Page 167 of Home

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Two days later Va’roush stood on the hill looking out over the somewhat overgrown fields. It was clear to see the rows that had been planted, and not yet harvested as the crops were left to wither in place. His gaze traveled the length of the field and up the opposite and highest hill to the house that sat perched there, overlooking all the surrounding property. The grasses in the yard surrounding the house were not as neatly manicured as when he first saw it, and it was evident that no one was living here anymore. He made his way down across the fields, stopping along the way to inspect the storage building that the tractor and mowing equipment still sat in, parked and waiting for use. Every tool needed to work the land and to grow food in the fields was still in good working order.

Walking out behind the storage building, he hesitated only for a second before he decided to inspect the wooded areas surrounding the land and determined that no one had been there in a while. There were no fresh tracks. He did however find several perimeter alarms, and went to great lengths to make sure they picked up his movement as he walked back and forth in front of them. Once he was sure he’d set them off, he turned and walked back up the hill to the house. Approaching the house he was more careful. There could be booby traps set to keep others from entering. He inspected the doors and the windows, ultimately deciding that other than the same type of perimeter alarms, there was nothing. So, he let himself in and carefully moved through each room. It was not only important to be respectful, because it wasn’t his home, it was important to be sure that it was a safe environment to be in.

As he moved through the rooms, he stopped to look at the photographs, the clothing, the toys, even all the furniture left exactly as it was the evening the previous inhabitants had left, unable to take their belongings with them. Unable to do anything else at the moment, other than wait, he went into the kitchen and looked through the pantries and the cold box to see if there was anything there he might eat or drink for sustenance.

Deciding that the food in the cold box was inedible, and thoroughly rotted, he did settle on a bottle of red colored liquid that had yet to be opened and was still somewhat appetizing. He opened it and took it outside to sit on the covered, cemented area around the front door and wait for those monitoring the house and its land to answer the alarms he’d intentionally set off.

~~~

“Viceroy Buchanan?”

“Yes?” Buchanan said, looking up from the paperwork on his desk.

“The alarms at Consul Kol Ra’ Don Tol’s home have gone off.”

“Which ones? It’s probably just deer or something.”

“All of them.”

Viceroy Buchanan sat back and took off his reading glasses. He looked at the soldier standing before him with more than a curious gaze. “All of them? Are you sure?”

“Yes, sir. Every single perimeter alarm Patron Zhuxi and his warriors installed has been triggered. Repeatedly.”

“Inside the house, too?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Have you advised Patron Zhuxi?”

“Yes, sir. He’s gathering his warriors and sent me to advise you.”

Viceroy Buchanan nodded as he got to his feet. “Let’s do this. Something obviously is determined to get our attention.”

~~~

Va’roush sat on the smooth cement surface poured outside the front door of the home, and waited for those sent to intercept him to arrive. He looked back at the surface he sat on, running his hands across it where they braced his body to lean back relaxedly. He nodded a couple of times, approving of the choice to cover this part of the ground with cement. He looked up at the covering, shading him and the cement he sat on from the sun overhead. It was actually rather cool in temperature under the covering. “It is a good design,” he said to no one in particular.

Looking out over the expanse of land beyond the house, he began to think that maybe those he waited for had begun to arrive. He sat perfectly still, his eyes glued to a particular spot in the field, and waited for his eyes to pick up any errant movement. He just wasn’t sure if he saw it, or if it was the breeze just touching a few blades of greenery. “I can’t tell if you’re here or not,” he admitted.

“We are here. Others are coming.”

Va’roush jumped to his feet and looked behind himself to find a male he knew well standing behind him. Va’roush, unable to be even the slightest pleasant — he was all fact or nothing at all — nodded at the male. “Zrakad. I had hoped they would send you.”

“Why are you here, Va’roush, intentionally setting off our alarms?”

“I need this house.”

“What?”

“The female, Mel, is without a home. Her beasts are without a home. She needs shelter. This house is sitting unused. I would like to discuss its usage with Consul Kol Ra’ Don Tol.”

“General.”

Va’roush raised a single eyebrow, then nodded again. “With General Kol Ra’ Don Tol.”

“Why didn’t you just contact him?”

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