like Bellgard.”
Ollis laughed. “Not all of us like to live in the dark ages if we do not have to.”
“So the people of Energo choose to live that way?”
“Of course. Did you really think we lacked the technology?” Samantha spoke sharply, and I realized I had insulted her.
“Maybe?” My head started to feel foggy, and I couldn’t come up with a coherent response. Those were some serious drinks.
Several hours later, the table was littered with empty glasses, and Ollis was once again shaking my hand. “Kenset will give you our full support. Please give my regards to the Essence.” I watched in stunned silence as he got up from the table and walked to the door.
“Good job, Kevin.” Bry slipped into the seat Ollis had vacated. Looking around, I saw we were the only ones left in the bar. Somewhere after the third drink, I had quit noticing the crowd.
“I didn’t do nothing,” I muttered in unintelligible grunts. My thoughts were hard to organize.
“You showed Ollis that you could come to his table and that you would not back down; that was sufficient.” Samantha looked exhausted, but I ignored that and focused on the fact that she had complimented me. She no longer seemed angry about my insinuation that Energo was technologically backward.
Although it was difficult to stand, it felt good. I had gotten us another ally, and had impressed Samantha at the same time. Somehow, I knew that convincing the rest of the nations wasn’t going to be quite so easy.
Chapter Ten:
Calvin
I left the barracks and walked back to the castle, ignoring the drizzle of rain that hinted at a larger rainstorm to come. Nodding at the guards, I walked through the massive stone entryway. I found no humor in the realization that the structure that once represented such promise had become my prison. Since Charlotte left, everything about the castle seemed gray.
I listened to the deep echo of my boots on the stone floor, as I headed toward the library. Once there, I stopped and peered inside. Blake sat with another member of Emma’s Guard, Norman. Something about Norman had never set well with me. From the first time I met him, I questioned his loyalty to Energo.