Page 39 of Concluded
CHAPTER16
Agenie.
Chief Grimes said some things after that, but Dee couldn’t hear through the roaring in his ears.Grimes and Tenrael swept past him, but Dee remained rooted in place, his brain short-circuiting.A moment or two later, Achilles gingerly walked over—Dee noticed, even through his fugue—and led him to an armchair, which Dee collapsed into.
For what might have been a long time, nobody said anything.Finally Dee managed a few words.“Like, in a bottle?And blue-skinned?Or with the pink crop top and gauzy, um, harem pants?”He realized that he wasn’t making much sense, but then his life, his very existence, didn’t make much sense anymore.Not that he’d ever followed a traditional path to begin with, but somehow over the past year he’d veered from odd into pure fantasy.Or horror—he wasn’t certain which.
“It’s that guy’s fault!”he shouted suddenly, startling Achilles, who’d looked ready to doze off.He probably met genies all the time.
“What guy?”Achilles asked groggily.
“The… guy with the New York accent.And Yiddish.”
Achilles nodded.“Ah.Abe Ferencz.How is anything his fault?”
“I was doing fine until he showed up at my door.”That was an exaggeration, because Dee had not been doing fine.He’d been flat broke, in danger of getting evicted, and out of weed.But still.
“That’s how it goes.Life flings shit at you like a pissed-off chimpanzee.But Ferencz didn’t make you what you are—you know that, right?The world’s a mess right now, and sooner or latersomeonewas gonna come knocking.”
Dee was aware of all that, but he really wanted to place the blame somewhere, and it didn’t seem fair to dump it on Achilles, given his recent experiences.Dee slumped back and massaged his temples.“Fine.I mean, totally not fine, but….Tell me about genies.”
“I only know about the Disney one.”
“What?”Dee stared at him in disbelief.“But you’re a Bureau agent.”
“Sure, but I didn’t know you guys really existed.They never mentioned genies during training, and I’ve never met one before.That I know of, anyway.”Achilles didn’t seem particularly concerned.“Do you have family you could talk to?”
Dee couldn’t help but scoff.“I haven’t seen Mom since I was a little kid, and….She could grant wishes too.Dad OD’d when I was thirteen.As far as I know, he didn’t have any special powers.Do you think maybe he was human?Can genies and humans…”—he waved his hands vaguely—“interbreed?”
“No idea.But humans can and do have children with other NHSs.Shifters, for instance.The chief’s an example of that—one of his parents was an angel.”
An angel.Dee’s capacity for shock was depleted by now, and anyway it wasn’t important at the moment what Grimes was.But Dee still couldn’t help but comment.“He doesn’t seem all that angelic.”
Achilles laughed.“No.But then he’s the only angel I’ve ever met, so maybe they’re all like that.More into scowling than harping.”He shrugged.“Lots of lore is BS.You certainly don’t live in a bottle, and you granted Dunn a lot more than three wishes.”
Good points.But then, Dee had no way of knowing right now whatwasreal.It did occur to him, however, that the genies in stories were often bound to human masters.Dee had never had a master, unless you counted Ashley, and he’d been able to escape her clutches once he made an effort.Yet while he was with her, he’d experienced an odd comfort in being… used.More than comfort: pleasure.Like a border collie that had finally been given access to a herd of sheep.
“I can’t think about this right now.”He stood and looked toward the kitchenette.“Are you hungry?”
“I could eat.”
To Dee’s considerable relief, Achilles didn’t press him for more information.In fact, Achilles might have even dozed off while Dee dug around in cupboards to see what was available.It turned out that there were no animal products, but he found pasta and tomato sauce and cooked up a couple plates of spaghetti.
Achilles didn’t seem inclined to walk to the table, so they ate while sitting in armchairs instead.
“Thanks,” said Achilles when he was done, setting the empty plate on the floor beside his chair.“That hit the spot.”
Dee knew they should be discussing his newly discovered identity or the impending apocalypse.Or both.But he didn’t want to talk about either right now, so he sidetracked instead.“How come you haven’t called anyone except Chief Grimes?”
“What do you mean?”Achilles asked through a yawn.
“I don’t know if the, um, aliens have phones.Oh gods, that’s a movie, isn’t it?But anyway, the coyotes did.And your boss must have one too.But you haven’t used them except to call him.”
“Who do you think I should be calling?”
“Family?Friends?You were missing for several days, and they must be worried.”
Sadness flashed across Achilles’ handsome features and then was gone.“The only people who might be worried about me work for the Bureau, and I’m sure word’s gotten around that I’m not dead yet.”
