Prisoner of the Molepeople

Chapter 27 - The Visitor

There they were, those beautiful blue eyes. And there we were, two prisoners in a strange world, so close, yet so far apart. He was smiling … at me … and that made all the difference.

Brunhilda, on the other hand, looked disappointed with my choice in a boyfriend.

There were bars between Lenny and the rest of us. A guard was watching through the window in the door behind us. The atmosphere wasn't exactly romantic. Still, the longing in my heart outweighed any shame, and my fingers reached toward the bars. That is, until I noticed the guy in black.

It was Father Jackothan, sitting in the corner. With the same black robe, drooping head dress, and sunken eyes, there was no mistaking this fossil of a moleman … the guy who wanted me dead.

I screamed, backing up to the opposite side of the cell. I screamed again.

But the old moleman did nothing, nor did anyone else. In the silence that followed, I felt obligated to say, “Sorry.”

Father Jackothan's drooping features rose into a smile. Then he turned to Lenny, saying, “This is your last chance to confess. If you’re not prepared to meet the undergods, you will suffer their wrath.”

Lenny, turning his attention from me, took a comfortable slouch in his chair. He said, “Come to think of it, there is one thing.”

“Yes?”

Lenny took a deep breath. “You see … there was this girl.” He was speaking unnaturally loud, but then, he’d always been an exhibitionist. “And we were dating. She’s here, actually.” He shot me a casual glance.

“Get on with it, son.” Considering how difficult it must have been for Father Jackothan to get any sound out of that baggy throat, he was also speaking quite loudly. I guess he was as eager as I was to figure out where Lenny was going with this.

“I liked her,” said Lenny. “I spent money on her. Once I even took her to Los Hermanos. I gave her my heart. But in the end, she betrayed me.”

Feeling a quiver in my heart, I asked, “What are you talking about?”

But Lenny ignored me.

“That’s not a confession,” said Father Jackothan.

“I’m getting to it.” Lenny leaned forward as if having a guy-to-guy chat. “I confess, Father. I confess that I was a foolish enough to love her.”

“Lenny,” I said in a small voice, “when did I ever –”

“Oh cut the act. I heard the recording.”

It took a moment for the words to sink in. Then I recalled my little act during breakfast and Duthbert's orders to play the recording to Lenny. “It’s not what you think. I –”

He winked at me. Why did he wink at me? Even more confusing was Father Jackothan's smile. Everyone seemed to know something that I didn’t. Except for my bodyguards. They looked as clueless as me.

Think, Ann. Why would one of the most powerful figures in Molemania bother to hear the confession of a random schmo like Lenny? There must have been more going on than met the eye.

Searching for a clue, my eyes met the intercom on the wall, reminding me that every room in Molemania was bugged. Perhaps this explained Lenny's and Father Jackothan's unnaturally loud voices. They're putting on a show.

My eyes met Lenny, who gave a subtle nod.

They were putting on a show. Lenny and Father Jackothan were in cahoots. Of course Lenny wasn't interested in a Gahboo confession. He was Mormon. Whatever their meeting was really about, it must have been discussed through whispers. But now that my bodyguards were there (the eyes and ears of Duthbert), Lenny and Father Jackothan had to put their true business on hold.

No, none of this made sense. Why would Father Jackothan – the guy who hated us more than anyone else in Molemania – want to help Lenny? And why would he want to see me?

Of course. As much as he hated humans, Father Jackothan hated Duthbert more. An alliance with Lenny and I was an alliance against Duthbert. Duthbert must have had no idea Father Jackothan was here. Duthbert, in allowing me come come here, must have been banking on the assumption that Lenny had fallen for the recording and, in his bitterness, would break my heart in return.

Lenny must have been had been putting on this show for some time, weeping and wailing, cursing the day I was born, all the while luring an eavesdropping Duthbert into a false sense of security.

By announcing how much he hated my guts, my dear Lenny, in his own, special way, had declared his undying love for me.

Finally I nodded back at Lenny, unable to hold back my smile. While my bodyguards were staring into space, I, without saying a word, had solved a mystery and joined a conspiracy. I was a genius.

That is, Lenny was a genius. He must have planned this from the beginning. In fact, did he really try to “storm the castle” with a crowbar and a bunch of bums? Was it a coincidence that the event had taken place at approximately the same time the palace was surrounded by news reporters? He must have wanted to get captured. He must have known it was futile to take on Duthbert head to head. He must have known there was no better way to lead his movement than by making himself a martyr. Hence the rally in the park. In any case, the media stunt with the bums had been so successful, he'd gained the attention of powers in high places such as Father Jackothan. How else could he have formed such a powerful alliance?

While I’d been hanging out at graveyards and watching TV, this beautiful, brilliant man had put his safety and pride on the line. For me. Somehow, though I couldn't explain how, I was the one being rescued. First my jaw fell open in awe. Then, feeling a wave of defeat, tears rose to my eyes. Not again!

“Father,” I said at last, “I too have a confession.” I didn't know where I was going with this, but I knew if I just stood there any longer, I'd turn into a blubbering mess. At least I had to prove to Lenny that I was more than capable of playing my part in his game. That is, my game. I was the one who started this let's-pretend-to-hate-each-other thing. “Lenny wasn’t the only fool. I cringe as I think of all the time I wasted with this moron.”

I was gratified by the astonishment in Lenny's face. I thought of Duthbert overhearing our conversation in secret chambers, thinking he had me like a cat with a mouse. “You see, Father, I only used Lenny for his money. But obviously his pitiful student wages could never satisfy me. Not like Duthbert. Now there's a guy with assets.” The more we messed with Duthbert's mind, the weaker his defenses would be. I only hoped Lenny and Father Jackothan had a real a plan up their sleeves, else this could really backfire.

I felt a little less sure of myself as I noticed the horror in Lenny's face. For a moment I thought he was being genuine, but then I remembered what an amazing actor he was. “I never loved Lenny, and I never will.”

“Look at the guy. He’s scrawny. Unlike Duthbert. Ah, Duthbert. Such … girth.”

Now Lenny was shaking his head at me. Did he want me to give up the game, undoing everything we'd worked so hard to accomplish? At first I thought he was staring at something behind me. Then I realized that my words were actually traumatizing him. When it came down to the real grit of war, was he unable to take the pain? At least I cared enough to do what had to be done. “In fact, if Duthbert were to burst through this door right now, I would marry him on the spot.”

The door slid open, and Duthbert stepped in.