Makarovia! Yes, I Know Where That is! Sophomore Year - 76. Homeward Bound: Part Three

Homeward Bound

Part Three

It wasn't long after that we heard a bell. I swear I never heard it before. Not here. It had the same metal clanging sound of boats I often heard on boats docked in a marina.

“What the Hell was that!?” I looked, but you didn't expect me to see a bell. The people in the audio departments can be proud of themselves. That ring was so real.

Mercea rose instantly, "Yea! We're through the canal!" He started to hurry down the hall but stopped. "Thank you for the advice." Then he returned to his smile on. "I wonder what Henri's making for lunch." He rubbed his middle that gurgled. "I'm starved!"

“Wait!” Peter said to him. “They did that last time? I don't remember hearing it then.”

Mercea shrugged and pointed at the surrounding walls. “No windows here. The personal quarters won't hear the bell,” he chuckled, “Earl told me he could program it to sound like Big Ben! You will swear you're in London!” He raced out of the library.

Peter got up as I came over, “What do you think?” He put his arm around me as we walked down.

I grinned, “You mean about Mercea and Mikell?”

Peter shook his head, but smiled even bigger, “Obviously.”

"When you ask an open-ended question," I said, "You give the person you asked the freedom to add whatever they want. I could interpret that question is about Dow Jones Futures or how the Forty-niners stand this upcoming season.”

“You don't care about football."

“What would interest me in a sport where start and stop so often?” I pointed at him. “I love Hockey. Nonstop action until they score or time runs out for each quarter.”

Peter grinned at me, “We've got to strengthen those ankles.”

I stopped in the hall and pointed at Peter, “You take scuba diving and I will do what I need to learn to skate.” I held my right out to shake his, “Is that agreeable?” Peter's smile got a little more sexual, but took my hand and shook it. “I know your preference when it comes to greetings. Hugs are so much more personal than that. However, a kiss is even more personal.” He pulled me close, “There is one even closer!!”

I smiled at that and held my hand up, “Before you whip anything out,” My face only maybe an inch away, “Which I won't mind seeing; everybody knows what's next.” I paused and thought. “Wait,” I frowned. “How did we get from Mikell and Mercea, to agreeing to try a new sport, to sex?”

Peter closed the distance and kissed me, “That wasn't hard. Sex is kinda like a sport. We're both guys.” He shrugged. “What was it? Every eight minutes we think of sex?”

“More if you're in the same room with me,” I grinned again. “It's actually about every twenty seconds. That's the medial number with the extreme on the opposite edges of the scale.” I said moving my hands from left to the right. “Some are more and some are less.” I bounced once, “In fact, Dr. Alfred Kinsey and two other brainiacs came up with those stats,” I nodded, “Just as he did with the scale!”

Peter chuckled, “He was one of those who thought about it most often.”

“Yes,” I pulled him against myself hard and said, “and we're doing it again!” I blew a breath of air, “What do I think about Mercea and Mikell? I say it will be great. There are times I see Mikell look at Mercea with a look of compassion.” I raised that finger again, “You see he's more protective of Mercea than the other agents.”

Peter shrugged, “I just assumed he was training Mercea.”

“Have you seen Mikell train others?”

“No,” Peter said.

“I don't know Mikell's history,” I said, “But first,” I kissed him gently. “I'm not taking a risk. I love you, Peter.”

Peter hugged me and kissed me again, “Yes, you do. I love you.”

“Yes, you do,” I grinned.

“Do you think Mikell's overprotective?” Peter asked.

I pressed a finger on his chest, “Stop it!”

Peter's eyes widened, “Stop what?”

I tapped out each syllable of the next sentence, “Just 'cause a different rabbit does a dash out of the hole doesn't mean you have to run after it!"

Peter laughed and now tapped on my chest, “That was a Southern Proverb!”

“Mikell and Mercea; fine,” I held one finger up. “We both try a new sport,” I held up another finger, “Mikell isn't so overprotective Mercea that Mercea can't do the job.” I pointed at nothing, but said, “Here’s another rabbit. Makarovia doesn't have rules about people becoming involved with people they work with? These agents are in the Makarovian, right?”

Peter laughed again, “Our numbers were sometimes difficult to get together. If you found love with someone; why waste it? But you still love Makarovia more?” Peter asked.

I nodded, "I do! And here's why. As liberal as Greece is it still doesn't allow same-sex marriage." I shook my head, “They lead the way granting equal rights and adopting children. They can serve openly in the military and police, but that...one,” I held my thumb and forefinger close together but didn't touch each other, “...little...teeny, tiny hurdle they just can't seem to get past.”

“Why?” Peter blurted.

“I don't know!” I said just as loud, “A majority population has no objection! They have Civil Unions. Semantics! I said it before,” I said in English, “if it ain't broke...”

Peter nodded and finished with me, "...don't fix it.”

“But it is broken!” I insisted. “Being homosexual is not a phase! A young man is given the honor of attention by an older, wealthy man, married or not, may not just move on.” I was getting worked up. “Did you know that in many Greek Marriages begin the wedding, she's in her dress, but when they come together that night she dresses like a Hyperetes...”

“A what?”

“Kind of a page?” I asked, “The young men that serve knights? The new bride wears a simple tunic, belted and sandals. She looked like a boy!!”

Peter's head went back an inch, “To ease him into sex with his wife instead of a man?”

“Bingo!” I said happily.

Peter frowned, “I hate keeping going with the same word, but why!?”

“Getting pregnant was super important and very dangerous!” I replied, “Controlling the male urges was more important. Infant mortality was very high! Only a real marriage that produces children counts and there were almost no women on battlefields.”

Peter smiled and looked deep into my eyes. He used his thumbs to lower my lower lids and peered even deeper. “Where do you get this stuff!? After you get it, where do you put it?”

I chuckled, “I read!” I raised the finger again. “This will tell you about the past. There was a plant that was so good at preventing pregnancy it became extinct!! Silphium!”

“Damn!” Peter marveled. “And they harvested to the point it doesn't exist anymore.”

I nodded, “That's right. Of course, all those smart people still debate about what did. It must have worked to become extinct.”

“You remember everything you read?”

“Hell, no,” I said back, “I do remember things I find interesting.”

“A lot of things you find interesting,” Peter nodded.

“Which explains my dislike of math,” I grumbled. “Theorems and all that garbage...” I shuddered, “Geometry!”

“Please,” Peter hugged me again, “Don't ever change.”

“I don't think I could if I tried,” I grinned. “You can't change either.” We resumed going downstairs, “There is one game of football I like a lot.”

“You mean soccer?”

“No!” I said happily, “Aussie Rules Football!” I even used the best Australian accent.

“Aussie? Australian Football?” Peter asked.

“Footy is what they call it. They know how to play!!” I said, "No big pads and the ball is in play until it leaves the field after scoring or goes out of bounds and any part of the body can be used!”

"You like violent sports. But back to the sex thing for a second," Peter squinted an eye. “You read about sex. You're as fixated on sex as that Kinsey guy.”

“Sure,” I nodded. “Of course I am!! I wanted to know how it all worked. Our bodies were designed to do it. Nerves to the Pleasure Centers go crazy. The first need is air, the next part is food and then; we create people so they can do what we were designed to do.” I eyebrows waggled and makes want to do it again and again! It's who and what we are!” I wrapped my arms around him. “Now, let's be honest...”

Peter looked surprised at me, “Do you even know how to be dishonest?”

“I've heard about it,” I muttered. “It gets complicated having to remember what you said to whom.” I patted his chest. “I was determined to get a good University Degree on which I hoped to build a future, but I was doing it on my own. While, wasn't depressed or miserable...but not happy. And you...”

Peter nodded in a hurry saying, “Yes, yes. I was miserable, too.”

I took Peter's hand. “Now, I'm saying it. I am starved!!”

Coming in the galley, we saw him doing something we'd seen once. The indoor grill was shooting up flames as he looked like he was flipping hamburgers. My nose told me that was untrue. Looking at the “patties,” they were white with grill marks on it.

“I'll have yours ready in just a minute,” Henri smiled and returned to his meal preparation.

“Has Mercea gotten his?” Peter asked.

“No,” Henri looked curious and shook his head.

“Give him three or four of those,” Peter pleaded.

“Compassion for the suffering of others is paramount,” I pointed over my shoulder. “He's suffering now!”

Henri chuckled and took two of the “burgers” from the grill, “I'll be right back.”

I looked at rounded patties and smiled, “He made shrimp burgers?” I motioned to the burgers. “I heard they always fall apart!”

The galley door opened again and shook his head, “Then those that told you that was doing it wrong. Non Monsieur,” Henri grinned. “This is a spicy, shrimp and crab burger.”

“Cajun?” I asked.

Henri stopped a moment to think, “No, not really.” He waved at a thick patty. “The meats are tender, but I chopped shrimp and mixed it with crab meat. It has jalapenos and my own hot red sauce and Sazon.” He pointed at open buns. “I made these yesterday.” He pointed at some other dishes red stuff that looked like cocktail sauce. “A little heat in the seafood sauce.” He waved at a bowl of strips and circles of potato and onions. “And fries and onion rings!”

Peter frowned, “I thought you didn't do that because it gets soggy.”

"And still won't," he pointed overhead at some vents, "Not with this baby on. It's a dehumidifier.” He shrugged. “Even if you ate outside it won't be that quick.”

I smiled even bigger, “I wondered why it never seemed uncomfortable in here.”

“De-humidify," Peter said cautiously forward until became evident. “...meaning to take moisture out of the air?”

I pointed at my nose tip and then my telling him he was right in the sign language of charades! I didn't have to tell him. He knew he was right as he bobbed his head in confidence.

Henri rested a hand on the cutting board and the other on a hip, “Do you want to keep going and talk about it more? I need at least a few hours to clean up and prepare dinner!” He did a sweeping motion at us telling us to leave. “You're bothering me!” He looked at his clock. “It won't take long. It will need just a quick sizzle.”

It happened again. This...dark and empty feeling and was getting stronger. It wasn't even about the Duchess. It was the people on the Duchess that made it mean so much to Peter and me.

Yuri came from upstairs as we were going to the dining area.

“...and no one can tell?” Boris asked.

“No,” Yuri stated. He looked at us and threw his out to incorporate the Duchess. He grinned at Peter at me, “This is the Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna Romanova,” he bowed. “The eldest of four daughters all of who were killed during that Russian Revolution?”

“Okay,” Peter said uncertainly. “This I do know.” He looked at Yuri. "Anastasia's big sister?"

Yuri nodded, “That's her.”

“Why?” Peter asked.

Yuri didn't back down, “Why not?” He touched Peter's and my arms. “We're all part Russian! Aren't we?”

I nodded, “And there's even a kilt or two thrown in, too.”

Yuri waved that off, "The good will overshadow and counterbalance..."

Boris immediately stretched his arm out swatting Yuri with an audible impact, “Think carefully about how you should end that statement.”

“They were all children!” Yuri stated with a tone that asked why we couldn't understand that?

We could be serious, but why would we want to?

Henri was right. All that was needed to happen was a quick sizzle. Nothing was more important to Henri than creating something new. Nothing was beneath him. He didn't serve fast food. Yes, yes, semantics again. Marriage and Civic Unions were fine. Fast food and food served and made fast. Is there a difference? Try both and you'll find out.

Henri put two of his burgers in front of each of us. He placed a large plate that was making sounds with those onion rings and fries! Pavlov’s Dog was salivating. (Look it up.)

Meals around a table were nice, but so much better from talking with friends. Cherish the pain, I told myself. Every one of them, security agents and Duchess Crewmembers had melted into a group of friends. Conversations flowed with no effort needed. Gretchen leaned close to Nita and said something in her ear which Nita looked surprised at Gretchen and, I didn't hear it, but I saw Nita mouth “really?” She looked back at Alec and they both laughed.

Alec was speaking Earl and Luke. It was delightful chaos! And, when I say, that chaos added a quiet comfort; many will scratch heads to figure that out.

“When you plan to arrive in Venice?” Boris asked while munching his burger. That was not Boris-like behavior.

“If I push it we could be back morning.” He grinned.

“Well,” I said. “There's no hurry.”

“A little anxious about going home?” Peter grinned.

“Anxious,” Boris stated, “excited and...” he gave grudging nod, “a little scared.”

I smiled hearing that, but I could have guessed why but asked anyway. “Scared of what?”

Boris looked like he couldn't see why. “We'll be back in Boston in another week. God only knows what condition I'll find it."

Yuri chuckled, “Don said it was still standing.”

“You won't be here form my birthday?” Peter is an adult, but the slight quiver in his voice made him sound disappointed and younger.

Boris gave a slight nod, “I suppose we could fly back for that...”

“The new airport should be up and fully functional then and fly back to Boston with you. You can't even imagine what I might find.”

Peter nodded, “Uh, huh, but you can.”

Boris stopped and thought only a second and said, “Yes!”

Those shrimp and crab burgers were unlike any I've had before. The plate of onion-rings and fries had to be replaced as more were made. How do you describe a flavor? I know I asked before, but I'll try again. It was spicy. It wasn't a piercing biting heat like hot peppers. The heat was all over as though the burger vibrated. No pain, but these burgers bit back!

The onion rings and fries were crisp, tender...then the worst thing happened; I got full! Damn it.

Right now, I didn't know what I weighed. I knew I had gained some during the two weeks and I dreaded it. I never dieted in my life. It wasn't necessary yet. A pound lost or gained was normal. However, at the university, I wasn't as active as I had been in high school.

Henri came from galley smiling. He knew what he'd done. “Dessert, anyone?” He asked casually.

“You know we love you,” Peter groaned holding his stomach, “But what you just said was just evil.”

Henri shrugged with a chuckle, "All I did was make the meal,” he waved at the now empty plates. “How many burgers did you eat? Six?”

“Five,” Peter said back and looked at Mercea. “You ate more than that.”

“They kept coming!” Mercea looked up innocent. "I'm a big eater!" He waved at Henri, “He wanted me to!”

Yuri looked at Luke. “Does the Duchess tell you about any suspicious ships out there?”

Luke shook his head, “I would like to say she wouldn't dare.” He pointed in different directions off the ship. “All around us is Greece in the Gulf of Corinth. Unless she comes up with a plan she's confident in she shouldn't bother us.”

“So far,” I said a little disgusted. “All her attempts have failed. She was sloppy.”

“Are you going to tell her that?” Peter's eyes grew, “Do you want to help her!?”

I rolled my eyes, “Oh, yes, Peter. One of my other dreams, when I was a kid, was to be a pirate. I got the royal thing. So, why not? It’s a perfectly natural progression!” I sat back a little, “My favorite was being a vampire for many Halloweens! The whole Goth thing had run its course, but I revived it. For two I years wore nothing but black.” (Heh, heh.) I turned back to Yuri and Luke, “A part of me wanted Peter to be so I could be one, too.“

Peter smirked at me.

“I thought she was this evil Wonder Woman-like pirate.” I held out my hands. “She started a mission without testing the equipment? No fresh batteries...”

“Thank god,” Alec said in a mutter.

I nodded, “My point is; I thought she was this amazing, blood-thirsty super pirate!”

Luke nodded, "Usually she is." He shrugged, "With these last-minute plans, she couldn't plan like she normally does."

“Thank god!” Alec said again louder and I saw him cross himself. It wasn't the Catholic's version. He touched the center of his forehead, then lowered that hand to his naval up and over to his right shoulder and then touched his left shoulder. Does it sound backward to you? It is what Russian Orthodox do and it was developed to be just that; different. I knew how to cross myself since...I don't remember, it was so long ago. We had two in Charleston, but only one in Asheville. St. Nickolas. And no, it wasn't the Cathedral of Santa Claus. (I was disappointed.) There were Baptists and Methodists churches were everywhere!

I smiled in Alec's direction. There had been severe abuse with this man. Something helped him deal with it. That had been laid out as a foundation of values to build on. And he did it very well. I believed. Something created this and other worlds, but some very fine details worked together so well...how can I believe we were just pond goo who knows he's just pond goo? It’s out in the vastness of space and the smallest particles that make it. I have never been afraid of God.

Grandma asked me, “There's God. If he can hear private, unsaid prayers, he already knows how you feel. Don't be a hypocrite. Nothing will offend, hurt him or shock him." She then pointed her finger in my face and said firmly, “Just be honest!”

Sure! That was just easier.

Yuri nodded, “I'm glad she is sloppy with what she tries. I read about some of her victories,” he did air quotes. “She made herself famous with a few of them. That took some smarts.”

Luke chuckled, “She has it,” he raised his finger, “When she has time to plan.”

He waved Yuri off with the same hand he pointed with. "If she came into this Gulf, that isn't the best plan."

"And maybe she'd use that to her advantage," Peter suggested.

“We will follow the coastline up to Venice. We'll never leave sight of land,” Luke said. “More traffic.”

Peter looked at me as I stood, “Help me up?”

I shook my head, “No one helped me up.” But I offered my hand and as Peter touched me, I hauled to his feet. “And what do we do today? Not just simply wait for supper.”