Wendell gestured towards the lodge doors as I followed him outside. Behind me I could hear Dante and Rosey going back and forth until it was blocked out by the closed door. When Wendell was sure no one else could hear us, his expression quickly turned to rage. Despite how furious he seemed, he kept his voice as a slow and demanding whisper, “What did you do?”
I kept my voice as quiet as his, “Broke my hand? It doesn't hurt that ba-”
He interrupts me by waving the air in my face, “No. Not that.” He pulls up one side of his shirt to reveal a large bandage over his ribcage and gestures to it, “THIS.”
I stare down at the bandage. The surface of it was tinted with fresh red blood, “What the heck happened to you?”
He put his shirt back down and sternly pointed at me, “We had a deal didn’t we? You wait one month. It’s been ONE DAY and I find half a knife wedged between the floorboards by my bed, and my blankets tied around my ankle. I hired you because you follow orders and you’ve over here trying to do some loop hole. It’s not going to cut it.”
I put my hands out, “Woah woah woah hold your horses there man. I didn’t do jack squat! You said it yourself, I follow orders. I wouldn’t do something stupid like that when the script explicitly states when I do ANYTHING.”
His eyes narrow while trying to figure me out, “Hm…How can I trust your resume is telling the truth about you then? It said you don’t speak English and yet here you are. And if you can’t do this job I need to know now before I get your ass thrown in jail.”
“I didn’t write my resume. They told me not to and as a result there’s some things in there that are either outdated or my family is lying to try and get me this job. But following orders was no lie. I know they at least included my work experience and that alone should tell you everything you need to know.”
Wendell gives me another long look as if waiting for some kind of catch. He nods, “Ok. Fine. I believe you for now but only because I know your work experience. Just know I’m not kidding when I say you could be put in jail if we don’t do this right the first time, et alone let anyone screw it up for you.”
I nodded back, “Agreed. That’s why I’m going to get the angel the information they want and hope it had something to do with them and we can go about this job just as you planned.”
Wendell presses his fingers into his eyebrow as he sighs, “It’s not an angel, it's just some homeless guy probably trying to scare you into giving them money or a place to stay.”
“I saw that thing. They had a set of real wings capable of flight separate from their normal arms. No nonferal bird looks like that. They only ever have those weird hand wings that fumble around with the feathe-”
Wendell waves his hand at me as he interrupts, “I know I know! I know what a bird nonferal looks like. I seriously doubt this guy is legit though. I mean it could be fake wings or arms or uhm… maybe you were seeing things?”
I shook my head, “I know what I saw.”
Wendell sighs heavily as he grumbles under his own breath, “Ok. So we have a butler, a woman who will not shut up, a superstitious hippie, “ he gestures to me as I glare at him, “and now a homeless guy in the backyard making threats for my weakness.”
I grumble a bit, “It’s not a homeless guy. It’s an angel.”
He ignores the comment and continues. The fluctuations he gives now however are exaggerated as if he’s starting to bend a bit under all the pressure. He laughs, “So just give him a weakness. I’m allergic to poison! How about that? Maybe even a gun! I’m really weak to a 9 millimeter!”
I looked confused, “Are some people not?”
“NO. Look if that’s not good enough of an answer for them then I don’t know what you tell them. That’s a weakness.”
I continued to explain, “But if everyone is weak to those then why would they even ask? They must be looking for something more unique to you. They could mean a more emotional weakness. Something more internal.”
Wendell nods, “And this is why you’re a superstitious hippie.”
“I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that. If guns or poison don't work I’ll tell them you have a sensitive ego.”
Wendell seems to want to snap back with a remark but refrains as to not further cement the comment, “Fine. Just tell them that, tell them to leave the property for good next time you see them, and never talk to me about the job I gave you again, got it?”
“Well could I ask you why-”
Wendell growls, “NO. Do I make myself clear?”
I sighed and nodded. With nothing else I was even allowed to say I started down the lodge steps. He bothered me for one last comment as I went, “Oh. And go find something else to wear. You look homeless.”
I glared back with resentment before I turned away and headed out to town.
It was still a fresh morning. As I walked down the path to the sidewalks of the town, I felt a cool calming breeze. The morning air was chilly and quiet. The town was vastly different from how it was at night. It was busy but slow. People took their time setting back out signs for their shops and seating for cafes. Potted plants and decorations were back out. Even small bees and butterflies in the area were used to the routine. A few of them came out to see the plants set out.
All of it made me feel like I could finally breathe a little easier now. But some things still weighed on my consciousness. I was more awake now and had a whole day after I deal with Rosey.
Remembering the how bold the thieves and murderers of this town can get however, I took some time to hide my money somewhere other than my pockets. I left only a dollar in my pocket and the rest under my shirt. I would have hid them in my shoes but like most nonferals nowadays I was barefoot. Though unlike them it wasn’t initially by choice. I still needed to get my old combat boots back from Rosey one day.