The Other Loki

Be My Friend

In the bustling village, goats walk among the mud huts, lead by barefoot boys in sand-colored tunics. Women and men walk about grinding food, building homes or weaving fabric.

Inside a hut that's entrance is covered by a woven tapestry, Loki, in dusty, but royal gold and green apparel stands facing a crude wooden chair where sits Daniel, wrists and ankles bound to the chair arms and legs with crude rope.

"Okay..." Loki sets his finger tips together and licks his lips. "Let's make this simpler." He approaches Daniel slowly. "I remove the restraints. You swear not to run off."

Daniel pants and looks down before collecting himself and facing Loki with something like resolution.

"No."

Loki laughs a bit.

"That's what you did the last time," he paces before the chair.

"I know. But...I'm not interested in helping you run your-your tyrannical kingdom."

Loki shrugs.

"I let you escape, Loki," Daniel panes.  "So you could start over."

"I did."

Daniel leans forward and pauses before speaking. "Somewhere free not this!..." He shifts the direction of the doorway. "Enslaving another planet!"

Loki sets his lips then leans in and speaks with emphasis. "I'm helping them. They were a dying race. I come in and play God," he smiles slightly and leans back. "What harm does it do? I believe I help can them."

"At least you don't think you're a real God," Daniel mutters.

Loki takes half a seat on a crude stone pillar in the corner. "We'll get to that later..."

"Oh please..." Daniel looks to the side and Loki smiles fondly at him.

Daniel plasters on an exasperated smile. "And would you please stop...looking at me like we're friends...We're not."

"That's up to you." Loki offers.

Daniel looks away. "Shut up."

Shrugging Loki lifts a knife from the dining table and spins it on the wooden surface. Daniel looks at it and gulps, then clears his throat trying to look unfazed.

Loki watches the spinning knife.  "You and I both know I could...would...never be as kind and caring as you are..." He stares at the table.

Daniel clenched his teeth. "Stop."

Loki's head jerks up and looks sharply into Daniel's. "You stop. You really want to help people? Forget about me?" He leans in, voice rasping. "I don't know how the hel to rule ethically! I can spin a pretty little lie, Daniel, but you don't have to!" he holds the dagger under Daniel's chin.

Daniel backs up trying to look stern.

"Pathetic though it may be," the delusional God went on.  "You'd die or watch others die for your sick sense of justice! The helpless! No man left behind! Would you not!"

Daniel gulps. "Yes." It's short and wants to be more certain then it is.

"And you'd die a thousand times over if you thought by some twisted chance you could save or change me."

Daniel accidentally glances at the dagger so touching his neck, quickly looking back at Loki and says nothing, but his eyes betray him.

"You can intercede for these helpless worshipful idiots or you can stay here and rot. Your choice."  Loki lowers the dagger and drops it apathetically on the table.

As he turns to leave Daniel winces angrily. "I'm not going to help you, Loki!"

Loki wheels around in the doorway. "No. You're not going to help THEM."  He points to the doorway.  "I'll talk to you when I'm done with my day's work. I hope you like screaming."

"Loki, wait!"