The Bedlamite Obligation (A Matt Savage Adventure) Chapter 38

[seymoure]

A Calm, Rational Discussion 

“He hurt me, and I wanted him dead.”
-Mose Allison 

When I came to, the room was brighter than it needed to be. I thought my eyeballs must have been about to fall out of my head. You just can’t hit anything that hard and expect it to function as well.

I was first aware of my shoes. I hated my shoes, but I wouldn’t buy new ones. I hated shopping for shoes more than the shoes on my feet. Shopping of every kind was worse than being shot at, or so I had thought until people started firing at me.

“Yer movin’ around again, so I think we can start talkin’ again,” came Texas Jack’s slow speech.

“We can have a better discussion if you don’t hit me,” I said, not expecting any expression of sympathy.

That statement was answered by the application of a clenched fist on the side of my head. It brought a brilliant epiphany. The cartoons were right! A circle of stars does appear over your head, but it doesn’t accompany Merry-Go-Round music; I got John Lee Hooker. But the calliope might come later.  I was sure that the pummeling was not over.

“I have . . .” stumbled out of my mouth, “an offer that could be mutually beneficial.”

“And what is it that makes you think anything mutual is of interest to us?” the Jersey voice said from across the room.

“There is just one thing we want, son,” Jack told me, “That is where we will find MacPherson.”

“No . . .” the word was suicidal, but it came out anyway, “I have to save my friends.”

The punch was coming. The time waiting was a breath, and then another and then . . .

There was that Merry-Go-Round.

© C. Wayne Owens
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