3.107 – You Ain’t My Granny
It’s May, sunny, hot weather. Still Granny and Old Ben find it necessary to have the fireplace burning in the living room as I approach them. I heard Isis leave before I entered so they already know what I’m here about. I take a seat in the armchair across from the one Granny is sitting in. Old Ben is standing behind her chair looking more like a servant than her husband. I can tell by their faces that the masks they’ve been hiding behind are gone. That means there’s no real reason for me to keep being polite and trying to follow the nonsensical rules they seem to rule this place with.
“Are you two actually a couple? Sometimes you act like, but
other times it’s like he’s your servant,” I ask Granny.
“It’s none of your business,” Old Ben shouts me down.
“I guess you’re ‘shacking up’ as the old folks say,” I
respond.
“You’re full of jokes for someone who has just been caught
in the act of treason,” Granny answers coldly.
“I see you’ve dropped the harmless old lady act,” I respond.
“I see you’ve dropped the heartbroken idiot act.”
“Oh, I’m very heartbroken. The love of my life taught me to
spot a con artist, so I knew you were up to something the moment you had
Sampson kidnap me.”
“You didn’t know anything, you were too busy crying over the
dead slut.”
“You really don’t like her? What’s the deal with that? What
did she do to you?”
“The same thing you’re doing now. Trying to take my children
from me. I’ll let you take the queen since you sired him, but the rest are my
children and grandchildren. They’ll remain under my watchful eye.”
“What happened to all the others you’ve sired? Did you send
them away like Destiny, or did you put them in cages and sell them to the
highest bidder?”
“You know nothing,” Old Ben shouts again.
“Ben, why don’t you pull up a chair and have a conversation
like an adult instead of yelling adlibs at the end of every sentence,” I’ve
wanted to say that for a long time.
“Pearl, let me gut this boy right now.”
“Pearl is a much nicer name than Granny,” I interrupt.
“Look boy, you’re getting on my last nerve,” Pearl says.
“Understand I don’t owe you an explanation on anything. The fact that I haven’t
dealt with you yet is out of the goodness of my own heart.”
“What goodness? Everything I’ve seen here always comes back
to money. Send people out to steal as a trial. Send us on a trial with Sampson,
to kill drug dealers and get money. What did you have the girls do with Isis? I
bet it involved, I don’t know, getting money.”
“You think this all happens for free? You think it doesn’t
cost to keep this house, keep a place for all my children?”
“All your children? How many people do you think are left
around here? You got Sampson, Michael, James and Isis. You might keep Catalina
and Ashley, but that’s it. You don’t have some big family because you send them
all away like Destiny.”
“You don’t know a damn thing,” Pearl rises to her feet.
“I know there’s easier ways to make money than killing and
selling people,” I don’t leave my seat, I want her to know I’m not afraid of
her.
“You are not worthy to be Adze,” Pearl yells at me.
“Why not? I read The
Book of Adze. I’ve gone through the actual trials not some made up crap you
created to indoctrinate people. I talked to actual Gods, I’ve got a whole new
view of life now. What some old lady cult leader says doesn’t mean anything to
me.”
“Who told you about the book? Was it that harlot? Did she
send you here for it? Are you trying to kill me,” Pearl seems panicked.
“I found the book, in the library, where books tend to be. I
don’t want to kill you, that hadn’t even crossed my mind,” it has several times
but I’m trying to play this smart.
“You aren’t welcomed here anymore,” Pearl says in a calm
threat.
“I get the feeling I was never welcomed here.”
“I should have never opened my door to you.”
“You had me dragged here, I was going to give up and go
home. Destiny didn’t even want to come here. I pushed the idea because I
thought it would be safe. But, now, I’m feeling you helped set her up.”
“I got nothing to do with that wretched heathen being
killed.”
“Who would tell the Marsons that gold bullets kill Adze? I
imagine that’s not knowledge we want getting out, as Adze. At least tell me you
made the bullets yourself, and told them that you put some kind of curse magic
on them or something. Otherwise, they’re going to start wiping out Adze left
and right.”
“I didn’t make the bullets, James made them, didn’t even ask
me why. The Marsons wouldn’t have known to come to me for information about her
if she had kept her damn mouth shut and legs closed,” Pearl smiles smugly.
“I’m glad you confirmed that for me,” I finally stand up.
“I’m not going to kill you, because that would mean I’m no better than you.
But, I’m going for a full set of three, so I’m going to burn this plantation
down on my way out.”
“Over my dead body,” Old Ben steps forward, causing Pearl to
walk out of the room.
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