Blood Lily Company - Afghanistan, year 1

LV

The day of the wedding arrived, a copter picked up Lin and the brothers found themselves in charge of the base.

We were waiting at the edge of the helipad for the blades to slow down enough for her to slip under and board.
- No nonsense, boys, she said, turning to them.
- No worry, Lin, they answered in chorus.

And when the helicopter took off, they turned towards us, rubbing their hands together in synch, with the same evil grin.

They saw our worried looks, looked at each other and instantly became serious again.
- Are you guys really thinking we're going to knowingly disobey the Captain? We're not that crazy! Let's get to work.
- And what is the work, Commander? Quenotte asked a little insolently.
- It's to make this place a little more festive for celebrating a wedding. And the biggest job, guys, is going to be making you presentable!

Erk had a toothy smile saying that, but we're starting to know his predatory smiles, they are often used to make the joke more palatable. So of course we responded by pretending to groan and bitch. We went to the mess hall. It was nice, outside, so we took out a few tables and had lunch in the sun, under our hats and with our Ray-Bans.

At coffee, the Viking spoke. We were all there, even poor Poll, who we had brought outside to share our lunch and the fine weather. It was the first time our ex-telepath had come out of sick bay, the first time he had agreed to be with us again.

I noticed Dio had sat down next to him and was showing him things on the table, on his plate, all around us and then gesturing afterwards. Seeing the beginning of a smile of Poll's face, I realized he was teaching him sign language. In our time of great medical progress, where even dumb and mute people hear and speak again thanks to implants, this language had fallen into disuse. Then I thought that, despite the general improvement in living standards, there were still places where certain medical procedures were too expensive.

I figured that this sign language, once simplified, would make another great secret language, and from the look on Kris's face, I realized he had the same idea. Always looking for a tactical advantage, that one.

Anyway...

So, the Viking spoke and Dio translated what he could for Poll.
- Okay, this afternoon, we're cleaning the mess hall thoroughly, those with some culinary knowledge will then report to Cook to help prepare either tonight's dinner or tomorrow's feast. I want the bathroom to be spotless.

Well, it made sense, these were the rooms our four guests would see the most of.
- Then we will take the motorcycles and the Land out of the yard. We'll put them on the left of the barbican. We won't be able to move the kennels, so hose them down and clean them. A good raking in the yard, to make it look clean, no more. Phone, do you have a weather forecast for tomorrow?
- I'll get you one, Erk.
- Okay. Now, the idea is to have lunch and dance outside. But without a floor, that will be less fun...
- You do have luxury tastes, brother.
- Well, a tango is more fluid on a dance floor.
- Hey, let me remind you that...
- Don't worry, Kris, you'll be my one and only tango partner. Now that she's married...

Erk's smile was remarkable, saying that little sentence, and I saw Kris blush slightly.
- After seeing you dance at Christmas, it's hard to even come close to you.
- Why, JD, do you know how to dance the tango? Kris asked.
- Well... now, I wonder if I really know how to, you see, after your act...
- And you lead? Silly me, of course you lead...
- Well, well, little brother, ready to cheat on me at tango?

And Kris blushed again. Damn, I know he loves his brother a little more than... you know, but then I wondered if Erk didn't know that, the way he seemed to be flirting with him...
- We could stretch a tarp close to the ground, said Alma, Mac and Stig's cameraman. If it's big enough and really flush to the ground, it can replace a dance floor.
- That's not a bad idea. See to it, okay?
- Will do, Erk.
- Good. We'll get the sound system outside tomorrow, we'll choose cool songs, to dance together. We'll start with the traditional waltz, then disco, stuff like that.
- Before I came here, one of the guys from Curly's patrol, a guy we called Rocky because his last name was Balboa, said, I was a DJ.
- Famous?
- Not really, not outside of Naples. I hosted parties and weddings, and the town hall would sometimes call on me.
- So you propose to do the DJ for us?
- Yes.
- That's fine with me, just check with Kris about the music.
- Will do.
- Fine. Once the cleaning is done, we finish the haircuts and tomorrow, just before their arrival, I want all of you in impeccable uniform, meaning clean fatigues and boots, dried-blood berets and keffiyehs, the full monty, guys.