Lester's Keeper

6) Becoming Acquainted

On the table by the flickering candle were two small cylindrical pieces of glass standing abreast of one another. She stood and lifted one glass cylinder and slipped it over the candle, which began to glow blue. She took her seat again and pointed across the room toward the other booths. The candles within them glowed the neutral color of flame and appeared to float in the layer of darkness above the relative light of the floor, like stars on the edge of space. They waited and watched.

"What are we waiting for?" Lester asked in a whisper.

Her eyes remained fixed on the glowing candlelight before them and she held a finger to her lips. Then she smiled, and pointed to their left. Before them, one of the points of flickering flame turned from the color of flame to green, silently before them.

"What the..." Lester began.

Again she motioned to him to be silent as the candlelight in the booths began to change color in perfect sequence, like some strange light show, in time to the classical symphony that floated on the air. Red, yellow, green, amber, pink. They each gained their own unique hue until finally she smiled and pointed. At the far corner of the room, another candlelight blinked blue in the darkness above the joining of flesh on the floor beneath.

"Your match has been found." She smiled and turned to look at Maggie. "Good luck Miss Marshall. My daughter will lead your way and perform the introductions. You will of course have the opportunity to converse as necessary before visiting the floor. Perhaps you will even get the juices flowing in the privacy of your booth. Make sure to save some for our eyes though." She smiled at Maggie, who nodded back meekly.

"You are quite sure you want to proceed?" she asked.

Maggie looked at Lester expectantly.

"You can do it, Babe. You've come this far." He smiled but his eyes regarded her with a certain intensity. Surely she wouldn't shit the bed now that he was so close to his victory?

Maggie's eyes appeared to search his face for something momentarily before she smiled and nodded slowly. "You're right Lester. I can." She leaned forward and kissed him gently on the cheek. He saw something strange in her expression. She had acted oddly tonight, but he supposed it was to be expected considering the circumstances. As long as she went through with things, her behavior ultimately didn't matter to him.

"Knock 'em dead, Babe."

The heavyset door-lady appeared at the front of the booth, by Maggie. "It appears you have been summoned."

"Lester," Maggie said, standing. "Mrs. Knight. I will see both of you later."

Lester laughed. "We might see you first."

Maggie simply smiled at him and turned to be led away.

"My darling," Mrs. Knight called after the door-lady. "Can you please bring Mr. Latroy and I two coffees when Miss Marshall is settled in?"

"Of course." The heavy-set woman nodded and turned and was gone into the shadows with Maggie at her side.

Mrs. Knight removed the blue glass from the candle and one by one, the other blots of color about the room returned to their native states again. Beneath them upon the floor, the acts continued, seemingly oblivious to the silent activity above them.

"No booze here either?" Lester asked.

"Oh no Mr. Latroy," she said. "No alcohol here, ever. Alcohol has the tendency to turn men to pigs. And of course, then there's the ever-present danger of the dreaded Whiskey Dick, isn't there?"