The World's Start

Heath

Heath, after a few days of mental tribulation, thought that going on the mission with Jack Edens was not that bad of an idea.

He would have rather not tell Jack the truth about what made him change his mind, but he once made a point to never lie unless some situations simply required it. And since being a Laoch who used his own magic as some kind of medicine and a street rat son of a prostitute did require lying from time to time, he made himself an even bigger point to never tell senseless lies.

So, when he approached Jack the morning of the task, he confessed.

"I thought about your words, and decided that Mister Tenney is not a fool. Even if we go together, he'll find a way to grade us separetely if he wishes. In fact, he probably knew who was going to win from the start, because it's the kind of old bastard he is..."

Heath laughed but Jack did not join in. Heath coughed, a little more self-aware.

"What I'm really meaning to say is that you have been selfish in asking me, so I'll be selfish in joining you. We're even. You ask me along just because you are afraid of Elvors? Fine. I'm coming along because my only skill is my draining magic and I am afraid of a lot more things than you are, Jacob, including flashing lights, things that go boom, sneak attacks and loud noises just to name my top four. And now you're stuck with me. Happy?"

They were in the woods near the school, ready to leave. They had backpacks and black suits on. When breaking and entering wasn't required, so the students would not have to hike on buildings, Mister Tenney insisted the secret agents wore everyday clothing, or there wasn't much point to them being secret. Heath's curls that day were almost completely sandy brown, except for a few dark streaks the color of a very faded dark pink that couldn't be really singled out from afar from the rest of his head.

Eyeing Jack's backpack, and knowing it was taking a while for Edens to take this information in, Heath was suddenly scared the other student was going to bump him over the side of the head with his carryall.

"Fine," Jack finally said. "I would say I fail to see what I can get from it, but I recognize I was the first one to ask."

They started walking. Heath remembered the words the Monks from the Embassy said about the forests, how you could hear every single sound of nature and, if you concentrated on them, have an healing experience for your soul. 

Heath was not capable of doing things like that. Not when there was Jack Edens there to tease.

"So," he said. "The movie about the Laoch and the Elvor princess. What was it about again?"

Jack stopped in his tracks and almost dropped his backpack, which he was carrying as a suitcase.

"Why are you asking about that? Leo brought it up too, the other day."

"Ugh," Heath made a sound like a cat who choked on a furball. "I didn't know about that. I don't want to have anything in common with Leonard. Ever. But I was thinking that your father was in the movie, wasn't he?"

"It was a cameo," Jack was growing restless and looking around as if Elvors could show up anywhere at anytime. Which was fair. Maybe they could.

"A paid cameo, meaning he paid to be in the movie and became one of the producers," Jack added, clearly not as bothered as he looked. "He played Caladium."

"Wait a minute," Heath laughed. "Caladium was in the movie? That Caladium?"

"How many Caladiums have you heard of? It's not like it's a given name."

The idea was absurd. Maybe it was because Heath loathed movies --- they were never as good and genuine as books. He never owned a Screen except when he was little, and even then the Screen was for watching the war in real time. And now that he thought about it, maybe that was the real reason he'd never watched a movie since nor he intended to.